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| credit: S. Sack; Wackydoodle axes: Would y'all like a tour? |
The House Select Committee has sent out its first round of subpoenas in its investigation of the January 6th Insurrection. The legal demands for documentation include White House communications. In US Person's opinion, the investigators will find that the origins of the attack can be traced back to the White House and perhaps even to Herr Trumpillini himself. It is too early to tell if that will be the case, but if it is, the Department of Justice should prosecute the insurrectionist to the fullest extend of the law. Individual One will run again in 2024, so a conviction for a serious federal crime may be the only way to stop him from destroying what remains of democracy in the United States.
The Committee is interested in finding how the regime sought to put political supporters in strategic positions after the November election was lost, presumably to aid a putsch One of the records request also seeks "documents and communications related to the mental stability of Donald Trump or his fitness for office." Demands went out to the National Archives and Records Administration, the Justice Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Interior, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In its demands to the Pentagon, the committee included all records and communications related to possible attempts by the former guy to remain in office after January 20, 2021, Inauguration Day, specifically naming the Insurrection Act, martial law, or use of military personnel. The committee also wants to know about the permitting process for the rallies on January 5th and 6th from which insurrectionists marched on the Capitol, allegedly at the invitation of the former occupant.
One instance of government foreknowledge of the attack was made public. Politico reported emails showed the Secret Service warned the Capitol police department the day before that their officers could face a violent attack by Trump supporters. The source of the information is not clear at this point because the emails were redacted pursuant to a FOIA request. One of these emails reads:
“Per our Denver Field Office, a concerned citizen reported that [REDACTED] were flying into BWI today to attend tomorrow’s rally and ‘incite violence,’” the email begins. “In addition, the source reports that [REDACTED] previously made threats against President-Elect Biden. The source also reported that [REDACTED] was driving to DC with gear and weapons, to include ballistic helmets, armored gloves and vests, rifles, and suppressors.”
The warning included specifics of the insurrectionists' motivation. They claimed to be protesting election fraud in support of Herr Trumpilini, who publicly peddled the 'Big Lie" for months before and after the election. He told his supporters in DC on January 6th to "fight like hell" to take back their government. This week the select committee indicated that it sent requests to telecommunications and social media companies asking them to preserve communications records related to the attack, including those of members of Congress. The rotten pile begins to stink.
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| credit: D. Whamond |