A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.
Surprise Surprise
Ivanka Trump and Don. Jr asked a judge to throw out New York Attorney General Letitia James’ subpoenas of them in her civil investigation into the former president’s businesses last night. The prosecutor wants both documents and testimony under oath from the two Trumps.
- Their lawyers pointed to the Manhattan District Attorney’s parallel criminal investigation into the Trump Organization. They accused James, who is a partner in that criminal probe, of trying to “circumvent the entire grand jury process.”
- James brushed off the Trumps’ move later on Monday, vowing on Twitter that their “delay tactics” wouldn’t stop her investigation.
Nesting Doll Of Stupid
More pro-Trump election conspiracy celebrities are at each other’s throats in yet another amazing inter-MAGAland squabble between grifters, this time featuring Arizona election audit tech “inventor” Jovan Pulitzer and ex-university professor-turned-traveling-conspiracy theorist David Clements.
- Pulitzer, who provided the so-called “technology” in the clownish audit, promised Clements he would “stab you in the face with the truth” as the former professor accused Pulitzer of grifting Trump supporters with a $250 book claiming to lay out his technology that can purportedly detect fraudulent ballots.
- Clements also pointed out a massive typo in the book title on the spine: “Kinematic Artifac [sic] Detection”
- Both men publicly posted each other’s phone numbers to inspire waves of harassment from their respective followers.
- Pulitzer also called a different critic while pretending to be a restaurant employee to offer her a “cock sandwich.”
- The ridiculous feud comes as QAnon celebrity/former Trump adviser Michael Flynn and pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood similarly try to expose each other as America’s Next Top Grifter.
Another Far-Right Paramilitary Group Ensnared In Jan. 6 Probe
It turns out there’s another MAGAland-tied extremist group under scrutiny in the House Jan. 6 select committee’s investigation, according to the New York Times: The 1st Amendment Praetorian (1AP), a paramilitary group of Special Forces veterans and ex-intelligence officials who essentially work as bodyguards for Trump supporters at rallies.
Garland To Speak On DOJ Jan. 6 Investigation
Attorney General Merrick Garland is slated to give a speech tomorrow on the status of the Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection, a day before the one-year anniversary of the attack.
- Don’t expect Garland to give any details on potential criminal charges or people who may be included in the probe, however.
- The speech promises to be pretty milquetoast, in fact: Garland’s remarks will focus on the DOJ’s “solemn duty to uphold the Constitution, follow the facts and the law and pursue equal justice under law without fear or favor,” an unnamed official told the Washington Post. La dee dah.
- More than 725 people have been arrested in connection to the insurrection so far, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
In Case You Missed Our Major Exclusive
TPM reporter Josh Kovensky uncovered Jan. 6 Trump rally organizers’ plans to hold a similar event at the Supreme Court that day before Trump’s supporters attacked the Capitol.
Corporate Donations To Big Lie GOPers Drop By Almost Two-Thirds
A good chunk of corporate donors have actually made good on their pledge to withhold contributions to the House Republicans who voted to undo the 2020 election results, according to a new analysis of Federal Election Commission filings by Popular Information.
- Corporate donations to GOP objectors running for reelection shrank dramatically from $27,205,290 in 2019 down to $11,052,925 in 2021.
- A majority of those Republican House members haven’t been able to make up for the lost corporate donations with small-donor cash.
- Only one Republican, Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), scored more corporate funds in 2021 than in 2019.
Theranos Founder Found Guilty
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the supposed blood-testing tech company Theranos, was found guilty of four out of 11 federal charges on Monday: wire fraud and defrauding investors.
Dem Rep. Bobby Rush To Retire
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who’s served in Congress since 1992 and is the only Democrat to ever defeat Barack Obama in an election, revealed on Monday that he won’t be seeking another term in 2022. The congressman represents a deeply blue district, so his departure almost certainly won’t hurt Democrats’ (still small) odds of keeping the House in the midterms.
Bolsonaro Hospitalized
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced yesterday that he’s currently in a São Paulo hospital being treated for an intestinal blockage. The Brazilian leader has had at least four surgeries after he was stabbed in 2018.
The Right-Wing Media Cesspit
Fox News host Jesse Watters, who recently urged young conservatives to ambush infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci with a rhetorical “kill shot,” flatly said the quiet part out loud yesterday when he bragged about conflict between Democrats being a boon for his network:
Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!
