More than half of U.S. Senators accepted taxpayer-funded emergency satellite phones as part of a series of new security measures implemented after the January 6 Capitol riot.
According to a CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senators-issued-satellite-phones-new-security-measures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, approximately 50 out of 100 sitting members of Congress received the technology amid growing concerns about hometown security risks or in the case of an emergency that could wipe out communications in the U.S.
During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee last month, Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson said officials would deploy satellite communication &#8220;to ensure a redundant and secure means of communication during a disruptive event.&#8221;
Department of Homeland Security issued an <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Satellite-Phones-TN_0615-508_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advisory</a> saying that such mobile phones are used for emergency communications during natural disasters or man-made incidents, including potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive events.
&#8220;Satellite mobile phones can help maintain command and control functions during an emergency when existing communications networks are not functioning,&#8221; the advisory reads. &#8220;These phones are designed to be relatively rugged and simple to operate, but are more expensive than cell phones to buy and use.&#8221;
Gibson reportedly also opened an office &#8220;demonstration space&#8221; in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building, which offers lawmakers and staff security upgrades in their home state, including &#8220;duress buttons,&#8221; mail screening devices, and safety glass to reduce the risk of attacks, CBS reported.
&#8220;Our team provided initial physical security enhancements for 31 offices and improved existing security for 52 others in 2022,&#8221; she said in testimony. &#8220;Maintaining security systems in good working order is a priority, and to support this effort our team conducted over 622 service calls to maintain, repair, and or test and inspect state office physical security systems in 2022.&#8221;
House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland told legislators in April that a &#8220;robust participation&#8221; program that coordinates with local police departments is underway to allow Capitol Police protection for House members outside of Washington, D.C., as part of a bill passed by Congress in 2022.
The legislation required security administrators to &#8220;enhance member protection including providing a security program for Congressional Leadership, expanding Dignitary Protection Division services and expanding USCP field office presence,&#8221; the bill reads, according to CBS.
Conservative commentator Rogan O&#8217;Handley, known as @DC_Draino on social media platforms, expressed concerns over the report.
&#8220;Many are worried a cyber attack prior to the 2024 election would be used to justify changes in voting procedures that will benefit Joe Biden,&#8221; O&#8217;Handley said. &#8220;Today we learned that U.S. Senators are being issued special satellite phones for this exact scenario. Not good.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Many are worried a cyber attack prior to the 2024 election would be used to justify changes in voting procedures that will benefit Joe Biden
Today we learned that US Senators are being issued special satellite phones for this exact scenario
Not good<a href="https://t.co/vcXBYUGUj9">https://t.co/vcXBYUGUj9</a>
&mdash; DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) <a href="https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1660664940342964224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Security Fencing Is Installed Around The Capitol Building Ahead Of The State Of The Union Address

Dozens of Senators Issued Taxpayer-Funded Emergency Satellite Phones Amid Security Risks

Capitol Riot

U.S.

