Trump loyalists in Congress to challenge Electoral College results in Jan. 6 joint session (Update: Insurrectionists storm Congress)(And now what?) (2 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

I guess it's time to start a thread for this. We know that at least 140 members of Congress have pledged to join the objection. Under federal law, if at least one member of each house (HOR and Senate) objects, each house will adjourn the joint session for their own session (limited at two hours) to take up the objection. If both houses pass a resolution objecting to the EC result, further action can take place. If both houses do not (i.e. if one or neither passes a resolution), the objection is powerless and the college result is certified.

Clearly this is political theater as we know such a resolution will not pass the House, and there's good reason to think it wouldn't pass the Senate either (with or without the two senators from Georgia). The January 6 joint session is traditionally a ceremonial one. This one will not be.

Many traditional pillars of Republican support have condemned the plan as futile and damaging. Certainly the Trump loyalists don't care - and many are likely doing it for fundraising purposes or to carry weight with the fraction of their constituencies that think this is a good idea.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32717.pdf

 

[superchuck500]

lol

 

[insidejob]

lol

Is this real life?

 

[Optimus Prime]

It's been awhile since we've had a social media arrest
=====================================

Among hundreds of people at the U.S. Capitol riot who had yet to be identified, the FBI was on the lookout for a man with long hair who had been captured on video pushing a Capitol Police officer over a ledge on the West Terrace.

The search ended when investigators were alerted to a picture of the suspect on Facebook from a 2018 fundraiser for sea turtles, according to court records. Two people — a volunteer with the sea turtle nonprofit and a longtime friend — confirmed the man’s identity, federal prosecutors said.

Ralph Joseph Celentano III, 54, was arrested Wednesday in the Broad Channel neighborhood of New York’s Queens borough. Celentano faces seven federal charges, including civil disorder, assaulting an officer, disorderly conduct and entering a restricted building..........

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[insidejob]

It's been awhile since we've had a social media arrest
=====================================

Among hundreds of people at the U.S. Capitol riot who had yet to be identified, the FBI was on the lookout for a man with long hair who had been captured on video pushing a Capitol Police officer over a ledge on the West Terrace.

The search ended when investigators were alerted to a picture of the suspect on Facebook from a 2018 fundraiser for sea turtles, according to court records. Two people — a volunteer with the sea turtle nonprofit and a longtime friend — confirmed the man’s identity, federal prosecutors said.

Ralph Joseph Celentano III, 54, was arrested Wednesday in the Broad Channel neighborhood of New York’s Queens borough. Celentano faces seven federal charges, including civil disorder, assaulting an officer, disorderly conduct and entering a restricted building..........

MSN

www.msn.com

You just know all of his magat buddies are laughing their arses off at him after finding out about him fundraising to save sea turtles.

 

[Optimus Prime]

From James Comey
================
The FBI is a complex organization, full of interesting and committed people with a wide range of personal views on all kinds of things, including politics. That’s good.


But I keep hearing that some FBI special agents, scattered around the country, don’t understand why it’s so important that everyone be held accountable who committed any crime at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 — even if that crime was “only” trespassing inside the building.

Here’s what I would say to them.
We are a nation of laws, and the FBI is an organization dedicated to the rule of law. All of you learned that at Quantico and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

You also know the country you are charged with protecting is often a messy place. We have always had divisive politics in the United States, going back to when Jefferson and Hamilton started savaging each other during the Washington administration.


But despite all the division, passion and anger, we have never had something like Jan. 6. We have never had a circumstance where Americans decided it was okay to physically interfere with the election procedures set out in our Constitution and laws.

It can’t ever happen again. Among the great things about being in the FBI is that you have a role to play in ensuring it doesn’t……..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/03/07/james-comey-jan-6-fbi-investigations/

 

[Optimus Prime]

Was this known already?
===================


(CNN)Conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas said in an interview published Monday that although she attended a rally on January 6, 2021, she "played no role" in planning the events that day and that she doesn't involve her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the political work she does pushing conservative causes.

The rare interview with conservative publication the Washington Free Beacon, comes as progressives and some legal ethics experts see a potential conflict with Thomas' activism and her husband's work on the Supreme Court……

Ginni Thomas acknowledges she attended January 6 rally but played no role in planning it | CNN Politics

Conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas said in an interview published Monday that although she attended a rally on January 6, 2021, she “played no role” in planning the events that day and that she doesn’t involve her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the political work...

www.cnn.com

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Was this known already?
===================


(CNN)Conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas said in an interview published Monday that although she attended a rally on January 6, 2021, she "played no role" in planning the events that day and that she doesn't involve her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the political work she does pushing conservative causes.

The rare interview with conservative publication the Washington Free Beacon, comes as progressives and some legal ethics experts see a potential conflict with Thomas' activism and her husband's work on the Supreme Court……

Ginni Thomas acknowledges she attended January 6 rally but played no role in planning it | CNN Politics

Conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas said in an interview published Monday that although she attended a rally on January 6, 2021, she “played no role” in planning the events that day and that she doesn’t involve her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the political work...

www.cnn.com

Yeah, it's been floating around for a bit.

 

[MT15]

I’m not sure she has publicly commented before now - other than the infamous tweet that morning supporting those attending the rally.

 

[Optimus Prime]

It’s like pro athletes and their spouses

“Please don’t say, do or post anything that I’m going to have to answer for”

 

[Optimus Prime]

As bad as it was Jan 6th could have been a lot worse
===================================

The former leader of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right nationalist group whose members were prominent in the January 6 riot, was found in possession of comprehensive plans to “surveil and storm” government buildings, prosecutors have said.

