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For me, the news is that Merrick Garland and his DOJ no longer seem to be comatose and MIA. The seizure of John Eastman’s electronic devices is big news.

The publicly known evidence of this Jan. 6 criminal conspiracy around Trump is becoming a flood. (Lord knows how much evidence is still under wraps)

The question is no longer, “Was there a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy in the West Wing and in Congress to block Biden’s victory and retain Dumpster as President,” because that question is answered. All that’s left is for the legal beagles to do their work. The only real question which remains: “Is Merrick Garland’s DOJ going to do its job and indict these jokers.”

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I say NO — they never will. But I hope to hell I’m wrong!

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I hope you are wrong too, Judith

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Roland, it’s telling, to me, that at some point last week, AG Garland said publicly that he and all his legal beagles were watching these hearings. We all want something momentous to happen soon.

But I’m reminded of Longfellow: “ Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.”.

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I'm trying to imagine the outcome if trump had made it to the Capitol. The mob would have been in a frenzy. Thousands more would have entered the building in search of Pence, Pelosi, and anyone else they deemed a "traitor." More people would have died.

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imo, i think that was his original plan. he wanted to see in person the power he held over his minions. i think he didn't divulge this to his ss detail knowing it would be talked down. instead, i think, trump thought he could count on firmly declaring his power as president to demand to go to the Capitol.

further, isn't there a clause in the Constitution re. Floor Privilege that allows the president to walk onto the floor of the Senate while it is in session? i think trump was counting on that to lead his break in mob.

again, imo.

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In defense of the Secret Service, I don’t think the orange one understands the meaning of the phrase ‘stray bullets’. His Ss detail obviously does. It would be their heads in the noose if he had been harmed.

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I'm still mystified by the news that the Secret Service is denying Hutchinson's allegations that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the car, and tried to choke one of his agents while doing so.

Do they have a higher loyalty to Trump than the truth? I ask because why would Ms. Hutchinson lie about something that shocking (while under oath) and they take exception to it? They're calling her a liar? Are they seriously trying to protect the big liar or themselves?

I think it must be themselves because as of lately, the Secret Service has been caught in various scandals, and they can't be seen to be that incompetent or lazy.

Something's going on, and I don't like the smell of a coverup.

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They'll have to call her a liar under oath for their denials to hold water. Then, the question will be, are they more afraid of the real liar or of committing perjury and being tossed in the slammer. She reported what she was told by Ornato who said to her that this happened to Engel. If Ornato is saying she lied, he'll have to testify under oath. If Engel says that this didn't happen, he'll have to testify under oath. Otherwise, SHE testified under oath that this was what was told to her.

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Exactly, let's see how this sub-plot resolves.

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She was reporting what she was told, she did NOT make this up.

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So either they were BSing her (maybe to see if the story got out and she could be ID'd as the leak) or they are BSing the public. I'll believe the denial when their asses are in the witness chair, denying under oath

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Ornato was a djt/GOP capo who happened to come from the Secret Service, in itself not a particularly honorable background. I didn't know the other dude's name before but have no reason to think he's not just a lower-profile Ornato. A relevant book is current and Rachel Maddow is on the case—has interviewed author. https://mobile.twitter.com/rgoodlaw/status/1541972469837430784?cxt=HHwWgIC84dTyl-YqAAAA

Or search: rachel maddow secret service

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As others have noted, until the Secret Service guys testify under oath, their allegations are worthless.

Another thing: This, like the plate throwing and the ketchup on the wall, are very minor parts of the story. It's not hard to believe that TFG did both things, but it really doesn't matter if he did or not.

When it comes to the Secret Service, what continues to interest me is why VP Pence didn't want to get into that car when he was hiding out at the Capitol. If some SS (whoa, bad acronym!) men were in on the plot in any way, we need to know about it.

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when pence was hustled to safety down in the basement, his ss detail was arguing with tony ornato who headed up all of trump's ss detail.

washinton post writers Rucker and Leonnig wrote:

"Clearly, members of the Pence team believed the President wanted Mike Pence physically out of the picture whatever it took. And they wanted that, the President, because Pence would not go along with coup.

Keith Kellogg replied, "You can`t do that, Tony. Leave him where he`s at. He`s got a job to do. I know you guys too well. You`ll fly him to Alaska if you have a chance. Don`t do it." ".

so yes, apparently, pence and his ss detail were wary of trump's intent to dispatch his uncooperative vice president.

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Thank you! I've seen watered-down reports to that effect, but I haven't read Rucker & Leonnig's book and so really appreciate the detail.

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haha thanx

that quote came from some other post that i read and sounded relevant. i am just getting the hang of pressing and hold to capture text...something i'm sure 7 yr olds do very capably.

