In superseding indictment, feds allege group of Jan 6 defendants *conspired* as early as December 2020.... including to "stop the steal and stand behind Trump when he decides to cross the rubicon"
Feds say one of the accused "Solicited his Facebook community for donations from other “patriots” asking them for financial support in exchange for a “personal thank you video shot on location in Washington, D.C."
Ronald Sandlin and Nathan DeGrave have pleaded NOT GUILTY to charges
Feds allege the pair and a 3rd defendant (who's pleaded guilty in earlier case) traveled together to DC in rental car w/ guns, ammo, walkie talkies, taser, knives, mace, paramliitary gear
Feds allege the group recorded a video at a Maryland motel early on Jan 6.. discussing whether to carry guns into DC
In later video, Sandlin allegedly said "freedom is paid for with blood"... "there is going to be violence"
In court filing, prosecutors allege Degrave said, "If sh** goes down, if Pence does what we think he is going to do. Then we are here to defend this city, defend any city in this country"
Feds say video shows defendant saying "It's Dr. Death in the building and it's about to go down" ..... while another yelled "breach the building" "f*** the GOP"
Feds allege the group was searching and headed for the Senate chamber
The superseding indictment details alleged assaults once they confronted police ...
Eventually one defendant sat in Pence's chair, while another shouted for mob to take papers, per feds
!! And ... then there's this:
Feds say one defendant stopped to live stream himself smoking marijuana...
While another allegedly posted to Facebook claim he was sitting in Pelosi's chair ....... even though he'd been near the US Senate
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NEW: In a blistering new order, federal judge Paula Xinis of Maryland says the Trump Administration is making "a willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations" in the court case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Judge Paula Xinis also finds the Trump Admin has "sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this court's orders" in Kilmar Abrego Garcia case
The judge's order also throws shade on the Trump Admin's claim Abrego Garcia is out of their control ... in Salvadoran custody
Judge: "Indeed, custody can be joint, and custodial status may be controlled by the Defendants acting in concert with El Salvador"
FLASH: Judge James Boasberg issues opinion on March 15 deportations
"The government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt"
The opinion from chief DC federal judge James Boasberg over the defiance of his order to "turn the planes around" for further review on March 15
Judge James Boasberg (more): "The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders — especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it. To permit such officials to freely 'annul the judgments of the courts of the United States' would not just 'destroy the rights acquired under those judgments'.. it would make 'a solemn mockery' of the constitution itself"
Justice Dept asked Maryland judge to delay today's 1pm hearing in the case of mistaken deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Judge Paula Xinis says "no". Parties must show at 1pm
Justice Dept submits court filing, arguing it can't meet judge's deadline for update on Kilmar Abrego Garcia by the judge's morning deadline
Filing: "Foreign affairs cannot operate on judicial timelines, in part because it involves sensitive country-specific considerations wholly inappropriate for judicial review"
Justice Dept (more) to judge:
"In light of the insufficient amount of time afforded to review the Supreme Court’s order following the dissolution of the adm. stay in this case, Defendants are not in a position where they 'can' share any information requested by the Court"
NEW: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is raising questions right now about Ed Martin, Trump's nominee to be US Attorney in Wash. DC
Durbin shows image of Martin tweet from Jan 6, 2021
Durbin: "Martin was at the Capitol on that dark day, when he posted 'Like Mardi Gras in DC today"
Sen. Durbin (more) about Ed Martin's nomination: "When leaders of the Oath Keepers, a domestic violent extremist organization, were prosecuted for seditious conspiracy for their role in planning the January 6 attack, Mr. Martin responded, quote, 'Oath Keepers are all of us”
Sen. Durbin (more) says he wants to question Trump nominee Ed Martin about Martin's "close relationship" with a January 6 rioter and alleged "antisemitic and racist Nazi sympathizer"
The Justice Department is seeking to drop its criminal case against a Virginia man, who was accused of being the “east coast leader” of the MS-13 gang, and whose arrest was announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a nationally televised press conference last month
(More)
Bondi had referred to Henrry Villatoro Santos as “one of the top members and head of the east coast” of the violent MS-13 gang during a March 27 news conference in Manassas, Virginia. Bondi had also described Villatoro Santos as being responsible for “very violent crimes, anything you can associate with MS13. He was the leader over it, all of the violent crimes.”
In a court filing Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia asked a judge “to dismiss without prejudice the criminal complaint presently pending against the defendant.” When asked for why the case was being a dropped, a spokesperson for Bondi responded with a clip of Bondi saying on March 27 that Villatoro Santos “won’t be in this country much longer”