The January 6 Committee released its final report Thursday, the culmination of more than one and a half years of investigative work into the causes and planning of the Capitol insurrection.
Continue reading “January 6 Committee Releases Final Report”Hey. The Local Paper Was All Over Notorious Liar And Weirdo George Santos
TPM Reader LC asks the following and I’ll try to answer …
I’m loving your coverage of George Santos in NY-3, and I’m wondering: Why are we only hearing about all this now? Don’t political candidates do oppo research? Obviously none of that was done, not even a little bit, since George Santos’s entire identity would collapse in the face of a not particularly vigorous sneeze. My question for you or your readers who may know – who is normally responsible for making sure oppo research happens? Is that the candidates themselves (Robert Zimmerman in this case), or DNC/RNC.
The first thing I would say is that contrary to what some readers are telling me, this part of the story is hardly being ignored. It’s almost the first part of every discussion I hear about this. For some it’s a failure of the Democratic Party; for others it’s a failure of journalism, gutted local news and so forth. But I want to start on the question itself: who is responsible for making sure the oppo research happens?
Stolen Gay Valor? New Santos Fibs Come to Light
Yesterday I joked — well, maybe half-joked? — that with all we’ve learned about Rep.-Elect George Santos, is he even gay? Being an “openly gay” Latino Republican has been a central part of his campaign pitch. He doesn’t fit the mold of a Trumper and that, he argues, “scares the left.” Now, it’s a fairly complicated and inevitably subjective and personal matter whether someone is gay or straight. But The Daily Beast managed to dig up the fact that until just two weeks prior to announcing his run for office he was married to a woman.
Sean Hannity Admits He Didn’t Believe The Dominion Voting Conspiracies He Aired
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Big Trouble Looming For Fox News
Dominion Voting Systems seems to be gaining some traction in its billion-dollar defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its broadcast of bogus conspiracy theories blaming the company for 2020 election fraud.
The company presented evidence in court Wednesday to establish that Fox News figures knew the claims about Dominion were false but aired them anyway.
“I did not believe it for one second,” Sean Hannity reportedly said in his Dominion deposition.
The NYT:
Mr. Hannity’s disclosure — along with others that emerged from court on Wednesday about what Fox News executives and hosts really believed as their network became one of the loudest megaphones for lies about the 2020 election — is among the strongest evidence yet to emerge publicly that some Fox employees knew that what they were broadcasting was false.
Fox News has denied Dominion’s claims.
The Hits Keep Coming For George Santos
We have learned more about serial fabulist George Santos, the incoming GOP congressman from a Queens district, and none of it is good:
- The Forward: Congressman-elect George Santos lied about grandparents fleeing anti-Jewish persecution during WWII.
- The Republican Jewish Coalition reacted: “These allegations, if true, are deeply troubling,” coalition director Matt Brooks said. “Given their seriousness, the congressman-elect owes the public an explanation, and we look forward to hearing it.”
- Daily Beast: ‘Openly Gay’ Rep.-Elect George Santos Didn’t Disclose Divorce With Woman
Yes, Obama And Biden Were Audited By The IRS
Many of you have asked. The NYT answers: I.R.S. Routinely Audited Obama and Biden, Raising Questions Over Delays for Trump
The Key Numbers On Trump’s Taxes
The NYT breaks it down:
Jan. 6 Committee Starts To Show Its Receipts
The Jan. 6 committee released 34 interview transcripts from its investigation late Wednesday. Notable figures whose interviews were released included John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, and Charlie Kirk.
The full list and our initial rundown are here.
The main highlight is that so many of the witnesses pleaded the 5th and refused to answer any questions.
A few other eyepoppers:
- Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) confronted former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio about calling her a “cunt.”
- Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) was apparently texting the Stop the Steal group chat while the Jan. 6 attack was still underway: “We’re still on lockdown in the congressional office.”
So Many Layers To Zelensky’s White House Visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finally got his White House meeting, Philip Bump notes, as he runs us back through Zelensky’s travails that led to First Trump Impeachment.
Zelensky’s Speech To Congress
Watch the full speech:
How Republicans Received Zelensky
A series of embarrassments and indignities:
- Donald Trump, Jr., set the tone for the day, tweeting: “Zelensky is basically an ungrateful international welfare queen.”
- House Republicans were reportedly scarce for Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress: 86 out of 213 GOP House members showed up.
- Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) blew off Capitol police and refused to go through security screening for Zelensky’s speech.
Russia Not Behind Pipeline Sabotage?
Didn’t see this coming: U.S. and European officials are privately doubtful that Russia is to blame for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
Inside The Mar-a-Lago Investigation
WaPo goes deep inside the apparent tensions between Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. What emerges is a disturbing picture of FBI agents tentative about being caught in the wringer of another Trump investigation. No one wants to be the next Peter Strzok, which is understandable on a personal level but difficult to square with their professional obligations. It leads to this extraordinary role reversal:
The lawyers, these people said, felt they had amassed more than enough probable cause to ask a judge to approve a search of Mar-a-Lago. Some agents at the field office weren’t certain. Eventually, the Justice Department lawyers prevailed.
