A Compass real-estate agent hired — then quickly fired — a woman after she was accused of taking part in the Capitol riot and linked to COVID-19 denial and anti-LGBTQ rallies

The Associated Press identified the woman on the left as Bryna Makowka. Here, she is part of a group protesting COVID-19-vaccine mandates in Los Angeles.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

• The Pennsylvania Compass agent Anne Townes recently announced Bryna Makowka was joining her team.
• The hire was publicized this week when Instagram users said Makowka was part of the Capitol riot.
• Compass' official Instagram account said Makowka no longer worked for Townes.

The Compass real-estate agent Anne Townes recently hired Bryna Makowka to join her team representing buyers and sellers in the Philadelphia suburbs. This week, after a politically progressive Instagram account reiterated its claims that Makowka was connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Compass' official Instagram account confirmed she was terminated.

Earlier this week, Homegrown Terrorists, which has nearly 400,000 followers on Instagram, accused Makowka of storming the Capitol and paired its post with an undated screenshot of Townes' account welcoming Makowka aboard.

"It is a fabrication that I stormed the Capitol," Makowka told Insider on Wednesday via Facebook Messenger.

In a separate post in January 2022, the Homegrown Terrorists account used video and audio footage to link Makowka to the riot. In a voicemail obtained by the liberal news site Daily Kos, Makowka appeared to brag that she "helped get the people up over the wall" at the Capitol.

This month, the outlet identified her as a woman who antagonized attendees at a West Hollywood Pride celebration with a stun gun. The Daily Beast previously reported she was involved with anti-vaccine protests that shut down vaccine sites at Dodger Stadium.

Later that day, Compass' official Instagram account commented on the post: "This person is no longer associated with Compass."

—@HomegrownTerrorists (@homegrowntrrsts) January 24, 2023

Makowka declined to share exactly how long she worked with Townes' team, but a screenshot shared by Homegrown Terrorists indicates she was associated with the team as early as December, when she appeared to make its black-and-white logo her Facebook cover photo.

She told Insider her time with the team was "a truly positive experience these last few months."

Compass declined to comment. The Townes team did not respond to requests for comment. 

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/FkqSNYE