Trump supporters and conspiracy theory - Part 2

[Rick Plant]

Melania's ex-friend ‘shattered’ after Trump gets away with inauguration self-dealing: ‘They stole so much!’

The Trump Organization and Donald Trump's inauguration committee agreed to a settlement to end a years-long investigation into misused donations, and the probe's key witness is furious about the resolution.

Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, a former friend and staffer to Melania Trump, helped plan the inauguration but turned against the former president and his wife after they appeared to blame her for the mismanagement of funds donated to the event, and she spoke out against the $750,000 settlement reached with the District of Columbia to end the probe, reported The Daily Beast.

“I’m just so shattered -- It’s awful, it’s unjust, it’s absurd,” Winston-Wolkoff said. “I can’t believe this. They stole so much. The self-dealing, the perjury -- they all know about it.”

D.C. attorney general Karl Racine called the settlement a win for his office, but Winston-Wolkoff and corruption watchdogs lamented that the resolution was less than the $1 million in nonprofit funds that prosecutors accused the Trump family of misspending by booking events at vastly overprice rooms at Trump International Hotel Washington D.C.

"[It's] the kind of thing that helps fuel this public perception that there are two systems of justice: one for the everyman and another for the rich and powerful," said Elizabeth Hempowicz, director of public policy at the Project on Government Oversight. “It's not about the money at the end of the day. What is a million dollars to the Trump family?”

However, another government watchdog said the settlement was actually sort of remarkable given the difficulties prosecutors face when going after the rich and powerful.

“Donald Trump and his associates have a strategy of aggressive litigation and particularly delay tactics," said Noah Bookbinder, president of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "They will try to drag things out as long as possible. They will make it as difficult as possible. For the attorney general to get them to a place where they were willing to pay up is pretty remarkable."

“I wish it was more, and I wish it were all the money they got through self-dealing,” Bookbinder added. “It is frustrating that Donald Trump always seems to escape without admitting anything.”

The settlement allows the Trump Organization to deny wrongdoing, and about $350,000 of the settlement was already paid by an insurance company -- much to the frustration of Winston-Wolkoff.

“He is above the law," she said. "There’s just no accountability whatsoever, for $750,000."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-trump-family-won-the-dc-inauguration-case

[Rick Plant]

Rape accuser's lawsuit against Trump could allow for a sampling of his DNA

Lawyers for writer E. Jean Carroll will be ramping up her lawsuit accusing Donald Trump of defaming her after she accused him of raping her in the 1990s, according to CNBC News.

An agreement between Carroll's and Trump's lawyers could possibly allow DNA samples of Trump to be analyzed against a stain on a piece of clothing from Carroll that allegedly contains DNA she says is from the day of the attack.

“We are pleased that the parties have committed that fact discovery will resume in this case and be completed by November 16, 2022,” Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan said in a statement.

Carroll has alleged that Trump raped her in the changing room of a luxury New York department store in the mid-1990s.

She is suing him for defamation, claiming that his denials of the alleged attack, in which he said, "She's not my type," had damaged her reputation and career.

Trump denies all the allegations and has never been prosecuted over them.

A month before his election victory in November 2016, a ten-year-old tape came to light in which the former reality TV star and real estate tycoon bragged about assaulting women.

Read more here: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/05/trump-defamation-lawsuit-by-e-jean-carroll-set-to-resume-discovery.html

[Rick Plant]

Nicolle Wallace has 2 big questions about the ‘ties between Trump-world and domestic extremists’



MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace explained on Tuesday the key questions raised by the latest revelations about ties between Donald Trump and domestic extremists who supported his efforts to stay in power despite losing the 2020 presidential election.

"A stunning allegation in the high-profile Jan. 6th case brings one of the most violent extremist groups involved in the capitol insurrection closer than ever before to Donald Trump and his allies," Wallace reported. "William Todd Wilson pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy on Wednesday. He's one of the 11 members of the extremist group the Oath Keepers. He is the third member of that group to plead guilty and agree to cooperate with prosecutors. He was among the Oath Keepers seen on the 6th on video moving in military formation among the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol."

Wallace read from the statement of offense the Department of Justice filed against Wilson.

"At the Phoenix Hotel, [Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes] gathered Wilson and other co-conspirators inside of a private suite. Rhodes then called an individual over speaker phone," the DOJ explained. "Wilson heard, Rhodes repeatedly implore the individual to tell President Trump to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to forcibly oppose the transfer of power. This individual denied Rhodes's request to speak directly with President Trump. After the call ended, Rhodes stated to the group, 'I just want to fight.'"

