Former bureaucrat, green NGO exec charged for allegedly vandalizing Teslas near capitol

A former federal bureaucrat and an executive for a green nonprofit have been arrested and charged for allegedly vandalizing Teslas in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post.

Justin Fisher, 49, and his wife, Emily, 50, have been arrested and respectively charged with eight and five counts of defacing private property in connection with their alleged vandalism of Tesla vehicles in and around the capital’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, according to the Post. Justin Fisher formerly worked for the Government Accountability Office, a nominally nonpartisan agency in the legislative branch, and Emily Fisher was listed as the Smart Electric Power Alliance’s chief strategy officer, according to the outlet, though she no longer appears to be listed on the organization’s website.

NEW: The FBI started a task force today to catch criminals burning Tesla vehicles and charging stations, labeling it “domestic terrorism.” pic.twitter.com/xnHVEA8jeE

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Authorities say that the couple defaced the vehicles by writing anti-Elon Musk slogans and statements on them, with one of the targeted vehicles belonging to an elementary school teacher, according to the Post. Liberals and left-wingers nationwide have protested Tesla and targeted Tesla showrooms with acts of property destruction as Musk has emerged as the face of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut wasteful government spending.

Some of the messages that the Fishers allegedly scrawled on the vehicles include things like “Go Doge I support Musk killing the dept of Education,” “I love Musk and hate the Fed Gov’t” and “Ask me about my support of Nazis,” according to the Post. Most of the vehicles the couple allegedly targeted were located within ten blocks of their residence at the time of the incidents.

Authorities are investigating the vandalism incidents as potential hate crimes, according to the Post. In Washington, D.C., the stiffest penalty for defacing private property is a year in jail and a $5,000 fine, according to the Post.

The couple released a statement through their attorneys addressing the situation, according to the Post.

“Our understanding is that the allegations in this case involve non-violent and non-destructive conduct that resulted in no property damage,” says the statement, according to the Post. “We trust that the government and the court system will treat our clients with fairness and proportionality. We look forward to ensuring their constitutional rights are upheld in accordance with the rule of law.”

Smart Energy Power Alliance’s website features an entire page dedicated to explaining the organization’s commitment to so-called “energy equity,” which it defines in part to include “addressing past harms and injustices and proactively working to prevent future ones.”

Emily Fisher’s biography page on Smart Energy Power Alliance’s website also stated that she is a co-chair of the executive board for City Year D.C., an organization that works with AmeriCorps to support schools in the capital city, according to the Post.

The Smart Energy Power Alliance and City Year did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

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