In 2022, on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot, Vice President Kamala Harris compared the day to mass casualty events 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.
Harris spoke at the Capitol on January 6, 2022, leading a day of Democrats treating the riot — which resulted in the death of protester Ashli Babbit at the hands of Capitol police — as something akin to the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
“Certain dates echo throughout history, including dates that instantly remind all who have lived through them, where they were and what they were doing when our democracy came under assault,” Harris said at the time. &#8220;Dates that occupy not only a place on our calendars but a place in our collective memory. December 7, 1941. September 11, 2001, and January 6, 2021.&#8221;
One police officer died the day after January 6 due to two strokes, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/officer-who-responded-us-capitol-attack-is-third-die-by-suicide-2021-08-02/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four more committed suicide</a> in the months that followed.
It is unclear just how many first responders and others have died in the decades since 9/11 due to cancer and other related illnesses.
A total of 2,403 people were killed in the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Harris also in that speech called for legislation to allegedly protect democracy, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-compares-january-6-riot-to-pearl-harbor-9-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“On Jan. 6, we all saw what our nation would look like if the forces who seek to dismantle our democracy are successful. The lawlessness. The violence. The chaos,” Harris said in 2022. “What was at stake then, and now, is the right to have our future decided the way the Constitution prescribes it: By we, the people.”
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“The violent assault that took place here, the very fact of how close we came to an election overturned, that reflects the fragility of democracy,” she added.
At the time of Harris’ speech, report and investigator Jerry Dunleavy called the vice president’s comparison “<a href="https://x.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1479095444907204609">ridiculous</a>.”
“Ridiculous comparisons… The Capitol riot was bad, political violence is wrong, &amp; people are being prosecuted for it,” Dunleavy tweeted. “It wasn’t comparable to Pearl Harbor (2,403 sailors, soldiers, &amp; civilians killed by the Japanese Empire) nor comparable to 9/11 (2,977 Americans &amp; others killed by Al-Qaeda). Obviously.”
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The Capitol riot was bad, political violence is wrong, &amp; people are being prosecuted for it. It wasn’t comparable to Pearl Harbor (2,403 sailors, soldiers, &amp; civilians killed by the Japanese Empire) nor comparable to 9/11 (2,977 Americans &amp; others killed by Al-Qaeda). Obviously.
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1479097345245593602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Podcast host and actor Joe Rogan also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/insane-joe-rogan-rips-kamala-harris-comparing-jan-6-to-9-11-pearl-harbor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Harris for her “insane” comparison.
“This is complete insanity. Look, Jan 6 was embarrassing; it was pathetic; it was confusing to me,” Rogan said in 2022. “‘Cause there are parts of it that confused me—the parts where you have these clear agent provocateurs in the audience calling for people to go into the Capitol. … There’s video of cops opening up barriers. What is that? Why did they do that? Has there ever been an explanation of that?”

Kamala Harris

REMINDER: Kamala Put January 6 On Same Level As 9/11, Pearl Harbor

REMINDER: Kamala Harris Put January 6 On Same Level As 9/11, Pearl Harbor

2024 Election

9/11

Capitol Riot

Elections

Pearl Harbor

Politics

The Supreme Court on Friday <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-5572_l6hn.pdf">ruled</a> that the Justice Department went too far in slapping obstruction charges on hundreds of January 6 defendants.
The court voted 6-3 in favor of defendant Joseph Fischer, a former police officer seeking to dismiss his charge of obstructing an official proceeding, Congress&#8217; certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.
However, the court ruled that an obstruction charge may be filed if prosecutors are able to prove that a protester was trying to stop the arrival of certificates used to count electoral votes to certify the election results, not just force their way into the Capitol Building.
The decision could have implications for former President Donald Trump, who is also charged with obstruction, although special counsel Jack Smith has argued that Trump&#8217;s obstruction of Congress&#8217; certification was much broader than the protesters&#8217; actions.
It could also force prosecutors to reopen at least some of the January 6 cases.
The court determined that the law designating obstruction as a felony was not meant to be interpreted so broadly. The 2002 statute, enacted as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act after the Enron accounting scandal, was only meant to apply in cases involving tampering with physical evidence, the court ruled.
Chief Justice John Roberts penned the <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-5572_l6hn.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion</a> for the majority.
He noted that the &#8220;breach of the Capitol delayed the certification of the vote&#8221; but said the law never intended for these defendants to be sentenced to decades in prison.
“Nothing in the text or statutory history suggests that [the law] is designed to impose up to 20 years’ imprisonment on essentially all defendants who commit obstruction of justice in any way and who might be subject to lesser penalties under more specific obstruction statutes,” Roberts wrote.
Fischer faces a total of seven criminal charges, including assaulting a police officer and entering a restricted building, beyond the obstruction charge.
&#8220;The Supreme Court’s narrowed definition of this statute is a victory against government overreach when it comes to applying vague criminal statutes to defendants and situations never intended by Congress. It is more than clear that what happened on January 6th did not involve document destruction or witness tampering—as the statute indicates,&#8221; said John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor who is vice president of the Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Institute for Constitutional Government.
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Attorney General Merrick Garland reacted to the court&#8217;s ruling with dismay, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-statement-supreme-courts-decision-fischer-v-united-states">saying</a> he was &#8220;disappointed by today’s decision, which limits an important federal statute that the Department has sought to use to ensure that those most responsible for that attack face appropriate consequences.”
A total of 247 January 6 cases <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-jan-6-rioter-challenging-obstruction-char-rcna155902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could</a> be affected by the court&#8217;s ruling in favor of Fischer, but only 52 of those have obstruction as the only felony offense.
A total of 27 defendants are currently in prison with obstruction as their only felony offense.
More than 1,400 people were charged for their actions on January 6.

