Tag: washington dc

Several Statements in Ray Epps First In-Person FBI Recording From March 2021 Calls Into Question Key Issues From Epps’ Testimony

The Gateway Pundit had obtained, exclusively, a recording of the first-known interview of James “Ray” Epps after the protest at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021.

The Gateway Pundit’s Alicia Powe has previously reported on some of the discoveries from this recording in a three-part series on The Gateway Pundit (part 1, part 2 and part 3).

The interview was conducted at the office of John Blischak, Epps’ attorney, on March 3, 2021 by Agents Alexander Simms and Rob Kalinowski (sp?).  It was a voluntary interview that followed his January 8th phone call to the FBI regarding his placement on the “Most Wanted” list at #16.

“We Need More People”

The first major discrepancy in Epps’ testimony is something The Gateway Pundit published exclusively after receiving a statement from Ryan Samsel’s co-defendant, James Grant once he was clear of the Department of Justice’s wrath.

Epps, during his interview with the FBI, said that he told Samsel, “That’s not why we’re here…don’t be doing that.”  Grant, and Samsel (following the J6 pardons), confirmed that Epps said “We need more people.”  In fact, it is evident on the YouTube video from that day.

Ironically, according to the New York Times, Ryan Samsel told the FBI in January 2021 that when Epps whispered in his ear shortly before pushing the barricades, “his entire words were ‘Relax, the cops are just doing their job.‘”

The New York Times wrote that they obtained a recording of this interview, however, they did not publish the recording and when asked to review it, they did not respond.

Samsel did acknowledge that he had an informal interview with the FBI on January 30th, 2021, in which they provided him with coffee and a fresh can of Copenhagen Mint, his chew of choice.

During that interview, according to Samsel, the FBI was trying to convince him to confess that Epps was the “voice of reason.”  When Samsel asked what charges he was facing, the agents responded that it was up to him, but he could possibly face conspiracy to murder an officer.

He then immediately requested an attorney, at which time things began to turn.  The Copenhagen-gifting FBI agents became more typical of what we are accustomed to regarding treatment of J6ers.

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Elon Musk Drops Truth Bomb on Washington’s Corrupt Money Machine: “This is Really Going to Get Me Assassinated”

Elon Musk just dropped a bombshell on the Joe Rogan Experience, confirming what many Americans have long suspected—Washington, D.C. is a cesspool of corruption, and the Democrats are the primary beneficiaries.

“I think maybe three-quarters of the graft is Democratic. I think there’s maybe 20–25% that’s Republican,” Musk revealed, exposing how the system is rigged for political elites.

“Most of the graft is going to the Democrats, but they throw some bones to the Republicans too, so then they’re in on it.”

In a shocking but unsurprising exchange, Musk and Rogan discussed the absurd wealth accumulation of members of Congress, who are somehow able to transform their modest $170,000-a-year salaries into multimillion-dollar fortunes.

Musk didn’t hold back, stating, “It’s literally impossible” for these politicians to legally amass such wealth.

The conversation inevitably turned to one of the most notorious examples of Washington corruption: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and his husband Paul Pelosi.

It can be recalled that Paul Pelosi dumped over $500,000 worth of Visa stock just weeks before the Department of Justice slapped the financial giant with an antitrust lawsuit.

Following the lawsuit’s announcement, Visa’s stock price plummeted by 5.5%, leading to speculation about the timing of Pelosi’s stock sale.

Former President Donald Trump has publicly called for Nancy Pelosi to face prosecution over the transaction, suggesting that the sale was not coincidental.

“Nancy Pelosi sold vast amounts of Visa stock one day before the big lawsuit that we all read about a few days ago,” Trump said. “She should be prosecuted… Nancy Pelosi should be prosecuted for that.” 

This incident is not isolated. The Pelosis have a history of fortuitously timed trades that have consistently outperformed the market, leading to widespread speculation about the use of nonpublic information for personal gain.

For instance, in 2023, their investment portfolio reportedly achieved a 65% return, significantly surpassing the S&P 500’s 24% gain. ​

Moreover, in 2022, Paul Pelosi purchased over $1 million in Nvidia call options just weeks before a congressional vote on substantial subsidies to the chip manufacturing industry, raising further eyebrows about potential conflicts of interest.

