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Category: Government

  • Matt Gaetz Calls McCarthy A “Squatter” For Prematurely Moving Into Speaker’s Office

    Matt Gaetz Calls McCarthy A “Squatter” For Prematurely Moving Into Speaker’s Office

    Matt Gaetz Calls McCarthy A “Squatter” For Prematurely Moving Into Speaker’s Office

    Update (2228ET): In a hilarious cap to today’s chaos surrounding the GOP House Speaker vote, anti-McCarthy Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida wrote to the Architect of the Capitol to ask how long McCarthy – who prematurely moved in to the Speaker’s office – would be able to occupy the room “before he is considered a squatter.”

    *  *  *

    Update (1836ET): The day ended without the election of a House Speaker, as support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) waned throughout the day.

    Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), meanwhile, saw his stock rise with each of Tuesday’s three votes.

    As The Epoch Times notes, in the first vote of a tumultuous first day of the 118th Congress, McCarthy, the California Republican who led the party to regain the majority in the November 2022 mid-term election, fell 15 votes short of the 218 he needed to become Speaker of the House.

    McCarthy received 203 votes from Republican colleagues, while 212 Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who will serve as House Minority Leader in 2023. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz), the leader of the anti-McCarthy members, received 10 votes. A handful of Republicans voted for candidates who were not nominated.

    Second Vote

    Incoming House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) cited Saint Paul’s admonition about “finishing the race” as he nominated House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for Speaker of the House.

    In his floor speech, Jordan said the House must do three basic things in 2023, including getting the U.S. border with Mexico under control and restoring U.S. military strength, stopping profligate spending by Democrats, and conducting a comprehensive oversight effort of President Joe Biden’s administration.

    “We have to do the Oversight and Investigations that needs to be done. This idea that bureaucrats who never put their name on the ballot but think they run the country, who assaulted our constituents’ First Amendment liberties. they need to be held accountable,” Jordan said.

    “That has to happen, we need to do it. We need to do it in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution, but we need to do it vigorously and aggressively. That is part of our duty as members of this body,” Jordan continued.

    Jordan’s nomination of McCarthy followed the California Republican’s failure to marshall a majority of the 434 Members of the Representatives assembled earlier in the day for the first vote on a new Speaker.

    Jeffries was also nominated a second time. Then Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) nominated Jordan, despite the fact the Ohio Republican made clear he continued to support McCarthy. Then the second ballot roll call was called.

    All of the 19 Republicans who opposed McCarthy in the first ballot shifted their votes to Jordan, including Biggs. While McCarthy gained the same 203 votes he received in the first balloting, which again left him short of the needed majority of 218. All 212 Democrats again voted for Jeffries.

    One of those who voted for Jordan was House Freedom Caucus (HFC) Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who during the second ballot posted on Twitter his determination to fight McCarthy no matter how many ballots are required.

    “I stand firmly committed to changing the status quo no matter how many ballots this takes. If McCarthy had fought nearly as hard to defeat the failed, toxic policies of the Biden Administration as he has for himself, he would be Speaker of the House right now,” Perry wrote.

    Tension is building on the House floor among Republicans. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told Fox News that “If all they want is somebody other than Kevin, let’s be candid. Steve Scalise is supporting Kevin, Jim Jordan is supporting Kevin. As a matter of fact, every member of the leadership team, including every ranking member without becoming a chairman, is supporting Kevin. So we are in a situation in which the 19 have to explain what they want.”

    Democrats were quick to seize on the GOP confusion, with Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) issuing a statement following the first vote observing that “Hunter Thompson was right: ‘When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.’ This is what a Republican majority gets us: chaos.”

    “Democrats are here and ready to do our jobs for the country. Republican disarray is standing in the way.”

    Third Vote

    House Republicans remained deadlocked after voting for the third time Tuesday without giving enough votes to make McCarthy the new Speaker of the House.

    McCarthy lost one vote—Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)—on the third vote of the day for a total of 202 votes. Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York had the highest total with 212, with all of his Democratic colleagues but no Republicans voting for him.

    Incoming House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) drew 20 votes, but his own ballot went to McCarthy for the third time. Jordan received 19 votes on the second ballot.

    The conservative rebels who have held firm against McCarthy and coalesced around Jordan on the third ballot remained steadfastly determined to keep their California colleague from succeeding Democrat Nancy Pelosi, also of California, as the new Speaker.

    In an impassioned speech nominating Jordan on the third ballot, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) put the issue between McCarthy and the dissidents as one of how best to stand up to President Joe Biden and the Senate Democratic majority.

    “How many times have we been down here giving speeches, and there’s not a soul in the chamber? Yet this is what it takes to get 435 People in the chamber and have an actual debate,” Roy told the chamber.

    “The American people are watching, and that’s a good thing. What we’re doing is exercising our rights to vote and have a debate and have a discussion about the future of this country through the decision of choosing a speaker.

    “This is not personal. It’s not. This is about the future of the country. This is about the direction of the country.”

    Republican Infighting

    That vote capped a frenzied two days of back-room bargaining and media posturing by McCarthy and his supporters and a small group of dissident populist conservatives who demanded and got a host of reform concessions, but still voted no on the first ballot.

    The bottom line for the dissidents was they just don’t trust McCarthy to be the agent of change they believe must lead the House in what they are determined to make the last two years of President Joe Biden’s tenure in the White House.

    “I came to a broken and dysfunctional Congress to change it. Advancing the long-standing pecking order one notch has no prospect of doing that. Many don’t want to change it,” Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) posted on Twitter just before the first vote.

    “Kevin McCarthy is not the right candidate to be Speaker. He has perpetuated the Washington status quo that makes this body one of the most unsuccessful and unpopular institutions in the country. This is not about personality or who has ‘earned’ the position, it is about serving the American people. I will not support the status quo,” Bishop continued.

    In the final minutes before the new House assembled for the speaker contest, a clearly exasperated and frustrated McCarthy told reporters: “I have the record for the longest speech ever on the floor. I don’t have a problem getting a record for the most votes for Speaker, too.”