Trump Supporters Hold “Stop The Steal” Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election

Supreme Court Rules DOJ Overstepped In Charging Hundreds Of January 6 Defendants With Obstruction

Courts

Donald Trump

January 6

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

Trump

Video from January 6, 2021, released by House Republicans on Monday shows then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) acknowledging that she is responsible for not ensuring that law enforcement and the National Guard were &#8220;prepare[d] for more&#8221; during the Capitol riot.
In the newly-released footage posted to X by the House Oversight Subcommittee, Pelosi appears to be in the process of being evacuated from the U.S. Capitol as she rides in the back of a vehicle with staffers. Pelosi is seen discussing the riot that had broken out and expressing frustration that the National Guard wasn&#8217;t &#8220;there to begin with.&#8221;
&#8220;We have responsibility, Terri,&#8221; Pelosi said, appearing to talk to her chief of staff, Terri McCullough. &#8220;We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have.&#8221;
&#8220;This is ridiculous. You&#8217;re going to ask me in the middle of the thing when they&#8217;ve already breached the inaugural stuff that should we call the Capitol Police &#8230; I mean, the National Guard?&#8221; Pelosi added. &#8220;Why weren&#8217;t the National Guard there to begin with?&#8221;
McCullough began to answer, saying authorities &#8220;thought they had sufficient &#8230;&#8221; before Pelosi cut her off.
&#8220;No, it is not a question of how they had &#8230; they don&#8217;t know. They clearly didn&#8217;t know,&#8221; Pelosi said. &#8220;And I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Since January 6, 2021, Nancy Pelosi spent 3+ years and nearly $20 million creating a narrative to blame Donald Trump.
NEW FOOTAGE shows on January 6, Pelosi ADMITTED:
&#8220;I take responsibility.&#8221;
WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/95a0totTWB">pic.twitter.com/95a0totTWB</a>
— Oversight Subcommittee (@OversightAdmn) <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightAdmn/status/1800207258514575730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The video clip is part of 45 minutes of footage recently obtained by the House Oversight Subcommittee.
Democrats, including Pelosi, have spent more than three years accusing former President Donald Trump and his supporters of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and foment an insurrection. Pelosi greenlit the House January 6 Select Committee, which spent months looking into the events of that day and hearing testimonies from Capitol Police officers and former Trump officials. The committee concluded by recommending insurrection charges against Trump.
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Trump is also being tried in a Washington, D.C., court for alleged election interference, a trial unlikely to begin before the 2024 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the election interference charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
House Republicans issued a report in 2022 on the Capitol breach, which <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/21/house-gop-report-faults-nancy-pelosi-for-jan-6-security-failures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that Democrat leaders were concerned about the &#8220;optics&#8221; of deploying the National Guard to quell the riot &#8220;in the aftermath of the Summer 2020 ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests.&#8221;  It took around four hours for the National Guard to respond and send troops to the Capitol.
Trump has accused Pelosi of bearing responsibility for the January 6 riot, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=296429096418518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> earlier this year, &#8220;I think it was an insurrection caused by Nancy Pelosi.&#8221;
A spokesman for Pelosi responded to the Oversight Subcommittee&#8217;s clip, telling Fox News, &#8220;Numerous independent fact-checkers have confirmed again and again that Speaker Pelosi did not plan her own assassination on January 6th.&#8221;
&#8220;As the footage in its entirety plainly shows, Speaker Pelosi sprang into action in response to the attack on the Capitol — mobilizing the defense of the Capitol, urging the Administration to deploy the National Guard and coordinating the continuity of government,&#8221; Pelosi&#8217;s office added. &#8220;Cherry-picked, out-of-context clips do not change the fact that the Speaker of the House is not in charge of the security of the Capitol Complex — on January 6th or any other day of the week. Three years later, House Republicans are still attempting to whitewash the deadly insurrection.&#8221;

Nancy Pelosi

Unearthed Jan. 6 Footage Shows Pelosi ‘Take Responsibility’ For Not Having Authorities ‘Prepare For More’

Unearthed Jan. 6 Footage Shows Pelosi 'Take Responsibility' For Not Having Authorities 'Prepare For More'

