Oly’s Matt ‘M(a)ddy’ Pfeiffer vows to resist Grand Jury Inquiry

Standing Tall

After receiving a subpoena last week to testify before the Seattle federal Grand Jury on Nov. 7 @ 9:00am, Matthew Pfeiffer publicly proclaimed he would *never* cooperate with government authorities while admitting he expected nothing less from them in turn. Three other young Pacific NW Grand Jury resisters have been jailed: Matt Duran, Kteeo (both from Olympia), & Leah-Lynn Plante (from Portland)…each for remaining silent before the Grand Jury panel seeking information relating to their (A)narchist affiliations.

Two resisters (Matt & Kteeo) remain in custody while Leah has been released. Some confusion exists as to why Leah was released when her fellow resisters were not. While Leah has urged her community not to ‘panic’, she has publicly admitted having some emotional/mental issues arising from PTSD which her incarceration exacerbated. No further details surrounding her release are known at this time. Leah was held in an isolation cell during her imprisonment while Kteeo and Matt were eventually released to the general inmate population in the SeaTac federal detention center. This raises questions as to whether the psychological torture inflicted on her was too much to bear and whether she ‘cracked’ or whether the federal judge allowed her to be released (temporarily or otherwise) to receive treatment. The federal criminal justice system isn’t exactly known for its compassion, so it’s likely if Leah continued to resist that this is part of a softening up process targeting who authorities perceive to be the most vulnerable among those listed above. Leah’s photo as a Grand Jury resister has been widely circulated on the internet. She’s an attractive poster child for the cause of civil liberties, widespread criticism of the abuse of the federal Grand Jury system for political repression, and courage in the face of adversity. If she succumbed, it would be an embarrassment to adamant (A)narchists, if not…it would be as equally embarrassing to the federal judge and prosecutor imprisoning our youth, the very progeny not corrupted by self indulgence and ennui.

The public and reporters have been cautioned to allow Leah time to recover from the trauma of imprisonment, to let her reclaim her life. Whether this is possible without a public recounting of the circumstances surrounding her release remains to be seen.

Oly’s ‘Maddy’

Matthew Pfeiffer released a public statement as to his date with federal authorities/Grand Jury as follows:

“On October 25th, the day before my 23rd birthday, two FBI agents wearing ill-fitting khakis and too much gel in their hair, served me a subpoena for 9am on November 7th. I knew my fate right away: 18 months in SeaTac Federal Detention Center. Matt, Kteeo and Leah have all been imprisoned for their refusal and I will be the next. Despite the urging of lawyers, agents and judges, I only have one option: non-cooperation. Any other option is unthinkable.

I am being asked to testify before a Grand Jury on November 7th and will likely be detained on that date for refusing to cooperate. The vultures of the state will try to imprison my comrades and I until we give in. We will never give in.

No Church In The Wild

From so many different perspectives, for so many reasons, snitching is never an option. I will never betray the people I care about, the ideas which I hold dear, or the commitments I have made. I will never give any information about crimes, should I have any knowledge of them nor will I give information about my personal relationships. I will never cooperate with this or any attempt to stop struggle. I will never cooperate with the systems of control which I loathe. If the federal government chooses to imprison me for my refusal then so be it. I expect no less from them.

The official reason the state gives for imprisoning those who refuse to cooperate is to coerce testimony. If they know anything about me or my friends they know that this will never work. Some have said that this Grand Jury is about trying to repress people’s political opinions and free speech and no doubt this is true. My subpoena states that I am being asked to testify about events that took place on May 1st. The state is trying to use broken windows as a reason to ruin peoples lives. This is absurd and I will oppose it to the fullest. This life ruining system which they call “justice” is organized to defend property and capitalism. This system is against everything I believe in.

My imminent imprisonment is an attempt to disrupt struggle against domination in all its forms. What the vultures cannot understand is that attempts to repress this struggle will only embolden it, whether we are inside the walls of the Federal Detention Center or in the streets. The growing list of solidarity actions, from St. Louis to France, demonstrates an inspiring continuity in this regard.

In silence, we roar!”
-Matthew ‘Maddy’ Pfeiffer-

But wait! While it’s not difficult to recognize the federal Grand Jury system is being abused for the purpose of a fishing expedition and possibly a ‘witch hunt’, the rationale for *never* cooperating is tenuous.

