Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has entered the building. #MTGHearing
“The evidence will show that Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of [the insurrectionists].” @ronfein, representing Free Speech For People, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
Jim Bopp, lead counsel for Rep. Greene: “The evidence you’re presenting violates the First Amendment of the Constitution…Voters have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.” #MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attorney, Jim Bopp: “She reveres the Constitution.” #MTGHearing
“This is a classic ‘Defense attorney who has no facts’ opening. Lots of argument; no facts.”
—@bentclements, FSFP Board Chair
#MTGHearing
“The military wasn’t required her,” says Jim Bopp. “An insurrection is not…unlawful acts that disturb the peace but do not threaten the government.” #MTGHearing
Jim Bopp quotes Rep. Greene’s social media message from #Jan6th: “This is not a time for violence. This is a time to support President Trump…Be careful. Be safe. Be smart. And obey the laws.” #MTGHearing
Bopp: “The attack on the Capitol, despicable as it was, was not an insurrection or rebellion.” #MTGHearing
Bopp: “Representative Greene was a victim of this attack.” #MTGHearing
Indiana University Professor Gerard Magliocca has taken the stand. Professor Magliocca is the foremost scholar on the 14th Amendment. #MGTHearing
Greene’s attorney has objected several times to Magliocca’s testimony. Judge Beaudrot sustains the objections. @ronfein continues his questioning of Magliocca. #MTGHearing
Jim Bopp stands to issue another objection.
Fein: “Your honor, I haven’t asked the question yet.”
Bopp: “I haven’t objected yet.”
#MTGHearing
Judge Beaufort has issued the first break of the day. The hearing is set to resume at 11:05 AM. #MTGHearing
The hearing resumes. Mics have been switched back on for our livestream. Tune in live on FSFP’s Facebook or @MeidasTouch’s YouTube. #MTGHearing
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken the stand. #MTGHearing
The court is reviewing Rep. Greene’s social media post from December 2020 in which she described votes for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential election as “fraudulent.”
Greene says accusations of voter fraud were “not what [she] intended by that post.” #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene: “There were a lot of fraudulent things going on with the [2020] election.” #MTGHearing
Court has resumed. Marjorie Taylor Greene is back on the stand. #MTGHearing
Andrew Celli: “You believe Speaker Pelosi is a traitor to this country, correct?”
Rep. Greene: “I’m not going to answer that question. It’s speculation.”
#MTGHearing
Celli: “You have advocated physical violence against people you disagree with politically. Is that correct?”
Greene: “I don’t think so. I don’t know how to answer that.”
#MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene claims under oath to have “no idea” who used her Facebook account to like a comment claiming a bullet to the head would be the quickest way to “deal with” Speaker Pelosi. #MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene, asked to confirm posts she retweeted on her now-banned Twitter account: “That’s what your paper says. I don’t know. I don’t have that Twitter account anymore.” #MTGHearing
Celli: “Did you speak to anyone in Washington [in advance] about the events of January 6th?”
Greene: “I don’t remember.”
#MTGHearing
MTG’s lawyer Jim Bopp objects to the counsel’s exhibit on display, a CNN article from 2019 in which Greene is quoted:
“How many years do we have to go back? High school?” #MTGHearing
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “You sound like you have as many conspiracy theories as Q-Anon.” #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene: “I don’t trust CNN as a source. They have lied about me a number of times.” #MTGHearing
Judge Beaufort adjourns. The hearing is set to resume at 1:30 PM. #MTGHearing
The Marjorie Taylor Greene hearing is resuming in Atlanta, GA. Rep. Greene is returning to the stand. #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene: “We are typically against tyrannical governments here.” #MTGHearing
Celli asks MGT if she recalls invoking the American Revolution in association with the #January6th insurrection. “I don’t know,” she says.
Celli shows the court a video Greene posted in which she states the historic importance of “overthrowing tyrants.” #MTGHearing
MTG: “I don’t want to see war on American soil. I have three children who are young adults. I don’t want to see a war…to win back our freedoms.” #MTGHearing
“Tomorrow is our 1776 moment.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene said this in a NewsMax interview on Jan. 5, 2021, on the eve of the #Jan6th insurrection. The court has just reviewed the clip.
Greene claims to not recall the date of the interview. #MTGHearing
Celli asks MGT if she’s familiar with extremist group The Proud Boys.
MGT: “I’ve heard of them. I don’t know much about the Proud Boys.”
Celli: “You don’t know they’re a violent, extremist group?”
MGT: “I don’t know much about the Proud Boys.”
#MarjorieTaylorGreene
Celli asks #MTG if she has “any doubt” that her Twitter account posted on 12/30/2020 that Democratic leadership were falsely issuing a “rule change” to prevent objections to election results.
