U.S. pursuing seditious conspiracy cases in 'unprecedented' probe of Capitol riot

[webfact]

U.S. pursuing seditious conspiracy cases in 'unprecedented' probe of Capitol riot

By Sarah N. Lynch, Mark Hosenball and Eric Beech

 

Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 12, 2021. The acting attorney for Washington and FBI provided an update on criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol. Sarah Silbiger/Pool via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has opened criminal investigations on more than 170 individuals for their involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters, and investigators aim to charge people with assault and seditious conspiracy, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. said on Tuesday.

 

"I think the scope and scale of this investigation and these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history, but probably DOJ history," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

 

"The Capitol grounds outside and inside are... a crime scene."

 

Sherwin said 70 criminal cases have been filed to date.

 

While many of them involve people whose photos went viral on social media, such as one of a man pictured sitting at the desk of a staffer of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said more serious charges are coming and a grand jury has been reviewing the cases.

 

"We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy," Sherwin said, noting his office has launched a strike force whose marching orders are to build criminal cases around such charges.

 

He added that other strike forces have been formed to focus on assaults on law enforcement and members of the media.

 

"The range of criminal conduct is really... unmatched in any type of scenario that we've seen," Sherwin said, noting it runs the gamut from "simple trespass" and "theft of mail" to "felony murder and even civil rights excessive force."

 

Investigators are combing social media images that showed hundreds of people swarming the building, attacking police, stealing computers and artifacts and smashing windows.

 

Steven D'Antuono, the assistant director in charge for the FBI's Washington, D.C. office, said the bureau has been combing through more than 100,000 photos, video and other tips it has received since last week.

 

The FBI has been releasing photos of suspects and seeking help from the public. Recently, it released images of someone who is suspected of planting pipe bombs at the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees.

 

Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican from Louisiana, on Tuesday tweeted photos he said he had received from Capitol Police and added that the man pictured was wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

 

D'Antuono declined to comment on whether the man in the photo is in fact a suspect, telling reporters the investigation is ongoing and the FBI is reviewing numerous videos.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Brad Heath; Editing by Scott Malone and Dan Grebler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-13

 

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[tonray]

Zip tied for 20 years in Federal prison....give them some time to ponder their actions

[PatOngo]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

"We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy,"

Interesting developments in the home of the brave and the land of the free! God Bless!

[camble]

Hope they charge Trump and Giuliani for inciting the riot.

[Jeffr2]

39 minutes ago, camble said:

Hope they charge Trump and Giuliani for inciting the riot.

And Eric, Don Jr., Hawley, Cruz, Jordan, etc, etc, etc.  Many were calling for Trump's fans to storm the capitol building.  Violently.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/politics/republicans-capitol-riot.html

 

Quote

 

Before Capitol Riot, Republican Lawmakers Fanned the Flames

 

A “1776 moment”: Several of the president’s closest allies in Congress used bellicose language to urge their supporters to attend the Jan. 6 rally that turned into a deadly riot.

 

“Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,” said Mr. Brooks, Republican of Alabama. “Are you willing to do what it takes to fight for America? Louder! Will you fight for America?”

 

 

[tonray]

Another story today about the new "Qanon" Congresswoman...apparently she was tweeting out the location of Nancy Pelosi during the siege. Unbelieveable

[rgraham]

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

[spiekerjozef]

Trial up and coming in 2029.

[tonray]

14 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

Have no quarrel with them or peaceful protestors following the law

[Jeffr2]

15 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

Well put.  Something many that support Trump don't understand.  It's only a small minority that are violent.  Right wing nuts.

[tonray]

29 minutes ago, tonray said:

Another story today about the new "Qanon" Congresswoman...apparently she was tweeting out the location of Nancy Pelosi during the siege. Unbelieveable

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/qanon-lauren-boebert-nancy-pelosi-capitol-riot-b1785663.html

[OneMoreFarang]

Where are the charges against all those GOP politicians who enabled Trump and who supported him and all his lies? Did they really think Trump won the election? Did they really think the election was stolen? If many if not all GOP politicians would have stood up and clearly say that Biden won the election then all of this would not have happened.