Capitol Police

Congress

January 6 Committee

National Guard

US Capitol

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> panel has recovered more than 100 &#8220;deleted&#8221; and encrypted files from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6 Committee</a>, a GOP investigator announced on Monday.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, affirmed the retrieval as part of a counter-inquiry into the January 6 Committee that <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/jan-6-panel-shutting-down-after-concluding-18-month-investigation#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20House,prosecuting%20former%20President%20Donald%20Trump." target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down</a> at the beginning of 2023.
&#8220;The former J6 Select Committee went to great lengths to prevent Americans from seeing all the evidence produced in their investigation,&#8221; Loudermilk <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLoudermilk/status/1749487685972971608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;Our Subcommittee has recovered over 100 deleted &amp; encrypted files. What else were they trying to hide?&#8221;
Loudermilk was responding to a Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-committee-jan-6-deleted-encrypted-117-files-was-required-share-house-gop-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that said he wrote to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who chaired the January 6 Committee, demanding a list of passwords that would allow his forensic team to gain access to the locked files. Thompson replied with a letter that <a href="https://twitter.com/BennieGThompson/status/1749912931913933006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed he had &#8220;no idea&#8221;</a> what Loudermilk was talking about when it came to encrypted, password-protected files.
The pair have traded a number of letters over the past year in which Loudermilk <a href="https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/08/Loudermilk-Letter-to-Thompson-6.26.23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> concerns about the January 6 Committee not properly archiving video recordings of interviews and depositions in the House as well as transcripts mentioned in a letter to the Homeland Security Department that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6-panel-alerts-white-house-about-anonymous-witnesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referenced</a> &#8220;important information&#8221; gained &#8220;from an unnamed Secret Service witness.&#8221;
Thompson has <a href="https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/08/Thompson-letter-to-Loudermilk-7.7.23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> the January 6 Committee was &#8220;was not obligated&#8221; to archive all video recordings of transcribed interviews or depositions, but he conceded the panel &#8220;did not have the opportunity to properly archive&#8221; certain sensitive materials because it was dissolved before the completion of an executive branch review of information that could be damaging to witnesses if released.
In his newest letter, Loudermilk said one of the recovered files &#8220;disclosed the identity of an individual whose testimony was not archived by the Select Committee.&#8221; He added that the &#8220;hard drives archived by the Select Committee with the Clerk of the House contain less than 3- terabytes of data,&#8221; suggesting some data may be missing as Thompson had touted a 4-terabyte digital archive.
Loudermilk also wrote to the White House and DHS general counsels seeking &#8220;unedited and unredacted transcripts&#8221; of testimony given to the January 6 Committee by the White House and DHS, per Fox News. He set a January 24 deadline for those requests.
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Whatever information may be in the protected files remains a mystery, though the <a href="https://twitter.com/KerryPicket/status/1749810781540245782" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Times noted</a> that Loudermilk said the missing documents include information shared with the Department of Justice and Fulton County District Attorney. Former President Donald Trump, who is being prosecuted in January 6-related cases, said the records <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111800280605939981" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would have &#8220;exonerated&#8221;</a> him.
The January 6 Committee was bipartisan, with then-Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) as members, but many Republicans have criticized the endeavor. Loudermilk himself accused the panel of spreading false allegations about him giving a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-of-reconnaissance-tour-story-fires-back-at-january-6-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;reconnaissance tour&#8221;</a> a day before the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021. Now, there are obstruction claims.
&#8220;It should come as a surprise to no one that Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney’s fake committee illegally deleted records of their sham investigation and obstructed justice,&#8221; House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said on Tuesday.

Bennie Thompson

House GOP Investigator Says More Than 100 ‘Deleted’ Jan 6 Committee Files Recovered

GOP Investigator Says More than 100 'Deleted' Jan 6 Committee Files Recovered

House Republicans

Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is warning that President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign focus on the January 6 riot is beating a “dead political horse.”
Biden delivered the first speech of his re-election campaign on Friday, taking direct aim at former President Donald Trump. Trump is the favorite to win the GOP nomination for president in 2024, though the first primary contest in Iowa has yet to take place.
During his speech, Biden continually hit on Trump’s alleged role in the January 6 riot and compared Trump’s rhetoric since to that of the Nazis. Romney, a moderate Republican and vocal Trump critic, said that Biden’s focus on the January 6 riot of three years ago is a political loser.
“As a Biden campaign theme, I think the threat to democracy pitch is a bust,” Romney told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/us/politics/biden-speech-trump-jan-6.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> in a text. “Jan. 6 will be four years old by the election. People have processed it, one way or another. Biden needs fresh material, a new attack, rather than kicking a dead political horse.”
Biden characterized Trump as an authoritarian and a threat to the United States.
“Three years ago tomorrow, we saw with our own eyes the violent mob stormed the United States Capitol. It was almost in disbelief as you first turned on the television,” Biden <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-speech-valley-forge-trump-campaign-bda2293cac2b30e49157c2e6fb256d64" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Friday. “For the first time in our history, insurrectionists had come to stop the peaceful transfer, transfer of power in America. First time.”
“It was among the worst derelictions of duty by a president in American history. An attempt to overturn a free and fair election by force and violence. A record 81 million people voted for my candidacy and to end his presidency,” Biden said of Trump’s handling of the riot. The president said Trump orchestrated the riot in a last-ditch effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election after exhausting “every legal avenue.”
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Despite Biden’s amped-up rhetoric surrounding the riot, politicos and lawmakers are skeptical whether hammering Trump on January 6 will be a political winner. In recent months, Trump’s approval rating has caught up with Biden’s as Americans’ worries grow over issues such as the economy, immigration, and crime.
Trump blasted Biden over his speech last week. Trump said that Biden is threatening America through incompetence in the Oval Office.
“Joe Biden is the worst president in the history of the United States — he is incompetent, he is crooked, and in many respects, he is Benedict Arnold,” Trump said, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fires-back-says-biden-true-threat-democracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. “He is destroying our country like no one else has done before.”

