1/6 Insurrection Investigation

[Rick Plant]

Prosecutors say Capitol rioter who traveled to DC with guns 'sought to remove Pelosi'



Prosecutors say a Capitol rioter who brought a gun to D.C. on Jan. 6 was targeting both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, CNN reports.

Guy Reffitt, who is a member of the Texas Three Percenter militia, "specifically targeted at least two lawmakers -- the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and then-Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell -- whom he sought to physically remove or displace from the Capitol building," according to a filing from prosecutors.

Court documents say Reffitt drove to D.C. with an AR-15 and a handgun in his car. When he entered Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, he was wearing body armor, carrying his handgun, and had plastic handcuffs.

Reffitt made headlines in October when his son spoke publicly about how his dad threatened family members with death if they turned him in to the FBI.

https://www.rawstory.com/guy-reffitt-2655918472/

[Rick Plant]

LA man allegedly ran chat forum to advocate violence, collected weapons for Capitol riot

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A Los Angeles man accused of joining the Jan. 6 Capitol breach in Washington, D.C., was arrested on charges of conspiracy and other crimes, according to the Department of Justice.

Edward Badalian, 27, of Los Angeles, was charged in an indictment with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, tampering with documents or proceedings, and other offenses, prosecutors said. The indictment was unsealed Monday in the District of Columbia.

Badalian was arrested Nov. 17 in Los Angeles and was arraigned Nov. 23 in the District of Columbia.

Badalian is charged along with Daniel Rodriguez, 39, of Fontana. Rodriguez was indicted in March on charges including the assault of Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone. He was subsequently charged with conspiracy along with Badalian. Rodriguez has been in custody since his arrest on March 31, according to prosecutors.

According to the indictment, Badalian, Rodriguez and others created a Telegram group chat in fall 2020 called the Patriots 45 MAGA Gang and used it to advocate violence against groups and individuals that either supported the 2020 presidential election results, supported what the group perceived as liberal, or communist ideologies, or held positions of authority in government,'' according to the Department of Justice said.

Prosecutors contend the defendants conspired to stall the congressional certification of the presidential election results, and they collected weapons and tactical gear and stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

In the 10 months since Jan. 6, more than 675 individuals have been arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including 210 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

https://abc7.com/jan-6-capitol-riot-insurrection-edward-badalian-officer-michael-fanone/11286586/

[Rick Plant]

'Absolute liars': Mike Flynn's brother implicated in Army coverup of Jan. 6 failures in scathing memo



A former National Guard official issued a scathing 36-page memo accusing Michael Flynn's brother and another U.S. Army general of lying to Congress about the military response to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Col. Earl Matthews, who served in the National Security Council and Pentagon during Donald Trump's administration, ripped the Defense Department's inspector general for what he calls an erroneous report that protects a top Army official who delayed sending the National Guard to the U.S. Capitol, reported Politico.

“Every leader in the D.C. Guard wanted to respond and knew they could respond to the riot at the seat of government,” Matthews' memo reads. "[Instead, D.C. guard officials sat] stunned watching in the Armory" as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

Matthews sent the memo to the House select committee earlier this month, and provided detailed recollections of the response to the riot by Gen. Charles Flynn, who served as deputy chief of staff for operations on Jan. 6, and Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, the director of Army staff -- who he called “absolute and unmitigated liars” for their own accounts of that day in congressional testimony.

The memo accuses both Flynn and Piatt of lying about their response to requests for the D.C. Guard to be quickly sent to help police at the Capitol, and claims the Pentagon inspector general issued a report last month that was “replete with factual inaccuracies,” and he said the Army was trying to rewrite history with a document that's “worthy of the best Stalinist or North Korea propagandist.”

Matthews, who now serves in the Army reserves, has publicly called for the inspector general to retract the Jan. 6 report, which he described as "inaccurate" and "sloppy work."

“Our Army has never failed us and did not do so on January 6, 2021,” Matthews told Politico. “However, occasionally some of our Army leaders have failed us and they did so on January 6th. Then they lied about it and tried to cover it up. They tried to smear a good man and to erase history.”

https://www.rawstory.com/charles-flynn-jan-6/

[Rick Plant]

'We all know they're lying!' Morning Joe busts Pentagon 'coverup' of Trump links to Jan. 6 riot

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough reacted to the latest bombshell revelations about the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Col. Earl Matthews, a D.C. National Guard official at the time, issued a scathing 36-page memo accusing Gen. Charles Flynn, who served as deputy chief of staff for operations on Jan. 6, and Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, the director of Army staff, of lying to Congress about their response to the U.S. Capitol riot -- and the "Morning Joe" host said investigators must unravel the coordination between Donald Trump's White House and the Pentagon on that day.

"It's more important to know what happened between the White House and the Pentagon," Scarborough said. "Why was there such delay? Why didn't the National Guard get moving? We all know Donald Trump, the commander in chief, was loving what he was seeing. We all know he gutted the Pentagon and he had fired a lot of the top people there. There were not a lot of independent thinkers at the Pentagon at that time."

