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STATE AND LOCAL

California city councilwoman asks God to 'bless' QAnon conspiracy theory group

By Kaitlyn Schallhorn Fox News
Published
Outgoing San Juan Capistrano city councilwoman Pam Patterson cited the right-wing QAnon conspiracy group in her farewell address. 

Outgoing San Juan Capistrano city councilwoman Pam Patterson cited the right-wing QAnon conspiracy group in her farewell address.  (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

In her farewell address, an outgoing councilwoman in Southern California asked for God’s blessing on her city, country -- and for good measure, online conspiracy group QAnon.

“God bless America, God bless Q and God bless San Juan Capistrano,” San Juan Capistrano Councilwoman Pam Patterson said Monday, as first reported by the OC Weekly.

During her address, she quoted a posting from the right-wing conspiracy group. “Q” supposedly posts anonymous musings – or “breadcrumbs” – for followers to decipher on online forums.

“And now to quote ‘Q,’ number 2436: For far too long we have been silent and allowed our bands of strength that we once formed to defend freedom and liberty to deteriorate. We became divided. We became weak. We elected traitors to govern us. We allowed evil to prey on us,” she said. “We must rise again. We must unite again. We must fight again for God and country.”

“God bless America. Where we go one, we go all, ‘Q,’” she said.

The group began after an anonymous person posted on the online messaging website 4chan in October 2017 claiming to have a high-level government security clearance — a “Q clearance,” to be exact — and discussed President Trump, former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, political donor George Soros and others.

WHAT IS QANON, THE CONSPIRACY THEORY GROUP SHOWING UP TO TRUMP RALLIES?

It’s unclear who “Q” actually is, and if he or she is just one person or a group.

Members of the fringe group believe in massive conspiracies in the media and a so-called “deep-state” to take down Trump. People holding signs or wearing apparel referencing QAnon have shown up at Trump rallies and other political events in recent months.

Patterson, who lost her re-election race in November, reportedly met with Trump at the White House in May. She was part of a delegation of state lawmakers who opposed California’s sanctuary state laws, The Capistrano Dispatch reported.

According to the OC Weekly, Patterson has referenced QAnon in public before.