Marjorie Taylor Greene denies wanting to stop Biden’s certification
Marjorie Taylor Greene today faced an administrative judge at a hearing that could see the Georgia Republican banned from public office because of her alleged support for the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol.
The congresswoman was questioned about the 2021 Capitol riot by lawyer Ron Fein, representing a group of voters who filed a challenge with the Georgia secretary of state’s office alleging that Ms Greene helped facilitate the attack that ultimately sought to upend Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.
They say that her behaviour violates a clause in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment and makes her ineligible to run for reelection.
Among other things, the case against the congresswoman hinges on her repeated use of a “codeword” – specifically, repeated references to the year 1776 – which the lawyers say encouraged the rioters who descended on the Capitol.
For her part, Ms Greene is appealing a federal judge’s ruling allowing a challenge to her eligibility to run for reelection to proceed and in the hour leading up to her hearing, the pro-Trump lawmaker took to Twitter to urge her fellow Republicans to “protect election integrity”.
Greene ‘gathered the kindling’
Lawyer for the challengers Andrew Celli said Rep Greene was one of those who “gathered the kindling” for the fire that was the Capitol riot.
Oliver O’Connell23 April 2022 01:30
Gaetz reacts to ‘Independence Day’ reference
Florida Representative Matt Gaetz was as incredulous as most when the challenger’s legal team not only referenced the movie Independence Day but also played a clip of the fictional president’s soaring speech that Rep Greene apparently quoted.
He even retweeted actor Randy Quaid who appeared in the movie and was equally surprised by the moment.
Oliver O’Connell23 April 2022 00:30
Greene doesn’t recall discussing imposing martial law
One might’ve thought a newly sworn-in lawmaker would remember discussing the imposition of martial law with the outgoing president.
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 23:30
Recap: Marjorie Taylor Greene evades questions on martial law, ‘traitors’ and… alien invasion movies
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday claimed not to remember who she spoke to or what she said or did in the weeks between former president Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden and the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol during a court hearing which will determine whether she is eligible to appear on the ballot in Georgia this year.
Ms Greene, who testified under oath in an administrative hearing as part of a lawsuit brought by Georgia voters who say she is ineligible to serve because she supported the pro-Trump mob that attacked Congress in hopes of preventing certification of Mr Biden’s 2020 election victory, used the phrase “I don’t recall” in excess of 50 times in response to a range of questions regarding her conduct and public statements during the run-up to the insurrection.
Andrew Feinberg reports on today’s hearing.
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 22:50
Mr Celli says Rep Greene said the quiet part out loud when she said: “You can’t allow it to transfer of power peacefully, as Joe Biden wants.”
He adds that she “comes with unclean hands” having “created the conditions that made it possible for there to be an explosion of violence at the Capitol”.
Said Mr Celli of Rep Greene, she “gathered the kindling” and “then she dropped a match”.
“And now she comes into this courtroom and says she’s surprised and appalled that a fire occurred.”
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 22:02
“American history has faced many insurrections in the past,” Mr Celli says, “and they all have the same features. Violence aimed at the processes of government.”
“People violently flooded the Capitol with the goal of striking fear in the hearts of the people who work there,” he says.
“‘Fear.’ ‘Violence.’ ‘Flooding the Capitol.’ These words came out of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s mouth.”
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 21:44
For the challengers, Andrew Celli delivers his closing argument.
He says the case breaks down into proving three points:
1) That the candidate has taken the oath of office
2) That the insurrection occurred
3) The candidate engaged and supported it
He says that the disqualification clause is about all these three things, that once the oath has been taken, a special status is conferred upon an individual and that they have responsibilities and there are consequences if you take the oath.
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 21:44
Mr Bopp concludes by saying US democracy “can’t survive these trials” and called today’s proceedings little more than a “political show trial”.
He says “we have got to put a stop to this, and this is where it should happen”.
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 21:33
Greene lawyer claims Trump ‘executive privilege’ to block question on martial law discussions
The attorney defending Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene against a lawsuit seeking to disqualify her from appearing on the 2022 midterm ballot for supporting the 6 January insurrection attempted to block her from answering a question about whether she discussed the invocation of martial law with former president Donald Trump by invoking “executive privilege”.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Oliver O’Connell22 April 2022 21:26