Mitt Romney

Romney Warns Biden Against Running On January 6: ‘Kicking A Dead Political Horse’

Romney Warns Biden Against Running On January 6: ‘Kicking A Dead Political Horse'

Executive

Joe Biden

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ray Epps</a>, a mysterious J6 figure some theorized to be a federal informant, has been sentenced to a year of probation for his participation in the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, evading the six-month sentence suggested by prosecutors.
Epps, a 62-year-old former Oath Keepers member, was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and serve 100 hours of community service in addition to probation.
In September, the Arizona man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds as part of a deal with Justice Department prosecutors. The government <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-recommend-6-months-of-prison-for-ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> the “high end of the applicable guidelines range” of six months of incarceration for Epps, as well as one year of supervised release and $500 in restitution.
It was argued that Epps should only be given probation by his legal team. “This 62-year-old man has displayed remorse, accepted responsibility, and taken-on the brand of a convicted criminal that shames and embarrasses him and his family and will stain him for the rest of his life,” lawyer Ed Ungvarsky said in a sentencing memo, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4397624-ray-epps-jan-6-conspiracy-theories-sentenced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Notably, Epps was a central figure in the Capitol breach from the early on. He&#8217;s seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump </a>supporters to “go into the Capitol” the next day.
“I’ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,” Epps says in one clip. The crowd of Trump supporters then starts chanting back at Epps, “Fed! Fed! Fed!”
Moreover, at least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action to “go into the Capitol,&#8221; and later texted his nephew that he “orchestrated” the riot. “I was in the front with a few others, I also orchestrated it,” one text <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.
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BREAKING: Ray Epps, the only January 6 protester who actually told people to go into the Capitol, has been officially sentenced to one year probation, $500 restitution, and 100 hours community service.
While many J6 protesters are rotting in jail for non-violent crimes, Epps… <a href="https://t.co/qPWwktAPbu">pic.twitter.com/qPWwktAPbu</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1744763567088230572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Epps was initially on the FBI’s wanted list for January 6, but he was suddenly dropped, fueling conspiracies that he might be protected by the feds. It was much later, in September, when he struck a deal with the DOJ.
Daniel Chaitin and Mairead Elordi contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-recommend-6-months-of-prison-for-ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prosecutors Recommend 6 Months Of Prison For Ray Epps</a>

Pro-Trump Protests get Violent over Electoral College Certification

Ray Epps Sentenced, Evades Jail Time

Ray Epps Sentenced, Gets No Jail Time

Ray Epps

The family of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashli Babbitt</a>, an Air Force veteran who was fatally shot in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, sued the U.S. government for $30 million on Friday claiming Babbitt was &#8220;ambushed&#8221; by a police officer.
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch <a href="https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Estate-of-Ashli-Babbitt-and-Arron-Babbitt-et-al.-v.-U.S.A-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed the suit</a> in California federal court on behalf of Babbitt&#8217;s estate and husband, Aaron, who is a resident of San Diego, alleging counts that included assault and battery, negligence, wrongful death and more.
The complaint particularly raises issues with the U.S. Capitol Police and then-Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, the officer who shot Babbitt as she attempted to pass through a broken window of a barricaded lobby door, unarmed, during the breach that disrupted lawmakers certifying Joe Biden&#8217;s presidential victory.
“The only homicide on January 6 was the unlawful shooting death of Ashli Babbitt. Her homicide by Lt. Byrd is a scandal beyond belief. This historic lawsuit seeks a measure of justice and government accountability for Ashli’s wrongful death,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a <a href="https://www.judicialwatch.org/wrongful-death-lawsuit-babbitt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
“Judicial Watch and our supporters are honored to represent Ashli’s steadfast widower Aaron Babbitt and her estate in this legal action. Ashli was shot in cold blood and the rule of law requires justice for her,&#8221; Fitton added.
Among the assertions made in the complaint was that Byrd was not in uniform during the incident and &#8220;did not identify himself as a police officer or otherwise make his presence known to Ashli. Lt. Byrd did not give Ashli any warnings or commands before shooting her dead.&#8221;
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in April 2021 that prosecutors would not pursue charges against Byrd for the fatal shooting of Babbitt, who was 35 at the time of her death.
An investigation &#8220;revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber,&#8221; the DOJ said.
Months later, in August 2021, the U.S. Capitol Police said Byrd would <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-completes-internal-investigation-january-6-officer-involved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not face internal discipline</a>. In an interview <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officer-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-during-capitol-riot-breaks-silence-n1277736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with NBC News</a> that aired later that month, Byrd revealed his identity and claimed he opened fire as a &#8220;last resort.&#8221;