U.S. Senate

US Capitol

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> (DOJ) could indict more than 1,000 additional people on charges related to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a>, 2021, riot at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/us-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Capitol</a>.
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The DOJ sent a letter to Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the District Court for the District of Columbia on October 28 warning that the court should prepare for another 700 to 1,200 defendants, according to <a class="c-link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-15/doj-told-court-to-expect-a-deluge-of-new-jan-6-prosecutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-15/doj-told-court-to-expect-a-deluge-of-new-jan-6-prosecutions" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Bloomberg</a>, which reviewed the letter and first reported it Wednesday. At the time, the DOJ had filed charges against roughly 900 people.
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The number of DOJ arrests has since <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/26-months-jan-6-attack-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risen</a> to roughly 1,000. The department’s estimate of the remaining cases corresponds roughly with the number of individuals that officials have estimated entered the U.S. Capitol during the riot, somewhere between 2,000 to 2,500 people.
The current number of arrests and prosecutions has strained resources at the DOJ, federal public defender’s office, and court system. DOJ officials have made clear in public statements that the department is committed to seeing every potential case through.
“In the months and years to come, the FBI Washington Field Office will continue to partner with U.S. attorney’s offices across the country to bring to justice those who attempted to use violence to substitute their will over the will of the people,” David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/feds-say-long-haul-jan-6-investigation-rcna61728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a January statement.
Most federal crimes have a statute of limitations of five years.
News of the October letter comes after Fox News host Tucker Carlson received 41,000 hours of footage of the Capitol on January 6. Carlson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-we-werent-shown-about-january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broadcast</a> some of the video earlier this month showing the crowd inside the U.S. Capitol. The Fox News host challenged the portrayal of what happened that day by the House January 6 Committee and the media.
“A small percentage of them were hooligans. But the overwhelming majority weren’t. They were peaceful. They were orderly and meek. These were not insurrectionists – they were sightseers,” Carlson said.
Most of the footage given to Carlson has been available to defense attorneys representing clients charged over the events of January 6. The enormous volume of video may pose too great a challenge for defense teams to view thoroughly, however.
“Gov. gives me 14,000 hours of video and says ‘Your client is captured on that video.’ Are you suggesting I need to watch video 24 hours a day for 583 days in order to do my job?” William Shipley, who is representing the “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley in his trial over January 6, said in a recent <a href="https://twitter.com/shipwreckedcrew/status/1635610622300749825" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Twitter.
The FBI said in January that it had <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/washingtondc/news/fbi-washington-field-office-marks-second-anniversary-of-january-6-violence-at-the-us-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compiled</a> and reviewed more than 30,000 files of video footage from law enforcement, cell phones, and other sources. The files amount to nine terabytes of information, and it would take at least 361 days to view all of it if it were played 24 hours a day.

Jacob Chansley

DOJ Warns Court To Expect Hundreds More Indictments Over January 6

Courts

Department of Justice

January 6

Politics

Washington D.C.

President Joe Biden fired the embattled Architect of the U.S. Capitol (AOC) Brett Blanton, who faced accusations of abusing his position and government resources.
“After doing our due diligence, the Architect of [the] Capitol was terminated at the President’s direction,” a White House official <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/13/politics/architect-of-the-capitol-resignation-calls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a>, a move applauded by Republicans and Democrats in Congress. PunchBowl News <a href="https://punchbowl.news/2-13-23-biden-to-blanton-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published a short White House letter</a> sent to Blanton, declaring that his firing would be effective at 5 p.m.
Blanton, <a href="https://www.aoc.gov/about-us/who-we-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked with overseeing the operation and maintenance of Capitol Hill</a>, has been facing mounting criticism ever since last year&#8217;s release of an inspector general report that outlined <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/AOC/2021-0011-INVI-P-Oversight-Post-Final_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of misconduct allegations</a>, including that he misused a government-owned vehicle and wasted taxpayer money, among other &#8220;substantiated violations.&#8221; He was also accused of misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer.
During an appearance under oath before the House Administration Committee, Blanton further stoked the ire of lawmakers when he testified last week about the watchdog&#8217;s findings and conceded that he did not think it was &#8220;prudent&#8221; for him not to drive to work on January 6, 2021, the day when a crowd of people breached the Capitol while Congress met to certify Biden&#8217;s victory in the 2020 election, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/09/lawmakers-capitol-hill-architect-misconduct-00081934" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to POLITICO</a>.
Still, Blanton denied doing anything unethical, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/13/politics/architect-of-the-capitol-resignation-calls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN reported</a>.
“I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country while serving in this particular role, I have taken my commitment to transform the agency’s culture to promote positive workplace for every AOC employee,” Blanton said. “Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.”
News of Blanton&#8217;s ouster on Monday came shortly after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) called for Biden to take action if Blanton refused to step down.
&#8220;The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1625187743918702603" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McCarthy tweeted</a>.
Democrats in Congress voiced support for Biden&#8217;s decision to remove Blanton.
“After being given the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical, and administrative violations, and failing to directly respond, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position – a decision I firmly stand behind,&#8221; House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-NY) said in a statement. “President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately.”
Blanton, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, had seven years left in his 10-year term. It was not immediately clear who would replace him as AOC.

