Sometimes poking around, checking stories here and there, can be fun. Other times it’s (very) educational. This one is interesting. (Okay, yes, I need a new word.) This is a warning to the retired military and retired intelligence people who “dared” make the video, reminding our troops of their oath and illegal orders. Trump is still fuming. Hegseth is threatening to pull Senator Kelly back to active duty so he can court-martial him (*yawn*) or cut his pension. And damn near everyone else is rooting for them, even though it’s mostly silent support. A former member has come out in public and given them a warning. From CNN via AlterNet:
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe urged Democratic lawmakers to be careful if they decide to talk to members of Trump’s politicized FBI this week. CNN reports the FBI is taking the “highly unusual step” of seeking to interview six Democrats who appeared in a recent public service announcement reminding military personnel to disregard illegal orders. This decision comes on the heels of Trump’s Pentagon seeking to reduce the military rank and pension pay of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) for his participation in the same video.
FFS, people. The FBI is making itself look bad with this. And damn near everyone is blowing it out of proportion. If nothing else, they should be protected under the 1st Amendment (contrary to Trump’s blustering and threats). It was a video. It wasn’t a command. It was a reminder. Everyone and anyone can take it as they wish. We’re very close to martial law, edging toward it a little more every day. Trump wants this so badly it’s repulsive. He refuses to see that people have noticed and are blocking him every way they can.
What the FBI has issued is simply a request to sit down and provide information, and lawmakers are well within their rights to decline that request. But McCabe suggested declining the request to be the safest option. “We don’t have any indication that there’s a subpoena or some sort of legal process that would compel them to sit down and provide testimony. … But I would add that in the current climate, what this administration has done in several of these vindictive sort of retribution-flavored investigations is go after people for things they said during testimony or interviews,” said McCabe. “The case against [former FBI Director] Jim Comey is a perfect example.”
Ding-ding-ding! There’s the prize. We’re already seeing Trump’s Retribution Tour. He and his lapdogs are trying to find anything possible to get them. They want an excuse. And Hegseth? Petey Boy is trying to throw his weight around. He refuses to notice that he keeps falling on his ass, just like his boss. If they had just left well enough alone, it wouldn’t still be in the news. Instead, they are showing Americans (and the world) what fools they are for getting so bent out of shape about 90 seconds. But Mr McCabe thinks there is potential danger, so regrettably, they need to listen. It’s ridiculous.
McCabe added that one of FBI’s “most basic policies” is that “you never initiate an investigation or any investigative activity based solely on the expression of First Amendment protected speech.” “And that is clearly what we have here, McCabe told CNN anchor Kate Bolduan. “This is a group of political people, a senator and five congressmen, talking about politics and encouraging other people to obey the law. You may not agree with their sentiment. You may think they should have minded their own business, or what have you, but that is nothing other than First Amendment protected speech.”
Additionally, he said that what the lawmakers said was likely also covered by Congress’s “Speech and Debate clause,” which protects members of Congress from any sort of repercussions, including criminal prosecution or investigation for things that they say and do in the course of their legislative duties. But this does not mean a retaliatory and politicized FBI can’t try to embroil lawmakers in charges of lying to or misleading agents during routine interviews.
BOOM. And there it is. They’re going to make note of every little thing said in hopes of trying to bring some sort of court case against the Senator and Congresspeople. They’re going to look for excuses to add them to Trump’s Retribution Tour. I’m not a lawyer, and I’ve had no legal training, but this is bullsh!t. Gee, is entrapment still viable? No matter what, Mr. McCabe is correct. They already said what they needed to. End of book. Petey and Trump need to get over themselves. Is that still possible? Ha.
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