1/6 Insurrection Investigation

[Rick Plant]

Here's what the Jan. 6 committee can learn from Trump's White House visitor logs: CNN reporter



On Wednesday's edition of CNN's "OutFront," congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles walked through how the White House visitor logs former President Donald Trump unsuccessfully sought to block from being turned over to the House January 6 Committee could further the investigation into the attack on the Capitol.

"Tell me what you are learning from the committee, what they want from this," said anchor Erin Burnett.

"It's been clear what the committee is trying to uncover is a direct link between the former president's conduct leading up to January 6th and the attempts to overturn the will of the American voters," said Nobles. "What these White House visitor logs could show are the type of people that were coming in and out of the White House of the days leading up to January 6th. We already know from some of the public reporting there were many of these individuals that were at the front lines of this attempt to undermine the election results. People like Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell. Others, like Congressman Mo Brooks and those peddling these false claims and scheming up different legal theories that could be used to try and prevent the certification of the election results."

Nobles raised doubts on just how much the information could provide, however.

"We know the Trump administration was a bit lackluster when it came to recordkeeping on a number of fronts," he said. "We have reported about that as it relates to the call logs on January 6th. There's also only so much information the visitor logs can tell you. It's who gets cleared into the building on any given day. It doesn't say what offices they go to after their first initial meeting. It lacks a lot of detailed information about who comes in and out of the White House residence."

"We have seen the committee is casting a wide net," added Nobles. "They are talking to a lot of people. They deposed a number of people. They are conducting a lot of interviews. This may not present everything they are looking for, but hoping it's another piece of information that will allow them to paint the picture of what happened on January 6th."

Watch below:

[Rick Plant]

Judge orders 'clear danger' Stewart Rhodes to stay in jail ahead of trial



U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday ordered Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes to remain in prison ahead of his trial for charges of seditious conspiracy for this role in the January 6th Capitol riots.

Law and Crime reports that Mehta said during Friday's hearing that he was not convinced that Rhodes was a flight risk, but he was convinced that the Oath Keepers leader posed a "clear and convincing danger" to the general public if released.

According to CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane, Mehta expressed concern about Rhodes's "alleged gun/equipment purchases and messages" that he sent calling for violence ahead of the January 6th riots.

Additionally, writes MacFarlane, Mehta was concerned about a court's ability to monitor Rhodes given his proven savvy at using encrypted communications.

Tasha Adams, Rhodes's estranged wife, publicly warned against releasing him before his trial, and she even went so far as to detail how he created what she described as "elaborate escape tunnels" on their property.

Rhodes and some of his fellow Oath Keepers so far are the only people who took part in the Capitol riots who have faced seditious conspiracy charges.

https://lawandcrime.com/u-s-capitol-breach/clear-and-convincing-danger-federal-judge-refuses-to-let-oath-keepers-founder-stewart-rhodes-out-of-jail-pending-seditious-conspiracy-trial/

[Rick Plant]

Republican pretzel logic on Jan. 6 proves the party is trying to convince Americans it wasn't a big deal: columnist



Intelligencer columnist Ed Kilgore pointed to the "selective amnesia" among Republicans when it comes to the Jan. 6 attack. They're desperately trying to downplay the attack, and some are outright claiming that it was all fake. But then there are the Republicans who want Americans to believe that it was merely one isolated incident and there's nothing to worry about.

"But in some ways the more alarming development has been that Republicans who remain openly opposed to the attempted coup nonetheless tend to treat it as an isolated moment of lawlessness in an otherwise perfectly good presidency," wrote Kilgore. "That means none of the many, many months of planning that went into [Donald] Trump’s predictable effort to deny and then overturn his defeat are acknowledged, or the likelihood that he could try it again in 2024. Most Republicans are united in that feat of amnesia. And that’s understandable since nearly all of them supported his reelection in 2020, and most will accept his renomination in 2024 if it happens."

It wasn't merely an isolated incident either. It wasn't some bad eggs who wanted to cause trouble. Jan. 6, 2021, was part of a steady increase in violence from Trump supporters.

