A bizarre incident has unfolded in an Ontario County town, involving an individual who participated in the January 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C.
On March 22, Daniel Warmus from Alden, Erie County, entered the Canandaigua town office and began randomly filming inside the building. Town Supervisor Jared Simpson noted that Warmus, an auto repair shop owner in Orchard Park, likely took some photos as well. Simpson revealed that Warmus is part of a group called First Amendment Auditors of Western New York, which records employees and documents in government buildings across the region.
During Warmus’ visit to the town offices, an employee captured his actions on their personal cell phone. Warmus noticed and demanded access to the footage. When refused, he filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to obtain it. Town Clerk Jean Chrisman, however, denied the request, stating that the footage was not part of the employee’s regular job description and therefore not subject to FOIL laws.
The Town Board upheld Chrisman’s decision, rejecting Warmus’ appeal. Since then, the town office has received hundreds of critical phone calls, voicemails, and emails from across the country, making it difficult for staff to carry out their duties. Warmus, who has over 60,000 YouTube subscribers, has shared some of the footage on his channel.
Court documents reveal that Warmus attended a rally for former President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, and entered the Capitol building without permission. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, a $500 fine, and 60 hours of community service.
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