The man who claims he left a box of horse manure as a Christmas present for Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in the driveway of his Bel-Air home said he did it as an act resistance to both the tax reform package and the discourse of the Trump administration.
“The times have gotten so absurd I felt like I had to do something equally absurd. And to be perfectly honest a mere box of horse shit didn’t feel absurd enough, but it was the only thing I could think of to do that was non-violent,” Robby Strong, who identified himself as a psychologist with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, said in an interview Tuesday with Fortune. “Sometimes you just have to do something for catharsis.”
The L.A. Department of Mental Health did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment on Tuesday.
Local media outlets reported last weekend that a package filled with horse manure had been deposited near Mnuchin’s home in Bel-Air, California, prompting authorities to call in a bomb squad, which temporarily down the street. Authorities determined there was nothing criminal in the package and there is no further investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department told Fortune on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Strong wrote on Facebook, “I need someone to ride along and document my Secret Santa project. I’m going to hand deliver boxes of horse shit to Steve Mnuchin over in Beverly Hills. Because if money is free speech, so is horse shit. PM me. We’ll go down in the anals of history (sic). No disguises, no fake names. Totally owning this one. You’re only powerless if you do nothing!!!”
Later that day, Strong had posted a photograph of a card addressed to Mnuchin and Trump that read, “we’re returning the ‘gift’ of the Christmas tax bill. Its bullshit. Warmest wishes, the American people.”
Strong, who said he voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary and only “grudgingly” voted for Hillary Clinton, told Fortune his home had been searched by authorities on Christmas Day, but he will not face charges. He said he and his wife were both interviewed. When the authorities came, Strong said, he told them he delivered the package and said opposing the tax cut law was in their best interests, as well.
“Guys I did this for you,” Strong said he told police. “This administration’s coming after your government pension. Do you think you’re going to be able to retire? We’ll see.”
The Treasury Department did not respond to request for comment about the initial package. Strong said he has not been contacted by Treasury or the White House.
