WaPo: (pay wall)
Not patriots, not political prisoners — U.S. judges slam Capitol riot defendants at sentencing
A federal judge rejected claims that detained defendants in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach are “political prisoners” or that riot participants acted out of patriotism before sentencing a Michigan man to six months in prison Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of Washington said Karl Dresch, 41, of Calumet, Mich, was held because of his actions, not his political views, and that others who joined the attack on Congress as it met to confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election could face prison time.
“He was not a political prisoner,” Jackson said. “We are not here today because he supported former president Trump . . . He was arrested because he was an enthusiastic participant in an effort to subvert and undo the electoral process.”
In a deal with prosecutors, Dresch pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of parading, picketing or demonstrating in the Capitol after four other charges were dropped, including a felony count of obstructing an official proceeding of Congress.
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The wrangling is going to be weird and complicated.
The Hill:
Five big questions as Jan. 6 panel preps subpoenas
Leaders of the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack say they can't let the August recess halt their work and that they’re preparing to send a flurry of subpoenas to start gathering evidence.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and staunch Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are among those who may be called to testify, in addition to requests for reams of documents and communications.
Here are five big questions facing the special committee as they head into their second month.
Will the panel hit roadblocks for subpoenaed documents?
Members of the committee have made clear that the first stage of their investigation will focus on gathering evidence.
“We have already had discussions about the need to subpoena documents and the sense of urgency we have. Normally we would request voluntary compliance. We may move quickly to subpoenas when it comes to documents so that we ensure that they're preserved and that there's no delay,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters last week.
Should lawmakers like McCarthy and Jordan be called to testify?
McCarthy and Jordan, two of Trump’s top allies on Capitol Hill, both have confirmed they held separate phone calls with the former president on Jan. 6.
Investigators are particularly interested in those conversations as they try to figure out what actions Trump took after he delivered a speech outside the White House urging thousands of his supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” to stop Congress’s certification of President Biden’s election victory.
But subpoenaing lawmakers can be a complex issue.
Could any Democratic witnesses offer testimony?
Two House Democrats have said publicly they warned police about a possible violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters one week before the deadly riot. House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (Calif.) and Rep. Frederica Wilson (Fla.) held separate phone calls with top Capitol Police brass, urging them to take measures to harden security at the Capitol.
Will they go after former Trump officials?
Trump and his legal team would likely turn to the courts to try to stop the committee from subpoenaing any of his former officials.
But a variety of former officials, including those who once worked at the Justice Department, could provide key details for a committee that may delve beyond the security failures leading up to the attack and wade more broadly into Trump’s efforts to challenge the election.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the select committee, wouldn’t discuss the names of any Trump officials who might be subpoenaed.
Will there be an August hearing?
Members of the Jan. 6 committee are still weighing whether to hold a public hearing sometime during the six-week summer recess, an idea that’s been floated by Thompson.
Five big questions as Jan. 6 panel preps subpoenas
Leaders of the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack say they can't let the August recess halt their work and that they’re preparing to send a flurry of subpoenas to start gathering evidence.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and staunch Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are among those who may be called to testify, in addition to requests for reams of documents and communications.
Here are five big questions facing the special committee as they head into their second month.
Will the panel hit roadblocks for subpoenaed documents?
Members of the committee have made clear that the first stage of their investigation will focus on gathering evidence.
“We have already had discussions about the need to subpoena documents and the sense of urgency we have. Normally we would request voluntary compliance. We may move quickly to subpoenas when it comes to documents so that we ensure that they're preserved and that there's no delay,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters last week.
Should lawmakers like McCarthy and Jordan be called to testify?
McCarthy and Jordan, two of Trump’s top allies on Capitol Hill, both have confirmed they held separate phone calls with the former president on Jan. 6.
Investigators are particularly interested in those conversations as they try to figure out what actions Trump took after he delivered a speech outside the White House urging thousands of his supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” to stop Congress’s certification of President Biden’s election victory.
But subpoenaing lawmakers can be a complex issue.
Could any Democratic witnesses offer testimony?
Two House Democrats have said publicly they warned police about a possible violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters one week before the deadly riot. House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (Calif.) and Rep. Frederica Wilson (Fla.) held separate phone calls with top Capitol Police brass, urging them to take measures to harden security at the Capitol.
Will they go after former Trump officials?
Trump and his legal team would likely turn to the courts to try to stop the committee from subpoenaing any of his former officials.
But a variety of former officials, including those who once worked at the Justice Department, could provide key details for a committee that may delve beyond the security failures leading up to the attack and wade more broadly into Trump’s efforts to challenge the election.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the select committee, wouldn’t discuss the names of any Trump officials who might be subpoenaed.
Will there be an August hearing?
Members of the Jan. 6 committee are still weighing whether to hold a public hearing sometime during the six-week summer recess, an idea that’s been floated by Thompson.
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