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Russell Taylor is an American convicted criminal who took part in the United States Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.

Preparations
Alan Hostetter and Taylor used a Telegram group chat named "California Patriots - Answer the Call Jan. 6", and Taylor organised another group chat of 35 members named "California Patriots-DC Brigade" which was used to plan ahead for January 6. At a protest on January 5 outside the Supreme Court Building he said; "we will fight and we will bleed before we allow our freedoms to be taken from us."

Capitol attack
Taylor attended the "Stop the Steal" rally, where he met up with Hostetter and others in the group. He was denied entry into the Ellipse by the Secret Service; he wore a black-plate carrier vest body armor, had a knife in his vest pocket and carried a stun baton in his backpack.

He made his way to the Capitol after Donald Trump's speech, and moved with the mob onto the Capitol's West Terrace, where he took a photo with Taylor. On the Upper West Terrace, he directed some insurrectionists into the Capitol and warned police to "move back". He himself did not enter the building.

Arrest and trial
He was indicted on June 9, 2021 alongside the five other 'DC Brigade' members; Alan Hostetter, Eric Scott Warner, Felipe Antonio Martinez, Derek Kinnison, and Ronald Mele. He was arrested in Orange, California the next day. Taylor himself pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, leading to the other charges against him, including unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on capitol grounds and in buildings, being dropped.

Taylor testified for the government at Hostetter's trial, leading Hostetter to believe that Taylor had been part of a "false flag" operation by government informants.