Supporters of President Donald Trump break into the US Capitol on Januin Washington, DC. “We fully expect that this violence could actually get worse before it gets better.” “We are seeing … chatter from these white supremacists, from these far-right extremists – they feel emboldened in this moment,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks and counters hate. In the weeks, days and hours ahead of Wednesday’s siege on the Capitol by President Donald Trump’s zealous supporters, the warning signs were clear: online posts from hate groups and right-wing provocateurs agitating for civil war, the deaths of top lawmakers and attacks on law enforcement.Īnd now, as the dust settles and the country struggles to make sense of the violence that left five dead – including an officer with the US Capitol Police – experts warn that the calls for violence have only intensified ahead of Inauguration Day, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as commander in chief. “we will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount.” The gravity of last Wednesday’s events also prompted the ACLU to call for both the impeachment of President Trump and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate, and if warranted, prosecute President Trump and his associates for their attempts to subvert the outcome of the election.“If you don’t know how to shoot: You need to learn. Capitol Police during the attack, which have prompted internal investigations. Allegations of improper conduct by U.S.Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, and Paul Gosar had “schemed” together with Trump followers to put “maximum pressure” on members of Congress during their certification of Electoral College results and Reports that “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander stated, in a since-deleted video, that Reps.An allegation by at least two House members that another member may have broadcast real-time information via Twitter about the House Speaker’s location during the ongoing assault.An allegation by Representative Mikie Sherrill that unusual numbers of visitors had been given in-person “reconnaissance” tours of the Capitol complex on the day before the attack and that only a member of Congress or their staff could have provided such access, thereby contributing to those individuals’ detailed knowledge of the Capitol complex layout and locations of lawmakers.The letter points to a number of publicly reported allegations that certain members of Congress or congressional employees may have deliberately coordinated with Trump’s followers in the lead-up to or on the day of their assault on the Capitol. “The House has a constitutional obligation to investigate these serious allegations and hold its own members accountable if any member conspired in the attack on the Capitol - and on the constitutional and democratic duty Congress was undertaking of counting the votes at the very moment of the attack.” “Our leaders must be held accountable if involved in such a heinous effort to undermine our democracy,” said Ronnie Newman, ACLU national political director. The ACLU’s letter calls on House leaders to rely on their constitutional authority to order House committees to investigate allegations of the involvement of members of Congress or congressional employees in planning, facilitating, or otherwise conspiring with the individuals who mounted this attack on the Capitol and its occupants.Īrticle I, Section 5 of the Constitution provides: “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.” These violent acts aimed to prevent the certification of the Electoral College results and block members of Congress from carrying out their constitutional duty to count the votes in order to keep President Trump in office. Five people died in the course of the assault. 6, an unruly mob of President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol carrying weapons, tactical gear, and - in symbols of the white supremacy underpinning their violent acts - Confederate flags, swastikas, and nooses, in an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power. 6, 2021, and recommend disciplinary action if warranted. WASHINGTON - The ACLU sent a letter today urging House leaders to order standing committees of the House to investigate allegations of lawmakers’ involvement in the attack on the U.S.
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