The late Colin Powell appeared on the program shortly after the insurrection and told the hosts that he was baffled by inaction as the riot unfolded, but Scarborough said even civilian observers could see the response was woefully inadequate.

"I am no expert in what's going on at the Pentagon, obviously none of us are Colin Powell, but anybody that saw what happened that morning and now is hearing the Pentagon saying, 'Nothing to see here, move along, move along' -- we all know they're lying. We all know they're covering up. We need a tick-tock, a second-by-second accounting of where the Pentagon was, why they were dragging to their feet, why they let our Capitol, why Trump's leaders inside the Pentagon and why the commander in chief himself, why did they let our Capitol get ransacked and ravaged, torn to shreds excrement spread on the walls -- the people's house defiled."

"We understand Donald Trump enjoyed the show," he added. "I'm just curious what was happening inside the Pentagon."

https://www.rawstory.com/pentagon-jan-6/

[Rick Plant]

Marc Short's cooperation could be a game-changer for Capitol riot probe: former FBI deputy director



On CNN Monday, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe weighed in on the news that Marc Short, a longtime top aide of former Vice President Mike Pence, is cooperating with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.

"You can't overstate the value of having a prominent, connected Republican acknowledging the ought authority of the committee and doing the right thing," said McCabe, who was previously targeted for retaliation by the Trump administration. "To the extent that other witnesses are looking for some sort of a sign as to how to respond to subpoenas they may receive, the example of Marc Short might be very influential."

"Let's remember," McCabe added, "we're not putting on a case for trial. No one is being prosecuted here. The committee is trying to construct a narrative of what happened. They don't need every person who was in attendance at every interesting meeting. They just need one. With Marc Short, they now have a key witness who was in some key events. This might open up a lot of information."

Watch below:

[Rick Plant]

Capitol riot committee scores what could be a 'pivotal witness' who 'is not loyal to Trump': CNN legal analyst



Marc Short, the former chief of staff of former Vice President Mike Pence, is now reportedly cooperating with the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots, and CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said that could be a major breakthrough in the probe.

Appearing on Erin Burnett's show Monday, Honig explained how Short could deliver damning new information about Trump's actions leading up to and during the January 6th riots.

"Marc Short could really be a pivotal witness," he said. "Here's what we know about him: He is completely loyal to Mike Pence. He is, importantly, not loyal necessarily to Donald Trump. He's spoken publicly critically about Donald Trump for his role on January 6th."

Honig then outlined some crucial pieces of information Short could give to the committee.

"First, that January 4th meeting... in the Oval Office," he said. "I mean, let's not lose sight of how important that is. Donald Trump and this lawyer, John Eastman are trying to pressure Mike Pence... And then, key moments on January 6th, he is with Mike Pence."

Honig finished up by predicting Short could make "a big difference" in the committee's findings.

Watch the video below:

Former Pence chief of staff cooperating with January 6 Committee as probe gains 'momentum'



On Monday's edition of CNN's "The Situation Room," correspondent Jamie Gangel broke down the significance of former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Marc Short cooperating with the House January 6 Committee.

"We learned the committee subpoenaed Marc Short a few weeks ago, but unlike some other Trump officials, he is not fighting the subpoena," said Gangel. "Short's cooperation ... is a significant development because he is a firsthand witness to many critical events. He was with Mike Pence at the Capitol on January 6th. He was also in the Oval Office on January 4th when former President Trump tried to convince Pence not to certify the election results."

She then suggested that Short's cooperation could open the door to more Pence loyalists testifying at the committee.

"Our sources say that Short's assistance signals a greater openness among Pence's inner circle, with one source telling me the committee is getting, quote, 'significant cooperation with Team Pence,' and another source telling me that Short's help is an example of the momentum the investigation is having behind the scenes," continued Gangel. "I do think it's important for context to remember this: Short is considered one of Pence's most loyal aides. He has worked with him off and on for more than a decade. It is hard to imagine that Marc Short would cooperate with the committee without Pence's blessing."

"That's really an important point, Jamie," said anchor Wolf Blitzer. "Why is Short's cooperation as a result so, so significant?"

"We've heard a lot about Trump officials, allies of Trump claiming executive privilege or saying they'll take the fifth," said Gangel. "This marks a significant break for the committee, because Marc Short is a firsthand witness and he's willing to cooperate, according to our sources. He knows firsthand what was going on in the days leading up to January 6th. He knows what happened at the Capitol on January 6th. It's hard not to imagine that Marc Short, who was then chief of staff to Mike Pence, he's there in the Capitol, was not calling or texting someone like Mark Meadows ,who was chief of staff to Donald Trump, when the riot was going on."

