"Milley and Pompeo confided in one another that they had a persistent worry Trump would try to use the military in an attempt to hold onto power if he lost the election"
4. On firing Esper at Pentagon and putting in place "inexperienced loyalists hungry to appease the new boss...Pompeo and Milley believed some of Trump’s new hires were conspiracy theorists....'The crazies have taken over,' Pompeo warned."
Dec. 26, 2020: Meadows and Rep. Perry used Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, when discussing elevating Clark to the position of acting attorney general.
Jan.5, 2021: A member of Congress texted Meadows, “Please check your signal.”
3. Nothing to see here.
The Chief White House photographer was told “no photographs” of Trump between 1:21pm and 4:00pm despite her wanting to do so because she thought it was “very important for his archives and for history.”
AZ fake elector organizer to Trump Campaign adviser:
“We would just be sending in ‘fake’ electoral votes to Pence so that ‘someone’ in Congress can make an objection when they start counting votes, and start arguing that the ‘fake’ votes should be counted”
AZ fake electors propose “keep it under wraps until Congress counts the vote Jan. 6th (so we can try to ‘surprise’ the Dems and media with it)."
Not how alternate electors ever work. Their intent is to gum up/obstruct the process
3. Consciousness of guilt:
"The emails were apparently not shared with lawyers in the White House Counsel’s Office, who advised that the 'fake electors' plan was not legally sound, or other lawyers on the campaign."
2. From what we know and all Marc Short’s testimony publicly disclosed by January 6 committee, he has the most evidence to give if DOJ wants to pursue this line of inquiry.👇
@BarbMcQuade’s model prosecution memo on the conspiracy to pressure Mike Pence.
3. Nugget in NYT backs up Miller's earlier testimony:
"The president did tell advisers in the days before Jan. 6, 2021, that he wanted a National Guard presence, BUT it appeared he wanted the troops as extra protection for his supporters, his aides have privately acknowledged."
“Dominion would have an extremely powerful libel case against him. Statements Trump made about the company were extraordinarily defamatory, provably false and enormously harmful.”
“Holding Mr. Trump legally liable for defamation would … provide significant public and institutional censure that could herald a change in our legal system’s apparent tolerance of outright misinformation”
A warning of profound weaknesses in US national security institutions in wake of authoritarian impulses and USG personnel who fall prey to #disinformation.
Authored by @douglaslondon5 who served in CIA's Clandestine Service for more than 34 years.
2. “There are other Michael Flynns and Brad Johnsons still in service across America’s military, intelligence, and law enforcement communities.”
3. “Within the intelligence community, I witnessed the eager politicization to facilitate Trump’s agenda, and it was a key factor driving my retirement.”
Thank you to Doug London for writing this analysis and these reflections.