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      Ron DeSantis says Trump January 6 charges would not be good for country

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      Ron DeSantis said charges against Donald Trump over his election subversion, culminating in the deadly January 6 attack on Congress, would not be good for the country.“I hope he doesn’t get charged,” the Florida governor told CNN in a much-trailed interview on Tuesday. “I don’t think it’ll be good for the country.”Earlier in the day, Trump seized the news agenda when he said he had been told he was a target of the investigation by the special counsel Jack Smith into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and had been told to appear before a federal grand jury in Washington DC on Thursday.Trump already faces 71 criminal charges, over hush-money payments and his retention of classified information.But he still leads DeSantis by around 30 points in polling regarding the Republican presidential primary while DeSantis reportedly experiences fundraising problems and staff changes.Still, when asked on CNN if Trump should be held accountable for his election subversion, culminating in the incitement of the deadly January 6 attack on Congress, DeSantis declined a chance to hit out at his rival.“So here’s the problem,” he said. “This country is going down the road of criminalising political differences. And I think that’s wrong.”The Florida governor went on to repeatedly namecheck the state-level indictment of Trump in New York over his hush-money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims an affair, and the investigation of links between Trump and Russia during the 2016 election, which closed in 2019.“As president,” he said, reaching for a Republican talking point, “my job [will be] to restore a single standard of justice, to end weaponisation of these [federal] agencies.”He added: “This country needs to have a debate about the country’s future. If I’m the nominee I will be able to focus on President [Joe] Biden’s failures, then I’ll be able to articulate a positive vision for the future.“I don’t think it serves us good to have a presidential election focused on what happened four years ago in January and so I want to focus on looking forward. I don’t want to look back, I do not want to see [Trump charged], I hope he doesn’t get charged. I don’t think it’ll be good for the country. But at the same time, I’ve got to focus on looking forward and that’s what we’re going to do.”DeSantis did look backwards to Trump’s election subversion earlier in the day, at a press conference in West Columbia, South Carolina, that was meant to focus on his rollout of a policy regarding the US military but which featured repeated questions about Trump and his extreme legal predicament.DeSantis said then: “Look, there’s a difference between being brought up on criminal charges and doing things. Like for example, I think it was shown how [Trump] was in the White House [on January 6] and didn’t do anything while things were going on [at the Capitol]. He should have come out more forcefully, of course.”Nine deaths including law enforcement suicides are now linked to the Capitol riot, which Trump incited in an attempt to block certification of his defeat by Biden and which he did nothing to call off for some hours.“But to try to criminalise that” inaction, DeSantis said, “that’s a different issue entirely.”With his announcement of developments in the Smith investigation, Trump had once again hijacked an attempt by DeSantis to reset his campaign make an impact on the campaign trail.In a statement, Jason Miller, a senior Trump advisor, called the CNN interview “an afternoon hit that nobody will watch” but said: “The real story here is that the DeSantis campaign doesn’t know how to turn things around with their current candidate.” More

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      in Elections

      Trump says he received target letter in federal January 6 investigation

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      A new indictment for Donald Trump could be imminent after the former US president announced on Tuesday morning he had received a letter from special prosecutor Jack Smith identifying him as a “target” in the justice department’s investigation into the January 6 insurrection.Trump, who is already facing criminal charges in Florida for illegally hoarding classified documents from his presidency, and prosecution in New York for a hush-money payment to an adult movie star, said his attorneys handed him the letter as he was having dinner on Sunday night.“Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter … stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and an Indictment,” Trump posted to his Truth Social website.Smith, who is also the prosecutor in the classified documents case, has been looking into Trump’s efforts to remain in office following his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden, including the deadly 6 January 2021 riot in which his supporters overran the Capitol building in Washington DC.It is unclear what the specific charges could be, but the letter gives Trump until Thursday to exercise his option to appear before a grand jury in Washington. People who receive target letters from federal authorities are often – but not always – indicted.The letter was, Trump insisted, “horrifying news” for the country, which he also claimed was an attempt by Biden to arrest “his number one political opponent”.Trump currently leads in polling for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination by a wide margin.The situation adds to Trump’s already perilous legal position as he pursues another run at the White House. As well as the Florida indictment, he has been charged in New York over an alleged hush-money payment to the adult movie star Stormy Daniels to remain quiet about their affair.Trump is also under investigation in Fulton county, Georgia, for efforts to overturn his defeat to Biden there. A decision is expected shortly from the prosecutor, Fani Willis, whether to charge him over a phone call in which he attempted to persuade Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” him enough votes to win.Georgia’s supreme court on Monday unanimously rejected a request by Trump to block Willis from prosecuting the case. His lawyers had argued that a special grand jury report that is part of the inquiry should be thrown out.In his post on Tuesday, Trump repeated unfounded claims that all the legal moves against him were politically motivated.“They have now effectively indicted me three times, with a probable fourth coming from Atlanta, where the DOJ are in strict, and possibly illegal, coordination with the District Attorney, whose record on murder and other violent crime is abysmal,” he wrote.“This witch hunt is all about election interference and complete and total political weaponization of law enforcement,” he added in all capital letters.“It is a very sad and dark period for our nation.”News of the letter from Smith comes the same day a Trump-appointed judge in Fort Pierce, Florida, holds a hearing to determine a schedule for his classified documents trial.Trump’s lawyers want to push the date beyond the 2024 election, while Smith’s team is pressing for a start date before the end of this year. More

