1/6 Insurrection Investigation

[Rick Plant]

Here’s how Jason Miller’s Jan. 6 testimony documented Trump’s potential criminal intent



The House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday released a transcript of Donald Trump advisor Jason Miller's testimony before eleven investigators.

Miller was asked if Trump was told that he had lost the election.

"I don't remember who all was present in person. I was in the Oval Office. And at some point in the conversation Matt Oczkowski, who was the lead data person, was brought on, and I remember he delivered to the President in pretty blunt terms that he was going to lose," Miller said.

"And that was based, Mr. Miller, on Matt and the data team's assessment of this sort of county-by-county, State-by-State results as reported?" the investigator asked.

"Correct," Miller replied.

Miller said he thought he remembered Jared Kushner, Bill Stepien, and Justin Clark being in the meeting.

HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte offered his analysis of the testimony.

"Here is [Jason Miller] providing testimony to the Jan. 6 committee that Trump was told *by his own campaign* that he lost, and had been given a detailed breakdown. So when Trump continued pushing his lies that he had won, he was knowingly trying to obstruct the certification," he wrote.



https://twitter.com/svdate/status/1499217369759109120

[Rick Plant]

John Eastman invoked 5th Amendment to questions of whether he publicly lied about Trump



The House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday released a 221-page legal filing that includes a transcript of "coup memo" author John Eastman's interview with investigators.

The filing claimed that the committee had basis to believe that Donald Trump broke multiple laws in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

As part of the filing, the committee included testimony from Eastman in which he was asked about his appearances purportedly representing Trump on right-wing media.

"Dr. Eastman, in an interview with Larry Lessig and Matt Seligman on the 'Another Way' podcast, September 27th, 2021, you were asked about the memoranda that you wrote regarding the role of the Vice President in counting the electoral college votes on January 6th, and you said, 'Although I did have a client in this, the client, the President, the former President of the United States, has authorized me to talk about these things. I want to make that clear upfront.' Did President Trump authorize you to talk publicly about the memoranda that you wrote?" an investigator asked.

"On the advice of counsel, I hereby assert my Fifth Amendment right against being compelled to be a witness against myself," Eastman responded.

"So is it your position that you can discuss those memoranda in public settings, but will not discuss those memoranda with the committee pursuant to a subpoena?" the investigator asked.

"Fifth," Eastman replied.

But the investigator wanted to pursue that line of questioning, noting comments Eastman made on the "Peter Boyle Show" on May 5.

"You said later in the interview that, 'I would normally not talk about a private conversation I had with a client, but I have express authorization from my client, the President of the United States, at that time to describe what occurred, to truthfully describe what occurred in that conversation.' Did President Trump authorize you to discuss publicly your January 4th, 2021, conversation with him?" the investigator asked.

"Fifth," he replied. once again.

He continued to invoke the Fifth Amendment, including to questions about meeting with Corey Lewandowski, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and "any other members of Congress."

https://www.rawstory.com/john-eastman-2656830164/

[Rick Plant]

Kimberly Guilfoyle slapped with subpoena by Jan. 6 Committee one week after she cut off meeting



Kimberly Guilfoyle last week angrily cut off a voluntary meeting with the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riots -- and now she's been hit with a subpoena.

As Politico's Kyle Cheney reports, the committee is subpoenaing Guilfoyle on the grounds that she was a "key" organizer of the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6th the directly preceded the riots.

Guilfoyle agreed to voluntarily talk with the commission virtually last week, although she reportedly grew uncomfortable when she found out that Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) would be participating, and one source told Washington Post reporter Robert Costa that Guilfoyle grew "outraged" upon learning.

This led to her decision to abruptly end the meeting, which a committee spokesperson told CNN is what forced its hand to send her a subpoena.

"The Select Committee had hoped she would do as dozens of other witnesses have done: participate in a voluntary transcribed interview with staff and committee members," the spokesperson explained. "Ms. Guilfoyle has now declined to do so, forcing the Select Committee to compel her testimony at an upcoming deposition."

