Marjorie Taylor Greene testimony: Georgia rep grilled about Jan 6 and Proud Boys plan at ballot hearing
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Your support makes all the difference.Marjorie Taylor Greene today faced an administrative judge at a hearing that could see the Georgia Republican banned from public office because of her alleged support for the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol.
The congresswoman was questioned about the 2021 Capitol riot by lawyer Ron Fein, representing a group of voters who filed a challenge with the Georgia secretary of state’s office alleging that Ms Greene helped facilitate the attack that ultimately sought to upend Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.
They say that her behaviour violates a clause in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment and makes her ineligible to run for reelection.
Among other things, the case against the congresswoman hinges on her repeated use of a “codeword” – specifically, repeated references to the year 1776 – which the lawyers say encouraged the rioters who descended on the Capitol.
For her part, Ms Greene is appealing a federal judge's ruling allowing a challenge to her eligibility to run for reelection to proceed and in the hour leading up to her hearing, the pro-Trump lawmaker took to Twitter to urge her fellow Republicans to “protect election integrity”.
Mr Celli says Rep Greene said the quiet part out loud when she said: “You can’t allow it to transfer of power peacefully, as Joe Biden wants.”
He adds that she “comes with unclean hands” having “created the conditions that made it possible for there to be an explosion of violence at the Capitol”.
Said Mr Celli of Rep Greene, she “gathered the kindling” and “then she dropped a match”.
“And now she comes into this courtroom and says she’s surprised and appalled that a fire occurred.”
Recap: Marjorie Taylor Greene evades questions on martial law, ‘traitors’ and... alien invasion movies
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday claimed not to remember who she spoke to or what she said or did in the weeks between former president Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden and the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol during a court hearing which will determine whether she is eligible to appear on the ballot in Georgia this year.
Ms Greene, who testified under oath in an administrative hearing as part of a lawsuit brought by Georgia voters who say she is ineligible to serve because she supported the pro-Trump mob that attacked Congress in hopes of preventing certification of Mr Biden’s 2020 election victory, used the phrase “I don’t recall” in excess of 50 times in response to a range of questions regarding her conduct and public statements during the run-up to the insurrection.
Andrew Feinberg reports on today’s hearing.
Marjorie Taylor Greene evades questions in hearing on ballot eligibility
Georgia congresswoman could be disqualified from running for re-election for supporting the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol
Greene doesn’t recall discussing imposing martial law
One might’ve thought a newly sworn-in lawmaker would remember discussing the imposition of martial law with the outgoing president.
Gaetz reacts to ‘Independence Day’ reference
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz was as incredulous as most when the challenger’s legal team not only referenced the movie Independence Day but also played a clip of the fictional president’s soaring speech that Rep Greene apparently quoted.
He even retweeted actor Randy Quaid who appeared in the movie and was equally surprised by the moment.
Greene ‘gathered the kindling'
Lawyer for the challengers Andrew Celli said Rep Greene was one of those who “gathered the kindling” for the fire that was the Capitol riot.
Greene lawyer claims Trump ‘executive privilege’ to block question on martial law discussions after election
The attorney defending Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene against a lawsuit seeking to disqualify her from appearing on the 2022 midterm ballot for supporting the 6 January insurrection attempted to block her from answering a question about whether she discussed the invocation of martial law with former president Donald Trump by invoking “executive privilege”.
Andrew Feinberg reports for The Independent.
Marjorie Taylor Greene lawyer claims Trump ‘executive privilege’ to block question
Attorney James Bopp Jr claims to also represent former president Donald Trump
Related: Report says McCarthy privately suggested Twitter should ban more of his fellow Republicans
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly suggested Twitter and Facebook should suspend social media accounts that belong to his GOP colleagues who amplified baseless 2020 election claims that fuelled the violent attack on the US Capitol mounted by Donald Trump’s supporters.
Alex Woodward reports.
Kevin McCarthy suggested Twitter should ban other Republicans, report says
‘Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away, too?’
Related: McCarthy and Trump reportedly spoke after revelations he considered telling president to resign
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump reportedly spoke on the phone after newly released audio recordings revealed that the California Republican told GOP leadership that then-President Trump should resign following the 6 January, 2021 attack on the US Capitol led by a mob of his supporters.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Trump and McCarthy reportedly speak by phone after audio revelations
Newly released audio reveals House Minority Leader told GOP leaders he reccomended Trump should resign in wake of Capitol riots
Related: Trump accepted ‘some responsibility’ for Jan 6, new McCarthy audio reveals
As Kevin McCarthy reels from the leak of a conversation in which he described telling Donald Trump to resign over the 6 January Capitol riot, a new recording has emerged of the top House Republican telling members of his party that the then-president accepted “some responsibility” for the attack.
Andrew Naughtie reports for The Independent.
McCarthy said Trump accepted ‘some responsibility’ for Jan 6, audio reveals
House minority leader this week denied reports of a post-riot conversation that was subsequently released in audio form
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