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by **admin** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:07 am

Oregon Republican Party calls Capitol riot a 'false flag' operation to discredit GOP, silence Trump supporters
by Lexi Lonas
The Hill
01/26/21 12:26 PM EST

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The Oregon Republican Party earlier this month approved and released a resolution calling the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by pro-Trump supporters a “false flag” operation and condemning Republicans who voted to impeach now-former President Trump over his role in the assault.

The resolution claims without proof that there is “growing evidence” that the Capitol attack that left five dead was a “false flag” event meant to “discredit President Trump, his supporters, and all conservative Republicans.”

“This provided sham motivation to impeach President Trump in order to advance the Democrat goal of seizing total power,” the statement says.

The resolution goes on to rebuke the 10 House Republicans — none of whom are from Oregon — who joined every Democrat in the chamber in voting to impeach Trump on Jan. 13.

“Our party is speaking out in condemnation of the profound betrayal by the ten House Republicans who supported impeaching President Trump last week without any investigation, hearing, shred of due process, and in contradiction to the known and emerging facts,” said Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier.

Pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a failed attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the Electoral College victory of President Biden, who Trump repeatedly and falsely claimed won the November election through widespread fraud.

"We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them," Trump told a crowd of supporters ahead of the attack.

"Because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated," he continued. "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard."

More than 100 people have been arrested over their alleged participation in the Capitol breach.

On Monday evening, the House delivered an article of impeachment against Trump to the Senate, accusing him of "willfully inciting violence against the government of the United States." The Senate's trial is set to begin early next month.

Although it is unlikely that enough GOP senators will vote to convict the former president, many have sharply condemned his actions ahead of the deadly riot, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who said Trump "provoked" the insurrectionists.

Oregon’s resolution calls it a “shame impeachment” that takes away from more pressing issues.

by **admin** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:31 am

Proud Boys Leader Secretly Cooperated With F.B.I. and Police: Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the far-right nationalist group, which is under increasing scrutiny for its role in the Capitol riot, helped to convict more than a dozen people.
by Alan Feuer
New York Times
Published Jan. 27, 2021
Updated Jan. 28, 2021, 1:27 p.m. ET

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

Enrique Tarrio, who took over leadership of the Proud Boys three years ago, has a criminal history dating to at least 2004. Credit...Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, a far-right nationalist group that is a major target of the sprawling investigation into the riot at the Capitol this month, has a history of cooperating with law enforcement, according to court records and a former prosecutor.

The stunning revelation that Mr. Tarrio, who leads one of the country’s most notorious extremist groups, helped the F.B.I. and local police departments go after more than a dozen criminal defendants about a decade ago was first reported by Reuters on Wednesday.

The news emerged as Mr. Tarrio himself has fallen under scrutiny for his role in encouraging the Proud Boys to attend a “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington on Jan. 6, after which a mob of hundreds broke into the Capitol, disrupting the final certification of the presidential election.

“He cooperated with local and federal law enforcement, to aid in the prosecution of those running other, separate criminal enterprises,” the former prosecutor, Vanessa Singh Johannes, said in a statement.

The court transcript, which documents a hearing in 2014 where Mr. Tarrio sought to reduce his own sentence in a fraud case, shows that he helped law enforcement officers in his home state, Florida, to investigate and prosecute criminal enterprises, including an illegal gambling business, a marijuana grow lab, an operation that sold anabolic steroids and an immigrant smuggling ring.

Mr. Tarrio did not respond to messages from The New York Times seeking comment, but he denied to Reuters that he had ever worked undercover or cooperated with law enforcement.

“I don’t know any of this,” he said. “I don’t recall any of this.”

Mr. Tarrio, 36, has been a focus of the F.B.I.’s enormous inquiry into the Capitol attack, which has led so far to more than 150 arrests, including those of at least six members of the Proud Boys. The group of self-described “Western chauvinists” has a history of scuffling in street fights with left-wing antifascist activists and has made a name for itself in recent years for its vocal — and often violent — support of former President Donald J. Trump.

Although Mr. Tarrio went to Washington earlier this month, he was arrested by the local police on suspicion of burning a Black Lives Matter banner torn from one of the city’s Black churches during a separate round of protests in December.

After he was thrown out of the city by a judge, he posted messages online encouraging the Proud Boys to attend the rally on Jan. 6, not in their typical black-and-yellow polo shirts, but instead “incognito.” Federal agents cited the messages in their criminal complaint against one of Mr. Tarrio’s top lieutenants, Joseph Biggs, who was arrested last week.

