Augustus Sol Invictus

Augustus Sol Invictus
Invictus in April 2020
Background information
Born as:	Austin Gillespie
Born	Jul 31, 1983
Education:	University of South Florida (Bachelor of Arts DePaul University (Juris Doctor)
Children:	4
Occupation:	Attorney, politician, publisher
Politics:	Libertarian Party (United States (2015–2017) Republican Party (United States)(2017–present)

Augustus Sol Invictus (Latin for 'majestic undefeated sun'; born Austin Mitchell Gillespie; July 31, 1983)is an American far-right political activist, attorney, blogger, and white nationalist.

Invictus was a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination in the 2016 United States Senate election in Florida. Local party chairman Adrian Wyllie resigned over his candidacy and the unwillingness of the party to disavow it. He lost overwhelmingly in the primary to opponent Paul Stanton, garnering 26.5% of votes cast.

In a press release from 2015, Invictus was accused by the Libertarian Party of Florida of advocating for eugenics and "state-sponsored murder".In April 2017, the Libertarian Party of Florida, following mediation, issued a retraction of the 2015 press release, stating that "it exceeded the mandate of the executive committee", and declaring that "Mr. Invictus has always been a member in good standing, is a past chair of the Libertarian Party of Orange County, a sponsor of the 2016 and 2017 LPF State Conventions, as well as a dedicated volunteer on the Legislative Review Committee."In July 2017, Invictus changed his party affiliation to Republican, announcing his candidacy for the 2018 United States Senate election in Florida.

Invictus was a headline speaker at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017, that ended with three deaths. He has represented Marcus Faella, the former head of the white supremacist group American Front, in court. Invictus is the publisher of The Revolutionary Conservative, a publication that calls for a violent uprising and states that it aims to restore the American republic and defend Western civilization. He was controversial within the Libertarian Party for his neo-fascist political views and history of racist associations. He has been described by media reports as being associated with the alt-right movement. He has proposed the repeal of several amendments to the US Constitution, stipulating that only white male citizens should be allowed to vote or own real property.

Career

Invictus graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA with honors in philosophy. He attended DePaul University College of Law and graduated in 2011 following his graduation. While in law school, Invictus earned a fellowship at the International Human Rights Law Institute. His work centered on international criminal law and the laws of armed conflict. He has been admitted to the bar in Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and the Middle District of Florida in the US District Court. He was managing partner of Imperium, P.A., a law firm he founded in 2013, until his retirement from law practice in 2017. Invictus is currently the publisher of The Revolutionary Conservative, a far-right publication with the stated aim of "restoring the American republic and defending Western Civilization."

Invictus was a headline speaker at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017, where a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer. The Miami Herald wrote of Invictus's involvement in the fatal event that "the political fallout over Charlottesville may end whatever hopes for public office Invictus] had."

2016 U.S. Senate campaign

On May 19, 2015, Invictus announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate as a candidate for the Libertarian Party in the 2016 Florida election.

In response to Invictus's campaign, Adrian Wyllie resigned from his position as chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, calling Invictus a "violent Fascist and Neo-Nazi" whose ideology was incompatible with libertarianism and saying he did not want to be part of the same party. The chairman also accused Invictus of supporting eugenics and of "sadistically dismembering a goat in a ritualistic sacrifice." Invictus responded by admitting that he once wrote a paper advocating eugenics but saying that he has since changed his mind. He said he had sacrificed the goat and drunk its blood as part of a ritual to give thanks for surviving a pilgrimage in spring 2013, but denied it was "sadistic".

He has also said that he is not a white supremacist, citing the fact that his children are part Hispanic; he acknowledged that some white supremacists support his campaign while claiming he does not associate with them.In 2014, he acted as attorney for Marcus Faella of the American Front in his legal appeal.

In May 2016, Invictus began the "Possibility of Revolution" tour in Florida, speaking in Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami in one continuous circuit. At the end of this tour, Paul Stanton entered the Senate race, creating the first Libertarian primary for the United States Senate in Florida history. Invictus lost the primary election on August 30, 2016, with Stanton receiving 73.5% of the vote.

Views

During his campaign, a letter written by Invictus in 2013 came to light in which he renounced his citizenship and claimed to have plans of venturing out into the woods only to return, bringing war:

I have prophesied for years that I was born for a Great War; that if I did not witness the coming of the Second American Civil War I would begin it myself. Mark well: That day is fast coming upon you. On the New Moon of May, I shall disappear into the Wilderness. I will return bearing Revolution, or I will not return at all.

