News · Topic
Mitch Snow
Articles on Mitchell H. Snow's Fort Huachuca account and Harpole v. Owens. He is a defendant in a pending civil case and no court has ruled on the merits.
Mitch Snow: the sworn record vs. the public recordReport ·
Why did every judge in the district recuse from Harpole v. Owens?
On July 8, 2026, every district and magistrate judge of the Middle District of Tennessee recused from Harpole v. Owens. The Order of Recusal says a judge from outside the district will be designated by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. It gives no reason. As of the docket's October 12, 2026 update, no order naming a replacement judge appears, which is why the case has stalled before any ruling on the facts.
Explainer ·
Who is Mitch Snow, and how did he become a defendant in Harpole v. Owens?
Mitchell H. Snow is a retired U.S. Army sergeant and a Washington State resident. He appeared on Candace Owens's podcast and described himself as an eyewitness who was at Fort Huachuca around September 9, 2025. Brian Harpole, who led Charlie Kirk's security, then sued Owens, her companies and Snow for defamation, saying the account falsely placed Harpole there. Snow represents himself and has filed sworn declarations standing by his account.
Explainer ·
What is the TPPA, and why do both sides invoke it in Harpole v. Owens?
The Tennessee Public Participation Act, or TPPA, is the state's anti-SLAPP law. It gives a defendant sued over speech on a matter of public concern a way to ask the court to dismiss the suit early and shift fees, before the expense of full discovery. In Harpole v. Owens, both the Owens defendants and Mitchell Snow filed TPPA petitions, arguing the lawsuit targets protected speech. No court has ruled on them.
Explainer ·
What is Harpole v. Owens, the defamation lawsuit that names Mitch Snow?
Harpole v. Owens is a federal defamation lawsuit filed in Nashville on April 30, 2026. Brian Harpole, who led Charlie Kirk's security team, sued Candace Owens, two of her companies and Mitchell Snow. The complaint says they falsely placed Harpole at a Fort Huachuca meeting on September 9, 2025, the day before Kirk was shot. The defendants have moved to dismiss, and no court has ruled on the facts.
Report ·
The six counts in Harpole v. Owens, and which ones name Mitch Snow
The complaint in Harpole v. Owens brings six counts: defamation, defamation regarding professional unfitness, false light, a separate defamation count against Mitchell Snow, civil conspiracy to defame, and aiding and abetting defamation. One defamation count is directed at Snow alone, and the conspiracy count names all defendants. Every count is an allegation by the plaintiff; no court has found any of them proven.
Fact Check ·
Has a court ruled on whether Mitch Snow's Fort Huachuca account is true or false?
No. As of October 2026 no court has ruled on whether Mitchell Snow's account of Fort Huachuca is true or false. The motions pending in Harpole v. Owens concern personal jurisdiction, whether the complaint states a legal claim, and Tennessee's anti-SLAPP statute. Owens's own motion says the Fort Huachuca allegations are reserved for a later stage. AFNPT also found no independent confirmation of the account in filings or news reporting.
Fact Check ·
Did the court order phones and devices preserved in Harpole v. Owens?
No. On July 6, 2026 a magistrate judge denied Brian Harpole's motion for an order requiring the defendants to preserve phones and devices. The judge wrote that the general duty to preserve evidence already applies once litigation is reasonably anticipated, and that the issue could be raised at the case management conference. An earlier AFNPT page wrongly said the motion had never been decided; that has been corrected.
Fact Check ·
Did Mitch Snow receive the money from the "For Mitch" fundraiser?
On the record available, no. Mitchell Snow has sworn in federal court that he received none of the money raised in the "For Mitch" GiveSendGo fundraiser, and the platform records AFNPT reviewed are consistent with that. The page was created by Candace Owens, showed about $151,942 raised when AFNPT read it on October 13, 2026, says it is not accepting donations, and does not state where the money went.
Fact Check ·
Did Mitch Snow seek out Candace Owens, or did she contact him first?
The record indicates Owens's side contacted Snow first. In a sworn declaration, Snow states that he did not seek out Candace Owens and that her side reached out to him. AFNPT reviewed his declarations against the available record and found it supports him on this point. No court has ruled on it, and the finding concerns who made contact, not whether Snow's wider account of Fort Huachuca is true.
Report ·
What does Candace Owens's motion to dismiss argue in Harpole v. Owens?
On August 6, 2026, Candace Owens and two of her companies filed a partial motion to dismiss and a petition under the Tennessee Public Participation Act, the state's anti-SLAPP law. The motion argues the complaint fails to state some claims and that the suit targets protected speech. It states that the Fort Huachuca allegations will be dealt with in a later motion for summary judgment. No court has ruled on it.
Report ·
Harpole v. Owens: where the lawsuit naming Mitch Snow stands in October 2026
The case is stalled before any ruling on the facts. Brian Harpole sued Candace Owens, her companies and Mitch Snow for defamation on April 30, 2026. On July 8, every judge in the Middle District of Tennessee recused. Three motions to dismiss are pending. No court has decided whether Snow's account of Fort Huachuca is true or false, and AFNPT found no independent confirmation of it.