Conservative Royalty: William F. Buckley’s Great Nephew Charged With Storming Capitol

The scion of a great lineage of conservative intellectuals now faces federal charges for allegedly storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to newly unsealed court records.

The man who was allegedly Leo Brent Bozell IV wasn’t particularly hard to spot: He wore a hoodie with the words “Hershey Christian Academy” on it as he strolled around the Senate chamber, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit, giving plenty of material to online sleuths who later tipped off law enforcement. 

He’s now charged with obstructing an official proceeding, disorderly conduct and entering a restricted building. 

But that’s not the most notable thing about Leo: His father is L. Brent Bozell III, the well-known conservative media activist who founded the right-wing outlets CNSNews and Media Research Center. 

The alleged rioter’s great uncle is William F. Buckley, Jr., the towering conservative intellectual known for, among other things, founding the National Review and, later, threatening to punch Gore Vidal in the face. 

The charges against Bozell were filed under seal on Thursday, unsealed on Friday and entered into the federal court system’s online database on Tuesday.

To his friends, according to the FBI, Buckley’s great nephew is known as “Zeeker Bozell,” and is a former girls basketball coach in Pennsylvania. That’s how one anonymous witness identified the man to federal law enforcement, alongside a tip the witness submitted showing Bozell posing for a photo with a student athlete and a basketball trophy. 

Still, Bozell does appear to share the familial interest in media: In the Senate, he allegedly moved a large camera so that it faced the ground, diverting the machine’s view from the stream of protesters entering the chamber, the FBI noted.