Trump supporters who stormed U.S. Capitol could face sedition charges -prosecutor

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Trump supporters who stormed U.S. Capitol could face sedition charges -prosecutor

By Sarah N. Lynch

 

A heavy police force is evident at the Senate door after supporters of President Donald Trump breeched security at the U.S. Capitol, rioting through the Senate and House and disrupting the certification of President-elect Joe Biden, in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Theiler

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol, breaking windows and stealing things, could face charges including sedition, insurrection and rioting, Washington, D.C.'s top federal prosecutor said on Thursday.

 

"All of those charges are on the table," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin told reporters in a call, when asked about possible charges of sedition, rioting or insurrection.

 

"We're not going to keep anything out of our arsenal."

 

The Justice Department has filed 55 criminal cases about events this week, Sherwin said, some pre-dating Wednesday's assault on the seat of government, including the arrest of far-right Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio on Monday.

 

Sherwin repeatedly said no suspects in Wednesday's riots would be ruled out - even when asked whether this could include Capitol Police who may have been complicit or Trump himself for urging protesters to march on the Capitol at a rally on Wednesday.

 

"We're looking at all actors here and anyone that had a role, and the evidence fits the elements of a crime, they're going to be charged."

The break-in forced members of Congress who were in the process of certifying President-elect Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory to evacuate the chambers for several hours.

 

The U.S. Capitol Police said they had arrested 14 suspected of involvement in the rioting, most charged with unlawful entry, while the Metropolitan Police Department made at least 68 arrests.

 

Much of the looting and rioting was caught on video and photos which went viral on social media, and the FBI has been asking the public to submit tips to help it identify and track down suspects.

 

The FBI is also taking the lead on an investigation into two pipe bombs that were recovered from the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees.

 

FBI investigators were knocking on doors around Capitol Hill asking for home security videos, said Charles Allen, a Councilman for the neighborhood.

 

Some of the people who were arrested on minor charges such as unlawful entry or violating the city's curfew appeared in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday, and were ordered not to return to the city unless it was related to their criminal case.

 

Meanwhile, Sherwin said his office was filing 15 criminal cases in the U.S. District Court on Thursday.

 

In one case, a man was charged with knowingly entering a restricted building, assault on a federal officer and violent entry to the Capitol grounds.

 

A Capitol Police officer said in the charging documents that he was attempting to form a barricade with other officers on the Senate side when the man attempted to push past and then punched him.

 

While the number of people arrested is expected to grow, the initial numbers reported by Washington, D.C. police paled in comparison with the more than 300 arrested following the June 1 protests in Washington over the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of white police officer in Minneapolis.

 

At that protest baton-swinging police and federal agents fired smoke canisters, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to drive protesters farther from the White House, enabling Trump to walk across Lafayette Square and hold up a Bible in front of historic St. John’s Church.

 

Law enforcement officers were severely criticized for being too aggressive at Lafayette Square. The Capitol Police are now facing questions about why they did not do more to secure the Capitol building.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Makini Brice, Daphne Psaledakis, Brad Heath and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis, Sonya Hepinstall and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-08

 

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[Tug]

Trump fits the sedition charge imo seems a bit harsh for most of the mob now a nice felony to strip them from bearing arms would be nice,arnt all charges in DC a federal offense?

[Natai Beach]

Trump could pardon them.
 

[Blue Muton]

9 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

Trump could pardon them.
 

He's certainly evil enough but I'm not sure he'd be quick enough.

[Jeffr2]

They caused a lot of damage inside the building.  Trump should pay for it.  His campaign paid for all the infrastructure outside.  They should pay for the damage outside also. 

[mtls2005]

31 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

Trump could pardon them.
 

 

When?

 

Pretty sure you need a name for a pardon, although trump could just issue a blanket mob pardon I guess.

 

And he just threw them under the bus with his most recent video.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

32 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

Trump could pardon them.
 

