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So this story started as an effort to write a wonky deep dive on Montana's energy grid. Instead, I ended up getting an unsolicited call from Ryan Bundy (and as it turns out that's only a minor detail): https://montanafreepress.org/2019/11/22/presenting-at-red-pill-expo-montana-utility-commissioner-urges-attendees-to-take-their-ideas-mainstream/
Explanation: I was calling around asking about power grid reliability when a source mentioned in passing that the official calendar for Montana’s utility commission included several days blocked out for one commissioner, Randy Pinocci, to attend a “Red Pill Expo.”
What is this Red Pill thing? As it turns out, it's an event series put together by far-right folks convinced America has been deluded by liberal conspiracies around sustainable development, vaccines etc. etc. (Yes they play that one scene from the Matrix).
What is a Public Service Commissioner like Mr. Pinocci doing at this?
Speaking, as it turns out: Specifically, telling attendees to run for public office as a strategy to push the Red Pill ideas into mainstream political conversations.
Speaking, as it turns out: Specifically, telling attendees to run for public office as a strategy to push the Red Pill ideas into mainstream political conversations.
For those who’ve been around Montana awhile, you may remember Mr. Pinocci as the state rep who sponsored anti-Agenda 21 legislation a few years back.
He wasn’t re-elected to the House, but managed to win a seat on the PSC in 2018 after elbowing his way through a GOP primary.
He wasn’t re-elected to the House, but managed to win a seat on the PSC in 2018 after elbowing his way through a GOP primary.
In his talk, Pinocci explicitly told would-be candidates to use interest group scorecards and party loyalty rankings to attack more moderate politicians. One he mentioned, Legistats, is hated by many centrist Montana Republicans. https://montanafreepress.org/2019/04/01/this-website-ranks-republican-lawmakers-on-party-loyalty-is-that-good-for-montana/
Pinocci was happy to talk about all this. He says he’s attended at least four Red Pill events, speaking at two and filming a promo video for one in the PSC meeting chambers earlier this year.
He argued the most recent Red Pill event is relevant to his PSC duties because some of the speakers talked about the potential health risks of 5G wireless networks. That's a concern for many of his constituents, he said.
The Bundys (of Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation fame) also run with the Red Pill crowd. Ammon Bundy spoke this month. His brother Ryan, who ran for Nevada governor in 2018, called me out of the blue as I reported this piece, at Pinocci’s suggestion.
I think Ryan Bundy was mostly concerned with making sure I didn’t report on his family’s grazing rights dispute without giving him a chance to weigh in, but he also said that Pinocci had encouraged him to make another run at Nevada office.
Anyway — it’s back to policy reporting for me now. If you’re interested in bending my ear about Montana utility issues, let’s talk!
