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Steve Bannon's pardon by Donald Trump was blasted by an Arizona newspaper columnist -- who is urging local prosecutors to correct the wrong.
"This wasn't about correcting an injustice, which is the reason presidents have pardon power. Like so many of Trump's pardons, this one intended to excuse a friend or ally from responsibility for his actions," Arizona Daily Star's Tim Steller wrote. "Further, it could potentially protect Trump himself. Without pending criminal charges against Bannon, federal prosecutors have no leverage to convince him to supply any incriminating evidence he might have against Trump."
<p>"All in all, it was another abuse of the pardon power, which the founders intended to be corrected through impeachment of the president. Of course it is too late for that," he explained. "But justice for Bannon remains plausible, because the acts he is accused of are also considered state crimes, and state prosecutions aren't covered by the pardon. It only excuses him from prosecution under federal law."</p><p>He urged the Arizona Attorney General's Office or the Pima County Attorney's Office to "step in."</p><p>"You see, the conspiracy that federal prosecutors alleged has strong links to Arizona. You could almost say it started in Pima County. On Feb. 8, 2019, Bannon, Kolfage and others <a href="https://youtu.be/3wdvU9zL4tE" target="_blank">hosted an event at Quail Creek in Sahuarita</a> that kicked off a new fundraising effort for We Build the Wall. About 300 members and guests of the Quail Creek Republican Club attended, applauding and donating enthusiastically," he explained.</p><p>"That night, <a href="https://tucson.com/search/?sd=desc&l=25&s=start_time&f=html&t=article,video,youtube,collection&app=editorial&nsa=eedition&q=Bannon+Kolfage+border" target="_blank">Bannon told Star reporter Curt Prendergast "100% of this money is going to build the wall and the legal fight"</a> to get the wall built. It was a pledge that the project repeated in online posts and in emailed appeals for donations," Steller continued. "But, if the indictment is correct, Bannon appears to have known that same night in Quail Creek that he and the others planned to siphon off money, through a nonprofit that Bannon controlled, to pay Kolfage and others."</p><p>Read his <a href="https://tucson.com/news/local/tim-stellers-opinion-trump-pardoned-steve-bannon-should-face-prosecution-in-arizona/article_2fe341d0-a526-5e58-9408-b2ef3bd22943.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest" target="_blank">full case for prosecution</a>.</p><p><br/></p>
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A Dallas man who brilliantly posted a Facebook selfie from the Capitol riot -- fully five days after the fact and while bantering, "just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol" -- has been arrested on a list of federal charges that somehow don't seem to include mention of "abject stupidity."
But the feds' complaint against Garret Miller, 34, of Richardson, Texas does include a count for threatening to assassinate Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a Capitol police officer. It also includes charges related to obstructing an official proceeding, interfering with law enforcement, illegal entry and the like.
