Trump loyalists in Congress to challenge Electoral College results in Jan. 6 joint session (Update: Insurrectionists storm Congress)(And now what?) (3 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

 

[Optimus Prime]

A war hero caught up in the January 6 riots has slammed the Trump administration for handing a $5 million payout to a rioter's family.

Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former U.S. Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and earned the Bronze Star Medal, spoke to CNN anchor Jake Tapper Monday about the government payout to the family of Ashli Babbitt.

Babbitt, 35, was fatally shot by an officer when a mob stormed the Capitol in 2021. The Trump administration agreed to the payout to settle a $30m wrongful death lawsuit filed by her family, the Associated Press reports.

Crow slated the move as part of an attempt by President Donald Trump to “rewrite history.”

“He doesn‘t want to acknowledge that he weaponized a mob and sent that mob to attack the Capitol to brutalize hundreds of officers, 140 of whom still have major injuries, five of whom died from their wounds and their trauma,” Crow told Tapper.

“We passed a bipartisan bill in 2022 to erect a plaque in honor of those officers. House Republicans and the speaker have refused to put that plaque up because they want to sweep it all under the rug.”

Lawmakers can’t just “ignore that entire part of history because it‘s inconvenient to Donald Trump” he added.…….

War hero forced to hide during Jan 6 chaos condemns $5m payout to rioter’s family

Rep. Jason Crow said politicians can’t just ‘ignore that entire part of history because it‘s inconvenient to Donald Trump’

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Optimus Prime]

The man Donald Trump appointed to review pardon requests at the Department of Justice is already reviewing full clemency for Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia group who was convicted of treason-related charges in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.

Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin recently met with lawyer Peter Ticktin, who delivered 11 pardon applications — including one for Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison in connection with the Capitol assault.

Hours after taking office, Trump commuted his sentence, along with the sentences of 13 other Capitol rioters, including Oath Keepers and Proud Boys members who were similarly convicted. Rhodes was released from prison hours later.

Ticktin also presented pardon applications Oath Keepers members and associates David Moerschel, Don Wilson and Kelly Meggs, as well Dominic Pezzola, Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean and Zach Rehl, members of the neo-fascist Proud Boys gang.

He also presented applications for Elias Costianes and Ben Martin, who were also convicted in January 6 cases.…….

Trump’s pardon attorney considers full clemency for Stewart Rhodes and Oath Keepers

Ed Martin is reviewing requests to pardon far-right militia members charged with treason-related crimes

www.independent.co.uk

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

The Trump administration has reached a settlement with the family of Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed while in the mob breaching the House Speaker's Lobby on Jan. 6, 2021.

Multiple sources told CBS News the settlement has been reached in principle but is not yet signed. In a court proceeding Friday, a plaintiff's attorney confirmed the settlement in principle was reached. It would avert a trial and further proceedings in a $30 million civil suit filed by the conservative activist group Judicial Watch on behalf of Babbitt's estate, including her late husband.

Babbitt's death was a rallying point for Trump loyalists and Capitol rioters who alleged police used unnecessary force in stopping the mob on Jan. 6. In the civil lawsuit, Babbitt's estate alleged U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd was negligent in the issue of force and his firearm. The suit also argued Byrd was not in uniform and was wearing a COVID mask when he opened fire against Babbitt. The suit accused Byrd of failing to "de-escalate."

"Ashli was unarmed," the lawsuit said. "Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby. Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone."

The case, which was initially filed in California, was transferred to the Washington, D.C., federal court in 2024 and was defended by the Justice Department under the Biden administration.

In a 2024 court filing, the department argued, "Ms. Babbitt unlawfully entered the Capitol. She made her way to the east doors of the Speaker's Lobby situated immediately behind the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, the site of Joint Sessions of Congress. Although officers had barricaded the Speaker's Lobby doors with heavy furniture, demonstrators broke through the glass panels of the lobby doors and matching windows (called "sidelights") on either side of the doors."

It went on to say, "Michael Byrd, a U.S. Capitol Police lieutenant, was positioned on the other side of the lobby doors. When Ms. Babbitt, wearing a backpack, tried to climb through a sidelight into the Speaker's Lobby, Lt. Byrd fatally shot her."

In an August 2021 internal review, the U.S. Capitol Police said Byrd saved lives and did not engage in misconduct.