"He is likely to be able to provide information about conversations, phone calls, texts that were going on in real time on January 6," added Gangel. "Just as one example, he may be able to tell the committee what the communication was when they were reaching out, trying to find out why did it take so long for Trump to come out and tell the rioters to stop."

Watch below:

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 Committee files subpoenas for phone records of over 100 people including many Trump associates

The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack has officially issued subpoenas to wireless companies for the phone records of over 100 people, a "substantial" number of them Trump associates, in an effort to piece together the actions of Donald Trump and his inner circle on the day of the violent insurrection.

The records do not include actual voice or text content, but rather who called or texted whom, when, for how long, CNN reports, and possibly from where.

Included in the massive list is Mark Meadows, the former Trump White House chief of staff.

The data should give the Committee "the ability to draw a web of communications before, during and after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol."

CNN adds that one subpoena it reviewed "requests 'all call, message, Internet Protocol and data connection detail records associated with the phone number' from November 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021. The letter also asks for information related to phone numbers, IP addresses and devices that the account in question has communicated with."

https://www.rawstory.com/bank/jan-6-committee-files-subpoenas-for-phone-records-of-over-100-people-including-many-trump-associates/


Capitol riot committee 'quietly issued an unknown number of subpoenas' to key Trump officials: report

On Tuesday, the Huffington Post reported that the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack has been doing an enormous amount of work "beneath the radar" that has not been made public — and have "quietly issued an unknown number of subpoenas" to former Trump administration officials.

This suggests that the committee's public steps, which include securing the cooperation of former Mike Pence chief of staff Marc Short and threatening a contempt referral against Trump chief of Staff Mark Meadows, could barely scratch the surface of the committee's activity.

“'While we’ve announced roughly 40 subpoenas, the select committee has heard from 275 witnesses, both individuals complying with subpoenas and those participating with our investigation voluntarily," one unnamed aide told Huffington Post reporter S.V. Date. "We’ve taken in more than 30,000 pages of records, received hundreds of tips, and are making rapid progress in this phase of our investigation."

According to the report, "while the committee in August released letters to 35 telecommunications and technology companies asking them to preserve records of certain individuals, the names of those people were not released, and it was not until Meadows’ lawyer told the committee his client would not be cooperating that it became clear that Meadows — who was with Trump all that day — was among them."

Meadows recently reneged on his offer to cooperate with the committee, claiming that the House investigators were not respecting the former president's executive privilege.

All of this comes amid fears that if Republicans win control of the House in 2022 and the committee has not yet arrived at its final conclusions, they will move to shut down the committee.

https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-riot-committee-subpoenas-2655939772/


Capitol riot committee warns Mark Meadows he's headed for 'criminal prosecution'

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot has apparently lost patience with former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows.

On Tuesday afternoon, the committee released a statement slamming Meadows for backing out of cooperating with them despite writing publicly in his new book about former President Donald Trump's response to the riots.

"Mark Meadows has informed the Select Committee that he does not intend to cooperate further despite his apparent willingness to provide details about the January 6th attack, including conversations with President Trump, in the book he is now promoting and selling," the committee said. "The Select Committee has numerous questions for Mr. Meadows about records he has turned over to the Committee with no claim of privilege, which include real-time communications with many individuals as the events of January 6th unfolded."

The committee then warned Meadows of severe consequences should he remain defiant.

"Tomorrow’s deposition will go forward as planned," the committee said. "If indeed Mr. Meadows refuses to appear, the Select Committee will be left no choice but to advance contempt proceedings and recommend that the body in which Meadows once served refer him for criminal prosecution.

https://www.rawstory.com/mark-meadows-criminal-contempt/


Trump will 'be furious' when he realizes how many documents Meadows already turned over: CNN reporter

On Tuesday's edition of CNN's "OutFront," correspondent Jamie Gangel broke down the significance of former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows handing over a significant number of documents, even as he moved to renege on his pledge to cooperate.

"Let's start with your new reporting," said anchor Erin Burnett. "What is included in what Meadows did hand over? The roughly 6,000 pages of documents, what is in there, as far as you know?"

"So let's remember, this was voluntary, no claim of privilege," said Gangel. "We are told by the committee that in those documents Meadows has handed over include messages sent and received during the riot, texts, e-mails, calls, while the events of the insurrection were actually going on on January 6th. Committee member Zoe Lofgren told us earlier today the records include, quote, 'volumes of material,' including real-time communication."

"So, look, Erin, we don't know yet the details of who Meadows was communicating with that day," added Gangel. "But we do know a lot of people had Meadows' cell phone. So, think about it. White House officials, rally organizers, Trump loyalists, members of Congress. All should be aware that if they were communicating with Meadows, texting, emailing on January 6th, the committee may already have those documents. I just want to add one thing. If Donald Trump is as mad about Mark Meadows' book as we're hearing, he's going to be furious when he realizes that Meadows handed over all these records with no claim of privilege."