Yavapai County Preparedness Team, often known as YCPT, is an U.S. nonprofit organisation registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in Yavapai County, Arizona and founded by Jim Arroyo.
| Abbreviation | YCPT |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jim Arroyo |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Yavapai County, Arizona |
| Location |
|
Region | US, Canada, UK, Panama |
| Services | Disaster preparedness training |
| Affiliations | Lions of Liberty |
| Website | ycpt |
The group provides training for disaster scenarios and undertook monitoring of ballot boxes in 2022.
Organization
editYCPT is a right-wing[1][2] American nonprofit organisation registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in Yavapai County, Arizona.[3] It was founded by Jim Arroyo, a former member of the Oath Keepers and is led by Arroyo and his wife Janet.[3] The group claims to have chapters in fourteen states in the U.S., as well as in the United Kingdom, Panama, and Canada.[3]
The group provides training for disaster scenarios including war, economic collapse, natural and man-made disasters. Skills taught include first aid, communications, and warcraft.[3]
Lions of Liberty
editThe group's political arm is the Lions of Liberty, which advocates against "global elites, communists, leftists, deep state bureaucrats, and fake news" and to "bring God back to our leadership and win this spiritual battle for the soul of our nation.”[3][4][5] In 2022, Lions of Liberty, with the YCPT, undertook surveillance of ballot boxes, in an effort they named Operation: Drop Box.[5] After being named in a lawsuit by League of Women Voters and accused of voter intimidation and breaking the Voting Rights Act, the groups both stopped the monitoring.[6][7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Cohen, Marshall (2022-10-31). "Justice Department says 'vigilante ballot security efforts' in Arizona are likely illegal | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Armed 'vigilantes' and conspiracy theorists threaten to disrupt midterm elections". The Independent. 2022-10-27. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ a b c d e Teirstein, Zoya (2023-05-17). "Boots on the Ground". Grist. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ Owen, Tess (2022-10-06). "Armed Fringe Groups Are Gearing Up to 'Protect' Midterm Ballot Dropboxes". Vice. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ a b Simonelli, Isaac Stone (2022-10-21). "Experts warn of extremist push to expand sheriffs' role in elections". Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ Services, Howard Fischer, Capitol Media (2022-10-27). "Lions of Liberty stopping its Operational Drop Box monitoring in Yavapai County | Arizona Capitol Times". Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod (2022-10-26). "Two lawsuits filed to stop intimidation at ballot drop boxes". Arizona Mirror. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Judge orders armed group away from Arizona ballot drop boxes". AP NEWS. 2022-11-02. Archived from the original on 2023-04-09. Retrieved 2023-05-27.