"This officer and the officer's family have been the subject of numerous credible and specific threats for actions that were taken as part of the job of all our officers: defending the Congress, Members, staff and the democratic process," the review said. "The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away."………

Trump administration reaches settlement with family of Ashli Babbitt, rioter killed on Jan. 6, 2021

Ashli Babbitt's death was a rallying point for Trump loyalists and Capitol rioters who alleged police used unnecessary force in stopping the mob on Jan. 6.

www.cbsnews.com

Looks like someone else wants to get paid. I bet the DoJ will settle this one for no less than $10M, enough for him to share with his accomplices.

 

[Optimus Prime]

A District of Columbia police lieutenant convicted of tipping off Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio that he was being investigated, and who later lied about their communication, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison.

Former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Shane Lamond was found guilty last year on one count of obstructing justice and three counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials.

Federal prosecutors accused him of warning Tarrio, then national chairman of the right-wing extremist group, that D.C. law enforcement had an arrest warrant for him related to the destruction of a Black Lives Matter banner.

They also said he lied to law enforcement when pressed on the nature of his relationship with Tarrio, suggesting it was “one-sided.”

Lamond told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Friday that he “respectfully disagrees” with her finding of guilt but, “in retrospect,” agrees he made several errors throughout his communications with Tarrio.
He said that he believed that building rapport with Tarrio was part of doing his job but described his efforts as “sloppy,” lamenting that his conviction had now upended his career and life.
“Frankly, I’m broken at this point,” the former law enforcement officer added.
Jackson said the idea Lamond could have done better when communicating with the Proud Boys leader was “quite the understatement.” His conduct was not consistent with police practices “unless you twist them until they’re unrecognizable,” she said.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of four years in prison. The government’s sentencing memorandum was submitted under Ed Martin, who was President Trump’s first pick for U.S. Attorney in D.C. but ultimately moved into another Justice Department post when his Senate confirmation seemed unlikely.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Ross called Lamond a “trusted leader” who used his reputation to “insert himself” into the investigation of Tarrio.
“MPD was able to bring Tarrio to justice not because of the defendant but in spite of the defendant,” she said.

At trial, prosecutors said Lamond’s communications with Tarrio grew more secretive and frequent as pressure to arrest him mounted in 2020.

Both Lamond and Tarrio took the stand at the week-long bench trial. Lamond said he never passed sensitive police information along to Tarrio.

Tarrio as a witness in Lamond’s defense said he never received any confidential information from the lieutenant...............

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5336984-dc-police-lieutenant-sentenced-prison/

 

[Optimus Prime]

Jan 6 cops file lawsuit to force Congress to install honorary plaque at Capitol

Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges say the agency that operates and maintains the Capitol is violating a law that required a plaque to be erected

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Optimus Prime]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of Trump supporters, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith shot and killed himself while driving to work. Over four years later, Smith's widow is trying to prove to a jury that one of the thousands of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is responsible for her husband's suicide.

The trial for Erin Smith's wrongful death lawsuit against David Walls-Kaufman started nearly six months after President Donald Trump torpedoed the largest investigation in FBI history. Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack.

But his sweeping act of clemency didn't erase Smith's lawsuit against Walls-Kaufman, a 69-year-old chiropractor who pleaded guilty to Capitol riot-related misdemeanor in January 2023. A federal jury in Washington, D.C., began hearing testimony Monday for a civil trial expected to last roughly one week.

Erin Smith, the trial's first witness, recalled packing a lunch for her husband and kissing him as he headed off to work on Jan. 15, 2021, for the first time after the riot.

“I told him I loved him, said I would see him when he got home,” she testified.

Within hours, police officers knocked on her door and informed her that her husband was dead. She was stunned to learn that he shot himself with his service revolver in his own car.

“It was the most traumatic words I've ever heard," she recalled. “You just don't know what to do.”

Smith's lawsuit claims Walls-Kaufman scuffled with her 35-year-old husband and struck him with his own police baton inside the Capitol, causing psychological and physical trauma that led to his suicide. Smith had no history of mental health problems before the Jan. 6 riot, but his mood and behavior changed after suffering a concussion, according to his wife and parents.

Walls-Kaufman, who lived near the Capitol, denies assaulting Smith. He says any injuries that the officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later in the day, when another rioter threw a pole that struck Smith around his head.

Walls-Kaufman’s attorney, Hughie Hunt, urged jurors to “separate emotion” and concentrate on the facts of the case.