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      Jared Kushner appeared before grand jury about Trump’s efforts to overturn election

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      Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was among several witnesses to testify before a grand jury in recent weeks about the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, US media reported on Thursday.Testifying at a federal courthouse in Washington DC last month, Kushner, a former White House adviser to Trump, said it was his impression that Trump truly believed the 2020 election was stolen, the New York Times reported, citing a person briefed on the matter.CNN, which confirmed the Times’ reporting, reported that former Trump aide Hope Hicks also testified before the grand jury.Other former Trump allies have already appeared before the grand jury. In April, Mike Pence testified for seven hours behind closed doors, meaning the details of what he told the prosecutors in the case remain uncertain.Jack Smith, the special counsel, was appointed by the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, last November to take over two justice department investigations involving Trump.In one case, Trump was indicted over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in January 2021. He pleaded not guilty. The second is an investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 US election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.A spokesperson for Smith’s office declined to comment on the New York Times report. A representative for Kushner could not immediately be reached for comment.Trump, the frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, faces mounting legal problems. Prosecutors in New York City charged him in April in a case involving an alleged 2016 hush-money payment to an adult film star.Trump has repeatedly and falsely claimed that he won the 2020 election and that Biden’s win resulted from fraud. Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s win. In a reversal of its position, the justice department this week said Trump can be held personally liable for remarks he made about the writer E Jean Carroll, who says he sexually attacked her in the mid-1990s. More

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      Fox News faces another defamation lawsuit involving Tucker Carlson

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      Fox News was hit with a defamation lawsuit on Wednesday by Trump supporter Ray Epps after former host Tucker Carlson repeatedly called Epps an undercover FBI agent who orchestrated the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.Carlson said Epps, an Arizona resident and former marine, “helped stage-manage the insurrection” – a conspiracy he broadcast in nearly 20 episodes.Carlson also told viewers that Epps was recorded urging the mob to enter the Capitol building, but that he never entered himself.Epps’s lawsuit, which was filed in Delaware, comes months after the conservative network’s parent organization settled a defamation lawsuit for $787.5m with Dominion Voting Systems for spreading falsehoods about the outcome of the 2020 election.Epps claims he and his wife, Robyn, have received death threats and that their lives were ruined because of Carlson’s conspiracies.The lawsuit reads: “As Fox recently learned in its litigation against Dominion Voting Systems, its lies have consequences.”The lawsuit describes Epps as a “loyal Fox viewer and Trump supporter” and refuted the notion he was a federal agent.Before the lawsuit, Epps’s lawyer Michael Teter sent Fox News a cease-and-desist letter, demanding an on-air apology and retraction of the conspiracy theory. Teter said the network did not respond to the letter.Legal experts noted earlier this week that while Epps will have to prove that Carlson’s claims damaged his reputation, he presents a strong argument and therefore likely has standing.David D Lin of the Lewis & Lin LLC law firm said he believes “there is a lot of potential risk here to Fox and they need to take the claims very seriously,” before adding that Carlson could be personally liable if the suit included him.Epps could face charges himself for his role in the January 6 insurrection. He was questioned by the House January 6 committee, though the investigation is still ongoing. More

