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CNN: Feds looking at communications between lawmakers, Capitol rioters

Lexi Lonas
The Hill
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 10:07 UTC
Protester down
© Reuters/Shannon Stapleton
Takedown at the US Capitol building January 6, 2021
Federal investigators are looking at communications between members of Congress and the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, a U.S. official told CNN. The investigators, according to CNN, have looked at communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with Congress and includes indications of contact with lawmakers.

However, it so far has not found that any lawmakers were involved with the riot or personally helped any of the rioters, the official said.

Authorities have been investigating the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 for months and have been able to arrest hundreds of those involved in the riot that led to the deaths of five people.

Officials are still arresting those who stormed the Capitol but are going to start focusing on those who planned the attack, who funded them and what connection, if any, lawmakers had.

The FBI and Justice Department declined to comment to CNN.

Comment: As accusations fly, the war of deflection continues:
Former President Trump, his eldest son and several of his allies were sued on Friday by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) over their role in the run-up to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

The 65-page complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., accuses Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani of inciting the riot and violating a number of federal and D.C. laws.

Each defendant was among the speakers at a pro-Trump rally that immediately preceded the deadly Capitol breach. The lawsuit depicts the incendiary rally speeches as a tipping point that culminated a months-long disinformation campaign to push the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.


Unbiased accounts do not support the claim that pre-Capitol rhetoric was incendiary.


"The horrific events of January 6 were a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants' unlawful actions," the complaint states. "As such, the Defendants are responsible for the injury and destruction that followed."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified money damages and asks for a court order requiring Trump and his allies to provide at least a week's notice before holding any future rally in D.C. related to an election.

Among the allegations contained in the nine-count complaint is that defendants conspired to prevent lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence from certifying President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's election win, in violation of a federal civil rights law.

Brooks called Swalwell's lawsuit "frivolous." "Under no circumstances will Swalwell, or any other Socialist, stop me from fighting for America," Brooks said in a statement.

Swalwell's lawsuit comes less than a month after Trump was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial over his role in the Jan. 6 attack. Swalwell, a former county prosecutor in California, served as one of the House impeachment managers in the Senate trial.


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Magic Wand

The Disappearing Spy

Rob Slane
The Blog Mire
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00 UTC
hand curtain
© pinterest
It is exactly three years since one of the most absurd yarns of modern times was spun just a few stone's throws from where I live. The official narrative of the alleged poisoning of Sergei Skripal was so patently ridiculous and full of holes, that I remain amazed at how anyone could have been taken in by it — although it must be said that this astonishment has since been surpassed by an order of magnitude by some of the things millions of people have been willing to believe over the past year, including the myth that healthy people can transmit an illness, the myth that wearing a mask prevents virus spread, and the myth that Lockdowns save lives rather than destroying both lives and society.

I don't really have anything new to say on the subject, but would simply point anyone who is interested to the in-depth piece I wrote a year ago (here), which includes the 40 most absurd, implausible and impossible elements of the case (I have also republished these points below). They remain as absurd, implausible and impossible as ever, which the British security services and Metropolitan Police know full well.

I would just add one further observation, though. I have titled this piece, The Disappearing Spy, and for good reason. Of all the glaring issues in the deception put forward by the British authorities, the single biggest is the fact that Sergei Skripal, alleged victim of nerve agent poisoning, has not been seen or heard of since. Nor has a statement ever been issued on his behalf. This is extraordinary odd, given the enormity of the story at the time, and the huge opportunities an interview or even a few snaps would have presented to the authorities and media to milk the story even more.
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Calendar

Pentagon confirms request for extension of National Guard mission at Capitol

Abraham Mahshie
Washington Examiner
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 12:32 UTC
US National Guard
© Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Members of the US National Guard arriving at the US Capitol January 12, 2021
The U.S. Capitol Police has requested an extension of the National Guard mission to provide heavily armed protection of Congress and the Capitol grounds, the Defense Department confirmed Thursday.

