A Waldoboro man who ran for state Senate last year was arrested Friday for his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Matthew Brackley, 39, was arrested on eight felony and misdemeanor charges. They include assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and engaging in disorderly conduct and violence in a Capitol building, among others.
According to court documents, Brackley entered the Capitol building, pushed past police officers and led a crowd toward the Senate chamber.
Court documents describe how federal officials used GPS data to locate a cellphone number and email address apparently associated with Brackley. They also reviewed news and security footage to identify him.
Brackley ran for state Senate in District 24 last fall as a Republican, but lost to incumbent and state Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli. Waldoboro is not in that Senate district.
He was arrested in Waldoboro and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland on Friday. Brackley's attorney did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday afternoon.
Brackley is one of several people with ties to Maine who have been arrested and charged for their involvement with the Jan. 6 insurrection. A federal judge sentenced Kyle Fitzsimons of Lebanon last week to more than seven years in prison for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