In Michigan, the FBI thwarted an attempt to kidnap and assassinate the Democratic governor by blowing up a bridge and executing her on the Capitol lawn live on television. A group of Trump supporters in Texas attempted to run a Joe Biden for President bus off the road. Last August, the Department of Homeland Security sent out an alert warning that Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists believed that Trump would be reinstated. There was a concern of violence if he wasn't brought back to the White House to take over. The far-right Trump supporters also infiltrated Canada in an effort to help the protesting truckers. At one point, the protesters began attacking journalists.

These incidents are all part of a greater collection of violence from Trump supporters that continues to grow into inflamed school board meetings to ban teaching about slavery and civil rights. It's also the reason that Black principals and teachers are being forced to apologize for triggering those suffering from white fragility.

Kilgore pointed to Trump's former UN chief Nikki Haley, who first said that Trump forfeited any right to future leadership. It took her just three months before she was promising she'd support Trump if he ran again in 2024. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) first denounced Trump's behavior the day after Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment. It took him just two weeks before he caved and said he'd back Trump in 2024.

"But perhaps the most jarring example of selective memory about Trump’s election coup comes from the man he has singularly and relentlessly blamed for spoiling it all: former vice-president Mike Pence," wrote Kilgore. "To be clear, the evidence suggests that Trump’s trusty and sycophantic veep vacillated until the very last moment before he 'betrayed' the boss by refusing to abuse his position as the presiding officer of the January 6 joint session of Congress by denying confirmation of Biden’s Electoral College victory. According to the latest insider account, he was shown a tweet by conservative legal luminary Michael Luttig denying any vice-presidential power to change the results before completely making up his mind the very morning of the planned heist."

Kilgore closed by saying that Pence may never agree on Jan. 6 but the most dangerous position is to dismiss the day as a one-off. "They may never come to grips with reality, and democracy may remain as fragile as their memories," he wrote.

Read Kilgore's full column at New York Magazine:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/02/the-gops-spreading-selective-amnesia-about-january-6.html

[Rick Plant]

Trump aide who was with him night before MAGA riots asked to voluntarily testify by Jan. 6 committee

Jalen Drummond, a former assistant White House assistant press secretary under former President Donald Trump, is being asked to testify voluntarily before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack.

The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reports that Drummond "was present at a meeting with Trump and staff" on January 5th, the night before the Capitol riot.

It's not known at this point what information the committee is seeking from Drummond, although the committee has been investigating Trump's plans to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to reject certified election results and send them back to Republican-controlled state legislatures.

© AFP

[Rick Plant]

MAGA rioter with 'extensive ties' to Pennsylvania GOP has testified before Jan. 6 committee four times



A Capitol rioter who is described by Politico as having "extensive ties" with the Pennsylvania Republican Party has testified four times before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attacks.

Annie Howell, who is facing sentencing next week after pleading guilty to breaching the Capitol on January 6th, has apparently given significant information to the House Select Committee.

Politico learned of Howell's cooperation after her attorney, Heather Shaner, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that her client deserved leniency because of the valuable testimony she provided.

“The information she provided was investigated, verified and found to be valuable,” Shaner wrote.

According to Politico, Howell's cooperation may prove to be incredibly valuable in aiding the committee's work.

"No defendants until Annie Howell have publicly described ties that extend beyond the Jan. 6 attack and reach deeper into GOP establishment circles," the publication writes. "She described selling pro-Trump bracelets on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Md. in early 2020, which she parlayed into graphic design work for the PA GOP. She then began recruitment work with the party as a volunteer, which led her to be involved in a slew of events with prominent Republicans, saying she was 'surrounded by Congressman, Senators, even Trump advisers.'"

https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-riot-committee-2656787588/

[Rick Plant]

Jan. 6 select committee zeroes in on another Alex Jones associate
The panel has subpoenaed records for Annette Shroyer, the mother of Jones employee Owen Shroyer.

The Jan. 6 select committee has subpoenaed phone records connected to an employee of Alex Jones, the second time in recent weeks the panel has homed in on a Jones associate as it seeks to pinpoint the pro-Trump broadcaster’s role preceding the Capitol attack.