In the same year, Paul Pelosi dumped 20,000 shares of Google stock in December—a month before the Department of Justice and Merrick Garland filed their antitrust lawsuit.

Nancy Pelosi has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she does not own any stocks and has no involvement in her husband’s financial transactions.

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Gun Owners Take DC Magazine Restrictions To Supreme Court

Gun owners in the nation’s capital are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the District of Columbia’s ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The petition in Hanson v. District of Columbia was docketed, or officially accepted for filing, by the court on Feb. 28. The respondent, the District of Columbia, was directed to file a response by March 31.

The district enacted the Firearms Registration Amendment Act of 2008 after the Supreme Court invalidated the city’s sweeping restrictions on gun ownership in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008). In Heller, the nation’s highest court determined that individuals have a right to possess firearms for lawful purposes, including self-defense at home.

The statute made it a felony-level offense to have a magazine that could hold more than 10 rounds. A violation can result in a prison term of three years and a fine of $12,500. District officials say the law is needed to protect the public.

Lead petitioner Andrew Hanson and co-petitioners Tyler Yzaguirre, Nathan Chaney, and Eric Klun, who all have concealed carry pistol licenses in the District of Columbia, possessed magazines holding more than 10 rounds outside D.C. and said they would use their magazines for lawful purposes in the district if the 10-round limit did not apply.

Hanson argues in the petition that the district’s magazine cap is unconstitutional according to a test the Supreme Court articulated in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), which recognized a right to bear arms in public for self-defense.

Weeks after Bruen was decided, the petitioners sued the District of Columbia, asking for a declaration from a federal district court that the magazine cap ran afoul of the Second and Fifth Amendments.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras issued an April 2023 decision that denied Hanson’s request to block the law on constitutional grounds. Contreras found that the local law adheres to the U.S. Constitution.

The judge found that the District’s ammo limitation, which was aimed at promoting public safety, was justified. The ban constituted “an attempt to mitigate the carnage of mass shootings in this country.”

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Congressional Reporter for Vanity Fair Leaks Planned ICE Raids in DC Suburbs, Warns Targets to Avoid Highways

Pablo Manriquez, Congressional reporter for Vanity Fair, posted leaked information on ICE raids planned for the D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia this week, along with a warning to targets to stay off the highways in the area.

Manriquez posted about the raids and gave advice to targets on how to evade capture:

“ICE RAIDS are planned for Monday & Tuesday in Northern Virginia, per multiple sources who tell us ICE has obtained between 75 and 100 judicial warrants.”

“NOTE: Judicial warrants mean ICE can go into your homes, so plan accordingly.”

“NOTE: Remember that state police have been deputized to help ICE, so highways, etc, are unsafe.”

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You Won’t Believe How Many FBI Employees Were Investigating Trump Supporters

FBI officials have caved to demands from the Justice Department, providing a list of agents involved in the J6 Capitol riot investigations — and it’s an insanely high number.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed FBI leadership to meet a deadline of noon Tuesday to submit the names of these agents and analysts. This follows his earlier directive to fire eight senior FBI officials.

CNN reports that “More than 5,000 names were submitted” to the Justice Department in response to Bove’s demand. 

Five thousand? Are you kidding me?

To put it into proper context, there are only roughly 13,000 agents and 38,000 total FBI employees. This means that roughly 13% of the entire FBI was tasked with investigating protestors. 

If that seems excessive to you, you’re not the only one.

CNN, of course, is outraged that the mask is off the anti-Trump Gestapo.

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“Full-On Corruption”: A Horrific Account Of Government Harassment Against Jan. 6 ‘Survivor’

The following is an account from Michael Shane Daughtery, a former SWAT officer who was aggressively pursued by the Biden DOJ for peacefully participating in the Jan 6, 2021 protest.

Daughtery’s story was conveyed by journalist Sarah Fields via X, who writes “Just when you think his story cannot get crazier, it does. His story is one of full-on corruption.“

Click into the post to read via X (and consider subscribing to Fields’ feed), or continue reading below.

