Another violent act by the left. The man who was accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire in California donated to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Uncovered records have revealed, Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, donated two times in 2020 to a Democrat PAC associated with the reelection campaign of Joe Biden. Rinderknecht, has been charged with the destruction of property by means of fire. Alleged Palisades fire arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht donated to Joe Biden, was registered to vote in Florida https://t.co/9cRMoFF9zx pic.twitter.com/f1ObBfpc8e — New York Post (@nypost) October 8, 2025 The New York Post was the first to report on Rinderknecht’s political donations and revealed how much he chipped in: The alleged pyromaniac accused of igniting the deadly Palisades Fire – Los Angeles’ most destructive wildfire – chipped in a tiny donation to Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, records show. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, shelled out $2 to hybrid PAC ActBlue on two separate occasions just days apart in 2020 – $1 on Sept. 4 and another buck on Sept. 11, according to the Federal Election Commission. Records also show the alleged arsonist — born in France — was registered to vote in Florida, though he never declared a political party. The deranged Uber driver was charged with “maliciously” sparking a brush fire near a popular hiking trail near the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1 – a blaze that firefighters initially put out but smoldered unnoticed, underground for days. Fanned by high winds, the fire reignited six days later into the raging Palisades inferno that killed 12 people, obliterated nearly 7,000 homes and buildings to ash, and caused about $150 billion in damages in the wealthy coastal enclave. Rinderknecht, who previously lived in the Los Angeles area, had hiked the trail on New Year’s Day moments after dropping off Uber passengers – who later said their driver appeared “agitated and angry,” the feds said. He then filmed himself on the mountain and listened to a rap track with themes of “despair and bitterness” by French artist Josman – whose accompanying music video shows the main character lighting things on fire, according to court documents. Here’s the proof: BREAKING: Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man who started the Pacific Palisades Fire donated to the Biden/Kamala campaign through ActBlue. I bet you won’t find this on the news! Source: @joma_gc pic.twitter.com/BO1hv88KIk — The Patriot Oasis (@ThePatriotOasis) October 8, 2025 Here’s the DOJ’s press release announcing Rinderknecht’s arrest: A former Pacific Palisades resident now living in Florida has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what eventually became the Palisades Fire of January 2025, one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, the Justice Department announced today. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, a.k.a. “Jonathan Rinder,” and “Jon Rinder,” of Melbourne, Florida, is charged with destruction of property by means of fire. He was arrested Tuesday and is expected to make his initial appearance today in United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. “The complaint alleges that a single person’s recklessness caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen, resulting in death and widespread destruction in Pacific Palisades,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “While we cannot bring back what victims lost, we hope this criminal case brings some measure of justice to those affected by this horrific tragedy.” “At the request of state and local authorities, ATF took the lead in this complex investigation utilizing techniques unique to our agency’s capabilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division. “The horrific loss of life and property was significantly felt by ATF members, and we are honored to utilize our expertise to provide answers to this community. We remain committed to serving with integrity and distinction.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, law enforcement determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” fire – a continuation of the Lachman Fire that began early in the morning on New Year’s Day 2025. Although firefighters quickly suppressed the Lachman Fire, unbeknownst to anyone the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of dense vegetation. On January 7, heavy winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire, which caused widespread damage in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Law enforcement determined – using witness statements, video surveillance, cellphone data, and analysis of fire dynamics and patterns at the scene, among other things – that Rinderknecht maliciously set the Lachman Fire just after midnight on January 1 on land owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), an organization that received federal funding. A week later, the same fire – then known as the Palisades Fire – burned federal property. On the evening of December 31, 2024, Rinderknecht was working as an Uber driver. Two passengers that he drove on separate trips between 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. that night later told law enforcement they remembered that Rinderknecht appeared agitated and angry. After dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, Rinderknecht – who once lived in that neighborhood – drove towards Skull Rock Trailhead, parked his car, attempted to contact a former friend, and walked up the trail. He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song – to which he had listened repeatedly in previous days – whose music video included things being lit on fire. At 12:12 a.m. on January 1, 2025, environmental sensing platforms indicated the Lachman Fire had begun. During the next five minutes, Rinderknecht called 911 several times, but didn’t get through because his iPhone was out of cellphone range. When he finally connected with 911, he was at the bottom of the hiking trail and reported the fire. By that point, a nearby resident already had reported the fire to authorities. Rinderknecht then fled in his car, passing fire engines driving in the opposite direction. He then turned around and followed the fire engines to the scene, driving at a high rate of speed. Rinderknecht walked up the same trail from earlier that night to watch the fire and the firefighters. At approximately 1:02 a.m., he used his iPhone to take more videos of the scene. During an interview with law enforcement on January 24, 2025, Rinderknecht lied about where he was when he first saw the Lachman Fire. He claimed he was near the bottom of a hiking trail when he first saw the fire and called 911, but geolocation data from his iPhone carrier showed that he was standing in a clearing 30 feet from the fire as it rapidly grew.