    He was referring to his more than 90-minute December address to the House in opposition to Biden’s $1.8 trillion omnibus spending bill.

    Read the rest here…

    *  *  *

    Update (1455ET): Kevin McCarthy has lost the second tally for Speaker of the House.

    Of note, when this happened in 1923, it went to nine ballots.

    And look who’s gaining steam…

    *  *  *

    Update (1310ET): Not even a quarter of the way through roll call, and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has failed to secure enough votes to become Speaker of the House – which will push the contest into a multiple-ballot vote.

    According to the Washington Post‘s Paul Kane, the last time this happened was 1923.

    What’s next? As Politico reports:

    After McCarthy fails to get 218 votes on the first ballot, the Freedom Caucus antagonists have signaled that they will start backing another yet-unnamed candidate on the second ballot. The Daily Beast reported Monday night that that person is Ohio Rep. JIM JORDAN, the longtime McCarthy critic-turned-ally.

    The Ohio Republican, however, has no shot at being speaker — something that his adoring conservative colleagues know very well. But, per the Daily Beast story, that’s not the point: They’re hoping to peel off more Republicans to back Jordan, aiming to have McCarthy’s vote count decrease from the first ballot to the second.

    It’s an open question how long today will go until someone nominates a viable candidate for the gavel — someone like STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) or PATRICK McHENRY (R-N.C.). And there’s a fear that if one of these member’s names is called too early in the process, the conference will turn on them.

    Buckle up. It’s going to be a long day. 

    *  *  *

    Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) gave a Tuesday morning speech imploring fellow Republicans to elect him as Speaker of the House, as several notable members of the GOP have openly opposed McCarthy.

    According to Axios, McCarthy has given hardliners nearly everything they’ve asked for, however he still hasn’t secured enough votes for the position, meaning that for the first time in 100 years, the House will likely hold multiple ballots for the speaker.

    In his Tuesday speech, McCarthy listed all the concessions he’s made to the right, and pointed out that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) praised elements of his rules package. Gaetz, notably, has spearheaded the anti-McCarthy movement within the chamber.

    “I’ve earned this job,” said McCarthy, after running through everything he’s done to become speaker – to which Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) reportedly shook his head, according to Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman.

    “This is bullshit,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) in response to McCarthy’s speech.

    In December, Gaetz said he wouldn’t vote for McCarthy because he’s “just a shill of the establishment.”

    McCarthy also got into an argument with Rep. Perry, who accused McCarthy of having no track record on spending bills.

    McCarthy’s supporters chime in:

    In addition to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), McCarthy has the support of neocon Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who has called McCarthy’s detractors “enemies” and “narcissists.”

    “They are enemies now. They have made it clear that they prefer a Democrat agenda than a Republican,” Crenshaw told CNN‘s Manu Raju.

    “This handful of members is very clearly looking for notoriety over principle. That’s what it is. And anyone who suggests differently is in some kind of make believe fantasy reality. It’s not, it’s not true,” he continued, adding “They lost those debates.”

    “That should have been the end of it because that’s how a team works, right? But if you’re a narcissist, … then you’ll keep going. And you’ll threaten to tear down the team for the benefit of the Democrats just because of your own sense of self importance.”

    Another McCarthy supporter, Mike Rogers (R-AL), said the GOP should bar McCarthy dissenters from getting committee slots – an idea Chip Roy didn’t like.

    Here’s Roy in December explaining the situation;

    According to Axios, this could become a war of attrition in which “[a] good number of pro-McCarthy House Republicans are hoping some of the holdouts are bluffing and looking for a show — and will ultimately get worn down enough during the process to cave for McCarthy.”

    The likely candidate to replace McCarthy, in the unlikely event he pulls out, is Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who said he won’t run against McCarthy but has been quietly preparing for this scenario.

    It doesn’t look like McCarthy is too worried…

    via www.zerohedge.com https://ift.tt/t2oI53J

    January 4, 2023 at 07:22AM

  • Kevin McCarthy Suffers Historic Defeat; Here’s What Happens Next….

    Kevin McCarthy Suffers Historic Defeat; Here’s What Happens Next….

    January 3, 2023 at 04:48PM Kevin McCarthy Suffers Historic Defeat; Here’s What Happens Next….

    For the first time since 1923, the House Speaker vote will require a second ballot as Kevin McCarthy has NOT secured enough votes to win the speakership.

    This marks the first time in almost a century that the majority’s nominee has required another vote. As voting continued, eleven Republicans voted for someone other than McCarthy, preventing him from achieving the 218 threshold.

    During the first round of voting, Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona was nominated as an alternative Republican candidate to McCarthy. Biggs had previously challenged McCarthy in a GOP conference meeting late last year and received seven of the eleven alternate GOP votes in the first round.

    Members of the House Freedom Caucus, known for their hardline stance, had indicated in the days leading up to the vote that they would nominate a new candidate for Republicans to support after the first vote.

    This Fox News segment reveals what will happens next:

    The Congressional Expert on the Fox News panel says other candidates could emerge from the Republican Party if McCarthy doesn’t gain the votes in a 1st or 2nd vote.

    More analysis:

    When it was Matt Gaetz’s turn to speak his mind on the House Speaker vote, he sounded the alarm over swamp Republican’s attempts to install Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

    Congress is reconvening to vote on whether or not McCarthy should become House Speaker and it is unknown whether or not he has the votes.

    “House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told colleagues that “I’ve earned this job” in a defiant closed-door speech ahead of what is expected to be a contentious vote for speaker,” the Washington Post reports. “Shortly before the new House was set to convene, McCarthy’s GOP foes remained adamant that they would oppose his speakership, which could lead to multiple ballots before a leader of the chamber emerges.”

    The contentious battle for House Speaker is causing many rifts within the Republican party.