Invictus has been accused of supporting state-sponsored eugenics for a paper he wrote as a law student. Invictus, however, wrote a disclaimer to the paper stating that although he believes the strong and intelligent should breed and the weak and stupid should not, he does not believe that the government can be trusted to implement such a program.

Invictus has been identified as a Holocaust denier. He has said: "Do I believe that 6 million Jews were killed by evil Hitler? Is that what you’re asking me? ... Okay, then, I am still waiting to see those facts."

Invictus has proposed repealing the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, insisting that only white male citizens should have the right to vote or own real property.

Invictus believes that the United States should embrace a non-interventionist approach to foreign policy, arguing that an interventionist approach has resulted in the loss of American lives and the accumulation of trillions of dollars in debt. He opposes using the U.S. military to protect US national interests or prevent meddling in US affairs.

Invictus advocates for balancing the budget, shrinking the size of government, ceasing "reckless" government spending, and deregulating American business. He also favors repealing the personal income tax, abolishing the IRS, and recreating the tax code. He is for an expanded federal role in protecting the environment. According to Invictus, he does not support mass immigration and is against open borders for the United States. However, he supports policies that would streamline the process of immigration and naturalization so that immigrants who wish to integrate and work in the United States can do so with ease. Invictus believes that abortion should be illegal in most circumstances.

Invictus is opposed to the War on Drugs and has labeled it a failure. He supports repealing the Controlled Substances Act and abolishing the DEA. He believes that the United States should find alternative forms of energy so as to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy. He does not believe there should be a trade-off between economic freedom and the destruction of the environment.

Personal life

He dropped out of college, and by 2006, he was married and a father of four multi-ethnic children. Augustus Invictus was born Austin Gillespie, and in 2006, he legally changed his name to Augustus Sol Invictus. Until 2022, he was a Thelemite, though he was expelled from the Thelemic fraternal organization, Ordo Templi Orientis; he also identified as a pagan. As of 2022, he has reverted to the Catholic Faith and identifies as a traditionalist.

Legal issues

Invictus has been accused of crimes including domestic violence, stalking, and threats of bodily harm verbally and with a firearm, which have been reported to law enforcement in Florida at least ten times. The first allegation that gained public attention was reported in 2017 by his ex-fiancée. The Huffington Post reported that in July 2017, police in Orlando, Florida, "recommended that charges of domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated battery be filed against Invictus." According to the article, charges were never filed due to a lack of evidence and cooperation from the alleged victim. The victim stated to police that she hesitated as a result of feeling intimidated by Invictus's connections to white supremacist organizations and legal expertise, in addition to her allegations of serial acts of violence.

Invictus was arrested in Melbourne, Florida, on January 1, 2020, on charges of "kidnapping, 'high and aggravated' domestic violence, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence." Upon his arrest in Melbourne, Invictus was then extradited to Rock Hill, South Carolina, where the alleged crimes, this time against another woman, who is his estranged wife, occurred. He requested a bail hearing on February 14, 2020, and his accuser made a statement to the court recounting her allegations. Her claims match as a pattern, the description of the acts Invictus's prior accuser had alleged he perpetrated. For example, his wife alleged he had abused her for six years via assaults, including punching her in the stomach to avoid visible bruises and locking her in the bedroom for days. Also, as in prior allegations by the other victim, Invictus's wife independently reported to law enforcement that he had repeatedly strangled her, threatened her life with a firearm, and used the threat to use his extremist followers to silence her, claiming he would send them to target her and end her life if she escaped. On February 14, 2020, Judge Hall in Rock Hill, South Carolina, ordered that Invictus be held in jail without bond. On February 19, 2020, kidnapping charges were dismissed after the judge asserted that the charge lacked probable cause; however, the charges of "high and aggravated" domestic violence and possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence remain.

On March 31, 2020, the court determined that Invictus could be freed on bail after his public defender cited the risk posed to inmates by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, less than three weeks after Invictus's release, he was re-arrested in violation of the terms of his bond. Despite her restraining order, Invictus's wife reported that he made threatening and harassing contact with her over twenty times. He allegedly made an implied threat of violence, at which point she agreed to meet him in a park with their children. At that time, Invictus allegedly spoke to their child, referring to his accuser with derogatory slurs. On July 23, 2020, Invictus was denied a fourth request for bail by a judge in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Stalking charges in Florida were dropped on August 4, 2020, after prosecutors determined the case was "unsuitable for prosecution". On August 25, 2020, Invictus was granted release bail in York County, South Carolina.

On April 19, 2022, Invictus was found not guilty of all charges after the jury deliberated for 30 minutes. The alleged victim, Invictus's wife, did not attend the trial to testify. After his acquittal, Invictus publicly requested letters of apology from authorities responsible for his arrest and prosecution.

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