Mr. Tarrio’s criminal history reaches back to at least 2004 when he was convicted of stealing a $50,000 motorcycle. In 2012, he was charged with fraud in Miami in connection with a scheme to sell loads of diabetes test kits that co-defendants had stolen from a truck in Kentucky and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. “He was kind of like the marketing person,” his lawyer, Jeffrey Feiler, said at the time.

In July 2014, Mr. Feiler went to court to ask a federal judge to reduce Mr. Tarrio’s sentence, arguing that his client had cooperated “in a significant way” in two other federal cases, leading to the prosecution of 13 people. Mr. Feiler also noted that Mr. Tarrio had worked undercover for police departments in Miami and Hialeah, at times putting himself at risk.

“I find that the defendant has provided substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution of other persons involved in criminal conduct,” the judge in Mr. Tarrio’s case, Joan A. Lenard, ruled.

She ultimately cut his sentence to 16 months.

While there is no evidence that Mr. Tarrio has continued to help the authorities fight crime, Mr. Feiler believed at the time that his client was good at it.

“Frankly, in all the years, which is now more than 30 that I’ve been doing this,” he said at the hearing, “I’ve never had a client as prolific in terms of cooperating in any respect.”

by **admin** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:41 am

Proud Boys Call For Disguises, Violence At Biden Inauguration
by Michael Stone
Patheos: Progressive Secular Humanist
December 17, 2020

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

Domestic Terrorists: Leaders of the Proud Boys, a far-right, neo-fascist group, are encouraging members to disguise themselves as Biden supporters in order to “wreak havoc” and engage in political violence at Biden’s presidential inauguration next month.

The Sun reports:

Daily Dot reports:

Discussing the Biden inauguration on YouTube, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio instructed his followers to gain admission to the inauguration anyway possible, including by disguise as Biden supporters, and then “revolt.”

Tarrio said:

Last September, during a presidential debate, when asked to condemn the political violence of the Proud Boys and other alt-right, white nationalist groups, Trump refused, and instead gave a shout out to the Proud Boys, telling them to “stand back and stand-by.”

The Proud Boys are not the only domestic terrorist organization planning violence when Biden assumes power. According to Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers, the domestic terrorist militia will lead a “bloody civil war and revolution” if Trump leaves office and Joe Biden is sworn in as president.

Bottom line: The Proud Boys, a far-right, neo-fascist group, are encouraging members to disguise themselves as Biden supporters in order to “wreak havoc” and engage in political violence at Biden’s presidential inauguration next month.

Proud Boys Call For Disguises, Violence At Biden Inauguration (Image via Twitter)

by **admin** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 4:14 am

Proud Boys leader ordered to stay away from D.C. after arrest
by Clare Hymes, Caroline Linton
CBS News
January 6, 2021 / 7:21 AM

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

Enrique Tarrio

Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, has been ordered to stay away from Washington, D.C., after he was arrested on vandalism and weapons charges. The ruling comes one day before pro-Trump demonstrations are planned in Washington as Congress convenes to count the Electoral College votes ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Tarrio was released from custody on Tuesday, but Judge Renee Raymond ordered him to stay away from Washington. Raymond said the government's request for Tarrio to stay away was reasonable given his prior statements about burning anything associated with Black Lives Matter, Raymond also ordered that Tarrio not possess a firearm or ammunition while in Washington.

Tarrio was arrested Monday after he arrived in Washington on a charge stemming from the destruction of a Black Lives Matter banner at a historically Black church. He was found to be in possession of several high-capacity firearms, stemming in felony charges.

Mr. Trump has urged his supporters to gather in Washington to protest the election results, and he tweeted that he will be there. Congress will be convening Wednesday for a joint session to count the Electoral College votes, the last formal step before Mr. Biden is sworn in.

The National Guard has been deployed to Washington at the request of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Firearms will not be allowed in the city, Metro police chief Robert Contee said Monday.

The original charge against Tarrio, who came to Washington from Miami, stemmed from a December 12 incident at Asbury United Methodist Church, which is on the District of Columbia Register of Historic Places and is the oldest Black church to remain on its original site. The church said its Black Lives Matter flag was torn down and burned during pro-Trump rallies.