    Rep. Gaetz revealed that things are so bad that establishment Republicans are threatening those who do not vote for McCarthy with removal from House committees.

    “But we were threatened by my committee chairman to be on the Arms Services, Mr. Rodgers, that if we did not vote for Mr. McCarthy that we would be removed from committees,” Gaetz said.

    “Our position is that if Kevin McCarthy is the speaker of the house and we don’t have an ability to ensure that there is umf behind the agenda and energy behind our oversight, then our committee assignments don’t mean that much anyway,” he slammed.

    “I’m not here to participate in some puppet show where we pass a bunch of messaging bills, send them to the Senate, watch them die, fail to use leverage and don’t hold the Biden Administration accountable,” Gaetz said. “I don’t want to relive the Benghazi experience where it’s just theatre pretending to be oversight”

    WATCH:

    Here is another clip:

    Lauren Boebert announced she voted for Jim Jordan for House Speaker:

    Follow us on Twitter @CollinRugg!

    This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more…

    via Trending Politics Conservative News and Commentary https://ift.tt/DTtscYv

  • Tainted Jury Pool In The ‘Trial Of The Century’: Two Jurors Have Been Selected In Proud Boys Trial So Far, One Is A Black Lives Matter Organizer

    Tainted Jury Pool In The ‘Trial Of The Century’: Two Jurors Have Been Selected In Proud Boys Trial So Far, One Is A Black Lives Matter Organizer

    January 3, 2023 at 07:09AM Tainted Jury Pool In The ‘Trial Of The Century’: Two Jurors Have Been Selected In Proud Boys Trial So Far, One Is A Black Lives Matter Organizer

    GUEST POST BY: Randy L. Ireland, founder of Americans for Justice

    The J6 Proud Boy Leadership trial, where jurors will decide whether leaders of the Proud Boys are guilty of sedition and serve up to 20 years in prison,  began jury selection on December 19 with US District Judge Timothy E. Kelly presiding.

    Judge Kelly initially predicted the litigation of the case patriot groups are calling “The Trial of The Century” would require only  2 to 3 days to complete the Jury Selection process. But after a full week in the courtroom, just 21 of 46 jurors have been selected, less than half of the potential jurors needed have been qualified to serve.

    Throughout the jury selection process so far, there has been increasingly evident that finding an unbiased jury pool within Washington DC – ESPECIALLY in a trial with Proud Boy defendants – will prove to be a very arduous and tumultuous task on several levels.  Contention between the government prosecutors and the attorneys representing the 5 defendants has flared up nearly each of the 5 days thus far.

    On Dec. 19, there was a dispute between attorneys over a potential jury member who testified to the court under oath that she had never been arrested or convicted of a crime. Multiple defense attorneys objected, indicating they had information that she had indeed been both arrested and convicted of a DUI. Judge Kelly immediately intervened, decided to keep this potential juror within the pool “for now” pending verification and asked that the Prosecution and Defense get together to “work something out.” The following day the same issue arose. The judge again determined the best approach was to keep her within the pool of potential jurors, which the prosecution supported while the attorneys for each of the defendants vehemently objected.

    On Dec. 23, there was a half-day before the court would break for more than a week over the Christmas and New Years’ Holidays. On that day, only a single potential juror was qualified, and even THAT juror – to any objective observer – should not have happened!  The qualification of this potential juror led to what has been described by eyewitnesses in the courtroom as an “explosive and fiery” exchange between the lead prosecutor, AUSA Erik Kenerson and one of the defense attorneys, Nicholas Smith.  In this exchange, the prosecutor warned Smith is a “racist” for his line of questioning of the potential juror  – which made the entire courtroom break out into a frenzy, prompting Judge Kelly to gavel the courtroom back into order.

    That potential juror who was “qualified” that Friday by Judge Timothy J. Kelly admitted to being a top organizer for the Washington DC BLM organization!  The BLM organization is founded by admittedly “Marxist-trained” individuals that espouse socialism, communism, and globalism.  This is the very reason why this trial will prove to be so important to the present national discourse – it pits traditional Conservatism and Patriotism against the progressive ideals of Marxism, Communism, and Globalism.  This is essentially Constitutional Conservatism (Small Government, Individual Rights & Accountability) vs. Constitutional Progressivism (Large Government, Mob Rule, and the broad-stroking of Cancel Culture)

    To have a major BLM organizer on the potential jury of a Proud Boy trial is preposterous to anyone with a sense of objectivity, fairness, and impartiality.  Why in the world would Judge Timothy Kelly even entertain this kind of tainted jury pool is incredulous at every level. When you add in the lead prosecutor baselessly calling a reputable defense attorney like Nicholas Smith a “racist” it only adds more fuel to the already blistering fire.

    Moreover, at least one of the defendants in Dominic Pezzola has been unable to view any of his discovery in the case to date. The jails have denied him his constitutionally-protected right of being able to participate in his own defense.  Pezzola has allegedly been denied protected Legal Calls, Legal Communication, and even Legal Visits – across multiple institutions. He has also been prohibited from access to the necessary laptop/tablet on which to view his discovery.

    Meanwhile, the prosecution has yet again dumped a large amount of “NEW DISCOVERY” on the Defense within the last 72 hours, making the Proud Boys January 6 case the “Trial of the Century,” igniting controversy among law enforcement officials and justice professionals across the United States.

    This latest discovery dump comes after Judge Kelly has said on multiple occasions in the lead-up to the trial, “We’re not going to have a trial by ambush here!”  In the bigger picture, it is hard to tell which is more egregious to the sense of Justice:  the seeming deliberateness of the prosecution to stall discovery dumps, or US District Judge Timothy Kelly pushing and rushing such a notorious and complex case rather than allowing fair and proper time for the defense teams an opportunity to review all important discovery with their clients.

