Testimony in a #Michigan court Fri, revealed both #state & #federal investigators continue to probe certificates that falsely claimed #Trump won the #2020election, 5 months before the next election.
On day 4 of prelim examinations for 6 #Republicans who signed the false certificate in MI, MSP Capt Darren Green, said he was interviewed Thurs by the #FBI & 2 US prosecutors from DC.
Capt Green was at the #Michigan Capitol when a group of #FakeElectors attempted to enter the building on Dec 14, 2020, to present their document to the MI Senate. Green said the interview Thurs focused on the electors.
Just before Green's remarks, Howard Shock, an agent of MI AG #DanaNessel's office, testified that he had outstanding #subpoenas or search #warrants for info as part of an ongoing state investigation into the false electors certificate.
The latest #doxxing attempt fits a pattern of #threats against people who speak out against Trump.
The addresses & phone numbers of fmr Trump lawyer Cohen's family members were posted to a doxxing website after Trump was #convicted of 34 #felony counts in connection w/a scheme to illegally #influence the #2016election.
#Trump supporters tried to #dox#jurors last week after his #conviction, & they also targeted #prosecutors & the #judge, Justice #Merchan, in the case w/ #threats. During the trial, the mother of a fmr police officer, #MichaelFanone, who was nearly killed on #Jan6, 2021, by rioters who believed Trump's lies about the #2020election was "#swatted" after her son called Trump "an authoritarian" w/ "a violence fetish."
"Our researchers are regularly scanning for potential #threats & instigations of #PoliticalViolence. …we identified personal details online — #doxxing— for #MichaelCohen, his wife, & his #children. The individual who shared the information online…, likely had an #intent to #harm Cohen—providing these personal details on the Cohen family in the context of calling Cohen a 'lying bastard' & identifying him as someone who 'betrayed #Trump’….” - Daniel J. Jones, ADI president, stmnt.
[#Trump appointee] Judge #AileenCannon …recently scrapped the trial’s start date … in May & has not yet scheduled a new one. In doing so, she cited the “myriad & interconnected” legal issues she has yet to resolve.
It appears increasingly unlikely that the case will go in front of a jury before the election…. That is largely because of Cannon’s habit of holding time-consuming hearings on arguments raised by the defense that many other judges would have decided on the merits of written filings.
#JennaEllis said in court during her guilty plea: “If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald #Trump in these postelection challenges,” adding, “I look back on this experience w/deep remorse.”
9 #witnesses in the #criminal cases against #Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, & a grant of shares & cash from Trump’s media co.
These pay increases & other benefits often came at delicate moments in the #legal proceedings against #Trump. One aide who was given a plum position on the board of Trump’s social media company, for example, got the seat after he was subpoenaed but before he testified. 👀
Significant changes to a staffer’s work situation, such as bonuses, pay raises, firings or promotions, can be #evidence of a #crime if they come outside the normal course of business.
White-collar defense #lawyers say the situation #Trump finds himself in—…defendant & boss of many of the …primary #witnesses to his alleged #crimes —is not uncommon. Their standard advice is not to provide any unusual benefits or penalties to such employees. Ideally, decisions about employees slated to give #evidence should be made by an independent body….
This is vintage #Trump. He’s not explicitly advocating #unrest. He’s not even explicitly mentioning unrest in this case. But he is suggestively pointing to something very bad around the corner if he doesn’t get what he wants.
And as w/his recent “bloodbath” comment, the point is not that this comment is a particularly egregious example of a #DogWhistle to his supporters; it’s that it’s merely the latest in a long line of suggestive comments. The context is key, & the track record is unmistakable
#Trump wants his foes to worry about things getting ugly — & to perhaps adjust their behavior accordingly. The problem is that we’ve seen how supporters can take his comments as a call to action. (And Trump’s comments, crucially, almost never come w/an admonition to stay peaceful.)
Israel’s Seizure of #Gaza Border Zone Strains Ties With Egypt
Israel defied ominous Egyptian warnings & took control of the #PhiladelphiCorridor, but the reaction from #Egypt, which wants to maintain its #security cooperation with #Israel, has been muted.
The #IDF said another 4 #Israeli hostages abducted by #Hamas on #Oct7 had died in captivity & that their bodies are being held by the #Palestinian Islamist group.
The 4 were identified as Chaim Peri, 80, Yoram Metzger, 80, Amiram Cooper, 84, & Nadav Popplewell, 51.
All 4 were filmed alive in hostage videos posted by #Hamas.
#Hamas said that Popplewell had died of wounds sustained during an Israeli air strike when posting his video last month.
#IDF spox Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that new intelligence led to confirmation of their deaths. The military believes the 4 were killed together in the southern #Gaza city of #KhanYounis a "number of months" ago when Israeli forces were operating in the city, Hagari said in remarks that were broadcast.