Yes, a Grand Jury’s function should be limited to whether to issue an indictment. It’s not supposed to be a substitute for a Congressional hearing/inquiry. Yet, if someone has material/direct information regarding a crime (not their opinion/speculation as to the political views of their acquaintances), should they be allowed to refuse to testify with impunity? If an indictment actually issued and a criminal trial ensued, should potential material witnesses be allowed to thumb their nose at a process designed (in theory) as a search for the truth?

In fact, this occurs on a regular basis. Defense attorneys as well as prosecutors are all too aware of the difficulties encountered due to intransigent witnesses. This obstinance defeats our justice (just us?) system even when pro se litigants attempt to represent themselves. It is a daunting task attempting to cajole/criticize reluctant witnesses. Should an innocent accused murderer be without a meaningful right to a fair trial replete with the production of eye/material witnesses no matter how reluctant? Far too many innocent defendants have found themselves sent to prison or even death row.

Many laymen assume the justice system will work without them. Too often they resist because of the personal inconvenience. They don’t  want to get ‘involved’. Public officials are not immune to this syndrome–far from it. THAT IS WHY SUBPOENAS EXIST. IT IS WHY JUDGES WILL ISSUE ARREST WARRANTS FOR THOSE WHO IGNORE THEM. IT IS WHY DEFIANT WITNESSES WILL BE JAILED FOR CONTEMPT!

If American justice is to be anything other than a dead letter, material/eye witnesses must continue to be compelled (if necessary) to testify. Never say ‘never’! While the Grand Jury resisters may be morally justified  in refusing to cooperate with a Grand Jury fishing expedition/witch hunt, every American should recognize they have a duty in common with other citizens to testify in a trial once/should it take(s) place.

UPDATE:  Pfeiffer Released, Contempt Hearing Continued to 12-14-12
Posted November 8, 2012

TESC’s Matthew ‘M(a)ddy’ Pfeiffer

Maddy Pfeiffer was released from the grand jury today on a continuance, after refusing to cooperate – their lawyer argued that the two weeks between subpoena and grand jury date were not enough to prepare. Maddy’s next grand jury appearance will be December 14th.

The Light Which Burns Brightest Burns Half as Long

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3 Responses to Oly’s Matt ‘M(a)ddy’ Pfeiffer vows to resist Grand Jury Inquiry

  1. admin says:

    The CAPR (Committee Against Political Repression) has suspended support for Leah-Lynn Plante. Why? They released the following statement:

    “Leah was released from prison on October 17 after appearing before the grand jury investigating anarchists. We do not know what was said at that hearing. In the time since her release, Leah has not offered details regarding the subjects of the hearing, her response, or about her release. CAPR is withdrawing support for Leah until we get information regarding her grand jury hearing.”

    Yep, those are great p(a)ls. One is left to wonder if Leah had been water-boarded if the CAPR would be given to the same perfidy/arrogance. A vulnerable young woman who admits to mental/emotional health issues arising from PTSD is cast into an isolation cell (virtual dungeon), cut off from communication or the general prisoner population indefinitely, and these gatekeepers of public morality have the chutzpah to 2nd guess her actions, motives, and breaking point. Torture comes in assorted flavors–it’s not all bamboo slivers or water boarding. A mentally fragile frightened young adult woman can be broken relatively easily. Is this some kind of revelation?

    Older activists discovered long ago the depths of commitment from their ideological comrades. More often than not, it’s a race to who can turn state’s evidence first. Let this be a lesson to young idealists about human nature and the limits of suffering/fear. Even the most fanatical Al Qaida operatives break under torture. Leah endured no less than its equivalent. Just what did y’all expect? Almost all crimes leading to convictions are solved by evidence provided from others involved or the perpetrator(s). The unabomber’s brother delivered him to authorities. i.e. 3 people can keep a secret if 2 are dead.

    Leah is a courageous young woman who deserves more than spite from a collection of self righteous preening neophytes who didn’t have to walk through that courthouse/jailhouse door w/her. If she spoke, she did the best she could with what she had. The great moral failure here belongs to those who let others bear the burden for their own criminal behavior. Shame on it!

  2. admin says:

    Sun, 11/04/2012 – 6:38am — Anonymous
    via Committee Against Political Repression

    Just a few days ago on October 25th, an Olympia activist named Maddy Pfeiffer received a subpoena to appear before the special federal grand jury impaneled currently in Seattle. Maddy, who goes by ‘they/them’ pronouns, is an Evergreen student, a brilliant and skilled organizer, and a good friend to many of us.