    What seems to be ongoing deliberate, strategic, and orchestrated “last-minute Discovery Dumps” across many of the J6 trials to date (including the Oath Keeper trials presided over by District Judge Amit P. Meta) by the DOJ is quickly adding up to be severe Brady violations on the part of the US Government. These violations are consistently being rubber-stamped and allowed by the presiding US District Judges. In addition,, Add in the clear bias of the jury pool in Washington DC where over 93% of the jury pool members vote DEMOCRAT each election cycle.  Then add on top of this the unanimous rejection of any “Change of Venue” motions by these US District Judges and it all points to this trial being far more about Politics, rather than the very purpose for establishing the Washington DC District Court in the first place – JUSTICE!

    When the Proud Boy trial resumes on Tuesday, January 3rd there is expected to be a flurry of motions filed by the defense teams of Joseph Biggs, Dominic Pezzola, Ethan Nordean, Enrique Tarrio, and Zachary Rehl.  Keep in mind that the vast majority of these defendants are not charged with Violence of any kind, vandalism of property, or weapons charges!  One of the defendants was not even in Washington DC on January 6th!  Yet this trial is all about the US Government’s baseless claim that the Proud Boys fraternity engaged in “Seditious Conspiracy” – something that The Gateway Pundit’s own Cara Castronuova already debunked through the exclusive release of a Proud Boy video conference in the days before January 6th.

    Please stay tuned here for the latest updates and information coming out of the Proud Boys’ “Trial of the Century” – direct from the US Federal Courthouse in Washington DC.

    ABOUT RANDY L. IRELAND

    Randy Ireland is a USAF Veteran, a Christian, an Entrepreneur, co-Founder of CAPP (Citizens Against Political Persecution) and the Founder of A4Justice (Americans for Justice).  He is also a leading organizer for the 4Ashli.com Vigil held in Washington DC at the DC Jail every night from 7pm to 9:30pm.  You can follow his work by visiting www.A4Justice.org, or follow/subscribe @A4Justice on Twitter, Truth Social, Gettr, and YouTube.  You can also contact him directly with any J6-related Information or tips at Randy@A4Justice.org.

    via The Gateway Pundit https://ift.tt/xVIeMnw

  • BREAKING: Attorney for Ray Epps Was FBI Agent For 9 Years

    BREAKING: Attorney for Ray Epps Was FBI Agent For 9 Years

    January 2, 2023 at 05:12PM. BREAKING: Attorney for Ray Epps Was FBI Agent For 9 Years

    100 Percent Fed Up Exclusive – Democrats and the crooked DOJ have gone out of their way to protect the MAGA hat-wearing Ray Epps, but the question just won’t go away—Who is Ray Epps, and what was his role on Jan. 6 and the days preceding the “insurrection” at the US Capitol?

    Videos of Ray Epps leading J6 protestors have gone viral on social media, but for some odd reason, he has not been arrested. He has been protected when others have been prosecuted for lesser offenses. Is he an FBI informant? Is he an FBI agent?

    Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) has repeatedly been stonewalled by the January 6 Witch Hunt Committee when asking questions about Epp’s identity or his role in the so-called January 6 “insurrection.”

    Watch far-left Jan. 6 Witch Hunt Committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin defend Ray Epps after Rep. Thomas Massie asks about Ray Epps. Massie became very defensive about the MAGA hat-wearing Ray Epps as “that poor guy” and asking Republicans to “leave him alone,” and suggested Republicans should be more concerned about Donald Trump’s money-grubbing niece’s accusations against him that have since been thrown out of court by a judge.

    Watch:

    When Senator Ted Cruz asked Assistant FBI Director Jill Sanborn, “Was Ray Epps a fed?” She responded, “Senator, I can’t answer that question.” When Cruz pressed Sanborn showing photos of Epps whispering to protestors who then immediately began to pull down barricades, “Did Mr. Epps urge them to tear down the barricades?” Sanborn again said, “I cannot answer that.”

    Tucker Carlson asked why the Trump-hating RINO Rep. Adam Kinsinger (IL) continues to defend and even “praise” Ray Epps.

    Watch:


    <h3>But with the release of the J6 Committee transcript, the question of Ray Epps’ true identity and his role in the January 6 fed-surrection is more pertinent than ever.</h3>
    Dinesh D’Souza posted part of the transcript from Epp’s January 21, 2022, committee questioning. Epps was asked about a text exchange with his nephew. On January 6, 2021, Ray Epps responded to his nephew’s text.

    When asked if he was safe, he replied,

    <em><strong>”I WAS IN THE FRONT WITH A FEW OTHERS. I ALSO ORCHESTRATED IT.”</strong></em>

    <span data-preserver-spaces=”true”>When asked about how he spent the night of January 5, Epps told the committee he left his hotel room when he heard that there was a Trump rally taking place and that there could be trouble brewing. Epps claims that he believed the capitol would be open and wanted as many people to go in as possible on the 6th, and that is why he said, “Tomorrow, I don’t like to even say it because I’ll be arrested, but tomorrow we need to go into the capitol.”</span>

    In the video below, activist “Baked Alaska,” who has a sketchy past of supporting both the Left and the Right, can be seen having a conversation with Ray Epps on January 5, where Epps tells the crowd of Trump supporters, “Tomorrow, I don’t even like to say it because I’ll be arrested.”

    Curiously, John Sullivan, another fake Trump supporter who was never charged for being inside the Capitol, was standing next to Epps when he made the most outlandish remarks about going into the Capitol of anyone attending the Stop the Steal rally to date. Epps continued, “Tomorrow, we go into the Capitol!” The Trump supporters around him almost immediately began to shout, “Fed, Fed, Fed!” The next day, Epps was caught whispering into the ear of the first protestor to breach the barricades across the sidewalk leading up to the Capitol only moments before the violent escalation took place.

