All articles tagged with #capitol riots
A federal judge ruled that President Trump must disclose detailed financial information as part of his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC, allowing discovery into the Trump family’s business holdings via the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust and potentially broadening the scope beyond reputational damages, despite his lawyers’ objections to subpoenaing financial documents.
In a Meet the Press interview, Trump would not rule out using the nearly $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund to compensate those charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, arguing they were treated unfairly; the fund faces legal challenges with a judge briefly blocking it and the acting attorney general saying it won’t move forward. He defended the protesters, saying some pled guilty out of fear, and the report notes roughly 1,600 charged and 1,100 sentenced, along with his history of pardoning many participants.
In a Meet the Press interview, Trump did not rule out using taxpayer funds to pay people charged with assaulting police during the Jan. 6 attack and defended the so-called 'anti-weaponization' fund, while claiming California's election results were rigged; the fund's near $1.8 billion remains unsettled amid court challenges and government hesitancy to move forward.
Two Jan. 6 officers filed a federal lawsuit to block Trump’s plan to create a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate people involved in the riot, arguing the fund would violate the Fourteenth Amendment by funding insurrection and that the DOJ lacks authority to establish it. The suit also contends the officers have a personal stake due to ongoing threats and notes the fund was announced during a settlement over Trump’s tax-return leak; DOJ officials say standing will be a key issue in the case. One plaintiff, Harry Dunn, is also running for Congress in Maryland.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney has responded to Donald Trump's threats to imprison her and other members of the January 6 committee, calling his claims an assault on the rule of law. Trump accused Cheney and the committee of deleting evidence from their investigation into the Capitol riots, which Cheney refuted, emphasizing Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the riots. The committee had released a comprehensive report and transcripts, and Cheney criticized Trump's baseless allegations against the committee's work.
In a recent NBC interview, President-elect Donald Trump called for members of the January 6 Committee, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, to be jailed, shocking journalist Kristen Welker. Trump accused the committee of unfairly targeting him and destroying records, though he stated he would not direct his administration to pursue legal action against them. The committee members deny any wrongdoing, and there are concerns about Trump's potential actions once in office. Meanwhile, President Biden is reportedly considering pre-emptive pardons for those who might be targeted by Trump's administration.
President Biden, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, criticized former President Trump at a Philadelphia rally, questioning how Trump would have reacted if Black Americans had stormed the Capitol. Biden emphasized Trump's history of racism and urged Black voters to support his re-election, highlighting the importance of their vote in the upcoming 2024 election.
GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, a potential running mate for Donald Trump, stated that she would not have done what former Vice President Mike Pence did on January 6, 2021, to certify the presidential election. Stefanik did not specify what she would have done differently and avoided directly addressing whether she would accept state votes if Trump were to win reelection. Her comments come amid speculation about her potential role in the 2024 presidential race, as she is reportedly on Trump's short list of running mates.
The Department of Justice has recommended a six-month prison sentence for former Trump adviser Peter Navarro for refusing to cooperate with a House investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Prosecutors argue that Navarro's defiance was a "bad-faith strategy" and that he prioritized politics over the rule of law. Navarro's lawyers claim he acted in accordance with executive privilege and should receive no more than six months probation for each count of conviction. Navarro is set to be sentenced on Jan. 25.
The aftermath of the Capitol riots in Brazil and the United States has been starkly different, with support for Trump's campaign growing in the US while Bolsonaro has faded into irrelevance in Brazil. The contrasting reactions are attributed to differences in political systems, media landscapes, historical contexts, and judicial responses. Brazil's strong rejection of the riot is also linked to the Supreme Court's expanded power to combat disinformation and threats to democracy, leading to a high rate of convictions and a ban on Bolsonaro from running in the next presidential election.
Former Vice President Mike Pence dismissed conspiracy theories suggesting FBI involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, emphasizing that he was present and witnessed the violence firsthand. He urged those believing in the conspiracies to consider the facts, as the FBI and Department of Justice have prosecuted nearly 1,000 individuals for their roles in the riots. Pence also criticized former President Trump's role in the events and called for a serious approach to addressing political violence ahead of the 2024 election.
On the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the FBI arrested three individuals in Florida for their alleged involvement in the events. The defendants, scheduled to appear in Federal Court on Monday, are part of the ongoing investigation that has seen over 1,230 people charged with federal crimes related to the violence. The arrests come as Washington's federal courthouse continues to handle trials and guilty plea hearings, with authorities still seeking to identify individuals involved in the riots and the placement of pipe bombs outside political party offices.
GOP Senator Mike Lee is calling for an investigation into the House Jan. 6 Committee after security footage from inside the Capitol was released, suggesting that the committee selectively ignored evidence. Lee questioned why committee members Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger never referred to the footage showing police assisting rioters. House Speaker Mike Johnson has begun releasing 40,000 hours of security camera footage from the Capitol riots, stating that it will allow the public to see for themselves what happened that day. Over 1,100 people have been charged in connection with the riots, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damage to the Capitol Building.
Senator Mike Lee is calling for an investigation into the House January 6 committee, accusing lawmakers of deliberately hiding footage from the Capitol riots. Lee questioned the character of former Republican representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, suggesting they helped hide the tapes. He also criticized the committee and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, questioning how much evidence they suppressed or lost. Lee highlighted footage that purportedly showed Capitol police officers facilitating the passage of protesters through the building. Speaker Mike Johnson began releasing over 40,000 hours of footage from January 6, 2021, with some video made available to the public and the rest to be released gradually.
Democratic congresswoman Debbie Dingell from Michigan expressed that the violent pro-Palestinian protest at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had a more profound impact on her than the January 6 Capitol riots. Dingell described feeling frightened during the protest and warned that someone could get hurt. She recounted her attempt to leave the building as the protest turned violent, with doors being blocked and a U.S. Capitol Police officer being pepper-sprayed. Dingell emphasized the importance of free speech and peaceful protest but criticized the violence, stating that it distracts from the intended message. She expressed gratitude to the Capitol Police for keeping her and her colleagues safe and suggested that outside forces may be trying to divide the country.