Breach of the Capitol: Consequences, Repercussions & Reactions

[essentialsaltes]

Rioter Who Helped Drag Officer Down U.S. Capitol Steps Tried to Flee to Switzerland: Feds

A man who helped drag a police officer down the U.S. Capitol steps tried to flee to Switzerland after the day of the siege and then, in what authorities called a different type of flight effort, attempted suicide, prosecutors told a judge on Friday.

Describing the case as “very disturbing,” a federal magistrate denied bail to Jeffrey Patrick Sabol, a 51-year-old divorced geophysicist with three children. Patrick has not been charged with assault but rather under a civil disorder statute barring any effort to “obstruct, impede, or interfere” law enforcement.

 

[KCfromNC]

When federal agents asked Houston police officer Tam Dinh Pham why he was in Washington during the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, he said he had traveled there on business and then attended the president’s rally on a whim. But most importantly, Pham told the agents, he did not go inside the Capitol during the attempted insurrection.

That’s when an FBI agent showed him his own deleted images and videos from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 6, according to court documents.

Faced with the photo evidence, Pham then allegedly admitted to climbing over torn-down fences to get inside. But still, he insisted his reasons were benign: He just wanted the rare opportunity to view “historical art,” investigators said.

Nice job going from trespassing to lying to federal agents during a terrorism investigation. Might as well run over their dog on the way out of the parking lot at that rate.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Army vet & Oath Keeper who tended bar accused by FBI of conspiring in Capitol insurrection 

Woodstock, Ohio (CNN) In her Ohio hometown, she's known as an Army veteran who runs a bar and set up a small  self-styled militia  her boyfriend says she created to help neighbors if tornadoes hit.

To the FBI, she's a militant leader who traveled to Washington, DC, and stormed the US Capitol, encouraging  others to do the same.  

The two worlds of Jessica Watkins crashed into each other in the  small  village of Woodstock, Ohio, when FBI agents turned up early one morning to arrest her for her alleged role in the January  6  insurrection.

Watkins is accused, along with two other military veterans, of  a multitude of charges: conspiracy,  conspiracy to impede an officer, destruction of government property, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.  

The  three veterans were the first  to face conspiracy charges, some of the most severe charges so far for those who breached the Capitol on January 6. 

 

[essentialsaltes]

A Dallas-area man who joined a violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier this month has been charged with making a death threat in a social media post against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Miller wrote “Assassinate AOC” in a Twitter post, according to the complaint. Miller also allegedly posted about entering the Capitol building on his Instagram account and admitted that he “had a rope in [his] bag on that day.”

Miller also threatened a Capitol Police officer who shot dead a woman trying to breach the Capitol building during the riot. “We going to get a hold of [the USCP officer] and hug his neck with a nice rope[.],” Miller said, according to the complaint.

 

[essentialsaltes]

A prominent speaker at a “Stop the Steal” rally held by Trump supporters in Washington the day before the storming of the Capitol was taken into custody Monday on charges of impeding police during the riot.

Brandon Straka, 44, of New York was arrested in Nebraska on a felony charge of interfering with police during civil disorder, and illegal entry and disorderly conduct on restricted Capitol grounds.

Straka, a former New York City hairstylist and self-described former liberal, amassed more than 550,000 Twitter followers and became a Fox News contributor after posting a viral video in May 2018 describing why he left the Democratic Party.

Straka recorded himself in front of a mobbed entrance to the Capitol, urging a crowd to wrest away a riot shield from a police officer and shouting: “Take it away from him. . . . Take the shield! . . . Take it! Take it!”

Charging papers say Straka was wearing the same coat as in a recording taken the previous day when he was introduced and spoke for about five minutes at a Jan. 5 rally of Trump backers at Freedom Plaza in Washington, at which he addressed attendees “as ‘Patriots’ and referenced the ‘revolution’ multiple times.”

“Straka told the attendees to ‘fight back’ and ended by saying, ‘We are sending a message to the Democrats, we are not going away, you’ve got a problem!’ ” the FBI said.

 

[essentialsaltes]

LINK

During the course of the whirlwind days when the so-called “Zip Tie Guy” from the U.S. Capitol insurrection was ordered released by one judge on Friday—only to be kept behind bars by another on Sunday—a quiet revelation hitting his case’s docket barely received notice. Federal prosecutors disclosed that more serious charges against Eric Gavelek Munchel may be imminent, including an exceedingly rare sedition charge.

“The evidence amassed so far subjects the defendant to felonies beyond that with which he has been charged so far, including obstructing Congress, interstate travel in furtherance of rioting activity, sedition, and other offenses,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmet Baset on Sunday, referring to Munchel.

 

[Desk trauma]

LINK

During the course of the whirlwind days when the so-called “Zip Tie Guy” from the U.S. Capitol insurrection was ordered released by one judge on Friday—only to be kept behind bars by another on Sunday—a quiet revelation hitting his case’s docket barely received notice. Federal prosecutors disclosed that more serious charges against Eric Gavelek Munchel may be imminent, including an exceedingly rare sedition charge.

