This is Paul Davis. Paul is a lawyer. He’s also associate general counsel & director of human resources at Goosehead Insurance. Today he stormed the capitol building in an attempt to stage a coup against the US government and documented it (!) on Instagram. @followgoosehead pic.twitter.com/eTkoK92ujL
— Roger Sollenberger (@SollenbergerRC) January 7, 2021
Thoughts are on the possible ramifications for Trump supporters involved in storming the Capitol Building on Wednesday have been expressed at length. Now an insurance company has announced that they no longer employ an attorney who was at the scene.
Paul Davis, Associate General Counsel, is no longer employed by Goosehead.
— Goosehead Insurance (@followgoosehead) January 7, 2021
Goosehead Insurance kept it very vague. They did not clarify how, when, and why Paul Davis left the company, but this Thursday tweet comes the day after their-now former employee was at the Capitol Building, in his self-described attempt to get public officials to “audit” the vote of the 2020 presidential election. He said he was tear-gassed by police, but claimed he didn’t actually “storm” the Capitol.
“We’re all trying to get into the capitol to stop this,” he said, the day Congress began certifying the Electoral College votes and Joe Biden’s win. “And this is what’s happening. They’re tear-gassing us, and this is not acceptable–not acceptable. People are not going to stand for this.”
Goosehead did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment.
Trump supporters went to the Capitol, and a number of them caused chaos by breaking into the building. As indicated in his Instagram and Parler accounts, Davis is a proponent of President Donald Trump’s completely baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
The State Bar of Texas names a Paul MacNeal Davis as a licensed lawyer. As of Thursday afternoon, this Texas Bar profile uses the same picture as one that appears on the Parler account. The state bar notes no disciplinary history.
As we just mentioned, it is clear that Davis said, “We’re all trying to get into the capitol to stop this.” Stated intention is one thing. Execution is another. It is not shown if he ever stepped foot inside, or did anything like others did by steamrolling law enforcement and breaking their way into the building.
Pounding on the doors as the crowds move through the halls of the U.S. Capitol #CapitolBuilding #Congress #DC #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/WyNwHJVoPM
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
Trump supporters breach the line of police, now having opened the Capitol on the front and back side as outside crowds rush into the building #January6th #Capitol #DC #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/qUobYiubT7
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
The crowd rushes a line of police attempting to block access to inner parts of the Capitol. Police are forced to retreat and stand down #DC #Washington #CapitolBuilding pic.twitter.com/WEGwumvimk
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
Davis denied wrongdoing in a post to Instagram.
“For those of you claiming I was trying to ‘storm the Capitol,’ it’s obvious from my entire story that I was peacefully demonstrating,” he wrote. “They gassed the entire crowd that was standing there with me. I was not trying to break in. Was just talking to the police officers and praying over them.”
He did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment.
In a follow-up post, he said he did not intend anything violent by saying they were “trying to get into the capitol,” but that he was discussing protest.
“The Twitter video is out of context, just like they do to all conservative patriots,” he said.
Update – 6:12 pm: We added reference to his other post.
[Screengrab via Paul Davis by way of Roger Sollenberger]