1/6 Insurrection Investigation

[Rick Plant]

Here’s why Ginni Thomas is facing new scrutiny from Jan. 6 select committee



The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing increased scrutiny by the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-MD), a member of the select committee, said more information would be forthcoming on Friday, after the group meets behind closed doors.

Raskin said the question about a potential subpoena for Thomas would be better left for Friday.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), explained that something had changed that could allow the Thomas impasse to proceed to resolution.

"Well, we wrote her a letter," Thompson explained, "inviting her to come before the committee. And my understanding is, that because of some things that happened, it had to be delayed. And so, my understanding is that has now passed and we're in the process of trying to make that happen."

Thompson also said he expected the next public hearing to take place on Sept. 28.

AFP

[Rick Plant]

J6 rioter convicted of seven felonies could face decades in prison: report



After a conviction on nine charges for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a Connecticut man is facing decades in jail.

"Patrick McCaughey III was involved in the violent assault of a police officer. The incident was caught on camera and obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates earlier this year," NBC Connecticut reported. "The video was presented as evidence during McCaughey's bench trial. It shows him pinning Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges with a riot shield as a crowd pushes its way into the Capitol. McCaughey can be heard yelling at the officers to yield to the rioters."

WUSA-TV reported Judge Trevor McFadden "also convicted McCaughey of the most serious count of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony charge that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison."

DOJ announced McCaughey was convicted of nine charges, which " include seven felony charges: three counts of aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, including one involving a dangerous weapon; one count of obstruction of an official proceeding; one count of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; one count of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and one count of engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The two misdemeanor charges include: disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building and committing an act of violence in the Capitol Building or grounds."

McCaughey's attorney, Lindy Urso, said they look forward to appealing the conviction.

McCaughey's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26.

AFP

[Rick Plant]

J6 committee plans next hearing — to air 41 days before the 2022 midterms

The chairman of the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol revealed the planned timing of the next public hearing.

Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said the select committee was planning its next hearing for Sept. 28.

Thompson was asked if he anticipated there may be additional hearings after the Sept. 28 hearing. "It could be, but at this point, the 28th is the goal for the next hearing and we're in the process of deciding on a topic and after that, we have about two weeks to put the product together and we'll work toward that conclusion," Thompson.

Thompson also said he expected an interim report to be issued before the midterms and a final report by the end of the year.

AFP

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 committee member reveals they've received new evidence in trove of documents and texts from Secret Service

The U.S. Secret Service has been under fire since a summer report that they scrubbed their phones and other systems without backing them up despite being told to preserve documents. Now it's being revealed that there's more information being turned over to the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.

The Secret Service has long said that they were corroborating and they didn't need to be subpoenaed. Robert Engel and Tony Ornato both testified behind closed doors to the committee, but it was before White House aid Cassidy Hutchinson spoke publicly and recalled conversations she'd had with Ornato. It was reported by CNN that Ornato was working for the Secret Service at the time he was working behind the scenes to undermine Hutchinson. He has since "retired."

Speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) indicated that there is a lot more the committee has learned about the Secret Service than the public is aware of. Lofgren wouldn't give details, but she said that they've been able to gather a trove of information from them.

"Are you still seeking the testimony of Tony Ornato and the other agents?" asked Wallace. "I remember you sharing with us, have obtained private counsel."

"The answer is yes. We will do that in an orderly fashion when we have had an opportunity to review the large amount of documentary evidence that has now come in from the Secret Service. It's important that we get that information reviewed before we reinterview him," said Lofgren.

"Do you have new evidence that wasn't at your disposal at the time of the last public hearing ended?" Wallace asked.

Lofgren simply said that the committee does have new information.

"Care to categorize any of that?" Wallace asked.

"No," Lofgren said flatly. "You know our rules don't allow us to categorize or discuss the evidence, but new information has come in. And some of it is very pertinent. Some of it is less relevant, but it's been a large volume of information that we really pressed hard for the agency to release. They should have done so before we had to issue subpoenas earlier this summer. But there's now a very steady flow of data coming into the committee and it's a huge amount. It takes a little bit to go through it all."

Wallace went on to ask about the text messages that were deleted even after they were told to prepare to turn over information. Wallace asked if there were other sources for those texts.

"I didn't say what specific types of information. I mean, I really am not at liberty to do that under the committee rules," said Lofgren. "There's texts, there's e-mails, that's radio, there's all kinds of information. So, we're going through everything that's been provided. More is coming in. As I say, some of it is not relevant and some of it is. And it's a huge slog to go through it, but we're going to go through it. And the members of the committee themselves have been involved in this. And we hope to have that completed soon."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

CNN reports Mark Meadows ‘complied’ with DOJ subpoena in J6 case



Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows provided information to the Department of Justice following a subpoena, CNN reported Wednesday.

Citing "sources familiar with the matter," CNN reported Meadows turned over the same material he delivered to the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"Last year, Meadows turned over thousands of text messages and emails to the House committee, before he stopped cooperating," CNN reported. "The texts he handed over between Election Day 2020 and Joe Biden’s inauguration, which CNN previously obtained, provided a window into his dealings at the White House, though he withheld hundreds of messages, citing executive privilege."

One of CNN's sources claimed Meadows met the obligation of the DOJ subpoena.

"Meadows’ compliance with the subpoena comes as the Justice Department has ramped up its investigation related to January 6, which now touches nearly every aspect of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss – including the fraudulent electors plot, efforts to push baseless election fraud claims and how money flowed to support these various efforts, CNN reported this week," the network noted. "As White House chief of staff, Meadows was in the middle of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election in the two months between Election Day and Biden’s inauguration."

The DOJ had previously declined to prosecute Meadows for contempt of Congress.

Read More Here:

 https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/politics/mark-meadows-subpoena-justice-department-january-6/index.html

[Rick Plant]

Justice Dept announces arrest of Sal Vassallo of New Jersey in Capitol riot case, alleging Vassallo "abruptly charged at an officer who was in the process of assisting other officers. Vassallo grabbed & pushed the officer with what appeared to be a significant amount of force".

[Rick Plant]

Sentencing is set for Sept 22 (one week delay) in Capitol riot case of Timothy-Hale Cusanelli, who was convicted by DC jury.

Feds: "He commanded other rioters to “advance” on the Capitol, a command he continued once inside. Hale-Cusanelli was among the first rioters to enter."

Hale-Cusanelli’s situation was spotlighted at a Trump rally recently, even though he’s not an obvious candidate for sympathy. Choosing to spotlight him instead of others seems to have been a nod to white supremacists in Trump’s base.




Marshall Cohen @MarshallCohen

Cynthia Hughes, who runs a support group for J6ers, spoke at tonight's Trump rally. She told the story of her nephew Tim Cusanelli, a convicted Capitol rioter — and Nazi sympathizer, who said "Hitler should've finished the job." This is their poster child for J6 "injustice."

https://twitter.com/MarshallCohen/status/1566178439866056705