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20 Jul, 13 tweets, 5 min read
A thread on trusting your bullshit detector.

Last year, the Trump DOJ popped out a press release that sounded pretty big:

"Tennessee Man Charged in Both Federal and State Courts for Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Possession of a Hoax Device During Civil Unrest"
Seemed serious! But I dug around a bit, found the actually Facebook post in question, and discovered the photos at issue were clearly part of a photoshoot, and that The Gunpowder Plot was a band.
huffpost.com/entry/anarchis…
After the Trump-loving federal prosecutor with political aspirations held an entire press conference on the matter, the local coverage basically just regurgitated their release. The case was blasted out to the national press too. huffpost.com/entry/trump-ba…
The Trump DOJ tried to keep Justin Coffman locked up in jail for months -- potentially more than a year -- until trial over a case built off of a promotional photoshoot for a band and a bag of weed. A judge decided that was a bad idea. huffpost.com/entry/justin-c…
But because of the clearly bullshit state charge (that should never have been brought / should be immediately tossed based on a plain reading of the Tennessee "hoax device" statute) Coffman remained locked up until a HuffPost reader stepped in:
He made it out just in time to vote:
Anyway, today a George W. Bush appointed federal judge gave a big judicial eye roll to this entire endeavor and gutted the case, saying law enforcement acted unreasonably and in bad faith.

huffpost.com/entry/justin-c…
“Objectively unreasonable” is the common theme of this judicial smackdown.
Very meta: huffpost.com/entry/anarchis…
Even now that we’re in a new administration, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee was defending this case. The judge has given them an opportunity not to embarrass themselves any further.

Feds this month: "This is hardly a bare bores affidavit devoid of any 'modicum of evidence.’”

Judge: "there is not even a modicum of evidence connecting the criminal activity with the place to be searched.”
“There are First Amendment implications here, without any doubt. I don’t understand why anyone is wasting their time on this.” huffpost.com/entry/trump-ba…
Locals hid the ball on the “hoax device” from the state grand jurors too: “a more particular description of which to the Grand Jurors aforesaid is unknown.”

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More from @ryanjreilly

Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
21 Jul
Hearing for former Virginia police officer Thomas Robertson is now underway.

Robertson’s son Hunter Robertson, 21, is now on the stand. The younger Robertson just got out of the Army a few weeks ago, he said.
On the stand, Hunter Robertson claimed that the M4 rifle found in father’s bedroom belongs to him. He said his gun was in his dad’s room because there’s a gun safe with magazines in there. Prosecutor asked for brief recess, saying the son has provided inconsistent accounts. Image
Hunter Robertson said he also had a Glock 19 in his truck in the driveway and claims again the M4 is his and wasn’t in the house when his father was home. Feds previously said Hunter Robertson "declined to provide any information” about the M4 during the search. Image
Read 9 tweets
Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
20 Jul
A must-read thread from @AndyKimNJ on ugly attacks he’s faced in our shared home district:
The argument from the GOP candidate at the time was that people who noted that this ham-fisted mailer was race-baiting were the REAL race-baiters. Image
This time, Kim’s opponent is saying the South Jersey native is not “one of us,” did not “put America first,” and was controlled by “overlords.”

Too subtle? She also tossed in “kowtow” for good measure.

Now she says he’s playing the “race card.”

Read 4 tweets
Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
20 Jul
In ongoing hearing, Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey described the tunnel battle as "one of the longest and most violent" battles during the Capitol attack. He’s saying Morss took on an organizing role in trying to build a “shield wall.”
Judge Harvey says Robert Morss’ charges are serious and reflect the seriousness of his conduct. Says it can be reasonably inferred from Morss' outfit and communications that Morss came to D.C. “ready for a fight.”
Judge Harvey finds that Morss’ conduct wasn’t spur of the moment, and he was an active and enthusiastic participant in the riot, and took on an organizational role. He’s in a different category of dangerousness, Harvey finds.
Read 5 tweets
Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
20 Jul
“I had my creds. I had my firearm, and my badge on me… But never exposed… Not that I know of.”

A DEA agent has been busted in connection with Jan. 6. (h/t @SeamusHughes)
Mark Ibrahim “was a probationary employee of the DEA and had, several weeks prior to the events of January 6, 2021, given notice to the DEA of his intention to resign.” extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/…
"IBRAHIM’s friend told your affiant that he was not there in any formal capacity for the FBI and that the FBI was not giving him directions or marching orders. He said that IBRAHIM crafted this story in an effort to 'cover his ass.’”
Read 4 tweets
Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
19 Jul
NEW: A George W. Bush-appointed chief federal judge has gutted the Trump-era federal prosecution of a punk rocker who had his home raided because of a promotional photoshoot for his band: huffpost.com/entry/justin-c…
Former Trump-appointed federal prosecutor @MikeDunavant1 said the case was the result of “outstanding investigative work.”

A senior federal judge disagreed. Pretty strongly. huffpost.com/entry/justin-c…
Before Justin Coffman’s home was raided, he called police and clarified that it was a fake Molotov cocktail with apple cider (in case that wasn’t already abundantly clear from the context, which it was!).

Cops raided him anyway.
Read 5 tweets
Ryan J. Reilly Profile picture
19 Jul
BREAKING: Jan. 6 defendant Paul Hodgkins sentenced to 8 months in prison in first felony sentencing in connection with the Capitol attack. Government had sought 18 months. huffpost.com/entry/paul-hod…
More here in this thread:
“No one held a gun to his head. He’s responsible for his actions, not Donald Trump.”

Patrick Leduc, Paul Hodgkins’ attorney, said his client didn’t blame Trump because “he’s a man who’s courageous.”
Read 5 tweets

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