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Secret Service held onto January 6th threats against Nancy Pelosi until after Capitol riot, emails show
August 18, 2022
Two days before supporters of former president Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Secret Service discovered a “series of violent threats” made on social media, including against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and President Joe Biden, but did not pass them on to the Capitol Police until the evening of January 6 – after the violence of the insurrection had ended.
Let’s listen to former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow in a recent CNN interview describe just some of the issues now facing the Secret Service regarding their handling of the January 6th attacks.
The Secret Service's email messages were obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a liberal watchdog group.
“On January 4, Secret Service agents discovered a Parler account, which we’ve chosen not to name, posting a series of violent threats towards lawmakers," CREW reported. "Other profiles with the same name appeared on Twitter, MeWe, Bitchute, Youtube and Facebook.”
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“January 6 starts #1776 all over again…Fight for EVERYTHING” the account posted on Dec. 31, 2020, and listed “Enemies,” including Pelosi. The list, which was posted by a Parler user, also included Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
A Twitter post from the same day as the threat against Pelosi stated, “TIPS FOR THE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS PATRIOTS GOING TO DC TO FORCE CONGRESS TO REFUSE BIDEN’S RIGGED ELECTION.” The “tips” included admonitory comments such as “Keep MAGA gear hidden until AFTER checking in” at hotels, “DC is very BLUE and a hotbed for ANTIFA/BLM. Stay with the large group, especially at night,” and “be wary” of DC police officers.
“Biden will die shortly after being elected,” the account wrote Jan. 2nd. “Patriots are gonna tear his head off. Prison is his best case scenario.”
“We’re all on a mission to save America. Lone wolf attacks are the way to go,” read another post. “Stay anonymous. Stay alive. Guns up Patriots!!”
The Secret Service didn't pass along the threats to the Capitol Police until 5:55 pm on January 6, 2021, hours after the mob attacked the Capitol. Speaker Pelosi was at the Capitol on the 6th without any knowledge of the explicit comments which called for her harm.
The Secret Service has come under fire in recent months over deleted text messages from the days surrounding January 6th.
A former U.S. Attorney called for a full investigation into the U.S. Secret Service’s failure to share intelligence it had detailing the violent threats.
Joyce Vance, a former US Attorney who is now a law professor and NBC News legal analyst tweeted Wednesday, “This is deeply disturbing and requires a full investigation. The Capitol Police are responsible for protecting the Speaker.”
The U.S. Secret Service is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari is currently under investigation by two House Committee chairs, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who on Tuesday accused him of “obstruction.”
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Judge lets Jan. 6 attacker who stole Pelosi's laptop out to go to Renaissance festival
August 18, 2022
Most convicted felons are locked up until their time is served, but not Riley Williams. According to PennLive, the 25-year-old Capitol attacker who stole House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's laptop will be allowed out of house arrest to attend the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, a court order detailed.
Williams explained she's been doing some light cleaning while under home detention for the past year and a half.
“She is confined to her home 24/7 with exceptions. Every once in a while, if there is an activity that interests her, we ask if she can attend," her attorney explained.
But that 24/7 will be put on pause for 8 hours because Williams simply must be at the festival over the weekend.
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Prosecutors have opposed any end to her home confinement but are amenable to Williams being able to go out and about every once in a while, her lawyer explained.
Williams was arrested on Jan. 18 mere weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. She was later indicted on charges related to the stealing of Pelosi's laptop. Attackers went into Pelosi's office and wrecked her office, urinated and dedicated on her desk and terrorized staff hiding behind locked doors in a conference room.
"The FBI investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection revealed video and photos of a woman that appears to be Williams encouraging people to go inside the Capitol during the riot and directing members of the mob once inside," Penn Live also reported. "Posts and video on social media apps, apparently made by Williams, also claimed that she stole Pelosi’s laptop."
Williams hasn't been to trial yet, but she will attend a status hearing on Friday.
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DOJ counterintel chief tells court there's 'real concern for the safety of witnesses' in Trump docs case
August 18, 2022
Jay Bratt, the Chief of the Counterintelligence at the United States Department of Justice's National Security Division, told a court in Florida on Thursday that there was real reason to fear for the safety of witnesses identified in an unredacted affidavit related to the search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
As reported by the Washington Post's Jacqueline Alemany and Josh Dawsey, Bratt argued against the release of the affidavit in court on the grounds that it could undermine the DOJ's investigation.
Specifically, Bratt said that there is "real concern... for the safety of these witnesses" listed in the affidavit. He also said that revealing these witnesses could "chill other witnesses who may come forward and cooperate" with the probe.
Bratt also raised "the threat of possible obstruction and interference" with the investigation if the witnesses are revealed, which indicates the DOJ believes Trump or his allies could engage in witness tampering upon learning the witnesses' identities.
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Bratt also rejected calls for releasing a redacted version of the affidavit, as "there would be nothing of substance" after the redactions.
The DOJ has already released the search warrant and inventory from its search of Trump's resort, although Trump and his allies have called on the department to release the full affidavit that would contain more information about the witnesses who have been cooperating with the DOJ.
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