Does anyone at the DOJ really know what’s going on?
A few hours ago, Politico reported that acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin told reporters on Friday that there is no “direct evidence” that the rioters who took over the Capitol had a plan to “capture-and-kill” members of Congress or the Vice President despite an earlier filing in Arizona saying otherwise:
NEW: Federal Prosecutors are walking back a claim that the Capitol insurrectionists had a "capture-and-kill" plan for Pence and lawmakers. There's no "direct evidence," they say, despite a Thursday filing describing "strong" evidence.
w/ @joshgersteinhttps://t.co/Q0HXTLB3yZ
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 15, 2021
Sen. Ben Sasse and others, please call your office because this may need to be updated:
SASSE weighs in on the capture-and-kill intent of some of the insurrectionists … minutes after prosecutors in DC say they don’t have “direct” evidence of this yet (contradicting an AZ prosecutor who said they did yesterday). pic.twitter.com/ArXqVeMLNd
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 15, 2021
We say “may” because the situation is fluid:
This doesn't preclude new and alarming details from comign out — however the evidence isn't developed to make this assertion. And they've foreshadowed more alarming evidence, including of possible seditious conspiracy, to come. https://t.co/Q0HXTLB3yZ
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 15, 2021
Arizona prosecutors first said they would amend their filing:
DOJ in Washington is trying to walk back prosecutors' allegation that rioters planed to "capture and assassinate" officials, saying it has no "direct evidence of kill capture teams." The U.S. Attorney's office in Arizona says it will amend its filing. https://t.co/WaGjhmAhGE
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) January 15, 2021
But now they appear to be un-walking-back the walk-back:
And now DOJ is un-walking-back its walk-back. A federal prosecutor in Phoenix says a judge can disregard its statements about rioters intent to "capture and assassinate" officials, but says they might be able to prove that at trial. Stands by calling it an insurrection.
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) January 15, 2021
So, we’re kind of right back where we started:
So after a day of back-and-forth over this, federal prosecutors in Phoenix stand by their assessment that Jacob Chansley, the shirtless QAnon shaman pictured on the Senate dais, participated "in an insurrection attempting to violently overthrow the United States government."
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) January 15, 2021
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