The America Project and other sponsors are funding travel and accommodations for the speakers at the May 25-26 event, according to Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise, who responded via Senate GOP spokeswoman Kim Quintero.
Ryan Randazzo
Arizona Republic
A two-day event planned next week at the Arizona Capitol to address the COVID-19 pandemic response is being flagged as a blatant callout to people who believe in QAnon conspiracy theories because of its conspicuous name and it is partially funded by The America Project.
The America Project is a political organization that has promoted a host of unfounded conspiracies about elections. Former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne and Mike Flynn, once national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, founded the group.
Byrne, whose career ended after disclosing an affair with a Russian agent, was a primary donor to the discredited “audit” of Maricopa County’s 2020 election. Flynn, whom Trump pardoned after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, also was involved in that election review and has casually discussed unproven theories about vaccines — for example, that they are being administered through salad dressing.
The America Project and other sponsors are funding travel and accommodations for the speakers at the May 25-26 event, according to Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise, who responded via Senate GOP spokeswoman Kim Quintero.
But when Shamp tweeted out an America Project flyer for the event, she included the acronym “NCSWIC” in her message, apparently meant to refer to the committee name. But NCSWIC is a common slogan used by QAnon.
The far-right QAnon political movement launched after Donald Trump was elected president, and without evidence, claims the world is controlled by the “Deep State,” or Satan-worshipping pedophiles, whom Trump eventually will defeat. The movement has attracted the attention of anti-hate groups like the Anti-Defamation League because of its antisemetic themes and calls to violence.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, QAnon followers promoted a host of unfounded theories about the illness and vaccines, masks and other mitigation efforts.
Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise, tweeted out a flyer for an upcoming COVID-19 event at the Arizona Senate, but used the acronym “NCSWIC,” a popular QAnon slogan, to refer to the group. NCSWIC is not the proper acronym for the committee, either.
Within the QAnon movement, the acronym “NCSWIC” stands for “nothing can stop what is coming” and is used as a reference for the end of the Deep State that Trump will supposedly bring about.
