Trump loyalists in Congress to challenge Electoral College results in Jan. 6 joint session (Update: Insurrectionists storm Congress)(And now what?) (1 Viewer)

[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

 

[DaveXA]

This imo is the worst ruling from SCOTUS I've ever seen. They're directly contradicting the law that's on the books. Their arguments are hogwash.

 

[MT15]

This imo is the worst ruling from SCOTUS I've ever seen. They're directly contradicting the law that's on the books. Their arguments are hogwash.

It’s awful - but the worst ruling is a high bar Dave.

 

[DaveXA]

It’s awful - but the worst ruling is a high bar Dave.

I'm talking worst from a purely legal point of view. Certainly subjective, but I've read my share of SCOTUS opinions and I've never read anything that makes less sense than this one.

 

[SFIDC3]

I literally am at a loss over this one. The very first two sentences of the SCOTUS opinion are:

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes criminal liability on anyone who corruptly “alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding.” 18 U. S. C. §1512(c)(1)."

and

"The next subsection extends that prohibition to anyone who “otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so.” §1512(c)(2)."

The actual text of the law reads:



Look closely at that little two letter word that I highlighted in bold, yellow, and underlined. The law says that if someone destroys a record OR "otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so."

How ANYONE can read that, see that word OR and interpret it to mean that they have to do one before the other becomes relevant is beyond me.

Because the majority of the court are corrupt Christian nationalists (shouldn't even need to add the corrupt part) that ignore logic when it suits their twisted "worldview".....this SC is an absolute disgrace.......

 

[Optimus Prime]

Donald Trump was the luckiest man alive last Thursday. President Joe Biden's abysmal debate performance overshadowed what should have been the biggest story of the night: Trump, as he did in the 2020 presidential debate, winkingly encouraged his supporters to commit political violence.

Biden correctly noted during the debate that Trump has promised to pardon the over 1,200 people charged with federal crimes for the January 6 insurrection. Trump responded by calling the rioters "innocent" and saying Biden "ought to be ashamed" because his Justice Department charged them with crimes.

This echoes Trump's increasingly rabid defense of the insurrectionists on the campaign trail, where he often calls them "hostages" and "political prisoners" and holds ceremonies honoring those who are imprisoned.

Trump doesn't just glorify the insurrection because he is a narcissist who can never admit he's done anything wrong. It's part of a larger campaign to encourage more political violence from his supporters. He frequently uses "warnings" to threaten public officials. Using the pseudo-warning, Trump has threatened "bedlam" if he's prosecuted. He begged his followers to "go after" New York Attorney General Letitia James for prosecuting him for fraud.

He posted a video fantasizing about kidnapping Biden. He threatened "death and destruction" if he was charged in the New York "hush money" case. He even had a rally in Waco, Texas around the anniversary of the Branch Davidian self-immolation, an unsubtle dog whistle to far-right militias that use that event to justify anti-government violence.

So far, however, Trump's open desire for more mob violence has not amounted to much. During his Manhattan criminal trial, which resulted in 34 felony convictions, Trump's desperation for another January 6 reached a fever pitch. He was all over social media and in front of cameras pleading with his followers to "rally" — barely code after the Capitol riot — but to no avail.

There are many reasons for this, but at the top of the list was the widespread fear among right-wing radicals of going to prison, which feels a lot more real now that hundreds of their brethren went to lock-up for the insurrection.

Every time Trump or his surrogates calls for a "rally" to intimidate public officials, conspiracy theories fly around MAGA social media, claiming it's a "set-up" by the FBI and/or "antifa." However much anyone believes this, it's obvious what they're doing: Creating a face-saving excuse not to risk prison. No matter how much Trump may laud the January 6 insurrectionists, their fate has lingered as a warning to the rest of MAGA about what's coming if they commit more violence in Trump's name.

Or, at least that was true until Friday. In Fischer v. U.S., the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a January 6 defendant who argued that he was wrongly convicted under a law criminalizing the obstruction of an official proceeding. As Amy Howe at SCOTUSblog explained, the court ruled the law "applies only to evidence tampering, such as destruction of records or documents, in official proceedings."