    Watch:

    The newly released transcripts from the Jan 6 Witch Hunt Committee’s interview with Epps show that when asked why he said he could be arrested, Epps falsely claimed that he was trying to “protect” the Trump supporters from “Baked Alaska,” who he accused of trying to “incite violence.” In the video, Baked Alaska is the first person to begin shouting “Fed!” when Epps encourages everyone to go inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

    The transcript shows Epps and his son have no memory of Epps being called a “Fed.” Epps continually claims that his J6 role was “only trying to protect the police when, on the night of J5, he publicly advocated for people to go into the Capitol.”

    But here’s where things get even more curious—Ray Epp’s attorney’s names are noted in the introduction on the transcript, showing he was represented by John W. Blischak and Andrew Blischak, a father-son duo from Arizona. John Blischak was an FBI agent in Ohio for 9 years before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, where he became an attorney.

    Shortly after, Epps was asked to have his counsel introduce himself, stating his name for the record. Mr. Blischak identified himself, saying, “Yes. My name is John W. Blischak. I will be representing Mr. Epps throughout the course of this investigation.”

    Ray Epps had thousands of attorneys practicing law in Arizona who he could have chosen, but somehow Ray Epps, the man who, without explanation, was removed from the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list in connection with the January 6 “insurrection” (see screen capture below, before Epps was mysteriously removed from the list) chose an attorney who worked as an FBI agent for 9 years before becoming a lawyer.

    John and Andrew Blischak’s website reveals the father and son are in the law practice together.

    Former FBI Agent turned attorney John Blischak

    John’s biography from his “about us” page says that Mr. Blischak worked for the FBI as an agent for nine years, first in Cleveland, then in Phoenix, before working as a Maricopa county prosecutor and eventually going into private practice in 1987:

    Mr. John W. Blischak was born in Steubenville, Ohio. After graduating from law school in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975, John W. Blischak embarked on a rewarding nine-year career as an FBI Agent with the U.S. Department of Justice, commencing in Cleveland and thereafter transferring to Phoenix. Wanting to seek independence and a challenge, Mr. Blischak voluntarily left the FBI and commenced a three-year stint as a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in the complex white-collar crime unit where the invaluable trial experience was accumulated, and thereafter Mr. Blischak ventured into sole practice in 1987.

    Andrew’s biography notes that his father’s time as an FBI agent, prosecutor, and defense attorney contributed to his decision to go into the legal profession.

    Ray Epps’s attorney Andrew Blischak, son of John Blischak

    Epps has claimed to be a conservative Trump supporter, but curiously, he hired the Blischaks to represent him, two men who re-tweeted a post supporting the notion that Police should have been able to de-escalate the George Floyd situation. Placing blame on cops instead of criminals is not usually a narrative pushed by conservatives, calling into question Epps’ choice of attorneys.

    Epps also revealed in the J6 Committee transcripts that he was the president of his Arizona Oath Keeper chapter for a few years.

    The FBI has admitted to watching the conservative group, even placing informants within the chapters. Oathkeepers founder Stewart Rhodes and several other members were tried for attending the J6 protest. Rhode’s defense attorney David Fisher was notified that the FBI had informants inside the group who were present on January 6 when he was told shortly before the trial that one of the informants would be testifying against Rhodes and other members. The DOJ admitted that five FBI informants were placed inside the constitutional watchdog group. 

    via The Gateway Pundit https://ift.tt/xVIeMnw

  • EXCLUSIVE: RAY EPPS CAUGHT LYING TO JAN 6TH COMMITTEE

    The January 6th Committee has released the transcript from Ray Epps’s testimony whereby Epps commits perjury regarding his testimony of what he said to Ryan Samsel, and his account of what took place at the initial “breech” at the police line on January 6th.

    Also see “SECRET AGENTS” documentation on StopHate.com: [CLICK HERE]

  • Protests Erupt Outside Drag Queen Story Hour in NYC After AOC Encourages Comrades to ‘Protect’ Event

    Protests Erupt Outside Drag Queen Story Hour in NYC After AOC Encourages Comrades to ‘Protect’ Event

    December 30, 2022 at 06:45AM Protests Erupt Outside Drag Queen Story Hour in NYC After AOC Encourages Comrades to ‘Protect’ Event 

    Protests erupted outside of a drag queen story hour event in Queens, New York on Thursday evening.

    Earlier this week Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the comrades and told them to show up to the library to protect the drag queens.

    “Let’s have some joyful fun! Join Queens Public Library for a Drag Story Hour (DSH), featuring an amazing drag artist reading picture books, singing songs, and leading children in a craft activity. This delightful program is a celebration of gender diversity, offering kids unabashedly queer role models and the confidence to express themselves however they feel comfortable,” the library said in a post.

    Violent left-wing protesters showed up to the event on AOC’s orders.

    NYPD tried to keep the protesters and counter-protesters apart.

    Cristina began writing for The Gateway Pundit in 2016 and she is currently the Associate Editor.

    The Gateway Pundit is moving back to Disqus! All of your account information and comment history has been saved and will be uploaded as quickly as possible to Disqus. If you do not already have a Disqus account, you will need to create one. Please use the same email address that you used for Insticator for your comment history to be carried over. We greatly appreciate your patience and continued support!

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    via The Gateway Pundit 

  • A Very Special Christmas Plea: January 6th Political Prisoner DOMINIC PEZZOLA Tells His Story for the Very First Time and Needs Your Help

    A Very Special Christmas Plea: January 6th Political Prisoner DOMINIC PEZZOLA Tells His Story for the Very First Time and Needs Your Help

    December 29, 2022 at 04:45PM.  A Very Special Christmas Plea: January 6th Political Prisoner DOMINIC PEZZOLA Tells His Story for the Very First Time and Needs Your Help

    Introduction:
    I am Randy Ireland, co-Founder of C.A.P.P (Citizens Against Political Persecution, Inc), co-Founder of E.O.J.L. (Equity of Justice League, Inc), and co-Founder of CondemnedUSA.com (Condemned USA, Inc).  I am also friends with a man who has long been at the center of the events that occurred at our nation’s Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021. That man – who I hold and regard personally as an American Hero and American Patriot – has been indefinitely detained for nearly a year.  He has never told his story, but his story is one that every single American should and must hear!

