Unmasking Charlatans

For a journalist, there's nothing quite as juicy as an abrupt mask-off moment. Watching the sanctimonious betray themselves with their own words and actions is worth its weight in gold.

To that end, I set out to reveal the hypocrisy behind the concerted effort to prohibit law enforcement from covering their faces. My goal was to unmask the unmaskers, so to speak. *

As fate would have it, the group I chose to expose for inconsistency and insincerity on a literal level is also figuratively masquerading as something it assuredly is not.

Informal Invitation

Last September, an eye-catching digital ad for a movement called 'Home of the Brave' began running on a local bus billboard. Its message was blunt: why are (cops) obscuring (their) faces? Not long after I took notice of the display, Axios published a blurb with a comparable sentiment. **

As the months rolled on, more and more articles related to the issue grabbed my attention. A state senator from Utah went on the record with his intention "to ban ICE agents from wearing masks." Of course, this congressional hopeful didn't have a problem with hiding his countenance when he filed for office. [Assuming that was him... how are we to know for sure :)]

Weeks later, a likeminded Virginia delegate submitted a bill that included an exception for those notorious pandemic earloop masks. Under the most generous interpretation, it'd seem to nullify the legislation's whole reason for being... considering the items some bureaucrats once forced us to wear provide similar anonymity to the apparel politicians are bemoaning in 2025/2026. ***

Once I realized this subject was no flash in the pan, I circled back to where it started for me.

Air of Mystery

Within minutes of clicking on the 'Home of the Brave' website, I knew I had stumbled upon my white whale. In the footnotes, there is a nine-digit EIN for this supposed 501(c)(4). I tried plugging that number into the IRS tax exempt search tool, to no avail. ****

Another detail that stood out: the surreptitious institution's donations interface requires checking a box next to this language: "I affirm that I am a United States citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident (a 'Green Card holder')." Ironic, given who they've opted to confront, no?

The overall shady aura caused an itch I just had to scratch. Consequently, I walked to the DC address emblazoned on their HTTP domain to check out their operation. Lo and behold, I discovered 'Home of the Brave' was not listed in the building directory. When I inquired with the guard (who's been stationed in that lobby for about a year), she insisted she'd never heard of it!

Clandestine Connections

More intrigued than ever, I redoubled my investigation online. Soon, I ferreted out a press release that became the skeleton key capable of unlocking this labyrinth for me. On that otherwise unremarkable document, a name was emphasized: Tony Franquiz.

That man serves as the point of contact for 'Home of the Brave.' Now here's the interesting part... Tony holds the identical role for a collection of other concepts, such as Principles First, Republican Voters Against Trump, and Republicans for the Rule of Law. *****

In addition, he's tied to the Republican Accountability Project, a URL that references its subordinate relationship with Defending Democracy Together. In fact, many of the aforementioned campaigns are also housed under this banner, not unlike a Russian nesting doll. [In a poetic twist, multiple pursuits associated with Russia/Ukraine propaganda are there as well.]

These aren't disparate ventures. They originate from the same office suite, for goodness' sake. On its face, that's not illegal. Still, it raises concerns, especially on the heels of multi-occupant shenanigans regarding voting and grants that have captivated the nation.

Does that mean Franquiz is the mastermind behind it all? No. Based on his LinkedIn profile, he's merely a writer following orders from his boss at Longwell Partners. But who's issuing them?

That would almost certainly be Sarah Longwell, a woman with the swampiest of backgrounds.

Cosplaying Patriotism

Longwell has gone to great lengths to cultivate her reputation as a disillusioned conservative trying to rescue the country from the feckless GOP. After years of working for Rick Berman, a Washington insider who 60 Minutes referred to as Dr. Evil (a fellow she has no qualms admitting she admires), Sarah opened her own "pro-democracy communications firm." This business is a known umbrella organization (according to Wikipedia) that was the target of conflict-of-interest accusations by an ethics expert in 2024 pertaining to these purported projects.

Perhaps Sarah's greatest stroke of genius was to launch The Bulwark. In so doing, she gets to self-identify as a right-wing publisher, even though that outlet is about as beloved by real Republicans as The Lincoln Project. Hence, major network shows can uncritically cite Longwell's carefully crafted credentials despite her unwavering assault on the red team, aka the side of the aisle she professes to support.

Her presence in this murky area of the political spectrum places her in the same circles as other divisive characters. Individuals like Bill Kristol, the noted neocon war monger who the Mises Institute crowned "all-time champion" of "being wrong about everything." Democrats in elephant's clothing à la George Conway, who only shed their flimsy disguise when they decide to run for Congress in blue districts. Meanwhile, in reactionary strongholds, this archetype usually leaves the RINO suit on when trying to get elected. Ask anyone who voted for Stephen Richer in Maricopa County how well that went. Oh, and let's not forget men like Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, 'hero' cops with checkered pasts tacked onto rather repugnant recent behavior. ******

Ready for the piece de resistance?

Every one of those guys has had his bio on the 'Home of the Brave' site!

One Big Masquerade Ball

I might be late to the party, but I know when a situation ain't 'right.' [Pun intended.]

No amount of PPE can hide the stench emanating from this Potemkin village. If the dodgy dissidents pulling the strings there aren't proof enough, check out the loose cannons they are recruiting to the cause. You'll find transparently unhinged collectivists (celebrated by leftist mags) involved in pending lawfare against our government.

Yet we're expected to believe atheists with a history of trying to dismantle institutions give a damn about America. The so-called democracy they seek resembles something ripped out of a pernicious 19th Century manifesto rather than the republic our Founding Fathers envisioned.

Their unique brand of malevolence -- the type that resides within those who pose as fighters for a cause they, in reality, do everything in their power to destroy -- is the opposite of brave.

Note: the post above may contain commentary reflecting the author's opinion.

This site does not render legal advice, nor does it intend to replace legal advice.

* Does this mean I endorse hiding the identities of every badgeholder in the country? Not at all. In truth, I, like many folks, am sick of the faction who is demonizing professionals sworn to protect our streets while remaining silent when criminals and bullies obscure their faces.

** Only recently did I recognize that the news outlet accentuated their writeup with a photo of 'Home of the Brave' posters.

*** On the flip side, if forced to put the extreme negative view into print, one could argue that a carveout like this safeguards criminals' right to continue masked mayhem. As crazy as that sounds, don't forget Virginia is a state that not only has an anti-mask law, but also saw police come out against forbidding ski masks. If leaders are going to ignore protecting the innocent, is it a giant leap to suggest they might be inventing new ways to permit the worst among us to get away with the unimaginable???

**** I then initiated a query for 'Home of the Brave USA,' since that is how they refer to themselves in the section indicating tax status. Strangely, only a small potatoes California concern with no apparent relation to the group responsible for the transit marketing blitz appears. Not sure what's odder: why the East Coast org's record isn't retrievable by name nor EIN or why they'd mimic that nomenclature.

***** Want to guess who was a sponsor of the 2026 Principles First conference? Unite America, one of the ringleaders identified in in our previous editorial about the perils of ranked choice voting.

****** Pay attention to two things in the hyperlinked Congressional video: how Fanone treats the current Capitol Police officer and, more importantly, how the Democrats blindly cheer for him even when he is bullying someone in their presence.