Ocasio-Cortez says she's a 'proud' Democrat, even though she won't pay $250,000 in party 'dues'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez insisted she's a "proud" Democrat despite protesting a Democratic Party arm and withholding $250,000 in "dues" aimed at retaining the House majority.

“I’m a Democrat, I’m proud to be on this team. I’m proud to be part of the Democratic majority,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News in an interview Friday amid criticism she should quit the party and become an independent if she won't be a "team player."

As evidence that she's willing to work for the party, Ocasio-Cortez pointed to the more than $300,000 she’s raised directly for progressive Democrats, including incumbents in swing districts. That effort, she said, is for "preserving and expanding the Democratic majority."

Fox News reported Friday that the New York Democrat has been catching heat for failing to pay her $250,000 in dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in protest of a policy that she says "blacklists" vendors for working with insurgent primary challengers, such as herself.

“I don't see the sense in giving a quarter-million dollars to an organization that has clearly told people like me that we're not welcome," Ocasio-Cortez said in defending her decision.

Remainder here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-proud-democrat-even-though-wont-pay-party-dues

Susan Collins working with ‘small group’ of GOP colleagues on impeachment witness deal

Over three weeks after they were passed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has finally agreed to send both impeachment articles to the Senate for a trial, but in a new wrinkle, it has now been reported that a moderate Republican is working “with a fairly small group” of GOP colleagues to secure an agreement on witnesses, something Pelosi’s delay was designed to achieve all along.

According to the Washington Examiner, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said that she is cooperating with “some of [her] Republican colleagues” along with the GOP’s leadership, “to reach an agreement on how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for witnesses for both the House managers and the president’s counsel if they choose to do so.”

Collins is apparently not the only senator on her side of the aisle who is eager to hear from witnesses. Last week, The Hill quoted Utah Republican and failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney as saying he wanted to hear from them too.

“I think the Clinton impeachment process provides a pathway for witnesses to be heard so I’m comfortable with that process,” Romney explained.

Schumer’s demands

The so-called “Clinton model” allows witnesses to be called during the trial, but not until after the president has made his case, an example that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) doesn’t want to follow.

“More important than precedent is the fact that it plainly doesn’t make sense to have both sides present their arguments first and then — afterward — ask for the evidence we know is out there,” Schumer said, according to The Hill.

“The evidence should inform the trial,” he continued, “not the other way around.”

Schumer has been agitating for the Senate to call witnesses since even before the articles of impeachment were passed, having sent a letter with his demands on Dec. 15.

Among the individuals from whom he wishes to receive testimony are former National Security Adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

McConnell stands firm

The question of witnesses has been a contentious one, with Pelosi having until now refused to send the articles unless Senate Republicans agreed to call additional witnesses before the trial began. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has consistently said he has no interest in that approach.

“It is not the Senate’s job to leap into the breach and search desperately for ways to get to guilty,” McConnell said back on Dec. 17. “That would hardly be impartial justice.”

“The fact that my colleague is already desperate to sign up the Senate for new fact-finding, which House Democrats themselves were too impatient to see through, well, that suggests that even Democrats who do not like this president are beginning to realize how dramatically insufficient the House’s rushed process has been,” McConnell added.

https://www.conservativeinstitute.org/conservative-news/collins-impeachment-witness-deal.htm

>>7789851

>>7789851

It's been posted in breads quite a few times since he aligned with dems on the vote the other day.

Rudy Giuliani Claims on Judge Jeanine that Impeachment of President Trump is Unconstitutional and Should be Voided

The President’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani was on Judge Jeanine’s show on FOX News on Saturday night. He immediately offered an option that the President has for dealing with the House’s unconstitutional impeachment in the Senate:

"There has to be treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors. Abuse of power and the other ridiculous obstruction of Congress, you can’t find anywhere in 18 USC. You can’t find it under common law. You can’t find it in Lithuanian law.

It doesn’t exist as crimes so they have rendered the Constitution of the United States as words, meaningless. It’s as if they took the Constitution and struck out the words.”

Earlier this week Rudy wrote a piece at the Daily Caller where he states:

"House Democrats have put our constitutional government in grave danger by attempting to rewrite the carefully calibrated separation of powers under our Constitution and usurping powers not granted to the House. They have brought Alexander Hamilton’s nightmare of an entirely partisan impeachment to fruition and are making a mockery of fair proceedings.

