thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Joe Biden Alleges Trump Administration Obstructing National Security Transition

“ We have encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget , ” Biden said during a speech in Delaware .
“ Right now , we just aren ’ t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas.
” Emily Murphy , the administrator of the General Services Administration and a Trump appointee , waited weeks after Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election to officially certify him as such .
Her obstruction meant that Biden and his team were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin planning an orderly transition .
Biden gave an update Monday on his transition and work with the federal agencies .
In some agencies , he said , he and his team have “ received exemplary cooperation from the career staff.
” But “ from others , most notably the Department of Defense , we encountered obstruction from the political leadership , ” he said .
The Washington Post reported this month that Trump administration officials were blocking Biden officials from meeting with officials at intelligence agencies overseen by the Pentagon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back , saying officials are “ fully cooperating with the Biden transition team , placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.
” Biden also said Monday that many critical national security agencies have “ incurred enormous damage ” under Trump and are “ hollowed out ” in terms of personnel , capacity , morale and policy processes .
With a pandemic , hacks into government networks and other strategic challenges , Biden said it ’ s crucial to make sure there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on everyone ’ s part .
“ Right now , as our nation is in a period of transition , we need to make sure that nothing is lost in the handoff between administrations , ” he said .
“ My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and of our operations to deter our enemies .
We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try @ @ @ @

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President-elect Joe Biden on Monday said President Donald Trump’s administration is blocking his transition planning in key areas of national security.
“We have encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget,” Biden said during a speech in Delaware. “Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas.”
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“It’s nothing short of irresponsible,” he added.
Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration and a Trump appointee, waited weeks after Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election to officially certify him as such. Her obstruction meant that Biden and his team were unable to access government funding and resources to begin planning an orderly transition.
Biden gave an update Monday on his transition and work with the federal agencies. In some agencies, he said, he and his team have “received exemplary cooperation from the career staff.”
But “from others, most notably the Department of Defense, we encountered obstruction from the political leadership,” he said.
The Washington Post reported this month that Trump administration officials were blocking Biden officials from meeting with officials at intelligence agencies overseen by the Pentagon.
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In a statement to HuffPost, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said the Pentagon has conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials and provided over 5,000 pages of documents to the Biden transition team.
“DoD’s efforts already surpass those of recent administrations with over three weeks to go and we continue to schedule additional meetings for the remainder of the transition and answer any and all requests for information in our purview,” he said. “Our DoD political and career officials have been working with the utmost professionalism to support transition activities in a compressed time schedule and they will continue to do so in a transparent and collegial manner that upholds the finest traditions of the Department. The American people expect nothing less and that is what I remain committed to.”
Biden also said Monday that many critical national security agencies have “incurred enormous damage” under Trump and are “hollowed out” in terms of personnel, capacity, morale and policy processes.
With a pandemic, hacks into government networks and other strategic challenges, Biden said it’s crucial to make sure there is a smooth transition ― and full cooperation on everyone’s part.
“Right now, as our nation is in a period of transition, we need to make sure that nothing is lost in the handoff between administrations,” he said. “My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and of our operations to deter our enemies. We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Trump’s Ego Could Cost Millions Of Unemployed Americans A Week Of Aid

Congress passed a COVID-19 relief bill last week after months of negotiations .
The emergency relief came at the last minute ― the federal programs Congress created earlier this year to help Americans who lost their jobs due to the pandemic expired on Dec. 26 .
But Trump , who had shown little interest in participating in COVID-19 relief discussions , cast doubt on the package in the eleventh hour and essentially threatened to veto it unless Congress reconvened to negotiate a new deal .
Trump caved on his demands , begrudgingly signing the bill on Sunday night .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans , although experts are still sorting out the potential damage .
The worst case would be for unemployment recipients to miss out on one week of the extra $ 300 included in the bill , according to Michele Evermore , an unemployment policy expert with the National Employment Law Project .
That would mean 10 weeks of extra federal employment benefits rather than the 11 included in the legislation .
States may , however , be able to rectify the situation by modifying the dates of the new benefits programs with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back pay .
But that would take time to implement , likely causing a delay in people receiving their checks , Evermore said .
President Donald Trump delayed in signing a COVID-19 relief bill that Congress passed last week , which could cost millions of unemployed Americans a full week of aid .
“ For families wondering how they will pay January rent or buy groceries , a weeks-long delay could have serious consequences , ” Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) , the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a huge relief that the bill is signed , Donald Trump ’ s tantrum has created unnecessary hardship and stress for millions of families.
” The president ’ s outburst was at odds with his own party and administration , which had painstakingly negotiated the bill for months .
But it also could have thrown the country into chaos — refusal to sign the bill would have caused a government shutdown , delayed distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and slowed down stimulus payments .
Trump criticized the bill last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ wasteful ” and calling the coronavirus provisions inadequate .
He said he wouldn ’ t support the bill unless Congress increased direct stimulus payments ― which supports a big push from Democratic lawmakers ― and eliminated several foreign aid provisions .
The law includes relief for small businesses , money for vaccine procurement and distribution , and aid for K-12 schools , colleges and universities .
It will also provide $ 300 a week in unemployment until mid-March , as well as a $ 600 direct payment to Americans earning under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress with veto-proof majorities : 359-53 in the House and 92-6 in the Senate .

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President Donald Trump dragged his feet in signing a new COVID-19 relief bill, which could cost over 14 million unemployed Americans a full week of aid.
Congress passed a COVID-19 relief bill last week after months of negotiations. The emergency relief came at the last minute ― the federal programs Congress created earlier this year to help Americans who lost their jobs due to the pandemic expired on Dec. 26. But Trump, who had shown little interest in participating in COVID-19 relief discussions, cast doubt on the package in the eleventh hour and essentially threatened to veto it unless Congress reconvened to negotiate a new deal. Trump caved on his demands, begrudgingly signing the bill on Sunday night.
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His delay will have real-life consequences for millions of Americans, although experts are still sorting out the potential damage. The worst case would be for unemployment recipients to miss out on one week of the extra $300 included in the bill, according to Michele Evermore, an unemployment policy expert with the National Employment Law Project. That would mean 10 weeks of extra federal employment benefits rather than the 11 included in the legislation.
States may, however, be able to rectify the situation by modifying the dates of the new benefits programs with the Department of Labor and allowing for back pay. But that would take time to implement, likely causing a delay in people receiving their checks, Evermore said.
President Donald Trump delayed in signing a COVID-19 relief bill that Congress passed last week, which could cost millions of unemployed Americans a full week of aid. Al Drago via Getty Images
“For families wondering how they will pay January rent or buy groceries, a weeks-long delay could have serious consequences,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said Sunday in a statement. “While it’s a huge relief that the bill is signed, Donald Trump’s tantrum has created unnecessary hardship and stress for millions of families.”
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The president’s outburst was at odds with his own party and administration, which had painstakingly negotiated the bill for months. But it also could have thrown the country into chaos — refusal to sign the bill would have caused a government shutdown, delayed distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and slowed down stimulus payments.
Trump criticized the bill last week, saying the government spending Congress passed was “wasteful” and calling the coronavirus provisions inadequate. He said he wouldn’t support the bill unless Congress increased direct stimulus payments ― which supports a big push from Democratic lawmakers ― and eliminated several foreign aid provisions.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--House Passes $2,000 Coronavirus Stimulus Check Legislation

After President Donald Trump reluctantly signed the coronavirus relief legislation Sunday night , House Democrats still moved ahead Monday with passing new legislation to increase stimulus checks to $ 2,000 for most Americans , putting Republicans on the record as opposing the increase in direct payments .
The bill put Republicans in an awkward bind : Go against a president who they ’ ve been so reluctant to cross or go against their party ’ s leadership and side with Democrats .
Trump has shown that he wants more than the current $ 600 payments that individuals who earn less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the measure that became law Sunday night .
But his messaging has been inconsistent , and he ’ s shown that he ’ s prone to changing his mind quickly .
The bill that passed the House on Monday would substitute the $ 600 checks that are scheduled go out shortly for $ 2,000 checks for individuals or $ 4,000 for couples making less than $ 150,000 .
Though most Republicans opposed the legislation Monday night , most also didn ’ t have much to say in opposition to the bill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor debate , Ways and Means chair Richard Neal ( D-Mass . )
― noted that he was disappointed more Republicans hadn ’ t come to the floor to speak on the record .
“ For me , I worry that this whopping $ 463 billion won ’ t do what ’ s needed : Stimulate the economy or get the jobless back to work , ” Rep. Kevin Brady ( R-Texas ) , the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee , said at the outset of debate Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he opposed the legislation because “ the small shopkeeper who ’ s lost their entire savings because of the lockdowns will get the same $ 2,000 grant as the government bureaucrat who ’ s been enjoying a steady paycheck at home for the past 10 months.
” McClintock didn ’ t note the hundreds of billions of dollars Congress has appropriated for small businesses in multiple rounds of legislation , nor did he note that 46 % of lower-income adults have said they ’ ve had trouble paying their bills since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of U.S. adults who said they or someone in their household had lost their job during the deadly COVID-19 outbreak .
Although Trump signed the coronavirus relief legislation that authorized the $ 600 checks on Sunday night , he was clear he still supported increasing the one-time direct payments to $ 2,000 and that he had commitments from Senate GOP leaders to “ start the process for a vote ” on that proposal .
In Senate-speak , that may not mean much , pointing to how little Trump actually got in exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely put Senate Republicans on the record in some fashion , perhaps on a procedural vote for the $ 2,000 relief checks at some point .
Either way , the vote in the House on Monday put Republicans on the record .
And it brings the legislation one step closer to actually becoming law .
But it ’ s unlikely that Senate Republicans will actually go along with the gambit , even though Trump is pushing for increased stimulus payments .
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said , Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to see enacted .
“ I hope that that view will be shared by Republicans in the Senate , ” she said .

