Sen Amy Klobuchar calls it an “astounding number”…
9,000 threats against Members of Congress this year.
Significant increase from prior years. Capitol Police chief is telling Senate panel that his agency is chasing down these cases down.
Department says it is recruiting and offering bonuses to bolster its force, which is undermanned. Below authorized force level
Sen Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is now questioning US Capitol Police chief…. About changes since Jan 6. Flagging: there are multiple defendants specifically accused of illegally entering and defacing Merkley’s Capitol office
Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) at Senate hearing on Capitol Police, “anyone who commits an act of violence should be prosecuted. Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer should go to jail for a very long time”
US Capitol Police chief Manger, “We will be tested again”
He adds, “When we are tested again, we are going to be fine”
Sen Alex Padilla (D-CA) at hearing … Don’t call them rioters, they were insurrectionists
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Atty General Merrick Garland begins remarks at Justice Dept in DC about Jan 6 ..
"Among the many examples of such violence: One officer was crushed in a door. Another was dragged down a set of stairs, face down, repeatedly tased and beaten, and suffered a heart attack"
Garland (more): "Those involved must be held accountable, and there is no higher priority for us at the Department
of Justice"
Garland specifies Jan 6 is "the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history"
And that it's impacted by COVID issues hampering courts
NEW: Accused Jan 6 OathKeeper conspirator notifies court about witness subpoenas for April trial. Including for Stewart Rhodes, Ray Epps, Cap Police chief, Capitol Police officer, FBI agent, Architect of the Capitol, news director of DC radio station, New Yorkter mag reporter
Per court filing from defendant, some of the witnesses are “to prove that the OathKeeper defendants were tasked with escorting VIPs such as Ali Alexander and Alex Jones from the Ellipse…” and went into Capitol for reasons “entirely unrelated to what they are accused of”
Per defense court filing today: Radio station witness is to show that Trump’s Jan 6 speech “was not played on the radio” in Washington DC and not audible to crowd of “demonstrators” with cell phones “overloaded and jammed and largely inaccessible”
STANDBY: Detention hearing begins soon in US Capitol riot case of Mark Mazza of Indiana
Mazza is accused of brandishing baton & being part of "heave-ho" push against police line amid the mob at Capitol
Charging documents say Mazza yelled at police, "This is our f**** house!"
Judge says this case is unique... because feds allege Mazza carried a loaded firearm
Judge then leans into this allegation: "Mr. Mazza is taking a role in aiding and abetting and encouraging others to engage in assaultive conduct"
Mazza is accused of holding open the doors as others in the mob assault the police
"Law enforcement officers are in great distress.... it doesn't deter Mr. Mazza from holding the door"... the judge says as he recounts the video shown by prosecutors in seeking Mazza's detention
NEW: Justice Dept recommends five months prison in the Jan 6 case of Jeffrey Register, who is accused of running past police & seeking to enter House Chamber on January 6, while wearing a "Gods, Guns and Trump" hoodie
He then allegedly "factory reset" phone & lied to FBI
Register pleaded guilty to misdemeanor, but feds argue his was among the most serious of the Jan 6 misdemeanors
They allege he waved & directed crowd.. and was in close proximity to Ashli Babbitt at House Speaker's Lobby ==>
Justice Dept: "Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed at the location to which Register had enthusiastically drawn the crowd"