The ruling led to headlines that made it sound like a big win for the January 6 rioters. Words like "strike down" and "improperly charged" featured heavily in headlines. Yes, headline writers did try to soften the blow with words like "some" and "limits scope." For those who live in the alternative reality constructed by MAGA media, however, these modifiers will likely mean little.

They've been hearing for years from Trump, Republican politicians, and talking heads like Tucker Carlson that they were done dirty by the Biden Justice Department. Many are likely ready to round this up to a total victory — and a reassurance they won't be prosecuted for future violence.

Legal eagles did swiftly explain that this decision is limited and unlikely to do much to change the fates of the 1,200+ people who have been charged with crimes from the riot. That includes Trump, whose "fake electors" scheme in his indictment appears to fall outside the ruling's narrow scope since his conspiracy was so paperwork-centric.

An analysis at Just Security demonstrated that, with small tweaks to their cases, prosecutors can keep the original charges in place. Even more importantly, the legal analysts write, "only 26 of these defendants have been (or were scheduled to be) sentenced solely" under this charge. They even included a helpful pie chart.

A relief, no doubt, to both prosecutors and people nerdy enough to pay attention to these granular legal details. The message sent to MAGA is very different. It's not exactly a group of people gifted with the patience and comprehension to understand these nuanced legal analyses. Instead, MAGA world moved to declare victory and total exoneration..........

The Supreme Court invites more MAGA violence

Fear of prosecution was holding back right wing extremists after January 6, but now they'll feel less constrained

www.salon.com

MSN

 

[Optimus Prime]

A member of a Virginia school board who bragged about drinking beer inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot will spend 12 days behind bars for storming the halls of Congress.

Miles Adkins, 39, has pleaded guilty to two federal misdemeanors in connection with the riot and has been sentenced to 12 days in prison — only to be served on weekends — plus two years of probation and fines and restitution.

Despite his guilty plea, Adkins told NBC News4that he refuses to capitulate to the demands of community members who want him to step down from his position on the Frederick County Public Schools board.


“You're gonna need a bigger wrecking ball to get me out of there,” he told a reporter.

During the trial, Adkins’ defense attorney argued that his client was simply duped by the messaging of conservative media and former President Donald Trump, thus absolving him of responsibility for storming the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transition of power.……

Virginia school board member who stormed Capitol and boozed up inside is sentenced

Adkins has said he refuses to step down from his school board position

www.independent.co.uk

 

[DaveXA]

A member of a Virginia school board who bragged about drinking beer inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot will spend 12 days behind bars for storming the halls of Congress.

Miles Adkins, 39, has pleaded guilty to two federal misdemeanors in connection with the riot and has been sentenced to 12 days in prison — only to be served on weekends — plus two years of probation and fines and restitution.

Despite his guilty plea, Adkins told NBC News4that he refuses to capitulate to the demands of community members who want him to step down from his position on the Frederick County Public Schools board.


“You're gonna need a bigger wrecking ball to get me out of there,” he told a reporter.

During the trial, Adkins’ defense attorney argued that his client was simply duped by the messaging of conservative media and former President Donald Trump, thus absolving him of responsibility for storming the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transition of power.……

Virginia school board member who stormed Capitol and boozed up inside is sentenced

Adkins has said he refuses to step down from his school board position

www.independent.co.uk

You're an adult. If you were duped, then you don't have the kind of judgement and wisdom needed to be on the school board.

 

[Optimus Prime]

A veteran comedian with roles on “Mr. Show,” “Arrested Development,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” has pleaded guilty in connection with his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Jay Johnston, wearing a gray suit, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. “Guilty,” Johnson said when asked by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols how he pleaded. Nichols set a sentencing hearing for Oct. 7 at 10 a.m., asking federal prosecutors to turn in their sentencing memo by Sept. 30 and the defense to turn theirs in by Oct. 3................

MSN

 

[MT15]

Another one - good deal.