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After President Donald Trump reluctantly signed the coronavirus relief legislation Sunday night, House Democrats still moved ahead Monday with passing new legislation to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 for most Americans, putting Republicans on the record as opposing the increase in direct payments.
The House passed the stimulus check legislation 275-134, with 130 Republicans, two Democrats and two independents voting no, and 231 Democrats and 44 Republicans voting yes.
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The bill put Republicans in an awkward bind: Go against a president who they’ve been so reluctant to cross or go against their party’s leadership and side with Democrats.
Trump has shown that he wants more than the current $600 payments that individuals who earn less than $75,000 a year will receive under the measure that became law Sunday night. But his messaging has been inconsistent, and he’s shown that he’s prone to changing his mind quickly.
The bill that passed the House on Monday would substitute the $600 checks that are scheduled go out shortly for $2,000 checks for individuals or $4,000 for couples making less than $150,000.
Though most Republicans opposed the legislation Monday night, most also didn’t have much to say in opposition to the bill. At one point, the Democrat leading the floor debate, Ways and Means chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) ― noted that he was disappointed more Republicans hadn’t come to the floor to speak on the record.
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Of the Republicans who did speak, most argued that the aid wasn’t targeted enough.
“For me, I worry that this whopping $463 billion won’t do what’s needed: Stimulate the economy or get the jobless back to work,” Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, said at the outset of debate Monday night.
Brady said the money would go toward paying credit card companies or making “new purchases online at Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon.”
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said he opposed the legislation because “the small shopkeeper who’s lost their entire savings because of the lockdowns will get the same $2,000 grant as the government bureaucrat who’s been enjoying a steady paycheck at home for the past 10 months.”
McClintock didn’t note the hundreds of billions of dollars Congress has appropriated for small businesses in multiple rounds of legislation, nor did he note that 46% of lower-income adults have said they’ve had trouble paying their bills since the coronavirus pandemic started, nor the 25% of U.S. adults who said they or someone in their household had lost their job during the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
Another thing Republicans avoided discussing: the president.
Although Trump signed the coronavirus relief legislation that authorized the $600 checks on Sunday night, he was clear he still supported increasing the one-time direct payments to $2,000 and that he had commitments from Senate GOP leaders to “start the process for a vote” on that proposal.
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In Senate-speak, that may not mean much, pointing to how little Trump actually got in exchange for his signature. But it will likely put Senate Republicans on the record in some fashion, perhaps on a procedural vote for the $2,000 relief checks at some point.
Either way, the vote in the House on Monday put Republicans on the record. And it brings the legislation one step closer to actually becoming law. But it’s unlikely that Senate Republicans will actually go along with the gambit, even though Trump is pushing for increased stimulus payments.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Trump Mocked For Posting Campaign Ad 7 Weeks After Losing Election

Although Donald Trump lost the presidential election nearly eight weeks ago , he is apparently still campaigning .
On Monday , the president tweeted out a video highlighting various moments from his presidency that actually did happen , such as the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — as well as some things that didn ’ t , like his nonexistent Nobel Peace Prize .
The video is red meat for Trump ’ s base , so maybe it ’ s no surprise that the whole thing is a riff on the beef industry ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s For Dinner ” ads from the 1990s , from the background music to the tagline “ Trump : He ’ s What ’ s For America.
” Not surprisingly , many Twitter users had a beef with Trump ’ s video .
It is not normal for the president to share campaign videos nearly two months after he decisively lost https : //t.co/rhB9fXjZwL — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) December 28 , 2020 Looks like a campaign ad .
Too bad the election was over in early November .
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JaviCNN ) December 28 , 2020 a ) This is ludicrous , revisionist horseshit , and b ) You can claim to stand for whatever the hell you like , pal , but you still lost , your turn is over , you 're done , and goodbye .
https : //t.co/4HCbIEFSNg — Michael Marshall Smith ( @ ememess ) December 28 , 2020 Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Although Donald Trump lost the presidential election nearly eight weeks ago, he is apparently still campaigning.
On Monday, the president tweeted out a video highlighting various moments from his presidency that actually did happen, such as the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — as well as some things that didn’t, like his nonexistent Nobel Peace Prize.
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The video is red meat for Trump’s base, so maybe it’s no surprise that the whole thing is a riff on the beef industry’s “Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner” ads from the 1990s, from the background music to the tagline “Trump: He’s What’s For America.”
Not surprisingly, many Twitter users had a beef with Trump’s video.
It is not normal for the president to share campaign videos nearly two months after he decisively lost https://t.co/rhB9fXjZwL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 28, 2020
Looks like a campaign ad. Too bad the election was over in early November. https://t.co/WLoggdDTYv — Javier de Diego (@JaviCNN) December 28, 2020
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Trump's team is trolling him. https://t.co/glkcAa0l3w — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 28, 2020
Your taxpayer dollars at work. Propaganda videos for the lame-duck president. https://t.co/eBknMlu6H5 — Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) December 28, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Trump's D.C. Hotel Appears To Concede Election By Unblocking Hotel Rooms

President Donald Trump has yet to concede the election to Joe Biden , but it looks like his Washington , @ @ @ @ @ longer holding its breath ― er , rooms .
The Trump International Hotel had blocked @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 16-20 , presumably in anticipation of his inauguration , according to 1100Pennsylvania.com , a @ @ @ @ @ Everson that details goings-on at the hotel .
But according to Everson , those rooms @ @ @ @ @ and are now available for between $ 886 and $ 2,225 a night .
The @ @ @ @ @ than the ones for Jan. 5–6 .
Trump has teased an event for Jan. 6 @ @ @ @ @ College votes will be counted in Congress .
The Trump International did not immediately respond @ @ @ @ @ for comment on the newly available rooms .
Trump has faced several ethics controversies and @ @ @ @ @ hotel because it is located in the government-owned Old Post Office building and he personally @ @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump has yet to concede the election to Joe Biden, but it looks like his Washington, D.C., hotel is no longer holding its breath ― er, rooms.
The Trump International Hotel had blocked rooms from being booked during Jan. 16-20, presumably in anticipation of his inauguration, according to 1100Pennsylvania.com, a newsletter by investigative journalist Zach Everson that details goings-on at the hotel.
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But according to Everson, those rooms were unblocked this past weekend and are now available for between $886 and $2,225 a night.
The room rates are notably cheaper than the ones for Jan. 5–6. Trump has teased an event for Jan. 6, the day the Electoral College votes will be counted in Congress.
See you in Washington, DC, on January 6th. Don’t miss it. Information to follow! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2020
The Trump International did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the newly available rooms.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Pennsylvania’s Lt. Gov. Keeps Trolling Texas Counterpart Over $1M Voter Fraud Offer

Although President Donald Trump triumphed in Texas in the November election , Patrick ’ s offer apparently aimed to buttress baseless and false claims by Trump and his allies of mass voter fraud in other key states that Democrat Joe Biden carried in winning the White House .
In one of those states ― Pennsylvania ― a high-profile case emerged in which a man admitted to illegally casting a ballot for Trump in the name of his dead mother .
The suspect also registered his dead mother-in-law to vote , with the intention of casting another ballot for the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state in which a man soght to vote for Trump through his deceased mom .
Fetterman has been pressing his assertion that these cases should qualify him for Patrick ’ s jackpot .
He ’ s been trolling Patrick on Twitter asking for the loot , saying he would donate it to food banks in his state .
He really threw out all of the stops on Monday , going after Patrick in a bitter Twitter thread that included lots of “ Family Guy ” references .
Fetterman told The Houston Chronicle his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discredit the unfounded contentions that the election was rigged , claims that court after court across the nation have rejected .
He also admitted that he has been amused by the Pennsylvania voter fraud cases that involved Trump supporters .
“ While it ’ s undoubtedly and undeniably hilarious these cases involved Trump voters and their dead mothers , it ’ s irrelevant because it documents how truly rare voter fraud is and how impossible it is to truly pull it off , ” Fetterman told the newspaper .
HuffPost reached out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment about the reward money , but no one immediately responded .
“ It is not clear why Lt. Gov .
Fetterman continues on this topic since Democrats don ’ t believe in voter fraud — unless it ’ s the Russians , ” the spokesperson told the outlet .
The latter part of the comment apparently refers to documented interference by the Russians in the 2016 election that plagued Trump during much of his term .

