detournement
8
persona
the exploitation of george christie
George Christie is the most infamous ex- Hells Angel alive after a 40 year run with the notorious outlaw motorcycle club, 35 of of which he was founder and president of the Hells Angels MC Ventura Chapter. His tenure as such was the longest in the club's history spanning 7 U.S. Presidential terms beginning with Gerald R. Ford and ending with Barack H. Obama. He gained international notoriety when he ran the 1984 Olympic Torch. After challenging the Director of the Special Olympics Eunice Kennedy Shriver over funds disbursement, Christie found himself on the radar of the F.B.I., the U.S. Attorney General, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies and his life would never be the same.
"The only person I trust is me."
Untitled Magazine 2009
George Christie was one of the original "Filthy Few" - the inner core group of Angels that would go to any length in the service of the club. Yet, despite his fierce reputation, he embodied a different breed of biker - the antithesis of the stereotypical neanderthal brute that people thought of when the phrase "outlaw biker" was uttered. He was glib, erudite, handsome, intelligent, affable and engaging. These attributes in part led to Christie becoming the de facto national spokesperson for the club for many years. By the time Christie stepped down and walked away from his life as a notorious 1%er biker, he would be the most infamous member of the HAMC second only to legend Sonny Barger, and is now the most infamous ex-Hells Angel member alive as he begins his third prison term at age 66.
George Christie is the subject of award winning director Nick Mead's latest documentary "The Last American Outlaw" which premiered in September 2013 after being banned by the U.S. Department of Justice and is now available on DVD.
The only problem was that it turned out George Christie was a rat who debriefed the F.B.I. and cut a deal at his trial, after this page was created.
Christie triumphantly holds the 1984 Olympic Torch after running with it with hundreds of bikers and civilians cheering him on in Ventura, California.
George Christie Going To Prison
September 2013
George Christie was sentenced yesterday to serve a year in federal prison.
Christie was the long time president of the Ventura, California Hells Angels charter. He was indicted for conspiring to firebomb two tattoo shop competitors out of business on July 29, 2011. The two shops, named “Scratch the Surface” and “Twisted Ink” were firebombed in July 2007. As his case lingered, Christie was forced to sell his shop.
Christie’s prosecution was unusually perverse even by the standards of federal justice. Christie was not indicted until months after he retired from his motorcycle club. The evidence against him comprised statements made by the men who actually set the fires. Those men were entrapped and then offered leniency if they helped the FBI get Christie.
Plea Deal
The case went to trial last January. Christie faced two charges that carried minimum sentences of 30 years each and another charge that carried a mandatory sentence of life. Much of Christie’s defense would have examined the means and methods used to entrap and bully members of motorcycle clubs. Both former Mongol Al Cavazos and former Bandido President George Wegers were prepared to testify on Christie’s behalf. The judge in the case, George H. Wu, practically begged the adversaries to reach a plea deal. A handshake deal was agreed to on February 1. Since then, virtually every document filed in the case has been sealed including all the motions to seal.
There has been no public notice of Christie’s sentencing. There was no public notice that Christie was about to be sentenced. Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Robinson and Carol Chen are apparently so ashamed of their case that they have taken extraordinary steps to hide the Chrstie matter from public scrutiny. For example, Christie, his attorney Michael Mayock, and friends and relatives of Christie were all instructed by the court not to talk to The Aging Rebel. The prosecutors were also livid about Christie’s appearance in a documentary film that went into production before Christie was indicted and continued in production after Christie’s informal plea deal was negotiated.
The Film
After he retired from the Hells Angels and before he was indicted, Christie agreed to appear in a film by the British documentarian Nick Mead. The film was originally conceived as an homage to Easy Rider and would simply follow Christie around the country and record conversations he had about the state of freedom in America. The first of those conversation was with Michael Blake who wrote both the screenplay for Dances With Wolves and the novel on which the film was based.
Christie was indicted shortly after that interview. Mead continued to film and the movie became a record of Christie’s life as the United States Department of Justice tried to crush him. The title of the documentary is The Last American Outlaw. The film includes interviews with Al Cavazos, Wegers and several well informed attorneys about federal racketeering cases brought against motorcycle club members. The author of this page also appears in the film and wrote most of the narration.
Art And Justice
Prosecutors literally tried to blackmail Mead and Christie into locking the film in a box and throwing away the key. Mead cancelled a June screening of the film for potential distributors after prosecutors threatened that they would “make sure Christie gets prison time” if the film “was shown.” Neither Robinson nor Chen has seen the film so their objections obviously say far more about them and their own shame than any opinions Christie or Mead might voice in a thousand films.
Prosecutors spent much of yesterday’s sentencing hearing complaining about the film they have not seen. Prosecutors alleged that it evolved out of the FBI’s pursuit of Christie. Christie explained that the film had started off as something completely unrelated to the state of American justice and its narrative had simply followed a road the FBI and prosecutors made.
Robinson insisted that Judge Wu sentence the 65-year-old Christie to three years in prison.
Obviously even prosecutors understand that federal justice is a lot like sausage. They are afraid people won’t buy it anymore if they get a glimpse of how it’s made.
Christie Case Postscripts
September 2013
There are a couple of postscripts on the George Christie case. Christie was sentenced August 15 to a year in prison.
And Christie, who is now free to talk to anybody he wants, has shared with this page the statement he made to Judge George H. Wu at his sentencing and given his permission for this page to put his words into the public record. His words speak for themselves.
Also, Nick Mead, the British documentarian whose film about Christie became an element in Christie’s case, wanted to reply “to a few questions raised about the film” on the site. So Mead’s comments are published here too.
