Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘confessed her disqualification’ from office: Harvard Law prof



One of America's foremost constitutional law experts believes that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) will be disqualified for office following Thursday's hearing by the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Laurence Tribe, who has taught constitutional law to generations of America's top lawyers at Harvard Law School, offered his analysis on Twitter following the hearing.

Greene is facing an ongoing legal challenge in Georgia against constituents who want her disqualified from the November election for her role in Trump's failed coup attempt.

"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress...who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress...to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same," reads Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

"Rep. Greene, who we now know sought a pardon from the Trump WH, is still trying to defend herself in our 14.3 challenge to her eligibility to appear on the ballot. A Fulton County Superior Court judge will hear our appeal on July 18," wrote John Bonifaz.

Tribe suggested it was now likely they would prevail.

'In seeking a pardon for her role in the insurrection, the pathetic [Greene] confessed her disqualification from ever again holding public office, per Sec3 of the 14th Amendment," Tribe wrote.

https://twitter.com/tribelaw/status/1540102957043273733


Some GOP members of Congress could face 15 years in jail — and disqualification from office: legal expert



Bombshell revelations about Republican members of Congress seeking presidential pardons for their roles in Donald Trump's attempted coup could disqualify them from office, according to a top legal scholar.

"Multiple Republican members of Congress asked White House officials whether Trump would preemptively pardon them for their activities in the lead-up to Jan. 6 before he left office, testimony provided by former White House aides to the committee shows," The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Scott Perry (R-PA) were all implicated.

Ambassador Norm Eisen, who served as co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment, shared his thoughts on Twitter following the hearing.

"Congressmen helping Trump on & before 1/6 & then demanding pardons. Makes me think of 18 USC 201: A public official who corruptly seeks anything of value in return for an official act or colluding in fraud shall be imprisoned for up to 15 years & disqualified from office," Eisen wrote.

And they may not be the only people with legal liability under the statue.

Law Prof. Jennifer Taub, author of the book Big Dirty Money: Making White Collar Criminals Pay, wrote that it may also apply to Jeffrey Clark.

"I just heard what sounds like bribery of a public official under 18 USC 201 -- when Jeff Clark allegedly said he would not take Rosen's job as Acting AG if Rosen and the Acting DAG would sign the lie-filled letter to be sent to Georgia," she wrote.

Norm Eisen
@NormEisen

Wow. Congressmen helping Trump on & before 1/6 & then demanding pardons.

Makes me think of 18 USC 201:

A public official who corruptly seeks anything of value in return for an official act or colluding in fraud shall be imprisoned for up to 15 years & disqualified from office

https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/1540094722672410624


Jennifer Taub
@jentaub

I just heard what sounds like bribery of a public official under 18 USC 201 -- when Jeff Clark allegedly said he would not take Rosen's job as Acting AG if Rosen and the Acting DAG would sign the lie-filled letter to be sent to Georgia.

https://law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/201



https://twitter.com/jentaub/status/1540074997628256256


January 6th Committee
 @January6thCmte

Witnesses told the Select Committee that Trump considered offering pardons to a wide range of individuals connected to the President.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1540085255813611520

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

‘Surreal’: Trump’s Italian satellite conspiracy theory stuns during Jan. 6 hearing




A bizarre conspiracy theory that Italian satellites hacked voting machines during the 2020 presidential election was a focus of Thursday's televised hearings of the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Surreal to hear about conspiracy theories we were seeing between the Election Day and Jan 6th that seemed too batsh*t to even try to debunk (like Italian satellites) — only they were being taken seriously by Trump and his circle," said CNN's Donie O'Sullivan.

In defense of the conspiracy theory, Trump reportedly told a Pentagon official, "You guys don't follow the internet the way I do."

Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue called the claims "pure insanity."

The whole situation stunned people commenting on social media while watching the hearings.

"If the idea that the Italians were switching votes with satellites sounds crazy, it is. But that's why it's even crazier that the theory traveled from the recesses of the internet fever swamp to the Oval Office, and then the Pentagon/DOJ," wrote Politico's Kyle Cheney.

"Let that sink in — the White House chief of staff demanding DOJ and DoD to investigate whether Italian military satellites where used to manipulate voting machines in the USA," wrote ABC News Chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl.

"The sheer desperation of Trump to hold onto power.... a president getting Cabinet secretaries to call another government to follow up on a fringe Internet conspiracy theory that Italian satellites were changing votes is a new low for the U.S," wrote NPR's Domenico Montanaro.

"Trump's acting Secretary of Defense, Christopher Miller, called a high-ranking Italian official and asked if Italian satellites were changing votes from Trump to Biden because Trump had scoured the internet and found a bizarre conspiracy theory. Yes. You read that right," wrote government ethics expert Walter Shaub.

"Also anyone who seriously thinks Italian satellites and technology could pull off an American vote-rigging from space... Has obviously not spent much time in Rome," added Michelle Kosinski, the host of the tech podcast “The Perfect Scam.”

Former prosecutor Katie Phang wrote, "This has to be theft of American taxpayers' dollars wasting time on such BS."

"Italian. Satellites. You can’t make this up. Or I guess you can — and they did," wrote Politico congressional reporter Andrew Desiderio.

https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1540073478803656705

[Rick Plant]

The Republican party and the right wing media are pushing their usual conspiracy theory that Joe Biden is responsible for inflation.

That's a lie.

These right wingers pretend that global inflation doesn't exist and is only happening in America.

These are the same liars who said there was "massive voter fraud" and Trump "won the election".

They lie about our election and they lie about inflation.

The fact is, the entire world is fighting global inflation due to the global pandemic and Putin's war in Ukraine.

Inflation in the UK just hit a 40 year high at 9.1% and is higher than most countries.

Another right wing conspiracy is debunked. 

UK inflation hits new 40-year high of 9.1% as food and energy price surge persists
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/22/uk-inflation-hits-new-40-year-high-of-9point1percent-as-food-and-energy-price-surge-persists.html

UK inflation rises at fastest rate for 40 years as food costs jump
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61891649

Australia Inflation Accelerated Further From 5.1%, Chalmers Says
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-05/australia-inflation-accelerated-further-from-5-1-chalmers-says

Danish inflation continues to climb with latest increase
Paying for goods and services in Denmark has become more expensive once again, latest inflation figures show.
https://www.thelocal.dk/20220610/danish-inflation-continues-to-climb-with-latest-increase/

Food Price Inflation In Iran Reaches 80 Percent
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202206228396

Japan inflation stays at seven-year high in May
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/japan-inflation-seven-year-high-may-2767636         

[Rick Plant]

GOP = Get Our Pardons

The only reason someone would demand a pardon is because they know they are guilty of a serious crime. All of these Republicans engaged in treason trying to steal an election from the American people.

Republicans on defensive after Jan. 6 pardons bombshell: report



Multiple Republican members of Congress were put on the defensive on Thursday after explosive testimony that they sought pardons from Donald Trump for their roles in his attempted coup.

"Several top Trump aides during the post-Jan. 6 period, including special assistant Cassidy Hutchinson and aide Johnny McEntee, described outreach to White House officials from multiple members of Congress seeking clemency: Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AR), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Scott Perry (R-PA), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL)," Politico reported. "Additionally, according to the former Trump aides’ testimony, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) sent an email on Jan. 11, 2021, asking for 'all purpose' pardons for every lawmaker who objected to electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania."

All of the lawmakers involved were prominent supporters of Trump's "big lie" of election fraud.

"Later Thursday, several of the House Republicans vigorously denied asking for pardons for themselves," Politico reported. "Gaetz, in a tweet, simply criticized the select panel; he ignored questions late Thursday about the evidence he asked for a pardon."

Daily Beast reporter Roger Sollenberger noted, "Gaetz allegedly asked for a pardon in early December 2020, way before anyone else. Meadows’ assistant didn’t know why. The feds seized his ex-girlfriend’s phone in December. And his, too."

Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation magazine wrote, "I wonder if Gaetz tried to commit more crimes to cover up for previous crimes and get a pardon for all of it."