 

I am definitely not a fan of Trump's supporters but I think we have to realize that many of them only see and hear one-sided "news". 75% or republican voters actually believe Trump won. That's a fact. And they believe those other bad guys want to overthrow Trump.

And why do those people believe that? Because the president of the USA, the most powerful man on earth, tells them that is the truth. If you can't trust the president who can you trust? Which brings us back to those GOP politicians who let it happen.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, camble said:

Hope they charge Trump and Giuliani for inciting the riot.

The police could and should have arrested Giuliani and Trump's son already.

[OneMoreFarang]

On 1/13/2021 at 6:46 AM, tonray said:

Another story today about the new "Qanon" Congresswoman...apparently she was tweeting out the location of Nancy Pelosi during the siege. Unbelieveable

believeable

And too many people believe that qanon <deleted> which only shows how <DELETED!> stupid they are.

[OneMoreFarang]

25 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

75% of people who voted republicans still "think" Trump won the election. They think they should help the president to fight all those bad people who say he lost.

Who will convince those people, who don't watch normal news, that they are wrong?

[Tug]

Excellent first convict trump then Cruze and all the rest but imo we must legislate punishment for those who knowingly espouse lies and disinformation btw 3 republican congress men so far are voting for impeachment 

[spiekerjozef]

31 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

That's even more frightening.

[spiekerjozef]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

75% of people who voted republicans still "think" Trump won the election.

You can't fix stupid.

[camble]

33 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

Fewer now, and declining every day

[spiekerjozef]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Who will convince those people, who don't watch normal news, that they are wrong?

love Fox news lol.

[Dumbastheycome]

53 minutes ago, rgraham said:

Keep in mind that there are over 79 million Trump supporters not involved in any protests.????

That number may have been reduced significantly over the  last week.

[malibukid]

its interesting that there have not been any post from the pro-trump expat crowd supporting him lately.  very dour mood here in CM after their leader has become unhinged.

[GreasyFingers]

Didn't they pass a law last year criticizing the Hong Kong government for jailing their protesters. Short memories or hipocracy?

[placeholder]

54 minutes ago, tonray said:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/qanon-lauren-boebert-nancy-pelosi-capitol-riot-b1785663.html

To be strictly accurate, she was tweeting out where Pelosi wasn't. In other words telling the mob don't waste your time looking for her here. She told them that after telling them the location where the House members had been moved to.

[Jeffr2]

1 minute ago, GreasyFingers said:

Didn't they pass a law last year criticizing the Hong Kong government for jailing their protesters. Short memories or hipocracy?

That's not what was done. 

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/25/us-says-chinas-hk-national-security-law-could-lead-to-sanctions

 

Quote

 

US says China’s HK national security law could lead to sanctions

 

Critics say the new law would infringe on Hong Kong’s autonomy and the civil liberties of its residents.

 

 

[Jeffr2]

2 minutes ago, placeholder said:

To be strictly accurate, she was tweeting out where Pelosi wasn't. In other words telling the mob don't waste your time looking for her here. She told them that after telling them the location where the House members had been moved to.

She should be fired.  Horrible politician.

[Pique Dard]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

"The Capitol grounds outside and inside are... a crime scene.

yet trump refuses to endorse responsability! maybe this wasn't unexpected.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by onthedarkside
graphic removed

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Well put.  Something many that support Trump don't understand.  It's only a small minority that are violent.  Right wing nuts.

Before It became the "Naxi Party", the German Worker's Party was a minority political party. Then Hitler energized its base and the result became a horrific history.

[Srikcir]

Felony murder with regard to the 4-5 deaths resulting from the insurgency can be applied to people (ie., insurgency leadership and instigators) who didn't enter the Capital as part of the riot.

 

And then there is the potential for civil liability that might be charged in connection with the deaths, injury and damage. As civil liability is not a federal crime, Trump cannot pardon.

[somtamgaiyang]

3 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

That number may have been reduced significantly over the  last week.

Actually, the total Trump votes from the election was not 79 million, it was 74,223,744. But you're right, it's likely a significant number of his more moderate supporters have since reconsidered.