Tarrio told The Washington Post days after the incident that he had participated in the burning of the flag, but he insisted he hadn't participated in a hate crime. He said he would surrender to authorities, plead guilty to destruction of property and pay the church the cost of the banner.

"So, let me make this simple. I did it," he said on December 18.

Asbury United Methodist Church replaced the stolen banner on December 18 and then held a prayer service outside the church, according to The Washington Post.

Tarrio said the Proud Boys were reacting to the stabbing of four members of its group outside a nearby bar. Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, another historically Black house of worship, also said a Black Lives Matter sign was taken as well. That church filed a lawsuit on Monday against Tarrio for the destruction of the banner.

by **admin** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 8:36 am

Why the GOP is Still 'Ride or Die' for Trumpism
by Mehdi Hasan
The Mehdi Hasan Show
Jan 26, 2021

Michael Steele and Tina Nguyen join Mehdi Hasan to discuss the bonds between the Republican Party, former President Trump and extremism as any window to cut those ties appears to be closing. Fast.

by **admin** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 10:54 pm

NYT's Ezra Klein: "The Filibuster Is a Disaster"
by Amanpour and Company
Jan 26, 2021

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As the economic fallout from the pandemic perpetuates Americans’ suffering, many are arguing that President Biden should follow up on his promise to quickly put money into the pockets of the American people. One of those making the case is author and New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, who launches his new podcast this week. He explains to Walter Isaacson his thoughts on bipartisanship in this age of polarization.

by **admin** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:24 am

Nancy Pelosi: "The enemy is within" the House of Representatives
by Rebecca Kaplan
CBS News
JANUARY 29, 2021 / 6:43 AM

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that House members can pay for additional security measures with their congressional allowances, and said the House would likely need to pass additional funding for member safety because "the enemy is within the House of Representatives."

"It shouldn't be that not only is the president of the United States inciting an insurrection, but keeps fanning the flame endangering the security of members of Congress, to the point that they're even concerned about members in the House of Representatives being a danger to them," she said.

Asked what she meant by "the enemy is within," the California Democrat said, "It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress."

Some Republican representatives, including Andy Harris of Maryland and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, have reportedly expressed a desire or attempted to bring guns to the floor of the House chamber, where they are prohibited. Pelosi ordered the installation of magnetometers outside the House chamber in the wake of the January 6 assault and pledged to institute thousands of dollars in fines for members who refused to abide by the screening.

Another Republican member, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, posted a speech to Facebook in February 2019 where she said Pelosi, "is guilty of treason ... a crime punishable by death."

Earlier in her press conference, the speaker questioned the decision by Republican leadership to give Greene a seat on the House Education and Labor Committee in light of Greene's previous assertion that school shootings were "false-flag" operations.

"What could they be thinking — or is thinking too generous a word about what they might be doing? It's absolutely appalling," Pelosi said.

The speaker's comments came in response to a question about a request from more than 30 members of the House of Representatives to use their congressional allowances to augment their personal safety in their home districts by hiring local law enforcement or other security personnel, among other things. The letter was first obtained by CBS News.

Members asked for greater latitude in how they spend their Members' Representational Allowance, an annual allotment set by the Committee on House Administration that provides members with the operating budget for staff, mail and other office expenses to carry out their official duties.

"I do think though that while it's appropriate that they use their MRA for their security, they should not have to because money is there to meet the needs of constituents," Pelosi said.

The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol increased many lawmakers' uneasiness about their personal safety in Washington, but even more so at home, where they lack the protection afforded by the Capitol Police — and where most spend the majority of their time.

Pelosi said she will meet later Thursday with retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who is conducting a security review of the Capitol and studying member security both in Washington, D.C. and in their districts, as well as transportation in between.

Zak Hudak contributed to this story.
First published on January 28, 2021 / 1:32 PM
© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

by **admin** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:31 am

AOC rejects Cruz support over Wall Street chaos: 'You almost had me murdered'
by Veronica Stracqualursi
CNN
Updated 12:39 PM ET, Fri January 29, 2021

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

(CNN) Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday accused Sen. Ted Cruz of "trying to get me killed" during the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol and called for his resignation from the Senate, after the Texas Republican appeared to agree with her on the need for an investigation into Robinhood following chaos on Wall Street.

"I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there's common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out," the New York congresswoman wrote in a tweet directed at the Texas senator Thursday. "Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren't trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign."

She continued, "You haven't even apologized for the serious physical + mental harm you contributed to from Capitol Police & custodial workers to your own fellow members of Congress. In the meantime, you can get off my timeline & stop clout-chasing. Thanks."

CNN reached out to spokespersons for both Cruz and Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday afternoon.

Ocasio-Cortez's comments to Cruz came as she discussed the news Thursday that Robinhood, a trading app, restricted trades on GameStop and other highly volatile stocks, blocking retail investors from buying those stocks but allowing Wall Street to.

On Twitter, she called for an investigation into Robinhood's actions and said it was "unacceptable" — to which Cruz replied "fully agree," sparking the New York congresswoman's ire.

Cruz said later Thursday that Ocasio-Cortez's tweets amounted to "partisan anger" that's "not healthy for our country." Those comments prompted Ocasio-Cortez to tweet: "What does he think the logical response to his lies should be? A hug? Maybe there's anger bc his actions deserve accountability."

Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy, who was formerly Cruz's chief of staff, called on Ocasio-Cortez to "immediately apologize" and retract her comments about his former boss, calling it "unacceptable behavior for a Member of Congress to make this kind of scurrilous charge against another member."

"If Representative Ocasio-Cortez does not apologize immediately, we will be forced to find alternative means to condemn this regrettable statement," he wrote in a letter sent Thursday night to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The letter did not specify what follow-up action Roy was considering.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol building on January 6 and attempted to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's electoral win, believing that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Some of the rioters sought out lawmakers like Pelosi, ransacked their offices, and were caught on video making death threats against members and former Vice President Mike Pence.

That day, just before the rioters stormed the Capitol, Cruz had objected to the certification of Arizona's 2020 elections result, despite no evidence supporting claims of voting irregularities and fraud. Cruz was one of the top congressional backers of Trump's baseless challenges to the election results before January 6.

Ocasio-Cortez had previously called for Cruz's resignation in the wake of the January 6 Capitol attack, and for him to be expelled from the Senate if he does not step down.

She said in an Instagram Live video earlier this month, "Many, many members of the House were nearly assassinated" in the breach. "It's just not an exaggeration to say that at all."

"I had a pretty traumatizing event happen to me," Ocasio-Cortez explained. "And I do not know if I can even disclose the full details of that event due to security concerns but I can tell you that I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die."

Last week, the Justice Department arrested Garret Miller of Texas, who had allegedly participated in the Capitol attack and posted online death threats against Ocasio-Cortez and a US Capitol Police officer.

Miller allegedly tweeted, "assassinate AOC," according to court documents.

Ocasio-Cortez also told CNN's Chris Cuomo last week on "Prime Time" that a considerable number of lawmakers "still don't yet feel safe around other members of Congress" in the wake of the breach.

The high-profile New York progressive congresswoman and the staunch Texas conservative have been at odds on many issues but had agreed on a ban on former lawmakers becoming lobbyists.

This story has been updated with additional information Friday.
CNN's Brian Fung, Paul LeBlanc, Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.

by **admin** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:19 am

Donald Trump Jr. calls for 'total war' over election votes. That's beyond irresponsible
Opinion: The vote tally may not be what Donald Trump Jr. wants. But he should know you don't call for 'total war' - especially when tensions are this high.
by Elvia Díaz
Arizona Republic
Published 5:08 p.m. MT Nov. 5, 2020 Updated 5:11 p.m. MT Nov. 5, 2020

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

Supporters of President Trump protest outside the Maricopa County Election Center in Phoenix on Nov. 4, 2020. The group was asking for a fair vote count.

I get it. President Trump and his children are going nuts because he isn't declared the winner of this election.

They've been spewing accusations of voter fraud and intimidation, which to them amounts to “stealing the election.”

But Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday went too far when he called for a “total war over this election.”

His choice of words are reckless and irresponsible when tensions in America are through the roof.

“The best thing for America’s future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long. It’s time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!” Trump Jr. said in a tweet.

Tensions are too high for misinterpretations

Fighting through the courts is one thing.

President Trump is within his right to challenge the process, as he has done in key battleground states. A flurry of lawsuits have been filed in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada alleging ballot misconduct and in some cases demanding recounts and access to the vote counting process.

That’s already happening, so that can’t be what Trump Jr. means. The conclusion can only be that he is calling supporters to “total war.”

That’s the danger.

