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6 Jan 2020 U.S. Events (Split from A Deeply Fractured US)

Jarnhamar said:
I can't imagine anyone, left wing or right wing, in the US or Canada, thinking something wouldn't have went down on that date in that location. I mean off-duty Capitol Hill police officers even showed up at the event. Millions of Americans were talking about it and posting about it.

For the sake of argument say against all odds the police were just surprised. That's very incompetent. Sure, hammer losers who were stealing lecterns and stuff but shouldn't that enormous level of professional incompetence be punished too? Above and beyond 1 chief resigning?

If the RCMP would have had months warning that angry mobs were threatening to show up on October 22, 2014, I think they would have increased their presence.
Click to expand...

We were surprised when the Taliban turned up in Kabul before they were invited, and that was during a 'real' war.

Just sayin'
 
brihard said:
That was a very different situation borne of multiple agencies (RCMP, Commons security, Senate security) on a small patch of ground, using different radio frequencies, and 2 out of the 3 not even being armed. A ton was learned there. Two of those organizations amalgamated and are now armed, and have relaxed the third (Parliamentary Protective Service now owns all security on the Hill and are ready for an active shooter). It was also a lone actor with no warning. January 6th was an entirely different strategic, tactical, and intelligence cockup.
Click to expand...
Law Enforcement in the DC area is a nightmare - you have at least 9 LEA's, and a bunch of other Gov entities with Armed Personnel.
Local:
DC Metro
Metro Transport Police
Surrounding County Sheriff Dept's and Police Departments

Then Federal
Capital Police
Pentagon Police (technically Pentagon Force Protection Agency) - they have several outbuildings in the DC area as well.
Park Police
HSI
FBI
USMS
USSS
FPS

Plus you always end up with some DEA etc showing up - because why not something interesting is going on.
*I call it Badge Tourism, and have been guilty of doing the same.

The Navy Yard shooting was a colossal cluster - with DC Metro eventually taking the lead - on Federal Property.


Jarnhamar said:
I can't imagine anyone, left wing or right wing, in the US or Canada, thinking something wouldn't have went down on that date in that location. I mean off-duty Capitol Hill police officers even showed up at the event. Millions of Americans were talking about it and posting about it.

For the sake of argument say against all odds the police were just surprised. That's very incompetent. Sure, hammer losers who were stealing lecterns and stuff but shouldn't that enormous level of professional incompetence be punished too? Above and beyond 1 chief resigning?

If the RCMP would have had months warning that angry mobs were threatening to show up on October 22, 2014, I think they would have increased their presence.
Click to expand...

Lot of folks expected a really large rally - I don't think anyone actually expected what happened.
Was there expectations of limited violence - yes - but mostly from a limited amount of morons fighting an equally limited amount of morons on the other side.

I know several folks that went and did a U turn when things started to get sideways.
Generally Republican supporters don't engage in large scale lawlessness.

Also the Capital Police, well a couple years ago there was a large NCR LE Training Event - everyone came - but the Capital Police...
It was designed as a Mumbai type event to work on Multi-Agency Response - I wasn't terribly shocked when CP didn't show.
 
Lots of activity almost a year later:

www.reuters.com

Washington, D.C., sues Proud Boys, Oath Keepers over deadly attack on Capitol

The city of Washington, D.C., sued right-wing groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers on Tuesday, seeking to collect on the financial costs of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

apnews.com

Washington, DC, sues Proud Boys, Oath Keepers over Jan. 6

The District of Columbia has filed a civil lawsuit seeking harsh financial penalties against far-right groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
apnews.com apnews.com

Also:

www.reuters.com

White House not surprised some Republicans publicly silent about U.S. Capitol attack

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that it is disappointing but not surprising that some Republican lawmakers warned privately about what was happening during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 but stayed silent publicly.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

apnews.com

Far too little vote fraud to tip election to Trump, AP finds

ATLANTA (AP) — An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by former President Donald Trump has found fewer than 475 — a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Remius said:
www.npr.org

Capitol rioter who attacked police is sentenced to more than 5 years in prison

The judge said she wanted to make clear with the sentence that "trying to stop the peaceful transition of power and assaulting law enforcement officers is going to be met with certain punishment."
www.npr.org www.npr.org

Longest sentence handed down so far.
Click to expand...
Yup, slightly higher new high water mark. And that's still on a fast guilty plea. This is the idiot who threw a wooden pole and an empty fire extinguisher at police (after he emptied it on them). There will be others who will fight weapons related assault charges, and will lose, and will eat long prison sentences. And Trump won't give a damn about them.
 
