62 Comments
founding

I very much appreciate your explaining all as you do. I would never have understood these procedures without it! Thank you.

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Same here! At almost 77, retired and a lifelong late to bed late to rise preference, my alarm is set to give me time to take my dog for a walk and be settled with coffee tomorrow!

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founding

Same here!

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Thanks Joyce for your thoughts of what’s up this week. Sobering facts about an outlaw x-president who still thinks he can steal America for himself. I’m just going to sit quietly for awhile and get some rest for the big reveal. I hope Santa is watching and sends a note to J6 that x45 has indeed been naughty and you know what that means. Santa is always right. Happy Christmas week ahead🎄

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Did you see the delightful Luckovich cartoon where Santa informs a reindeer "Bad news for the GOP, the Special Counsel subpoenaed my naughty list". ?

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founding

I’m glad to be going into this week with you and looking forward to your reaction and analysis.

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Joyce,

Can the 1st Amendment issue be finessed by proceeding on the “giving aid & comfort” prong rather than the incitement prong? Under this theory, it would be his failure to act which would be the gravamen of the crime. His language during his speech would be evidence of his motive & of his state of mind, but would not be the crime itself.

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Joyce, thank you so much for explaining the main statutes we are likely to hear about so I have a better understanding when I hear them. There is so much here that the committee can/will bring forward. It’s a lot to process for those of us who are not lawyers. I anxiously await your analysis of the J6 committee report!

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founding

The digital trading cards? I thought that was a joke! Really?

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Maureen...it is both real and a joke.

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And apparently the images his head was placed on, were actually taken without permission from a variety of possibly copyrighted material.

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Kevin, first time I've heard that part! Nothing surprised me of course, and like all the use of music that wasn't licensed and being sent cease and desist letters. This will be more of that or they might try to seek damages, however, from someone that never pays. There really isn't anything rotten he won't do.

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He simply thinks that laws do not apply to him. Yet another illustration of this.

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I wondered about that. Trump's been stealing other people's work all his life.

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I know he licensed his own image to a skeezy LLC. Kurt Eichenwald traced it, and there are apparently roots or links to scammers in Cheyenne WY. What I'd love to know is whether he can legally license his image, since I think Trump Org has had the reins on those sorts of licensures (certainly for buildings and other products) for some years. Now that they have a monitor... seems like $4.5 million for the Tish James pot.

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It was and is a joke on a Maga crowd grift.

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Because it appears, “buyers” are untraceable, guessing Russians (etc ?) purchased those digital trading cards to make things appear he’s #1? Just sayin’

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Could be! Hungarians might want them too. All of the Right wing White Supremacists are going to be lining his pockets as well. Russia might want to give him money to back his legal defense since they are going to be implicated too, as well as their wanting to throw a wrench into Democracy wherever they can. It appears that Trump is backing the violent overthrow of our government, and the militant part of the White Supremacist movement. Of course Putin has his fingers in that pie.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-116hhrg37975/html/CHRG-116hhrg37975.htm

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085023029/russias-invasion-puts-a-new-light-on-trumps-ukraine-pressure-campaign

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Good thinkin'. I wondered the same, but hadn't thought of Russians. Just anyone or group.

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Trump is the ultimate marketer. A friend of mine who is Chinese told me that in China they would predict the USA winner by how much swag they produced for sale for the person. That worked in 2016, but again in 2020 Trump sold the most swag and that was the Chinese prediction of who would win. I am glad that their method of determining US President is not effective, but it is also very telling about the type of people who voted for him. Clearly they are big on swag, and he is just thinking of new ways to monetize that. He is a grifter and huckster to the end. What will it take for the people who support him to recognize that his elixir is not really giving the cure with which he is selling it.

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He's come a long way since the MAGA caps and commemorative coins.

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Thanks for the explanations. It's definitely going to be a Big Week Indeed,.

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I forgot to ask: Will the report and all the hearings be housed in the National Archives?

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I think Congressional Record at least?

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I read that several publishers are already lining up to publish the entire report in book form and am sure it will come out in ebook too.

