James Baker

James Baker was a character portrayed by DocHoliday who had served as a congressman and governor in Diamond City.

## James Baker

### Position/Rank

5th Governor of San Andreas (Nov 2020 -Jan 2021)

## Early Life

Not much is known about Baker, specifically because most of what is publicly known is now thought to have been a carefully orchestrated lie by Baker and whoever has been helping him.

The current story is currently that Baker has lived in Blaine County since 1987 when his "parents" named John and Linda Smith moved from Liberty City. This has since been determined to have been false and that John and Linda Smith never existed. Baker's history in the area was largely falsified and he didn't appear until sometime in 2002.

IAA documents that were released by Chief Justice Joseph Brown show that his real name was Artyom Kovalenko and he may have migrated from the Soviet Union in 1989. He was formerly a Red Army intelligence officer, but past that not much is known.

## Government

#### 1st Blaine County Congressman

James Baker was elected as a member of the socialist-leaning Orange Party during the 3rd San Andreas election. He was elected on a platform of free healthcare, real estate reforms and greater control of the growing drug problem at the time. During his time in office he passed multiple healthcare legislations including the act that created free healthcare across the state. He also partnered with then Governor Johnathan "Johnny Mac" MacDonald to pass real estate laws limiting how many homes one person was allowed to own.

Towards the end of his term when Governor MacDonald disappeared, Baker took a greater leadership position and announced he would run for governor.

#### Governor of San Andreas

James Baker was elected to Governor in the 4th San Andreas Election with no opposition. He led the Orange Party to a state-wide election victory taking the Governor seat and Congress with a majority of seats. Taking a congressional majority for the first time in state history. He quickly repealed MacDonald-era policies like the ban on felons owning guns and the ban on felons owning businesses.

This came with a wave of state-wide support and popularity. During the 14th Congressional Meeting he announced two new laws which created a framework for emergency powers within the state. It also allowed the governor to dissolve congress and appoint sitting congressman to a new cabinet.

During that same meeting his government introduced and voted on a law which created a new agency that could be enacted by the governor known as the State Security Bureau. This would become an important piece of the puzzle in the Christmas Uprising.

During the last week of Baker's term in office he enacted the Emergency Powers Act and the Enabling Act which suspended the elections and he appointed a cabinet which included Minister of the Interior Landing Pauling, Minister of Economics Sergey Mikhailov and Minister of the Commissariat Ryan Palmer. During this time the SSB also appeared in the city for the first time wearing a Russian style gorka uniform and using AKMs.

#### Christmas Uprising

The Christmas Uprising was preceded by several incidents which directly followed the suspension of rights that began when Baker enacted the Emergency Powers Act and the Enabling Act. Baker disappeared from the city the couple days before the Christmas uprising which marked the heaviest in deployment of the SSB including during the Grove Street Protest where the SSB used CZ Gas which is a banned neuro-toxin.

This led to the Christmas Uprising wherein the SSB was deployed in force and used lethal force on civilians including the use of small-arms and helicopters. Many argue that the SSB not only participated but led combat actions against civilians including splitting police officers into combat groups to retake areas of the city.

It is rumoured that the SSB also deployed an Mi-24 Hind during the fight and shot down a SAST UH-60M Blackhawk despite the SSB seemingly fighting on the same side as the SAST. Which would appear that the SSB would purposefully attempting to extend the length of the civil war by using heavily armed vehicles to fight the winning side. Many people on the ground reported that SSB agents were speaking Russian to each other and to protestors.

The fact Baker was found by the IAA to be a Russian national and that SSB were Russian speaking and using Russian equipment has led to charges that Baker was conspiring with the Russian Federation to overthrow the authority of the federal government in the state and declare an independent Russian-aligned nation. However, documents released during the course of the investigation into Baker have proven he was Russian but working with the IAA. He had betrayed the USSR in 1990 to defect to the USA and given them information.

## Manhunt and Death

A manhunt began on February 2, 2020 for Baker after the Attorney General, James Louis, formally filed charges of sedition, treason and murder in connection with the events of the Christmas Uprising. The manhunt began in earnest when the Federal Investigation Bureau placed a $2 million bounty of James Baker and named him the #1 most wanted in San Andreas.

Baker used his training and contacts to evade FIB and police for one-and-a-half weeks, using social media to continue advocating on behalf of his innocence from the charges. Including arguing with Special-Agent Chris Morgan who was in charge of the task force that was hunting him, something that would be important later on.

#### Congress Hearing on Christmas Uprising

The congress hearing for the uprising was held on February 6, 2020 at roughly 9 o'clock at night. The congress had subpoenaed several witnesses and important city officials to testify on the events. This included Brian Smith, Nick Merks, Aldric Picard, Pepe Johnson, Landing Pauling, Ryan Palmer, Sergey Milkhailov, James Baker and Lexi Point. Of those people, the Attorney General chose to only speak to Merks and Johnson.

The hearing was described as chaotic and disorderly. Judge Shane Powers oversaw the hearing as a mediator but frequently interfered in the hearing process and didn't maintain control of the gallery. James Louis, who was tasked to find answers for the Christmas Uprising turned the hearing into a pseudo-trial for James Baker, having the few people that spoke testify or attempt to get them to testify against James Baker.

