Mark Meadows pleads not guilty to Georgia charges of trying to steal 2020 election
Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, pleaded not guilty in a court filing posted Tuesday in the court docket to Georgia racketeering charges alleging he tried to help Trump steal the 2020 election.
Meadows and 18 co-defendants headed by Donald Trump were indicted in Fulton County on Aug. 14 on a combined 41 charges. By entering a plea through a court filing, he avoided needing to appear Wednesday at a scheduled arraignment hearing. Meadows remains free on $100,000 bond pending trial.
Meadows acknowledged he has discussed the charges with his lawyer, James Durham, and waived his right to an arraignment hearing. He filed the document Friday and it was posted Tuesday.
Meadows continues to fight to move his case from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court by arguing his former federal job should protect him from state level charges. Four co-defendants who are also asking to move their cases to federal court − former assistant attorney general Jeffrey Clark, Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, state Sen. Shawn Still and Cathy Latham − have also pleaded not guilty to their charges and waived their hearings.
Other co-defendants whose not guilty pleas were posted Tuesday were John Eastman, Michael Roman and Harrison Floyd. The pleas were filed during the Labor Day holiday weekend and posted publicly in the docket Tuesday.
Co-defendants who previously filed written pleas of not guilty and waived their rights to a hearing included Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Ray Smith, Robert Cheeley, Trevian Kutti, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, Scott Hall and Stephen Lee each filed written pleas.
The only co-defendant whose plea has not yet been posted in the court docket is Misty Hampton.
Meadows is trying to have his case moved from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court based by arguing he was a federal official at the time and the actions alleged in the indictment were part of his official duties. But U.S. District Judge Steve Jones told Meadows to enter a plea if he hadn't reached a decision by the arraignment deadline Sept. 6.
Besides the racketeering count charged against all defendants, Meadows was charged with soliciting Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to violate his oath of office.
Meadows participated in Trump's call on Jan. 2, 2021, urging Raffensperger to “find” the votes he needed to win the state. By that point, Trump had tried to call him 18 times and Raffensperger had avoided taking the calls, according to the House investigation.
“I just want to find 11,780 votes,” Trump said during the call. “Give me a break. You know, we have that in spades already.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mark-meadows-pleads-not-guilty-151051276.html
HuffPost
Joe Scarborough Unleashes Minutelong Tirade Over Biden-Trump Poll Result
MSNBC’sJoeScarborough had a lot to say after a new Wall Street Journal poll showed former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden tied in a potential rematch for the White House in 2024.
In a poll matchup excluding other candidates, Trump and Biden were tied with 46% each, with the remaining 8% of respondents undecided.
“You’ve got46%of Americans supporting a guy who’s been indicted four times,” Scarborough said on Tuesday’s “Morning Joe” of the current Republican front-runner.
“Indicted for stealing nuclear secrets. Indicted for stealing war plans. Called a rapist by a New York judge, saying that what he did was was was akin to rape,” the host continued, rattling off some of Trump’s alleged offenses. “You’ve got a guy that’s being charged for his illegal payoffs to porn stars. I mean, we could go down the list.”
Scarborough proceeded to do so, listing the former president’s misdeeds in a rant lasting over a minute.
“A guy who started a riot on January the 6th, an insurrection. Had ’fake electors,′ had this fraudulent scheme to steal votes from millions and millions of Americans in seven swing states,” he continued. “I mean, I could go on: Called the Republican secretary of state in Georgia and said, steal enough votes for me, find enough votes so I can steal Georgia.”
“Forty-six percent of Americans are voting for the guy who said he would terminate the Constitution to get back into power,” Scarborough concluded.
His guest, Washington Post commentator Eugene Robinson, said the numbers were “unbelievable.”
He said the poll should indicate to Democrats that “this is going to be a close election. They can’t take anything for granted.”
“And they better get cracking now because there’s a real risk,” Robinson added. “And I can’t believe I’m saying this: There’s a risk that Donald Trump could return to the White House.”
keks
https://www.yahoo.com/news/joe-scarborough-unleashes-minutelong-tirade-144733651.html
Jeffy? Is that [YOU]?
Guess you never learned the phrase, Keep your frens close, your ENEMIES closer.
Delta Mossad.
Oh, surely they're BFF's. AJ's comment to Flynn, something to the effect "don't worry, we're gonna win" cinched it for me.
AJ and that ilk thought they could outsmart the General.
KEK's!
Was a "Marker".
Sen. McConnell's health episodes show no evidence of stroke or seizure disorder, Capitol doctor says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s health episodes show “no evidence” of being a stroke or seizure disorder, the Capitol physician said in a letter on Tuesday, offering little further explanation for the apparent freeze-ups that have drawn concerns about the 81-year-old's situation.
McConnell’s office released the letter from attending physician Brian P. Monahan as the Senate returns from an extended summer break and questions mount over the long-serving Republican leader’s health. The GOP leader froze up last week during a press conference in Kentucky, unable to respond to a question, the second such episode in a month.
“There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease,” Monahan wrote, using the acronym for a transient ischemic attack, a brief stroke.
The doctor said the assessments entailed several medical evaluations including a brain MRI imaging and “consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment.” The evaluations come after McConnell fell and suffered a concussion earlier this year.
“There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall,” the doctor said.
After last week’s freeze-up, the attending physician to Congress cleared McConnell to continue with his planned schedule. McConnell arrived Tuesday at the Capitol office.
But the episodes have fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation in Washington about McConnell’s ability to remain as leader. The long-serving senator fell and hit his head at a political dinner this year, suffering the concussion.
It all comes amid a swirl of health concerns in Washington, particularly as COVID-19 cases show signs of rising heading into fall. First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, but President Joe Biden tested negative.
Nevertheless, many Republican allies have flocked to McConnell’s side, ensuring the famously guarded leader a well of support. Rivals have muted any calls for a direct challenge to McConnell’s leadership.
McConnell is expected to address the Senate as it opens for a flurry of fall activity, most notably the need for Congress to approve funding to prevent any interruption in federal operations by Sept. 30, which is the end of the fiscal year.
moar
https://www.yahoo.com/news/capitol-physician-says-mcconnell-health-153330626.html