We still, however, may not know if members received secret pardons.

Former federal prosecutor Richard Signorelli noted Johnny "McEntee testifying that he wasn't sure Gaetz received the pardon he was begging for tells me that there is still a real question as to pocket pardons having been secretly issued but only to be used if actually charged. [The former guy] was facing impeachment so keeping it secret was important."

January 6th Committee
@January6thCmte

Days after the Capitol attack and the final attempt to overturn the election, Members of Congress requested pardons.

Five days after the attack on the Capitol, Representative Mo Brooks requested pardons for himself, Representative Gaetz, and others.



https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1540082565096284161

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 hearing Day 5: Trump told DOJ officials ‘just say the election was corrupt, and leave the rest up to me’

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot held its fifth hearing Thursday where top Department of Justice officials testified about how they pushed back on former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump planned to install a new acting attorney general, Jeffrey Clark, to help spread his false claim that President Joe Biden’s electoral victory was rigged through widespread fraud, the committee said.

Three ex-DOJ officials — former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, former acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue and former assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Steven Engel — said they threatened to resign over the scheme and said hundreds of others would do the same.

The event marks the committee’s fifth presentation of evidence from its nearly yearlong investigation of Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. The panel notes that its investigation is ongoing.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

'A criminal investigation is warranted': CNN legal analyst changes mind on Trump liability after J6 hearings

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin has long been skeptical that criminal charges will be brought against former President Donald Trump for his attempts to stay in power despite losing the 2020 presidential election.

However, after Thursday's House Select Committee hearings on Trump's efforts to strongarm the United States Department of Justice into declaring the 2020 election "corrupt," Toobin has changed his mind.

During a panel discussion on CNN about the hearings, host John Berman asked Toobin if they had shifted his thinking at all about the possibility of hitting Trump with criminal charges.

"I would say I'm less skeptical," Toobin said. "A criminal investigation is so different from a congressional investigation that, you know, just a few stray comments in a congressional hearing is not enough to, you know, say that there's a criminal case here. But yesterday, when you saw the totality of President Trump's behavior, it certainly looked like a criminal investigation was warranted at the minimum and, you know, we will see about a prosecution."

Former top DOJ officials testified under oath on Thursday that Trump told them to declare the 2020 election "corrupt" even though they had found no significant evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election. They also testified that Trump had nearly appointed loyalist Jeffrey Clark to be acting attorney general before they all threatened mass resignations that would have left the department decapitated.

Watch the video below:

[Rick Plant]

Trump had 'mystery call with Putin' just days before 2020 election: documentary filmmaker

Documentary filmmaker Alex Holder is telling Politico's Playbook that former President Donald Trump had a mysterious call with Russian President Vladimir Putin just days before the 2020 election was set to take place.

Holder says that he was flying on Air Force one on October 25th, 2020, when he was told by then-chief of staff Mark Meadows that Trump would not be available for a previously scheduled interview because he was on the phone with Putin.

As for why Trump would be talking with Putin, Politico notes that the Russian president had actually publicly undercut Trump's claims about Hunter Biden's work in Russia and Ukraine by saying he saw "nothing criminal" about the activities of President Joe Biden's son.

"That Sunday, Putin undercut Trump and said that as far as he knew, the allegations were nonsense," the publication writes. "Sputnik, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, tweeted the news at 8:40 a.m. But it wasn’t until later in the day, when Trump was wrapping up a rally in New Hampshire, that the news broke through in the American press."

All that said, it's entirely possible that Holder's recollection in this matter is faulty, and Politico writes that "one top Trump official involved in those talks [said] that he had no recollection of a Trump-Putin call during that period."

Read More Here:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2022/06/24/new-jan-6-witness-trump-had-mystery-call-with-putin-00042210

[Rick Plant]

Supreme Court plummets to all-time low: Poll shows Americans have no confidence in conservatives
https://www.rawstory.com/supreme-court-plummets-to-all-time-low-poll-shows-americans-have-no-confidence-in-conservatives/