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1499497393502527498

[Rick Plant]

Bombshell 1/6 committee revelations prove Trump was Putin in the making



The January 6th select committee has now told a federal judge in a bombshell filing that Donald Trump committed several crimes in trying to overturn the 2020 election and keep himself installed as president, engaging in a “criminal conspiracy” with others:

In a major release of its findings, filed in federal court late Wednesday, the committee suggested that its evidence supported findings that Trump himself violated multiple laws by attempting to prevent Congress from certifying his defeat.

“The Select Committee also has a good-faith basis for concluding that the President and members of his Campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States,” the committee wrote in a filing submitted in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

Meanwhile, just two nights ago Republicans stood up and applauded thunderously when President Biden, in the first 12 minutes of his State of the Union address, condemned Russia’s Vladimir Putin, an authoritarian who is now brutally invading the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

The GOP had apparently realized it could no longer stay silent or play footsie with Putin — placating Trump, who sucked up to Putin during his entire presidency, after Russia interfered in the U.S. election on behalf of Trump — and could no longer risk looking like they were apologists for an attack on Western democracy.

The Republican senators’ and House members’ standing ovation for Biden came just a week after they mostly stayed quiet as Trump called Putin’s moves “genius,” “wonderful” and “smart.”

So their newfound moral compass can’t in any way cover how they enabled Trump, who encouraged Putin, who is now causing the largest war in Europe in decades, targeting civilians and threatening an all-out nuclear holocaust.

The attack on democracy on January 6th that Trump inspired was motivated by the same grandiosity and lust for power that is motivating Putin. This is what authoritarian do, in addition to trying to keep themselves in power even if it means promoting delusional lies, rigging elections and engaging in violence.

The GOP cannot be let off the hook — or allowed to reframe their recent history as they now, desperately, try to play catch-up in condemning Putin. They spent years allowing Trump to create a world in which Putin was able to do what he’s embarking on right now. Trump attacked NATO, even pushed for dissolving it. He vilified European allies, driving a wedge between them and the U.S., while refusing to condemn Putin for interfering in the U.S. election. He even had secret meetings with Putin.

And Trump put Ukraine in grave danger, viewing the long-time U.S. ally as an enemy, blackmailing President Zelensky, refusing to send weapons to fight Russia while demanding dirt (that did not exist) on his opponent, Joe Biden. Trump even excused Putin for invading Crimea and said he could accept it and could lift sanctions against Russia. And let’s not forget how his former campaign manager, convicted felon Paul Manafort (who Trump eventually pardoned), worked for the pro-Russian Ukraine forces, and got the GOP to take out of its 2016 platform a pledge to send weapons and aide to Ukraine.

With all of the focus right now on Ukraine and Putin’s actions, the January 6th committee revelations remind us not only of the relationship between Trump and Putin, but how Trump was just like Putin: Attempting to stay in power, and amass more power, as long as possible and by any means necessary.

As the GOP now wants to look like it is fervently against Russian aggression as polls show almost 90% of Americans condemn Russia and support sanctions, Trump’s adoration of Putin must be rubbed in their faces.

They must be asked about it consistently by media. And Democrats have to hit them hard, using it in ads, laying the blame for emboldening Putin squarely at their feet. Show GOP House members praising Trump and the Big Lie, and then show Trump praising Putin and his Big Lies.

And underscore how, as all eyes are focused on the attack on democracy abroad, the GOP allowed —and still excuses — an attack on democracy right here in America.

https://signorile.substack.com/p/bombshell-16-committee-revelations

[Rick Plant]

January 6 Committee Recap: Committee to John Eastman: We Can Play Hardball, Too!
We now know the committee says it has evidence that Donald Trump committed a crime. All thanks to his brilliant lawyer.

Here’s what happened this week

Arguably one of the most important developments of the January 6 investigation to date came into public view late Wednesday through a new legal filing from the select committee that says it has evidence that Donald Trump and some of his campaign allies “engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States.” The filing says the committee has enough evidence to show that Trump and his allies broke multiple laws in trying to block Congress from certifying the 2020 election.

“The Select Committee also has a good-faith basis for concluding that the President and members of his Campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States,” the filing read.

The filing is the first time the committee’s lawyers have so specifically explained their theory for how Trump may have broken laws in trying to stay in office. The panel suggests in the new filing that Trump’s persistent lying about how the election was stolen constituted, in the words of The New York Times, “common law fraud.” In the filing, the select committee lawyers also said they have evidence that conservative lawyer John Eastman and others could face criminal charges like committing conspiracy to defraud the American people and obstructing official proceedings of Congress.