    Many things have been said about Dominic Pezzola in Mainstream Media, in Senate Hearings, in Congress, and even from his very own fired Public Defender (early on in his case) – which amount to absolute lies, slander, and misinformation.  Please read, in his very own words, who he really is and what he is all about.

    Hello to my fellow America-Loving Patriots!

    My name is Dominic Pezzola, and I am a 2nd generation Italian American.

    My father and grandfather immigrated to the Unites States of America when my father was a young boy, after the sudden death of my grandmother.  My mother has always described me as an easy child. I always listened to my parents and never gave them a hard time. I believe I am a very intelligent person and was always a great student in school, unlike the media has reported about me. I received excellent grades and have always pushed myself to exceed.

    I was also involved in sports all through my youth: baseball, football, hockey, wrestling and boxing. Boxing was the sport I truly excelled at, earning the golden gloves in high school. Many say I was loved by both my coaches and teammates.

    I have been a hard worker since the very early age of 11. As most have in those days, I started as a newspaper boy and did that until I turned 15 when I went to work at a local grocery store.  After finishing high school, I worked as an apprentice electrician, and at the age of 19 decided to join the US military service.

    I joined the Marine Corp and graduated at the top of my class as “Company Honor Man”.  This honor meant that at graduation I was one of the few allowed the privilege of wearing my dress blues and lead the graduation ceremony by carrying our beloved American flag. The day was hot and stifling, with temperatures reaching over 90 degrees. However, that day I stood proud and tall in my woolen blues. Even though I now feel as if many of my countrymen have turned their backs on me, I would do it all over again to serve this great country.

    I have never been in any trouble through the years, nor have been charged with any crimes. I have always been a very loving and giving person.  If you ever needed help, I would be there never expecting anything in return. I am an honest man, a reliable man, and have very deep convictions, principles, and beliefs that have been evident in the raising my children.  We have taught them to always be honest, always work hard, always judge a person based on their character, and to always treat others with kindness and respect.

    I have always tried to take the best care of my family, love them with all my heart. I had always been the main provider for them, in all things. The mother of my children was able to stay home and raise our girls – as well as attend college – without the added pressure of having to provide financially. Just before the events of January 6th she began graduate school – her lifelong dream! Being that I am currently unable to provide for them is almost unbearable for me. Knowing they now have the added stress of financial responsibility makes me feel as if I have failed them.

    I have always prided myself on being a loyal friend and son.  My love for people has shown throughout my life in so many ways. Just before the birth of my oldest daughter, me and a friend of mine came upon a car that had crashed on Alexander St. in my hometown of Rochester, NY and caught fire. There was a young woman trapped in the car! Without hesitation I jumped out of my friend’s vehicle and pulled the young woman from the burning wreckage. I only mention this as it bears testament to my character and the type of man I truly am.

    I am a father, son, friend, honorably discharged Marine Corp veteran and a small business owner.  I have provided jobs, and taught a trade, to individuals in recovery to help them become self-sufficient and better members of society. I pay taxes and, like most, had always played by the rules that those who make the rules don’t even follow themselves.

    On top of all the things above that I used to describe myself, one phrase I never dreamed I would have had to use is “Hostage.”  That is exactly what me and about 35 other American citizens in the Washington DC Jail have become!  We are HOSTAGES to a tyrannical government which has stripped us of all Constitutional, Civil, and Human Rights – jailing us indefinitely going on 12 months with no trial date in sight!  Besides being denied fair bail and a speedy trial, we are also denied any due process!  Further, I have not seen one shred of evidence against me, nor have I had any privileged contact with my attorneys!  The entire time I’ve been here, none of us have been allowed to assist in our own defense – a Constitutionally-protected right given to every single US Citizen!

    We have been tortured consistently, locked down 23 hours/day in a cell, given very little food, not allowed basic grooming (such as haircuts and shaves), have been forbidden to have visits with our families, denied religious services, and even denied basic medical care!  In my case, they took a treatable condition, and through neglect, it has turned it into something that now requires surgery!  The worst part is – I cannot have that surgery done here at the DC jail!  I am left in constant pain!  We are being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, all while having not been convicted of a single crime!

    Like millions of red-blooded Americans, I was deeply troubled by the path our country was going down.  We have a government that is out-of-control, spending our tax dollars literally burying our children in a mountain of debt!  Yet, we have a border that is wide open, letting everyone and anyone come through unvetted, many of them killing and hurting U.S. citizens! Like many others, I felt we had a government that didn’t care about its own people and was disconnected from the pain that everyday hardworking Americans – like you and I – felt.

    After the 2016 Election the country started feeling like it was on the right path again! Employment was high, wages were up, the border was under control, and our military was once again second-to-none! All this was accomplished while the Left fought against and obstructed the America-First agenda every step of the way.

    Freedom-loving patriots came to DC on January 6th to implore our elected leaders to pause and take a closer look at the anomalies that took place over the 2020 Presidential Election.  However, our pleas fell on deaf ears as thousands of peaceful protesters – exercising their First Amendment right – were brutally fired upon, unprovoked, by the capitol police using rubber bullets; flash bang grenades; and dousing a crowd of women, children, and elderly with pepper spray.

    As of now we know the actions of law enforcement that day killed at least two protesters in cold blood, both women: Ashley Babbitt and Rosanne Boyland.   More evidence keeps coming out every day about the role the FBI, DHS, Capitol Police, and the Washington DC MPD played in the events of that day.  Informants, assets, and agents were in the crowd instigating the riot to set up and entrap peaceful protesters.

    The bias of political persecution from the Left is brazenly clear when groups like Antifa and BLM are given a free pass to burn and destroy cities and private businesses – all while being let out of jail immediately to again continue to commit their communist rampage.  Meanwhile, January 6 protesters – most of them just for trespassing – have had their lives destroyed by the very same federal agencies seemingly giving the Left a free pass, and routinely dismissing charges when they are caught!

