Gideon Rubin

An Arizona Republican elections official who has faced threats over the 2020 election on Friday lamented that his party would even consider nominating Donald Trump for president next year.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer delivered his comments during an appearance on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” during a discussion over whether 14^th Amendment could be used to keep the former president off the ballot.

Legal scholars argue that Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol precludes him from holding public office. ...

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Friday appealed a federal judge’s denial of his attempt to remove his case to federal court, according to court documents obtained by MSBNC legal analyst Katie Phang.

Meadows is among 19 co-defendants along with Donald Trump who were indicted last month on allegations they tried to overturn the state’s 2020 election. They are being charged under the state’s racketeering law.

He had sought to remove his case to federal court, but U.S. District Judge Steve Jones earlier in the day shot down legal arguments his lawyers made on his behalf, noting that “has not met even the ‘quite low’ threshold” for such removal....

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is facing calls to step down from his own party after the senate minority leader’s latest health scare, Salon reports.

The calls for McConnell to step down follow his freezing during a news conference last month for the second time this summer, according to the report, which was published under the headline “Knives out for Mitch: Republicans target a weakened McConnell after he freezes up for a second time.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Thursday became the latest Republican to call for McConnell to step down, saying he questions McConnell’s ability to serve, likening his concerns about one of his party’s top officials to those he's expressed about President Joe Biden. ...

Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years in prison earlier this week in connection with Jan. 6, claims federal prosecutors offered him leniency if he could provide information implicating Donald Trump, The New York Times reports.

Tarrio, 39 of Miami, was found guilty in May of seditious conspiracy in connection with the attack on the Capitol.

Tarrio in an phone interview from a jail where he’s being held, told The Times that federal prosecutors contacted him in October and that during a subsequent meeting with him and his lawyer they told him they believed the former president had contacted him through at least three intermediaries ahead of the insurrection, The Times reports....

A Texas group that supports Ken Paxton is paying influencers to write social media posts supporting the embattled state attorney general amid his impeachment trial, Texas Monthly reports.

Russell Gold writes for Texas Monthly that he himself cashed in on the $50-per post initiative and was paid for two posts. He was specifically asked to post in favor of Paxton beating back the impeachment efforts.

Paxton was impeached earlier this year on allegations of bribery and abuse of office. If convicted in the impeachment trial that began this week, he could be removed and potentially barred from office.
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