+ TOPEKA — Reno County resident Josh Wells describes himself as the leader of a Proud Boys group, promotes an all-white nation state, and peddles false conspiracy theories about the financial plot behind COVID-19 and how police instigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The owner of Wells Home Repair is also a candidate for the school board in Haven, a small town southeast of Hutchinson. He is challenging an incumbent who, in sharp contrast, wants to “meet the needs of all students.”

Wells pulled his own kids out of public schools, he wrote in a white nationalist chat group, referencing concerns about the “Communist Manifesto” and Church of Satan.

In private messages with teenage anti-fascists who later doxed him, Wells shared the manifesto of the Patriot Front, a white nationalist hate group. He identified himself as a former member of the Three Percenters, an antigovernment militia movement, and claimed membership in his Midwest Nationalist Party ranges from Arkansas City to Emporia and Concordia.

“We are advocates of white nationalism and or a pro-western Christian theocracy with a protected white majority status. Which ever one is more obtainable,” Wells wrote.

His personal Twitter and Facebook pages are laced with profane outbursts; tirades about Black Lives Matter, Antifa and critical race theory; sexist and racist memes; Proud Boy images; vague threats and personal attacks.

Wells responded to requests to comment for this story by texting “no thanks.”

“Nice try. I will address the voters in my district with any questions or concerns,” he added. “I don’t want nor do I need to give you any answers. Have a great day.”

Members of the Midwest Youth Liberation Front engaged Wells in April, using an encrypted smartphone app called Signal, after seeing some of his messages from a White Lives Matter forum. In May, they exposed Wells’ comments on Twitter.


Wells responded by threatening to sue the anonymous teenagers for “theft by deception” and “copyright infringement” for using his business logo.

“I will be coming after you with everything possible,” he wrote in a direct message to the Midwest Youth Liberation Front’s Twitter account. “Hopefully you are smart enough to remove these items otherwise I can and will financially, lawfully cripple you and your lies.”


(more)


https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/20/haven-school-board-candidate-lured-into-sharing-racist-ideology-with-teenage-anti-fascists/