<p> Here's the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1359541/download" target="_blank">original filing</a>.</p><p> The criminal complaint hasn't been fully aired in the media, which is too bad: It's one entertaining read. In it, Miller leaves a robust trail of breadcrumbs for authorities. Here's some of its text:</p><p> "In examining Miller's Facebook account, there are many posts relating to his involvement in criminal activities at the Capitol. For example, on January 2, 2021, Miller posted to Facebook, "I am about to drive across the country for this trump shit. On Monday . . . Some crazy shit going to happen this week. Dollar might collapse. . . . civil war could start . . . not sure what to do in DC." He also stated on January 3, 2021, that he was bring with him "a grappling hook and rope and a level 3 vest. Helmets mouth guard and bump cap," but last time he came to D.C. for a pro-Trump rally he "had a lot of guns" with him."</p><p> So there was that. Also, to support the Facebook activity in which Miller joked about incriminating himself, there was this activity on Miller's Twitter account:</p><p> "On January 6, 2021, Miller repeatedly posted comments on Twitter using his Twitter account (@garretamiller). In one tweet, an individual posted, "The people storming The Capitol are not Patriots. They are PAID INFILTRATORS," to which Miller responded, "Nah we stormed it. We where [sic] gentle. We where [sic] unarmed. We knew what had to be done. A beautiful soul was lost today. We must know her name. She will not be forgotten." That's a reference to the protester killed by a Capitol police officer.</p><p> Also noted in the complaint was this tweet: "They are right next time we bring the guns." </p><p> Miller's now-deleted tweets to AOC were captured as well: "In a string of tweets (to Ocasio-Cortez), Miller first claims, "We acted with honor and we where [sic] not armed. We where [sic] gentle with the police. They murdered a child." He then further directed, "Assassinate AOC." </p><p> Here's some more of Miller's Facebook prose that was captured by the feds:</p><p> "On January 15, 2021, Miller admitted in a Facebook chat that he is "happy to make death threats so I been just off the rails tonight lol," and is "happy to be banned now [from Twitter]." When asked whether the police know his name, he responded, "[I]t might be time for me to .... Be hard to locate."</p><p> And this from the next day: "On January 16, 2021, Miller again got into a discussion on Facebook, about the USCP officer and said that the officer is "not going to survive long." Miller claimed that "millions" of people agree with him that the officer "deserve[s] to die" "so its [sic] huntin season." He then says that the woman who was killed "was a sister in battle were bravery achieve victory and she paid the ultimate price. . . . Dead serious she fought fir [sic] me, now I fight fir [sic] her[.]" He later claimed, "Well we got the traitor cop as a target and as long as we don't shoot him we don't get accused of firing the first shot. He shot first. His death prevents civil war by liberal history teller arguments." </p><p> As one might imagine, Miller's lawyer doesn't have the easiest task ahead of him, as suggested by this reporting in the New York Times:</p><p> "Mr. Miller's lawyer, F. Clinton Broden, said his client's "social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future. He accepts responsibility for his actions," he said.</p><p> "He said that Mr. Miller had not been asked to enter a plea yet and that his detention hearing was set for Monday.</p><p> "Mr. Miller regrets the acts he took in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump,' Mr. Broden said. "He has the full support of his family and has always been a law-abiding citizen."</p><p> "A spokeswoman for Ms. Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to a message on Saturday night," the Times reported. "Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has said previously that she often receives death threats."</p><p> AOC did tweet about Miller:</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5d2b09a451378d1949690584ae5a43dd" id="abdcc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352767726117408769"><div style="margin:1em 0">“Just wanted to incriminate myself a little”
Well, you did! https://t.co/Y0MbtHwsUr</div> — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)<a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/statuses/1352767726117408769">1611359933.0</a></blockquote></div>
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The infighting among members of the Arizona Republican Party boiled over on Saturday during a contentious meeting.
"Kelli Ward, the fractious leader of the Arizona Republican Party, narrowly beat back significant competition on Saturday to win another two-year term as the organization's chairwoman despite the endorsement of former President Donald Trump," the Arizona Republic reported Saturday. "The closely watched result offers an early, state-level indication that Trump retains sway over the activist base of the GOP, though it is more tenuous. The election also suggests the longstanding divisions in the state party in the Trump era have not abated."
<p>"The party members later passed three resolutions censuring high-profile Republicans: Gov. Doug Ducey, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain. It was another sign of the party's move to the right," the newspaper noted.</p><p>McCain, for her part, shrugged off the vote.</p><p>"It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well...and who, like my late husband John, have been censured by the AZGOP. I'll wear this as a badge of honor," McCain posted to Twitter.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="315d1a0cab91a8a31ebc9a8a821c855b" id="f11d6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1353170124203675648"><div style="margin:1em 0">It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well...and wh… https://t.co/U1TSSrEDSJ</div> — Cindy McCain (@Cindy McCain)<a href="https://twitter.com/cindymccain/statuses/1353170124203675648">1611455872.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p>
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