Tag: riots

Ashli Babbitt coverup sparks federal action

The Department of Justice has been hit with a lawsuit for failing to provide public access to its records about the “killing” of Ashli Babbitt.

She was the California woman, unarmed, a 14-year Air Force veteran, who was shot and killed by Capitol police last January when dozens of protesters got rowdy, broke windows and doors, and vandalized parts of the building.

Democrats over and over have claimed the events that day as worse than 9/11 and a true threat to the future of American government.

Babbitt was shot and killed as she climbed through a broken interior window.

Congress and federal and local authorities kept secret for months before finally revealing that her killer was U.S. Capitol Officer Michael Byrd, and then they quickly confirmed he would face no punishment for killing her.

Now government watchdog Judicial Watch has confirmed it filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for its records relating to her death.

Earlier, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, the Civil Rights Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all failed to provide the records responsive to Judicial Watch’s April 14, 2021 and May 20, 2021, FOIA requests.

Those were for records of the shooting, including video footage, and communications about the case and more.

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Covert Postal Service unit probed Jan. 6 social media

In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, an obscure arm of the U.S. Postal Service did some serious internet sleuthing.

On Jan. 11, the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Internet Covert Operations Program — better known as iCOP — sent bulletins to law enforcement agencies around the country on how to view social media posts that had been deleted. It also described its scrutiny of posts on the fringe social media network Wimkin.

Few Americans are aware that the same organization that delivers their mail also runs a robust surveillance operation rooted in an agency that dates back to the 18th century. And iCOP’s involvement raises questions about how broad the mandate of the Postal Service’s policing arm has grown from its stated mission of keeping mail deliverers safe.

The documents also point to potential gaps in the Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation by revealing concerns about a company it is not known to be scrutinizing. And those documents point to a new challenge for law enforcement in the post-Jan. 6 era: how to track extremist organizing across a host of low-profile platforms.

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Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor for Taking Nancy Pelosi’s Beer on January 6 — Will Serve 6 Months in Federal Prison for the Crime

An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after taking one of  Nancy Pelosi’s beers from her office on January 6.

Andrew Craig Ericson, 24, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. Prosecutors will drop three related misdemeanor charges in exchange for his plea. Ericson said in a signed statement that he is pleading guilty because he is in fact guilty.

He will face six months in federal prison and a $5,000 fine after he was tipped off to the FBI by someone who had known him since high school.

Six months in prison for one beer? 

Ericson posted a photo of himself on Snapchat while sitting comfortably with his feet on a table at Pelosi’s conference room and taking a beer out of a mini-refrigerator.

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9/11 Was Bad, But It Wasn’t QAnoners Wandering Around The Capitol For A Few Hours Bad

Okay, okay, let’s all cool our jets here for a minute. I know we’re all worked up about the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and that’s all well and good. But let’s not let our emotions cloud our vision and let today’s commemorations cause us to forget the real horror we must all remain focused on: the Capitol riot this past January.

It is true that losing nearly 3,000 American lives to weaponized passenger jets was pretty bad, but I think we can all agree that this pales in comparison to the earth-shattering terror we all experienced when watching footage of wingnuts wander aimlessly around the Capitol Building for a few hours.

Serious experts agree.

In a July appearance on MSNBC’s ReidOut with Joy Reid, former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd said he felt the Capitol riot was “much worse” than 9/11 and that this is the “most perilous point in time” since the beginning of the American Civil War.

“To me, though there was less loss of life on January 6, January 6 was worse than 9/11, because it’s continued to rip our country apart and get permission for people to pursue autocratic means, and so I think we’re in a much worse place than we’ve been,” Dowd said. “I think we’re in the most perilous point in time since 1861 in the advent of the Civil War.”

“I do too,” Reid replied.

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Lawyer for Jan. 6 Defendants Released From Hospital, Says Reports He Went ‘Missing’ Are Inaccurate

A lawyer representing 17 clients who were allegedly involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach released a statement Tuesday saying reports he went missing are false.