“We are thoroughly examining the circumstances of their deaths & checking all possibilities. We will present soon the findings, first to their families, & then to the public," he said. "We will present them w/transparency, as we have done until now."
Of the >250 people abducted on Oct. 7, about 120 remain in #Gaza, acc/to Israeli tallies. Many have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.
#POTUS#Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday allowing him to temporarily seal the #UnitedStates#border with #Mexico to migrants when crossings surge, a move that would suspend longtime protections for #asylum seekers in the #UnitedStates.
Democratic members of the #House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic defended Dr. Anthony #Fauci ahead of Monday's hearing about the #US’ #COVID19#pandemic response, policies & transparency.
The representatives blasted #Republicans’ claims of Fauci’s involvement in starting [for real they had to say this] or covering up the pandemic as a “dangerous” & “cartoonish” narrative.
“The Select subcmte has become an echo chamber of #extreme narratives intended to vilify our nation's #PublicHealth ofcls. Rather than tackling forward-looking reforms to strengthen public #health data collection, improve future testing & contact tracing capacity or address the inequities that we laid bare by the #pandemic, our majority colleagues have spent time & #taxpayer dollars fishing for evidence to back up their most extreme members’ claims about Dr. Fauci,” said #Democrat Rep Raul Ruiz.
“This investigation of Dr. #Fauci shows that he is an honorable #PublicServant, committed to #PublicHealth & he is not a comic book supervillain. He did not fund research to create the #Covid19 pandemic. He did not lie to #Congress about gain of function research in #Wuhan. And he did not organize a lab leak suppression campaign to cover his tracks. These are outrageous concoctions, fabrications & distortions,” #Democrat Rep #JamieRaskin said.
Big show of family support on the 1st day of #HunterBiden’s trial.
In addition to #POTUS’ statement, Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen, his sister Ashley Biden, his friend Kevin Morris, Peter Neal, who is married to Hunter’s daughter Naomi, & #FLOTUS Dr. #JillBiden are in attendance.
President #Biden will be in Wilmington, DL, w/no appearances scheduled. But he has given no indication that he would be in the courthouse — a possibility that would require considerable security arrangements.
Inside the courtroom, #HunterBiden has been surrounded by family members. At each break he has walked over to give a hug & kiss to his mother, FLOTUS Dr #JillBiden & embraces his wife, Melissa Cohen.
His uncle Jack Owens is there, as is his son-in-law, Peter Neal; Fran Person, a fmr aid to his father; his close friend Kevin Morris; Ricky “Mouse” Smith, a close family friend who has known #POTUS#Biden for decades.
Family members have been taking notes & listening closely.
In #HunterBiden’s trial, jury selection highlights #UnitedStates’ drug epidemic
The nation’s political divisions were also laid bare as 6 men & 6 women were chosen…. #JurySelection for the trial of #POTUS#Biden’s son Hunter turned into an impromptu but painful indictment of the nation’s drug epidemic, w/person after person telling the court of their loved ones’ battles w/ #addiction.
#ClaudiaSheinbaum was elected #Mexico’s first female president in a landslide on Sunday, an official quick count of votes showed, cementing the dominance of the left-leaning Morena movement that over the past 6 years has upended the country’s political establishment.
Her victory stunned an opposition that’s accused Morena of weakening the country’s democratic institutions.
Jesse #Barrett is a trial lawyer & managing partner at SouthBank Legal. He heads the firm’s Washington, DC, office, which opened after Justice Barrett joined the high court.
@Liliki he’s a pushover. First ones who should go are Alito & Thomas - equally disgraceful compromised abusers of power, then rapist Brett Kavanaugh. After that maybe the remaining will be a bit more humble.
Robinson became a fixture of the White House when she moved from her hometown of Chicago to help take care of her granddaughters during the #Obama administration.
“She passed peacefully this morning, & right now, none of us are quite sure how exactly we’ll move on without her,” the family statement said.
8 #Republican senators announced Fri they would boycott #Democratic#legislative priorities & nominations as payback for #Trump’s #guilty#verdict.
In a joint statement, the senators said they would not “allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare.”
The statement was signed by Sens. Mike Lee (Utah), J.D. Vance (Ohio), Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.). Scott is among those running to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the top Senate Republican, while Rubio has been discussed as a potential Trump running mate.
#POTUS#Biden addressed #Trump’s #conviction & said “the American principle that no one is above the #law was reaffirmed.”
“The #justice system should be respected, & we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that,” Biden said.
“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous & it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the #verdict,” Biden asserted. “Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, & it literally is the cornerstone of #America.”
#POTUS underscored #Trump “was given every opportunity to defend himself” & the case “was heard by a jury of…12 people like you & millions of Americans who serve on juries…chosen the same way every jury in America” is chosen.
“The jury heard 5 weeks of evidence, 5 weeks, & after careful deliberation, the jury reached a #unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump #guilty on all 34 #felony counts. Now, he’ll be given the opportunity, as he should, to #appeal that decision….”