Augustus Sol Invictus

Career

Invictus graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA with honors in Philosophy. Following his graduation, he attended DePaul University College of Law and graduated in 2011. While in law school, Invictus earned a fellowship at the International Human Rights Law Institute. His work centered on international criminal law and the laws of armed conflict. He has been admitted to the Bar in Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and the Middle District of Florida in the US District Court. He was managing partner of Imperium, P.A., a law firm he founded in 2013, until his retirement from the practice of law in 2017.

Invictus is currently the publisher of The Revolutionary Conservative, a right-wing publication with the stated aim of "restoring the American republic and defending Western Civilization."

On July 8, 2017, Invictus debated Communist journalist Caleb Maupin in New York City at a forum entitled "The Revolutionary Left vs. The Revolutionary Right." The debate has been released as a film, which was promoted by Julian Assange on social media.

Invictus was a headlined speaker at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. The Miami Herald wrote of Invictus's involvement in the fatal event that "the political fallout over Charlottesville may end whatever hopes for public office Invictus had."

Campaign

On May 19, 2015, Invictus announced his campaign for the U.S Senate as a candidate for the Libertarian Party in the 2016 Florida election.

In response to Invictus's campaign, Adrian Wyllie resigned from his position as chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, calling Invictus a "violent Fascist and Neo-Nazi" whose ideology was incompatible with libertarianism and saying he did not want to be part of the same party. The chairman also accused Invictus of supporting eugenics and for "sadistically dismembering a goat in a ritualistic sacrifice". Invictus responded by admitting that he once wrote a paper advocating eugenics but saying that he has since changed his mind. He said he had sacrificed the goat and drunk its blood as part of a ritual to give thanks for surviving a pilgrimage in spring 2013, but denied it was "sadistic".

He has also said that he is not white supremacist, citing the fact that his children are part Hispanic; however, he acknowledged that some white supremacists support his campaign. In 2014 he acted as attorney for Marcus Faella of the American Front in his legal appeal.

In May, 2016, Invictus began the “Possibility of Revolution” tour in Florida, speaking in Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami in one continuous circuit. At the end of this tour, Paul Stanton entered the Senate race, creating the first Libertarian primary for the United States Senate in Florida history. Invictus lost the primary election to Paul Stanton on August 30, 2016.

Views

Invictus believes that the United States should embrace a non-interventionist approach to foreign policy, arguing that an interventionist approach has resulted in the loss of American lives and the accumulation of trillions of dollars in debt. He opposes using the U.S military to interfere in the affairs of sovereign nations.

Invictus advocates for balancing the budget, shrinking the size of government, ceasing "reckless" government spending and deregulating American business. He is also in favor of repealing the individual income tax, abolishing the IRS and recreating the tax code. He is for an expanded federal role in protecting the environment. According to Invictus, he does not support mass immigration and is against open borders for the United States. However, he supports policies that would streamline the process of immigration and naturalization so that immigrants who wish to integrate and work in the United States can do so with ease. Invictus believes that abortion should be illegal in most circumstances. Invictus is opposed to the War on Drugs and has labeled it a failure. He supports repealing the Controlled Substances Act and abolishing the DEA. Invictus believes that America should find alternative forms of energy so as to reduce U.S dependence on foreign energy. He does not believe there should be a trade-off between economic freedom and the destruction of the environment. In a Facebook Live video posted on February 5, 2017, Invictus identified his political views as belonging to the reactionary school of thought. He described his political philosophy as right-wing libertarianism.

During his campaign, a letter written by Invictus in 2013 came to light in which he renounced his citizenship and claimed to have plans of venturing out in the woods only to return bringing war:

"I have prophesied for years that I was born for a Great War; that if I did not witness the coming of the Second American Civil War I would begin it myself. Mark well: That day is fast coming upon you. On the New Moon of May, I shall disappear into the Wilderness. I will return bearing Revolution, or I will not return at all."

Invictus has been accused of supporting state-sponsored eugenics for a paper he wrote as a law student. Invictus, however, wrote a disclaimer to the paper stating that although he believes the strong and intelligent should breed and the weak and stupid should not, he does not believe that the government can be trusted to implement such a program.

Invictus is referred to as a Holocaust denier by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which quotes him as saying:

"Do I believe that 6 million Jews were killed by evil Hitler? Is that what you’re asking me?” he said. “Okay, then I am still waiting to see those facts."

Personal life

He was born Austin Gillespie and Invictus legally changed his name to Augustus Sol Invictus. He is a Thelemite, though was expelled from leading Thelemic organisation Ordo Templi Orientis; he also identifies as a pagan.

Electoral history