Brett Blanton

Biden Fires Architect Of The Capitol

Biden Fires AOC

Capitol Hill

Congress

Joe Biden

White House

Architect of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/us-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capitol</a> (AOC) Brett Blanton is set to testify before a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> committee on Thursday after a report from the inspector general detailed several misconduct allegations against him. 
Blanton, who heads up the federal agency that oversees the management of the U.S. Capitol Complex, has been accused of abusing his authority, misusing government property, and wasting taxpayer money. He will testify before the House Administration Committee, now headed by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI).
“We need to discuss your personal role as the head of the [Architect of the Capitol] and allegations that have been brought to light by the AOC Inspector General. I have read the IG report and the allegations are highly concerning,” Steil will <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/09/lawmakers-capitol-hill-architect-misconduct-00081934" target="_blank" rel="noopener">say</a> at the meeting, according to a draft of his prepared statement obtained by POLITICO. 
Blanton has faced criticism after the inspector general <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/AOC/2021-0011-INVI-P-Oversight-Post-Final_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> several of the allegations against the bureaucrat “substantiated.” Many of the concerns involve Blanton’s use of government vehicles. 
According to the inspector general, Blanton once used an AOC vehicle to chase after another driver who had hit an automobile belonging to his daughter’s boyfriend. In a police report, Blanton was described as an “off-duty DC police officer,” which he is not. The suspect also reportedly believed that Blanton was a police officer, saying that he passed himself as law enforcement during pretrial hearings. 
Another incident detailed in the IG report claims Blanton’s daughter drove about 60 miles-per-hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone while making an obscene gesture while exiting a parking garage. 
The inspector general said the violations took place in South Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The report identified more than $13,000 in questioned costs for the vehicles. 
“The OIG [Office of Inspector General] identified a significant amount of administrative, ethical and policy violations, as well as evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation. Blanton misled and provided false information to investigators on multiple occasions,” the report said. 
A prepared statement obtained by POLITICO indicates that Blanton’s remarks to the committee will focus on the work of the Capitol Architect and not on the misconduct allegations. 
“Everyone at the AOC stands ready to support this Committee’s effort to meet current demands and to plan for the future. Together, we can protect and preserve this cherished institution as well as all of those who serve here. Across the agency, we are committed to working as one team, united in one mission,” the prepared statement from Blanton reads.
Blanton, who some lawmakers want to resign, is also expected to be questioned about his decision to support erecting a fence around the Capitol ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union, a move which cost nearly $1 million. 
Blanton is in year three of the 10-year term slated for his position.

Security Tightened Around Capitol Hill Ahead Of January 6 Riot Anninversary

‘Highly Concerning’: Capitol Hill Architect To Face Congress After Misconduct Allegations

Capitol Hill Architect To Face Congress After Misconduct Allegations

U.S. House of Representatives

D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson acquitted a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a> defendant of obstruction on Friday after ruling that prosecutors presented no evidence that the defendant intended to stop <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> that day.
Joshua Black of Alabama was <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1613998252587683848" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared</a> of the charge because Jackson said the “unique stew in his mind” that was described during the trial showed that Black did not know that what he was participating in was unlawful. Black was convicted of other charges, including carrying a deadly weapon on Capitol grounds.
Black was arrested shortly after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. After the riot, he traveled back to Alabama and posted a video on YouTube describing his time in the U.S. Capitol. That video, as well as an anonymous tip, led the FBI to Black.
Images and video from the riot show Black in the U.S. Senate chamber with a bloody cheek. Black said his cheek was bloody because he was hit by a projectile earlier that day while he was attempting to protect law enforcement from some of the protesters.
Black said in the since-deleted video posted to YouTube that he was led to the Senate chamber by God.
“I just felt like the spirit of God wanted me to go into the Senate room,” he <a href="https://www.newsaegis.com/news/one-year-after-participating-in-jan-6-capitol-riot-leeds-man-still-awaiting-trial-date/article_bca22598-6e7c-11ec-a87d-27aa74eb449b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Jackson <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1613998255544668174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alluded</a> to Black’s justification in her decision to acquit the defendant of obstruction of justice.
Black’s attorneys said that Black believed that the 2020 election had already been certified by the time he walked into the U.S. Capitol and the Senate chamber. Jackson <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1613998255544668174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that prosecutors made no argument rebutting the defense.
Jackson was appointed by former President Barack Obama and has typically been tough on defendants in trials related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. She has also been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and some of his Republican supporters, accusing them of being “so afraid of losing their power.”
“The judiciary … has to make it clear: It is not patriotism, it is not standing up for America to stand up for one man — who knows full well that he lost — instead of the Constitution he was trying to subvert,” Jackson <a href="https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2022/09/27/afraid-of-losing-their-power-judge-decries-gop-leaders-who-back-trump-election-claims-00059091" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in September.
The judge’s comments came as she delivered the sentence of defendant Kyle Young, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and was sentenced to 86 months in prison.