Ashli Babbitt sign

Ashli Babbitt’s Family Sues U.S. Govt For $30 Million

Ashli Babbitt's Family Sues U.S. Govt For $30 Million

Ashli Babbitt

California

Judicial Watch

U.S.

On the eve of the third anniversary of the January 6 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capitol riot</a>, a federal court ruled against a pro-Trump demonstrator, saying that even though he was “neither violent nor destructive,” he could still be convicted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to a year in prison.
Russell Alford was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/alford-russell-dean">sentenced</a> on February 23, 2023, to a year in prison after being found guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Alford challenged “the reasonableness of his sentence and the sufficiency of the evidence to support two of his convictions, both of which charged him with engaging in ‘disorderly or disruptive conduct.’” But D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote Friday that the court affirmed his convictions, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4392449-jan-6-rioters-who-were-passive-can-be-convicted-of-disorderly-conduct-court-rules/">reported</a>.
“The trial evidence indicated that, during Alford’s brief time within the Capitol, he was neither violent nor destructive,” wrote Henderson, a George H.W. Bush appointee. “Nevertheless, we affirm his convictions because a jury could rationally find that his unauthorized presence in the Capitol as part of an unruly mob contributed to the disruption of the Congress’s electoral certification and jeopardized public safety.”
“[I]t is equally clear from caselaw that even passive, quiet and nonviolent conduct can be disorderly,” the judge added in her ruling.
Immediately following the storming of the Capitol, the FBI began a years-long investigation into those who were present or participated in the massive demonstration on Capitol Hill as Congress met to vote on certification of the 2020 election. Since then, the Department of Justice has <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/36-months-jan-6-attack-capitol-0">charged</a> 452 people with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, which includes 123 people “who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.”
The vast majority of the charges — 1,186 — are for “entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds.” Some who weren’t even present at the Capitol on January 6 have also been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enrique-tarrio-sentenced-to-decades-behind-bars-the-longest-j6-sentence-to-date">sentenced</a>. Former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years behind bars, the longest January 6 sentence to date, after being found guilty of seditious conspiracy.
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Meanwhile, federal officials are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-still-looking-for-d-c-pipe-bomb-suspect-3-years-later">still looking</a> for a suspect as they investigate two pipe bombs that were planted outside the Democratic and Republican National Committees’ offices in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. A bulletin <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/washingtondc/news/500000-reward-remains-in-effect-for-information-about-capitol-hill-pipe-bomber">issued</a> by the FBI on Thursday said a $500,000 reward, which would be given in exchange for information leading to an individual’s arrest and conviction, “remains in effect.”
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

January 6 Capitol Riot

Federal Judge Upholds Year-Long Prison Sentence For January 6 Demonstrator After Admitting He Was ‘Neither Violent Nor Destructive’

Federal Judge Upholds Year-Long Prison Sentence For January 6 Demonstrator After Admitting He Was 'Neither Violent Nor Destructive'

Judge

Washington D.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a monumental case on a federal obstruction law that could potentially “undo” hundreds of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a> cases and directly impact Special Council Jack Smith’s case against former President Donald Trump.
The case concerns a specific provision of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 U.S. Code 1512</a>, an obstruction law, which states, &#8220;whoever corruptly otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” The court will examine how the Biden Department of Justice has been using the provision, possibly in context with that broader statute, to prosecute J6 defendants.
Tom Caso, Senior Legal Fellow at the Claremont Institute, told The Daily Wire the government&#8217;s application of the provision in this way is largely unprecedented.
“The amazing thing is if you look at the way the government is portraying the statute, you kind of wonder why it hasn&#8217;t been applied before,&#8221; Caso said. &#8220;I think about all of the antics of the protesters at Supreme court nomination approvals before Congress &#8212; you know, the Code Pink folks and whoever else stands up and shouts during that testimony. Why have they never been prosecuted under this statute? They are obviously trying to impede an official proceeding.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of strange that the statute is only now been discovered,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s been on the books for quite some time. &#8230; It was part of the Dodd-Frank legislation [and] it&#8217;s never been applied in this particular manner before.&#8221;
The obstruction law has been used by the DOJ against more than 300 J6 defendants thus far, and notably holds a punishment of up to 20 years behind bars. It’s also one of the charges President Trump is facing in a trial currently scheduled for March.
If the Supreme Court agrees that the law has been misapplied by the DOJ, effectively siding with the defendants, the ruling could “undo a whole bunch of cases,&#8221; says J6 defense attorney Kira Anne West. Moreover, it could adjust the sentences of those who&#8217;ve already been sentenced.
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Such a ruling could also potentially slow down Smith’s prosecution of Trump. Notably, Smith is trying to prosecute the former president before the 2024 election, while Trump is working to delay the trial.
“Since this statute is key to Jack Smith&#8217;s prosecution, and the Supreme Court ruling on this case is not likely to come out until the end of June, that could hold up the prosecution or the trial until after the Supreme court rules,&#8221; Caso told The Daily Wire. &#8220;That&#8217;s going to be in the hands of the district court judge.”
Caso added that it’s unclear which way the Supreme Court will go on the issue. The Court doesn’t usually interpret a small provision to “wipe out” the rest of the language of a statute, he said, but, on the other hand, the court could read the provision in isolation and uphold the government&#8217;s position.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – August 10, 2022