Well he could try, but given the evidence of him  inciting the attack he can easily be considered a coconspirator - good luck getting the pardon from a coconspirator to hold up in court.

[Chomper Higgot]

We’ll have the pleasure of witnessing their arrest in the coming days, indictment and trial.

 

I’ll not say ‘conviction’, I don’t want to feed an excuse for pedantry to those who are unable to come up with a defense for this sedition.

Edited January 8, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[SometimezaGreatNotion]

6 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Well he could try, but given the evidence of him  inciting the attack he can easily be considered a coconspirator - good luck getting the pardon from a coconspirator to hold up in court.

As far as I know, presidential pardon is not reviewable by any court.

[Emdog]

Not the sharpest pencils in the box, this crowd.

Nice of them not to wear covid masks, so identification so much easier with full face photos

[SometimezaGreatNotion]

1 minute ago, Emdog said:

Not the sharpest pencils in the box, this crowd.

Nice of them not to wear covid masks, so identification so much easier with full face photos

Their best defense may be to plead they were cult brainwashed by way of Low IQ

[bendejo]

All action on this matter should be delayed until the GOP is out of the WH.  No charges means nothing to pardon.  Don't even identify them.  Make like it didn't happen.  Until after the ByeDon inauguration.

 

And then there's this:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/donald-trump-self-pardon/index.html

 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by onthedarkside
trolling comment removed

[SometimezaGreatNotion]

1 minute ago, bendejo said:

And then there's this:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/donald-trump-self-pardon/index.html

 

Trump is now probably now discussing a resignation / Pence pardon him deal.

His new book: The Art of the Squirm

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, Emdog said:

Not the sharpest pencils in the box, this crowd.

 

Crazy white people.

 

Robert Moore/iTV piece is a different view...

 

 

[Jeffr2]

CNN is running lots of interviews with people who attacked the building.  Wow!  What a bunch of nuts!  Clearly, not very smart people and not in touch with reality.  Sadly, driven by the lies of Trump, and the conspiracy theories on social media.  They need to seek professional help.  Perhaps deprogramming?

[bendejo]

20 minutes ago, SometimezaGreatNotion said:

Their best defense may be to plead they were cult brainwashed by way of Low IQ

 

Innocent by reason of stupidity.  Hey, even some members of Congress could skate with that one!

All action regarding the mob should be put off until the GOP is out of the WH, let the new AG handle this.

And then there's this

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/donald-trump-self-pardon/index.html

 

My guess is they'll make some sort of a deal to look in the other way in exchange for him accepting that he cannot be president again.  It's like was being said post-Nixon, that prosecuting a former president make the country look bad -- that's the kind of stuff I'm expecting to hear this time as well.
 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by bendejo

[mtls2005]

The FBI should just set up a sting at the nearest Motel 6....Free AR-15's for the first 100 attendees.

 

 

[teacherclaire]

including the arrest of far-right Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio on Monday.

 

    That makes them less proud, methinks. 

 

 

[bunnydrops]

What would be fitting would be to fine the ones entering the capital with Trumps Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-protecting-american-monuments-memorials-statues-combating-recent-criminal-violence/

[Blue Muton]

59 minutes ago, SometimezaGreatNotion said:

As far as I know, presidential pardon is not reviewable by any court.

I'm sure they can find some state offences that were commited.

[Whale]

I found the whole thing quite amusing. The crazies in the animal skins made me chuckle some.

 

Sad that they wasted a storming the government for such a totally crazy issue though, when they could be storming it over real issues such as globalisation, climate change, health care, corruption, inequality under the law, infringement of liberties, lobbyist interference in national issues, incarceration rates OR gun control!. 

 

Let us hope [Biden] can do something to start repairing the corruption of the political system and thereby the division in society. I detest trump but "drain the swamp" still resonates with me even as a left leaning voter.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by onthedarkside
name calling reference removed

[steevjee]

As a non American I feel great pity for those Americans who must now feel incredible embarrassment that they actually voted for this pathetic individual. I think he has now 100% guaranteed that the Republicans will not regain office for many elections to come, so why not just keep an open mind and give Biden a fair chance to fix things.

