Mikie Sherrill says unidentified lawmakers led ‘reconnaissance’ tours ahead of Capitol attack
Category: News & Politics
Via: tessylo • 3 years ago • 35 commentsBy: Kyle Cheney and Sarah Ferris, Politico
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that she witnessed colleagues escorting people through the Capitol on Jan. 5 for what she described as "reconnaissance" ahead of the next day's violent insurrection that left five dead.
In a 13-minute Facebook video billed as an address to her constituents about the House's efforts to hold President Donald Trump accountable for inciting the riot, Sherrill included the allegation as part of a call to hold Trump's allies in Congress accountable as well.
"I also intend to see that those members of Congress who abetted him — those members of Congress who had groups coming through the capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the next day — those members of Congress who incited the violent crowd, those members of Congress that attempted to help our president undermine our democracy, I'm going see that they're held accountable," Sherrill said.
Sherrill did not identify the lawmakers she was referring to, how she was able to describe their activities as "reconnaissance" and how she knew they were connected to the riots that consumed the Capitol the following day. She told POLITICO on Wednesday that she's referred her information to authorities.
"We're requesting an investigation right now with certain agencies," she said.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said he's aware of "a couple" names of colleagues who are being eyed as potentially giving tours to the would-be insurrectionists. But he said he wouldn't name them yet.
"I'm going to wait to make sure we get verification," Ryan told a reporter at the Capitol Wednesday.
Ryan said the information was passed to authorities as early as last Wednesday night. He said it involved "handfuls" of people who were escorted through the Capitol. Enough to know that these weren't "one-on-one" tours or "a small family."
"You look back on certain things and you look at it differently," he added.
The startling allegation comes as lawmakers are still seeking answers about the extent of planning and coordination behind the Jan. 6 Trump rally that became the violent assault on the Capitol. Federal investigators say they're pouring enormous resources into unearthing details of a potential "seditious conspiracy" and that some of the undisclosed evidence about what happened inside the Capitol will be "shocking."
Some Democrats, like Sherrill, are also calling for punishment for the Republicans who — like Trump — delivered incendiary remarks that preceded the violence at the Capitol, as well as others who joined Trump's effort to delegitimize the 2020 presidential election.
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In a 13-minute Facebook video billed as an address to her constituents about the House's efforts to hold President Donald Trump accountable for inciting the riot, Sherrill included the allegation as part of a call to hold Trump's allies in Congress accountable as well.
"I also intend to see that those members of Congress who abetted him — those members of Congress who had groups coming through the capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the next day — those members of Congress who incited the violent crowd, those members of Congress that attempted to help our president undermine our democracy, I'm going see that they're held accountable," Sherrill said.
Sherrill did not identify the lawmakers she was referring to, how she was able to describe their activities as "reconnaissance" and how she knew they were connected to the riots that consumed the Capitol the following day. She told POLITICO on Wednesday that she's referred her information to authorities.
We have to purge both houses of these assholes. Do the right thing Sherrill and ID all of them.
She will - or has - to the proper authorities.
Sort of need this information in order to ascertain whether her accusations have any credibility. Notice it didn't keep them from putting the narrative out there anyway.
She's gotten her information to the proper authorities and they will take it from there. No one is naming any names or what the plot was until verified. . . anyone with any sense would know that.
It's the "until verified" portion that is the problem. You acknowledge that this isn't verified, yet she put the narrative out there that "she witnessed colleagues escorting people through the Capitol on Jan. 5 for what she described as "reconnaissance" ahead of the next day's violent insurrection that left five dead" anyway. How can someone, in good conscience, make this accusation publicly without it having been verified? It is a rather serious accusation after all. And not naming names is hardly a sufficient excuse, since what she accomplished is to cast suspicion on all of them, which may have been the intent.
'Stop the Steal' Organizer Says Several GOP Congressmen Helped Plan the Rally
Image via Getty
One lead organizer of last week's "Stop the Steal" rally that morphed into an attack against the U.S. Capitol claims that GOP congressmen Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona, and congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama all participated in planning of the Jan. 6 catastrophe.
As CNN points out , Arizona resident and pro-Trump activist Ali Alexander implicated the three members of the House of Representatives during a December livestream on Periscope, where he told followers the four of them had been "planning something big."
“I’m the guy who came up with the idea of January 6 when I was talking with Congressman Gosar, Congressman Andy Biggs, and Congressman Mo Brooks. So we’re the four guys who came up with a January 6 event — #DoNotCertify — and it was to build momentum and pressure, and then on the day change hearts and minds of congresspeoples who weren’t yet decided, or saw everyone outside and said, ‘I can’t be on the other side of that mob,’” Alexander said in a livestream on Dec. 29.