Capitol steps

Judge Dismisses Obstruction Charge Against J6 Defendant Who Said ‘Spirit Of God’ Moved Him In Capitol

General

A man reportedly drove a vehicle into a barrier near the U.S. Capitol Building before firing into the air and fatally shooting himself, according to Capitol Police.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning at approximately 4 a.m. at the street barrier at East Capitol Street and 2nd Street in Washington, D.C.
The man has been identified as 29-year-old Richard A. York III of Delaware, according to an updated <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/law-enforcement-investigating-car-crash-gunshots-and-suicide-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the Capitol Police.
&#8220;It is still not clear why he chose to drive to the Capitol Complex,&#8221; authorities said.
The initial police report described the scene of the vehicle crash and its aftermath.
&#8220;While the man was getting out of the car, it became engulfed in flames,&#8221; the release said. &#8220;The man then fired several shots into the air along East Capitol Street.&#8221;
&#8220;When our officers heard the sound of gunfire, they immediately responded and were approaching the man when he shot himself,&#8221; it added. &#8220;Nobody else was hurt.&#8221;
The initial report noted that the man did not appear to be targeting any member of Congress, as U.S. lawmakers are currently on recess. Officers reportedly did not fire their weapons.
Investigators are looking into the driver’s background, according to the police report.
“We don’t have any information that would indicate his motivation at this point,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger stated at a news conference following the event, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/14/capitol-barricade-rammed-shots-fired/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Washington Post.
The incident comes as threats reportedly escalated against law enforcement nationwide following the FBI&#8217;s search of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
The crash occurred more than a year after another vehicle drove into a Capitol barricade in April 2021. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-quickly-moves-on-from-man-who-killed-capitol-police-officer-after-learning-he-supported-louis-farrakhan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacker</a>, Noah Green, killed one officer and injured another before authorities fatally shot him.
Green, a follower of Louis Farrakhan&#8217;s Nation of Islam, reportedly exited the crashed car with a knife before being fatally shot.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
This is a developing story. Updates may be added.

U.S. Capitol barrier

Man Fatally Shoots Himself After Ramming Into U.S. Capitol Barrier

Capitol Police

Shooting

A federal judge on Monday handed down the heaviest sentence yet to a defendant who was at the Capital riot — seven years to a Texas man who never entered the building.
A Washington, D.C., jury <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/texas-man-found-guilty-jury-felony-charges-actions-related-capitol-breach">convicted</a> Guy Reffitt, 49, of five felonies in March, including carrying a gun on U.S. Capitol grounds and threatening his children against reporting him to law enforcement. Reffitt was also convicted of two counts of civil disorder, and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich declined a Department of Justice request to sentence Reffitt as a domestic terrorist, stating it would create an “unwarranted sentencing disparity,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/01/jan-6-terrorism-sentencing-penalty-00048922">Politico</a>. Treating Reffitt’s crimes as terrorism would have substantially increased Reffitt’s potential sentence; prosecutors had asked for a 15-year term.
“There are a lot of cases where defendants possessed weapons or committed very violent assaults,” Friedrich said, noting that the longest January 6 riot-related sentence to date is just over five years. “The government is asking for a sentence that is three times as long as any other defendant and the defendant did not assault an officer.”
Reffitt, a member of the militia group Texas Three Percenters, traveled to Washington D.C. with another militia member to protest the results of the 2020 election. Both men traveled to the nation’s capital armed with handguns and rifles.
On January 6, Reffitt arrived at the U.S. Capitol wearing a pistol on his hip, body armor, and a helmet with a camera on his head. Reffitt made it as far as the steps outside the Capitol’s Senate wing, but he never entered the building. He used a bullhorn to urge other protesters to storm inside.
“I didn’t come here to play — I’m taking the Capitol,” his camera <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/us/politics/guy-reffitt-january-6-trial.html">recorded</a> him saying. “I just want to see Pelosi’s head hitting every stair on the way out.”
The judge did grant that Reffitt was “in a class of his own so far as I’m aware in terms of what he was doing there that day, and what he claimed what he was there to do,” she said, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/01/reffitt-sentence-jan6/">The Washington Post</a>. Friedrich also said that the fact that Reffitt was armed was “huge,” but asked, “does the firearm deserve three times the sentence if it was not brandished or used in any way?”
Reffitt’s January 6 activities also caused a rift in his household.
His son testified against him during his March trial and supported prosecutors’ sentencing request with the caveat that Reffitt could receive rehabilitation and counseling in prison. The 19-year-old son, Jackson, told the jury at trial that his father threatened him and his sister about reporting the older man to the authorities.
“He said, ‘If you turn me in, you’re a traitor,’” Jackson recounted. “‘And traitors get shot.’”
Reffitt’s teen daughter sided with her father at his sentencing hearing, writing a letter to the judge asking for leniency. She placed the blame for the riot on then-President Donald Trump.
“My father’s name wasn’t on the flags that everyone was carrying there that day … There was another man’s name,” Peyton Reffitt wrote to the court, according to the Post. “He was not the leader.”