One summary of prosecutions to date (thru-the-firewall link)...
... Federal judges in D.C. have gone below the government recommendation in 49 out of 74 sentencings held for Capitol riot defendants one year after the attack, about two-thirds of the cases. In eight cases where prosecutors asked for jail time, the judges instead opted for probation. Of the 74 people sentenced so far, 35 have been given jail or prison time, 14 home detention and 25 probation alone.

About a quarter of cases in what the government has called the largest investigation in U.S. history have resulted in guilty pleas as of Jan. 6 this year; out of 701 people charged in federal court, 174 have pleaded guilty. (One case was dropped against a man who never went inside the building; two defendants have died.) While half the defendants face felony charges, nearly 90 percent of pleas involve misdemeanors, as prosecutors so far have focused on closing less serious cases to marshal resources for more complex trials ahead ...
Click to expand...
From the article
Screenshot 2022-01-06 151108.jpg
 
The Bread Guy said:
One summary of prosecutions to date (thru-the-firewall link)...

From the article
View attachment 67969
Click to expand...


Barack Obama Applause GIF by Obama
 
Jarnhamar said:
Is there a way to see how many weapons charges were laid?
Click to expand...

lmgtfy.app

LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You

For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves.
lmgtfy.app lmgtfy.app

www.policemag.com

140 Officers were Injured in Capitol Riot, Officials Say

“I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained head injuries,” Gus Papathanasiou, Capitol Police union chairman, said in a statement Wednesday. “One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake, to...
www.policemag.com www.policemag.com
 
mariomike said:
lmgtfy.app

LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You

For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves.
lmgtfy.app lmgtfy.app

www.policemag.com

140 Officers were Injured in Capitol Riot, Officials Say

“I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained head injuries,” Gus Papathanasiou, Capitol Police union chairman, said in a statement Wednesday. “One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake, to...
www.policemag.com www.policemag.com
Click to expand...
Swing and a miss.
 
Goebbels would be envious ;)

As appalling as this sounds, I'm surprised that no other political group has (apparently) managed to pull off their own social media network. I assume it has to do mainly with cash:


Trump social network could be launching next month​

Truth Social's expected launch date is listed as Feb. 21 in Apple's app store.


Former President Donald Trump's new social media platform could be launching Feb. 21, according to an expected date listed in Apple's app store. This release date of Truth Social, spotted earlier Thursday by Reuters, would coincide with the Presidents' Day long weekend.

Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube booted Trump from their platforms in 2021 because of concerns his remarks would incite more violence following the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, which happened a year ago today.

Twitter permanently banned Trump but Facebook suspended the former president until at least January 2023 and said it would assess the risk of violence near the end of his suspension period. Google-owned YouTube said it would lift the ban on Trump's channel when the risk of violence decreased. Prior to being banned, Trump also had posts flagged by Facebook and Twitter for spreading misinformation about the election and misinformation about COVID-19.

The former president's efforts to launch his own social network underscore how Trump is trying to reignite his online presence despite being booted from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Trump also launched a blog last year, called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump, but he shut it down after becoming displeased when it became the subject of mockery and attracted few readers, according to The Washington Post, which cited an anonymous adviser.

Trump announced Truth Social in October. People can preorder the app, and a wider rollout is expected in the first half of 2022.

www.cnet.com

Trump social network could be launching next month

Truth Social's expected launch date is listed as Feb. 21 in Apple's app store.
www.cnet.com www.cnet.com
 
Jarnhamar said:
Is there a way to see how many weapons charges were laid?
Click to expand...
Here is a link to a USA Today article that lists the people who were arrested, brief background on arrestees (in some cases photos), charges against them, and a brief synopsis of the actions they are accused of committing.

This NPR article also lists the people arrested and is very similar to the USA Today article, except the database is searchable by the charges against them (Violence/Assault; conspiracy; theft; or property destruction) or outcome of cases.
 
