Video shows Sacramento GOP meeting to expel Proud Boy devolved into threats, profanity

The Sacramento County Republican meeting at which Proud Boys member Jeffrey Perrine was expelled from the party’s central committee devolved into an angry debate, with Perrine calling members liars and informing them he plans to sue over the dispute, a newly released video shows.

“I’m going to be bringing a case against you people for violating my civil rights,” Perrine said during a Zoom meeting Wednesday night before the committee voted to expel him. “I will be presenting you with paperwork and I (will) sue you in federal court for violating my civil rights.”

The Zoom meeting was accessible only to committee members and select others, but Perrine informed party members he was recording it for legal protection and subsequently posted it on YouTube and provided a link to The Sacramento Bee.

During the 22-minute video, Perrine defends himself, conceding he still is a member of the Proud Boys, and says he made that clear to county Chairwoman Betsy Mahan as far back as 2018.

He added that some of his past actions and statements — which have been posted online by various groups — were “immature” and that he has grown since he was recorded on video in Portland, Ore., three years ago using a bullhorn to say “all the illegals trying to jump over our border, we should be smashing their heads into the concrete.”

“I was 34 years old, I was a complete moron,” Perrine explained. “If you had social media when you were my age I can guarantee there are things out there that you would not be happy about.

“I was not arrested. I am not a felon. I don’t have an arrest record, so nothing I did was criminal.”

Perrine was elected to the unpaid leadership post last March but was not yet sworn in. The party asked him to resign or face expulsion after The Bee published a story in January detailing Perrine’s affiliation with the Proud Boys, a far-right group that includes some who have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Perrine said he did not attend that event, explaining to the committee that he talked it over with his wife and decided that as an elected official he should not attend. He did go to a previous rally in support of then-President Donald Trump, and has attended or organized other rallies.

“I’m not an idiot,” he said. “I admit I made some mistakes and said some things that bother people.”

Still member of Proud Boys

Mahan said she moved to remove Perrine after reading an interview with him in The Bee in which he explained he was no longer with the Sacramento chapter of the Proud Boys but was still a member of the national group.

“I was shocked to see quotes from Jeffrey confirming he was still with the Proud Boys, contrary to what he had told me,” Mahan said.

She added she found evidence on social media Perrine participated in events where he confronted antifa protesters and “this constituted bad behavior under our bylaws.”

Since the controversy spilled into the public, Mahan said she has been targeted on social media, including a photo of her with an antifa emblem.

The meeting devolved as committee member Micah Grant began to make a motion to remove Perrine, who complained, “So, I get no character witnesses, I get no defense? F------ joke.”

Grant said Perrine used language that “is beneath the standards of our committee” and questioned Perrine’s previous public statements.

“The media didn’t make you say those things,” Grant said. “You said those things, you did that on your own.”

He added that Perrine’s past statements were “hurtful” to members of the committee as well as children of immigrants.

“My mom came to this country and was amnestied under Ronald Reagan,” Grant said. “So these type of comments aren’t consistent with everything the GOP represents, and in the weeks following your statements further videos have surfaced that demonstrate your inflammatory talk...”

“I’m coming for you, bro, I’m coming for you,” Perrine replied, who then pointed at the camera and gave Grant a thumbs down.

“You’re a liar,” Perrine said.

As member Tanya Morales seconded the motion to expel Perrine, he appeared to smile and flashed a hand gesture at the screen, while muttering “F------ minorities.”

Perrine said in an interview Friday that his comments were not meant to threaten anyone and that they should not be perceived as racist.

“I personally don’t feel it’s a racist statement...,” Perrine said, conceding he was angry at the time. “We had one Black person on the central committee and he’s who they got to throw me out.

“I find that really suspect.”

Perrine added that his hand signal was the “OK” sign, and that he made it out of defiance, not because some people consider it a “white power” symbol.

“There is no ‘white power’ sign,” he said. ”This is who I am. I’m a troll.”

Brian Levin, director for the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said some extremists use the “OK” sign to represent white power beliefs or simply to reference “OK.”

“It’s both,” Levin said. “What these extremist groups do is try to co-opt mainstream symbols like the OK sign or the Blue Lives Matter flag.

“The Proud Boys have used that (OK) symbol when assembling in public to promote their bigotry.”

Grant said Friday morning that he did not hear Perrine’s comments during the Zoom call, but that they reinforce his belief that Perrine should have been removed.

“It’s really unfortunate, and I hope he finds peace,” Grant said.