READ OUR LAWSUIT HERE: https://armedforcesbrewingco.com/legal/

Help us fight an organized anonymous Leftist cancel culture group and known individuals that targeted our company. Armed Forces Brewing Company (AFBC) is a beer company built to honor those who serve — our military, our first responders, their families, and patriotic Americans.

Today, we are fighting for our company’s survival — and for the right of patriotic Americans to operate a lawful business without coordinated harassment and economic targeting.

What Happened

On July 7th, 2023 when then Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Armed Forces Brewing Company will relocate their corporate headquarters to Virginia and had acquired a full production brewing facility and taproom in Norfolk creating jobs for Veterans, Armed Forces Brewing Company became the target of a coordinated activist campaign by anonymous and known woke groups and individuals, designed to pressure city officials, disrupt our business operations, cause substantial economic damage, sabotage Veteran and community outreach partnerships and sponsorships, interfere with vendor relationships, and damage our reputation. 

We were falsely called bigots, racists, homophobes, nazis, fascists and violent people and we were harassed directly and through our business relationships on a daily basis.

Our customers were targeted, harassed, and intimidated for supporting or carrying our products.

Active-duty military members, local law enforcement personnel and agencies, and non-profits were doxed and shamed online for patronizing our taproom.

Our vendors and veteran outreach partners were pressured and threatened to sever ties.

Our staff was harassed and subjected to defamatory attacks daily.

Our CEO received multiple direct death threats. This group posted a veiled online death threat that they “like to take out CEOs” in reference to the murder of a United Healthcare CEO allegedly by Luigi Mangione. This dog-whistle caused locals to post that our CEO needed to be "Luigi'd" aka "murdered".   

Coordinated messaging campaigns were deployed to damage our reputation.

They vandalized our brewery.

They harassed and intimidated local sports teams in an effort to affect our paid sponsorship with these teams.

They made false complaints and allegations to State and local law enforcement and Norfolk city government agencies.

They harassed, intimidated, and pressured surrounding businesses from supporting us and partnering with us.

They banned us from participating in beer industry groups and events.

They pressured others to ban us from beer industry groups and events.

They created and posted false defamatory images with false defamatory financial information. 

And deliberate efforts were made to economically cripple a patriotic American company.

Their Campaign Didn’t Just Target a Business — They Targeted Military Families

As part of this effort, these Leftist activists worked to sabotage our partnership with the Armed Services YMCA, which was focused on feeding approximately 200 active-duty military families experiencing food insecurity. We donated $4,000 for turkeys and hams for these 200 military families for Christmas in 2023. Our brewery was to be a pick-up location for these families to pick up their Christmas food bags. These activists harassed the leadership and staff at the Hampton Roads Armed Services YMCA who then cancelled our partnership, returned our donation and emailed the 200 families that our partnership had been cancelled. Not all the families got the email. On December 20th, 2023 with no YMCA holiday food bags to give out, 9 active-duty military families pulled into our brewing facility to pick up their food bags. (some with little children). We took action, we made 9 cash envelopes with $100 in each envelope and gave them to these families. We then bought and donated another 97 turkeys and hams to the Norfolk American Legion Post 37’s Operation Blessing food pantry to help feed 97 active-duty military families for Christmas.

These Left-wing activists also attempted to sabotage our partnership with the US Marine Corps Toys For Tots program in 2024. Our brewing facility was the Hampton Roads Toys For Tots Program HQ. They were using our facility to store, sort, and distribute 180,000 toys for around 69,000 families. We donated our space, equipment, man hours, and support to these incredible Marines and their mission. These Left-wing activists filed a complaint to the Inspector General of the USMC falsely claiming we were bigots, racists, homophobes, and did not share the same values as the US Marine Corps. An investigation was conducted and the US Marine Corps found the allegations were unfounded. The partnership was preserved but just another example of the harassment by these people and their disregard and contempt for our military and children.

Let that sink in:

A leftist, woke, anti-America group and their campaign didn’t just go after a company —

it targeted programs supporting military families and children.

Organized efforts included:

• Coordinated calls and email campaigns directed at city officials

• Public pressure campaigns urging denial of permits and licenses

• Direct intimidating contact with vendors and business partners urging them to sever ties

• Online dissemination of false and defamatory statements, including fabricated claims that AFBC was bankrupt

• Filing false claims of violations of law to State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, including filing a false complaint that we were serving minors.

• Filing false claims of violations of City codes to City officials

• Organized boycotts and public harassment targeting the company and its leadership including direct and inferred death threats

These actions occurred during a critical growth and capital-raising phase of our company.

Armed Forces Brewing Company has more than 11,000 shareholders nationwide. Thousands of everyday Americans invested in a veteran-focused company they believed in. The coordinated campaign did not just target a brand — it harmed thousands of individual investors.

The Legal Action

Armed Forces Brewing Company is preparing to file civil litigation in Virginia asserting claims including:

• Business Conspiracy under Virginia Codes

• Defamation

• Tortious Interference with Contract

• Tortious Interference with Business Expectancy

• Civil Conspiracy

Virginia’s business conspiracy statute allows for "3 fold" (triple) damages when two or more persons combine to willfully and maliciously injure a business.

Armed Forces Brewing Company has also filed a formal criminal complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding coordinated dissemination of fabricated financial information designed to disrupt lawful commerce, conspiracy, fraud, interstate death threats and harassment, and cyber crimes.

We are pursuing this case not only to defend our company — but to set a precedent that coordinated economic targeting of lawful American businesses cannot be weaponized without consequence.

The Financial Impact

The damage to Armed Forces Brewing Company has been significant.

We have conservatively calculated provable financial losses in the millions of dollars, including:

• Lost taproom revenue projections

• Disrupted capital raises

• Lost vendor and partnership opportunities

• Reputational harm

• Legal and crisis response costs

The broader economic impact modeling reflects even greater enterprise value impairment.

This lawsuit is necessary to protect the company, its shareholders, and its future.

Why We Need Your Help

Litigation is expensive. Complex business conspiracy and defamation cases require:

• Extensive discovery

• Digital evidence preservation

• Depositions

• Expert witnesses

• Motion practice

• Trial preparation

Legal defense and prosecution of claims at this level requires substantial financial resources.

Funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward the AFBC Legal Justice Fund to support ongoing litigation expenses.

Legal Representation

Armed Forces Brewing Company is represented by:

D. Hayden Fisher, Esquire

Fisher Law, PLLC

PO Box 7321

Richmond, Virginia 23221

(804) 503-0033

(804) 482-2725 (fax)

hfisher@fisherlawrva.com

www.fisherlawrva.com

What This Fight Is Really About

This is about more than one brewery.

This is about whether lawful businesses can be targeted, harassed, and economically attacked because of their branding, values, or viewpoint. 

It is about whether coordinated groups can pressure government bodies to treat businesses unequally.

It is about whether defamation and tortious interference can be used as political weapons.

And it is about whether everyday American investors can have their investments harmed without recourse.

Armed Forces Brewing Company is standing up to a toxic cancel culture — not only for our company — but for the principle that lawful commerce should not be subject to organized intimidation campaigns.

How You Can Help

If you believe in:

• Equal treatment under the law

• The right to operate a lawful business free from harassment, intimidation, and sabotage  

• Protecting American entrepreneurs

• Standing up to coordinated economic targeting

Please consider supporting the AFBC Legal Justice Fund.

Every contribution helps us continue this fight.

We are committed to transparency and accountability as this case proceeds.

Thank you for standing with Armed Forces Brewing Company.