On Monday, the House Select Committee investigating the events surrounding the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot voted to recommend the Department of Justice criminally prosecute former President Donald Trump.
The committee voted 9-0.
According to Fox News, the first referral recommended by the committee is for Trump’s obstruction an official proceeding of Congress. The committee will also refer Trump to DOJ for conspiracy to defraud the federal government, making a false statement and inciting, assisting, or aiding and comforting an insurrection.
In what is expected to be its final meeting on Monday, the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6 said it will formally ask the DOJ to pursue charges after a nearly 18-month probe into the former president’s involvement in the activities that lead to the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.
The committee’s unprecedented criminal referral holds no official legal weight, and a final determination in whether to pursue the charges will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department.
At Monday’s meeting, the committee’s members, seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans, each presented a portion of their findings against Trump before taking the vote to issue criminal referrals.
The committee will also refer four Republican members of Congress to the House Committee on Ethics for defying the committee’s subpoenas. One of the Republicans who defied their subpoena was then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.)
The committee also subpoenaed:
Jim Jordan, R-Ohio
Mo Brooks, R-Ala.
Scott Perry, R-Pa.
Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.
This Hollywood-backed committee continues to waste resources and taxpayer money to produce the most biased congressional "investigation" in this nation's history.
According to The Hill, It’s unclear if the Ethics panel will launch an investigation based on the select committee’s new recommendations. Unlike most other standing committees, membership on the Ethics panel is evenly divided between the parties. And the committee strives — at least rhetorically — to avoid the divisive partisan politicking that practically defines some of the other panels.
Yet with just weeks left in the 117th Congress, there’s a small and closing window for the committee to launch any new probes while Democrats are still in the House majority. And it’s unlikely that a GOP-led Ethics Committee would take the remarkable step of investigating the role of sitting Republicans in an event as polarizing as the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
On Sunday, Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly defended his proposal saying he thinks it’s “only fitting” to name a federal prison after former President Trump
“Well, there’s a nice federal penitentiary right near Mar-a-Lago. And I just thought for a guy who’s now got 88 criminal indictments pending, criminal — plus two major civil penalty trials that have already been resolved, costing him about a half a billion dollars,” Connolly told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart.
“I think it’s only fitting that if Republicans really want to honor Donald Trump, the most appropriate way to do that is to name a federal prison he might be visiting soon, after Donald J. Trump,” Connolly added.
Connolly was one of three Democrats to introduce a bill Friday to change the name of the Miami Federal Correctional Institution in Florida to “Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution.”
Connolly was joined by Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.).
The proposal came in response to a Republican push to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) signaled Thursday that he’d be willing to serve under President-elect Trump when he returns to the White House.
“If there is a job that could help the country and that my skillset would be useful for. Anybody should consider that,” Phillips told NewsNation’s “On Balance.”
“And if we come to a point where no Democrat will want to serve in a Republican administration, and conversely, we are limiting 50 percent of the universe of potential appointees and that’s what I am trying to overcome,” he added.
Phillips, mounted a long shot bid against President Biden before dropping out in March.
The Minnesota Democrat consistently warned his party about not having a competitive primary process and urged both parties to try to better understand the needs of the American people.
Phillips said last week that Trump has “become a significant historical figure in American politics” and that he built a movement “that, frankly, snuck up on most Democrats.”
“I am not a big fan of the President himself, but I understand the MAGA movement,” Phillips said Thursday. “I understand why people are angry. I understand why this federal government needs to be reformed. But then do it with people with competency and integrity to do it.”
Trump has announced a a number of candidates for his Cabinet and other administration posts since being declared the winner of the presidential race, including picking two ex-Democrats, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to be his director of national intelligence and head the Department of Health and Human Services
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Supreme Court rejected a request to revive a Texas student’s lawsuit claiming he was bullied for supporting President Trump and for being white.
Brooks Warden, called B.W. in the initial suit because it was filed when he was a minor, claimed that a “years-long campaign of bullying and harassment” ensued after he wore a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat on a school field trip.
He said he was made a target because of his race and political views, as a white male whose former school district is predominantly Hispanic.
“When his teachers and classmates at his predominantly Hispanic school found out that he was not only a white male but also a Trump supporter, it was open season,” the petition reads.
He had asked the justices to let his 2020 lawsuit against Austin Independent School District, which he claimed failed to stop the alleged abuse, move forward after a divided federal appeals court affirmed a lower court’s ruling throwing out the suit.
The question at hand was whether racial harassment lawsuits can be filed even when the “primary impetus” for the harassment was the challenger’s political views.
After a federal judge dismissed the case, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld that decision. However, after the full 5th Circuit court heard Warden’s case, it split 9-9 over whether to revive the lawsuit. As a result, the dismissal was affirmed.
In a fiery dissent, 5th Circuit Judge James Ho wrote that “being white was absolutely one” of the reasons that Warden was bullied.
“It’s racist to characterize whites as racist,” Ho wrote. “Because it’s racist to attach any negative trait to a group of people based on their race.”
The Austin school district wrote in its opposition to the petition that it “does not condone harassment or bullying of any kind” and regrets Brooks’s experience — but rejected the student’s claims as political bluster.
On Monday afternoon, a judge ruled that Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, will be held indefinitely without bail, citing the strength of the evidence against him.