"We have indeed received a request and DOD is currently considering request," a defense official told the Washington Examiner without providing details about the number of requested citizen-soldiers and the length of time amid reports that the mission will stretch well into the spring months. Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters any decisions about keeping the Guard in the capital city would be made by law enforcement officials:
"The issue about the National Guard is one that will be made by the Capitol Police and the Police Board. We should have them here as long as they are needed."
Presently, 5,200 National Guard members patrol a vast barbed wire-topped perimeter fence around the U.S. Capitol in nearby federal buildings. Lawmakers and governors have protested the need for their presence, and federal agencies have declined to disclose specific details about threats.

Comment: Optic reminders and relentless blame serve to stoke fear, fuel unrest and prolong tensions in DC. Messaging takes priority.

Cancelled Session:
The House canceled plans to hold a Thursday session after security officials warned of a potential plot by an unnamed militant group to breach the Capitol, according to a new report.

While the Senate plans to be in session Thursday, the House will hold its final votes of the week on Wednesday evening over concerns of credible threats of violence, according to the Washington Post.

Extremists have reportedly circulated threats for March 4, which they have called the "true Inauguration Day" when former President Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term.

In a memo on Wednesday, House Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett told lawmakers that the Capitol Police have "enhanced their security posture" in response to the threats. National Guard troops remain posted at the Capitol, he added.

Members and staff have also been encouraged to park in garages and use underground tunnels whenever possible. Lawmakers received similar instructions ahead of the January 6 riot at the Capitol.


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Clock

In last-ditch effort to block Biden's bloated Covid bill, Republican senator forces clerks to read it out loud, takes TEN HOURS


RT
Fri, 05 Mar 2021 19:19 UTC
Ron Johnson senator republican
© Reuters / Ting Shen
Ron Johnson speaks during a confirmation hearing for budget director Neera Tanden in Washington, DC, February 9, 2021
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has infuriated Democrats by demanding that Senate clerks read each and every page of Joe Biden's $2 trillion Covid-19 relief bill aloud. To some Dems, bills are better passed with no debate.

President Joe Biden's Covid-19 relief bill, which passed the House of Representatives last week, weighs in at a whopping 628 pages. It offers relief checks of $1,400 to eligible Americans, though more than three quarters of its $1.9 trillion price tag funds other federal programs and state governments.

Republicans have accused Democrats of packing the bill with unnecessary pork, and when the Senate assembled to debate the bill on Thursday, Johnson objected to skipping a line-for-line reading of the bill, forcing two Senate clerks to spend the next ten hours reading it aloud.

Comment:

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Eye 1

California releases dystopian video pushing partnership with Microsoft to collect kids' biometric data, enforce vaccine mandates

Shane Trejo
Big League Politics
Tue, 02 Mar 2021 18:48 UTC
california cartoon
A video released by California contains propaganda meant to cajole state residents into accepting digital health IDs for children as necessary to reopen schools.

"There's never been anything like this virus in our lifetime. Often, it's hard to see the effects it's having on our children," the propaganda video states.

A kid's voice is used to tug at the heartstrings of the viewer so they are more likely to comply with absurd mandates. California then introduced their new partnership with Microsoft, giving a massive globalist corporation access to a treasure trove of the biometric data from children - an apparent violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - under the guise of safety.

"Each week, you can schedule your free on-campus COVID test. The results are displayed in your daily pass, and, if you choose to take your test off campus, you can post your results in your daily pass," the video states.

"And, the moment vaccinations are available, you'll simply be able to schedule yours through your daily pass. But the real magic is your daily health check. Just answer a few simple health questions everyday, and like magic, your entrance ticket appears," the video adds.

Comment: Not psychotic - psychopathic.

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Briefcase

Dem-led House passes HR1 'For the People' act, aimed at federalizing US elections

Hannah Bleau
Breibart
Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:43 UTC
capitol
© Win McNamee/Getty Images
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.R. 1, otherwise known as the "For the People Act," which Republicans warn will compromise election integrity and ultimately lead to the federalization of U.S. elections.

