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A NOTE FROM FRED
The Jan. 6 Committee in the House is investigating the events surrounding the violent insurrection attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and the events leading up to it.
The Committee has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, including recently the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who each appeared before the Committee for hours. The Committee also made referrals to the Justice Department this week for criminal contempt of Congress for Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr., and earlier for Steve Bannon, for refusing to appear before the Committee in response to subpoenas. Bannon has been indicted for his actions.
The Committee also sued John Eastman – the lawyer who designed the Trump legal strategy to overturn the presidential election – to obtain documents the Committee believes may show that Trump and Eastman engaged in a criminal conspiracy to subvert the democratic process.
When Eastman tried to prevent access to documents the Committee subpoenaed, Federal District Judge David Carter rejected Eastman’s efforts to shield the documents from the Committee. In doing so Carter issued a powerful opinion, writing:
“Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021.”
The Committee is now headed to a critical stage. It is expected to begin public hearings in May with the goal of telling Americans the story of how Trump and his allies attempted to steal the 2020 presidential election and prevent a duly elected President, Joe Biden, from taking office.
This was the first attempted political coup in our nation’s 233-year history. It is essential that we learn the full story of what happened and how it happened – to help ensure that it can never happen again.
The Jan. 6 Committee has the opportunity and the responsibility to make this story crystal clear to the American people. It is of overriding importance for the Committee to use the public hearings to present any evidence that establishes that Trump engaged in criminal conduct in his relentless efforts to overturn the election.
This evidence could play a critical role in publicly establishing that Trump had criminal intent and engaged in criminal conduct in his attempt to overturn the election.
Also, it is critically important for the Committee to document the full scope of the political coup that was attempted – a coup attempt that began well before the Capitol insurrection on January 6 – and the efforts that day by Republican Members of Congress to block the certification of Biden as President.
The coup attempt began the day after the election with Trump’s Big Lie that he won the election and it was stolen from him – a blatantly false claim that Trump has made incessantly ever since.
As we watch the brutal, murderous battle between autocracy and democracy taking place in Ukraine, it is important to recognize that Trump unleashed a nonmilitary battle between autocracy and democracy here at home. Trump lost that battle with his unsuccessful attempt at a coup. We must do all we can to ensure that such a battle can never succeed here.
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"LISTEN" OF THE WEEK
“This was an effort at a political coup. … It is important for President Trump to be held accountable for what he did.”
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JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION HEATS UP
AG Garland Faces Growing Pressure As Jan. 6 Investigation Widens
Biden “has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6,” via The New York Times.
House Votes To Hold Ex-Trump Aides Navarro, Scavino In Contempt Of Congress, via The Washington Post.
Jan. 6 Committee Obtains Emails That Former Trump Attorney Sought To Keep Secret, via CNN.
Trump Can’t Just Erase History Like Nixon Did, via The Atlantic.
Ivanka Trump Spends Hours Testifying Before Jan. 6 Committee
Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS): “She’s answering questions. Not in broad, chatty terms, but she’s answering questions,” via NBC News.
House Jan. 6 Committee Faces Time Crunch; Hopes To Begin Public Hearings In May, via ABC News.
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"THE TRUTH BECOMES CLEAR" OF THE WEEK
Voter Fraud Allegations About Trump Aides Point To Deeper Scam
“When the president’s chief of staff is caught committing what appears to be voter fraud (trust me, he knows you’re not allowed to vote from a place you don’t live) and no Republican criticizes him, the truth becomes clear: Republicans don’t want a more secure system in which fraud is impossible for even a tiny number of people to pull off.”
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TRUMPWATCH
Trump World Beats On ... Borne Back Ceaselessly Into The Past
“The former president can’t stop, won’t stop harping on his loss to Biden. Will it doom his future?” via Politico.
Delusional Trump Can’t Stop Lying About Election Fraud As He Teases 2024 Run At Michigan Rally
“Reality is carrying less and less significance as Trump works to destroy the careers of anyone who doesn’t buy into the Big Lie,” via Rolling Stone.
Once Again, A Report Says A Former Trump Official May Have Committed Voter Fraud
“The myth of a stolen election has become the impetus for the GOP to set up a mechanism to potentially steal elections,” via Mother Jones.
Inside Ted Cruz’s Last-Ditch Battle To Keep Trump In Power, via The Washington Post.
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SPOTLIGHT: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Dark Money: The Quixotic Quest To Clean Up Campaign Financing
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VOTING RIGHTS & ELECTIONS UNDER FIRE
The Supreme Court’s Assault On Voting Rights Hits A New Low
The Court’s “conservative majority seemed to go out of its way to attack the Voting Rights Act,” via The Guardian.
Federal Judge Blocks Florida Restrictive Voting Law
“In a stinging ruling, Judge Mark Walker wrote that he agreed with the plaintiffs, who had argued the law ‘runs roughshod over the right to vote,’” via NBC News.
As Both Parties Gerrymander Furiously, State Courts Block the Way, via The New York Times.
Texas Is Quietly Using Redistricting Lawsuits To Launch Broader War Against Federal Voting Rights
The “quiet” legal fight over redistricting in Texas “could dramatically constrict voting rights protections nationwide for years to come,” via The Texas Tribune.
Almost 25,000 Mail-In Ballots Were Rejected In Texas Primary, via National Public Radio.
Once Again, Alabama Is The Battleground Over Black Voting Rights, via The Washington Post.
Arizona Governor Signs Law Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote For President
“Voting rights advocates say 200,000 people could be affected by measure, which legislature’s own lawyers call unconstitutional,” via The Guardian.
Early Voting In Ohio Begins Despite Ongoing Fight Over U.S. Congressional Map, via Reuters.
MORE FROM CAPITOL HILL
Three Republicans For Ketanji Brown Jackson
“The statements of support from Senators Collins, Murkowski, and Romney countered the blast of bitter fantasies from their colleagues on the Judiciary Committee,” via The New Yorker.
Clash Over Immigration Policy Derails Senate COVID Aid Bill, via National Public Radio.
Big Tech Is Making An Investment In Congress
“As regulatory legislation comes up for debate, industry giants have been showering lawmakers with tens of thousands of dollars in contributions,” via The Nation.
Appetite Grows On Capitol Hill For Code Of Conduct For Supreme Court Justices After Ginni Thomas Revelations, via CBS News.
Billions, And More, For Lawmakers’ Projects In Spending Bill, via Associated Press.
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