This culminated in James Baker taking the stand against the will of the Attorney General, who ordered several attending officers to arrest him. Judge Powers then ordered that Baker be given the right to speak in his defence. Baker made several statements including "no man in this room can point to a single order I gave that ordered police to shoot anyone." He also told the gallery that "the elite of this state have taken your healthcare and your housing support, which many of you used. They will kill me if they get me."

Shortly after Baker left the stand, James Louis continued his statements about Baker and went in on Judge Powers for being corrupt and incompetent. With Powers threatening to arrest Louis for contempt. It was at this time that Baker stood up from his seat and walked towards the back of the gallery, he pulled himself up over the rail and then began walking down stairs in the back of the room's audience area. Louis then ordered police to arrest him.

#### Search for Baker

Baker mysteriously escaped from city hall despite having been spotted at one point by thermal imaging helicopters. Some say that police let him go, which no department has admitted. The search in the surrounding areas of the city hall continued for about 20-30 minutes before other areas began being searched. He was found finally and the art and science centre that overlooks Rockford Hills, a short 10 minute drive from parliament.

State Troopers called in his location and shortly after the place was swarmed with officers. They confronted Baker who refused to put his hands up and said they had no authority to arrest him as he was the legal governor. He continued peaceful non-compliance until a State Trooper tasered him and placed him under arrest. It was at this time that a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up and demanded they give Baker over to them. Which Troopers complied with.

The federal agents, without identifying themselves fully took control of Baker and ordered all units to cease following them and for the helicopter to return to MRPD.

#### Death

James Baker screamed to state troopers at the scene while the federal agent pulled out that they were "going to kill me" and that "my blood is on your hands." One state trooper who was suspicious of the events, turned his transponder off and began following the federal agents. The agents were Special Agent Chris Morgan, the man that was embarrassed by James Baker over the course of the previous week and Agent Blitzen Monroe.

The two drove with Baker into Blaine County nearby Fort Zancudo. They took him to the top of a popular hiking location where it was shown in Trooper's body cams that they had put a bag on his head. They removed the bag and talked with him for a bit as well as hitting him several times. Finally, they pulled a shotgun out and took his headbag off. In a final act of defiance, Baker lunged at Agent Monroe before being shot in the head by Morgan.

The two agents took the body and shell casing, and drove to the ocean where they rented a boat and dumped his body in the water. Baker's body still has not been recovered even now.

#### Consequences of Baker's Death

The trial which was set to happen sometime in the future to prove Baker's innocent or guilt has not been permanently suspended. Meaning the state will never know the full truth of what happened during the Christmas Uprising. The few remaining people in the know, are no longer willing to speak for fear of a similar fate to Baker.

$13 million was transferred to Pillbox Hospital by Baker shortly before his death, which is enough money to balance the state economy. No request has been made by the Attorney General's office to return the funds.

Chris Morgan and Blitzen Monroe were both disavowed by the FIB and taken into custody by both Director Peter Pembrook and Deputy Director Aldric Picard, with Director Peter Pembrook personally apologizing in front of the media as the disavowed agents were loaded onto a jet. This included having Morgan confess on live TV that he had actually been a Russian agent. He had been paid $20 million to execute Baker on behalf of the Russian government for having betrayed the USSR during the 90s to work with the USA. Morgan and Monroe were extradited to the District of Columbia to stand trial for Assassination of a Public Official, which got them both the death sentence. They now both reside on death row.

#### Criticisms of Law Enforcement

Baker had warned people in the weeks leading up to his death that he was going to be killed. Going as far as to say that there was a Cabal of deep government operatives that were after him. Despite this, the FIB put a bounty on his head which made an already volatile situation worse and led to even greater potential for violence. To Baker's side, the fact they did not commit any violent acts to stay hidden from police should be commended. They made sure nobody was hurt by what was going on.

Some criticism rests on the shoulders of San Andreas State Troopers. The warrant on Baker was issued by Attorney General James Louis, which means it was a state warrant, not a federal one. The FIB never had any right to take Baker from the state troopers that arrested him and for that matter, the Troopers should have resisted it. They were free to question him but take custody with no state troopers present was not just irregular but illegal.

## Trivia

#### Political Alignment

Baker ran as a member of the Orange Party of San Andreas which is a socialist leaning party. During his first time in congress he passed several socialist policies but during his time in the governor seat he didn't follow a strictly socialist path and instead passed multiple fascist and nationalist policies that greatly increased government authority while not redistributing resources. His overall political alignment could be closer to national socialism or national bolshevism.

#### Charges

Baker was charged by the Supreme Court with sedition and is being further investigated for all the deaths during the Christmas Uprising and being charged with treason for his alleged connection with the Russian Federation by Attorney General James Louis. He was also charged with felony evasion for refusing to turn himself into authorities.

#### Russian Lineage

Baker might have served with the KGB which is the state intelligence agency of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. There is rumours he is an undercover agent for the KGB.