“The evidence amassed so far subjects the defendant to felonies beyond that with which he has been charged so far, including obstructing Congress, interstate travel in furtherance of rioting activity, sedition, and other offenses,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmet Baset on Sunday, referring to Munchel.

So much for all the bleating about he's only being charged with trespassing and those restraint are perfectly legal.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Some people are really sad about how this has all turned out.

Thoughts and prayers.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Burleson [Texas] Man Who Wore ‘Murder the Media' Shirt During Capitol Riot Arrested, FBI Says
North Texas man the latest to face three charges related to Jan. 6 siege of U.S. Capitol

Investigators said DeCarlo purported to be an employee of "MT Media News," which stands for Murder the Media News. In a separate photo posted on social media, and entered as evidence in the criminal complaint, DeCarlo was seen in another photo standing with Ochs in front of a door inside the Capitol where the words “Murder the Media" had been apparently scratched into the wood. DeCarlo is seen in the photograph wearing an "MT Media" T-shirt and hat, the FBI said.

 

[Whyayeman]

He was a walking incitement to violence, which is, arguably, just a matter of freedom of expression in America.

He could argue that it was metaphorical - not to be taken at face value; The Trump defence.

He got carried away by alliteration. 'Shut the media up' is one letter less but lacks (dare I use a metaphor myself?) the punch.

 

[essentialsaltes]

He was a walking incitement to violence, which is, arguably, just a matter of freedom of expression in America.

Yes, he's not being charged for the shirt:

Nicholas DeCarlo, 30, faces charges of obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, and parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds.

 

[Whyayeman]

Well, quite.

I doubt if his shirt would get him convicted here either. He would have to show somehow that his intention was to incite violence. I think he has offended against good taste, but that is not a 'high crime or misdemeanour'.

 

[essentialsaltes]

California man accused of stealing documents from Mitch McConnell's desk during Capitol riot

A California man accused of taking government documents he said were from Mitch McConnell's desk and attempting to steal an American flag from the Capitol has been charged in connection with the deadly riot there earlier this month.

Tommy Frederick Allan was arrested on charges of violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, entering a restricted building or grounds and damage or theft of federal property, according to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 20 in federal court in Washington, D.C.

 

[essentialsaltes]

DOJ has identified 400 suspects, charged 135 in Capitol riot
An official said that list of suspects is "growing by the hour."

Acting Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said Tuesday that they have identified 400 suspects and have arrested 135 to date in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Sherwin also said that list of suspects is "growing by the hour," but cautioned they might not have probable cause at this moment to charge all 400.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Acting Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that two police officers have died by suicide since responding to the riot at the Capitol on January 6, according to Contee's opening statement before the committee, which was obtained by CNN.

 

[Whyayeman]

Thank you for all these.

You have much work to do, as the names keep coming. They are not going to give up on the arrests, are they? They have such clear video evidence, including all those selfies sent to people who are now passing them on.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Kremer is the cofounder (with her daughter) of Women for America First (and former Tea Partyer) one of the groups that organized the DC protest.

She seems to be calling for more of this sort of thing.

(Hint: a peaceful revolution is what happened at the ballot box in November.)

 

[essentialsaltes]

Three self-styled militia members charged in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol began soliciting recruits for potential violence within days of the 2020 presidential election, later training in Ohio and North Carolina and organizing travel to Washington with a busload of comrades and a truck of weapons, U.S. authorities alleged Wednesday.


A four-count indictment returned in D.C. laid out fresh details and allegations against Jessica Marie Watkins, 38, and Donovan Ray Crowl, 50 — both of Woodstock, Ohio — and Thomas E. Caldwell, 66, of Berryville, Va. The three, all U.S. military veterans, are accused of conspiring to obstruct Congress and other counts, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors have said Caldwell appears to have ties to the anti-government Oath Keepers extremist group

Real-time conversations recovered from a walkie-talkie-style app captured Watkins discussing a group of about 30 to 40 “sticking together and sticking to the plan” during the breach, according to court documents previously filed in the case.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Although a fair number of Republicans flirted with anti-Trump sentiments and impeachment in the immediate wake of the attack on the Capitol, it looks like the story is the GOP will remain the Trump Party.

In the Republican Party, the post-Trump era lasted a week

Highlighting the former President's lightning fast rehabilitation, the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will visit Trump in Florida on Thursday after repudiating his own criticism of the incitement of the US Capitol riot.

Only a week after Trump left the White House, it's clear that his party is not ready to let him go. Extremists and Trumpists are on the rise, while lawmakers who condemned his aberrant conduct fight for their political careers. The anti-Trump wing -- represented by members of Congress such as Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger -- look like a small and outmaneuvered force.

In another sign of the GOP's future course, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was not censured by her party after CNN's KFile reported that she expressed supporting in recent years assassinations of Democratic leaders before she ran for Congress.

Remnants of the old GOP -- such as former George W. Bush aide Rob Portman -- who are unwilling to sign up to the unhinged populism that now drives the party of Lincoln have nowhere to go. The Ohio senator announced this week that he will not run for reelection.

 

[Whyayeman]

'The Ohio senator announced this week that he will not run for reelection.'

At least he cannot be coerced now.