Tom Frampton

Tom Frampton is co-founder of the [http://www.riotfolk.org Riot-Folk] music collective and a Folk Punk artist. His lyrics, while widely varied in topic, are most often political and radical-left oriented. Generally a solo artist, he has also performed with such artists as Tom Morello and David Rovics and recorded split albums with Ryan Harvey. He has toured Europe and the Americas.

While attending Yale University Frampton garnered brief national attention in connection during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Having received floor credentials to Madison Square Garden as a young Republican volunteer, Frampton was arrested during the Convention's opening evening session for heckling Vice President Dick Cheney. He was the first of numerous protestors to be arrested within the Convention Hall over the course of the week. See: 2004 Republican National Convention protest activity.

Frampton was charged with two federal misdemeanor counts in connection with the incident - authorities allege he swung his arm "in the direction" of an arresting officer - but the complaint was dropped in early 2005. (Over 91% of the 1,806 people arrested during the RNC were later found not guilty or had their charges dropped). [Jim Dwyer, "Videos Challenge Accounts of Convention Unrest," New York Times, April 12, 2005.]

References

* Von Hoffman, Kristen. "Bulldogs bolster summer campaign efforts" The Yale Herald http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=3326