Orcutt man who attended Trump rally in DC resigns as CEO of senior center
ORCUTT, Calif. - An Orcutt man who attended a pro-Trump rally that turned into a deadly riot at the United States Capitol has resigned from his position as CEO of the OASIS Senior Center.
The Board of Directors of the senior center announced Friday evening that Doug Doherty would be leaving his position. Doherty served as CEO and President of the senior center.
Doherty was featured twice on NewsChannel 3-12, describing his experience while attending the rally in the nation's capital.
Doherty told our newsroom that he flew to D.C. to join a peaceful protest and pray for the nation. But controversial social media posts that were uncovered following the initial story revealed possible ulterior motives for the trip.
In one post that was shared with our newsroom, Doherty wrote on his Facebook page in reference to the Jan. 6 rally: Tomorrow the walls shake. #Jericho.
Another post read: A slave negotiates. A warrior refuses to submit. Freedom is dangerous.
Calls to our newsroom from concerned citizens cast doubt on his version of events.
After following up with Doherty, the Orcutt man said he decided to remove his posts after he said he received threats on his life. Doherty said he had been in contact with the FBI regarding the threats.
Ultimately, Doherty defended his position and reaffirmed that he attended the rally with peaceful intentions.
Doherty did not speak with us on camera a second time, but sent a written statement that said in part, "There is a push to turn my prayers for the nation into a larger narrative they have nothing to do with. My prayers are between me and God."
Doherty told NewsChannel 3-12 earlier this week that he would be meeting with the board of directors of OASIS Senior Center to discuss his future. On Friday, the board accepted his resignation.
The following statement was released to our newsroom.
"The Board of Directors for OASIS Senior Center met Thursday and has since accepted the resignation of President/CEO Doug Dougherty. The Board remains committed to supporting OASIS and its mission to serve all seniors in our community."
Loren Gasser
OASIS Inc
Chairman of the Board
OASIS describes itself as a senior center and nonprofit advocacy organization that serves older individuals in Orcutt. For more information, click here.
