Tag: Trump big lie

Greene Objects To FBI ‘Targeting’ Capitol Rioters

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) complained on Monday that the FBI is investigating members of the pro-Trump mob who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

In an appearance on the Todd Starnes Show, Greene was asked by the host to comment on the recent vandalization of a statue of Christopher Columbus outside Union Station in Washington, D.C. Starnes attempted to connect the event to “antifa.”

“They’re out of control. But yet here we have the FBI targeting people that were at the Capitol on January 6,” Greene replied. “And none of us agree with what happened at the Capitol, but they’re acting as if that’s the only riot that has ever occurred.” Continue reading.

Military commanders disavow notion of extremists in their ranks

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Assertions seem to run counter to what is publicly known about the proliferation of white supremacism within the military

Two top military officers on Tuesday told senators there are “zero” white supremacists under their command, despite evidence of a long-simmering problem within the ranks that came to the forefront following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol involving some currently serving military personnel and veterans.

“I am very confident that the number of extremists in my forces is zero,” said Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, which includes some 150,000 military and civilian personnel overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal. “Every person in my organization has to have a security clearance, for starters, right? And when you fill that form out, and I’ve been filling it out for 40 years, there is an extensive battery of questions designed to get after that very point.”

Investigators look into the background of every applicant, and check their references as well as social media accounts, he said. At Strategic Command, there are a personnel reliability program and peer monitoring, added Richard, who has been in the post since November 2019. Continue reading.

MAGA rioter who vowed ‘no remorse or shame’ for his actions arrested by feds

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A Trump-loving rioter who vowed to have “no remorse” for his decision to storm the United States Capitol building was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday morning.

According to the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, 56-year-old Tennessee resident Michael Timbrook was arrested on charges related to the infamous January 6th Trump-incited riots that left five people dead.

The Department of Justice’s website states Timbrook has so far been charged with “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without  Continue reading.

Post-riot effort to tackle extremism in the military largely overlooks veterans

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The Defense Department is focusing on how to weed out possible extremists from the active-duty ranks in the wake of the Capitol riot, with a recent, military-wide “stand down” for troops to discuss the issue ahead of policy decisions on the matter by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

But the arrest data from the riot shows that allegedly criminal participation in the insurrection on Jan. 6 was far more prevalent among veterans than active-duty forces, a more difficult problem for the U.S. government to address.

Of the nearly 380 individuals federally charged in connection with the riot, at least 44 are current or former members of the U.S. armed forces, according to service records and data compiled by The Washington Post. At least three other veterans are among more than two dozen people charged in D.C. Superior Court for crimes like trespassing and curfew violations. Continue reading.

Trump and the GOP suffer another humiliating Supreme Court defeat

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According to CNN, the Supreme Court has once again declined to take up a lawsuit asserting the 2020 presidential election was tainted by voter fraud.

On Monday, the high court declined to take up a case filed by Republicans that the voting in Pennsylvania was tainted by changes to voting rules.

Noting that the latest dismissal by the court is signal that the justices want no part in Donald Trump’s assertion that he was robbed of his second term, CNN reports, “Before Monday, the justices had already declined several requests to dive into one of the most litigious elections in history, denying petitions from then-President Donald Trump and other Republicans seeking to overturn election result in multiple states President Joe Biden won.” Continue reading.

Trump Will Be Able To Keep His ‘Save America’ PAC’s Spending Secret Another 3 Months

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Trump raised some $76 million after the election under false pretenses, and FEC rules will let him wait until July to say how he’s spending it.

WASHINGTON ― Former President Donald Trump, who raised some $76 million after last November’s election under false pretenses, will be able to keep how he is spending that money secret until mid-July, thanks to Federal Election Commission rules.

Trump claimed in dozens of texts and emails to his small-dollar donor list that money he was collecting for his “Save America” committee would be used to challenge the results in states he had lost to Democrat Joe Biden and also to help the Republican candidates in two Georgia Senate runoffs.

In fact, he spent none of that money for those purposes and instead kept it for his committee, which can spend it on almost anything he wants, including paying his personal expenses or even giving him an eight-figure salary. Continue reading.

’60 Minutes’ interview reveals Oath Keepers militia are being trained by police

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In an interview with “60 Minutes” Sunday evening, Oath Keepers leader Jim Arroyo revealed that active-duty law enforcement is part of their movement and helping with militia training.

“Our guys are very experienced. We have active-duty law enforcement in our organization that are helping to train us. We can blend in with our law enforcement,” he said. 

Javed Ali, Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, formerly served as a former NSC senior director and was a counterterrorism official at the FBI under the Trump administration. Speaking to CBS News, he explained that the Oath Keepers is “unique.” Continue reading.

Republicans who backed Trump impeachment see fundraising boost

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The majority of House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump in January saw fundraising gains in the first three months of the year despite intense backlash from members of their own party, according to new financial disclosures.

Most of the Republicans who publicly went against Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol saw their 2021 first quarter hauls increase from their 2019 hauls during the same period. Two of Trump’s most high-profile critics in the House received a major financial boost in particular: House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (Wyo.) raised $1.5 million at the start of 2021 compared to $321,000 during the same period in 2019, while Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) brought in $1.2 million during the first three months of the year compared to $326,000 in 2019. 

The fundraising hauls come amid a growing divide within the party, as Trump and his allies threaten to support primary challengers against those who voted to impeach him — some of whom are also raking in money. Continue reading.

How the Jan. 6 riot is affecting campaign fundraising

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Small donors buoy Republicans who saw PAC funding drop

Industry PAC contributions to House Republicans who voted against certifying Electoral College results in January fell during the first quarter of the year, but many made up for it with an influx of contributions from small donors.

Meanwhile, Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection also saw their fundraising grow, including from PACs, as they prepared for primary challenges.

Political action committees of many companies and lobbying groups said they would pause some or all contributions after rioters broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6 to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win. Continue reading.

Prosecutors secure first guilty plea from Capitol riot

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A member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia pleaded guilty Friday to two charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege.

Why it matters: It’s the first guilty plea that federal prosecutors have secured in their sprawling investigation, and it comes exactly 100 days after the Jan. 6 siege. Jon Schaffer, 53, is expected to cooperate with the government and will receive “witness security.”

  • Schaffer turned himself in to the FBI on Jan. 18 and has been jailed since. He originally faced six charges, including for using bear spray on police officers, but he will now plead guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon. Continue reading.