My name is Michael Shane Daughtry and this is my January 6th Story.

I was a Police Officer with SWAT and Sniper Certifications, 20+ years Police experience and over a thousand hours of training. I’m also a Master Gunsmith with a Federal Firearms License and a Gunsmithing Business with over 10 years experience.

On January 6th 2021, I traveled to Washington DC with my wife Tammie to watch the Trump Rally. As the rally was completing, the President of the United States told the crowd to go to the West Lawn and “peacefully” protest, which we did. As we arrived at the West Lawn, the police officers removed the barricades and waved us onto the West Lawn. I had video of this but the FBI later raided my home and confiscated this Video. I never went into the Capital Building or damaged any property but I did later observe people causing damage to the Capital Building so I took a few pictures of these people and then returned to my motel room, we returned home the next morning.

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Two airport authority workers arrested for allegedly leaking DC plane crash video to CNN

Two employees of the authority that manages Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were arrested over their alleged involvement in leaking surveillance footage of last week’s deadly midair aircraft collision to CNN.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) staffers are accused of making an unauthorized copy of records and are facing charges of computer trespass, the agency said Monday. 

The legal trouble is tied to the chilling video obtained by CNN last week that offered a horrifying new vantage point in the crash over the Potomac River, ABC News reported. 

The Wednesday night collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet killed all 67 people on both aircraft. 

The exclusive videos gave a closer and clearer look at the air disaster, including one clip in which the chopper is darting from the left side of the screen as the American Airlines flight approaches the airport.

A second short clip shows the Black Hawk, which was carrying three soldiers, and the Bombardier CRJ700 heading toward each other before the two smash together and explode.

Both videos were shot on cellphones, CNN reported Friday.

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Female Pilot Rebecca Lobach’s Entire Social Media Scrubbed before Army Released Her Name – So What Are They Hiding?

On Saturday the US Army released the name of the pilot of the US Army Blackhawk helicopter that flew into a passenger jet landing at Reagan National Airport.

The crash was on Wednesday. The third pilot’s name, Rebecca Lobach, was finally released on Saturday, three days later.

All 64 passengers in the jet were killed.
The three pilots in the Blackhawk helicopter also died in the explosive crash.

Kristinn Taylor at The Gateway Pundit reported:

After withholding at the request of the family the name of the female pilot killed in the mid-air collision Wednesday night between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA/American Airlines passenger plane on final approach to Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., the Army issued a statement Saturday afternoon from her family identifying the pilot as 28-year-old Capt. Rebecca Lobach from Durham, N.C.

The other two soldiers killed in the crash previously identified by the Army are Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland.

Lobach was part of a three-man crew flying a training mission for “continuity of government” down the Potomac River when the collision occurred, killing all three crew members on the Black Hawk based at nearby Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and all 60 passengers and four crew members on the flight out of Wichita, Kansas.

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Here is the Best Explanation I’ve Heard for the Crash at Reagan Airport From An Experienced Blackhawk Pilot and Crew Chief

My longtime friend is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army who served in the roles of both Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and Blackhawk Crew Chief as well. No one knows this helicopter better than my friend. Let’s call him Colonel Joe.

We’ve all seen the reports about the mistakes made in this tragic crash. We know the chopper was flying too high. We know the Control Tower was short of air controllers- and one controller was doing the job of two. It appears the Blackhawk was off course as well.

And we all suspect DEI could have been at fault- whether this involved the pilots, flight commanders on the ground, or the Air Controllers.

But my friend Colonel Joe is the expert. Here is Colonel Joe’s “Executive Summary.” These are his words- coming from a lifelong experienced Blackhawk pilot and Crew Chief.

In his opinion, the biggest issue is the flight was missing a fourth crew member for a night flight- a second Crew Chief.

Colonel Joe’s Executive Summary:

*The single-greatest error in this accident was the decision to fly without a second Crew Chief on the left-hand side of the Blackhawk, who could have provided an extra set of eyes to “look out-and-up” to see the approaching American Airlines Passenger plane.

