One of three women charged with setting a cross on fire in front of a campaign sign to help the campaign of a mayoral candidate has entered a guilty plea, the Associated Press reports.
In a federal court in Denver, Deanna West pleaded guilty after being involved in the April 2023 incident and was charged with one count of being part of a conspiracy to set the fire and participate in a faux smear campaign targeting the election of now-Colorado Springs(CO) Mayor Yemi Mobolade.
Prosecutors say a picture and video of the cross burning were sent to media and civic organizations to project an attack on Mobolade.
The plea agreement, which dropped an additional charge related to setting the fire, stated that the goal of the plan was to interfere in Mobolade’s opponent’s campaign and attempt to create the narrative that the independent candidate was being discouraged from running because he was Black.
West agreed to the conspiracy plan with Derrick Bernard, who offered her employment and housing in exchange.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, attorneys for Bernard and the third assailant, Ashley Blackcloud, argued for the charges
to be dismissed since the allegations were protected by free speech. They also pushed that the cross-burning was a way to help Mobolade win by generating outrage.Mobolade was elected in May 2023, the first Black and immigrant mayor of Colorado Springs after close to 40 years of Republican-elected mayors. He received backlash for communicating with Bernard, according to the indictment.
In a Facebook message, Bernard allegedly told Mobolade that he was “mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style, big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.”
Mobolade was then accused of speaking with Bernard for about five minutes on the phone three days after the cross-burning.
The mayor has denied having any knowledge or involvement in the crime and revealed a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice that identified him as a victim during the investigation into the cross burning.
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