Proud Boys trial thrown into chaos after defense witness revealed as government informant
The trial of several members of the Proud Boys on seditious conspiracy charges was thrown into chaos this week after it was revealed that a witness the defense planned to call served as a government informant.
The Associated Press reports that Carmen Hernandez, a lawyer for former Proud Boys chapter leader Zachary Rehl, called for an emergency hearing after prosecutors informed her that one of her planned witnesses was a "confidential human source" for federal law enforcement officials.
She alleges that prosecutors sat on this information for months and did not spring it on her until Wednesday.
Although the alleged informant is not named in Hernandez's filing, she does detail interactions that they had with some members of the Proud Boys who are now on trial.
"Hernandez said the unnamed informant participated in 'prayer meetings' with relatives of at least one of the Proud Boys on trial and had discussions with family members about replacing one of the defense lawyers on the case," writes the Associated Press. "The informant also has been in contact with at least one of the defense lawyers and at least one of the five defendants."