[cmarshall]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

When?

 

Pretty sure you need a name for a pardon, although trump could just issue a blanket mob pardon I guess.

 

And he just threw them under the bus with his most recent video.

 

Nope.  Name is not necessary.  Andrew Johnson pardoned the whole Confederate army and Jimmy Carter pardoned the Vietnam era draft dodgers.

[cmarshall]

10 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

I'm sure they can find some state offences that were commited.

The Capitol is not located in a state.  There are local ordinances in D.C., but the D.C. is governed by the federal government, i.e. the Trump administration at the moment.

[cmarshall]

5 minutes ago, steevjee said:

As a non American I feel great pity for those Americans who must now feel incredible embarrassment that they actually voted for this pathetic individual. I think he has now 100% guaranteed that the Republicans will not regain office for many elections to come, so why not just keep an open mind and give Biden a fair chance to fix things.

 

I don't believe that.  The Trump supporters have not changed their minds since yesterday.  

[Jeffr2]

2 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

The Capitol is not located in a state.  There are local ordinances in D.C., but the D.C. is governed by the federal government, i.e. the Trump administration at the moment.

I'm typing this as it's being reported.  All I know is prosecutors are going after this big time.  Including those who were involved inciting this for the past few weeks.  Great news!  BS like this needs to have consequences.

[Jeffr2]

1 minute ago, cmarshall said:

 

I don't believe that.  The Trump supporters have not changed their minds since yesterday.  

Listen to them on the news channels.  Well, CNN at least.  Fox is saying most were ANTIFA, which is not true.

 

They are clearly mentally deranged.  Stunning what they say.  Totally out of touch with reality.

[Blue Muton]

2 minutes ago, steevjee said:

As a non American I feel great pity for those Americans who must now feel incredible embarrassment that they actually voted for this pathetic individual. I think he has now 100% guaranteed that the Republicans will not regain office for many elections to come, so why not just keep an open mind and give Biden a fair chance to fix things.

To be fair to them (Americans), remember that Trump lost the popular voate in 2016, too. Of course this time round he's lost the popular vote by an even bigger margin, lost the Presidency, lost the House and the Senate

 

All he needs now is to go out for a round at Mar-a-Largo and he could make a clean sweep of it - but I would advise against letting him do the scoring.

[cmarshall]

26 minutes ago, Susco said:

How about charging the seditionist in chief?

 

Pence is certainly not going to invoke the 25th Amendment to transfer presidential powers to himself.  If he tried I don't think he would find a majority of the Cabinet to agree.  Pelosi talks about impeaching Trump and she should, but the decision to conduct a Senate trial on impeachment charges still rests with McConnell until the new senators from GA take their seats, which is days or weeks away.  Pelosi should do it anyway, because when Schumer eventually becomes Majority Leader they can hold the trial, but they won't get 17 Republican senators to convict.

[Jeffr2]

5 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

 

Pence is certainly not going to invoke the 25th Amendment to transfer presidential powers to himself.  If he tried I don't think he would find a majority of the Cabinet to agree.  Pelosi talks about impeaching Trump and she should, but the decision to conduct a Senate trial on impeachment charges still rests with McConnell until the new senators from GA take their seats, which is days or weeks away.  Pelosi should do it anyway, because when Schumer eventually becomes Majority Leader they can hold the trial, but they won't get 17 Republican senators to convict.

Good post.  Sadly, impeachment would just be symbolic because as you say, they won't get 17 Republican senators to convict.  But!  It would put them on the record supporting a seditious president.  A huge stain on their records.

 

But yes, nothing will happen to Trump.  The instigator in chief.  Hopefully, something good will come out of this.  Already, many in the GOP are walking away from Trump.  We'll see....