    ‘They’ are also a former coordinator of Students for a Democratic Society here at Evergreen. —- Maddy has been called to appear at the grand jury chamber in Seattle at 9:00am on November 7th–a date that is rapidly approaching. They have bravely declared their absolute refusal to cooperate with the federal grand jury witch hunt against anarchists—even though it is very likely they will be imprisoned after they refuse to testify on November 7th, despite being charged with no crime.

    Maddy is not the first in our community to be subpoenaed by this grand jury. If Maddy is imprisoned, ‘they’ will also not be the first. Two other Olympia activists, Matt Duran and KteeO Olejnik—a former Evergreen student and SDS member—are already sitting in the federal detention center at SeaTac for staying silent. But, the FBI’s subpoena of Maddy, a current student and very recent SDS coordinator who is still an important presence in the Evergreen radical community, has struck SDS and the Evergreen campus very close to its heart.
    We will follow Maddy’s brave example and stand strong.

    For Maddy, silence is a roar of defiance; for us, silence is resignation and defeat. We will never cooperate with federal investigations of our communities and we will use our energy, our voices, and our actions to support those who refuse to snitch on their friends. The government has turned its most terrifying weapons on the radical community in Olympia, and is zeroing in on Evergreen. It is an attack on every value that Evergreen students hold dear: community, solidarity, and free political thought. The Students for a Democratic Society will meet this attack on our community with a wall of defiance and solidarity.

    We call on all students and community members to join us in our refusal to cooperate with the FBI’s attempts to disrupt our communities, force us to betray our friends, and lock us in prisons. We urge all not to underestimate the significance of these recent events–we are under attack, and to ignore this fact is to surrender to the forces attacking us. We would like to remind all that everyone at Evergreen knows radicals, activists, and anarchists…so anyone could be chosen for the next subpoena, even if they do not consider themselves of interest to the FBI. We would also like to stress this point: the Grand Jury, the FBI repression, the witch-hunt are not going away—they will not pass like a bad dream. We cannot lie low, keep quiet, be good, and hope to be overlooked. Resistance is the only option.

    For more information about this grand jury, to read Maddy’s statement, and for information about a bus or carpool to Seattle to support Maddy on November 7th, visit nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com

    For ideas about how to act in solidarity with Maddy and resist the grand jury witch-hunt, visit pugetsoundanarchists.org, or come to SDS meetings at 4pm every Wednesday in A2105.

    We will not sit quietly while the state kidnaps our comrades and close friends and locks them in cages. Now is not the time for silence and isolation. Solidarity means Attack!

    In solidarity,

    -The Students for a Democratic Society at The Evergreen State College-

  3. admin says:

    Transcript from Maddy’s Grand Jury Appearance

    Maddy Pfeiffer’s Grand Jury Appearance
    11/07/12

    Here are the notes from the Grand Jury hearings. Personal information has been redacted including the names of people asked about by the Prosecutor.

    Prosecutor Michael Dion: What is your Name?
    Maddy: Matthew Pfeiffer

    Prosecutor Michael Dion: What is your Birth Date?
    Maddy: (gave birth date)

    Prosecutor Michael Dion: What do you do for work?
    Maddy: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: What is your Address?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you intend to answer that for every question?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Did you live at (address redacted for privacy)?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Did your lawyer advice you about Immunity?
    M: Yes.

    at this point in time, the prosecution showed the room a statement posted to the committee against political repression’s website, attributed to Maddy

    P: Are you familiar with the committee against political repression?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Are you aware that the Federal courthouse was vandalized on May 1st?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Were you present at the courthouse on May 1st?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you know Person 1 (name redacted)?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Was Person 1 in Seattle on May 1st?
    M:I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you know Person 2 (name redacted)?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Was Person 2 in Seattle on May 1st?
    M:I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you know Person 3 (name redacted)?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Was Person 3 in Seattle on May 1st?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Did anyone tell you about vandalizing the courthouse?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you know what a black bloc is?
    M:I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Have you ever been in a black bloc?
    M:I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Have you ever possessed a road flare?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you know a man named ____________ (name redacted)?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Do you intend to answer “ I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.” to all questions?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: You are due upstairs in 10 minutes and have another subpoena on the 20th of November.

    Maddy went before the judge then was sent back down to the grand jury for a second appearance

    P: Has your position changed since talking to Judge Jones?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Are you going to continue to answer “ I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.” to every question?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Have you ever met Person 1?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Have you ever been in a black bloc?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Were you there on May 1st?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments.

    P: Did anyone say anything to you about the damage to the courthouse?
    M: I am exercising my state and federal constitutional rights including the 1st, 4th and 5th amendments

    P: Okay, we’re done here.

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