Just read through Rep Mo Brooks (R-AL) legal filing today defending himself in lawsuit filed by Rep Eric Swalwell (D-CA) alleging Brooks helped incite the US Capitol insurrection with "start taking down names and kicking ass" speech
It's quite something
(thread)
Rep Brooks specifies he was called by the White House on Jan 5 and invited to give the speech at Ellipse on Jan 6. And only did so because the White House invited him
He also says, at last minute, organizers tried to reduce the time he was allotted for speech
Rep Brooks' court filing includes the vote tally in his District for Trump and Biden
Arguing he was "representing the will" of the Alabama 5th District that day
About those words we've heard in video clips so many times since Jan 6: "Start taking down names and kicking ass"...
Rep Brooks argues the words "as such" at the start of the sentence were important modifiers or softeners of the language
Rep Brooks added this nugget on info in his legal filing:
He believes the evidence is "overwhelming" that Nov 3 elections suffered from voter fraud, that Donald Trump won the electoral college and should be serving his 2nd term as President
Rep Brooks' court filing acknowledges he and other Members of Congress met at White House with Rudy Giuliani after the election for a briefing... but that he "did not use anything of substance" said by Giuliani
(Note: Giuliani is a co-defendant in civil suit)
Rep Brooks specifies on multiple occasions in his legal filings that he was working within the scope of his employment in challenging the electoral college submissions
Rep. Brooks asks judge to dismiss him as defendant in Rep Swalwell's civil suit
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
ALERT: Group of former Justice Dept employees, w/ Washington Litigation Group, files emergency suit to HALT Trump's re-painting of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Suit: "The grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design"
LAWSUIT challenging Trump's repainting of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blasts Trump's gaudy reimaging:
"The 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report for the Lincoln Memorial Grounds specifically identifies the dark-tiled basin as a character-defining feature of the historic landscape, noting that 'the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection"
(MORE) Suit challenging Trump changes to Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool:
"Defendants engaged a swimming pool contractor to resurface the Reflecting Pool.. a vivid blue coating.. Shockingly, Defendants started altering the historic character of the Reflecting Pool without following Congressionally mandatory procedures"
"All of this may be standard fare for a social media post. But in a federal court filing, it is neither appropriate nor permitted"
Historic group challenging Trump's Ballroom unleashes fiery court filing
They unequivocally accuse Justice Dept of making false claims
(MORE)
Group challenging Trump ballroom:
"Defendants claim that the National Trust was 'shown detailed plans and specifications of this knitted, unified, & cohesive structure by Top Officers and Leaders in both the Military and Secret Service.' This statement is false: The National Trust has never been shown non-public plans"
Historic preservation group suing over Trump ballroom also argues:
"The Defendants claim that the National Trust was “asked by the United States Military not to bring this suit because of the Top Secret nature of the important facility being built. This statement is false: The military did not request that the National Trust not file this suit."
STAND BY: Court hearing is imminent here in DC, as plaintiffs seek judge's order to block Trump Admin. from seizing, closing and razing the East Potomac public golf course in DC
Plaintiffs: "Trust is no longer an option. As it did with the East Wing, the administration has chosen arbitrariness over abiding by the law"
Judge Ana Reyes will oversee this hearing
Plaintiff (DC Preservation League) has filed this 17-page request for court to intervene, arguing Trump Admin intends to "transform East Potomac Park into an unrecognizable venue bearing no resemblance to its historic design and replete with features that will significantly affect the quality of the human environment"
Trump Admin has just filed this brief 5-page argument, alleging they are only beginning "deferred maintenance" projects today
Including "basic housekeeping and repairs that do not require any environmental compliance documentation like fence cleaning and debris cleanup activities"
ALERT: New House legislation would block Trump Admin from vacating Jan 6 seditious conspiracy cases
Bill would change rules of crim. procedure to “clarify federal judges have the authority to accept or reject the govt’s motion to dismiss ‘in the interests of justice”
(MORE)
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) is the sponsor
Scanlon argues, “Reforming Rule 48a to ensure that federal judges have appropriate oversight over problematic prosecutorial decisions will reinforce an important check and balance to ensure the integrity of our justice system"
(MORE)
Bill is a deep, deep longshot in this Congress, but raises the issue for Democrats: Trump’s attempt to whitewash January 6th are not politically popular with broad swaths of Americans and are a risk to the safety of future elections (MORE)
FLASH: Kash Patel has filed $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic
Filed here in DC
Here's the 19-page civil complaint from Kash Patel against The Atlantic
Patel claims "Defendants published the Article with actual malice, despite being expressly warned, hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false"
FLASH: Federal judge James Boasberg QUASHED subpoenas from Trump Admin into Fed chair Jerome Powell
Judge: "A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning. On the other side of the scale, the Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime"
Trump's Truth Social posts appear to have gravely injured his attempt to get a criminal case against Jerome Powell
From judge's opinion to quash subpoena of Powell ===>
Just a blistering opinion from the judge:
"The President spent years essentially asking if no one will rid him of this troublesome Fed Chair. He then suggested a specific line of investigation into him, which had been proposed by a political appointee with no role in law enforcement, who hinted that it could be a way to remove Powell. The President’s appointed prosecutor promptly complied.."