Alright, here we go. The first indictment for sedition has been unsealed, and arrests have been made. Indictment is attached- lots of additional detail in there. This means they've been formally charged as a result of a federal grand jury reviewing the criminal complaint, and returning an indictment. For those who've been wondering why no charges of this sort were laid, it looks like they were keeping this sealed until they had what they needed, which isn't at all a surprise. I wonder what else is currently being worked on behind closed doors?

U.S. Department of Justice said:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 13, 2022

Leader of Oath Keepers and 10 Other Individuals Indicted in Federal Court for Seditious Conspiracy and Other Offenses Related to U.S. Capitol Breach​

Eight Others Facing Charges in Two Related Cases​

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging 11 defendants with seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

According to court documents, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 56, of Granbury, Texas, who is the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers; and Edward Vallejo, 63, of Phoenix, Arizona, are being charged for the first time in connection with events leading up to and including Jan. 6. Rhodes was arrested this morning in Little Elm, Texas, and Vallejo was arrested this morning in Phoenix.

In addition to Rhodes and Vallejo, those named in the indictment include nine previously charged defendants: Thomas Caldwell, 67, of Berryville, Virginia; Joseph Hackett, 51, of Sarasota, Florida; Kenneth Harrelson, 41, of Titusville, Florida; Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama; Kelly Meggs, 52, of Dunnellon, Florida; Roberto Minuta, 37, of Prosper, Texas; David Moerschel, 44, of Punta Gorda, Florida; Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia and Jessica Watkins, 39, of Woodstock, Ohio. In addition to the earlier charges filed against them, they now face additional counts for seditious conspiracy and other offenses.

Eight other individuals affiliated with the Oath Keepers, all previously charged in the investigation, remain as defendants in two related cases. All defendants – except Rhodes and Vallejo – previously were charged in a superseding indictment. The superseding indictment has now effectively been split into three parts: the 11-defendant seditious conspiracy case, a seven-defendant original case, and a third case against one of the previously charged defendants.

In one of the related cases, the original superseding indictment, charges remain pending against James Beeks, 49, of Orlando, Florida; Donovan Crowl, 51, of Cable, Ohio; William Isaacs, 22, of Kissimmee, Florida; Connie Meggs, 60, of Dunnellon, Florida; Sandra Parker, 63, of Morrow, Ohio; Bernie Parker, 71, of Morrow, Ohio, and Laura Steele, 53, of Thomasville, North Carolina. The other case charges Jonathan Walden, 57, of Birmingham, Alabama.

The three indictments collectively charge all 19 defendants with corruptly obstructing an official proceeding. Eighteen of the 19 defendants – the exception is Walden – are charged with conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiring to prevent an officer of the United States from discharging a duty. Eleven of the 19 defendants are charged with seditious conspiracy. Some of the defendants are also facing other related charges.

As alleged in the indictments, the Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel. Members and affiliates of the Oath Keepers were among the individuals and groups who forcibly entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The seditious conspiracy indictment alleges that, following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, Rhodes conspired with his co-defendants and others to oppose by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of presidential power by Jan. 20, 2021. Beginning in late December 2020, via encrypted and private communications applications, Rhodes and various co-conspirators coordinated and planned to travel to Washington, D.C., on or around Jan. 6, 2021, the date of the certification of the electoral college vote, the indictment alleges. Rhodes and several co-conspirators made plans to bring weapons to the area to support the operation. The co-conspirators then traveled across the country to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in early January 2021.

According to the seditious conspiracy indictment, the defendants conspired through a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.; recruiting members and affiliates to participate in the conspiracy; organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons and supplies – including knives, batons, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; continuing to plot, after Jan. 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co-conspirators and others.

On Jan. 6, 2021, a large crowd began to gather outside the Capitol perimeter as the Joint Session of Congress got under way at 1 p.m. Crowd members eventually forced their way through, up and over U.S. Capitol Police barricades and advanced to the building’s exterior façade. Shortly after 2 p.m., crowd members forced entry into the Capitol by breaking windows, ramming open doors, and assaulting Capitol police and other law enforcement officers. At about this time, according to the indictment, Rhodes entered the restricted area of the Capitol grounds and directed his followers to meet him at the Capitol.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., as detailed in the indictment, Hackett, Harrelson, Meggs, Moerschel and Watkins, and other Oath Keepers and affiliates – many wearing paramilitary clothing and patches with the Oath Keepers name, logo, and insignia – marched in a “stack” formation up the east steps of the Capitol, joined a mob, and made their way into the Capitol. Later, another group of Oath Keepers and associates, including James, Minuta, and Ulrich, formed a second “stack” and breached the Capitol grounds, marching from the west side to the east side of the Capitol building and up the east stairs and into the building.

