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U.S. charges Proud Boys with conspiring to impede Congress on Jan. 6
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Sarah N. Lynch
Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 9 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble9 Comments
Members of the far-right group Proud Boys make 'OK' hand gestures indicating "white power" as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building to protest against the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.
Members of the far-right group Proud Boys make 'OK' hand gestures indicating "white power" as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building to protest against the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021. PHOTO BY JIM URQUHART /REUTERS / FILES
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WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury charged four leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiring to block Congress from certifying U.S. President Joe Biden’s election on the day of a deadly assault on the Capitol, according to court papers unsealed on Friday.

The indictment alleges that Ethan Nordean of Washington, Joseph Biggs of Florida, Zachary Rehl of Pennsylvania and Charles Donohoe of North Carolina conspired to encourage members of the group to attend the Stop the Steal protest in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.


All four defendants in the superseding indictment released on Friday are the leaders or organizers of Proud Boys chapters in their respective states, the indictment says.

It says they worked to obtain paramilitary equipment used for the attack on the U.S. Capitol, dismantled metal barriers set up to protect the building, and communicated using handheld radios and encrypted messaging applications.

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It also says the effort included soliciting donations through an online crowdfunding campaign to help the Proud Boys pay for protective gear, and an online fundraiser that generated more than $5,500 to help cover travel expenses to Washington.

More than 300 people have been charged in connection with the attack which left five people dead after a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.

Approximately 20 people charged to date are associated with the Proud Boys, and some of the others have been tied to anti-government militias such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

The indictment also alleges they made their intentions clear as far back as November, with Biggs declaring in a social media post on Nov. 5, threatening war if the election was stolen from Trump, who lost the vote.


Later that month, on Nov. 27, Nordean declared: “We tried playing nice and by the rules, now you will deal with the monster you created.”

On Jan. 5, 2021, a new encrypted messaging channel called “Boots on the Ground” was created, and more than 60 users participated, including the four defendants and a fifth unindicted co-conspirator, the indictment says.

It says that later that day, the unnamed co-conspirator sent a message telling everyone that Nordean, who also goes by the name Rufio Panman, would be a leader in the effort.

“Rufio is in charge, cops are the primary threat, don’t get caught by them or BLM…” the unnamed person is quoted as saying. BLM stands for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The next day, the indictment alleges, they advanced towards the Capitol, knocked down metal barricades and eventually made their way into the Capitol.


Nordean and Biggs had previously been arrested on criminal complaints.

Earlier this month, however, the Justice Department lost its bid to keep Nordean detained pending trial, after a federal judge said the government had failed to substantiate allegations that Nordean was a ringleader of the attack.

Biggs was arrested back in January and released on a $25,000 bond.
 

Twin_Moose

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Twin_Moose

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Not 1 motion to nominate him to keep his SOS position

All he had to do was open Fulton counties book on a full fair ballot audit


Alpharetta, GA – Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was denied election as a delegate in his own precinct this morning at the Fulton County Republican Caucuses. Raffensperger failed to even secure a nomination for delegate.

“We are sending a message that will be heard all around the state. Raffensperger has got to go” said one participant.

Raffensperger‘s defeat comes as a shock given that Republican elected officials are often treated like royalty whenever they seek to be made a delegate to anything.

Raffensperger had sent a note requesting to be made a delegate but no one nominated him and he did not attend the caucus.

Turnout was very high at the caucus with 60-70% of participants being first time attendees.

Former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle also announced that he would be a candidate for Secretary of State next year. Belle Isle ran for Secretary of State in 2018, losing the primary runoff to Raffensperger.

Congressman Jody Hice is also believed to be planning a run for Secretary of State.
 

Twin_Moose

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Republican Julia Letlow won Louisiana's 5th Congressional District election Saturday in a landslide less than three months after her late husband Congressman-elect Luke Letlow died from COVID complications before he could take office.

Letlow, who lives in rural Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, will become the first woman to represent Louisiana in Congress in more than six years.

She will also be the first Republican woman to ever represent Louisiana in Congress.

USA Today Network is projecting Letlow winning Saturday's primary election with 65%, avoiding a runoff against Democrat Sandra "Candy" Christophe of Alexandria, who finished second with 27%.

Luke Letlow, R-Start, had won the seat in a December runoff election against fellow Republican state Rep. Lance Harris of Alexandria.

But Luke Letlow contracted COVID-19 soon after his victory and died Dec. 29.
 

spaminator

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FBI hunts Rick Moranis lookalike following Capitol riots
Author of the article:Mark Daniell
Publishing date:Mar 22, 2021 • 3 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Toronto-born writer-actor-comedian Rick Moranis in Spaceballs.
Toronto-born writer-actor-comedian Rick Moranis in Spaceballs.
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Rick Moranis has found himself a top trending name on Twitter after the FBI shared a photo of suspect in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots who bares a resemblance to the Canadian screen icon.

“You can help the #FBI identify individuals involved in the January 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol,” the bureau’s post read. “Visit tips.fbi.gov if you recognize this person. Reference photo 268 in your tip.”