Several other Congress people have already been interviewed on the "news" and indicated that the freshman members in particular, some with the conspiracy theory 'label', were observed and in one case challenged about how many people could be in a tour.
There should be enough security film to verify identities, or not, pretty quickly while comparing to the 01/06 vandals.
Which part of She told POLITICO on Wednesday that she's referred her information to authorities
didn't you understand?
So why should she tell the general public this information without referring it to the proper authorities? and then let those authorities take it from there?
Biggs, who is chair of the House Freedom Caucus, denied associating with Alexander.
"Congressman Biggs is not aware of hearing of or meeting Mr. Alexander at any point -- let alone working with him to organize some part of a planned protest," his spokesperson told CNN. "He did not have any contact with protestors or rioters, nor did he ever encourage or foster the rally or protests. He was focused on his research and arguments to work within the confines of the law and established precedent to restore integrity to our elections, and to ensure that all Americans -- regardless of party affiliation -- can again have complete trust in our elections systems."
The Arizona Republican Party, which Gosar and Biggs belong to, faced backlash last month after promoting one of Alexander's tweets and asking republicans if they were willing to die to overturn the legitimate outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Following the attack, democratic House members pushed to have republicans involved in the Wednesday riot removed from office, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and newly-elected Cori Bush .
"I believe the Republican members of Congress who have incited this domestic terror attack through their attempts to overturn the election must face consequences," Bush wrote introducing a bill that would expel members like Gosar, Biggs, and Brooks. "They have broken their sacred Oath of Office."
Uh, okay. So, how does this add credence to Sherrill's accusation?
It doesn't. Just another part of the shitshow that tRump orchestrated on the Capitol last Wednesday. It was an inside job.
The question is more properly "Why would she tell the general public before the proper authorities could validate her accusations?"
Actually, all your post shows is who's idea it was for the rally on the 6th and nothing more. It doesn't indicate intent beyond that.
Which is a good thing. If there is evidence that this was pre-planned that changes the nature of this thing. However, there's nothing about this that justifies Sherrill making such an accusation without it first having been verified.
The question is more properly "Why would she tell the general public before the proper authorities could validate her accusations?"
WHATEVER, though you agree with me obviously then, that why WOULD she tell the general public before the proper authorities could validate her accusations?
In the end, it will be just another piece of the puzzle . . .
Also why did scumbag Biggs deny knowing Alexander?
What relevance does this have to Sherrill's accusation?
The scumbag republicans were orchestrating the attack with tRumps' mob.
I haven't seen anything about it. What is the evidence you are apparently referring to? Ah, I see now what you are referring to. You seem to be reading into it rather a lot.
Of course there is ample justification.
I have posted many articles about it - or look it up - I don't have the time to explain the obvious to you over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again
Your deflection/denial are duly noted.
Concisely argued, if nothing else.
I find it depressingly unsurprising that many of the Left can deride those on the right for believing in "conspiracy theories" and "lies" and yet engage in the same behavior themselves. Apparently, you presented 3.1.2 as some sort of evidence of criminal activity, yet all it does is make a claim about who helped plan the rally. Planning a rally is not illegal. At least, not the kind of rally being discussed. All you are doing is making unjustifiable insinuations.
You may have the last word for now. I'm tired of your deflections and denial.
That's kind of funny. I made the claim that Sherrill making the accusation without the claim being verified was wrong, yet you keep trying to talk about other things. You seem to think that if you throw enough insinuations out there it justifies what Sherrill did.
She is not wrong. There is no problem with what Sherrill did.
And this is sufficient proof that this was a reconnaissance for an intended "insurrection" the next day, orchestrated by members of Congress?
You've just posted fake news. It's a picture from 2019. You'd think the short sleeves would have cued you in. Countless other progressives have shared this lie, even though it's been debunked.
The comedy tour continues.
Again, these are all just pieces of the puzzle . . . .
You don't seem to get the point. Sherrill accused other members of Congress of conspiracy to commit insurrection without actual evidence. How does someone making an unsubstantiated claim of this magnitude not bother you? Maybe because you want them to be true?
Thanks, Sean, for the info. Obvious once you look at it.
I wonder where Tessylo went?
At least four of this "tour group" are flashing right wing gang symbols.
Noticed that, too.
Mikie appears to be making wild ass assumptions about what she thinks she saw. This is just another example of demented and erroneous left wing paranoia.