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Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, has an ongoing demand for his Republican counterpart in Texas: Where’s my money?
Last month, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick offered a $1 million to “incentivize, encourage and reward” people for reports of voter fraud in Texas.
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Although President Donald Trump triumphed in Texas in the November election, Patrick’s offer apparently aimed to buttress baseless and false claims by Trump and his allies of mass voter fraud in other key states that Democrat Joe Biden carried in winning the White House.
In one of those states ― Pennsylvania ― a high-profile case emerged in which a man admitted to illegally casting a ballot for Trump in the name of his dead mother. The suspect also registered his dead mother-in-law to vote, with the intention of casting another ballot for the president. A similar case surfaced in the state in which a man sought to vote for Trump through his deceased mom.
Fetterman has been pressing his assertion that these cases should qualify him for Patrick’s jackpot. He’s been trolling Patrick on Twitter asking for the loot, saying he would donate it to food banks in his state.
He really threw out all of the stops on Monday, going after Patrick in a bitter Twitter thread that included lots of “Family Guy” references.
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PA wants its money https://t.co/KD58IZXAyT — John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 28, 2020
PA to my dude: pic.twitter.com/u6z5fkjQ8H — John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 28, 2020
Man asks for voter fraud. 🔴
Man gets two dead moms in PA 🟡voting for Trump.
PA needs those dollars now. 🟢 — John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 28, 2020
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Fetterman told The Houston Chronicle his trolling campaign against Patrick is partly meant to discredit the unfounded contentions that the election was rigged, claims that court after court across the nation have rejected.
He also admitted that he has been amused by the Pennsylvania voter fraud cases that involved Trump supporters.
“While it’s undoubtedly and undeniably hilarious these cases involved Trump voters and their dead mothers, it’s irrelevant because it documents how truly rare voter fraud is and how impossible it is to truly pull it off,” Fetterman told the newspaper.
HuffPost reached out to Patrick’s office for a comment about the reward money, but no one immediately responded.
A Patrick spokesperson did get back to MSNBC.com.
“It is not clear why Lt. Gov. Fetterman continues on this topic since Democrats don’t believe in voter fraud — unless it’s the Russians,” the spokesperson told the outlet. The latter part of the comment apparently refers to documented interference by the Russians in the 2016 election that plagued Trump during much of his term.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--GOP Congressman Sues Mike Pence In Long-Shot Effort To Overturn Biden's Victory

Rep. Louie Gohmert ( R-Texas ) filed the lawsuit on Sunday with 11 Arizona residents whom the state ’ s Republican Party had nominated to serve as electors if Trump had won there .
The lawsuit filed in Texas federal court asks a Trump-appointed judge to throw out the rules that govern how Congress will count the electoral votes next week .
Pence is responsible for presiding over the Jan. 6 joint session , where the Electoral College votes for Biden and Trump will be tallied .
Electors already cast their votes two weeks ago , giving 306 votes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate needs 270 votes to win the election .
The lawsuit argues that the Electoral Count Act of 1887 is unconstitutional because it clashes with the 12th Amendment , which details the process for electing the president and vice president .
Gohmert alleges that the Electoral Count Act prevents Pence from exercising total authority to choose which electoral votes count .
The law has long governed the process of counting electoral votes with little resistance , but Gohmert and his fellow Republicans in the suit hope that the legal effort will allow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors and instead count Trump ’ s losing ones .
The lawsuit asks the court to find that Pence “ in his capacity as President of Senate and Presiding Officer of the January 6 , 2021 Joint Session of Congress under the Twelfth Amendment … may exercise the exclusive authority and sole discretion in determining which electoral votes to count for a given State , and must ignore and may not rely on any provisions of the Electoral Count Act that would limit his exclusive authority and his sole discretion to determine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slates of Republican electors from the Contested States.
” Even though Biden was the certified winner in battleground states like Arizona , Pennsylvania and Michigan , Republicans who would have been Trump ’ s electors met anyway and tried to cast their votes to reelect the current president .
The group of such electors from Arizona are hoping Pence and GOP lawmakers will treat those unofficial votes as equal to the slates that were certified in states Trump lost .
While the lawsuit likely won ’ t gain momentum in court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision : either contest the lawsuit and face the wrath of Trump and his GOP allies , or support it and make obvious his intention to overturn results of an election that showed no evidence of being rigged or fraudulent .
The vice president has engaged with GOP lawmakers who are trying to reverse Biden ’ s win , but he has not publicly voiced his opinion on the issue .
He also has not hinted at how he plans to handle presiding over the Jan. 6 session meant to certify Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gohmert said he will be one of the House Republicans in the joint session who plan to challenge Biden ’ s electors from battleground states .
Dozens of other GOP congressmen plan to follow Gohmert , and at least one Republican senator-elect ― Alabama ’ s Tommy Tuberville ― has indicated he could join them .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has tried to discourage his caucus from participating in the challenges , and second-ranking Republican leader Sen. John Thune ( S.D . )
faced backlash from Trump after telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results would fail .
Under the Electoral Count Act , which Gohmert is challenging , a congressional chamber would have to come to a vote if even a single member of each branch challenges electors from multiple states .
But such a challenge would likely fail under the current rules because the Democratic-led House would vote to uphold Biden ’ s victory , and several GOP senators have indicated that they don ’ t plan to support Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the election .

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A Republican congressman from Texas has teamed up with Arizona’s would-be GOP electors to sue Vice President Mike Pence in a long-shot effort to reverse President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) filed the lawsuit on Sunday with 11 Arizona residents whom the state’s Republican Party had nominated to serve as electors if Trump had won there. The lawsuit filed in Texas federal court asks a Trump-appointed judge to throw out the rules that govern how Congress will count the electoral votes next week.
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Pence is responsible for presiding over the Jan. 6 joint session, where the Electoral College votes for Biden and Trump will be tallied. Electors already cast their votes two weeks ago, giving 306 votes to Biden and 232 to Trump. A candidate needs 270 votes to win the election.
The lawsuit argues that the Electoral Count Act of 1887 is unconstitutional because it clashes with the 12th Amendment, which details the process for electing the president and vice president. Gohmert alleges that the Electoral Count Act prevents Pence from exercising total authority to choose which electoral votes count.
The lawsuit from Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) seeks to give Vice President Mike Pence sole power over counting the electoral votes. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The law has long governed the process of counting electoral votes with little resistance, but Gohmert and his fellow Republicans in the suit hope that the legal effort will allow the vice president to ignore Biden’s electors and instead count Trump’s losing ones.
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The lawsuit asks the court to find that Pence “in his capacity as President of Senate and Presiding Officer of the January 6, 2021 Joint Session of Congress under the Twelfth Amendment … may exercise the exclusive authority and sole discretion in determining which electoral votes to count for a given State, and must ignore and may not rely on any provisions of the Electoral Count Act that would limit his exclusive authority and his sole discretion to determine the count, which could include votes from the slates of Republican electors from the Contested States.”
The Biden transition team did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
Even though Biden was the certified winner in battleground states like Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Republicans who would have been Trump’s electors met anyway and tried to cast their votes to reelect the current president. The group of such electors from Arizona are hoping Pence and GOP lawmakers will treat those unofficial votes as equal to the slates that were certified in states Trump lost.
While the lawsuit likely won’t gain momentum in court, the effort forces Pence to make a decision: either contest the lawsuit and face the wrath of Trump and his GOP allies, or support it and make obvious his intention to overturn results of an election that showed no evidence of being rigged or fraudulent.
The vice president has engaged with GOP lawmakers who are trying to reverse Biden’s win, but he has not publicly voiced his opinion on the issue. He also has not hinted at how he plans to handle presiding over the Jan. 6 session meant to certify Biden’s victory.
In the lawsuit, Gohmert said he will be one of the House Republicans in the joint session who plan to challenge Biden’s electors from battleground states. Dozens of other GOP congressmen plan to follow Gohmert, and at least one Republican senator-elect ― Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville ― has indicated he could join them.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has tried to discourage his caucus from participating in the challenges, and second-ranking Republican leader Sen. John Thune (S.D.) faced backlash from Trump after telling reporters that any challenges to the election results would fail.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Democrats Push For Bigger Relief Checks After Trump Gives In On Deal

WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH , Fla. ( Reuters ) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Monday will try to push through higher pandemic relief payments of $ 2,000 for Americans after President Donald Trump backed down from a fight with lawmakers that could have shut down the federal government .
The Republican president last week had demanded that Congress change it to boost stimulus payments for struggling Americans from $ 600 to $ 2,000 while also cutting other spending .
It was unclear why Trump , who leaves office on Jan. 20 after losing November ’ s election to Democratic challenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block the bill , which was approved by Congress last week .
Global markets were buoyed after Trump signed the massive spending measure and backed away from a year-end government spending crisis .
Wall Street ’ s main indexes hit record highs on Monday as Trump ’ s signing of the aid bill bolstered bets on an economic recovery and drove gains in financial and energy stocks .
Democratic lawmakers who have a majority in the House of Representatives and have long wanted $ 2,000 relief checks , hope to use a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance the proposal - or at least put Republicans on record against it - in a vote on Monday .
Voting is expected to start late in the afternoon , and to run into the evening .
Lawmakers will also seek to override Trump ’ s recent veto of a $ 740-billion bill setting policy for the Defense Department .
If successful , that would be the first veto override of Trump ’ s presidency .
Meanwhile , Biden is expected to deliver brief remarks at around 3:30 p.m. ( 2030 GMT ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security and foreign policy teams he has assigned to manage his administration ’ s transition .
Many of Trump ’ s fellow Republicans , who control the Senate , oppose the higher relief payments , and Trump may not have the influence to budge them .
Georgia Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , who face crucial Senate runoffs next month that could determine who controls the chamber , welcomed Trump ’ s move , without saying whether the payments should be increased .
“ Thanks to President Trump ’ s leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to millions of Georgia families and businesses who need it most , ” they said in a joint statement that echoed Trump in criticizing the Democrats for prioritizing “ wasteful , irresponsible spending over the welfare of the American people.
” After signing the bill behind closed doors at his beachside club in Florida , Trump sought to put the best face on his climb-down , saying he was signing it with “ a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed.
” Americans are living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States and a daily death toll now well over 3,000 , the highest since the pandemic began .
Unemployment benefits being paid out to about 14 million people through pandemic programs lapsed on Saturday but will be restarted now that Trump has signed the bill .
The delay , however , forced people to lose a week of some federal jobless aid that had been extended under the measure , Washington Governor Jay Inslee said , even as he and other governors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing .
The relief package extends a moratorium on evictions that was due to expire on Dec. 31 , refreshes support for small-business payrolls , provides funding to help schools re-open and aid for the transport industry and vaccine distribution .

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WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Monday will try to push through higher pandemic relief payments of $2,000 for Americans after President Donald Trump backed down from a fight with lawmakers that could have shut down the federal government.
In a sudden reversal late on Sunday, Trump signed into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and providing funds to keep government agencies running.
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The Republican president last week had demanded that Congress change it to boost stimulus payments for struggling Americans from $600 to $2,000 while also cutting other spending.
It was unclear why Trump, who leaves office on Jan. 20 after losing November’s election to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, retreated from his threat to block the bill, which was approved by Congress last week.
Global markets were buoyed after Trump signed the massive spending measure and backed away from a year-end government spending crisis. Wall Street’s main indexes hit record highs on Monday as Trump’s signing of the aid bill bolstered bets on an economic recovery and drove gains in financial and energy stocks.
Democratic lawmakers who have a majority in the House of Representatives and have long wanted $2,000 relief checks, hope to use a rare point of agreement with Trump to advance the proposal - or at least put Republicans on record against it - in a vote on Monday.
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Voting is expected to start late in the afternoon, and to run into the evening. Lawmakers will also seek to override Trump’s recent veto of a $740-billion bill setting policy for the Defense Department. If successful, that would be the first veto override of Trump’s presidency.
Trump played golf in Florida on Monday and has remained out of public view even as a government crisis loomed.
Meanwhile, Biden is expected to deliver brief remarks at around 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT) after being briefed by members of the national security and foreign policy teams he has assigned to manage his administration’s transition.
Many of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who control the Senate, oppose the higher relief payments, and Trump may not have the influence to budge them.
Georgia Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who face crucial Senate runoffs next month that could determine who controls the chamber, welcomed Trump’s move, without saying whether the payments should be increased.
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“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, COVID relief is again on its way to millions of Georgia families and businesses who need it most,” they said in a joint statement that echoed Trump in criticizing the Democrats for prioritizing “wasteful, irresponsible spending over the welfare of the American people.”
After signing the bill behind closed doors at his beachside club in Florida, Trump sought to put the best face on his climb-down, saying he was signing it with “a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed.”
“Much more money is coming,” he said in a statement, though he provided nothing to back this promise.
BITTER HOLIDAY
Americans are living through a bitter holiday season with a pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States and a daily death toll now well over 3,000, the highest since the pandemic began.
Unemployment benefits being paid out to about 14 million people through pandemic programs lapsed on Saturday but will be restarted now that Trump has signed the bill.
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The delay, however, forced people to lose a week of some federal jobless aid that had been extended under the measure, Washington Governor Jay Inslee said, even as he and other governors in both parties welcomed the bill’s signing.
The relief package extends a moratorium on evictions that was due to expire on Dec. 31, refreshes support for small-business payrolls, provides funding to help schools re-open and aid for the transport industry and vaccine distribution.
It includes $1.4 trillion in spending to fund government agencies and avert a government shutdown that would have begun on Tuesday had Trump not signed the legislation.
Reporting by Susan Cornwell and David Morgan in Washington and Steve Holland in Palm Beach; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Simon Lewis; Writing by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Alistair Bell


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--House Votes To Override Trump's Defense Bill Veto

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump ’ s veto of a $ 740 billion defense policy bill , in a rebuke to the president that underscored deep divisions in the Republican Party during his final weeks in office .
The 322-87 House vote , in which 109 Republicans voted to override Trump ’ s veto , leaves the measure ’ s fate to the Republican-led Senate , where a final vote is expected this week .
If the Senate seconds the House action , it would be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency .
Trump , who is angry that some Republicans have acknowledged his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election , vetoed the defense bill last Wednesday .
Biden will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20 .
Trump said he blocked the legislation , because he wanted it to overturn liability protections for social media companies unrelated to national security , and opposed a provision to rename military bases named after generals who fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the Civil War .
The legislation , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and includes a pay raise for U.S. troops , has been passed by Congress every year since 1961 .
The bill passed both chambers of Congress with margins greater than the two-thirds majorities needed to override the president ’ s veto .
But Trump vetoed it anyway and the bill went back to Congress for further votes on whether to override the veto .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense policy bill, a rebuke that underscored divisions in the Republican Party during Trump’s final weeks in office.
The 322-87 House vote, in which 109 Republicans joined Democrats to override Trump’s veto, leaves the bill’s fate to the Republican-led Senate, where a final vote is expected this week. If the Senate seconds the House action, the bill becomes law. It would be the first veto override of Trump’s presidency.
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Trump, who is angry that some Republicans have acknowledged his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election, vetoed the defense bill last Wednesday. Biden will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20.
Trump said he blocked the legislation because he wanted it to overturn liability protections for social media companies unrelated to national security, and he opposed a provision to rename military bases named after generals who fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the Civil War.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed what she described as “an overwhelming bipartisan” vote to override Trump’s rejection of the bill and predicted the legislation would become law despite the president’s “dangerous sabotage efforts.”
“The president must end his eleventh-hour campaign of chaos and stop using his final moments in office to obstruct bipartisan and bicameral action to protect our military and defend our security,” Pelosi said in a statement.
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Another top Democrat, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, said he believes the Senate will join the House in rejecting Trump’s veto.
Twenty Democrats, including the prominent progressive, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, opposed the override.
Representative Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, urged Republicans ahead of the vote not to side with the president.
“The world is watching what we do,” the Texas Republican said. “I would only ask that as members vote, they put the best interests of the country first. There is no other consideration that should matter.”
The legislation, which addresses a host of defense policy issues and includes a pay raise for U.S. troops, has been passed by Congress every year since 1961.
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The bill had earlier passed both chambers of Congress with margins greater than the two-thirds majorities needed to override the if president’s veto needed. But Trump vetoed it anyway and the bill went back to Congress for a possible override.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Voters Think Biden Will Try To Work With Republicans, Doubt GOP Will Work With Him