J6 Defendant Receives Harshest Sentence Yet After Son Testifies Against Him At Trial

Texas

Dr. Simone Gold claimed this week that the judge who sentenced her to sixty days behind bars for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot">trespassing</a> at the U.S. Capitol once asked her out while they attended <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stanford">Stanford</a> University Law School, and she rebuffed him.
Gold, a medical doctor and lawyer who spoke out against mainstream <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/coronavirus">COVID</a> narratives, alleged that U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper showed personal bias at sentencing, which she suggests came from their past interactions.
“I too am an attorney and I know what proper judicial temperament is, and this was not that,” Gold said in a statement sent to journalist Julie Kelly this week. Gold claimed that Judge Cooper showed “three episodes of personal animus” against her. 
The 56-year-old alleged in her statement that she and Cooper had an informal date back at Stanford, and then when he later asked her out for dinner, she rebuffed him because she &#8220;wasn&#8217;t interested.&#8221;
&#8220;Casey asked me out again, this time a formal invitation to a dinner date, following our prior less formal interactions,” Gold wrote, claiming earlier in her statement that the judge went by &#8220;Casey&#8221; back then. &#8220;This I declined. Just because I wasn’t interested.” 
When she saw who was her judge at the first Zoom meeting, Gold thought Cooper &#8220;would recuse himself,&#8221; she said. When he didn&#8217;t, Gold chose not to say anything, thinking Cooper would be neutral, if not an &#8220;advantage&#8221; to her.
Gold claims the judge showed personal bias against her at he sentencing, such as allegedly referencing what Gold called &#8220;tangential matters,&#8221; like her nonprofit. In another instance, Gold said Cooper denied that her medical license is under threat while allegedly holding a paper that said that it was. Gold also claimed that the judge stated that she &#8220;showed no remorse for the five people who died that day,&#8221; which the doctor said was &#8220;factually untrue.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dr. Simone Gold send me this statement last night related to the judge in her case.
She reported to prison today: <a href="https://t.co/VETLbtUERU">pic.twitter.com/VETLbtUERU</a>
&mdash; Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1551956996802449416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Judge Cooper did indeed shame Gold for allegedly showing no remorse for being in the Capitol and suggested she know better because of her intelligence.
&#8220;It is obvious from the video that we watched today that you were part of an angry and aggressive, I would say mob, crowd of people intent on getting past law enforcement and entering the East Rotunda through those doors,&#8221; Cooper told Gold, <a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/99287">according</a> to MedPage Today.
&#8220;Regardless of how the door got opened, the police were obviously trying to keep people out,&#8221; Cooper said.
&#8220;What I haven&#8217;t heard is anything about the five people who died that day,&#8221; the judge continued. &#8220;Of the four people who committed suicide because of the trauma that they suffered that day at the hands of the mob. Or the members of Congress or the 20-year-old or 25-year-old staffers who were behind those doors when chaos was breaking out all around them and not knowing whether they would be able to go home with their families.&#8221;
The judge said Gold was &#8220;obviously very bright and professionally accomplished, and clearly take great pride in that as you rightfully should,&#8221; adding that this worked against her, &#8220;because you should have known what you were doing.&#8221;
Gold was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $9,500 fine on top of a $500 fine to the Capitol architect for other rioters&#8217; damage, MedPage Today noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pennsylvania-dad-facing-prison-time-for-entering-capitol-on-jan-6-dies-by-suicide">Pennsylvania Dad Facing Prison Time For Entering Capitol On Jan. 6 Dies By Suicide</a>