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Social media users quickly noted the resemblance between the bespectacled suspect and the SCTV star.

“The guy was just trying to find his kids man leave him alone,” one user wrote, referencing Moranis’ starring role in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Another joked, “He and his wife are also wanted in connection with a kid shrinking incident.” Others shared pics of Moranis as the helmet-wearing Dark Helmet from 1987’s Spaceballs and as Louis Tully from Ghostbusters.

“You guys at the FBI must have known that you were gonna get all these Rick Moranis comments,” one person commented, while another added, “I know this isn’t a funny post, but all I could think is Spaceballs.”


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Some users didn’t see the resemblance, saying the suspect more closely resembled Gary Burghoff, who played Radar O’Reilly on television’s M*A*S*H.


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POPULAR ON THE SUN


Moranis, 67, who announced his long-awaited return to acting last year in a sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, was punched in the head in a caught-on-video attack on Manhattan’s Upper West Side last fall. He was treated for pain in his hip, head and back.


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Moranis was one of the most popular comic actors in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in 1984’s Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel, Mel Brooks’ Star Wars spoof Spaceballs, Ron Howard’s 1989 dramedy Parenthood, and a 1994 live-action Flintstones comedy.

He retreated away from the spotlight to raise his children after his wife’s death in 1991.

mdaniell@postmedia.com
 
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Twin_Moose

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The ‘Scan the Ballots’ Effort Is Moving Forward In Georgia Involving Jovan Pulitizer’s Technique of Forensically Reviewing Ballots from the 2020 Election

By Joe Hoft
Published March 24, 2021 at 8:40am
1658 Comments

A recount is in the works in Georgia.

A week ago we reported that a judge agreed that the group “Voter GA” could inspect Fulton County Georgia ballots from the 2020 election:
https://trends.revcontent.com/click...cige4pSB2eOGHzwisAXWEWNgz4qcHn5o4q+cQ==&s2s=1

The inspection is moving forward as Jovan Pulitzer is asking for volunteers for a recount in Fulton County Georgia.
 

spaminator

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Misfits singer could be witness in Proud Boys U.S. Capitol riots case
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Sarah N. Lynch
Publishing date:Mar 30, 2021 • 17 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Michale Graves, a former lead singer of the Misfits and a member of the Proud Boys, plays in this undated handout photo.
Michale Graves, a former lead singer of the Misfits and a member of the Proud Boys, plays in this undated handout photo. PHOTO BY ARTURO SANTAELLA /Handout via REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — A former singer for the punk rock band The Misfits who was in Washington on the day of the U.S. Capitol riot has emerged as a possible trial witness as defence lawyers seek to undermine the prosecution’s bid to prove conspiracy charges against some members of the right-wing Proud Boys group.

Michale Graves, the lead singer of the veteran band from 1995 to 2000, said a Proud Boys member asked him to play some songs for a private concert planned for the afternoon of Jan. 6. That was the day of the Capitol attack that left five people dead, including a police officer.


Graves, who said he became a member of the Proud Boys last year, told Reuters he did not think the group was capable of planning an invasion of the Capitol, as prosecutors have said.

“These guys have a hard time getting an order together for McDonalds,” Graves, whose legal name is Michael Emanuel, said in an interview.


Lawyers representing Ethan “Rufio” Nordean, a prominent figure in the Proud Boys and one of the defendants charged with conspiracy, said in a court filing on Monday that he had planned on holding what they called a “carefree music party” on Jan. 6 that would have featured Graves.

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Though this party never occurred, defence lawyers said planning for such an event scheduled for a time when the riot actually was still taking place contradicted the notion that the group had a plan to “topple the government” that day.

Defence lawyers said 1,500 messages exchanged by members of the Proud Boys on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 on the Telegram messaging app – collected as evidence by the FBI – also cast doubt on the existence of a conspiracy.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the defence filing or on Graves’ account of concert plans.

Prosecutors at a hearing on Thursday are set to ask a judge to order Nordean detained pending trial. They have failed in two prior requests for Nordean’s pretrial detention. Evidence cited in the new defense filing could be raised at the hearing.


Proud Boys members were among those in a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6. Prosecutors have accused Nordean and other right-wing figures of conspiring to take the Capitol by force to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory.

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Graves, 46, said he traveled to Washington and performed music at a Jan. 6 rally organized by a group called “Latinos for Trump” held before the Capitol attack unfolded.

Graves said he met up with Nordean one day earlier. Graves said Nordean asked him to play a private concert on Jan. 6 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. at a house that the Proud Boys had rented to boost the morale of the group’s members after its leader, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested on Jan. 4 on gun charges.

Graves said he agreed to perform, but that he and his manager later “ghosted” his Proud Boy friends on Jan. 6 and left Washington as chaos engulfed the Capitol.

Arturo Santaella, who serves as manager for Graves and joined him in Washington on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, vouched for his account of the events.

“They are not this well-oiled machine,” Santaella said of the Proud Boys.

In the court filing, defence lawyers said Telegram messages show the group was in disarray during the attack.

