'Ray Epps was my handyman': Ex-Toto bassist reveals to Blaze News unlikely connection to notorious January 6 figure

In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker, musical composer Shem von Schroeck revealed his surprising connection to Ray Epps, one of the most notorious figures in the January 6, 2021, protest at the United States Capitol.

Schroeck, the former bassist for Toto, Kenny Loggins, and many other music legends, told Baker that Epps served as his handyman from roughly 2008 to 2011. He revealed that the two had several conversations about politics and Epps' involvement with the Oath Keepers.

Epps, who was caught on camera urging protesters to storm the Capitol building, was offered a plea deal in which he received one year of probation for a single misdemeanor charge, thus dodging any prison time.

The Justice Department's apparent soft treatment of Epps' case, when compared to the heavy-handed sentencing of others present at the Capitol that day, sparked rumors that he was either on the government's payroll or, at the very least, used as an unwitting pawn.

Baker and Schroeck addressed the speculation surrounding Epps.

'He handed me a card for his Oath Keepers.'

"Ray Epps was my handyman," Schroeck told Baker. "He was in my home, over the course of two years, seven, eight times."

Schroeck explained that Epps' work at his home included installing a ceiling fan, drywall repair, and an unsuccessful attempt to fix a leak in the roof.

"Ray's a talker," he noted. "Every job he would do, we'd wind up in my driveway talking for 30 minutes, like can't-get-rid-of-him kind of thing."

Schroeck stated that Epps was open about his political ideology and the two found some common ground.

"First time he came, he handed me a card for his Oath Keepers," Schroeck told Baker, stating that Epps had persistently pushed him to join the group.

"He sees himself as a patriot. He sees himself as fighting for a cause for freedom like the Founding Fathers," he continued.

Schroeck stated that he never got the impression that Epps was a government operative.

"He wasn't working for the fed wittingly," he speculated.

Schroeck's impression of Epps mirrored those of New York Times journalist Alan Feuer, who previously told Baker that Epps was a "big oaf" who "couldn't put his pants on each morning without" his wife's help.

"I'm telling you, he isn't a fed, and he's totally believable," Feuer stated.

Baker asked Schroeck whether he agreed with the journalist's take on Epps.

Schroeck again noted that he was only speculating, stating, "If you're a clever enough person, you can find ways to use another person's passion against them."

"In this case, I think he was recruited by someone in the government, thinking he's doing the right thing," Schroeck remarked.

Baker told Blaze News that Schroeck's assessment of Epps echoed his view of the events surrounding the January 6 protest.

"Everybody wants to call this 'fedsurrection,'" he stated. "They want us to focus on or believe that the FBI or the CIA recruited Ray Epps in some nefarious context. But the reality is, to the extent that he was used, or whoever used him, did it in such a way that they elicited in him his feelings about patriotism, of he was doing the work of God and country by calling people to go into the Capitol."

"That makes it a very nuanced context, as opposed to the black-and-white version of Ray Epps as a fed," Baker remarked.

Speaking of Schroeck’s analysis, Tiffany Jones, Epps' daughter, told Blaze News, “He is 100% accurate, Steve. I have said repeatedly and openly he’s not smart enough to do s*** on his own but he’s dumb enough in a way and whoever knew which strings to tug on to get him to do what he did. Either way, he’s gonna go on living his happy life while others suffer and don’t even want to live any more. Such is life is all I say/feel any more.”

During the interview with Baker, Schroeck also revealed his friendship with Bill O'Reilly, for whom he composed the theme for the reporter's "No Spin News" show.

Baker asked Schroeck whether he was ever a victim of "cancel culture" for his politically conservative-leaning beliefs while working in the leftist-dominated music industry.

"No," he responded. "I haven't revealed it. This will be the first time anyone has ever known how I think about anything."

Also for the first time, Schroeck disclosed why he left Toto. For years, fans speculated that conflict with other members drove Schroeck to make his abrupt exit in 2019.

Baker and Schroeck discussed rumors about the potential infighting.

Schroeck noted that he "wasn't hired in the band to have an opinion about anything."

"I was there to play bass and sing and show up on time with a smile on my face," he added.

Schroeck described the band's dynamic as "a little Lord of the Flies" after David Paich left the group. He noted instances of "hate and animosity" resulting in immature squabbles that made the experience unenjoyable and "toxic."

As a result, Schroeck left Toto after only a few years. However, he never previously revealed the reasons behind his decision, leading some fans to theorize that he was pushed out by conflict with Steve Lukather, the original lead guitarist.

Schroeck acknowledged that Lukather shared some disparaging words about him after he left the band but squashed any rumors that the two had tension while working together.

"I have stacks of emails, screenshots of text messages of him heaping praise on me, like bring-tears-to-your-eyes kind of stuff," Schroeck told Baker.

When asked why he chose to speak out now about his departure from Toto, Schroeck replied, "It's been five years. I've been out of the band longer than I was in it."

"I've been silent too long," he declared.

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