Most voters are pessimistic about the prospects for bipartisanship under the new Biden administration , according to a new HuffPost/YouGov survey .
The results are a clear case of partisan asymmetry .
About half of voters think President-elect Joe Biden will attempt to work with Republicans , but fewer than one-third believe the GOP will try to work with him .
Democratic voters say by a 10-percentage-point margin that they ’ d like Biden to compromise in order to work across the aisle rather than stick to his positions even if it means not coming to an agreement .
Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say Republicans in Washington should stick to their positions .
As the Biden administration prepares to take office on Jan. 20 , the Democrats ’ internal debate about the necessity and feasibility of compromising has continued .
“ I think you ’ re gon na see a lot more cooperation than anybody thinks , ” Biden told Time magazine .
Voters are less convinced .
Just 13 % believe it ’ s realistic to expect Democrats and Republicans to work together in the next several years , the survey finds , while about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of voters say it ’ s even somewhat likely that Republicans in Washington will work with Biden on important issues facing the country , with 59 % saying it ’ s somewhat or very unlikely .
A majority of both Republicans and Democrats say they think it ’ s unlikely .
GOP voters say , 54 % to 25 % , that Republicans in Washington should stick to their positions even if it means not coming to an agreement , rather than compromising in order to work with Biden .
Roughly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s at least somewhat likely that Biden will work with Democrats , compared to 41 % who call it unlikely .
An 85 % majority of Democratic voters , but just 16 % of Republican voters , think Biden will try to reach across the aisle .
Democratic voters say , 43 % to 33 % , that Biden should compromise some of his positions in order to work with Republicans .
Self-described liberal voters in the party say by a slim 6-point margin that Biden should stick to his positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 39-point margin that he should compromise .
Just 26 % of all voters believe Biden will be able to achieve most or all of his campaign goals as president , the survey finds , with 59 % saying he ’ s likely to achieve just some or hardly any of them .
The rest are unsure .
In 2016 , 28 % of all Americans predicted that Trump would achieve most or all of his campaign goals .
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Dec. 17-20 among U.S. registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the population .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

President-elect Joe Biden speaks Monday in Wilmington, Delaware. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (center) listens. Andrew Harnik/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Most voters are pessimistic about the prospects for bipartisanship under the new Biden administration, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov survey.
The results are a clear case of partisan asymmetry. About half of voters think President-elect Joe Biden will attempt to work with Republicans, but fewer than one-third believe the GOP will try to work with him. Democratic voters say by a 10-percentage-point margin that they’d like Biden to compromise in order to work across the aisle rather than stick to his positions even if it means not coming to an agreement. Republican voters, by a 29-point margin, say Republicans in Washington should stick to their positions.
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As the Biden administration prepares to take office on Jan. 20, the Democrats’ internal debate about the necessity and feasibility of compromising has continued. “I think you’re gonna see a lot more cooperation than anybody thinks,” Biden told Time magazine.
Voters are less convinced. Just 13% believe it’s realistic to expect Democrats and Republicans to work together in the next several years, the survey finds, while about two-thirds call that unrealistic.
Just 28% of voters say it’s even somewhat likely that Republicans in Washington will work with Biden on important issues facing the country, with 59% saying it’s somewhat or very unlikely. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats say they think it’s unlikely. GOP voters say, 54% to 25%, that Republicans in Washington should stick to their positions even if it means not coming to an agreement, rather than compromising in order to work with Biden.
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Roughly half of voters, 52%, say it’s at least somewhat likely that Biden will work with Republicans, compared to 41% who call it unlikely. An 85% majority of Democratic voters, but just 16% of Republican voters, think Biden will try to reach across the aisle.
Democratic voters say, 43% to 33%, that Biden should compromise some of his positions in order to work with Republicans. Self-described liberal voters in the party say by a slim 6-point margin that Biden should stick to his positions, while self-described Democratic moderates say by a 39-point margin that he should compromise.
Just 26% of all voters believe Biden will be able to achieve most or all of his campaign goals as president, the survey finds, with 59% saying he’s likely to achieve just some or hardly any of them. The rest are unsure. In 2016, 28% of all Americans predicted that Trump would achieve most or all of his campaign goals.
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Dec. 17-20 among U.S. registered voters, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the population.
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HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Pro-Trump Pollster Quotes Stalin To Persuade Mike Pence To Act Like Him

Rasmussen ’ s four-part Twitter thread on Sunday laid out steps for Pence to steal the election on Jan. 6 , when Congress is supposed to certify the Electoral College vote naming Joe Biden the U.S. president-elect .
The thread quotes Stalin as saying , “ Those who cast the votes decide nothing ; those who count the votes decide everything.
” It then implies that U.S. states somehow manipulated the election results ( there is absolutely no evidence to support this ) and that there ’ s “ nothing stopping ” the vice president from “ declining to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputed states , ” referring to certain battleground states that voted for Biden .
Come January 6th : ( Those who cast the votes decide nothing .
Those who count the votes decide everything .
- Stalin ) '' Come January 6 , 2021 , Vice President Mike Pence will be presented with the sealed certificates containing the ballots of the presidential electors .
1/4 — Rasmussen Reports ( @ Rasmussen_Poll ) December 27 , 2020 At that moment , the Presidency will be in his hands .
And there is nothing stopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unappealable ) authority vested in him as President of the Senate , from declining to open and count the certificates from the six disputed states .
2/4 — Rasmussen Reports ( @ Rasmussen_Poll ) December 27 , 2020 If they are ( as more than 70 % of Republicans believe ) certificates from non-electors appointed via voter fraud , why should he open & count them ? ''
If the votes of all 7 contested states are registered as zero , President Trump will have 232 votes , Joe Biden will have 222 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rasmussen_Poll ) December 27 , 2020 Per the 12th Amendment : `` [ T ] he votes shall then be counted [ . ]
...
The person having the greatest number of votes for President , shall be the President [ . ]
'' Reader comments ?
4/4 More here - https : //t.co/ehnnu84Lgi — Rasmussen Reports ( @ Rasmussen_Poll ) December 27 , 2020 It ’ s uncertain if Stalin actually said the words Rasmussen attributes to him , according to historians .
But being a dictator is definitely something Stalin knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why Pence should count electoral votes from “ contested states ” when that the “ Presidency will be in his hands.
” By not counting those votes and arbitrarily disenfranchising millions of American voters , Pence could hand the majority of the remaining electoral votes to Trump , Rasmussen claims , making him the winner of the election .
Yet legal experts say Pence has no power to actually do this , and that Rasmussen ’ s strategy is based on a misunderstanding of the law .
Pence has the right to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they haven ’ t done so by late December , according to The Washington Post , but he does not have the power to reject any of the votes .
“ The vice president is not supposed to control the outcome of the process for counting the electoral votes from the states , ” according to both the Constitution as well as the Electoral Count Act , Ohio State University law professor Edward Foley told The Hill .
“ The vice president chairs the joint session , but does not decide what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the word “ shall ” in the 12A do you believe means “ may ” ?
“ The President of the Senate *shall* , in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives , open all the certificates and the votes *shall* then be counted ... ” Go ahead .
Cite some authority .
We ’ ll wait .
— Michael Fisher 😷 🇺🇸 ( @ mjf_dfw ) December 28 , 2020 North Carolina attorney T. Greg Doucette , who fields questions about the vote on Twitter , tweeted that Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes , “ gives them to the teller , the teller counts.
” Electoral votes can only be struck by a majority of both the House and the Senate , he noted .
Pence could “ theoretically ” pause the process by refusing to open the envelopes , but counting would resume when he leaves office Jan. 20 , according to Doucette .
As for Pence himself , the vice president ’ s aides told the Post last week that he ’ s not looking for any “ unnecessary drama ” on @ @ @