*Night Vision Goggle (NVG) flights result in a sort-of “tunnel vision” for all who wear the NVGs and normal policy in many Army flight units is to force a full crew of 2 pilots and 2 crew chiefs for all NVG flights, so that you always have “eyes out” to both sides of the aircraft, when flying in those conditions. While not mandatory, it is the proper safety call, especially when flying in the vicinity of a busy, major airport such as Reagan Airport (DCA). No matter how competent the pilots and Crew Chiefs may be, this flight needed a second Crew Chief on the left side of the chopper.

*The front-left pilot, even if not wearing Night Vision Goggles, would still have limited visibility out the left door, and if that pilot is busy with radio calls, or referencing the map/GPS, that pilot could get consumed by work inside the cockpit, instead of looking out and around.

*Flight Unit Leadership failed to recognize the need for a second Crew Chief in the Mission Planning and Risk Assessment Process. This is where either incompetence, or DEI (or both), may have come into play. This was certainly poor leadership.

*Known mistakes by the Blackhawk Flight Crew point to a lack of experience and/or competence. We’ve heard in the media that both pilots were “experienced.” This is just not true. Someone is “blowing smoke” to the media, to President Trump, and to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to “cover their ass.” The collective level of experience of the pilots was not impressive. Their level of experience is like comparing a rookie in the NFL to a second-year player. The pilot had the experience of a second-year player, while the co-pilot was a rookie. This was NOT an experienced crew to be flying at night, near a major airport, without a second crew chief.

*Radio calls were not responded to by the Blackhawk crew, and they flew at 350 Feet above ground level (AGL), whereas reports say they were supposed to fly at 200 Feet AGL. These two mistakes alone show that the crew were not as experienced or professional as reported to President Trump, Defense Secretary Hegseth, or the media.

*The Instructor Pilot may have been too inexperienced for this “Annual Evaluation” flight, as mistakes were clearly made during the course of the flight (that are assumed to have been made by the junior pilot being evaluated). Why didn’t the Instructor Pilot notice they were flying too high and off course? That points to his lack of experience. If there had been a second Crew Chief, he could have noticed these mistakes and warned the pilots.

*The Flight Unit Commanders must share the blame, and they’re still alive! There is a 12th Aviation Battalion commander of that B Company, and I don’t know who that is, but this individual was the first leader in the chain of events for the Mission Plan and Risk Assessment to get signed off and approved. This B Company commander should be asked why they did not enforce a second Crew Chief to be on that flight.

*Accident sequences for these types of accidents begin in “Mission Planning,” when first selecting the time you will fly, where you will fly for the Annual Evaluation, and what crew members will be on the flight. Any of the Leaders in that unit’s Chain of Command could have demanded that this flight have two Crew Chiefs aboard the aircraft, due to NVG flying conditions, plus the busy airspace of Reagan airport.

*An experienced, thoughtful leader knows when to “raise the standard” and force the mission to have that second Crew Chief aboard the aircraft. This was clearly one of those moments, and both the B Company Commander and the 12th Aviation Battalion Commander failed to see through this risk problem and impose their own “Risk Reduction” to include a second Crew Chief to manage the left-hand side of the Blackhawk.

*In my opinion, even with all these mistakes that were made, a Crew Chief on the left side of the Blackhawk would still have saved them in that last 20 seconds when that American Airlines flight was approaching on the left-hand side. A Crew Chief in that seat would have warned the pilots to turn and descend immediately.

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Washington D.C. Plane CrashPilot Identified After Army Initially Refused

The final member of the three-person crew in the Black Hawk that crashed into an American Airlines passenger jet leading to the death of 67 people has been identified.

Captain Rebecca Lobach — the pilot of the helicopter — was identified by the U.S. Army as the final member of the ill-fated crew. She was 28 years old.

While the U.S. Army initially declined to name Lobach at the behest of the family, they changed course Saturday when the family released their own statement about her death.

Lobach’s family released a statement to the media … touting her accomplishments during her time in the military — and making it clear she worked hard to get where she did.

In addition, the Lobach family says Rebecca actually helped out in the White House … organizing events for the President and First Lady — presumably Joe and Jill Biden.

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