The evidence included in the new filings is limited, but it does show that testimony from longtime Trump communications aide Jason Miller was key, as was testimony from then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’s adviser Ben Williamson, national security adviser Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence lawyer Greg Jacob, and Pence chief of staff Marc Short, among others.

The evidence in the filing includes email exchanges between Jacob and Eastman that get heated. At one point Jacob writes to Eastman that “thanks to your bullspombleprofglidnoctobuns, we are now under siege.” This was when Jacob, along with Pence, was being moved between secure locations during the Capitol riot. The emails show that Jacob strongly disagreed with Eastman’s arguments for how certification of the 2020 election could be stalled or blocked entirely and thrown back to state legislatures.

The context for how the filing came to light is important as well. Essentially, Eastman was trying to convince a judge to prevent the committee’s subpoena of documents in Eastman’s possession. Eastman had been arguing that those documents were protected through attorney-client privilege. The committee’s response was that attorney-client privilege does not include information between an attorney and client that could be related to hiding or advancing a crime. Eastman shot back that there was “no evidence” of that exception.

And that’s what made the committee respond with the filing. “The evidence supports an inference that President Trump, plaintiff and several others entered into an agreement to defraud the United States by interfering with the election certification process, disseminating false information about election fraud, and pressuring state officials to alter state election results and federal officials to assist in that effort,” the filing said.

An underlying theme of the filing is that it offers more details about Team Pence’s whereabouts and thinking that day. Besides the emails between Jacobs and Eastman, another piece of evidence—Trump’s private schedule—shows a call with then-Senator Kelly Loeffler at 11:17 a.m. and then a call with Pence at 11:20 a.m. Clearly, Pence’s team was in direct contact with the key figures who wanted Pence to stop the certification proceedings.

Whom to watch?

The blockbuster filing by attorneys for the committee named several key names, and it’s worth watching what these figures do next. The committee released excerpts from multiple depositions with top aides to Trump and Pence, such as campaign adviser Jason Miller and Pence counsel Greg Jacob.

Miller detailed a conversation between Trump and campaign aide Matt Oczkowski, who “delivered to the President in pretty blunt terms that he was going to lose.” The filings also included emails from Jacob to Eastman in which Jacob slammed the attorney for trying to concoct ways for Pence to overturn the election on January 6.

Along with awaiting more details from the depositions of Miller, Jacob, and other officials, it is worth watching to see what Eastman does next. He threw down a gauntlet at the committee, and it threw a bigger one back at him. What’s his next move? Charles Burnham, Eastman’s attorney, told Politico that “we look forward to responding in due course.”

But perhaps the most consequential figure in the coming days will be U.S. District Court Judge David Carter, who must determine whether more of Eastman’s records are protected by attorney-client privilege. The filings, indicating evidence of potential illegal activity, may convince Carter that Eastman’s emails held by his former employer, Chapman University, which he has sued to block the panel from obtaining, are not protected by that privilege. Carter has previously ruled against Eastman, rejecting his attempts to shield his records and ordering him to quickly review thousands of pages of emails to determine which he believes are protected by attorney-client privilege.

The committee is a legislative panel and has no authority to charge Trump or anyone else with a crime. But the filings released this week may provide an indication of what a potential criminal referral from the committee to the Justice Department would look like. The committee’s next steps will be critical as it wraps up its depositions and prepares for public hearings in the coming weeks.

Who got subpoenaed

The committee this week issued an additional six subpoenas to individuals “who promoted false claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and participated in, or encouraged, various actions based on those false claims.” The subpoenas were issued to:

Cleta Mitchell, a conservative attorney who participated in the phone call in which Trump asked the Georgia secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss, and was in contact with members of Congress to promote false election claims

Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who supported using fake slates of electors in key swing states that Trump lost

Christina Bobb, an attorney who the committee believes was involved in drafting an executive order to direct federal agencies to seize voting machines and was present with Rudy Giuliani’s legal team at the Willard Hotel on January 6

Katherine Friess, an attorney who the committee believes was involved in drafting an executive order to direct federal agencies to seize voting machines and traveled to Michigan in an attempt to obtain voting data

Kurt Olsen, an attorney who helped prepare a draft executive order to direct the Justice Department to subvert the election, and had multiple calls with Trump on January 6

Phillip Kline, who helped convene a meeting between Trump and more than 300 state legislators, many of whom later sent a letter to Pence urging him to delay the electoral certification
Friess is currently suing the committee to block it from obtaining her phone records.