Court documents filed Sunday evening reveal the panel has subpoenaed records for Annette Shroyer, the mother of Jones employee Owen Shroyer, who was charged last year for his participation in the Jan. 6 breach of Capitol grounds. Annette Shroyer is asking a judge to let her join Jones’ pending lawsuit against the Jan. 6 select committee, claiming the subpoena is an abuse of the committee’s power.

According to a copy of the subpoena filed with the court, Annette Shroyer received notice of the subpoena on Feb. 10, and Verizon indicated it would provide her records to the select committee unless she filed suit by Feb. 28.

It’s unclear if the select committee has also sought Owen Shroyer’s phone records, or if the subpoena for his mother’s records is an indication that Owen Shroyer remains on a family plan — a scenario that has led to other witness’ family members receiving subpoenas. The select committee declined to comment on the subpoena or Annette Shroyer’s effort to join Jones’ suit.

In the court filing, Jones’ attorney Norman Pattis indicates that Owen Shroyer “will properly assert the Fifth Amendment” against attempts by the Select Committee to obtain his records.

Jones’ role in Jan. 6 events remains somewhat opaque.

He has claimed to be involved in fundraising for Donald Trump’s rally on the Ellipse, which preceded the Capitol attack. He also led thousands of Trump allies in a march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol. Although he’s later seen on video, with Owen Shroyer at his side, urging Trump allies to avoid confrontations with police, Justice Department prosecutors have faulted Jones’ entourage for refusing to leave Capitol grounds even after a police officer appeared to direct them away from the building.

Jones has already pleaded the Fifth during his own appearance before the select committee and refused to produce documents, citing multiple constitutional protections. And he sued in December to prevent the panel from obtaining his phone records from Verizon.

Owen Shroyer is one of the few people connected to Jones and other top Trump allies who is facing criminal charges for breaching Capitol grounds. Prosecutors charged Shroyer with a misdemeanor for crossing police lines amid the attack and egging on the crowd at the foot of the Capitol. Shroyer was charged, in part, because he had previously signed an agreement to refrain from protest activity on Capitol grounds after he disrupted a Trump impeachment hearing in late 2019.

Earlier this month, a Jones security guard, Tim Enlow, joined Jones’ suit against the select committee, claiming that a subpoena for his phone records was a backdoor attempt to glean more information about Jones. The case is pending before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama nominee confirmed in 2014.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/27/jan6-committee-alex-jones-shroyer-00012200

[Rick Plant]

Donald Trump Had Several Calls With Lawyer on Jan. 6, Committee Says

The House Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has subpoenaed a lawyer who had reportedly been in contact with then-President Donald Trump the same day a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The committee on Tuesday issued letters to six witnesses demanding documents and testimony for what it described as their roles seeking to overturn the election in the leadup to the insurrection. Since being formed last year, the committee has turned its attention in recent months to how efforts by Trump and his inner circle to stay in power allegedly played into the attack.

Of the newly subpoenaed witnesses is Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who previously assisted with unsuccessful efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. The committee's letter to Olsen states that he had "multiple telephone calls" with Trump on January 6 after previously providing legal assistance to help the then-president overturn the election.

Specifically, the letter points to Olsen's reported actions days before a mob seeking to block the certification of the 2020 election stormed the Capitol. Olsen, the letter states, contacted high-level U.S. Justice Department officials at Trump's direction to discuss bringing a last minute challenge to the election results based on a similar case already rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Additionally, Olsen reportedly drafted an executive order to be signed by Trump that would have directed the Justice Department "to take voter action," according to the letter. The letter does not explain what it means by the phrase.

During Trump's final days in office, Olsen's name appeared on a set of notes that MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell was photographed carrying after a White House meeting.

Newsweek could not reach Olsen for contact Tuesday afternoon.

The January 6 committee said in a statement that the most recent batch of subpoenas are directed at individuals "who promoted false claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and participated in, or encouraged, various actions based on those false claims."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-had-several-calls-lawyer-jan-6-committee-says-1683900