John Pierce, who is based in California, issued a lengthy comment to The Gateway Pundit saying he was hospitalized for 12 days and has recovered. Pierce later confirmed to The Epoch Times on Tuesday that he released the statement.

Court filings that were submitted last month by acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips said that about 20 cases related to the Jan. 6 incident haven’t proceeded after Pierce didn’t show up, alleging that he was “reportedly ill” with COVID-19 and on a ventilator. A law firm associate who isn’t a licensed lawyer appeared in Pierce’s place during court hearings and proceedings, according to the filings.

“Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Pierce may be hospitalized and unable to communicate, and it is unclear when Mr. Pierce will recover,” prosecutors wrote in the filing.

Pierce, however, said that he was released from a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sept. 5 after a 12-day stay.

“I was not ‘missing’ or anything of the sort. I am greatly appreciative of the many expressions of prayer and support,” he said in a statement. “And I am deeply grateful for the amazing care I received from the doctors, nurses, and staff who cared for me.”

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U.S. Capitol Police Tell Federal Court January 6 Disturbance Videos Are Not Public Records

Judicial Watch announced today the U.S. Capitol Police seeks to shut down a public records lawsuit for January 6 disturbance video and emails by arguing to a federal court that the requested are “not public records.”

Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in February 2021 under the common law right of access to public records after the Capitol Police refused to provide any records in response to a January 21, 2021, request for:

  • Email communications between the U.S. Capitol Police Executive Team and the Capitol Police Board concerning the security of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The timeframe of this request is from January 1, 2021 through January 10, 2021.
  • Email communications of the Capitol Police Board with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concerning the security of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The timeframe of this request is from January 1, 2021 through January 10, 2021.
  • All video footage from within the Capitol between 12 pm and 9 pm on January 6, 2021.

Regarding withholding the videos, the Capitol Police told the court:

The USCP’s camera security system, including footage recorded by it within the Capitol and sought by [Judicial Watch], is solely for national security and law enforcement purposes.

Access to video footage from the USCP’s camera security system is limited to narrow circumstances and strictly controlled by USCP policy.

The USCP has not made any public disclosures of video footage from January 6 from its camera security system.

There are currently pending criminal investigations and prosecutions of individuals involved in the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

There are currently pending congressional investigations into the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

In its motion, the Capitol Police also argues the case should be closed because, among other assertions, even if the records Judicial Watch asks for are “public records,” the USCP’s interests in confidentiality “outweigh any public interest in those materials.”

It also claims not to have access to many of the emails sought by Judicial Watch.

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Lawyer Representing 17 Jan. 6 Defendants Has Mysteriously Gone Missing: Court Filings

An attorney who is representing 17 accused Jan. 6 Capitol breach defendants has disappeared, possibly suffering from COVID-19, according to a court filing on Monday.

Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips said in a court document (pdf) that nearly 20 cases related to the Jan. 6 incident are not proceeding after John Pierce, the lawyer, went missing.

Pierce, according to the court filing, is “reportedly ill with COVID-19, on a ventilator, and unresponsive.” Pierce’s law firm associate, Ryan Marshall—who is not a licensed attorney—has been appearing in Pierce’s place at court hearings and proceedings. Marshall also was the one who revealed Pierce’s alleged hospitalization and condition, said the filing.

The lawyer, who generally posts on Twitter several times per day, has not posted since Aug. 20.

“Because Mr. Pierce is unavailable and Mr. Marshall cannot ethically or legally represent Mr. Pierce’s clients,” Phillips said, “the government is making the Court aware of Mr. Pierce’s reported illness so that it can take any steps it believes necessary to ensure the defendant’s rights are adequately protected while Mr. Pierce remains hospitalized.”

But later in the court filing, the U.S. attorney’s office said it obtained “conflicting information about Mr. Pierce’s health and whereabouts.”

When it was revealed publicly that Pierce was hospitalized with COVID-19, a report from NPR, citing unnamed sources, said that he may have been suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, and is believed to have symptoms related to COVID-19.