Separately on Thursday, the committee issued a subpoena to Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is in a relationship with Donald Trump Jr. In a statement, Thompson and Cheney said that Guilfoyle “apparently played a key role organizing and raising funds” for the rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol. Thompson and Cheney also said that Guilfoyle had “backed out of her original commitment to provide a voluntary interview,” precipitating the need to issue a subpoena.

https://newrepublic.com/article/165602/january-6-committee-john-eastman-can-play-hardball-too

[Rick Plant]

New footage shows Roger Stone scrambling on Jan. 6: 'I really want to get out of here'



Self-proclaimed political "dirty trickster" Roger Stone always portrays himself as the savviest, shrewdest, smartest operator in whatever room he's in. That's why it's curious that Stone, who years ago thought it was a good idea to have disgraced former president Richard Nixon's face tattooed on his back, would agree to allow a Danish documentary film crew follow and record him for two years leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

A report in today's Washington Post details what that video crew saw and heard. It's not helpful to Stone's pronouncements that he had nothing to do with former president Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the legitimate election results.

From the report: "As a mob ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Roger Stone, Donald Trump’s longest-serving political adviser, hurried to pack a suitcase inside his elegant suite on the fifth floor of the Willard hotel. He wrapped his tailored suits in trash bags, reversed his black face mask so its “Free Roger Stone” logo was hidden, then slipped out of town for a hastily arranged private flight from Dulles International Airport.

“I really want to get out of here,” Stone told an aide, as they were filmed at the hotel by a Danish camera crew for a documentary on the veteran Republican operative. Stone said he feared prosecution by the incoming attorney general, Merrick Garland. “He is not a friend,” Stone said.

Washington Post reporters reviewed more than 20 hours of video filmed for the documentary, “A Storm Foretold,” which will be released later this year. The footage, along with other reporting by the Washington Post, provides the most comprehensive account to date of Stone’s involvement in the former president’s effort to overturn the election and in the rallies in Washington that spilled over into violence on Jan. 6.

Stone privately coordinated post-election protests with prominent figures, and in January he communicated by text message with leaders of far-right groups that had been involved in the attack on the Capitol, the footage shows. The filmmakers did not capture conversations between Stone and Trump, but on several occasions, Stone told them or his associates that he remained in contact with the president.

Stone has denied having any involvement in the Capitol riot. "Let me stay this as categorically as I can. Any claim, assertion, implication or otherwise any accusation that I either knew about or was involved in any of the illegal acts in Washington, D.C. on January 6 is categorically false. There is no evidence to the contrary and an honest investigation will prove that," he told Newsmax last year.

Stone steadfastly has refused to give testimony or provide evidence to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Last week, he sued members of the panel to try to block them from using a subpoena to obtain his telephone records. On the day of the attack, as he packed his bags, Stone told the filmmakers the riot was a mistake and would be “really bad” for the pro-Trump movement.

On the eve of the 2020 election, however, he seemed to welcome the prospect of clashes with left-wing activists. In a recorded conversation, as an aide spoke of driving trucks into crowds of racial justice protesters, Stone said: “Once there’s no more election, there’s no reason why we can’t mix it up. These people are going to get what they’ve been asking for.”

Stone declined the Washington Post's requests for an interview.

Watch:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/roger-stone-documentary-capitol-riot-trump-election/?itid=hp_special-topic-1

[Rick Plant]

MAGA rioter's militia friend tells jury he brought zip ties with him to Capitol



Accused MAGA rioter Guy Reffitt faced more damning testimony on Friday, this time from a former member of the Texas Three Percenters militia.

NBC News reports that former Three Percenter Rocky Hardie told the jury that Reffitt brought a handgun and some zip ties with him as he stormed the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

According to BuzzFeed News reporter Zoe Tillman, Hardie said that he asked Reffitt why he needed the zip ties, and Reffitt replied that he was bringing them along in case they needed to "detain" someone at the Capitol.