Supreme Court Will Hear J6 Dispute That Could ‘Undo’ Hundreds Of Cases, Impact Trump

Supreme Court Will Hear J6 Dispute That Could ‘Undo’ Hundreds Cases, Impact Trump

Crime

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Tuesday that Republicans are blurring out the faces of individuals seen in the January 6 U.S. Capitol breach security camera footage — a move his office clarified would protect Americans from being identified by non-governmental investigators and private citizens.
&#8220;We have to blur some of the faces of persons who participated in the events of that day because we don&#8217;t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ and to have other, you know, concerns and problems,&#8221; Johnson told reporters during a <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?532220-1/house-republican-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republican Agenda</a> briefing.
Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-announces-public-release-of-january-6-footage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that the GOP-led House would begin rolling out the disclosure of more than 40,000 hours of footage to a website, except a small portion that may contain sensitive security information or information that could lead to retaliation against private citizens.
The decision to release the footage, he <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/speaker-johnson-statement-on-january-6-2021-u-s-capitol-security-tapes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time, would allow the American people, criminal defendants, public interest organizations, and the media to witness for themselves what happened on that infamous day rather than relying upon &#8220;a small group of government officials.&#8221; His remarks come as <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/public-trust-in-government-1958-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public trust in the U.S. government</a> continues to sink to an all-time low.
&#8220;The release of the January 6 tapes is a critical, important exercise — we want transparency,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We trust — House Republicans trust — the American people to draw their own conclusions. They should not be dictated by some narrative and accept that as fact so they can review the tapes themselves.&#8221;
Although blurring out faces could prevent non-governmental investigators from using facial recognition software to help federal authorities track down those seen on the nation&#8217;s capital property, the Department of Justice accessed the footage almost immediately after the crowds were cleared.
&#8220;Faces are to be blurred from public viewing room footage to prevent all forms of retaliation against private citizens from any non-governmental actors,&#8221; Raj Shah, deputy chief of staff for communications in the Speaker&#8217;s office, told The Daily Wire in an emailed statement. &#8220;The Department of Justice already has access to raw footage from January 6, 2021.&#8221;
The footage has allowed prosecutors to bring roughly 1,200 criminal cases in connection to the breach.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Some Republican lawmakers and others have long pressed for releasing security footage of the day when a crowd of people entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers&#8217; meeting to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory.
House Republicans, including Johnson, have long criticized the January 6 Committee, which investigated the national capitol&#8217;s breach for over a year and a half.
In the final report <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-the-jan-6-committees-summary-of-its-final-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a>, the committee, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, recommended criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the events that day — marking a historical moment in U.S. history as no former president has ever been the subject of a criminal referral from Congress.
Johnson called the committee a &#8220;partisan exercise.&#8221;
&#8220;They claimed that it was bipartisan, but I think we all recognize that the two &#8216;Republican&#8217; members that served on that committee had another agenda,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;I think that what we got was a biased report. I think they hid some of the important evidence, and, look, we want the American people to draw their own conclusions.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think partisan elected officials in Washington should present a narrative and expect that it should be seen as the ultimate truth when we know that they hid certain elements,&#8221; he added.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) alleged in a Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/j6-committee-failed-to-preserve-records-has-no-data-on-capitol-hill-security-failures-gop-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> in August that the committee failed to preserve some documents, data, and video depositions.
But Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the committee chairman on the nine-member panel, denied the allegations.
&#8220;The Select Committee did not archive temporary committee records that were not elevated by the Committee&#8217;s actions, such as use in hearings or official publications, or those that did not further its investigative activities,&#8221; Thompson <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4329843-judge-blocks-trump-subpoena-jan-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in August, according to The Hill. &#8220;Accordingly, and contrary to your letter&#8217;s implication, the Select Committee was not obligated to archive all video recordings of transcribed interviews or depositions.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Capitol Hill

House Speaker Says GOP Lawmakers Blurred Out Faces In J6 Tapes To Prevent ‘Retaliation’

House Speaker Says GOP Lawmakers Blurred Out Faces In J6 Tapes For Protection Against DOJ