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      in Elections

      Fox News may face lawsuit over Tucker Carlson’s January 6 conspiracy theory

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      Experts say conservative network Fox News could face a “a fairly strong” lawsuit from a man who Tucker Carlson repeatedly accused of working as a government agent and carrying out the January 6 insurrection.Carlson, who was fired from the network in April, repeatedly alleged that Ray Epps was a secret government agent who coordinated the January 6 riots, the New York Times reported.Epps, a Trump supporter and former marine, has been at the center of a far-right conspiracy theory after an article by a rightwing website argued that he was spared from criminal charges because of his covert role.Carlson and other rightwing figures, including members of Congress, have latched onto the false theory that Epps was a government agent involved in whipping up the January 6 attack.In almost 20 episodes of his talkshow, Carlson reiterated the conspiracy theory that Epps was an undercover operative who “helped stage-manage the insurrection”.Carlson repeatedly argued that Epps was recorded on camera urging others to enter the Capitol, but never entered the building himself.In one 10-minute video posted to YouTube, Carlson claimed that it was “highly strange” that Epps hadn’t been arrested and alluded that the Times’ coverage on Epps was attempting to “cover something up”.Epps has been questioned by the January 6 committee, and could still face charges as the investigation continues, the Times reported. He and his wife have received death threats and fled from their home in Arizona, fearing for their safety, according to the Associated Press.Michael Teter, a lawyer representing Epps, sent Fox News network a cease-and-desist letter, demanding an on-air apology and a retraction of the conspiracy theory, the Times reported.Teter told the Times that Fox did not respond to their suit, and a lawsuit is being prepared against the network.Experts have said that Epps’ potential case against Fox News could have standing and become a real issue for the conservative news network.David D Lin, an attorney at Lewis and Lin LLC Internet Law Counsel, told the Guardian that Epps’ lawsuit against Fox could be viable and present a potential issue for the network.“I think there is a lot of potential risk here to Fox and they need to take the claims very seriously,” said Lin to the Guardian, adding that Carlson could be personally liable depending on if the lawsuit includes him.Siddartha Rao, a lawyer at Romano Law PLLC, called the potential suit “a fairly strong claim”.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion“Based on the facts that have been reported, I think it’s gonna look like Tucker Carlson at least recklessly disregarded the truth when he made his statements about Mr Epps,” said Rao, adding that Epps will have to demonstrate how his reputation has been damaged by the theories.Rao noted that given that Epps did attend the January 6 riots, the focus of his legal team may be on Carlson’s conspiracy theory of Epps’ being a federal agent.Unlike Dominion, which is a business, Epps is a private individual who will have to meet a lower standard for defamation suits compared to a public figure or government official, said Lin.“In a sense, it could be much easier for him to pursue a defamation claim against Fox News,” said Lin, adding that Epps needs to prove the statements made on Fox are false and caused damage to his reputation and financial damage.Lin added that if a lawsuit moves forward, Fox News could argue that statements made about Epps were an opinion or that the claims would be regarded as obviously false to listeners.Rao noted that while the lawsuit will likely be against Fox, Carlson could face consequences as an individual, depending on his arrangement with Fox.“There might be claims from Fox to come out against Carlson,” said Rao, given that the alleged defamation happened during his show.Fox News and Tucker Carlson could not be reached by the Guardian for an immediate comment. More

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      in US Politics

      Man accused of attacking Capitol officer as January 6 arrests pile up

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      Americans continue to be arrested on suspicion of taking part in the Capitol attack, two and half years after the January 6 insurrection by supporters of Donald Trump.Court documents on Monday showed that a Michigan man accused of attacking a police officer with a flagpole during the insurrection was arrested in Florida last Friday, a day after an armed man also wanted for the rioting was arrested near Barack Obama’s Washington home. Another man suspected of violence at the Capitol was arrested in Maryland last month.Latest filings show that Jeremy Rodgers, 28, was arrested last Friday in Orlando and faces felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a federal officer with a weapon.Prosecutors say surveillance video shows Rodgers carrying a blue flag on his way to the Capitol and using it to strike a Capitol police officer on the helmet and then swinging the flagpole in the direction of officers, during the swarming of the seat of the US Congress.He is accused of joining with thousands of other Trump supporters who invaded the Capitol in a deadly insurrection that sought, ultimately unsuccessfully, to halt the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 election, at the urging of the defeated president.Rodgers was among a crowd pushing through police lines outside the entrance to the chamber of the House of Representatives, investigators said. After another scuffle with police, Rodgers paraded through the Capitol rotunda waving his flag before leaving, officials said.Last Thursday, a man armed with explosive materials and weapons, and also wanted for crimes related to the Capitol attack insurrection was arrested in the Washington neighborhood where Obama lives, law enforcement officials said.Taylor Taranto, 37, was chased by Secret Service agents before being apprehended, and had an open warrant on charges related to the 2021 insurrection, two law enforcement officials said, and also had made social media threats against a public figure.Meanwhile, on 13 June, Adam Obest, 42, of Thurmont, Maryland, was arrested and charged with crimes including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon on January 6, 2021, after reviews of police body camera footage, federal prosecutors announced. He and his wife had attended Trump’s rally shortly beforehand.More than 1,000 people in total have been arrested, across almost all states, for January 6-related crimes. More

