#SeditionHunters - the FBI motors forward, mopping up networks: today more of Zach Rehl's Philadelphia Proud Boys. The main 5 who move together are now all arrested. The 3 today all shared a Telegram chat with Rehl, easily picked up via his phone after his March arrest. 1/
All of Rehl's crew helpfully provided names, blood types, and emergency contact info in the group text, along with coordinated travel and discussion of radios. Combined with their group selfies, they practically write their own conspiracy indictments. 2/ storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Zach Rehl, Philly PB president, was first found inside the Capitol by @DianthaSol after a crowdsourced manhunt. His whole crew gathered in Sen. Merkley's office, familiar enough that they could be spotted even in black-and-white photos from the New Yorker... 3/
Now thanks to their selfies we can see the office scene in full color, complete with white power sign. Hashtags, L-R, are #LanyardPB (Healion), #KamikazePB (Vy, yes it's a terrible tag), #ZachRehlPB, and #NinjaRaphPB (Giddings). Breaking the PA network was a major goal. 4/
For militia groups who worked in coordination on Jan 6, bulk pickups are likely the norm. On the Proud Boys list, 42 of the 232 clear PBs (18%) are now arrested, with most of groups from FL, MO, PA, & PacNW. Would guess there'll be block arrests to come for NY, NJ, NC, & VA. 5/
To remember how long a road it's been and how far we've come, here's the moment when Zach Rehl was first found, on Feb. 25th. Don't be fooled by the slow pace of FBI, though - steamrollers are slow too. 6/
The Philly crew is less tracked than Biggs' Florida PB group. Zach Rehl is at the police line on the Plaza til the fight goes bad ca. 1:15 PM, then is seen just in glimpses - in Merkely's office, outside again masked up at 2:47 PM (h/t @nine_niall). 8/
The timing of that video is suspicious: Rehl's crowd is fully masked up outside and pointing toward the NW Courtyard. Two minutes later, at 2:49 PM, the courtyard door is violently re-breached, pushing police back. That episode could use more eyes on it - is Rehl involved? 9/
Many people are talking about the WSJ's new reporting that Kash Patel wants to live part-time in Las Vegas and run the FBI remotely. Seems like people missed some key context provided earlier by the Nevada Independent: Kash lives there with timeshare scammer Michael Muldoon. 1/
The Nevada Independent reports that Patel, who's known Muldoon since at least 2019, has been registered to vote at Muldoon's Las Vegas home since January 2022. Muldoon states in FEC filings he lives there too. But he won't answer questions about Patel. 2/ thenevadaindependent.com/article/trump-…
What's disturbing about this is the secrecy. Kash won't explain, and Muldoon hung up on reporters. The FBI Director, who is privy to the nation's secrets, isn't supposed to have secrets of his own. It's a security risk. Reporters must demand an explanation. 3/
Trump kicks Huffpost out of the press pool and the Axios reporter just.. takes over his slot. Shameful. Reporters should have all quit the pool immediately. Complying is the first step towards meekly taking dictation. You have to resist! No coverage unless it's on your terms. 1/
This is White House reporters failing Authoritarianism 101. Resist and they back down. Comply and they demand more. We all know this! And to comply for a stupid pool report no one cares about, so you can tell your readers what Trump ate for lunch. It's just a disgrace. 2/
White House reporters have been mocking Dem leadership for not having a plan, but when the time came for them, they flopped just as hard. They knew this was coming! And yet they had no plan. It's humiliating for us Americans. The French put us to shame. 3/ the-independent.com/news/world/ame…
A big milestone: former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFault finally accepts it - Trump backs Putin. The US is led by a traitor. McFaul held out hope for a long time but the evidence is now undeniable. And Russia's been fueling division in the US for over a decade... 1/
In a tally of influencers who brought the crowds to the Capitol on Jan 6, nearly 20% have a deep Russian tie - Russian residency or family, Russian-speaking spouse, hired by Russian media. It is not random. Russia has waging information war on the US, especially since 2014. 2/
Here are the names behind that chart, with color codes. Russia is all over the US far right. The names in red here don't even include those just boosted by Russia (e.g. Brandon Straka). These are direct payments or family ties - likely people on a list, then cultivated. 2/
Newsflash: Deputy DoD Press Sec. Kingsley Wilson, whose Twitter profile shows her wearing a "MAGA" T-shirt, is violating the Hatch Act, which says employees may not "wear or display partisan political buttons, T-shirts, signs, or other items". See next Tweet to report it. 1/
It's undoubted that Wilson is using this Twitter account for official DoD business, since she uses it to respond to a WaPo reporter. Hatch Act guidance on this is very clear. This OSC page tells you how to file a complaint about a Hatch Act violation. 2/ osc.gov/Services/Pages…
Strangely Deputy DoD spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson's Twitter account seems not saveable on - someone has blocked it? - but it is saved on other platforms. Plenty of other Hatch Act violations here, including her pinned Tweet, for those who want to dig. 3/ archive.org
In tonight's military purge, Tump named as Chair of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine, a retired Lt. Gen so underqualified he'd need a waiver. Oddly, Caine was installed last month at 3 VC firms doing crypto, AI, and defense tech, including Thrive, founded by Jared Kushner's brother. 1/
It does look bad if the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is taking a paycheck from relatives of the president. But since Trump also fired the Judge Advocates General from all four military branches tonight, we might have to wait for an ethics ruling. 2/ military.com/daily-news/202…
The New York Times article tonight calls Lt Gen Caine a "serial entrepreneur and investor", but doesn't mention his role in Joshua Kushner's company. It's not a secret - it's on his LinkedIn. And it's very relevant - the public deserves to understand. 3/ archive.is/8Je1R
For journalists who need a handy reference guide to our new FBI Director, Kash Patel, the Jan 6 "Big Timeline" has 35 entries on him, from his early days attacking the FBI for investigating Trump's Russia ties to his 2024 book calling the FBI "gangsters" and promising a purge. 1/
The "1950-2019" historical tab has 5 entries, starting with Kash's attempts to subpoena the FBI and DOJ for investigating Trump's Russia ties. This is pushback even before Robert Mueller was appointed as Special Counsel. Just ctrl-F search on "Patel". 2/ docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
The "2020-Jan 6" tab has 6 entries. (More on that later). Kash was installed as part of Trump's maneuvers AFTER he lost the election. Chris Miller was made Acting SecDef and Kash his Chief of Staff. Kash delivered the order to withdraw from Afghanistan. 3/ docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…