    Unfortunately, the Political Prisoners are not the only victims from the events of January 6th – each one of us has family, children, or businesses that are suffering or has been destroyed.  The FBI has weaponized the Patriot Act against US Citizens to label us as terrorists, put us on no-fly lists, closed our bank accounts, and cancelled our lines of credit!  Our families have been left to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and try to carry on the best they can.  My children’s mother has stretched herself to the limit trying to balance work, school, our two daughters, and all my legal affairs.  We have one daughter in college and the other a senior in high school, heading to college next year!  With my business destroyed, and our savings rapidly dwindling, it is getting very difficult for them to make ends meet!

    What I would like my fellow patriots to take away from this is:  we are at a time in our nation’s history where if you don’t toe the correct political line, you will be destroyed!  The tyranny we face now has NO MERCY.  It will decimate you, everyone, and everything you care about! However, NOW is the time to unite and stand together as ONE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

    Thank you for the taking the time to read my story.  May God bless all of you, and may God Bless AMERICA!

    – Dominic Pezzola, Washington DC Political Hostage #376366

    via The Gateway Pundit

  • BREAKING: Internal Source Says “Significant Miscount” In Abe Hamadeh’s Recount Nets Hamadeh With Hundreds of New Votes In Race Called by 511 Votes

    BREAKING: Internal Source Says “Significant Miscount” In Abe Hamadeh’s Recount Nets Hamadeh With Hundreds of New Votes In Race Called by 511 Votes

    December 29, 2022 at 07:20AM. BREAKING: Internal Source Says “Significant Miscount” In Abe Hamadeh’s Recount Nets Hamadeh With Hundreds of New Votes In Race Called by 511 Votes

    A “significant miscount” of hundreds of votes has been discovered in the recount results for Trump-Endorsed Abe Hamadeh’s statewide Attorney General’s race. 

    Hamadeh was only down by 511 votes against Mayes out of more than 2.5 million ballots cast in the Attorney General race.

    The Gateway Pundit reported that on Election Day in Maricopa County, over 50% of tabulators and printers failed the moment that polls opened, causing voters to be turned away from the polls and creating long wait times of four hours or more. According to cybersecurity expert Clay Parikh’s testimony in Kari Lake’s election lawsuit, this was an intentional act aimed at disenfranchising Republican voters who turned out 3:1 for Trump-Endorsed candidates.

    As The Gateway Pundit reported, Hamadeh contested the results in a lawsuit filed in the Mohave County Superior Court against Kris Mayes, Katie Hobbs, and all Arizona County election officials.

    Read Abe Hamadeh’s filing here.

    The Gateway Pundit reported that Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee F. Jantzen tossed out Abe Hamadeh’s election challenge in the Arizona Attorney General race against Democrat Kris Mayes.

    The judge denied the challenge based on testimony from Hamadeh’s lawyer, Tim LaSota, acknowledging that based on the ballot inspection (a small sample of ballots), his client would not be able to get over 511 votes needed to overcome Mayes.

    However, Charlie Kirk tweeted earlier that hundreds of new votes were discovered for Abe, and corrupt Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is attempting to hide this discrepancy from the public.

    Kirk: BREAKING: An internal source has shared that a rural AZ county has found a significant miscount netting @AbrahamHamadeh with hundreds of new votes. Sources suspect @katiehobbs is not quickly releasing this revelation to provide as little time as possible for public reaction.

    This was also confirmed by leftist Garrett Archer, who says the “discrepancy is not from Maricopa or Pima.”

    This could overturn the election that was decided by 511 votes. At the very least, it could help Abe’s case move forward.

    Hamadeh tweeted before this new revelation came out that he will assess his legal options when the recount results are released tomorrow.

    This is a developing story.

    via The Gateway Pundit

  • Corrupt Judge Peter Thompson Rules Elections with Broken Machines in 60% of Precincts and No Chain of Custody for Ballots Are Free, Fair and Certifiable

    Corrupt Judge Peter Thompson Rules Elections with Broken Machines in 60% of Precincts and No Chain of Custody for Ballots Are Free, Fair and Certifiable

    December 26, 2022 at 05:35AM  Judge Peter Thompson Rules Elections with Broken Machines in 60% of Precincts and No Chain of Custody for Ballots Are Free, Fair and Certifiable

    Phoenix, Arizona – Kari Lake has filed a lawsuit against her opponent Katie Hobbs, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, Maricopa County board of Supervisors members Bill Gates, Clint Hickman, Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin and Steve Gallardo and Maricopa County Elections Director Scott Jarret for their roles in the most botched and embarrassing Election Day in the history of Arizona.

    Kari Lake said “This lawsuit puts an end to any doubt that our elections, especially in Maricopa County, are rigged and massive reforms are needed if the public is ever to trust the results again.” Lake continued, “Our sacred vote was trampled on. Every Arizonan should be furious, regardless of Party. Despite the desperate lies by the Fake News, my team has filed one of the strongest Election Lawsuits in history.”

    10 Key Points of the lawsuit, which can be read in full at SaveArizonaFund.com:

    ·  Cyber Expert Clay Parikh: Machine Failures that Arizona voters experienced on election day could not have occurred absent intentional misconduct. In summary, the errors were the result of deliberate actions and could have been prevented.

    ·  Between 15,603 and 29,257 Republican voters disenfranchised. Over 300,000 mail-in ballots had no chain of custody. This is a violation of Arizona law.

    ·  Whistleblowers: Tens of thousands of illegal ballots counted, many with little to no signature verification.

    ·  59% of the 223 Voting Centers in Maricopa County had printer and tabulator failure on election day. Reminder: Election Day Voters went for 3 to 1 for Kari Lake. Clear voter disenfranchisement in primarily red districts (Rich Baris Numbers)

    ·  Uncounted “Door 3 Ballots” were co-mingled with already tabulated ballots. There is strong reason to believe the actual number of door 3 ballots is far greater than the reported 16,724

    ·  Katie Hobbs and Stephen Richer both colluded with the federal government to censor constituents. This is election interference and a violation of the First Amendment.