Strzok himself noted how unusual this was: “It’s an exceedingly rare day when prosecutors want a search warrant and agents don’t.”
Wowzers
NPR and Floodlight are doing some great work together. Their latest: “She was an ABC News producer. She also was a corporate operative”
New Developments In SBF Case
A swirl of late-night developments in the massive fraud case against FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried:
- SBF reportedly landed at Westchester County Airport shortly before 10:30 p.m. ET Wednesday after being extradited by the Bahamas.
- Two top SBF lieutenants, including his sometime girlfriend, have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors, the Wall Street Journal reports
- Caroline Ellison, the 28-year-old former chief executive of Alameda Research, the trading firm intertwined with FTX, pleaded guilty to seven counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. She signed her plea agreement Monday.
- Gary Wang, the 29-year-old former chief technology officer for FTX pleaded guilty to four counts, including wire fraud.
- The new guilty pleas were announced by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a video posted late last night:
Today’s Long Read
Krista Brown and former TPMer Maureen Tkacik go deep on the dark history of Ticketmaster over at The Prospect.
Trump Loses In Court … Again
The former president tried an end run around New York Attorney General Letitia James’ massive civil fraud case against the Trump Org by suing her in Florida. It failed. A federal judge Wednesday rejected Trump’s request for an emergency injunction and warned in a footnote to his ruling: “This litigation has all the telltale signs of being both vexatious and frivolous.” The same judge recently sanctioned Trump lawyers in a different case for filing a frivolous lawsuit.
You Can Run But You Can’t Hide
Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss — the reluctantly famous poll workers in Fulton County, Georgia, who are suing Rudy Giuliani for defamation — have accused a lawyer who worked for the Trump campaign of dodging their subpoena for documents. A federal judge agreed to allow them to effect service by other means.
Hunter Biden Hires Abbe Lowell
Facing legal peril and as a prime target of the incoming House GOP majority, Hunter Biden has engaged longtime DC power lawyer Abbe Lowell.
Buffalo Goes After Gunmakers
The city of Buffalo filed a “first of its kind” lawsuit seeking to hold gunmakers liable for gun violence as a “public nuisance.”
RIP Franco Harris
The same week his jersey was to be retired, marking the 50th anniversary of his Immaculate Reception, Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris has died at 72. With a Black father and an Italian mother, Harris was adored by Italian Americans in Pittsburgh. But this was the best remembrance of his legacy:
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Kari Lake’s Big Lie Circus Comes To Court
Kari Lake’s attempt to get her Arizona gubernatorial loss overturned went to trial Wednesday, as her lawyers pushed the two of 10 claims still standing in her lawsuit.
Continue reading “Kari Lake’s Big Lie Circus Comes To Court”Tufts University Targeted With Multiple Bomb Threats Over ‘Anti White Racism’
Tufts University has received six bomb threats in the past several days, with those making them claiming to be motivated by opposition to the school’s initiatives on anti-racism and diversity.
Continue reading “Tufts University Targeted With Multiple Bomb Threats Over ‘Anti White Racism’”Golden Dukes: It’s Time To Vote On 2022’s Most Cringe Campaign Ad
The celebration of truly horrible campaign ads has long been a fan favorite during the TPM Golden Duke season. In 2008, you all voted on the Sleaziest Campaign Ads of the year, which featured an iconic appearance from the John McCain campaign. That year, the late senator’s campaign put out an ad insinuating that Barack Obama preferred sex education for kindergarten students.
Ten years later in 2018, TPM celebrated the Worst Campaign Attack Ads of the year, complete with the National Republican Congressional Committee being super racist in its attacks on Antonio Delgado.
We’re bringing a 2022 version of the category back this year as part of our ongoing celebration of those who did the worst the best: it’s time to vote on this year’s most Cringe Campaign Ads, which in 2022, also includes memes.
Continue reading “Golden Dukes: It’s Time To Vote On 2022’s Most Cringe Campaign Ad”Listen To This: Happy Criminal Referral Day
A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Josh and Kate discuss the January 6 committee’s public finale, along with revelations about Rep.-Elect Talented Mr. Santos (R-NY).
You can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.
McCarthy Makes Impossible Promises As He Scrambles To Shore Up Conservative Votes
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been in campaign mode for weeks to secure the 218 votes he’ll need in the upcoming House elections to become speaker. That meant making a series of niche promises to the MAGA members who are opposing his bid. This week, he made yet another promise to woo his way into the speakership — one that could make life quite difficult for him in the long run.
Continue reading “McCarthy Makes Impossible Promises As He Scrambles To Shore Up Conservative Votes”Trump Got Stunningly Lax IRS Treatment While POTUS, House Finds
For years during Trump’s presidency, the losers and haters wondered: might there be a conflict of interest in having a famously tax-averse President be audited by an IRS that he controlled?
Continue reading “Trump Got Stunningly Lax IRS Treatment While POTUS, House Finds”