Trump

Doctor Serving Jail Time For Trespassing On Jan. 6 Says She Once Rebuffed Her Judge For A Date

Doctor Simone Gold, Serving Jail Time For Trespassing On Jan. 6, Says She Once Rebuffed Her Judge For A Date

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday evening retaliated against CBS late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert after his comments insinuating Carlson would rather talk about Colbert’s staffers arrested on U.S. Capitol grounds than the ongoing January 6 Committee hearings.
“How is what Stephen Colbert did different from what the protestors on January 6 have been convicted of doing,” Carlson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-difference-crime-between-colbert-staffers-jan-6-protesters">said</a>. “That’s a very good question, and it’s a question Colbert himself spent the weekend thinking about.”
Last week a group of nine staffers from “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” including Robert Smigel, the voice of a puppet known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, were allegedly conducting interviews at the U.S. Capitol Building related to the January 6 committee hearings until the Capitol Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stephen-colbert-staff-arrested-in-u-s-house-building-were-snooping-near-offices-of-gop-members">arrested</a> them for unlawfully entering an office building.
The staffers were found near the offices of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
Colbert used his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colbert-defends-staffers-arrested-at-u-s-capitol">opening monologue</a> on Monday to explain why it’s “shocking” he has to explain the difference between his staffers and January 6 rioters.
“An insurrection involves disrupting the lawful actions of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power — this was first-degree puppetry,” Colbert said.
Colbert upheld his belief that the January 6 Capitol riot and Capitol Police arresting his staffers are different from one another.
“The Capitol Police are much more cautious than they were, say, 18 months ago, and for a very good reason,” he said. “If you don’t know what that reason is — I know what news network you watch.”
That’s where Carlson stepped in, calling Colbert all sorts of insulting names like a “partisan scold” or a “Karen” that acts like a “bridle middle-aged woman” who constantly lectures the public.
He even goes so far as to say Colbert and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) might be the same person.
“Have you seen them in the same room recently,” Carlson asked. “No.”
Carlson went on to say Colbert’s defense came off as a “master&#8217;s class on whiny, rich, liberal self-righteousness.”
“It’s a distillation of a worldview that is so concise and so perfect,” he said. “It is certain to be studied by cultural historians in the future seeking to understand how our civilization collapsed.”
Carlson went on to mock the actions of Colbert’s staffers and explain why he believes Colbert lost his sense of humor with the average person—excluding his audience, which Carlson described as “self-hating white liberals” like Colbert.
“Don’t tell us you&#8217;re a comedian and exempt from the normal rules of behavior and the normal federal laws about trespassing—cause you’re not,” Carlson said. “You did what they did, and you should be punished exactly the same way.”

Fox News Host Tucker Carlson Appears At National Review Ideas Summit

Tucker Carlson Bites Back Against Colbert Defending ‘Triumph The Insult Comic Dog’ And Staffers Arrested At US Capitol

Tucker Carlson Bites Back Against Colbert Defending 'Triumph The Insult Comic Dog' And Staffers Arrested At US Capitol