“I don’t recall this tweet,” she says.
#MTGHearing
Celli asks Greene to confirm she felt the Electoral College certification of Joe Biden was a “blow to freedom.”
Her response: “I care about the people. I care about their votes. I care about election integrity.”
#MTGHearing
Rep. Greene, when asked about the NewsMax interview on the eve of #Jan6th, in which see said: “This is our 1776 moment.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t remember that interview until you played it just now.”
#MTGHearing
Celli plays an interview for the court in which MGT says: “We can’t allow [power] to just transfer peacefully, like Joe Biden wants, and let him become our President. Because he did not win this election. It’s being stolen.” #MTGHearing
Celli: “Thats a video you made in response to the Electoral College’s certification of Joe Biden, yes?”
Greene: “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
#MTGHearing
Celli resumes exhibiting video evidence.
In the next video segment, Greene states she and others are “organizing an event to object to the electoral college votes.” #MTGHearing
Further video evidence shows #MTG saying, ahead of #Jan6th: “There’s real evidence this election has been stolen. I’m very convicted about what we’re going to be doing on January 6th…There are going to be more than a million people coming to Washington.” #MTGHearing
Celli asks MTG if she encouraged former-President Trump to institute martial law in response to the 2020 election results. “I don’t recall.” #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene pushes back against the questioning. “I don’t believe a lot of what you say. You’re using sources like CNN and Mother Jones, things you found on the Internet.” #MTGHearing
“I thought it was BLM or Antifa.” Representative Greene recounts her thoughts when she first heard gunshots on #Jan6th. #MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attorney Jim Bopp has begun his questioning. #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene reiterates that she initially suspected the #Jan6th violence was being committed by “BLM or Antifa rioters dressed up as Trump supporters.” #MTGHearing
“I was shocked. I was scared.” Rep. Greene on her feelings when addressing supporters in a social media video during the #Jan6th insurrection. #MTGHearing
Jim Bopp reads a message sent out on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Twitter account. “The unhinged left is out of control, and their disgusting witch hunt is full of hypocrisy.” Greene says she recalls writing this post. #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene: “I always denounce violence. I denounced those BLM and Antifa riots over and over.” #MTGHearing
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene concludes her testimony by claiming, again, she was a victim of the #Jan6th insurrection, and she does not condone political violence. Court is adjourned until 3:45 PM. #MTGHearing
Rep. Greene’s attorney is now delivering his closing argument. “There is not a single piece of evidence that [insurrection] occurred relevant to Marjorie Taylor Greene.” #MTGHearing
MGT’s attorney: “[The plaintiffs] want to hijack and cancel words.” #MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attorney argues the #Jan6th rally hosted by President Trump and promoted by his client on social media cannot be held accountable for the violent insurrection that followed. #MTGHearing
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attorney: “Our democracy cannot survive these lawsuits.”
He then took aim at members of the media in attendance, citing their presence as proof that the hearing was a “political act” and “a show trial.” #MTGHearing
Anthony Celli is delivering his closing argument on behalf of the challengers: “American history has faced many insurrections in the past,” he says, “and they all have the same features. Violence aimed at the processes of government.” #MTGHearing
Celli: “People violently flooded the Capitol with the goal of striking fear in the hearts of the people who work there.
“‘Fear.’ ‘Violence.’ ‘Flooding the Capitol.’ These words came out of #MarjorieTaylorGreene’s mouth.”
#MTGHearing
Celli pushes back on #MarjorieTaylorGreene’s earlier remarks alleging false news sources from the challengers. “‘Oh, that’s CNN. That’s Fake News.’ You don’t have to buy that.” #MTGHearing
Celli: “She said the quiet part out loud…Her point of view was ‘We can’t allow power to transfer peacefully.’ #MarjorieTaylorGreene said this…she stated her opposition to the peaceful transfer of power.” #MTGHearing
Celli says #MarjorieTaylorGreene was one of several members of Congress who gathered “kindling” for the insurrection, and then, with her 1776 remark on the eve of #Jan6th, she “dropped the match.” #MTGHearing
Celli on #MarjorieTaylorGreene’s “This is our 1776 moment” remark on NewsMax on the eve of #Jan6th.
“So what do have? You have her own words, in context, versus nothing.” #MTGHearing
With that, attorneys have concluded their closing arguments for today’s #MarjorieTaylorGreene hearing to challenge her eligibility for re-election on the grounds of the 14th Amendment’s Insurrectionist Clause. Attendants are exiting the room. #MTGHearing
#MarjorieTaylorGreene’s attorney Jim Bopp asks reporters after the hearing to “Imagine all the words that will be hijacked and cancelled” if Judge Beaufort determines his client engaged in insurrection. #MTGHearing
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