I'd want to see who/what gets the

sale proceeds before I buy it though.

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Thank you, Joyce. Hope you are charged and ready this week. Many of us will depend on your astute analysis.

A couple questions.

Being prevented from ever holding office again is a result I most want to see. But if that should come to pass - and perish the thought - what would happen if he were to win the presidency by a write-in campaign?

Also, "If two or more persons conspire..." Could any one of the rioters be counted as a co-conspirator?

Thoughts, anyone?

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A Response to "A couple of Questions":

tf'g's prospects for ANY kind campaign are going south faster than duck in winter. Prosecution of the "Mar-a-Lago" NARA document case also contains a bar on running for "any office".

J6 "rioters" (nearing 1000 defendants now) are being prosecuted out of the US Attorney's DC Office, as detailed on the DOJ's continuously updated "Capitol Breach Cases" homepage. In addition to the criminal cases, there are CIVIL actions raising the direct causation of the rioters overt acts and the Inciter-in-Chief. See also, the NYT's 6/17/22 Visual Investigation: "How the Proud Boys Attacked the Capitol: Rile Up the Normies". The TRIAL of five (5) PB's starts today 12/19/22. Per Fridays NYT, J6 rioter Edward Kelley, was charged with conspiracy & threatening violence against Federal investigators among other charges.

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Great summary of potential acts. As ever - thank you. I do hope the congressional members who were seemingly enthusiastic co-conspirators (and virtually admitted as much by asking for pardons) don’t get away w/just an ethics referral. Under the new R majority, such a referrals will be ignored, esp since some will be committee chairs. I do hope we see true justice in 2023. We all saw and read these crimes occurring in nearly real time. It would be a travesty if the bar is too high to find guilt among those who’ve virtually shown us their guilt in their own words and on the global stage.

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Is it possible/likely for the House Jan 6 Committee to pass the baton over to a Senate Committee with the same remit, ongoing, even after releasing its report and recommendations/ referrals? (Given that the House is falling into Republican hands in the new term, while the Senate is remaining Democratic, if only by a hair.)

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That would take the Senate setting up such a special committee before leaving town this coming Friday night. In other words, I wouldn't hold my breath.

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I think the gop are going to present their own report, focusing primarily on law enforcement issues.

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Dec 19, 2022·edited Dec 19, 2022

2 weeks ago we asked that of Sen Gillibrand. She said the Senate has no intention of taking that up. That this is the responsibility of DOZJ.

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In listening to the statements made today by the members of the Jan. 6th committee, and knowing they will be releasing a written report of their findings said to be 1,000 pages in length (sans exhibits), I found myself thinking, "No wonder there's a special prosecutor." And no wonder Trump has gone to Crazytown these last several weeks. This time, he has nothing to hide behind - no WH lawyers, no presidency protecting him from anything. His current attorneys simply suck. He has pocketed $100 million in ostensible political donations to pay lawyers who have declined to represent him.

John Eastman is definitely going to federal prison even if Trump does not. And even if he doesn't, his political career has just ended as of today.

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I so very much enjoy seeing your name pop up in my email in box. I know two things: (1) I’m going to be smarter after reading it, and (2) I may get a virtual “snuggle” with a chicken. Go ahead, Joyce — make my day! Cheers and thank you.

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I hope the committee clearly outs the members of congress who supported the insurrection and that they can be eliminated........ from power.

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When 1/6 had occurred and we began to see the far-reaching stranglehold that occurred, I began to wonder if 99% of elected republicans are guilty of treason. Many months (feels like years) later, it sure seems so.

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I have to take issue with one of your observations: "Sadly, Senate Republicans could have done that had they convicted him on impeachment charges in January 2021, but they lacked the resolve to put country over party." They lacked resolve? Nope. They lacked courage and leadership. Their just rewards will be when their grandchildren ask their parents, "Did grandma/grandpaw really do that??"

Last comment: I am devoted follower of yours; your essays give me hope. I'm a minister (Presbyterian-type), and they have practically become part of my daily devotionals! Keep it up. Please!

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