Mike Johnson

An actor featured in the DailyWire+ comedy &#8220;Lady Ballers&#8221; was arrested following the premiere in Nashville last week for charges related to his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Federal authorities arrested Siaka Massaquoi on November 30 after he and his wife, Charlotte, arrived back in California following the showing, according to a legal defense <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/siaka" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraiser</a> set up in his name.
&#8220;Upon their arrival, Siaka was separated from his wife and abruptly arrested by the FBI,&#8221; according to the fundraising page. &#8220;At the time, Charlotte was told the charges had to do with January 6th; however, she was not presented with any arrest warrant.&#8221;
Massaquoi, who appeared in the new comedy from The Daily Wire, was taken to the Monterey Park Jail, where he stayed overnight after being charged with four misdemeanors in connection to January 6, according to the fundraiser page.
Three years ago, approximately 20 FBI agents dressed in tactical gear raided Massaquoi&#8217;s North Hollywood home just before 6 a.m. on a Thursday — about six months after that infamous day in 2021, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-12/fbi-raids-home-of-los-angeles-based-actor-who-entered-u-s-capitol-on-jan-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Los Angeles Times</a>.
Video footage from the Capitol breach posted by StopHate, a Texas-based activist group, claims to show Massaquoi inside the Capitol building.
&#8220;He was at the threshold of the door for maybe a minute, &amp; even helping the police direct the flow of foot traffic out the door. Crime?&#8221; the group wrote in a December 2 post.
Massaquoi reposted the group&#8217;s video on his X account. &#8220;Witness why I was raided 2 years ago and recently arrested and charged Nov 30th 2023 almost 3 years later,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Witness why I was raided 2 years ago and recently arrested and charged Nov 30th 2023 almost 3 years later <a href="https://t.co/0YH97WqftF">https://t.co/0YH97WqftF</a>
&mdash; Siaka Massaquoi (@_SiakaMassaquoi) <a href="https://twitter.com/_SiakaMassaquoi/status/1731055218790392177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Massaquoi also starred in The Babylon Bee&#8217;s &#8220;Californians Move to Texas&#8221; series. Seth Dillon, CEO of the satire website, called Massaquoi&#8217;s arrest &#8220;political persecution.&#8221;
&#8220;If you&#8217;ve watched our Californians Move to Texas series, then you&#8217;re already familiar with Siaka. You know how funny and talented he is,&#8221; Dillon wrote in an X-post. &#8220;But he isn&#8217;t just a talented actor and friend of the Babylon Bee; he also happens to be a Trump supporter. And he&#8217;s being punished for it by our government.&#8221;
In a Monday post, Dillon posted the arrest warrant presented to Massaquoi, revealing charges including knowingly entering a restricted building, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here&#39;s the arrest warrant containing the charges brought against <a href="https://twitter.com/_SiakaMassaquoi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_SiakaMassaquoi</a>.
He has a hearing scheduled for this Thursday morning (10 am) at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. <a href="https://t.co/Z0wlUs83Fl">pic.twitter.com/Z0wlUs83Fl</a>
&mdash; Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1731836160660418729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Although authorities never charged Massaquoi, the fundraiser&#8217;s page said that the family has &#8220;feared that this day might come, in which the government would charge him for something he didn&#8217;t do,&#8221; adding the actor has been &#8220;scrutinized at airports for several years.&#8221;
The fundraiser for Massaquoi has raised nearly $40,000 of its $115,000 goal to cover the legal expenses. The campaign page also requested to keep the family in prayer support as the couple is expecting their first child.
According to podcast host Lori Mills, authorities arraigned Massaquoi on Friday and released him with conditions.
&#8220;This judge was fair. Preliminary trial next week,&#8221; she wrote in an X-post. &#8220;We are praying it gets thrown out as DC wants the case.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes. He was arraigned yesterday and released with conditions. This judge was fair. Preliminary trial next week. We are praying it gets thrown out as DC wants the case. There is a go fund me. We were all there and stood with him. Love him and Char so much. His Jesus Saves… <a href="https://t.co/gBhK3RUoM3">pic.twitter.com/gBhK3RUoM3</a>
&mdash; Lori Mills (@LoriMills4CA42) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoriMills4CA42/status/1730987999897514244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Massaquoi — an actor who has landed parts in shows like &#8220;S.W.A.T,&#8221; &#8220;NCIS: Los Angeles,&#8221; and &#8220;Lethal Weapon&#8221; — also appeared as Duece Johnson in The Daily Wire&#8217;s first-ever feature-length comedy &#8220;Lady Ballers.&#8221;
The film&#8217;s director and co-founder of The Daily Wire, Jeremy Boreing, spoke out in defense of Massaquoi.
&#8220;Siaka is a good man and a huge talent,&#8221; Boreing <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyDBoreing/status/1731027952471568391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1731027952471568391%7Ctwgr%5Eed40d0ce63363dcd743420e9e6e46f117faa9ab7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthepostmillennial.com%2Fbidens-doj-arrests-prominent-conservative-actor-in-front-of-pregnant-wife-for-attending-jan-6-protests-three-years-after-the-fact-charges-him-with-4-misdemeanors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an X-post. &#8220;The FBI arresting a man at the airport three years after the event &#8211; and after raiding his house and not charging him already &#8211; and then only charging him with misdemeanors is one of the most absurd things I&#8217;ve ever heard.&#8221;
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Federal authorities arrested Massaquoi more than two months after he filed a group lawsuit against the FBI, Bureau Director Christopher Wray, the Department of Justice, and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
<a href="https://www.ntd.com/biden-fbi-arrests-conservative-actor-for-taking-part-in-jan-6-protests_958093.html">According</a> to the lawsuit filed in a district court in Florida on September 20, the plaintiffs requested the court to certify the legal challenge as a class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals &#8220;who were peacefully protesting in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, but who did not commit any felonies or engage in any violence, but have been subjected to unconstitutional, illegal surveillance by Defendant Wray and his agents in the aftermath.&#8221;
&#8220;While there were a few people who chose to enter and engage in acts of violence in the U.S. Capitol, Plaintiffs were not among those involved in any such conduct,&#8221; the lawsuit said. &#8220;All Plaintiffs did was exercise their right to peacefully assemble and protest under the Constitution.&#8221;
The Department of Justice has reportedly charged more than 1,069 individuals from nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia in connection to January 6.
A spokesperson with the FBI declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Wire.