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This 71YO is pretty good at it -- though as an editor and writer I have to be. It's easy enough to make plagiarism much too common, an especially big concern for anyone who edits in academia, but there's plenty of it elsewhere too. :-/

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Again, thank you, Ln Em, for providing chapter and verse. Especially while the world fills space.with debate over the validity of sworn v unsworn testimony.

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Hearsay evidence is also worthless, unless it comes in under one of the exceptions, so until the actual eyewitnesses testify under oath this entire story is legally otiose.

If Trump destroyed government property it does matter legally: it's admissable under Federal Rule of Evidence 405 (b) depending on how Trump is charged. Besides, Trump hates to pay for anything, ever, so charge him with destruction of government property whenever you can, it seems only fair, although this might not be crockery valued enough to make it worth the bother.

It looks like the Secret Service was refusing to carry Trump to the mob's destination, so that counts in their favor rather than adding them into the plot, so that's another blind alley.

VP Pence was in danger from all sorts of wandering mobsters, no wonder he didn't want to get into any cars to take a ride!

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Yes, that occurred to me too, Susanna.

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As I understand it, Ornato was the specific reason Pence refused to get in the car. Pence trusted his own detail. Red flags have long fluttered around Ornato, till now just didn't justify front page treatment. This is the prob with 21st century tv news. Top news is repeated over & over and that's it. Ya gotta read print, esp past page one. [CORRECTED: Ornato NOT erroneous Ortega. —df]

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Do you mean Tony Ornato? If not, who's Ortega?

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I do mean Tony Ornato, here and anyplace else I carelessly typed Ortega. No excuses for my inconsideration. Thanks, Susanna, and sorry!

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Thx! There are so many players in this drama and I was afraid I was missing one!

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the ss man in charge at that time of the insurrection was tony ornato. he was detailed to the White House and served as an Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. In that position, he was responsible for managing the overall administrative, technology, security, and military support structure for the President of the United States.

so even in his current position as Assistant Director he holds sway over what can be said by the ss.

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Thanks for filling in much-needed info, Ln em. Describing Ornato simply as Secret Service is so misleading I'd label it inadequate journalism if not fake news.

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No, wait, this jumped out at me immediately during the hearing and now it will get further investigation: it's hearsay, wait until Hutchinson's source is able to state it for the record, or admit he or she isn't sure if this part of the account really happened. I was a bit surprised no one on the Select Committee slowed her down on this to double-check her confidence level in her source(s).

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I do not know this for a fact, but I imagine there is some sort of a code of conduct for the Secret Service that prohibits them from discussing interactions with the President. They may face a dilemma. Do I lie or do I risk getting fired. I believe Hutchinson ‘s account.

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I hear that Rudy and Sydney Powell aren't real busy these days....

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Yep! That sizes the whole thing up in a nutshell. A fearful sitting president of the United States took out an insurance policy in the form of a propaganda message disseminated steadily over many months that the election would be rigged against him, starting this campaign off by saying mail in ballotts were subject to tampering by foreign powers, then realizing that sounded a bit ridiculous dropped that line of "reasoning" and focussed on the big lie that the election was rigged against him. This attracted all kinds of nut cases and fanatics who set out to identify the fraud inventing all kinds of theories like bamboo chips in the ballot paper which would prove the Chinese were behind it, then Italian satellites were the cause, changing the vote count in the machines even though not connected to the Internet. I forgot to mention Chaves, Venezuela and the Dominion voting machines. , then Venu. Hollywood even couldn't make this stuff up.So as a last ditch effort after the courts threw out this collection of junk Trump recruits a well armed militia to storm the Capitol and stop the electoral college count, He had planned to lead them into battle but better heads prevailed to his chagrin. And he winds up slinking out of the WH with his tail between his legs not even doing the new president the courtesy of a welcome. You'd think he and his gang of ctrooks would be in handcuffs by now. In russia they's have all been shot. And after all this the dumbest most stupid people in America still believe the election was stolen

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And let us not forget, he slunk out with boxes of classified documents that he had no authority to steal - what was it 14 or 15 boxes of highly sensitive documents?

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And let us not forget that when he ran against Hillary, he was declaring it was a rigged election. And then he won (oops).

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I don't know about anyone else but what Ms. Hutchinson revealed yesterday was the inevitable outcome of what was until then a slow rolling multi stage attempt to subvert the will of the people and to replace the ballot box with the gun as the ultimate deciding factor in the election of 2016.

