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Conservative Trio Return to Arias' Home. He Wasn't There.
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
January 12, 2021

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Just days after appearing at the U.S. Capitol during the riot there, and later confronting a U.S. senator at a Washington D.C. airport, a trio of Donald Trump supporters posted a video of themselves in front of the home of Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias.

Portrait of Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias

“It’s part of their continued attempts to intimidate and threaten the safety of my family. So there’s no reason why you have to livestream on Facebook to thousands of extreme followers my home address.” —  Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias

Ben Bergquam posted the video on his Frontline America Facebook and YouTube sites. He was joined by frequent collaborators Jason Phillips and Josh Fulfer.

Arias, on Twitter, said he was not at home at the time, returning from a jog with his son shortly after the men left.

“It’s part of their continued attempts to intimidate and threaten the safety of my family. So there’s no reason why you have to livestream on Facebook to thousands of extreme followers my home address,” Arias tells GV Wire℠.

Countered Bergquam: “We wanted to show the hypocrisy of it all. You have all of these so-called representatives who spent all their time attacking President Trump or attacking conservatives when their own backyards are falling apart.”

Phillips and Fulfer posted videos on their Facebook accounts of the violent protest last week in Washington that led to five deaths, although neither said they entered the Capitol building with hundreds of others. They also filmed themselves surrounding Sen. Lindsey Graham and shouting “traitor” at the South Carolina Republican inside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday.

Filming in Front of Arias’ Home

Bergquam blamed Arias for the homeless living by the freeway behind the condominium complex as well as the filthy conditions. His goal was to show “what his district actually looks like.”

“If they wanted to film encampments, there’s plenty of encampments on Herndon and (Highway) 41 that they could film,” Arias said. “They’ve chosen deliberately to target us and my family. For that, they’ll be held accountable.”

Arias answered in the affirmative that he is taking Second Amendment safety precautions.

The councilman mentioned Bergquam’s prior legal entanglements — a 2019 arrest for trespassing at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento during an immigration protest. Bergquam said those charges were eventually dropped. Bergquam was also found guilty of a 2019 assault near El Paso, Texas. According to court records, that case is under appeal.

“There are no boundaries, either that a family or the federal government, that they’re not willing to cross,” Arias said.

Confrontation at Same Location Last Year

Bergquam, Phillips, and Fulfer were also involved in a physical altercation last year at Arias’ downtown condo, protesting the closure of businesses because of COVID-19 mandates. While police cited Arias, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp declined to prosecute.

There were no charges for Bergquam’s group.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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