Retired FBI agent Thomas O'Connor, a 23-year veteran of the Washington, D.C., field office, is a specialist in domestic extremist groups who talks on Deadline TV about guns at political rallies in Lansing and elsewhere. He also reflects on ideological changes in militia groups and about possible unrest after Nov. 3 voting.
"I think unfortunately no matter who is elected, the opposite side has a strong enough radical base right now that there will be a reaction to the action of a person being elected," O'Connor says. "One side or the other is likely to have people who are willing to step outside the legal bounds of protest and and do an act which actually fulfills the definition of domestic terrorism. And I hope I'm wrong. ... I don't think I'm going to be proven wrong."
O'Connor left the bureau last September and now heads FEDSquaredConsulting, which trains people in government and the private sector about counterterrorism and extremist groups.