One message read: “Ummm I don’t think the plan was to attack … damage, and attempt to control the building.”

“This is so unorganized!” another message read. “Where is our order?”
 

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HUGE BREAKING NEWS: Arizona Senate Republicans Courageously Announce Team Who Will Perform Maricopa County Election Audit and It’s Good News for America!

By Joe Hoft
Published March 31, 2021 at 4:05pm
2570 Comments

Finally, we have some great news to share!

The Republican Senate in Arizona made the courageous decision patriots around the country have been hoping for. These Republicans decided upon the team who will be performing the upcoming audit in Maricopa County and it’s an excellent list of entities.




This was great news…. finally.

The Republican Senate in Arizona has more courage today than all the politicians in the entire country combined. Democrats should have been on board today and the fact that they are absent indicates that they are complicit if any wrongdoing is uncovered.

Let’s wait and see how well the results of those audits performed by the auditors selected by Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors stack up to the results from this group of auditors selected by the courageous Arizona Senate. We expect there will be material differences and when there are, let’s hope the people in Arizona stand up and demand justice.

Jovan Hutton Pulitzer released a message about today’s selection:



 

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Police officer killed in vehicle attack on U.S. Capitol
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Apr 02, 2021 • 4 hours ago • 3 minute read • 48 Comments
Law enforcement officers collect evidence at the site after a car rammed a police barricade outside the U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 2, 2021.
Law enforcement officers collect evidence at the site after a car rammed a police barricade outside the U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 2, 2021. PHOTO BY ERIN SCOTT /REUTERS
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WASHINGTON — A motorist rammed a vehicle into U.S. Capitol police on Friday and brandished a knife, killing one officer and injuring another and forcing the Capitol complex to lock down in an attack that police said did not immediately appear to be terrorism-related.

Police responded by firing on the suspect, who died.


Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, told a news conference that the suspect drove into the officers, then hit a barricade and got out of the car, lunging at them with a knife in his hand.

“It is with a very, very heavy heart that I announce one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

The other officer was injured, she said.

The Capitol Police later identified the slain officer as William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force.

U.S. Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans is pictured in an undated photograph.
U.S. Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans is pictured in an undated photograph. PHOTO BY U.S. CAPITOL POLICE /Handout via REUTERS
“It does not appear to be terrorism-related but obviously we’ll continue to investigate,” said Robert Contee, acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington.

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President Joe Biden said he was heartbroken by the attack and ordered flags at the White House be lowered to half-staff. In a statement, he said he was being briefed on the investigation.

The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources familiar with the investigation, named the suspect as Noah Green and reported that one of its sources said Green had an address in Virginia.


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Police said the suspect was unknown to them, they had yet to determine what had motivated him, and they did not identify him.

“Clearly this was someone who was actively trying to just get at whoever or whatever – we just don’t know right now,” Contee said. “Whether the attack was at law enforcement, or whoever, we have a responsibility to get to the bottom of it and we’ll do that.”

Dozens of police cars, marked and unmarked, raced toward the iconic domed white building, in an unwelcome reminder of Jan. 6, when thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump overran the complex.

It was the worst security threat at the Capitol since then.


U.S. spy agencies warned in mid-March of an ongoing threat that racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, will carry out mass-casualty attacks on civilians while militia groups target police and government personnel and buildings.

Roads leading to the complex were blocked by police cars or officers and people inside the Capitol were told to stay away from windows for much of the afternoon before police announced that the lockdown had been lifted.

Videos and photographs from the scene showed a blue car rammed into a security barricade, a front door open.


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There were few people at the Capitol. Members of Congress were not in Washington on Friday, with both the Senate and House of Representatives in recess for the Easter holiday.

Dozens of National Guard troops, who have been stationed at the Capitol since the January attack, quickly deployed. Heavily armed and in riot gear, they jogged in columns to stand in rows at the scene and around the complex.

Authorities have begun only in the past couple of weeks to remove the outer ring of high, razor-wire-topped fencing erected around the sprawling Capitol complex after the Jan. 6 rampage. Many of the thousands of National Guard troops posted at the building in January had also been sent home.

Lawmakers have been arguing about how much security should remain on Capitol Hill, which is a popular park for city residents as well as the seat of government. Members of Congress from both political parties have introduced legislation to make it illegal to erect permanent fencing around the building.

The Jan. 6 assault took place while the House of Representatives and Senate, with the Senate presided over by then-Vice President Mike Pence, was certifying Biden’s November election victory over the Republican Trump.

At the time Trump’s supporters shouted slogans including “Stop the Steal” and “Hang Mike Pence” as they attacked the Capitol and said they hoped to stop the election certification.

Biden, a Democrat, took office on Jan. 20.

“This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today. So I ask that you keep our U.S. Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers,” Pittman said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who ordered flags at the Capitol to be lowered to half-staff, hailed Evans as “a martyr for our democracy.”

“Congress stands ready to assist law enforcement with a swift and comprehensive investigation into this heinous attack,” Pelosi said in a statement.