The Democrat-led House passed the legislation on party lines, 220 to 210. A summary of the bill notes that it "expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting)" and imposes limits on removing voters from voter rolls.


Comment: This sounds like Newspeak for creating fictional voters.


Republicans have warned that the Democrat legislation would vastly reduce the power of the states to control and operate elections at the local level.

"If this bill passes, it puts in all these terrible provisions," Hans von Spakovsky, manager of the Heritage Foundation's Election Law Reform Initiative and a senior legal fellow of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, said during a January appearance on Breitbart News Daily.

"It's a federal micromanagement of the election process, and everything that folks on the left want to reduce the integrity [and] the security of the election process is in there," he continued.

"If you're a state like Alabama or Texas that has a voter ID law, you might as well forget it, because this federal law would override all state voter ID laws so they're now unenforceable," von Spakovsky added.

Comment: The bill still needs to pass the Senate, where Republicans still have the ability to stonewall it via the filibuster.

With the inclusion of the FADE (Foreign Agent Disclaimer Enhancement) Act, the bill would also give the DOJ the power to remove "undesirable" social media posts.



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Bad Guys

FBI official admits no guns were recovered from protesters arrested inside Capitol Building

Chuck Ross
The Daily Caller
Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:20 UTC
capitol hill protests riot january 6
© Samuel Corum/Getty Images
A top FBI counterterrorism official testified on Wednesday that no firearms were recovered during arrests of rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"How many firearms were confiscated in the Capitol or on Capitol grounds during that day?" Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson asked Jill Sanborn, the FBI official, during a Senate Homeland Security hearing.

"To my knowledge, we have not recovered any on that day from any other arrests at the scene at this point," replied Sanborn, who serves as FBI assistant director for counterterrorism.

Comment: Meanwhile it appears that more likely suspects are sliding away:
The disparity between how federal prosecutors apply the law to Trump supporters and those associated with Antifa is anything but equal.

Below are two such cases that occurred in the same D.C. locale, on the same day and arrested for the same offense.
It appears government prosecutors have a propensity to drop the charges of those associated with leftist groups like Antifa and overcharge those on the right who support President Trump.

Here is an example:

One Antifa member was caught with a gun and arrested on January 6th on weapons charges. But Leslie Grimes was later released despite lying to officers about the gun in their vehicle.

Via NBC News:
Leslie Grimes and two fellow antifa members drove to Washington from Michigan to counter-demonstrate during the Trump rally. According to one of Grimes' friends, the group walked around for a while but returned to the car after Grimes was roughed by some Trump supporters.

As the trio were getting into the car, they were surrounded by officers who said someone had reported that they were seen "putting weapons in the trunk," according to a video of the encounter posted on Facebook.

One of the three denied that there were any weapons in the car, but officers found a handgun in the trunk.

Grimes was taken into custody on a charge of possessing an unlicensed gun after she told the officers the firearm belonged to her. She spent the night in jail, but authorities declined to move forward with charges, according to her attorney.

The friend said he does not understand how police knew there was a gun in the car. "It was in the trunk the whole time," the friend said. "How would they know? It doesn't make any sense.
Similarly, two Trump supporters were caught with a gun in their car. But they were not released. The two were arrested after telling officers they had a gun in their car.

Via NBC News:
Charles Snell, 40, and Timothy Wolfe, 32, drove up together from Chesapeake, Virginia, to take part in the Trump rally, arriving about 11 a.m. They had been on the road for about three hours and were excited to take pictures at the event and to be "a part of history," Snell said in an interview.

But they never made it to the rally.

Snell turned into what he thought was a public parking garage on 12th Street, just a couple of blocks from the National Mall.

A security guard stopped the car and asked whether they had any weapons inside, Snell said. Snell, a private security guard himself, had a handgun in his backpack in the back seat. Wolfe told the guard that he had a gun on the floorboard, a Glock 9 mm with 12 rounds in the magazine.