Wallace had two major questions following the revelation.

"Who was Stewart Rhodes talking to?" she wondered. "Why would the leader of a domestic violent extremist group have access to a person who supposedly had a direct line to then-President of the United States Donald J. Trump?"

Wallace and her paneled then discussed the "new revelation shedding light on the ties between Trump-world and domestic extremists."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Connecting the dots in this seditious criminal conspiracy to overthrow the US government by far right wing radical extremists.

Treasonous traitors Roger Stone and Michael Flynn used the Oath Keepers for their "security detail" on January 6th. The leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, called someone in Trump's inner circle asking to stop the transfer of power which most likely would be by violent force.

Think about this. Why would this far right wing extremist have contact information to a Trump confidant if they all weren't involved?

Why would he be providing "security detail" to Trump's political advisers Roger Stone and Michael Flynn if they weren't all involved?

The fact remains, there was no reason to be holding a January 6th rally and these Trump MAGA radicals had no business being at the Capitol because the election was never "stolen". This election fraud lie and the rally was perpetrated by Criminal Donald and his co-conspirators as an attempt for him to illegally remain in power because Trump simply refused to give up power after his blowout defeat. His co-conspirators wanted him to stay in power as well and they intended to steal an election by force from the American people. That is a violent coup which is something you would see in a third world country. Republican elected officials were involved in this coup as well and so was members of the right wing media like Sean Hannity who was advising Mark Meadows what to say by text.

The radical right desperately wanted to keep Trump in power no matter the cost and they attempted a violent insurrection to accomplish their goal. Republicans in Congress refused to certify votes that Joe Biden won and tried to get Mike Pence to illegally not certify legal and lawful certifications to illegally keep Trump in power.   

This was all about illegally keeping Trump in power and nothing else. These criminals who were all involved need to go to prison for sedition and treason because that's exactly what this is, as stated in our Constitution.     

Militia group leader tried to ask Trump to authorize them to stop transfer of power
Justice department alleges Oath Keepers’ Stewart Rhodes called unidentified presidential confidant on January 6 to make request
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/04/trump-oath-keepers-capitol-attack

Text message trove shows Oath Keepers discussing security details for Trump associates
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn were among them.


Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House on June 25, 2017.

Top members of the Oath Keepers now facing seditious conspiracy charges chatted for days about providing security for some of the highest-profile figures associated with Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the election, according to a newly released trove of text messages.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and top allies like Florida Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs discussed plans to provide security for figures like Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Ali Alexander and Michael Flynn on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, describing potential partnerships with other groups and security details.

While several members of the group now facing charges notably flanked Stone on Jan. 5 — including Joshua James, who has since pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy — the extent of the Oath Keepers’ work for other figures has been murky. For example, Alexander indicated in a recent statement that the Oath Keepers never ended up providing security for him because his own Jan. 6 event was canceled amid the chaos on Capitol grounds.

But the group’s conversations reveal an easy relationship among several of the groups and entities now under scrutiny by federal prosecutors and the Jan. 6 select committee. In one exchange, Meggs — identified by his handle “Gator 1” — indicates he attempted to call Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, after hearing reports he had been arrested on Jan. 4, 2021.

“I just called him no answer,” Meggs told fellow Oath Keepers. “But he will [call if] he’s out.”

The messages were posted Monday by Ed Vallejo, one of 11 Oath Keepers facing seditious conspiracy charges for his role in the alleged plot. Vallejo was stationed at a Comfort Inn in Arlington, Va., where prosecutors say he oversaw the group’s cache of weapons and was prepared to drive it to the Capitol if the fighting grew more intense. Vallejo is seeking release from pretrial detention.

Evidence that Meggs had a direct line to Tarrio — whose phone was confiscated by law enforcement and has now been accessed by federal prosecutors — adds new heft to the evidence of coordination among the groups. Prosecutors recently highlighted their interest in a Jan. 5 meeting between Rhodes and Tarrio in a parking garage in Washington, D.C., shortly after Tarrio was released following his Jan. 4 arrest.

Prosecutors had previously disclosed messages Meggs sent describing efforts to forge an “alliance” between Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and other groups like the Three Percenters. Meggs is among a handful of Oath Keeper leaders incarcerated while awaiting trial.

In the newly released cache of messages, Oath Keepers discuss the possibility of joining Flynn’s security detail. Rhodes noted that he had previously worked with First Amendment Praetorian, a group linked to Flynn, to protect Flynn, as well as with a group assigned to protect pro-Trump broadcaster Alex Jones, who has described relying on a group of retired police officers for his protection on Jan. 6.