DailyWire+ Red Carpet Premiere of Lady Ballers

FBI Arrests ‘Lady Ballers’ Actor Following Daily Wire Movie Premiere

FBI Arrests 'Lady Ballers' Actor Following Daily Wire Movie Premiere

DailyWire+

Department of Justice

Jeremy Boreing

Lady Ballers

The Daily Wire

The Department of Justice appears to have collected information on anyone who liked, followed, or retweeted Donald Trump&#8217;s Twitter account — among other actions in connection to the former president&#8217;s social media — in the days leading up to the January 6 U.S. Capitol breach.
Special Counsel Jack Smith ordered a search warrant against X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this year as part of his investigation into Trump for allegedly interfering with the 2020 presidential election and the events at the nation&#8217;s capitol just before Congress certified Joe Biden as the next president in 2021.
But after several media outlets filed a lawsuit to obtain the document and other related documents, the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.259110/gov.uscourts.dcd.259110.22.3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">search warrant</a> released on Monday showed federal authorities gathered a massive trove of data from users who interacted with Trump&#8217;s personal Twitter account from October 2020 to January 2021.
&#8220;All information from the &#8216;Connect&#8217; or &#8216;Notifications&#8217; tab for the account, including all lists of Twitter users who have favorited or retweeted tweets posted by the account, as well as all tweets that include the username associated with the account (i.e. &#8216;mentions&#8217; or &#8216;replies&#8217;),&#8221; the warrant reads.
The 14-page document — half of which has been redacted — has been described by American citizens as an Orwellian nightmare and a breach of privacy and a violation of their constitutional right to free speech.
Smith&#8217;s warrant also sought to access Trump&#8217;s search history on X, including drafted posts, blocks, mutes, and direct messages, while also demanding a list of all devices used to log in or access the account.
&#8220;The content of all direct messages sent from, received by, stored in draft form in, or otherwise associated&#8221; with the former president&#8217;s account, and the users Trump &#8220;has followed, unfollowed, muted, unmuted, blocked, or unblocked, and all users who have followed, unfollowed, muted, unmuted, blocked, or unblocked,&#8221; the search warrant lists.
The warrant <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/11/27/news/heavily-redacted-documents-related-to-search-warrant-for-trumps-twitter-account-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> included a nondisclosure order that forced X officials to keep Trump in the dark about the search. According to the New York Post, the social media company initially refused the order, claiming in a failed court challenge that the warrant violated the First Amendment and the Stored Communications Act.
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The delay resulted in the company receiving a $350,000 fine.
The Justice Department argued in another <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.259110/gov.uscourts.dcd.259110.22.4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily redacted document</a> released on Monday that the nondisclosure order &#8220;was granted based on facts showing that notifying the former president would result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, or other serious jeopardy to an investigation or delaying of trial.&#8221;
&#8220;For what appears to be the first time in its history, Twitter Inc. (&#8216;Twitter&#8217;) has filed a motion to vacate or modify an order that it not disclose the existence of a search warrant,&#8221; Smith said, adding that &#8220;there is reason to believe notification to the former president, a sophisticated actor with an expansive platform, would result in a statutorily cognizable harm.&#8221;
Trump was indicted earlier this year on multiple felony charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstructing a congressional proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He reacted to the search warrant on his Truth Social account in August, criticizing the special counsel for seeking information on his former Twitter account.
&#8220;How dare lowlife prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, break into my former Twitter account without informing me and, indeed, trying to completely hide this atrocity from me,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110886100439412597" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;What could he possibly find out that is not already known.&#8221;

Elon Musk reinstates Donald Trump’s Twitter account

DOJ Collected Data On Americans Who Interacted With Trump Tweets: Report

Jack Smith

Twitter

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