Ron Watkins
- QAnon figure Ron Watkins has moved to Australia, according to his father's live stream this week.
- Watkins finished last in his GOP primary race in Arizona, then accused his opponent of buying votes.
- It is unclear when or why Watkins made the move.
Ron Watkins, the failed Arizona congressional candidate who is also suspected of being the man behind the far-right QAnon movement, has left the US, according to his father.
"I don't think he's permanently moved to Australia, but he's in Australia right now," said Jim Watkins during a live stream on Thursday.
"Everyone knows he has had some serious death threats, so it's best for him to be there right now," he added.
Jim Watkins was commenting on an article from the Australian media outlet Crikey, which highlighted how his son had been spotted in Australia. The article referenced a tweet from QAnon researcher and podcast host Julian Feeld, who said a source had sent him information about Watkins being seen in Sydney there as early as July 26.
—italien feeld (@julianfeeld) August 9, 2022
When reached for comment, Feeld sent Insider an image that appeared to be of a man resembling Watkins at a location in Sydney. However, Insider was unable to verify if the man in this photo was Watkins.
Speaking to Crikey, extremism expert Kaz Ross, a researcher at the Lowy Institute, said Australia was "one of the major places for QAnon supporters."
"Someone like Ron Watkins, with his wealth, his technical abilities, and his audience? He could pick and choose which Australian voices to elevate. He could give a lifeline to our dying anti-lockdown movement here," Ross said.
Ron Watkins did not announce the move on either of his Telegram channels, which have been his primary means of communicating with his followers.
On August 4, however, he commented on his loss in the Arizona GOP primary race and baselessly accused his opponent of buying votes. Watkins' failed campaign saw him rake in only a fraction of the million dollars he had vowed to raise. He ultimately finished dead last in the race.
It is unclear when exactly Watkins made the move or how long he'll be in Australia. Watkins did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
Watkins is also widely rumored to be "Q," the man behind the QAnon movement. This speculation intensified in April last year when Watkins made the inadvertent admission while speaking to HBO filmmaker Cullen Hoback for a documentary on the group.
Since then, computer scientists following a digital trail to try to find "Q" have been led to Watkins, too, per The New York Times. Watkins has denied being Q.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/xp07Uk9
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