First, the person claims to have cooperated in good faith.
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Then, after totally cooperating, the person is "ambushed" to learn about a subpoena.
So, either:
🔹The committee is totally unreasonable and unfair OR
🔹Said person isn't really turning everything over, and in fact, is holding back key docs.
Which could it be? 🤔
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The timing of these letters indicates that the records have already been furnished to Congress (but nobody knows).
If it's too late and Congress will get these docs, what is the purpose of these lawsuits?
I have a clue from my email in-box . . .
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The people who write me lovely emails calling a stupid liberal are making the same exact arguments in these lawsuits.
In other words, the lawsuits are providing the talking points for right-wing media outlets.
So we need to be aware of them.
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But first, a clue from the lawsuit itself that Budowich wasn't truly cooperating and in fact, he thought he could hold back key documents: He argues that Congress isn't entitled to see the particular documents they are demanding in the subpoenas.
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They argue that they have a First Amendment right to hide the documents because the documents contain evidence of their political views and political associations.
It makes no sense.
He also says that he already gave the committee everything they asked for.
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This guy doesn't exactly hide his political views, and if he gave the committee everything responsive and if they won't learn anything new from these documents, why is he so twisted out of shape because the committee might see them?
They're bank records.
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He argues that the subpoena violates his 4th Amendment rights.
(He didn't mention the 5th. I guess he's not ready yet to go there. Usually, they claim 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendment violations.)
What he wants is a declaration from the court that these subpoenas are invalid.
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He also argues that the committee is not legitimate, and it doesn't serve a legitimate purpose so nobody has to comply with anything they demand
(So he's been complying in good faith "over his objections" for months with an illegal committee that nobody has to comply with?)
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An observation about why we should care about this committee.
The committee wants to expose the truth. They want to know every detail leading to the insurrection.
If anything will persuade people not to vote for the current Republican Party, it should be the truth.
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No pop quiz, but keep in mind that I'm reading, typing, thinking, and drinking caramel-vanilla flavored coffee all at the same time, which explains any typing errors.
(And of course, the mischief-making gremlins that hide in my keyboard)
The total shock and horror these guys exhibit when they learn of the subpoena suggests that they are shocked that the committee knew which documents to go after.
Nothing else really explains the language.
Mark Meadows was "blindsided."
Ah! Two things I should have added. The committee is interested in $200,000 from an undisclosed source.
Also, Taylor Budowich issued a public statement that democracy is threatened, not by the insurrectionists, but the select committee.
Notice specifically what Thompson says. First, he says if a criminal referral would be warranted, there would be no reluctance on the part of the committee to do that.
Earlier, @emptywheel quoted from the letter the committee sent to Jim Jordan (Screenshot #1)
See how the language echoes the language of 18. U.S. 1505? (Screenshot #2)
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One of the things that goes wrong on social media is confusing speculation (this must be happening because) or (we know it isn't happening because) versus following what is reported as facts.
Yes, we all know that Trump delayed and tried to obstruct the proceedings. . .
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There is a Twitter consensus that the purpose of all these lawsuits (like the one Flynn filed seeking an injunction against the select committee) is to "run out the clock."
This makes no sense because the clock runs until at least 2024 and the cases are moving quickly.
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The work of the committee will be done in 2022 but the select committee is a truth-finding panel. The prosecutors have until at least 2024.
People similarly said that the election fraud lawsuits were to “run out the clock.”
Those cases also went fast.
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The election fraud cases were to feed the right-wing propaganda network.
Trump and pals also lost 60 of the 61 election fraud lawsuits (and the "win" was a minor one that didn't help much.)
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Looks like Trump is suing Letitia James because he doesn't want to give a deposition under oath.
I'm reading it now.
Oh goodness. This will not break his losing streak. He needs a preliminary injunction and that isn't going to happen. documentcloud.org/documents/2116…
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To paraphrase his argument: Letitia James is a Democrat and she doesn't like me so her investigation is politically motivated and therefore unfair and the court needs to make her stop.
I wish I was exaggerating.
Oy.
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And what law is she violating?
Count 1: Trump alleges that she is violating his civil rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42…
Alleging a 14th Amendment violation takes some real chutzpa.
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