While the Constitution does give the House broad discretion in impeachments, there are limits. The most explicit of these is that impeachment can only be for, “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” (Art. II, Sec. 4, U.S. Constitution) However, the articles for impeachment voted on by this entirely partisan Democratic Congress, which are currently being unconstitutionally withheld from the Senate, charge no such offenses. In fact, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress are not crimes of any kind, high or low. Therein lies the real reason why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has refused to send the two articles of impeachment to the Senate."

How can you impeach a President for something other than what the constitution calls for? The simple answer is that you can’t.

We agreed with the former New York City mayor in post a month ago when we wrote ==>>

If the President wants to, and he’s a fighter, he could take them to court on numerous activities and he’s likely win. He would also put the whole sham on hold and with a judgement from the courts the whole process would slow down. This could prevent him from being impeached in this horrible activity from the corrupt Democrats in the House and their cohorts in the Deep State.

Earlier this week President Donald Trump dropped a bomb upon arrival in London. Trump threatened to go to the US Supreme Court to stop the unconstitutional impeachment proceedings.

President Trump: "Just landed in the United Kingdom, heading to London for NATO meetings tomorrow. Prior to landing I read the Republicans Report on the Impeachment Hoax. Great job! Radical Left has NO CASE. Read the Transcripts. Shouldn’t even be allowed. Can we go to Supreme Court to stop?"

President Donald Trump is right.

The Democrat Impeachment process is Unconstitutional:

** President has no due process

** President has no right to confront the witnesses

** President has no right to bring forward witnesses

** President has not been convicted or indicted of any crime of any kind

** Rep. Adam Schiff was a witness, investigator, the prosecutor, the judge and jury

** Rep. Nadler will take over and declare himself the lead investigator, prosecutor, the judge and jury

** Rep. Schiff determined which questions could be asked

** Rep. Schiff determined which questions could be answered

** Rep. Schiff denied Republicans their right to call witnesses

** Rep. Schiff is withholding evidence — The ICIG interview and testimony in the Capital dungeon still has not been released

** Rep. Schiff refuses to call in the alleged whistleblower to testify

** Rep. Schiff and his team met with several witnesses (including the whistleblower) before the whistleblower even filed his report

** President Trump has NO IDEA who he is being accused by!

** The whistleblower has NO firsthand knowledge of President Trump’s phone call – nor do all but one of the witnesses

** Democrats are trying to prosecute impeachment for a thought crime and the president’s “intent” — Something impossible to prove

Many others believe the Democrats’ impeachment effort is unconstitutional.

The President has a great case in regards to the unconstitutional Democrat impeachment process, investigation and indictment. The President, any President, deserves more. Rudy is right. The President, any President, deserves justice.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/rudy-giuliani-claims-on-judge-jeanine-that-impeachment-of-president-trump-is-unconstitutional-and-should-be-voided/

Former Marine / Florida man charged with impersonating a security member for Trump's Marine One

A former Marine allegedly impersonated a security team member for Marine One, the helicopter that transports President Trump on short trips, and breached two checkpoints last week at Palm Beach International Airport, according to authorities, The New York Times first reported.

Brandon Magnan, 37, is charged with false personation of an officer or employee of the United States, according to federal court documents.

The helicopter unit, known as HMX-1, takes Trump to and from his residence in Florida. Trump was spending his winter vacation at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach at the time of the incident. Magnan approached a security checkpoint near where the helicopter was housed and showed credentials that indicated he was a law enforcement officer with the United States Marine Corps.

He made it past another checkpoint before a sheriff’s deputy there noticed that Magnan was not wearing a Marine Corps uniform. When confronted, Magnan told officers he was a retired member of HMX-1. However, the court documents show Magnan was dishonorably discharged about 10 years ago after being convicted at a court-martial for “serious offenses.”

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Magnan was convicted of “abusive sexual conduct” and sodomy during his time in the military. It’s unclear what the details of those offenses are.

Magnan was arrested Jan. 6 and was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court documents.

If convicted of posing as a U.S. Secret Service officer, Magnan faces up to three years in prison. He is set to appear in a Florida federal court on Jan. 27.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/477840-florida-man-charged-with-impersonating-a-security-member-for-trumps

Tonight from ConservativeTreehouse:

FBI Protecting and Hiding Sketchy FBI Agent Joseph Pientka?…

With increased scrutiny toward the actions, and lack thereof, from current FBI Director Christopher Wray, another sketchy aspect deserves some scrutiny.

Hat Tip Techno-Fog for noting some remarkable FBI activity.

Supervisory Special Agent Joseph Pientka III was first identified by Senator Chuck Grassley in May of 2018 as the second FBI agent involved in the 2017 interview of Lt. General Michael Flynn.

Frustrated by the FBI stonewalling his Senate inquiry, Chairman Grassley dropped the revelation publicly on May 11th, 2018, in a letter to the FBI.