    ·  Conflicts of Interest:

    o   Bill Gates – Spent the last two years obstructing every election integrity effort in AZ and contributed to a PAC that sought to undermine “America First” candidates

    o   Stephen Richer – Formed and used a well-funded PAC to defeat Kari Lake

    o   Katie Hobbs Secretary of State – governed over her own election

    o   Steven Gallardo – he is now a member of Katie Hobbs’ transition team.

    ·  Runbeck Whistleblower says 298,942 early ballots had no chain of custody.

    ·  Maricopa County adds 25,000 ballots to totals AFTER election day.

    ·  Video footage, first-hand accounts, and expert testimony directly contradict Maricopa County officials’ public statements deliberately attempting to downplay these events.

    These points are all thoroughly supported by the affidavits of whistleblowers within the system and backed by written expert testimony.

     In addition to skillfully laid out details of a completely botched election day, the lawsuit also names Secretary of State Hobbs as a corrupt operator who successfully silenced her political enemy’s freedom of speech by demanding Twitter take down their tweets which were critical of her.

    The relief sought includes throwing out illegal ballots, which would result in Lake’s rightful win over Hobbs in the November 8th election, or result in a new election conducted in Maricopa County, with a special master as administrator. In addition, inspection of the “signature verified” ballots that are highly questionable because of whistleblower testimony, is requested as relief in Lake’s suit.

    via The Gateway Pundit

  • Jan. 6 Committee Releases Full Report of Probe into Capitol Breach

    Jan. 6 Committee Releases Full Report of Probe into Capitol Breach

    December 23, 2022 at 07:19AM Jan. 6 Committee Releases Full Report of Probe into Capitol Breach

    The Jan. 6 Committee has released its long-anticipated report of its investigation into the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in which its authors took aim at former President Donald Trump, blaming him for having engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

    The 814-page full report (pdf) comes days after the panel released an executive summary (pdf) of the report, and targeted Trump by voting to refer him to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider at least four criminal charges, including obstruction and insurrection. The referral is a symbolic move, and the department is not obliged to act upon the panel’s recommendations.

    The Jan. 6 committee, which has nine members, has long been criticized for its apparent partisanship, in part because the only two Republicans on the panel—Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)—are both known for their strong opposition to Trump.

    The authors of the report concluded that “the central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed.” They wrote that “[n]one of the events of January 6th would have happened without him.”

    The group’s final report represents the culmination of 18 months of investigation and is based on the interviews of more than 1,000 witnesses, ten hearings, as well as millions of pages of documents, including emails, texts, and phone records.

    The report lists 17 specific allegations the authors made based on the information they gathered. It also proposes 11 legislative recommendations in efforts to prevent another breach.

    “This report will provide greater detail about the multistep effort devised and driven by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of power,” Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote in a foreword in the report.

    The Jan. 6 committee is set to dissolve at the end of the current Congress in January 2023, when Republicans are set to take control of the House.

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    Jan. 6 Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mass.), and Jan. 6 Committee Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in the Canon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 19, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    ‘Highly Partisan’

    Trump, in remarks following the release of the final report, called it “highly partisan” and a “witch hunt.” The report had failed to “study the reason for the [Jan. 6] protest, election fraud,” he wrote.

    It marked the first time that lawmakers had referred a former president for criminal prosecution. A charge of insurrection would, if a conviction is passed, bar Trump from running for office again. Trump had announced in November that he would seek the presidency again.

    Trump was previously acquitted in February 2021 by the Senate in an impeachment trial over an insurrection incitement charge. Prior to that, he was acquitted in February 2020 by the Senate in his first impeachment trial on two charges—abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

    “These folks don’t get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” Trump wrote in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Dec. 19 in response to the panel’s criminal referrals.

    He added, “Americans know that I pushed for 20,000 troops to prevent violence on Jan 6, and that I went on television and told everyone to go home.”

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    Then-President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing the White House to Joint Base Andrews en route to San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

    Counter Report

    Ahead of the final report’s release, the Jan. 6 committee made public a collection of 34 transcripts of witness testimony from its investigation on Dec. 21. Most of the 34 witnesses did not answer questions during all or at least part of their testimony, instead opting to assert their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The panel later released several more transcripts of witness testimony on early Dec. 22.

    Meanwhile, five House Republicans on Dec. 21 published a separate counter report (pdf) that focused on the security failures at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The report, led by incoming House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), showed that staffers under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had played a key role in the security planning that failed to protect the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

    The five lawmakers who released the report were those initially nominated by Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to join the Jan. 6 committee. Pelosi had previously refused to seat two of the five, after which all were pulled from consideration. McCarthy, in response, had called Pelosi’s move “an egregious abuse of power.”

    Pence

    Pence

    Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) preside over a Joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results after protestors stormed the Capitol earlier in the day in Washington on Jan. 6, 2020. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

    The joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, was temporarily interrupted when a sizable group of protesters entered the Capitol building and its surrounds. Outside were thousands of other mostly peaceful protesters who had gathered in Washington on the day to express concerns about election integrity.

    A total of five deaths were recorded in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 incident. Three of the deaths were ultimately determined to be natural causes, one of the deaths was ruled a homicide due to actions of a Capitol Police officer, and the remaining death was ruled as an accident, but video unsealed in December 2021 suggested that the person was struck by a police officer prior as she lay unconscious near the Capitol building.

    As of late December, more than 900 individuals have been dealt charges by the DOJ, accusing them of having committed federal crimes on Jan. 6, 2021. More than 480 of them have pleaded guilty to one or more charges.

    Mimi Nguyen Ly is a senior reporter for the Epoch Times. She covers U.S. news and world news. Contact her at mimi.nl@epochtimes.com

    via www.theepochtimes.com