Hardie also acknowledged that he and Reffitt "joked" about grabbing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and dragging her by her feet down the steps of the Capitol.

Prosecutors also revealed during Friday's testimony that Reffitt sent around a series of panicked text messages after he learned law enforcement officers were interviewing members of the Texas Three Percenters in the days after the Capitol riots.

"This is not a drill," Reffitt wrote to other Three Percenters on January 10th, 2021. "Be prepared. The sh*t is now hitting the fan. Start purge of all previous conversations."

That last line is key to the prosecutors' case that Reffitt tried to obstruct justice, as it amounts to soliciting for the destruction of evidence.

Zoe Tillman:

Hardie talks about prep on Jan. 6 — he says Reffitt gave him zip ties, the "real heavy ones" that you use as handcuffs. Hardie says he asked Reffitt what those were for, Reffitt said it was in case they had to detain anybody or something to that effect, Reffitt carried some too

Hardie says they went to the car and each reassembled their rifles. Why? We were being prepared, what if something bad happened and we don't have time to put them back together, we were concerned for our safety, safety of people in general, brings up antifa threat again

Hardie says he got his handgun from the case, loaded it, put it in his shoulder holster and put a few additional magazines in the holster. Asked about Reffitt's handgun, Hardie says didn't see specifically, but Reffitt would have had it on his hip. Assembled ARs stayed in the car

Hardie says they went to the Ellipse area, he listened to Trump's speech "off and on," couldn't hear well, was more focused on the crowd. After the speech, the crowd moved "like a herd of cattle," someone called for medical help & Reffitt volunteered, and Hardie lost track of him

Hardie says they remained in radio contact, but he didn't see Reffitt until later in the day back at the hotel. Hardie described going to the Capitol, seeing people from a distance climbing up scaffolding, "looked like spiders" crawling up walls, saw ppl break through barricade

Hardie says Reffitt was in pain back at the hotel from being shot at/sprayed, Reffitt described his encounter with USCP Officer Kerkhoff, that Reffitt told Hardie he said, lady I don’t want to hurt you, but every time you shoot me I'm going to go forward

Hardie says Reffitt seemed proud, that Hardie was proud too that he'd been there, that he was "pretty impressed" by what Reffitt had described, that he felt Reffitt had more courage than he did, he wasn’t going to go up there. He recalls Reffitt's handgun in the room

Hardie says he went back to Reffitt's house to get his car, met Reffitt's wife/son/daughter (confirming narrative of Jackson Reffitt being home when they arrived back), confirms the participants on the Zoom call where Reffitt talked about trip to DC

1/10/21, Hardie confirms Reffitt sent a message via Telegram about state leader of TTP getting taken in for questioning by law enforcement. AUSA asks Hardie what was going through his mind. Reply: "Uh oh." Reffitt sends another message, "Start purge of all previous conversations"

Reffitt's lawyer William Welch is up for cross ex, has Hardie confirm that his immunity agreement doesn't mean he can't be charged, but that even though he's admitted to going on restricted grounds and carrying a firearm at the time, that he has not been charged to date

https://twitter.com/ZoeTillman/status/1499788184095531008


Armed Jan. 6 rioter had zip ties during Capitol attack, friend testifies at trial
Rocky Hardie testified that he and Guy Reffitt drove to D.C. from Texas armed with firearms and both believed the 2020 election was stolen.

WASHINGTON — Guy Reffitt was armed with a handgun and zip ties when he tried to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a friend and fellow member of a right-wing group testified at the first Capitol riot trial on Friday.

Rocky Hardie, a former member of the Texas Three Percenters, testified that he and Reffitt traveled to D.C. from Texas in Reffitt’s Chevy Equinox, that was loaded up with their rifles, their handguns, and ammo.

Jurors previously heard testimony from Reffitt's son Jackson Reffitt, who tipped off the FBI about his father before Jan. 6, and then recorded his dad bragging about his participation in the riot. The jury is expected to begin deliberating next week.

Hardie testified that they stopped in Virginia to take their weapons apart before they traveled to the hotel where they stayed in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.