Fox News

Stephen Colbert

Tucker Carlson

Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert used his opening monologue on Monday to defend his staffers arrested last week for unlawfully entering an office building at the United States Capitol.
The group of nine staffers included Robert Smigel, the voice of a puppet known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who was conducting interviews related to the January 6 committee hearings.
Colbert said the encounter caused an unpleasant experience for his staff, and a lot of paperwork for the Capitol Police, but was a &#8220;fairly simple&#8221; story.
&#8220;Until the next night when a couple of the TV people started claiming my puppet squad &#8216;committed insurrection&#8217; at the U.S. Capitol Building,&#8221; Colbert said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m shocked I have to explain the difference,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But an insurrection involves disrupting the lawful actions of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power — this was first-degree puppetry.&#8221;
Colbert claimed Triumph and the production team offered to travel to Washington, D.C., and interview Democrats and Republicans inside congressional offices “across the street&#8221; from the U.S. Capitol.
&#8220;They went through security clearance, shot all day Wednesday, all day Thursday, invited into the offices of the congresspeople they were interviewing,&#8221; he said.
But <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-emerge-about-stephen-colbert-staffers-who-were-arrested-for-unlawful-entry-into-u-s-house-building">according</a> to a U.S. Capitol Police statement, &#8220;responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway.&#8221;
However, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) said in a letter addressed to the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police that the staffers were part of a group who were directed by USCP officers to leave the building earlier in the day.
According to the letter, the individuals reportedly gained access back into the building through Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-CA) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), a member of the House Select Committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021.
&#8220;These individuals were arrested and charged with unlawful entry after causing &#8216;disturbances&#8217; at the offices of several Republican members, including &#8216;banging&#8217; on their office doors,&#8221; the letter reads.
A spokesperson for CBS — Colbert&#8217;s network — told Fox News that &#8220;after leaving the members&#8217; offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.&#8221;
Authorities have arrested more than 840 people for storming the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, with 185 receiving criminal sentences.
According to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the District of Columbia, more than 80 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon, more than 50 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and approximately 35 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Colbert Defends Staffers Arrested At U.S. Capitol

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice">Department of Justice</a> (DOJ) will reportedly not pursue prosecution of a top Democrat staffer who allegedly vandalized posters in the Capitol complex outside <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marjorie-taylor-greene">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&#8216;s (R-GA) office.
Just the News <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/congress/democrat-congressmans-staffer-caught-defacing-posters-capitol-complex-doj-wont">reported</a> Monday that Timothy Duane Hysom, chief of staff for Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), was referred for criminal charges by Capitol Police, but the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s office declined to approve an arrest warrant.
&#8220;Capitol Police asked federal prosecutors back in March for an arrest warrant for Timothy Hysom, 51, a longtime Democrat congressional staffer who worked for Rep. Adam Schiff before rising to be Auchincloss’s top aide, after capturing Hysom on hidden camera security footage defacing Greene’s posters with stickers with religious messages, according to copy of the arrest warrant obtained by Just the News,&#8221; the outlet reported.
&#8220;Police said they believed Hysom may have been involved in seven defacing of posters outside Greene&#8217;s office in the Longworth Congressional Office Building between January and March and that he declined to be interviewed when confronted,&#8221; Just the News reported. Hysom was offered a &#8220;non-custodial interview and he declined and retained counsel,&#8221; according to a copy of the arrest warrant.
&#8220;Based on the aforementioned, it is your affiant&#8217;s belief that the defendant, Timothy Duane Hysom … did violate DC Code § 22–3312.01 Defacing Public or Private Property,” read the arrest warrant, which can be accessed <a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2022-06/USCP-Arrest%20Warrant-Tim-Hyman03-22.pdf">here</a>.
Just the News noted that this was &#8220;the same U.S. Attorney&#8217;s office that pursued the Jan. 6 defendants.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_398895" style="width: 392px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-398895" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-398895 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-21-at-8.28.35-AM-382x576.png" alt="" width="382" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-21-at-8.28.35-AM-382x576.png 382w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-21-at-8.28.35-AM-199x300.png 199w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-21-at-8.28.35-AM.png 402w" sizes="(max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px" />Superior Court of the District of Columbia</div>
Last week, staffers from “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” were charged with unlawful entry into an office building for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Nine individuals were arrested on Thursday night for entering the Longworth House Office Building, which was closed to the public at that point, after they previously had been escorted out of another building for trying to conduct interviews related to the January 6 committee hearings,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-emerge-about-stephen-colbert-staffers-who-were-arrested-for-unlawful-entry-into-u-s-house-building">reported</a>. The staffers were <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/06/late-night-with-stephen-colbert-staffers-detained-by-capitol-police-1235048143/">found</a> near the offices of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), according to Deadline.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Friday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-says-stephen-colbert-staffers-arrested-at-capitol-should-be-locked-up-in-solitary-like-january-6-defendants">highlighted</a> an apparent double-standard based on politics.
The Colbert staffers, Carlson said, were “charged with unlawful entry into the Capitol complex — now that’s the exact same charge that many January 6 defendants face.”
“We’ll just get right to it: It’s likely that some members of Stephen Colbert’s team will be held in solitary confinement for a year and a half without being charged,” he asserted. “Why? Because this is an insurrection.”
“Joking aside,” Carlson continued, “How could they not be held for a year and half in solitary confinement without being charged? Because the precedent is in place. And how in the world can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-schiff">Adam Schiff</a>, again, who spent the last year and a half eliminating the civil liberties of Trump voters on the basis of January 6, do the exact same thing and not face punishment?”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-says-stephen-colbert-staffers-arrested-at-capitol-should-be-locked-up-in-solitary-like-january-6-defendants">Tucker Carlson Says Stephen Colbert Staffers Arrested At Capitol Should Be Locked Up In Solitary Like January 6 Defendants</a>
&nbsp;