While certain Oath Keepers members and affiliates breached the Capitol grounds and building, others remained stationed just outside of the city in quick reaction force (QRF) teams. According to the indictment, the QRF teams were prepared to rapidly transport firearms and other weapons into Washington, D.C., in support of operations aimed at using force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power. The indictment alleges that the teams were coordinated, in part, by Caldwell and Vallejo.

The charge of seditious conspiracy carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Northern District of Texas and the District of Arizona.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Dallas and Phoenix Field Offices. These charges are the result of significant cooperation between agents and staff across numerous FBI Field Offices, including those in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Alabama and Georgia, among other locations.

In the one year since Jan. 6, more than 725 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 225 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.​
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

Further thoughts on this new indictment:

First, putting two and two together, here's a portion of a post I wrote in this thread back in July. This was in the context of some back and forth between a few of us over how 'deliberate' versus 'hasty' this was.

brihard said:
There were absolutely people in the mob at the Capitol who explicitly did plan to halt, by force, the counting of the electoral votes in order to prevent the constitutional process of transitioning power. There absolutely was communication and planning ahead of this.

There have even been convictions already

www.independent.co.uk

Oath Keeper pleads guilty to Capitol riot conspiracy charges

Insurrectionist has agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of his plea deal
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk

Click to expand...

Now, I'm not posting that as an 'I told you so', but rather look at the links. At the time, an Oath Keeper from Florida pled guilty to various lesser offences, and was reportedly cooperating with authorities. Now, having read through the indictment today, part of the crew charged were from a Florida cell. There is talk in the indictment of other people 'known to the Grand Jury', as well as considerable material from encrypted chats on the Signal app. Signal is pretty damned good for security and privacy; the weakest point is the user. I'm going to guess we are seeing the fruits of that cooperation by the guy who pled out.

Second: This indictment today has some heavy charges. Seditious conspiracy is 20 years; that's double the maximum for rebellion or insurrection (surprising- maybe an historical quirk there) 18 U.S. Code Chapter 115 - TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES It's noteworthy that these charges are only just starting to drop; they took their time to build the cases. I note that all thsoe charged today were from the Oath Keepers. They are only one of a number of organizations that were likely involved in this stuff. I infer from this that the oath keepers crew was one single contained investigation, though obviously information will be shared between investigative teams. I suspect we will see similar indictments unsealed against members of other groups, such as the Proud Boys.

This shows that investigators and prosecutors have successfully worked their way a fair distance up the 'chain of command' in at least one of the January 6th conspiracies, and that they're successfully leveraging a combination of cooperating witnesses, digital forensics, and comms that the bad guys thought were secure. It also shows that the feds are capable of OPSEC on this one. This same leader of the Oath Keepers has been named repeatedly in various articles asking "whya ren't the feds going after this guy?" with various speculations that he may be informant. Similar dynamics have played out with so-far unindicted Proud Boys, and others.

Third: there is likely some interplay between the January 6th commission and the DOJ, so as to not accidentally blow up criminal cases. The unsealing of indictments and evidence in criminal proceedings may open up more at the congressional committee.

Fourth: With arrests of prominent militia leadership, this will put investigators in a position to assess the extent, if any, to which political / party-connected figures played a role in this. In the course of arrests and searches they will likely seize phones, computers, etc. Communications will be accessed. They'll likely already have call logs (numbers dialed to and from, date, time, and call length) and will be in a position to press on any evidence they may have (if they do) of calls between people now arrested and charged, and others who may have political connections. It may well be that there isn't any of this- but if they're is, that's now starting to be within reach. Nothing stops them from working towards a cooperation and plea deal even with these indictments laid. 20 years is a long time to rot.

I bet some not very good people are sweating a bit tonight.
 
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