"We may also end up assisting the PSD for Alex Jones again. Which was a great feather in our cap,” Rhodes said. “We worked superbly will with both Alex Jones security team (who are awesome guys) and with Praetorian Guard (also awesome veterans — led by SF and SEAL veterans). They LOVE working with us because of our legit ‘quiet professional’ demeanor and skillsets.”

Jones said in January that he considered the Oath Keepers to be “LARPing” and “playing soldier in the backyard.” LARPing is an acronym that stands for Live Action Role Playing.

Asked about the new messages, Jones’ attorney Norm Pattis said Jones was willing to speak to federal prosecutors about the events of Jan. 6.

“Mr. Jones engaged in no criminal conduct. Period,” Pattis said. “He’s expressed a willingness to discuss this with federal prosecutors. We await their response.”

Rhodes said Alexander had requested a “two man dedicated [Oath Keeper] PSD,” short for personal security detail. He also described requests from Latinos for Trump, “a patriot billionaire” and VA Women for Trump.

"Bottom line, is those of you wanting to do PSD details will get plenty of opportunity,” Rhodes wrote.

Meggs also described a familiarity with Stone that has previously emerged in other court filings. When one Oath Keeper indicated that he wanted to shake Stone’s hand, Meggs said he would help arrange it.

“Been [to] his house a few times,” Meggs noted.

Attorneys for Flynn, Alexander and Stone were not immediately available for comment.

The Oath Keepers also exchanged messages that referenced members of Congress. Rhodes, in particular, asked an associate for the cell number of Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) who was described by members on the text chain as being in need of security during the attack on the Capitol. Jackson was the White House physician before he was elected to Congress in 2020.

“Dr. Ronnie Jackson — on the move. Needs protection. If anyone inside cover him. He has critical data to protect,” one unidentified person wrote.

"Help with what?” Rhodes replied. “Give him my cell.” (A spokesperson for Jackson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.)

In a Jan. 3 exchange, Meggs mentioned that unidentified allies mentioned the Oath Keepers “on the call with congressmen” and “wanted to say thank you all for providing and protecting us.”

The filing also includes a transcript of a recorded meeting of the Oath Keepers from Nov. 9, 2020, in which Rhodes advises allies to be aware of D.C.’s gun laws and other restrictions during protests.

“Pepper spray is legal. Tasers are legal, and stun guns are legal. And it doesn’t hurt to have a lead pipe with a flag on it,” he said.

“For example, when I was walking through the streets of Portland, I was quote/unquote unarmed, but I had my helmet in my hand. Guess what that was for? That was to whack someone right across the face if they’re going to come at me. So, there are ways around — there’s ways of dealing with things that improvise as tools.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/18/oath-keepers-security-trump-jan6-00026157

[Rick Plant]

Another MAGA conspiracy theory implodes: Arizona man was not an FBI plant to stage Jan. 6 attack after all



On Thursday, The New York Times revealed new evidence debunking a longtime conspiracy theory among Trump supporters about the January 6 Capitol insurrection: that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was deputized as an FBI informant to instigate the attack.

"The claims, made in congressional hearing rooms, on Fox News and at Mr. Trump’s political rallies, have largely been based on a video taken just before violence erupted at the Capitol, showing Mr. Epps at the barricades outside the building whispering into the ear of a man named Ryan Samsel," reported Alan Feuer.

"Within moments of the brief exchange, Mr. Samsel, a Pennsylvania barber, can be seen moving forward and confronting the police in what amounted to the tipping point of the riot. Despite lacking proof for their claims, many Republicans have surmised that Mr. Epps instructed Mr. Samsel to antagonize the officers. They have also pushed the notion that because Mr. Epps has not been arrested, he must have been working for the government."

However, according to the report, not only is there no evidence that Epps was acting on orders from the FBI, he did not tell Samsel to attack officers either. In fact, he did the opposite.

"Just two days after the attack, when Mr. Epps saw himself on a list of suspects from Jan. 6, he called an F.B.I. tip line and told investigators that he had tried to calm Mr. Samsel down when they spoke, according to three people who have heard a recording of the call. Mr. Epps went on to say that he explained to Mr. Samsel that the police outside the building were merely doing their jobs, the people said," said the report. Samsel himself corroborated this story, telling FBI agents, "He came up to me and he said, 'Dude' — his entire words were, 'Relax, the cops are doing their job.'"

The January 6 Committee itself provided evidence against this conspiracy theory earlier in the year. It has been pushed even by some members of Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

More broadly, claims that the attack on the Capitol was instigated by "agent provocateurs" has been pushed, without any evidence, by Sen. Ron Johnson.

Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/jan-6-ray-epps-evidence.html

[Rick Plant]

Trump attorney faces disbarment complaint for 'knowingly spreading falsehoods' about 2020 election



On Thursday, The Denver Post reported that an organization has filed a complaint against Jenna Ellis, the Colorado-based attorney who helped former President Donald Trump try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, that could result in her disbarment.

"The bipartisan watchdog group States United Democracy Center filed a complaint against Ellis Thursday with the Colorado Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, asking for an investigation into whether she violated her ethical obligations as an attorney," reported Conrad Swanson. "After the election Ellis 'knowingly spread falsehoods' about its results; helped Trump try to persuade former Vice President Mike Pence not to certify the election results by providing 'misleading legal advice;' and 'amplifying false theories of voter fraud.'"

"Using her law license in Colorado, Ellis advised Trump and his team on how to 'overturn the will of the American people in 2020,' Aaron Scherzer, senior counsel at the States United Democracy Center, said," the report continued.

"'Ms. Ellis made numerous public misrepresentations alleging fraud in the election,' the SUDC complaint says. 'Even as federal and state election officials repeatedly found that no fraud had occurred that could have altered the outcome (of the election) and even as Mr. Trump and his allies brought and lost over 60 lawsuits claiming election fraud or illegality.' The complaint also cites two memos by Ellis claiming Pence could stop Biden’s victory."

Before working on Trump's legal team, Ellis previously worked as a prosecutor in the Weld County District Attorney's office, but was fired from that role for "unsatisfactory performance," including failure to properly follow the procedures in Colorado's Crime Victim Rights Act. She now works as a commentator for the far-right cable network Newsmax.

Ellis is not the only pro-Trump attorney facing administrative action for their behavior around the 2020 election. Sidney Powell, who also tried to get state results thrown out, faces ethics investigations and legal action for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems, an elections equipment company she accused of rigging votes; meanwhile, John Eastman, the architect of the legal theory Pence could disqualify electors, is under investigation by both the California Bar and the House Select Committee on January 6.

There is no evidence to support the idea that the 2020 presidential election was stolen or illegitimate in any way.

Read more here: https://www.denverpost.com/2022/05/05/colorado-jenna-ellis-ethics-election-insurrection/

[Rick Plant]

Trump suggested 'secret' missile strike on Mexico in 2020: Former Pentagon chief



The forthcoming book by Trump-era Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reveals a discussion of attacking Mexico late in the administration.

"Former President Donald J. Trump asked Mark T. Esper, his defense secretary, about the possibility of launching missiles into Mexico to 'destroy the drug labs' and wipe out the cartels, maintaining that the United States’ involvement in a strike against its southern neighbor could be kept secret, Mr. Esper recounts in his upcoming memoir," Maggie Haberman reported for The New York Times. "Those remarkable discussions in 2020 were among several moments that Mr. Esper described in the book, A Sacred Oath, as leaving him all but speechless when he served the 45th president."

The book says Trump asked at least twice if the military could "shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs."

Esper served as secretary of defense until Nov. 9, 2020 when Trump announced in a tweet he had been "terminated."

"Mr. Esper, the last Senate-confirmed defense secretary under Mr. Trump, also had concerns about speculation that the president might misuse the military around Election Day by, for instance, having soldiers seize ballot boxes. He warned subordinates to be on alert for unusual calls from the White House in the lead-up to the election," the newspaper reported. "Mr. Esper describes an administration completely overtaken by concerns about Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign, with every decision tethered to that objective. He writes that he could have resigned, and weighed the idea several times, but that he believed the president was surrounded by so many yes-men and people whispering dangerous ideas to him that a loyalist would have been put in Mr. Esper’s place."

Esper says Trump even knew the exact missile he wanted to use, although he listed one from America's missile defense system. And Trump also suggested just brazenly lying about the military strike.

"When Mr. Esper raised various objections, Mr. Trump said that 'we could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,' adding that 'no one would know it was us.' Mr. Trump said he would just say that the United States had not conducted the strike, Mr. Esper recounts, writing that he would have thought it was a joke had he not been staring Mr. Trump in the face," the newspaper reported. "Mr. Esper writes that he never believed Mr. Trump’s conduct rose to the level of needing to invoke the 25th Amendment. He also strains to give Mr. Trump credit where he thinks he deserves it. Nonetheless, Mr. Esper paints a portrait of someone not in control of his emotions or his thought process throughout 2020."

The book is scheduled to hit bookstore shelves on Tuesday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/politics/mark-esper-book-trump.html