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Travis County Democratic Party says lawsuit filed against man accused of throwing Molotov cocktail at HQ

Ryan Faircloth was arrested on Oct. 1 and charged with a second-degree felony arson charge and a third-degree felony charge for carrying a prohibited weapon.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Travis County Democratic Party (TCDP) and party staff members filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday against the man accused of placing a Molotov cocktail and a "threatening note" inside the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters in September. 

Ryan Faircloth was arrested on Oct. 1 and booked into jail with a second-degree felony arson charge and a third-degree felony charge for carrying a prohibited weapon.

Katie Naranjo, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, released the following statement Wednesday after announcing the lawsuit: 

“Through his actions, Ryan Faircloth intimidated my staff and voters in Travis County. While we continue to take precautions with our personal safety, and the safety of the office, the threat of radical extremism and violent behavior from the far right persists. We are filing this lawsuit to hold Ryan accountable for his violent acts, and to prevent future domestic terror attacks on our voting institutions."

Credit: AFD
Ryan Faircloth, a 30-year-old Austin man, has been arrested in connection to the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters fire.

The Travis County Democratic Party provided surveillance footage when the incident happened:

Brandon Jennings, an arson investigator at the Austin Fire Department, said at a press conference back in October that video from the surveillance cameras showed a man mulling around the building before he threw what appeared to be a rock at the window on the front door. The man is then reportedly seen coming back into view with a Molotov cocktail that he placed inside the door. Jennings said what looked like a stack of paper was lit on fire. 

Investigators said Faircloth told them he was not happy with the current political climate and that he blamed the Democratic Party's office for what he believes is wrong with the country.

"This heinous attack was an attempt to burn our office to the ground, and threaten our staff, volunteers, and voters with violence,” said Cynthia Van Maanen, Executive Director of the Travis County Democratic Party. “Perhaps our office is a symbol of something the attacker disagrees with, but in fact he targeted a real office and the real people who work here every day, and his actions require accountability.”

The building suffered minor damage, and no staff was inside the building when the fire happened.

The AFD said the arson charge carries a prison sentence of two to 20 years.

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