The two men were placed under arrest on charges of carrying a pistol without a license, possession of unregistered ammunition and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device.

"It was my fault," Snell said. "I didn't research it before I came, or I wouldn't have brought fingernail clippers on my key ring. Heck no."

"I'm doing security," he added. "If I get some kind of conviction, I might end up losing my license."

Snell said they brought their guns only for security during travel to and from Washington.
This is a stunning example of the double standard and lies coming from our media and Washington DC.


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Syringe

Hungary toughens COVID-19 lockdown to curb "very strong" third wave

Anita Komuves and Krisztina Than
The Star
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 07:56 UTC
Vaccination
© REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
Hungary announced new COVID-19 lockdown measures on Thursday to try to curb a "very strong" third wave of the pandemic, closing most shops and shifting to remote learning in primary schools.

With new cases hitting a three-month daily high of 6,278 on Thursday, mainly because of the spreading coronavirus variant first found in Britain, Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces a growing political challenge.

Orban, who faces an election battle early next year, had kept shops and industries open to try to limit the economic effects of the pandemic, which caused a 5% recession last year.

"The third wave (of the pandemic) is strong, very strong and worse than the second wave had been," Gergely Gulyas, Orban's chief of staff, told reporters.

Primary schools and nurseries will shut until April 7, and all shops except food stores, pharmacies and petrol stations will close from March 8 until March 22. Outdoor sport will be allowed if social distancing rules are followed.

Comment: Whatever the explanation for this latest "strong third wave," there's no excess mortality signal (yet?). Does it have any relation to the mass vaccine? A pseudo-reality due to testing? A new variant that is more infectious, but less deadly? Whatever the explanation, it's a great opportunity for the PTB to announce that after a whole year the virus is getting stronger and stronger, thus necessitating more lockdowns, and a bigger push for experimental and untested vaccines. The end goal: impose total and global control over humanity.

See also:

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Eye 1

The Guardian suggests lockdowns every 2 years 'to meet Paris climate goals', CNN expert blasted over advice for masks & restrictions every winter

Helen Buyniski
RT
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 01:55 UTC
guardian lockdown climate
© web.archive.org / The Guardian
web.archive.org / The Guardian
The Guardian accidentally confirmed the suspicions of a whole lot of conspiracy theorists with an article suggesting a "global lockdown every two years" was needed to meet Paris climate goals. The title was quickly changed.

If carbon dioxide emissions don't drop by the equivalent of a worldwide lockdown "roughly every two years" for the next decade, the earth will heat to apocalyptic levels, a team of researchers at the University of East Anglia warned in a Nature article published Wednesday.


Comment: The same global warmists who told the world that children 'would never know snow': Madrid's heaviest snowfall in 50 years, red warnings also issued for Italy & Croatia as even more snow is forecast


Comment: The idea that the authorities would be reluctant to relinquish newly snatched powers isn't exactly revelatory, any one with a basic understanding of psychology and/or history could have predicted it. Here's old footage of current Conservative UK MP Michael Gove, party to those very power grabs, admitting to that very point:



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People

EU parliament shelves vote on Brexit after UK 'violates' agreement, will go to court over UK's 'unilateral action' on Northern Ireland Protocol

Jon Stone
Independent
Fri, 05 Mar 2021 10:45 UTC
Boris Johnson
© John Sibley/Reuters
EU parliament shelves vote on Brexit deal after Boris Johnson 'violates' agreement
The EU has shelved plans to approve Boris Johnson's Brexit deal after Brussels accused the UK of violating the agreement.

The trade deal between the UK and EU has been in provisional force for two months but needs to pass a vote in the European parliament to become permanent.

Leaders of the legislature's political groups intended to agree a date for the final vote at a meeting on Thursday, but instead agreed to hold off after the latest move by the UK.

Comment: One could be forgiven for thinking that some in the UK may be trying to postpone Brexit from going ahead: Still Confused About Brexit? It's Actually Pretty Simple...

See also:

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