Hardie described preparing for the events of the day on the morning of Jan. 6, describing how they went to Reffitt's car and reassembled their rifles (which he said they left in the vehicle) and strapped their handguns to their bodies before they went to former President Donald Trump's rally that preceded the Capitol attack.

Hardie said he and Reffitt were both aware of the strict gun laws in D.C., and that they'd even researched reciprocity laws in the states that they traveled through to see whether their concealed carry permits were valid. But they ultimately made the decision that it was worth being armed on Jan. 6 even if it was against the law.

"I think we used the phrase ‘It’s better to be tried by a jury of twelve than carried by six,’” Hardie testified. They decided they were "wiling to take that risk" of being charged for unlawfully carrying weapons, Hardie testified.

Hardie testified as part of an agreement with the federal government that bans prosecutors from using his testimony in the Reffitt case to build a case against him. The agreement does not mean that Hardie himself will not face charges in connection with Jan. 6.

Reffitt and Hardie, the latter testified, both believed Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and joked about dragging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi down the stairs of the U.S. Capitol.

Hardie said that believed he and Reffitt were joking around, and that he didn't actually think that Reffitt would follow through. Hardie also testified that he'd assumed, from what he saw on television, that the Capitol would be very secure, and that it would be impossible for rioters to actually get near the building without being shot.

On Jan. 6, Reffitt and Hardie communicated with a radio. They were separated at the Capitol, he said, but Reffitt communicated what he was going to try to do.

"At some point he said he was trying to go inside the building," Hardie said.

Hardie, who said he himself still believes that the election was stolen, said he was initially proud of his participation in the events of Jan. 6.

“I felt like it was historically significant. I actually showed up,” Hardie said. “I wasn’t ashamed.”

Hardie said he was also impressed by Reffitt's actions.

“I felt like he had more courage than I did,” Hardie testified. “I wasn’t going to go up there.”

Hardie testified that he decided to leave the Texas Three Percenters after he got a visit from the FBI. The bureau also raided his home and his business, Hardie testified.

Reffitt's attorney has argued that his client exaggerates and rants, and that the government's case is based on “bragging and a lot of hype."

During a cross examination on Friday, Reffitt attorney William Welch asked Hardie about being visited by the FBI a few weeks after Jan. 6. Hardie testified that he declined to let the FBI inside his home, but answered limited questions outside. The FBI soon showed up with search warrants for his home and business.

Welch pressed Hardie on his immunity agreement, and pointed out that, as of the moment, he had not been charged for his actions on Jan. 6.

"You still haven't been charged with a crime, correct?" Welch asked, mentioning Hardie's business travels to Mexico, Florida, and an upcoming trip to Thailand. Hardie testified that it benefited him to tell the truth in an attempt to avoid being charged.

"Somebody in the government is going to decide, did I lie or did I not lie," Hardie testified.

"Mr. Reffitt brags, doesn't he?" Welch asked. "Mr. Reffitt uses hyperbole, doesn't he?" Hardie agreed that Reffitt bragged and exaggerated.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/armed-jan-6-rioter-zip-ties-capitol-attack-friend-testifies-trial-rcna18733

[Rick Plant]

'Purge all previous conversations': Prosecutors reveal MAGA rioter's panicked texts at trial



Prosecutors on Friday revealed an incriminating text message sent by accused MAGA rioter Guy Reffitt, reports Politico's Kyle Cheney.

The text message in question came just four days after the Capitol riot when Reffitt learned that law enforcement officials had brought in members of the Texas Three Percenters militia in for questioning.

"This is not a drill," Reffitt wrote to other Three Percenters on January 10th, 2021. "Be prepared. The s**t is now hitting the fan. Start purge of all previous conversations."

That last line is key to the prosecutors' case that Reffitt tried to obstruct justice, as it amounts to soliciting for the destruction of evidence.

Earlier this week, Reffitt broke down in tears when he watched his 19-year-old son, Jackson Reffitt, testify against him at the start of the trial.

Among other things, Jackson Reffitt said his father sent messages to the family promoting a new civil war, while also talking about "rising up" and "destroying" the United States government.

Reffitt also revealed to jurors that he reported his own father to the FBI and he felt "dirty for doing so.

Read entire text message thread here:

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1499797340651233285