What this Committee has shown us is that Trump and his advisors were frustrated by the law and reality at several different sequential steps in the overall multi stage plan to steal an election. First, they tried to conjure up either votes for him which did not exist or nullify legally cast votes for Biden in seven key states. Then they tried to create a slate of false electors in seven states and have their certificates presented to Congress as legitimate. To do that the had to have an incompetent Trump lackey as Acting AG to declare the process legal. When that did not work they went to Plan D which was to send a mob of approximately 12 thousand armed insurrectionists to intimidate the Vice President and Congress from carrying out their sworn duties. And as Ms. Hutchinson's testimony laid out, Mr. Trump wanted to be at the head of that column and lead it into the Capitol to subvert the will of the people.

But, what I concluded from yesterday was this. A man with an ego the size of Montana had tried every hook and crook way to get his way and has reached the end of his rope. He retreated, yes, unwillingly, to his lair in the White House where he watched with glee as his army laid waste to the Capitol and cheered them on via Tweet to do their duty and hang his Vice President. Ms. Hutchinson filled in the gaps with names, faces and actions which I am sure the Committee has validated and can prove with multiple other sources yet unnamed.

This brave young women yesterday gave us her front row seat to the meltdown and demented behavior of a narcissistic megalomaniac who saw his power and dream slipping away and he exploded. Fortunately, the line held at the Capitol and someone (s) within the White House power structure got him to issue his less than half hearted order to withdraw.

Donald Trump went from CIC to demented dictator in a flash. He saw his dreams fading away and he simply decided if he couldn't stay he would burn down the People's House while he sat rested and relaxed swilling diet coke and watching the carnage unfold on television. If Merrick Garland does not have the evidence and information now to indict him, he never will.

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I still say Garland will never indict tRump. Hope I’m wrong.

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If she is a "leaker," as Trump described her...she has something to "leak."

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Thank you for everything you write. You give me hope. 🇺🇸

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The Secret Service had Trump in the bunker during the previous summer’s BLM demonstrations, which were nowhere near as violent as Jan 6. Why was he wandering around watching TV on Jan 6?

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Because everyone knew they were not after Trump. He is their leader.

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Yeah, but you'd think (well, I'd think; I don't mean to speak for you) that Secret Service protocol would require a more protective response. Unless, of course...

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Speaking of Bunker Boy: If you need a good laugh, go to Randy Rainbow’s UTube channel and watch his hilarious spoof of Trump in the bunker, The Bunker Boy (one of Randy’ best).

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When someone tries to grab the wheel of a car, tries to choke someone, and throws his food against the wall, that’s called a TANTRUMP.

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a valid entry for lexicography

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Like all Trump plans, it was haphazard and destined to fail. It nearly didn't though. More armed maniacs at the Capitol and enough chaos to invoke the Insurrection Act or declare martial law and then where would we be today? The bigger issue is getting everyone held accountable, including the MOC who were in on this and apparently some SS agents who were prepared to whisk Pence to oblivion (not that he doesn't deserve it).

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What about the plan for Trump to declare martial law?

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The supertight sausage casing has been sliced open and a lifetime of sewage is oozing out

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eeeww

that's offal

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lovely metaphor, Paul. sickening, but lovely.

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Sickening in direct proportion to its subject

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Now there's a visual--where's my eye bleach????

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Jun 29, 2022·edited Jun 30, 2022

As grateful as I am for Hutchinson's testimony, I am curious about her history of voluntarily working for some of the most despicable members of the republican party. How does that square with her disclosures?

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as difficult as I also find it to accept that someone could work for a couple of hypocritical, opportunistic assholes and still refuse to lie for them, I think that's the case. and hell...she's only 25...her brain has only barely stopped developing. and there were no advantages I can think of to her testifying, but there are many disadvantages (including, possible, real danger). so I don't find her disclosures suspicious at all, especially after testifying to her shock and disgust when she finally realized what was up. and those SS guys are already pretty compromised, based on their demonstrated loyalty to TFF. and, as everybody's already noted, the people who have called her a liar haven't done so under oath (I also don't put it past them to lie under oath). the current "strategy" this bunch are using is to lie and lie up until the moment they can't lie anymore, at which point, they try their damnedest to go as low profile as they possibly can. why should this time be any different?

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she's a brave young woman to expose such hideous Orcs.

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All things considered, the real story is to what extent AG Garland is willing to become the first AG to prosecute a president for sedition or insurrection knowing the emotional response and months of national hysteria. Mr. Garland might be buying time, to wait until after the midterm elections. History will be quite nasty if all those crazies who attacked the capitol are prosecuted, but the men who supervised Jan 6th are allowed to slip away.

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It seems to me that the family of the dead officer should be able to sue tRump& minions & RNC for losses and damages due to their deliberate endangerment .

In fact, they should seek criminal charges of homicide.

WTF is the FBI?

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I just heard on MSNBC that Ginni Thomas is refusing to speak to the January 6th committee. Doesn’t surprise me one bit. Her guilt will become more evident.

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Subpoena time!

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