Many readers have asked for an update on the arson that more or less destroyed the building in Golden Valley, Minnesota, that housed three conservative organizations, including Center of the American Experiment, along with several dozen small businesses. One or more arsonists set two fires, using gasoline as an accelerant, one of them on the building’s first floor and one on the third floor. The arsonists targeted only the three conservative organizations, but the entire building has been shut down due to damage from fire, water and smoke, and probably won’t reopen for a year or more. The arsonists caused many millions of dollars in damages.
This video is by Liz Collin, the Twin Cities’ top news reporter. It features me along with my friend Kendall Qualls, who heads one of the other targeted organizations:
Of course, the $64,000 question is, who did it? Given that conservative organizations were targeted, everyone assumes the arsonists were liberals of some stripe. Beyond that, a specific motive won’t be known until they are caught.
We continue to cooperate with the FBI’s investigation. So far, there have been no arrests, but I am hopeful that the investigation may be closing in on the perpetrators. One of the arsonists was captured on at least one video camera, the one in our office. Beyond that, tapes from many cameras have been reviewed and analyzed.
My organization has offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator or perpetrators. I hope someone will be able to claim it.
The arson was tremendously destructive; I would guess that it did at least 500 times as much damage as the protest at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Insurance companies are now evaluating what physical property can be salvaged, and I don’t know what the ultimate financial settlement will look like. But I don’t expect American Experiment to suffer a major financial loss, and we are close to finalizing a lease on new property, as we can’t afford to wait until our old building has been restored to use. We are hoping to be in our new home on or about April 1.
Having one’s office destroyed does, of course, entail a certain amount of disruption and financial cost. If you would like to help us recover from the attack on our operation, you can donate to American Experiment here.
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