“This is tragic, but that doesn't place anything at the foot of my client,” Hunt said during the trial's opening statements.

Smith’s body camera captured video of his scuffle. Richard Link, one of his wife’s lawyers, said a frame-by-frame review of the video will show a baton strike move Smith's helmeted head back and forth from the blow.

Link said Erin Smith is seeking “some modicum of justice” for herself and her husband. “Time stood still” for her after his death, Link added.

“My client is still living with the events of that," he told jurors.

The police department medically evaluated Smith and cleared him to return to full duty before he killed himself. Hunt said there is no evidence that his client intentionally struck Smith..................

Trial opens for lawsuit against pardoned Capitol riot defendant over police officer's suicide

Nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of Trump supporters, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith shot and killed himself while driving to work.

apnews.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man who scuffled with the officer during the attack.

The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith's estate for his pain and suffering.

The judge presiding over the civil trial dismissed Erin Smith’s wrongful-death claim against Walls-Kaufman before jurors began deliberating last week. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said no reasonable juror could conclude that Walls-Kaufman’s actions were capable of causing a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith’s death.

On Friday, the jury sided with Erin Smith and held Walls-Kaufman liable for assaulting her 35-year-old husband — an encounter captured on the officer's body camera.

“Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice,” said David P. Weber, one of her attorneys.

Walls-Kaufman said the outcome of the trial is “absolutely ridiculous.”

“No crime happened. I never struck the officer. I never intended to strike the officer,” he said. “I'm just stunned.”

After the jury left the courtroom, Reyes encouraged the parties to confer and discuss a possible settlement to avoid the time and expense of an appeal and for the sake of “finality.”

“You guys settle, you can move on with your lives,” the judge said.

Walls-Kaufman's attorney, Hughie Hunt, described the jury's award as “shocking.”

“We're talking about a three-second event,” he told the judge.

“It's not shocking, Mr. Hunt. A lot of things can happen in three seconds,” Reyes replied.

Jeffrey Smith was driving to work for the first time after the Capitol riot when he shot and killed himself with his service weapon. His family said he had no history of mental health problems before the Jan. 6 riot. Erin Smith claims Walls-Kaufman struck her husband in the head with his own police baton, giving him a concussion and causing psychological and physical trauma that led to his suicide.

Walls-Kaufman, who lived a few blocks from the Capitol, denied assaulting Smith. He says any injuries that the officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later in the day, when another rioter threw a pole that struck Smith around his head.................

Jury orders man to pay $500K for assaulting police officer who killed himself after Capitol riot

A federal jury has awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S.

apnews.com

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man who scuffled with the officer during the attack.

The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith's estate for his pain and suffering.

The judge presiding over the civil trial dismissed Erin Smith’s wrongful-death claim against Walls-Kaufman before jurors began deliberating last week. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said no reasonable juror could conclude that Walls-Kaufman’s actions were capable of causing a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith’s death.

On Friday, the jury sided with Erin Smith and held Walls-Kaufman liable for assaulting her 35-year-old husband — an encounter captured on the officer's body camera.

“Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice,” said David P. Weber, one of her attorneys.

Walls-Kaufman said the outcome of the trial is “absolutely ridiculous.”

“No crime happened. I never struck the officer. I never intended to strike the officer,” he said. “I'm just stunned.”

After the jury left the courtroom, Reyes encouraged the parties to confer and discuss a possible settlement to avoid the time and expense of an appeal and for the sake of “finality.”

“You guys settle, you can move on with your lives,” the judge said.

Walls-Kaufman's attorney, Hughie Hunt, described the jury's award as “shocking.”

“We're talking about a three-second event,” he told the judge.

“It's not shocking, Mr. Hunt. A lot of things can happen in three seconds,” Reyes replied.

Jeffrey Smith was driving to work for the first time after the Capitol riot when he shot and killed himself with his service weapon. His family said he had no history of mental health problems before the Jan. 6 riot. Erin Smith claims Walls-Kaufman struck her husband in the head with his own police baton, giving him a concussion and causing psychological and physical trauma that led to his suicide.

Walls-Kaufman, who lived a few blocks from the Capitol, denied assaulting Smith. He says any injuries that the officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later in the day, when another rioter threw a pole that struck Smith around his head.................

Jury orders man to pay $500K for assaulting police officer who killed himself after Capitol riot

A federal jury has awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S.

apnews.com

The Babbit Family are getting TEN TIMES THAT!!!