Trump’s so-called “patriots” are already showing up at election centers armed to the teeth. The Second Amendment to the U.S Constitution gives them the right to carry arms, but some states like Arizona have open-carry laws that give people the right to flaunt them.

Gun sales in the U.S. have hit a record this year. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reportedly found that the about five million Americans bought a firearm for the first time in 2020. CBS News also reported that 17.2 million background checks were completed this year, versus 15.7 million in 2016.

Don't leave it to Twitter to call this out

This isn’t the time to be talking about “total war.” Tensions are too high to leave any wiggle room for interpretations.

Twitter flagged Trump Jr.’s tweet just as it has been doing with other questionable posts by him, his father and other Trump supporters.

Trump and his people are furious about that, calling it censorship.

It is not.

It’s the responsible thing to do. But people in the Trump-sphere keep posting because the media, myself included, will amplify it.

Good for Twitter for flagging calls for violence. But it isn’t enough. All of us must be vigilant and call it out.

Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.

by **admin** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:34 am

Uh oh, Rep. Andy Biggs. Nearly half your district thinks you played a role in Capitol riot
Opinion: Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs has a major problem. A new poll says nearly half of voters in his district suspect he was involved in the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally-turned-riot.
by Laurie Roberts
Arizona Republic
Published 9:08 p.m. MT Jan. 21 2021 Updated 9:00 a.m. MT Jan. 22, 2021

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., speaks on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Andy Biggs’ brothers want him removed from Congress, but he’s got a bigger problem.

Nearly six in 10 voters in Biggs’ congressional district think he should resign if he played a role in the events that occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters rioted to try to stop certification of the 2020 election results, according to a poll released on Friday.

And nearly half those polled believe he probably or definitely did.

That’s not good news for a guy whose ruby-red district offers lifelong job security for a guy like Biggs.

Until now, perhaps.

Videos connect Biggs to 'Stop the Steal'

“He may be in big trouble in AZ05,” pollster Mike Noble, of OH Predictive Insights, told me. “In a safe district, you can almost get away with anything. However, this poll indicates that may not be the case.”

Rioters storming the Capitol to interfere with democracy have a way of changing one's perspective, I suppose.

Ali Alexander, one of the rally organizers, claims that he, along with Biggs, Rep. Paul Gosar and Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, planned the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally, hoping to stop Congress from certifying the election results.

“We four schemed up of putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting,” Alexander said in a since-deleted video on Periscope.

There are videos linking Biggs to other Stop the Steal rallies planned by Alexander, including a Dec. 19 rally in Arizona where a taped message from Biggs was played for Trump supporters.

Biggs was outspoken in his efforts to reject certification of Arizona’s vote, but he has adamently denied playing any role in the Jan. 6 protest-turned-riot.

48% say he 'played a role' in the riot

The problem for Biggs is, a sizable number of voters in his conservative East Valley district just aren’t buying it.

The poll of 500 registered voters in the Fifth Congressional District indicates that nearly seven in 10 voters – including three-fifths of Republicans polled – want either Congress or the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate any members of Congress suspected of playing a role in what happened at the Capitol.

Of those polled, 48% said they believe Biggs probably or definitely “played a role in the events that occurred at the U.S. Capitol building”. It’s a no brainer that 80% of Democrats would believe it. But 49% of independents polled also believed Biggs might be involved, as did 30% of Republicans. (Twenty-one percent of those Republicans believe it’s definitely true.)

Only 33% of voters discounted the possibility of Biggs’ involvement -- 52% of them are Republicans.

If Biggs was involved, disaster awaits.

That could spell doom for Andy Biggs

A whopping 63% of voters said Biggs should resign if he played a role in the events of Jan. 6. That includes the majority of independents, older voters and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Even 44% of Republicans want him gone if he was involved.

More than six in 10 voters in Rep. Andy Biggs' congressional district think he should resign if he played a role in the events of Jan. 6, when a Stop the Steal rally turned into a deadly attack on the Capitol, according to a new poll.

The good news is, voters in this conservative Republican district don’t want to be represented by anyone who had a hand in the nauseating events of Jan. 6

The bad news, for Biggs, is a whole lot of people in the district he won by nearly 20 points are now wondering whether he’s one of them.

“Voters in this district across are sending a clear message,” Noble said. “They want any member of Congress who played a role in the riots to be held accountable.”