 

[Bigdaddysaints]

Another one - good deal.

but how could someone on a peaful tour do this? mh..

 

[Optimus Prime]

Man accused of Nazi salute during US Capitol attack jailed for nearly five years

Tyler Dykes, 26, who said at sentencing he is supporting Trump to be president, pleaded guilty to assault charges

www.theguardian.com

 

[Andrus]

Alright everyone. Posting tweets without adding context has become too much like posting meme's or pictures without context. I'm tired of dealing with the reported posts over it.

So, anytime you post a picture, a tweet, a you tube video, or media otherwise, add some context. That should eliminate any doubt concerning what can and cannot be posted without adding context.

BTW - Some of the reported posts show the political biases of the person reporting it, so bear that in mind... and what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[Optimus Prime]

A Wisconsin man fled to Ireland and sought asylum to avoid a prison sentence for joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol over three years ago, federal authorities allege in a court filing Tuesday.

The filing charges Paul Kovacik with defying a court order to surrender and serve three months behind bars for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Kovacik, 56, was arrested last month after he voluntarily returned to the U.S. from Ireland. Kovacik is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Chicago and is scheduled to be released from prison on Sept. 8. But a conviction on the new misdemeanor charge could lead to more time behind bars.

Kovacik told authorities that he decided to withdraw his asylum claim and return to the U.S. because he felt homesick, according to a U.S. Marshals Service deputy’s affidavit.…….

Wisconsin man charged with fleeing to Ireland to avoid prison term for Capitol riot role

A Wisconsin man has been charged with fleeing to Ireland to avoid a prison sentence for joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol over three years ago.

apnews.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

A federal judge on Monday ordered the government to return property — including a 6-foot spear and a horned fur headdress — seized in connection to the case against U.S. Capitol rioter Jacob Chansley, otherwise known as the “QAnon Shaman.”

Federal prosecutors argued the property should stay in the government’s possession in case Chansley contested his conviction — pointing to a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened the primary charge against Chansley.

But U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth was not convinced by that argument, writing it “is not clear how Mr. Chansley could contest his conviction, as he has been sentenced, abandoned his direct appeal, and seen his motion denied.”

“But even if the government may need to reprove Mr. Chansley’s guilt, the government has not explained why it would need his property,” Lamberth continued, noting the “voluminous video and photo evidence” of Chansley’s conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, that renders the property “of little utility for an investigation or prosecution.”

The Justice Department noted in a recent court filing that it might consider taking steps toward seeking a civil forfeiture, but Lamberth rejected that argument as a legitimate basis for denying Chansley’s request to return his property.

“Had the government simply sought civil forfeiture by now, Mr. Chansley’s motion may have turned out differently. But the Court sees no reason to delay or deny Mr. Chansley relief based on the government’s hypothetical future choice to take a step it could have already taken,” Lamberth wrote.……

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4812358-capitol-rioter-shaman-property-returned/

 

[Bigdaddysaints]

When Trump losses the next election, he'll have all that on and be right on the front line again..

 

[bird]

When Trump losses the next election, he'll have all that on and be right on the front line again..

Maybe not if his mom locks him in his room in the basement.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Adding this here since it didn't happen, but it looks like Arizona was poised to indict Trump as well...

Arizona grand jurors wanted to indict Trump, prosecutors urged them not to | CNN Politics

Members of the grand jury in Arizona that indicted 18 allies of Donald Trump earlier this year for their alleged roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election had also expressed interest in charging the former president, according to a new court filing.

www.cnn.com

 

[MT15]

Adding this here since it didn't happen, but it looks like Arizona was poised to indict Trump as well...

Arizona grand jurors wanted to indict Trump, prosecutors urged them not to | CNN Politics

Members of the grand jury in Arizona that indicted 18 allies of Donald Trump earlier this year for their alleged roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election had also expressed interest in charging the former president, according to a new court filing.

www.cnn.com

I think they did it that way because they saw how the courts are favoring Trump’s delaying tactics. I’m kind of glad they did it that way so at least some of the people plotting to overturn the election will get tried.