Enrique Tarrio, the group’s former chairman who was arrested last week and charged with conspiracy over the deadly attack, had a nine-page document entitled “1776 Returns”, named for the year of American independence, the New York Times reported.

The document, mentioned only in general terms in Tarrio’s indictment, contained details of a complex plan for supporters of Donald Trump to invade and occupy at least seven House and Senate office buildings on the afternoon Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s election victory, according to Times sources.

Trump has promoted the lie that the election was stolen and incited the attack on Congress as part of a wider effort to have the result overturned.

The document features five sections, the Times reported: infiltrate, execution, distract, occupy and sit-in. The plan called for the recruiting of at least 50 Proud Boys and other Trump supporters to enter and occupy each building, “causing trouble” for security personnel who tried to stop them.

Once inside, the instructions stated, the activists would be encouraged to chant slogans such as “We the People” and “No Trump, no America”. Supporters unable to gain access to the buildings would be encouraged to distract law enforcement and other authorities by “pulling fire alarms at nearby stores, hotels and museums”............

Proud Boys leader had plans to ‘storm’ government buildings on 6 January

 

[Optimus Prime]

Trial number two to start soon
=======================

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An elected official in New Mexico who helped found the group Cowboys for Trump is headed to trial in Washington next week on a charge related to the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He plans to show up for court on horseback in a defiant show of support for former President Donald Trump.

Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin has been charged with knowingly entering restricted areas of Capitol grounds, one of hundreds of pro-Trump supporters facing charges for disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win. His trial will be the second among the hundreds of people arrested in the riot……..

Cowboy politician 2nd person to go on trial in Jan. 6 riot

An elected New Mexico official who helped found the group Cowboys for Trump faces trial next week on misdemeanor charges for being on restricted grounds at the U.S.

apnews.com

 

[insidejob]

He plans to show up for court on horseback in a defiant show of support for former President Donald Trump.

So he plans to get arrested on his way to court too?

 

[MT15]

So Mo Brooks is now willing to say what Trump asked him to do around the Jan. 6 time frame.

 

[MT15]

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Haven't been paying much attention to the Committee with everything going on in Ukraine, but this is an interesting tidbit that came across the screen...

January 6 committee has text messages between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot has in its possession more than two dozen text messages, 29 in total, between former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence...

www.cnn.com

These text messages, according to sources, took place between early November 2020 and mid-January 2021. Thomas recently revealed that she attended the pro-Trump rally that preceded the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, but says she “played no role” in planning the events of that day.

The content of the text messages may be of interest to the committee’s investigation, because it asked Meadows in a subpoena to turn over “both documents and your deposition testimony regarding these and other matters that are within the scope of the committee’s activity.”

 

[coldseat]

Haven't been paying much attention to the Committee with everything going on in Ukraine, but this is an interesting tidbit that came across the screen...

January 6 committee has text messages between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot has in its possession more than two dozen text messages, 29 in total, between former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence...

www.cnn.com

Thomas clearly should have recused himself in the last case that came up from the House committee and should recuse himself from any future case, but he won't. He doesn't care about the ethical concerns and is as partisan a Justices as they come.

 

[superchuck500]

Thomas clearly should have recused himself in the last case that came up from the House committee and should recuse himself from any future case, but he won't. He doesn't care about the ethical concerns and is as partisan a Justices as they come.

That's the real issue for Thomas - he failed to recuse himself in a matter that included subject matter that directly involved his spouse in activity that could bring public scrutiny to her activities. And to top it of, he was the only justice to note a dissent in the decision to turn the materials over to the committee.

It's a really bad look. Recusal rules are sort of spongy where there isn't a direct financial interest involved. Yes, the rules say the judge "shall recuse" when his impartiality could be questioned but that has been held to be fairly subjective and lacking meaningful standard in enforceability. The other rules have specific context but have the most teeth when they are related to a specific financial interest of the judge or his spouse in this case. I don't think Ginny Thomas has a direct financial interest here, so the mandatory recusal rule probably doesn't apply.

All of that means its discretionary and though it's a terrible look and we all know he knew what was up and basically doesn't care (which is an abuse of power). But there really is no recourse other than an impeachment proceeding. I suppose the Court could censure him for it.

 

[coldseat]

That's the real issue for Thomas - he failed to recuse himself in a matter that included subject matter that directly involved his spouse in activity that could bring public scrutiny to her activities. And to top it of, he was the only justice to note a dissent in the decision to turn the materials over to the committee.

It's a really bad look. Recusal rules are sort of spongy where there isn't a direct financial interest involved. Yes, the rules say the judge "shall recuse" when his impartiality could be questioned but that has been held to be fairly subjective and lacking meaningful standard in enforceability. The other rules have specific context but have the most teeth when they are related to a specific financial interest of the judge or his spouse in this case. I don't think Ginny Thomas has a direct financial interest here, so the mandatory recusal rule probably doesn't apply.

All of that means its discretionary and though it's a terrible look and we all know he knew what was up and basically doesn't care (which is an abuse of power). But there really is no recourse other than an impeachment proceeding. I suppose the Court could censure him for it.

I think there are direct financial entanglements for Virginia Thomas in her advocacy on behalf of Trump. She is clearly a true believer, but she was also getting paid in her role as a political activist by some of the dark money groups to lobby on behalf of Trump to overturn the election.