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GOP-leaning pollster Rasmussen Reports cited Soviet dictator Josef Stalin to encourage Vice President Mike Pence to arbitrarily overturn the results of America’s democratic presidential election.
Rasmussen’s four-part Twitter thread on Sunday laid out steps for Pence to steal the election on Jan. 6, when Congress is supposed to certify the Electoral College vote naming Joe Biden the U.S. president-elect.
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The thread quotes Stalin as saying, “Those who cast the votes decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything.” It then implies that U.S. states somehow manipulated the election results (there is absolutely no evidence to support this) and that there’s “nothing stopping” the vice president from “declining to open and count the certificates from the six disputed states,” referring to certain battleground states that voted for Biden.
Come January 6th:
(Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything. - Stalin)
"Come January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence will be presented with the sealed certificates containing the ballots of the presidential electors.
1/4 — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
At that moment, the Presidency will be in his hands.
And there is nothing stopping Pence, under the (plenary and unappealable) authority vested in him as President of the Senate, from declining to open and count the certificates from the six disputed states.
2/4 — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
If they are (as more than 70% of Republicans believe) certificates from non-electors appointed via voter fraud, why should he open & count them?"
If the votes of all 7 contested states are registered as zero, President Trump will have 232 votes, Joe Biden will have 222.
3/4 — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
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Per the 12th Amendment: "[T]he votes shall then be counted[.] ... The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President[.]"
Reader comments?
4/4
More here - https://t.co/ehnnu84Lgi — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
It’s uncertain if Stalin actually said the words Rasmussen attributes to him, according to historians. But being a dictator is definitely something Stalin knew.
In that vein, Rasmussen asks why Pence should count electoral votes from “contested states” when that the “Presidency will be in his hands.”
By not counting those votes and arbitrarily disenfranchising millions of American voters, Pence could hand the majority of the remaining electoral votes to Trump, Rasmussen claims, making him the winner of the election.
Yet legal experts say Pence has no power to actually do this, and that Rasmussen’s strategy is based on a misunderstanding of the law. Pence has the right to call on states to submit their electoral votes if they haven’t done so by late December, according to The Washington Post, but he does not have the power to reject any of the votes.
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“The vice president is not supposed to control the outcome of the process for counting the electoral votes from the states,” according to both the Constitution as well as the Electoral Count Act, Ohio State University law professor Edward Foley told The Hill. “The vice president chairs the joint session, but does not decide what electoral votes to count.”
Another Twitter user also pointed out the flaws in Rasmussen’s logic, citing the Constitution.
What part of the word “shall” in the 12A do you believe means “may”?
“The President of the Senate *shall*, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes *shall* then be counted...”
Go ahead. Cite some authority. We’ll wait. — Michael Fisher 😷 🇺🇸 (@mjf_dfw) December 28, 2020
North Carolina attorney T. Greg Doucette, who fields questions about the vote on Twitter, tweeted that Pence “opens the envelopes” with the electoral votes, “gives them to the teller, the teller counts.” Electoral votes can only be struck by a majority of both the House and the Senate, he noted.
No
538 electors have been appointed; 270 EVs are required to win now
Pence has no power to "strike" anything. He opens the envelopes, gives the certificates to the tellers, the tellers count
Congress, by separate majority votes of each chamber, can strike EVs as it sees fit https://t.co/HUMW7ULoJ5 — T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) December 22, 2020
Pence could “theoretically” pause the process by refusing to open the envelopes, but counting would resume when he leaves office Jan. 20, according to Doucette.
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It can. If Pence decides "I'm not opening another envelope," he could theoretically pause the process until his term expires on January 20th
Nancy Pelosi takes over as Acting President, Chuck Grassley takes over presiding over the joint session, and counting continues https://t.co/HJBJGftQue — T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) December 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Mormon Church Sued For Allegedly Covering Up Boy Scouts Sex Abuse

PHOENIX ( AP ) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was hit with several lawsuits Monday for allegedly covering up decades of sexual abuse among Boy Scout troops in Arizona , marking the latest litigation before the state ’ s end-of-year deadline for adult victims to sue .
In the seven lawsuits each representing seven different male victims , attorneys say church officials never notified authorities about abuse allegations .
Public records show members of church-sponsored Boy Scout troops who were abused would tell church bishops about what they had experienced .
The lawsuits allege bishops would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the church could conduct its own investigation .
In the meantime , troop leaders and volunteers accused of sex abuse would be allowed to continue in their roles or be assigned to another troop , the suits said .
Church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement that the faith has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and that the serious allegations require thorough investigation .
He called it inaccurate to say the faith had access to files that had names of banned Scout leaders and said the church hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accusations .
“ The claim that the church has had access to the BSA ineligible volunteer files for many decades is simply false , ” Penrod said .
“ The church learned about the details of those files at the same time as the general public .
These claims will be carefully evaluated and appropriately addressed.
” All seven victims are asking for a jury to award an unspecified sum for medical expenses , pain and suffering .
They are also seeking punitive damages for the “ outrageous conduct ” of church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven troops in Arizona in metro Phoenix and Tucson , according to attorneys .
The suits were all filed earlier this month — six in Maricopa County Superior Court and one in Pima County Superior Court .
The allegations of sexual abuse touch all troops between 1972 and 2009 .
The church was the largest sponsor of Boy Scouts of America troops and its greatest ally until the Utah-based faith ended the partnership on Jan. 1 , 2020 , and pulled out more than 400,000 young people .
The faith moved them into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on religion and spiritual development , while weaving in camping and other outdoor activities in parts of the world where that ’ s feasible .
The split between the Boy Scouts and the faith known widely as the Mormon church ended a nearly century-old relationship between two organizations that were brought together by shared values that diverged in recent years .
Amid declining membership , the Boy Scouts of America opened its arms to openly gay youth members and adult volunteers as well as girls and transgender boys , while the church believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In its first step toward creating a compensation fund for men who were molested as youngsters years ago by scoutmasters or other leaders , the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection in February .
Around 90,000 sexual abuse claims have been filed against the Boy Scouts .
It ’ s the latest major American institution to seek bankruptcy protection amid mounting legal pressures over allegations of sexual abuse .
Roman Catholic dioceses across the country and some universities have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ litigation for some victims of childhood sexual abuse in Arizona is about to close .
The state joined several others last year in extending the rights of now-adult victims to sue their alleged assailants and any churches , youth groups or other institutions that turned a blind eye at the time of the abuse .
Lawmakers gave victims until their 30th birthday to sue — a decade longer than before .
Victims who missed the cutoff have a one-time opportunity to file suit before the end of the year .
Arizona has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse cases .

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PHOENIX (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was hit with several lawsuits Monday for allegedly covering up decades of sexual abuse among Boy Scout troops in Arizona, marking the latest litigation before the state’s end-of-year deadline for adult victims to sue.
The church “must be held accountable in order to bring healing and closure to Mormon victims of childhood sexual abuse,” Hurley McKenna & Mertz, a law firm that focuses on church sex abuse, said in a statement.
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In the seven lawsuits each representing seven different male victims, attorneys say church officials never notified authorities about abuse allegations. Public records show members of church-sponsored Boy Scout troops who were abused would tell church bishops about what they had experienced. The lawsuits allege bishops would then tell the victims to keep quiet so the church could conduct its own investigation. In the meantime, troop leaders and volunteers accused of sex abuse would be allowed to continue in their roles or be assigned to another troop, the suits said.
Church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement that the faith has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and that the serious allegations require thorough investigation. He called it inaccurate to say the faith had access to files that had names of banned Scout leaders and said the church hasn’t seen the records that allegedly back the accusations.
“The claim that the church has had access to the BSA ineligible volunteer files for many decades is simply false,” Penrod said. “The church learned about the details of those files at the same time as the general public. These claims will be carefully evaluated and appropriately addressed.”
All seven victims are asking for a jury to award an unspecified sum for medical expenses, pain and suffering. They are also seeking punitive damages for the “outrageous conduct” of church officials.
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The church sponsored at least seven troops in Arizona in metro Phoenix and Tucson, according to attorneys. The suits were all filed earlier this month — six in Maricopa County Superior Court and one in Pima County Superior Court. The allegations of sexual abuse touch all troops between 1972 and 2009.
The church was the largest sponsor of Boy Scouts of America troops and its greatest ally until the Utah-based faith ended the partnership on Jan. 1, 2020, and pulled out more than 400,000 young people. The faith moved them into its own global youth program that focuses on religion and spiritual development, while weaving in camping and other outdoor activities in parts of the world where that’s feasible.
The split between the Boy Scouts and the faith known widely as the Mormon church ended a nearly century-old relationship between two organizations that were brought together by shared values that diverged in recent years. Amid declining membership, the Boy Scouts of America opened its arms to openly gay youth members and adult volunteers as well as girls and transgender boys, while the church believes that same-sex intimacy is a sin.
In its first step toward creating a compensation fund for men who were molested as youngsters years ago by scoutmasters or other leaders, the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection in February. Around 90,000 sexual abuse claims have been filed against the Boy Scouts. It’s the latest major American institution to seek bankruptcy protection amid mounting legal pressures over allegations of sexual abuse. Roman Catholic dioceses across the country and some universities have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.
These suits come as a window to pursue litigation for some victims of childhood sexual abuse in Arizona is about to close. The state joined several others last year in extending the rights of now-adult victims to sue their alleged assailants and any churches, youth groups or other institutions that turned a blind eye at the time of the abuse.
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Lawmakers gave victims until their 30th birthday to sue — a decade longer than before. Victims who missed the cutoff have a one-time opportunity to file suit before the end of the year. Arizona has no deadline for criminal charges in child sexual abuse cases.
Andrew Van Arsdale, a lawyer with Abused in Scouting, says the legal network is filing 261 sex abuse lawsuits in Arizona on Monday against various local Scout councils.
_____