And a colleague of Pierce, Brody Womack, told Business Insider that Pierce “appears to have been suffering from dehydration and exhaustion in relation to his tireless work on behalf of his clients, including the many defendants he represents in connection with the January 6, 2021 protest at the Capitol.”

On Aug. 26, Marshall appeared in place of Pierce, telling a U.S. attorney’s assistant that he hasn’t had any contact with Pierce and adding that one of his friends “had told him that Mr. Pierce was sick with COVID-19 and another had said he was not,” the filing said.

“From the government’s perspective,” said Phillips’ office, “given Mr. Pierce’s reported illness and the fact that Mr. Marshall is not a licensed attorney, this case is effectively at a standstill.”

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Biden Regime Charges Infowars Reporter Owen Shroyer For Standing On Steps Of Capitol On 1/6

The Biden regime has just charged popular conservative reporter Owen Shroyer for standing on the steps of the US Capitol on January 6 and has ordered the conservative journalist to turn himself in by Monday.

Infowars reporter Owen Shroyer has been charged by the Biden regime for standing on the steps of the US Capitol on January 6. He has been ordered to turn himself in by Monday. “I plan on declaring my innocence of these charges,” Shroyer said, adding that there is a warrant out for his arrest. This comes as hundreds of Trump supporters face charges at the hands of the increasingly authoritarian Biden regime over the events of January 6.

One photo that the government is using as evidence against Shroyer was taken from a video with Alex Jones urging the crowd to “be peaceful, go to the other side, be peaceful.”

The Department of Justice is arguing that Shroyer entered a restricted area near the inauguration stage. While on his show today, Shroyer noted that “I probably shouldn’t be on the air.” It is still unclear why the Biden regime is moving to arrest and charge dissident journalists.

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FBI “Finds Scant Evidence” Of Jan 6 Insurrection Plot, Killing Off Another Anti-Trump Media Hoax.

Another widely peddled media hoax has been shot to pieces as Reuters reveals that the FBI has “scant evidence” that there was any forward planning to overthrow the U.S. government on January 6th.

The news confirms The National Pulse’s reporting from January 11th, and raises questions about the government’s power grab and abuse of authority using January 6th as pretext.

Reuters reported Friday morning:

The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials.

Though federal officials have arrested more than 570 alleged participants, the FBI at this point believes the violence was not centrally coordinated by far-right groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump, according to the sources, who have been either directly involved in or briefed regularly on the wide-ranging investigations.

“Ninety to ninety-five percent of these are one-off cases,” said a former senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. “Then you have five percent, maybe, of these militia groups that were more closely organized. But there was no grand scheme with Roger Stone and Alex Jones and all of these people to storm the Capitol and take hostages.”

The report also vindicates President Trump and his team, and clarifies that there is “no evidence that the groups had serious plans,” to overthrow the U.S. government or commit anything like an actual “insurrection.”

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Govt. Says Alleged Capitol Rioter Violated Terms of Release by Watching Mike Lindell’s Election Conspiracy Symposium

Douglas Jensen stands accused of leading a mob that chased and hectored Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman inside in the Capitol on January 6. Jensen was wearing a Q-Anon shirt and had a knife in his pocket at the time.

In July, a federal judge granted Jensen pretrial release over the government’s objection. That judge imposed certain conditions on Jensen, one of which was that he could not use devices with access to the internet.

But according to a prosecutors’ filing that was flagged by Buzzfeed on Thursday night, Jensen violated that condition a month after his release.

“A mere thirty days after his release from the D.C. Jail,” said the filing, “defendant Douglas Jensen was found alone, in his garage, using a WiFi-connected iPhone to stream news from Rumble.” As the document notes, Rumble is an alternative to YouTube that is popular among some conservatives.

During a check on Jensen, a court officer arrived at the defendant’s residence and found him watching the video streaming service on his phone. “Jensen eventually admitted to his Pretrial Services Officer that in the previous week, he had spent two days watching Mike Lindell’s Cyber Symposium regarding the recount of the presidential election,” the filing said.

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