Military member with links to far-right groups says he's 'done nothing wrong'

A Canadianmilitary reservist whosemembership in two far-right groups is being investigated by the armyhas spoken publicly about the matter for the first time, telling alocal print and online publication in British Columbia that the allegations against him are "rubbish."

Erik Myggland, who belongs to the Canadian Ranger Valemount, B.C. patrol, spoke recently to The Rocky Mountain Goat, a weekly publication, about the military's effort to release him from the service.

A CBC News investigation last month chronicled Myggland's prolific online support for the Three Percenter movement a survivalist organization originally from the U.S. that conducts military-style training and the Soldiers of Odin, a group with white supremacist roots in Europe.

Myggland was interviewed bythe military's counterintelligence branch, which is charged with keeping tabs on possible threats within the service.

He is still serving as a Ranger, although his own unit recommended heberemoved more than a year ago. The army is now investigating to learn why he hasn't been ejected from the Rangers to date. Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre, commander of the Canadian Army,said recently that Myggland is not expected to be formally released until later this fall.

"I'm fine with being released, but it absolutely matters why," Myggland told the newspaper, adding that he "can't stand for" being publicly linked with hate groups.

CBC News reached out to Myggland who has posted anti-government screeds online anddescribed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "treasonous bastard" in one social media post on several occasionsbefore itsfirst story on himwas published in late August. He initially agreed to talkbut then went silent.

After publication of his recent interview with thelocal weekly,CBC News againreached out to Myggland to verify his remarks and again offer him the opportunity to comment on his online posts and involvement with both groups.

Myggland refused to be interviewed by CBC News. In anemail, however,heclaimed thatcoverage of his story has been biased and hasfailed tocitehis years of community service, working with troubled teenagers and teaching self-defence courses to women, andhis work with the Rangers and the local volunteer fire service, which he said included 400 emergency responses and life-saving calls.

"You see you have no interest in these things. You have no interest in the truth," he wrote. "You are more interested in trying to destroy a good man that has done NOTHING wrong!"

His email did not address his involvement in either right-wing group and did notanswer questions related to his case.

In his interview with The Rocky Mountain Goat,Myggland did address themilitary counterintelligence investigation of his activities.

The media outlet quotes himsaying that he was asked by his commanding officer to meet with counterintelligence officers and insisting thathe "promptly complied and fully briefed them on his past activities with the Soldiers of Odin and his current activities with Three Percenters in B.C."

'We weren't doing anything wrong'

The army launched a summary investigation after a CBC News investigation reported that the Canadian military counterintelligence branchinterviewed Myggland about his affiliationsbut allowed him to continue serving.

There was no mention of Myggland's social media posts in The Rocky Mountain Goat article, although it does quote himstrenuously insisting he is not racist.

"The most intriguing question [asked by CBC journalists ...] in that article was why did the Armed Forces allow me to serve for two years after being investigated? It's a pretty simple answer: because we weren't doing anything wrong," the articlequoted Myggland as saying.

The story also paraphrased his patrol commanding officer, Clayton Gee, as sayingMyggland did not preach hate or try torecruit other Rangerswhile serving.

Myggland vehemently denied being"racist or hateful" in his interview with the weeklyand claims that,as a Facebook administrator for the Three Percenters of B.C., he would call out those who displayed such behaviour.

He said the Three Percentermovement isall about teaching survival techniquesandpreparing people for the collapse of society something which itsmembers believe is inevitable.

'Anathema'

Myggland is quoted as saying the B.C.Three Percenters would practice withfirearms at a localfiring range and "conducted military drills with Airsoft rifles."

Section 70 of theCriminal Code of Canada gives the federal government the power to prohibit assemblieswithout lawful authority for the purpose of conductingmilitary exercises.

Barbara Perry is an expert on far-right groups at Ontario Tech University, in Oshawa, Ont. Shesaid she was surprisedto see acase of suspected far-right activity within the militaryhandled so "nonchalantly,or so informally."

A counterintelligence investigation should have sounded thealarmall the way up the chain of command to4th Canadian Ranger Group headquarters and beyond, said Evan Balgord, executive directorof the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

"It really needs to be communicated to every level of commanding officer in the Armed Forces that membership in a hate group is anathema to serving in the Forces," Balgord said.

The Department of National Defence (DND)would notcomment on Myggland's public statement,saying thatin light of the army's investigation, "it would be inappropriate for us to publicly discuss further."

It also refused to discuss "the sensitive nature of its intelligence work," addingthat information collected during an investigation by counterintelligence officers is protected under the Privacy Act and needs to be safeguarded to protect current and future investigations.

"That being said, we can firmly say that the entire institution remains unwavering in its commitment to fighting hateful conduct," said Dan Lebouthillier, DND's head of media relations.

"We will not tolerate racist or harmful behaviour in our ranks or among our civilian personnel."

Myggland pointed out in his interview that neither theThree Percenters northe Soldiers of Odin are onany statelists of terrorist organizations.

That'strue, saidPerry but even asimple Internet searchfive years agowould have revealed the anti-Muslim rhetoricbeing tradedamong members of the Three Percenters in the U.S., and theblatant white supremacy and anti-immigrant commentary dominating thediscourse among Soldiers of Odin organizers, especially in Europe.

"You would have to have been willfully blind" to claim ignorance about those groups because of the "explicitness of the narratives" at the time Myggland joined, said Perry.

Even beforetherecent introduction of theanti-racism policy framework, Canadian military policy officiallybarredmembers from joining groups "that they knew or ought reasonably to have known" would promote violence and hatred.