You’re Going To Jail Now, Bi-otch

INSIDE: Oath Keepers ... Proud Boys ... Elise Stefanik
TOPSHOT - Richard Barnett, a supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. - Demonstrato... TOPSHOT - Richard Barnett, a supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.

Another One Bites The Dust

The Jan. 6 rioter who famously propped his feet on Nancy Pelosi’s desk – and left her a note saying “Nancy, Bigo was here bi-otch” – was convicted by a DC federal jury of obstructing Congress and of disorderly conduct in the Capitol while carrying a dangerous weapon.

Second Oath Keepers Seditious Conspiracy Trial Ends In Convictions

After 13 hours of deliberations, a federal jury in DC convicted four Oath Keepers of seditious conspiracy and related charges for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

This was the second successful prosecution of Oath Keepers for seditious conspiracy, following last year’s conviction of group leader Stewart Rhodes and others.

‘No Wanks’

While the Oath Keepers and Richard Barnett were being convicted elsewhere in the same courthouse, the seditious conspiracy trial of the Proud Boys descended into weirdness:

Big Day In Georgia

A Georgia judge will hear arguments on whether to release publicly the report of the special grand jury investigating Trump’s interference in the state’s 2020 election.

TPM’s Josh Kovensky previews the hearing.

A couple of additional points:

  • Trump is not a party and is not represented at today’s hearing. News outlets have weighed in collectively urging the judge to release the report.
  • The Washington Post reports that the judge is not expected to rule from the bench today. But expect a decision fairly soon.

The Problem With TWO Special Counsels

Jack Goldsmith:

Even if the Trump and Biden investigations turn out to be factually and legally quite different, as it seems they might, the dual special counsel structure will make it hard for the department to portray its decisions as principled. Normally in such prominent side-by-side investigations, an official reporting to the attorney general would ensure that the same legal and discretionary judgments informed decision-making in the two cases. But these decisions are now delegated to the special counsels Jack Smith and Robert Hur, who do not have the incentives or even the mechanism to coordinate their decision making.

Worst Attorney General Since John Mitchell

Aaron Blake: William Barr is still being misleading about the Mueller report

This Case Is So Crazy, Y’all

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 23: Charles McGonigal, the former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York office, stands silently as his Attorney Seth Ducharme gives a statement to the media after leaving Manhattan Federal Court on January 23, 2023 in New York City. McGonigal is being charged with money laundering, and conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions against Russia while secretly working with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Sergey Shestakov, a former Soviet and Russian diplomat, has also been charged in the case. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The counterintel and law enforcement worlds were rocked by the arrest of a former top FBI official on not one but two separate federal indictments, one in NYC, the other in Washington, DC.

Very roughly, the DC indictment covers the time that Charles McGonigal was still at the FBI, and the New York indictment covers the period since his retirement from the bureau.

TPM’s Josh Kovensky dives into the charges from DC.

Other coverage:

Bloomberg: Ex-FBI Agent Charged With Taking Payments, Aiding Oligarch

WSJ: Former FBI Agent Charged With Taking Payments From Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska

NYT: Former Senior F.B.I. Official in New York Charged With Aiding Oligarch

Oh, Look, Our Old Friends At True The Vote

ProPublica: Promoters of Election Lies Also Hyped a Hospital for Ukraine. That Never Happened Either.

McCarthy Now Embraces MTG

McCarthy And His Allies Vow: We’ll Never Let You Go MTG

What Did Elise Stefanik Know And When Did She Know It?

As George Santos’ biggest backer in Congress, Elise Sefanik has some explaining to do.

The Debt Ceiling And Bad Faith

Just one more data point in support of the debt ceiling hostage taking being done entirely in bad faith:

Holy Crap! Another Coup Plot In Germany?

You remember the minor German nobleman with alleged fever dreams of restoring the Second Reich, circa 1871?

It turns out that investigation was merely a spinoff from another coup probe which was unveiled yesterday by German authorities.

The two alleged plots have similar underlying origins in the extremist Reichsbürger movement, but the latest revelations have their own eye-popping details. Among the alleged aims of the five people arrested:

  • blow up power supply facilities;
  • kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and subject him to a show trial;
  • put an actor on TV pretending to be the president or chancellor and announce that the government had been deposed and that the constitution of 1871 was in force again.

Reactionary revanchism is the emerging theme of the early 21st century.

Do you have news, tips, leads for Morning Memo? Let us know!

Latest Morning Memo

Notable Replies

  1. fist FIrST!

    Coo-coo-ka-jail, people!

    • The Jan. 6 rioter who famously propped his feet on Nancy Pelosi’s desk – and left her a note saying “Nancy, Bigo was here bi-otch” – was convicted by a DC federal jury of obstructing Congress and of disorderly conduct in the Capitol while carrying a dangerous weapon.

    Know who else is a bi-otch? Karma.

  2. image

    Medicare and Social Security are “off the table?” Really? Did you tell the Freedummies?

  3. Mr. Bigo is such a nice young man: Polite, discreet, quiet. I’m sure these personality assets will benefit him during his upcoming resort vacation. I just hope his congenital courtesy doesn’t get him in trouble. My only advice: If you’re in a group shower and someone nearby drops the soap, don’t bend over to pick it up.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

572 more replies

Participants

Avatar for josephebacon Avatar for jnbenson Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for eldonlazar Avatar for clemmers Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for becca656 Avatar for inversion Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for arrendis Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for mch Avatar for lastroth Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for southerndem Avatar for 21zna9 Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for hahagoodman Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for eaharrison Avatar for yellowbeard Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for philmore Avatar for kovie

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: