(🔐) PROOF: "The Story Behind the 'Ray Epps' Conspiracy Theory Now Burning Through Congress and Far-Right Social Media"

This is both absolutely unbelievable *and* absolutely believable. The depths insurrectionists sink to to cover their trail are amazing. sethabramson.substack.com/p/the-story-be…
1/ The key point here is that Ray Epps was *chosen*—he was selected to be the target of this conspiracy theory, and *not* for the reasons the insurrectionists say. (This is why the conspiracy theory makes no sense; it started with a need to "get" Epps, not any coherent evidence.)
2/ The reason the *intent* behind the "Ray Epps" conspiracy theory has to be understood is that otherwise it will seem like the insurrectionists—and those among their leaders in Congress who are now parroting the theory in hearings—are merely delusional. No, it's worse than that.
3/ I don't say this in the PROOF report above, as it's more a matter of opinion and belief than—at this point—hard evidence, but I don't think any insurrectionist *hates* the idea of endangering the life of a man who could end up being a powerful witness against the insurrection.
4/ And that's why this PROOF report asks—and answers, with reliable evidence—the main question: "Why has a Trump supporter from Arizona, who is a veteran and a political conservative, suddenly being targeted this way? And in public hearings in *Congress*, no less?"

Now we know.
5/ But there's a bigger point to be made here. As the House January 6 Committee closes in on Trump and his inner circle, we'll see more such disinformation—that endangers folks' lives—not just amidst the insurrectionist rank-and-file, but among their leaders.

This will get ugly.
VIDEO/ In case you're wondering what this is about, see the video below—one of the most disgraceful performances by a U.S. senator in recent living memory (and my God that's saying something).

{Note: Source used for video only, and not endorsed by PROOF.}
VIDEO2/ Update: I've now added a video clip of the Epps-Gionet conversation—which occurred just prior to the Trumpist riot at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Insurrection Eve—to the article (while issuing a warning about its source that I know readers will understand and appreciate).

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More from @SethAbramson

14 Jan
I wrote a book on the first Russian invasion of Ukraine (Proof of Corruption, 2020), then took to Twitter to say that the evidence we see now—and all we know about Putin—suggests he’ll invade again. For some reason, folks got angry. Well, see what happens. cnn.com/2022/01/14/pol…
(PS) Putin’s scheme in Ukraine is *so transparently obvious* that not only is it apocalyptically condescending that he’s going through certain motions to pretend he won’t invade, but it’s almost *as* condescending that the federal government keeps telling us this can be avoided.
(PS2) The sort of actions that would be required to prevent Russia from invading Europe for the second time in a decade are just the sort of actions no one in the federal government is willing to take. NATO should have been *melodramatically expanding itself* this entire decade.
Read 12 tweets
12 Jan
One day America will wake up and realize that if Donald Trump’s political plants inside the Secret Service get VP Pence into that car in the Capitol garage on January 6, 2021, events—and American democracy—turn out very differently.

That’s how close we came to losing everything.
The January 6 scandal inside the Secret Service that PROOF has reported on repeatedly should be a major topic of conversation in America. I’ve detailed a concerted effort by Trump to infiltrate the Secret Service in a way he aimed to exploit on January 6. sethabramson.substack.com/p/a-january-6-…
Remember, Trump’s backup plan was to have six state legislatures meet in special session the week of January 6 to issue declarations casting legal doubt on the slates of electors that had been sent to DC. Giuliani insisted he only needed 48 hours to get competing slates to DC.
Read 12 tweets
11 Jan
(1 of 3) I get in trouble if I say that there’s way too much Marvel right now. Also:

MCU—PHASE FOUR

{movies}

1️⃣ Black Widow
2️⃣ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
3️⃣ Eternals
4️⃣ Spider-Man: No Way Home
5️⃣ Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
6️⃣ Thor: Love and Thunder
(2 of 3)

MCU—PHASE FOUR (CONT.)

7️⃣ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
8️⃣ The Marvels
9️⃣ Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
1️⃣0️⃣ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
1️⃣1️⃣ Fantastic Four*

*Reboot.

{television}

1️⃣2️⃣ WandaVision
1️⃣3️⃣ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
1️⃣4️⃣ Loki (Season 1)
(3 of 3)

MCU—PHASE FOUR (CONT.)

1️⃣5️⃣ What If...?
1️⃣6️⃣ Hawkeye
1️⃣7️⃣ Moon Knight
1️⃣8️⃣ She-Hulk
1️⃣9️⃣ Secret Invasion
2️⃣0️⃣ Ms. Marvel
2️⃣1️⃣ Ironheart
2️⃣2️⃣ Armor Wars
2️⃣3️⃣ Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
2️⃣3️⃣ Untitled Wakanda Series

That’s just what we know of so far.

Ugh.
Read 5 tweets
10 Jan
(🔐) NEW: The Coming Collapse of Trump’s January 6 Conspiracy, Part 3: Corey Lewandowski

You don't want to miss this—it's a wild ride that ends with maybe the most useful witness the House January 6 Committee could subpoena now. I hope you'll read and RT. sethabramson.substack.com/p/new-the-comi…
1/ I think this is about a 30-minute read or so. It's one of those slow boilers that simultaneously has individual sentences within it—including early on—that are absolutely critical and shocking but also easy to miss. This happens when one is curating *many* major-media sources.
2/ This article is on a forgotten man in Trumpworld, who may in fact have hit a "trifecta" on Insurrection Eve. On that day he did something I think no other Trumpist—including Giuliani—did. He seems to have been in all three of the White House, the Capitol, and a Trump war room.
Read 11 tweets
7 Jan
(TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL WAR ROOM THREAD) The most widely read report in PROOF history relates to what may have been the most influential war room Trump had on Insurrection Eve—and it was at Trump International, not the Willard. I hope you'll read/share. sethabramson.substack.com/p/january-5-me…
(🔓) PROOF UNLOCKED: "More Revelations About Secretive January 5 War Council at Trump International Hotel"

I hope you'll share this thread widely—the harrowing story of Trump's TIH war room remains largely unreported almost a year after I wrote about it. sethabramson.substack.com/p/more-revelat…
(🔓) PROOF UNLOCKED: "A Profile of January 5 Trump War Council Attendee Daniel Beck" sethabramson.substack.com/p/a-profile-of…
Read 12 tweets
6 Jan
I’m starting to think 1/6 is more emotional for me than I realized. At the time, it prompted me to make a number of big life decisions—the most public of which was starting PROOF and dedicating myself to chronicling the insurrection when I thought I’d stop my writing on politics.
That day was a turning point for so many of us. We had felt such joy at the election of a man who promised to bring some dignity and integrity back to our government, and it felt like before we could even settle in it was *scratched* out of our hands by Trump—an actual monster.
It was easy to respond to January 6—as it came in mid-pandemic—with a sudden fear that nothing will ever get better. That sort of hopelessness in the face of a monster is just what Trump wanted. It’s what he *still* wants. He wants submission—he wants the nation to submit to him.
Read 16 tweets

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