The poll, a blend of live and automated calls to 500 registered voters, was conducted Jan. 19-20. The sample is balanced to accurately reflect gender, age, party failliation and ethnicity. It has a margin of error of 4.4%.

And a message of doom for Biggs, if his fingerprints are anywhere near that deadly rally.

Reach Roberts at [email protected].

**********************

Rep. Andy Biggs' brothers: 'Andy spread election fraud lies'
by Ronald J. Hansen
Arizona Republic
Published 6:49 p.m. MT Jan. 20, 2021

Rep. Andy Biggs’ two brothers have publicly castigated him for sowing doubt about President Joe Biden’s election win and called for his removal from office.

In a letter to the editor at The Arizona Republic, William Biggs and Daniel Biggs of Tucson said their brother, who argued to set aside Arizona’s election results in Congress, is “at least partially to blame” for the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol two weeks ago.

William Biggs, 67, said he is a Democrat who isn’t close to his Republican brother but could no longer quietly disagree with his political efforts after the riot. Daniel Biggs could not be reached for comment. Andy Biggs also was not immediately available for comment.

“It just seemed like saying nothing just felt like tacit approval of the things that he's done,” William Biggs told The Arizona Republic in an interview. “Always before on things big and small that he's done I've just kind of kept my mouth shut and gritted my teeth. This just seemed like too big a moment to just sit on the sidelines and not say anything.”

It is the second intra-family dispute involving an Arizona Republican congressman over the election’s result in recent days. The Republic first reported three of Rep. Paul Gosar’s nine siblings reached out to Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., to seek Gosar’s expulsion from Congress.

Biggs and Gosar have come under heavy criticism for objecting to the certification of Arizona’s election results, which showed Biden beat Trump by the narrowest margin in the country,as well as Pennsylvania's.

Both men, along with Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., were singled out by one of the pro-Trump rally organizers as key to the planning of the “Stop the Steal” protests on Jan. 6. Andy Biggs has pointedly denied any role in organizing the protests in Washington on Jan. 6.

Even so, many members of Congress have called for House ethics and criminal investigations to determine if any members were liable for the mob invasion of the Capitol.

Five people died in the ensuing melee, including a police officer.

Biggs’ brothers see him as contributing to the atmosphere that precipitated the violence.

“By attempting to cause uncertainty in the election's outcome, Andy is at least partially to blame for the riot at the Capital on January 6,” the Biggs brothers wrote in their letter. “Political ambition, peer pressure and fealty to (former President Donald) Trump proved to be too strong a drug to resist.

“These are violations of his oath of office and erode the trust of the American electorate. For these reasons we call for the timely removal of Congressman Biggs from office.”

Andy Biggs, who is beginning his third term in Washington, heads the conservative House Freedom Caucus and was one of Trump’s most dogged defenders.

After the election, Andy Biggs called for a forensic audit of Arizona’s election systems and said in a conservative talk-show interview that Pennsylvania’s elections were “an utter disaster, and really your immediate remedy is to basically nullify Pennsylvania's election.”

William Biggs said he is the oldest of the five Biggs children and Andy Biggs is the middle child of the family.

"We shared a bedroom when we were little kids, but once once we got to our teenage years, I was five years ahead of him and I was long gone before he chose whatever path he chose," William Biggs said. "Our family is basically divided."

The disagreement became more pronounced when Biggs ascended to president of the Arizona state Senate, prior to his winning a congressional seat.

"When Andy was elected to be president of the Arizona Senate, our families went up there," William Biggs said. "We went to (Gov. Doug) Ducey's State of the State speech and we hung out in Andy's office. He was very proud of his accomplishment to be the senator, and we went there and helped him celebrate. But we haven't supported virtually anything he's done politically since then."

The letter signed by William Biggs and Daniel Biggs criticized Andy Biggs for refusing to wear a mask while sheltering in a closed room as the rioters roamed the Capitol. Three Democratic House members reported contracting COVID-19 after they were forced together.

Andy Biggs, along with several other Republicans, refused to wear masks in the room, as documented in a video obtained by Punchbowl News.

"We condemn Andy’s refusal to wear a mask to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while in the presence of his congressional colleagues," Biggs' brothers wrote. "It was a passive-aggressive tantrum and the ultimate disrespect for all present."

Republic reporter Lauren Castle contributed to this story.

Reach the reporter Ronald J. Hansen at [email protected] or 602-444-4493. Follow him on Twitter @ronaldjhansen.

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