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Judge Rejects Bail Bid By Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell

NEW YORK ( AP ) — A judge rejected a $ 28.5 million proposed bail package for Jeffrey Epstein ’ s former girlfriend Monday , saying her incarceration is necessary to ensure she faces trial on charges she recruited teenage girls for the late financier to sexually abuse .
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan in Manhattan rejected the proposed bail for Ghislaine Maxwell in an order .
But she did not immediately release an opinion explaining her reasoning , in order to allow defense lawyers and prosecutors to propose redactions .
Defense lawyers for Maxwell , who had lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest , recently offered the new bail package , saying Maxwell and her husband were offering all of their wealth — $ 22.5 million — and millions more in the assets of friends and family to secure bail .
Maxwell ’ s husband has not been publicly identified .
Her attorneys said Maxwell would remain in a New York City residence under 24-hour guard and would submit to electronic monitoring if the judge accepted the bail package .
They had complained that Maxwell was being mistreated by guards who wake her every 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repeated unnecessary searches while failing to adequately protect her from an outbreak of the coronavirus at the jail .
Prosecutors said Maxwell still retained access to significant wealth and was a high risk to flee because of her connections abroad — in addition to U.S. citizenship , she holds citizenship in the her native United Kingdom and France .
Maxwell , 59 , was arrested in July at a secluded New Hampshire home and was brought to New York City .
She was charged with recruiting three teenagers as young as age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 and 1997 .
She also was accused of sometimes participating in the abuse .
She pleaded not guilty to an indictment .
She has remained at a federal lockup in Brooklyn after Nathan concluded shortly after her arrest that there were no bail conditions that would ensure she would not flee .
“ For substantially the same reasons as the Court determined that detention was warranted in the initial bail hearing , the Court again concludes that no conditions of release can reasonably assure the Defendant ’ s appearance at future proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In reaching that conclusion , the Court considers the nature and circumstances of the offenses charged , the weight of the evidence against the Defendant , the history and characteristics of the Defendant , and the nature and seriousness of the danger that the Defendant ’ s release would pose , ” the judge added .

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NEW YORK (AP) — A judge rejected a $28.5 million proposed bail package for Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Monday, saying her incarceration is necessary to ensure she faces trial on charges she recruited teenage girls for the late financier to sexually abuse.
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan in Manhattan rejected the proposed bail for Ghislaine Maxwell in an order. But she did not immediately release an opinion explaining her reasoning, in order to allow defense lawyers and prosecutors to propose redactions.
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Defense lawyers for Maxwell, who had lost a bail request shortly after her July arrest, recently offered the new bail package, saying Maxwell and her husband were offering all of their wealth — $22.5 million — and millions more in the assets of friends and family to secure bail. Maxwell’s husband has not been publicly identified.
Her attorneys said Maxwell would remain in a New York City residence under 24-hour guard and would submit to electronic monitoring if the judge accepted the bail package.
They had complained that Maxwell was being mistreated by guards who wake her every 15 minutes at night and who subject her to repeated unnecessary searches while failing to adequately protect her from an outbreak of the coronavirus at the jail.
A message seeking comment was sent to Maxwell’s lawyers after Nathan ruled. Prosecutors declined through a spokesperson to comment.
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Prosecutors said Maxwell still retained access to significant wealth and was a high risk to flee because of her connections abroad — in addition to U.S. citizenship, she holds citizenship in the her native United Kingdom and France.
Maxwell, 59, was arrested in July at a secluded New Hampshire home and was brought to New York City.
She was charged with recruiting three teenagers as young as age 14 for Epstein to sexually abuse between 1994 and 1997. She also was accused of sometimes participating in the abuse. She pleaded not guilty to an indictment.
She has remained at a federal lockup in Brooklyn after Nathan concluded shortly after her arrest that there were no bail conditions that would ensure she would not flee.
“For substantially the same reasons as the Court determined that detention was warranted in the initial bail hearing, the Court again concludes that no conditions of release can reasonably assure the Defendant’s appearance at future proceedings,” Nathan wrote Monday.
“In reaching that conclusion, the Court considers the nature and circumstances of the offenses charged, the weight of the evidence against the Defendant, the history and characteristics of the Defendant, and the nature and seriousness of the danger that the Defendant’s release would pose,” the judge added.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Officer Who Fatally Shot Andre Hill Fired From Police Department

“ The actions of Adam Coy do not live up to the oath of a Columbus Police officer , or the standards we , and the community , demand of our officers , ” the statement read .
“ The shooting of Andre Hill is a tragedy for all who loved him in addition to the community and our Division of Police.
” The decision came after Pettus concluded a hearing to determine whether the actions taken by Coy in the moments before and after the fatal shooting of Hill on Tuesday were justified .
The public safety director upheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who made a video statement Christmas Eve , saying he had seen enough to recommend Coy be terminated .
“ This is what accountability looks like .
The evidence provided solid rationale for termination , ” Quinlan said after Coy ’ s termination Monday afternoon .
“ Mr .
Coy will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.
” Members of the local Fraternal Order of Police attended the hearing on behalf of Coy , who was not in attendance , according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coy was given the opportunity today to come and participate , ” Brian Steel , vice president of the police union , told reporters Monday .
He elected not to participate .
I do not know why … I would have liked to have him here , but it ’ s his decision.
” Coy and another officer responded to a neighbor ’ s nonemergency call after 1 a.m. Tuesday about a car in front of his house in the city ’ s northwest side that had been running , then shut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a copy of the call released Wednesday .
Police bodycam footage showed Hill emerging from a garage and holding up a cellphone in his left hand seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy .
There is no audio because the officer hadn ’ t activated the body camera ; an automatic “ look back ” feature captured the shooting without audio .
An investigation is also being conducted into the other officers who responded to the call that ended in Hill being shot , who Quinlan said also appear to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or to render Hill aid .
He said any others who violated department protocols will be held accountable .
Officers must activate their body cameras as soon as they are dispatched to a major incident such as a shooting , robbery or burglary , under departmental policy .
Although Coy was dispatched on a nonemergency call , the call became an enforcement action when the officer interacted with Hill because that was separate from the original call , said police department spokesperson Sgt .
James Fuqua .
“ We will do our duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Yost said in a tweet .
“ Whatever the outcome , someone will be angry — but the decision will be objective.
” There is also an investigation under the state ’ s criminal investigations unit , under Yost , with assistance from the U.S. attorney ’ s office and the FBI ’ s Civil Rights Division .
The killing of Hill at the hands of Columbus police follows the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. on Dec. 4 by a white Franklin County Sheriff ’ s deputy .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of criticism from advocates and the Black community in Columbus for wider and more comprehensive police reform .