[…] the Committee’s oversight interest in the underlying documents requested more than a year ago now outweighs any legitimate executive branch interest in withholding it. So too does the Committee’s interest in learning the FBI agents’ actual assessments of their interview of Lt. Gen. Flynn, particularly given the apparent contradiction between what then Directory Comey told us in March 2017 and what he now claims.

[…] In addition, please make Special Agent Joe Pientka available for a transcribed interview with Committee staff no later than one week following the production of the requested documents… (link)

The FBI never produced Supervisory Special Agent (SSA-1) Joe Pientka for Chairman Grassley’s committee, and the conflict between the Senate Judiciary Committee and the FBI was never reconciled. (The DOJ/FBI made it to the safety of the mid-term election.)

Additionally, every single document containing information about the investigative activity of FBI agent Pientka has kept his name redacted. Not a single DOJ/FBI document has ever included his name.

However, around two months after Grassley outed his identity; we discover from the Inspector General that the DOJ-NSD (National Security Division) admitted to the FISA court that Agent Pientka was significantly less than forthcoming with “factual omissions” in the Title-1 surveillance application he assembled against Carter Page.

While the IG report doesn’t name SSA-1 as Joseph Pientka, all documentary evidence supported that Pientka was indeed SSA-1. [This was also confirmed by Fox News reporter Gregg Jarrett writing an article about SSA-1 Pientka, and by Jarrett being contacted by the FBI as soon as he outed the agent.]

In addition to the Flynn interview, the Inspector General Report notes the importance of SSA-1 as he pertains to the FISA application.

FBI Supervisory Agent Pientka’s lies and omissions to the FISC were material – and made under penalty of perjury. He knew the dossier was fraudulent. He knew about witness denials. In short, Pientka lied about the FISA application’s accuracy.

>>7790114

FBI Protecting and Hiding Sketchy FBI Agent Joseph Pientka?…

(Cont'd)

After the FISA Court was notified in about the issues (July 2018), and before the IG report outlining the conduct of SSA1 was complete (Dec. 9, 2019)… sometime in mid 2019 Joseph Pientka was promoted by FBI Director Christopher Wray and transferred to the San Francisco FBI Field Office where he showed up on their web page.

[SIDEBAR – It is worth noting this is the same field office where current FBI Deputy Director David Bowditch came from.]

However, AFTER the IG report was published (Dec 9th, 2019); and after Pientka’s activity was outlined as directly involved in the corrupt activity; and after he was identified as having been transferred to the FBI Field Office in San Francisco (Dec 14th, 2019); the FBI mysteriously scrubbed agent Pientka from their website.

That doesn’t mean that Asst. Special Agent Joseph Pientka III is no longer in San Francisco; it only means the San Francisco Field Office has removed him from the website… He could still be working there.

As Techno-Fog notes: “Putting this into context – the FBI/Christopher Wray has been keeping Pientka from the public spotlight and Congressional inquiry since 2018.“… and it would appear the FBI is adamant about keeping Joseph Pientka as far away from uncontrollable public questioning as possible.

Why?

I should note there are no easily identifiable non-corrupt motives.

The FBI effort to keep Joseph Pientka III (SSA1) hidden, redacted, invisible and unavailable to congress pre-dates the appointment of Bill Barr to Attorney General and U.S. Attorney John Durham as an investigator of the issues.

The DOJ and FBI have been covering for Joe Pientka for well over two years.

PS. It isn’t just Pientka:

FBI Director Christopher Wray has named David W. Archey as special agent in charge of the Richmond Field Office. Mr. Archey most recently served as a deputy assistant director in the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters and was assigned as the FBI senior lead at the Special Counsel’s Office. Link: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/david-w-archey-named-special-agent-in-charge-of-the-richmond-field-office

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/01/12/fbi-protecting-and-hiding-sketchy-fbi-agent-joseph-pientka/

>>7790114

>>7790121

>>7790169

>>7790174

Baker, please add:

(I posted but another anon nommed it. Not yet in Notables)

>>7790159

>>7790121 (You), >>7790114 (You), >>7790130 (You) Why is DOJ/FBI/WRAY still protecting Pientka?

>NOTABLE

>>7790203

>>>7790114 (You), >>7790121 (You) FBI Protecting and Hiding Sketchy FBI Agent Joseph Pientka?…

Baker

Please add 3rd link which were graphics included in the article: >>7790130

Also >>7790069 (You) Former Marine / Florida man charged with impersonating a security member for Trump's Marine One

is listed 2x

Thx.

>>7790230

Thank you.