Prosecutors disclosed chilling new details about Routh’s plans in a memo aimed at convincing the court to detain him while he awaits trial. A letter found at Routh’s home, made public on Monday, revealed that Routh had predicted his failure in the assassination attempt and even offered a $150,000 bounty for anyone who successfully kills Trump.
During a search of Routh’s Nissan SUV, investigators discovered a handwritten list outlining dates and locations where Trump was expected to appear in August, September and October 2024. Additionally, authorities found two extra license plates, six cell phones – one of which contained a Google search for directions from Palm Beach County to Mexico – and 12 pairs of gloves.
The suspect in former Pres. Trump's second assassination attempt, Ryan Routh, will remain behind bars, after a judge denied bail.@KFaulders reports. pic.twitter.com/saVzU51JVr
Prosecutors also revealed that a witness came forward, stating that Routh had dropped off a box at their residence before the assassination attempt. The box reportedly contained ammunition, a metal pipe, building materials, four phones and several letters, including the letter outlining his plans in case he failed to kill Trump.
Routh will remain in custody as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.
This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.
Donald Trump has a strong message for Senate Republicans.
The former President called for the ouster of roughly a third of the Republican Senate caucus following the passing of a massive $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
According to Mediaite, Trump initially took to social media to congratulate Kevin McCarthy on becoming Speaker after 15 rounds of votes before changing his tune.
He then turned his ire to “Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow.” Of course he is making another racialized reference to Elaine Chao, who served as Secretary of Transportation in his own administration. “Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him,” he wrote. “PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!”
Great job Kevin! We must now stop Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow. It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE. Zero for USA Border Security. If he waited just ten days, the now “United Republican Congress” could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!
Following is a list of the 18 Republican Senators who voted to pass the spending bill, however, Senators Blunt and Shelby have since retired.
• Roy Blunt (Missouri) • John Boozman (Arkansas) • Shelley Capito (West Virginia) • Susan Collins (Maine) • John Cornyn (Texas) • Tom Cotton (Arkansas) • Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) • Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) • Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) • Jerry Moran (Kansas) • Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) • Rob Portman (Ohio) • Mitt Romney (Utah) • Mike Rounds (South Dakota) • Richard Shelby (Alabama) • John Thune (South Dakota) • Roger Wicker (Mississippi) • Todd Young (Indiana)
This story is developing. Click refresh for the latest details.
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a deadline for Special Counsel Jack Smith to respond to former President Trump’s request to keep his federal Jan. 6 trial on hold as he appeals his immunity claims.
In a brief order, the high court ordered Smith to respond by Tuesday, Feb. 20.
According to The Hill, Trump filed an emergency motion Monday urging the justices to block a lower ruling that he doesn’t have presidential immunity from the indictment, an argument that has enabled Trump to delay his trial date as the appeals process proceeds.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision on Trump’s motion is poised to have outsized influence on whether the former president’s trial will take place before this year’s elections. The trial was originally scheduled for March 4 but was shelved as Trump appealed the immunity issue.
Smith has aimed to take Trump to trial quickly to avoid the possibility of Trump first returning to the White House and then pardoning himself or ordering his Justice Department to drop the case.
By next Tuesday, the special counsel will now have to respond to Trump’s latest tactic: requesting his trial be kept on hold until he can ask the full District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals to review his immunity claims, and then, if needed, the Supreme Court.
Trump is charged in the case with four federal felonies that accuse him of conspiring to subvert the 2020 election results. It is one of four criminal cases he faces. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump revealed his daughter Tiffany Trump is pregnant.
Trump was delivering remarks at the Detroit Economic Club when he recognized several guests in the crowd, including businessman Massad Boulos, who is Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law.
“He happens to be the father of Tiffany’s husband, Michael, who’s a very exceptional young guy,” Trump said. “And she’s an exceptional young woman. And she’s going to have a baby. So that’s nice.”
Tiffany Trump, 30, is the daughter of the former president and Marla Maples. She and Boulos were married in 2022.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Colorado cannot disqualify former President Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban. A significant victory for Trump as he seeks another term in the White House.
“Former President Trump challenges that decision on several grounds. Because the Constitution makes Congress, rather than the States, responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates, we reverse,” reads the unsigned opinion from the court.
Trump celebrated the Supreme Court ruling to restore him to the ballot in Colorado a “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA.”
“A great win for America. Very, very important!” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Monday morning.
“Equally important for our country will be the decision that they will soon make on immunity for a president — without which, the presidency would be relegated to nothing more than a ceremonial position, which is far from what the founders intended,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No president would be able to properly and effectively function without complete and total immunity.”
He added, “Our country would be put at great risk.”
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that Trump is disqualified from being president again and ineligible for the state’s primary
The state’s highest court was the first to invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a post-Civil War constitutional provision aimed at preventing those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. Until now, the Supreme Court has never ruled on the provision.
The 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the Constitution states, “No person shall… hold any office… under the United States… who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States… to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
The former president faces more than 90 criminal charges in four prosecutions. Of those, the only one with a trial date is his state case in New York in which he’s charged with falsifying business records in connection with hush-money payments to a porn actor. That case is set for trial on March 25, and the judge has signaled his determination to press ahead.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
