Matt Shea, 45, who represents a district in eastern Washington at the state legislature, was found to have travelled across the state to meet with extremist groups, condoned the intimidation of opponents and promoted training for armed militias, accused of having links to extremists and hate groups.

“Representative Shea, as a leader in the Patriot Movement, planned, engaged in and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States government in three states outside the state of Washington over a three-year period,” the report said. “In one conflict representative Shea led covert strategic pre-planning in advance of the conflict.”

Following the release of the report, commissioned by the lower chamber of the state legislature, and conducted by outside legal investors Mr Shea declined to speak with, Republicans in the state capital, Olympia, announced he had been suspended from any role he had in the party’s activities.

“House Republican leadership has suspended representative Matt Shea from the caucus and removed him from his ranking position on the House Environment and Energy Committee,” said the GOP leader in the chamber, JT Wilcox. “He will also be removed from his House committees.”

The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Show all 23 1 /23 The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, burn a swastika and cross during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, U.S on March 9, 2019 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network hold up balloons decorated as the face of Adolf Hitler and give a white-power hand signal as they celebrate the German fascist's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Billy Roper of the ShieldWall Network attends a party at a home outside Atkins. The group primarily operates in Arkansas and includes three other members who were recently charged with assault in connection with the beating of a gay man, according to police reports REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network march to a rally opposing legal abortion and supporting gun rights at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Jeff Schoep, former chairman of the National Socialist Movement, speaks during a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 10, 2018 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Crosses lit by members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan burn outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017. The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest Klan groups in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan prepare for a cross-burning outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network perform a Nazi salute as a swastika and cross burn during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, March 9, 2019 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US High chairs are seen in a building owned by The Knights Party, a white nationalist group formerly named the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, outside Harrison, Arkansas, March 10, 2019. The organisation is opening an education center for the children of white nationalists REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan addresses an audience before a cross-burning outside Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A figurine of a black man being lynched inside the home of Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, holds up a photo montage of (clockwise from top left) Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, founder of the American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof and Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess, while attending a party at a home outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Symbols of white nationalism are displayed on the jacket of a member of the National Socialist Movement as they gather in a parking lot before attending a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network prepare a swastika for burning to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A new member of the ShieldWall Network, Nicholas Holloway, and other members of the white nationalist group go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Courtney Calfy, wife of Julian Calfy, helps to prepare a meal as members of the ShieldWall Network gather to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, on the phone during a celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A plaque on top of a flagpole with the number 1488 is carried by members of the National Socialist Movement as they attend a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 10, 2018 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network John Carollo, Julian Calfy and Nicholas Holloway gather at a member's home before departing to disrupt a Jewish Holocaust memorial event in Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network burn a swastika to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is seen inside what the group calls its church, next to his home in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, prepare to burn a swastika and cross during a party at a home outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS

Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said on Twitter: “There is no place in WA for hate or violence, especially from those who have been elected by the people. This report is disturbing and these actions should be unacceptable to Washingtonians of all political parties.”

The notoriety of Mr Shea, who celebrated the president’s 2016 election victory as “a repudiation of the policies of tyranny [and a] refounding of America”, shifted from the far east of the state, to lodge in the national consciousness with the production this year of a series of podcasts, titled Bundyville: The Remnant, which examined the circumstances of two stand offs with federal agents involving members of the Bundy family, a ranching clan based in Nevada.

The second incident, which drew various far right and white supremacist militia supporters to support the occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2015, resulted in one protester being shot and killed and dozens arrested.

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The podcast also highlighted how Mr Shea, who served 10 years in the US army after graduating from Gonzaga University, a private, Catholic college, wished to establish a 51st state, named Liberty, in the east of Washington, which would be based on far-right, Christian values.

In 2018, the Spokane-Review newspaper reported how Mr Shea, a lawyer, distributed a four-page manifesto titled the “Biblical Basis for War”.

It describes the Christian god as a “warrior,” detailed the composition and strategies of a “Holy Army” and condemned abortion and same-sex marriage.

The 108-page investigation carried out by a team led by a former FBI agent published by the state government, found that Mr Shea, whose vast district stretches from Spokane to the northeastern border with Idaho, had at least four conversations “with Ammon Bundy and other militia members in the planning and preparation of the armed takeover” of the reserve. It said he “participated in an act of domestic terrorism” when in 2016 he visited the reserve.

Reports said that on the final day of the standoff, when police fatally shot one protester, Mr Shea wrote on Facebook: “After much prayer, I am afraid violence might be necessary to take back our country.”

Mr O’Shea did not immediately respond to enquiries from The Independent or other media. However, on Facebook he likened his treatment to that of Mr Trump.

“Like we are seeing with our president, this is a sham investigation meant to silence those of us who stand up against attempts to disarm and destroy our great country,” he wrote.

“I will not back down, I will not give in, I will not resign. Stand strong fellow Patriots. Thank you to everyone for the massive outpouring of support prayers!”

Investigators have detailed how the overwhelming majority of domestic terrorism in the US is carried out by right wing groups. A report by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) centre on extremism, found that in 2018, all but one of 50 terror deaths was the result of such individuals.

Mark Pitcavage, an analyst of far-right groups who works with the ADL, said Mr Shea was well known to those who studied extremist groups, and had been linked to various movements.

“Since the 1970s, there has been a long history of right wing extremists in the Pacific Northwest, either anti-government extremists or white supremacists,” he said. “One of the reasons is that many of these extremists have urged people to move there. Another, is that because there are a lot of remote places, it has attracted people – whether or not they are political – who want to get away from the world.”