DOJ Won’t Prosecute Top Democrat Staffer For Defacing Posters Outside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Office: Report

Democratic Party

Marjorie Taylor Greene

WASHINGTON — The United States Capitol Police (USCP) said Friday they had arrested a Michigan man wearing body armor and carrying ammunition outside the Capitol.
Authorities found the man wearing a fake badge, carrying a BB gun, wearing body armor, and carrying several magazines, the Capitol Police said in a press release.
Jerome Felipe, the 53-year-old suspect, is a retired New York police officer from Flint, Michigan. Police say he showed USCP officers a fake badge with &#8220;Department of the INTERPOL&#8221; printed on it.
He retired from the police force in 2018, the NYPD office of the deputy commissioner of public information confirmed Friday. &#8220;We are fully cooperating with the US Capitol Police investigation. For any additional questions please be referred to the US Capitol Police,&#8221; said NYPD.
Felipe had parked his 2017 Dodge Charger on the west side of the Capitol, police said, and claimed to be a criminal investigator.
&#8220;Felipe gave officers permission to search his vehicle,&#8221; said USCP. &#8220;The officers discovered a BB gun, two ballistic vests, several high capacity magazines, and other ammunition in the car. No real guns were found.&#8221;
It is not immediately clear what Felipe was doing parked near the Capitol, and police said that he is &#8220;facing charges for Unlawful Possession of High Capacity Magazines and Unregistered Ammo.&#8221;
The USCP, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire, is responsible for guarding the U.S. Capitol.
The force came under severe scrutiny following the January 6 Capitol Riot, and Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/05/capitol-police-officers-left-since-jan-6/9104403002/">said in January</a> that 153 officers had either resigned or retired in the year after the riot.
Manger told the Rules and Administration Committee in January that the force was short 447 of its authorized strength. He said his goal was to hire 280 officers a year for the next three years to make up for the departures and the stress upon officers who have served the force in the wake of the riot.
“It will be a challenge hiring that many officers,” Manger said, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/05/capitol-police-officers-left-since-jan-6/9104403002/">according to USA Today</a>. “The real challenge is to make sure you’re hiring the right officers, that we’re hiring good quality candidates.”
In April, the USCP <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitol-police-order-immediate-evacuation-of-capitol-complex-amid-aircraft-threat">temporarily evacuated</a> the U.S. Capitol over a “probable threat” that turned out to be a plane carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights to parachute into a Washington Nationals game.
“The USCP is tracking an aircraft that poses a probable threat to the Capitol Complex,” the Capitol Police reportedly said in an alert sent to congressional staffers on Wednesday.
Shortly afterward, the Capitol Police announced that the Capitol “was evacuated out of an abundance of caution this evening,” noting that “there is no threat at the Capitol,” and promising that more details were to come.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Capitol was evacuated out of an abundance of caution this evening. 
There is no threat at the Capitol.
More details to come. <a href="https://t.co/7qqxqQyzlD">pic.twitter.com/7qqxqQyzlD</a>
&mdash; U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1516911625709801472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Screen Shot 2022-06-03 at 2.25.28 PM

Police Arrest Man Outside U.S. Capitol Wearing Body Armor, Carrying Ammunition

Capitol Police Arrest Man Wearing Body Armor, Carrying Ammunition

Crime

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