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A white Ohio police officer was fired Monday after bodycam footage showed him fatally shooting 47-year-old Andre Hill — a Black man who was holding a cellphone — and refusing to administer first aid for several minutes.
Columbus police officer Adam Coy was fired hours after a hearing was held to determine his employment, Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. said in a statement.
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“The actions of Adam Coy do not live up to the oath of a Columbus Police officer, or the standards we, and the community, demand of our officers,” the statement read. “The shooting of Andre Hill is a tragedy for all who loved him in addition to the community and our Division of Police.”
Coy remains under criminal investigation for last week’s shooting.
The decision came after Pettus concluded a hearing to determine whether the actions taken by Coy in the moments before and after the fatal shooting of Hill on Tuesday were justified. The public safety director upheld the recommendation of Police Chief Thomas Quinlan, who made a video statement Christmas Eve, saying he had seen enough to recommend Coy be terminated.
Quinlan expedited the investigation and bypassed procedure to file two departmental charges alleging critical misconduct against Coy in the death of Hill.
“This is what accountability looks like. The evidence provided solid rationale for termination,” Quinlan said after Coy’s termination Monday afternoon. “Mr. Coy will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.”
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Members of the local Fraternal Order of Police attended the hearing on behalf of Coy, who was not in attendance, according to a statement from Pettus’ office.
“Officer Coy was given the opportunity today to come and participate,” Brian Steel, vice president of the police union, told reporters Monday. He elected not to participate. I do not know why … I would have liked to have him here, but it’s his decision.”
Coy and another officer responded to a neighbor’s nonemergency call after 1 a.m. Tuesday about a car in front of his house in the city’s northwest side that had been running, then shut off, then turned back on, according to a copy of the call released Wednesday.
Mayor Andrew Ginther said it remains unclear if that car had anything to do with Hill.
Police bodycam footage showed Hill emerging from a garage and holding up a cellphone in his left hand seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy. There is no audio because the officer hadn’t activated the body camera; an automatic “look back” feature captured the shooting without audio.
An investigation is also being conducted into the other officers who responded to the call that ended in Hill being shot, who Quinlan said also appear to have either failed to activate their body cameras or to render Hill aid. He said any others who violated department protocols will be held accountable.
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Officers must activate their body cameras as soon as they are dispatched to a major incident such as a shooting, robbery or burglary, under departmental policy. Although Coy was dispatched on a nonemergency call, the call became an enforcement action when the officer interacted with Hill because that was separate from the original call, said police department spokesperson Sgt. James Fuqua.
In addition to an internal police investigation, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was appointed a special prosecutor in the death of Hill on Thursday.
“We will do our duty based on the facts and the law,” Yost said in a tweet. “Whatever the outcome, someone will be angry — but the decision will be objective.”
There is also an investigation under the state’s criminal investigations unit, under Yost, with assistance from the U.S. attorney’s office and the FBI’s Civil Rights Division.
Coy, a 17-year member of the force, was relieved of duty, ordered to turn in his gun and badge, and stripped of police powers last week.
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The killing of Hill at the hands of Columbus police follows the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. on Dec. 4 by a white Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy. The two back-to-back shootings have resulted in an outpour of criticism from advocates and the Black community in Columbus for wider and more comprehensive police reform.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-28--Nashville Bombing Suspect Told Neighbor: The World Will Never Forget Me

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — It seemed like a friendly chat between neighbors .
Only after a bomb exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning could Rick Laude grasp the sinister meaning behind his neighbor ’ s smiling remark that the city and the rest of the world would never forget him .
Laude told The Associated Press on Monday that he was speechless when he learned that authorities identified his 63-year-old neighbor , Anthony Quinn Warner , as the man suspected of detonating a bomb that killed himself , injured three other people and damaged dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standing at his mailbox less than a week before Christmas and pulled over in his car to talk .
After asking how Warner ’ s elderly mother was doing , Laude said he casually asked him , “ Is Santa going to bring you anything good for Christmas ?
” “ We hope to get an answer .
Sometimes , it ’ s just not possible , ” David Rausch , the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation , said Monday in an interview on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motive is to talk to the individual .
We will not be able to do that in this case.
” Investigators are analyzing property belonging to Warner that was collected during the investigation , including a computer and a portable storage drive , and are continuing to interview witnesses as they try to identify a potential motive for the explosion , a law enforcement official said .
A review of his financial transactions also uncovered purchases of potential bomb-making components , the official said .
Warner had recently given away a vehicle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he had been diagnosed with cancer , though it is unclear whether he indeed had cancer , the official said .
Investigators used some items collected from the vehicle , including a hat and gloves , to match Warner ’ s DNA , and DNA had also been taken from one of his family members , the official said .
Warner also apparently gave away his home in Antioch , a Nashville suburb , to a Los Angeles woman a month before the bombing .
A property record dated Nov. 25 indicates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for no money after living there for decades .
The woman ’ s signature is not on that document .
“ It does appear that the intent was more destruction than death , but again that ’ s all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners , ” Rausch added .
Furthermore , officials have not provided insight into why Warner selected the particular location for the bombing , which damaged an AT & T building and continued to wreak havoc on cellphone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Southern states as the company worked to restore service .
Forensic analysts were reviewing evidence collected from the blast site to try to identify the components of the explosives as well as information from the U.S .
Bomb Data Center for intelligence and investigative leads , according to a law enforcement official who said investigators were examining Warner ’ s digital footprint and financial history , as well as a recent deed transfer of a suburban Nashville home they searched .
The official , who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition of anonymity , said federal agents were examining a number of potential leads and pursuing several theories , including the possibility that the AT & T building was targeted .
Korneski said Sunday that officials were looking at any and all motives and were interviewing acquaintances of Warner ’ s to try to determine what may have motivated him .
The bombing took place on a holiday morning well before downtown streets were bustling with activity and was accompanied by a recorded announcement warning anyone nearby that a bomb would soon detonate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never be known , the audio switched to a recording of Petula Clark ’ s 1964 hit “ Downtown ” shortly before the blast .
In addition , investigators from the Tennessee Highway Patrol recovered parts from the RV among the wreckage from the blast , and were able to link the vehicle identification number to an RV that was registered to Warner , officials said .
“ We ’ re still following leads , but right now there is no indication that any other persons were involved , ” Korneski said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ security video surrounding the recreation vehicle .
We saw no other people involved .
”

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In the days before he detonated a bomb in downtown Nashville on Christmas, Anthony Quinn Warner changed his life in ways that suggest he never intended to survive the blast that killed him and wounded three other people.
Warner, 63, gave away his car, telling the recipient that he had cancer. A month before the bombing, he signed a document that transferred his longtime home in a Nashville suburb to a California woman for nothing in return. The computer consultant told an employer that he was retiring.
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But he didn’t leave behind a clear digital footprint or any other obvious clues to explain why he set off the explosion in his parked recreational vehicle or played a message warning people to flee before it damaged dozens of buildings and knocked out cellphone service in the area.
While investigators tried to piece together a possible motive for the attack, a neighbor recalled a recent conversation with Warner that seemed ominous only in hindsight.
Rick Laude told The Associated Press on Monday that he saw Warner standing at his mailbox less than a week before Christmas and pulled over in his car to talk. After asking how Warner’s elderly mother was doing, Laude said he casually asked him, “Is Santa going to bring you anything good for Christmas?”
Warner smiled and said, “Oh, yeah, Nashville and the world is never going to forget me,” Laude recalled.
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Laude said he didn’t think much of the remark and thought Warner only meant that “something good” was going to happen for him financially. He was speechless when he learned that authorities had identified Warner as the bomber.
“Nothing about this guy raised any red flags,” Laude said.
As investigators continued to search for a motive, body camera video released late Monday by Nashville police offered more insight into the moments leading up to the explosion and its aftermath.
The recording from Officer Michael Sipos’ camera captures officers walking past the RV parked across the street as the recorded warning blares and then helping people evacuate after the thunderous blast off camera. Car alarms and sirens wail as a police dispatch voice calls for all available personnel and people stumble through downtown streets littered with glass.
David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said authorities hope to establish a motive but sometimes simply cannot.
“The best way to find motive is to talk to the individual. We will not be able to do that in this case,” Rausch said Monday in an interview on NBC’s “Today” show.
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Investigators are analyzing Warner’s belongings collected during the investigation, including a computer and a portable storage drive, and continue to interview witnesses as they try to identify a potential motive, a law enforcement official said. A review of his financial transactions also uncovered purchases of potential bomb-making components, the official said.
Warner had recently given away a vehicle and told the person he gave it to that he had been diagnosed with cancer, though it is unclear whether he indeed had cancer, the official said. Investigators used some items collected from the vehicle, including a hat and gloves, to match Warner’s DNA, and DNA was taken from one of his family members, the official said.
The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Warner also apparently gave away his home in Antioch, Tennessee, to a Los Angeles woman a month before the bombing. A property record dated Nov. 25 indicates Warner transferred the home to the woman in exchange for no money. The woman’s signature is not on that document.
Warner had worked as a computer consultant for Nashville real estate agent Steve Fridrich, who told the AP in a text message that Warner had said he was retiring earlier this month.
Officials said Warner had not been on their radar before Christmas. A law enforcement report released Monday showed that Warner’s only arrest was for a 1978 marijuana-related charge.
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“It does appear that the intent was more destruction than death, but again that’s all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners,” Rausch said.
Officials have not provided insight into why Warner selected the particular location for the bombing, which damaged an AT&T building and wreaked havoc on cellphone service and police and hospital communications in several Southern states. By Monday, the company said the majority of services had been restored for residents and businesses.
Forensic analysts were reviewing evidence from the blast site to try to identify the components of the explosives as well as information from the U.S. Bomb Data Center for intelligence and investigative leads, according to a law enforcement official who said investigators were examining Warner’s digital footprint and financial history.
The official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said federal agents were examining a number of potential leads and pursuing several theories, including the possibility that the AT&T building was targeted.
The bombing took place on a holiday morning well before downtown streets were bustling with activity. Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes. Then, for reasons that may never be known, the audio switched to a recording of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit “Downtown” shortly before the blast.
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