George Christie Speaks
The man that law enforcement is pursuing no longer exists. Like the Western outlaws of old he walked into a new century and vanished. He is gone, and I ask you to let him rest in peace.
It’s true, for forty years I rode with the Hells Angels. Thirty-five of those as one of its leaders and spokesmen. Although I am no longer a member or participant in that lifestyle, it is hard to separate my past from the present for many people, as well as the man from the myth, and that includes myself at times.
Over time I have tried to become smarter, wiser and more tempered. I’ve not always taken the correct turns in life but when I have realized I was off course I have always tried my best to once again find true north.
Several years ago I made a decision to not just relinquish my office, but to end my tenure as a club member: A difficult personal decision I knew would arouse suspicion in many. Through providence, I found myself on a road down which I was no longer willing to take my wife and young son.
As a leader, you can either fish each day for your men or teach them to fish for themselves. I thought I had taught them the art of fishing. I made a mistake in judgment as their leader. And, as I slowly let go of power it created a vacuum. That set off a power struggle that created a series of events that brings me before the court.
Although I did not personally direct anyone, I accept that if I am truly guilty of anything it is a lack of leadership. So I stand here before you ready to accept the punishment for the crimes I’ve pled guilty to and once again find true north.”
Mr. Christie began serving his sentence October 15, 2013 in La Tuna Federal Correctional Facility in El Paso, Texas
Special thanks to Aging Rebel
"George Christie Going To Prison" and "Christie Case Postscripts"
authored by "Rebel" August, September 2013
Original text published on "The Aging Rebel" website and reprinted herein
with permission
All rights reserved The Aging Rebel
Contents of this page and article cannot be reprinted without permission
from the licensor Detournement Experiment LLC / The Golff Foundation - All rights reserved
"Capable of Evading High-Speed Pursuit" plaque affixed to his custom Harley and the title of 1984 oil portrait of Christie in his prime.
Promotional one-sheet poster for "The Last American Outlaw" documentary blocked by the U.S. Attorney
Christie with actor Mickey Rourke
Sturgis, S.D. 1988
Christie was interviewed by FOX Network News for his opinion on the recent New York City road rage attack on the driver of an SUV.
ATTENTION GEORGE CHRISTIE:
"WHEN YOU LEAVE A BROTHERHOOD, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT'S UP TO YOU HOW YOU WILL PROCEED AND HOW YOU WILL CONDUCT YOURSELF - YOU ARE NOT BOUND BY CLUB RULES AND NO ONE IS KEEPING SCORE. THAT SAID, YOU CAN BREAK YOUR OATH, BETRAY THOSE WHO CONFIDED IN YOU, REVEAL WHAT WAS PRIVATE, NAME NAMES, EXPLOIT FAIR USE, ABUSE GOOD FAITH, SHAMELESSLY PROMOTE YOURSELF, HOCK YOUR WARES, BECOME A CELEBRITY, SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AND REVEL IN THE ACCOLADES OF ADORING FANS, REPORTERS AND ADVERTISERS KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR RATINGS AND ALL THE WHILE DISMISSING YOUR FORMER COMRADES AS "BOTTOM FEEDERS." SO INFATUATED WITH FAME - YOU SQUANDER A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BY 2 MILLION PEOPLE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS - TO SEND A MESSAGE, ADVANCE A CAUSE, OR RALLY AN ARMY OF SUPPORTERS, CREATING A MOVEMENT TO COUNTER THE INJUSTICE AT WACO AND THE ATTACK ON CIVIL LIBERTIES -A COALITION ADVOCATING OUR INTERESTS. LEGIONS OF BIKERS, CLUBS, 1%ERS, INDIES COULD HAVE ASSEMBLED AND ORGANIZED BEHIND ONE SPOKESMAN PERFECTLY PROFILED TO REPRESENT. YOU COULD HAVE LED THE CHARGE - BUT YOU CHOSE TO TALK ABOUT DOPE, CHICKS, SEX, PARTIES, RIVALRIES AND THE BURDEN OF BEING THE GREATEST LEADER OF MEN SINCE GENERAL PATTON.YOU BEGAN TO BELIEVE THE HYPE THAT SURROUNDED YOU AND THAT YOU COULD OPERATE WITH IMPUGNITY, MORE CLEVER THAN THE REST OF US. YOU POSSESS ALL THE COMPONENTS A CAREER SOCIOPATH REQUIRES. CONGRATULATIONS ON HIJACKING A TRADEMARK ON A TECHNICALITY FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL GAIN. YOU HAVE, WITHOUT PERMISSION, SKEWERED THE TRADEMARK STATUTES SO THAT YOU CAN PROFIT FROM OUR TRADEMARK AND OUR NOTORIETY. YOU PROMOTE YOURSELF AS AN "EXPERT" IN OUTLAW BIKER CULTURE, CONNING LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTICIPANTS AT COUNTERFEIT LECTURES. WE HAVE STOOD BY AND REMAINED SILENT WHILE YOU HAVE CONCOCTED A COTTAGE INDUSTRY BASED ON LIES, FALSEHOODS AND FABRICATIONS. WE NOW SAY, ENOUGH. WE CHALLENGE YOU TO TAKE A POLYGRAPH TEST CONDUCTED BY A PRESTIGOUS THIRD PARTY, AND WE WILL EVEN LET YOU KNOW THE QUEASTIONS IN ADVANCE. FOR YOUR TROUBLES, WE WILL PAY YOU $1000.00 CASH, 50% IN ADVANCE AND 50% UPON COMPLETION, WHERTHER YOU PASS OR NOT. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE IF YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH?"