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      in Elections

      Armed man wanted for role in Capitol attack arrested near Obama’s house

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      A man armed with explosive materials and weapons, and wanted for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, was arrested late on Thursday in the Washington DC neighborhood where the former US president Barack Obama lives, law enforcement officials said.Taylor Taranto, 37, was spotted by law enforcement officials a few blocks from the former president’s home and fled, though he was chased by Secret Service agents. Taranto has an open warrant on charges related to the insurrection, two law enforcement officials said. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing case and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.They said Taranto also had made social media threats against a public figure. He was found with weapons and materials to create an explosive device, though one had not been built, one of the officials said.No one was injured. It was not clear whether the Obamas were at their home at the time of the arrest.Washington’s Metropolitan police department arrested Taranto on charges of being a fugitive from justice. The explosives team swept Taranto’s van and said there were no threats to the public.Taranto was a US navy veteran and a webmaster for the Republican party in Franklin county, in Washington state, according to the Tri-City Herald newspaper. He told the newspaper in an interview last year that he was volunteering for the Republican party.It was not clear what, exactly, Taranto is accused of doing in the 2021 riot, where supporters of then president Donald Trump smashed their way into the Capitol, beat police officers and pursued leading politicians, while also invading a congressional chamber in a vain effort to overturn Trump’s defeat at the 2020 presidential election before Joe Biden’s victory being certified by Congress.More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol attack. More than 600 of them have pleaded guilty, while approximately 100 others have been convicted after trials decided by judges or juries. More than 550 riot defendants have been sentenced, with over half imprisoned. More

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      in US Politics

      US intelligence ignored warnings of violence ahead of Capitol attack

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      A new report detailing intelligence failures leading up to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol said government agencies responsible for anticipating trouble downplayed the threat even as the building was being stormed, in an attempt to stop certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.The 105-page report, issued by Democrats on the Senate homeland security committee, said intelligence personnel at the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies ignored warnings of violence in December 2020.Such officials then blamed each other for failing to prevent the attack that ensued, which left more than 140 police officers injured and led to several deaths.The US government has won hundreds of convictions against the rioters, with some getting long prison sentences.“These agencies failed to sound the alarm and share critical intelligence information that could have helped law enforcement better prepare for the events” of January 6, said Gary Peters of Michigan, the Democratic chair of the committee issuing the report, titled Planned in Plain Sight, A Review of the Intelligence Failures in Advance of 6 January 2021.Republicans on the committee did not respond to requests for comment.Last summer, a House of Representatives select committee held hearings, following a long investigation, that concluded the then president, Donald Trump, repeatedly ignored top aides’ findings that there was no significant fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which he lost.Trump continues to falsely insist he won that contest and was the victim of election fraud. Hours before the riot, Trump delivered a fiery speech to supporters, urging them to march to the Capitol as the House and Senate met to certify Biden’s win.Trump is now the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. He and some Republican rivals have pledged to grant or consider granting pardons to rioters.The Senate committee found that in December 2020, the FBI received information that the far-right Proud Boys extremist group planned to be in Washington “to literally kill people”.On 3-4 January 2021, the report says, intelligence agencies knew of multiple postings on social media calling for armed violence and storming the Capitol. Yet “as late as 8.57am on January 6 a senior watch officer at the DHS National Operations Center wrote “there is no indication of civil disobedience”.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionBy 2.58pm, the report noted, with a riot declared and the Capitol in formal lockdown, the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis noted online “chatter” calling for more violence but said “at this time no credible information to pass on has been established”.In summer 2020, demonstrations were staged in several US cities after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer. The Senate report notes that the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis was criticized then for “over-collecting intelligence on American citizens”, resulting “in a ‘pendulum swing’ after which analysts were hesitant to report open-source intelligence they were seeing in the lead-up to January 6”.The report concluded there was a “clear need … for a re-evaluation of the federal government’s domestic intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination processes”. More