House GOP runs interference as Trump is booked in Georgia

"Individual-1" is Inmate P01135809

Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for August 25, 2023:

• GOP talks tough about Mexico.

• Zelenskyy thanks Biden for war aid.

• McCarthy praises new jobs created by bill he voted against.

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TRUMP-GEORGIA. As Donald Trump was booked in Atlanta on charges of conspiring to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, House Republicans swung into action on his behalf from Capitol Hill. The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday asked Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis to turn over information on her indictments against Trump and his allies, asking for details on any coordination she had with federal investigators.

• GOP. "The House is demanding answers on the political timing and federal coordination of the latest witch hunt against President Trump," said Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV). "The leftwing DA in Fulton County has weaponized our justice system," added Rep. Dan Webster (R-FL).

• MISSIVE. In a letter to Willis, Republicans made clear their displeasure. "The timing of this prosecution reinforces concerns about your motivation," wrote Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chair of the Judiciary Committee. Jordan demanded answers to three questions by September 7:

  • All documents and communications referring or relating to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office’s receipt and use of federal funds.

  • All documents and communications between or among the Fulton County District and the Justice Department about the Trump prosecution.

  • All documents and communications between the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and any federal Executive Branch officials regarding the Trump investigation.

• NEW YORK. This approach is not new. Jordan sent basically the same letter back in March to New York D.A. Alvin Bragg, who told Republicans they had no 'legitimate basis for congressional inquiry.' One of Bragg's former prosecutors was brought in for a deposition, but refused to provide details about the Trump investigation.

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MUG SHOT. The release of Trump's mug shot thoroughly aggravated his GOP supporters in Congress. "The only person who should have been arrested today is DA Fani Willis," said Rep. William Timmons (R-SC). "The left is headed down a dangerous, anti-American path," said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX).

• REPUBLICANS. While there were outspoken GOP lawmakers, most Republicans in Congress issued no comments about Trump. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell for example gave a whole speech in his home state on Thursday, and never mentioned Trump once.

• XITTER. Trump took his mug shot and quickly used it on social media, going back to Twitter - now known as X - for the first time since his account was banned after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. "ELECTION INTERFERENCE. NEVER SURRENDER!" Trump wrote.

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WHAT'S NEXT. No matter what prosecutors bring against Trump in his four active criminal cases, his biggest problem may be with his own allies - especially if they flip and start cooperating. We saw that this week in his classified documents case. Much more in my column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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CHESEBRO. While Trump fights the charges against him, one of his co-defendants in Georgia has decided that he wants a quick trial. Kenneth Chesebro - who was one of the architects of Trump's fake GOP elector plan for Jan. 6 - asked for an early trial date, and a Georgia judge swiftly set it for October 23.

• ACTIONS. Chesebro not only planned out the fake elector scheme in Georgia and other states where Trump lost - but the indictment says he was part of a larger effort. "Chesebro offered multiple strategies for disrupting and delaying the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021."

• JAN. 6. "Did you ever have any direct communications with President Trump regarding the election or the January 6th joint session of Congress?" Chesebro was asked in a deposition. "I guess I would take the Fifth Amendment."

• TRIAL. If Chesebro gets a quick trial, it would be an early test of the Georgia case against Trump. It also would be televised.

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MEADOWS. Also turning himself in on Thursday in Atlanta was ex-Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who served as Trump's final White House Chief of Staff. Meadows joins a short list of former members of Congress arrested in recent years:

• Ex-Rep. TJ Cox D-CA (financial fraud)

• Ex-Rep. Stephen Buyer R-IN (convicted of insider trading)

• Ex-Rep. David Rivera R-FL (foreign lobbying violations)

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GOP DEBATE. Trump’s surrender last night in Atlanta blotted out much of the postgame talk about the first Republican debate on Wednesday night, which Trump boycotted. It was a fresh reminder that despite his growing legal troubles, Trump remains the overwhelming frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2024.

• VIEWERSHIP. The first GOP debate brought in 13 million viewers for Fox News. That sounds like a lot - but it was far less than the 24 million who watched the first Republican debate featuring Donald Trump back in 2015. (We all know there would have been more viewers if Trump had been on stage.)

MEXICO. The debate definitely showed one policy matter which continues to percolate inside GOP circles, and that's an increased willingness to threaten the use of U.S. military force along the border with Mexico - both to slow illegal immigration, and to go after the drug cartels operating in Mexico.

• BORDER. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been plowing this ground for some time, and in Wednesday night's debate, he promised to send U.S. troops over the southern border immediately. "I will do it on day one," DeSantis declared. His statement was a reminder of the anger among Republicans about the border.

• RED FLAG. Democrats warned such talk was unsettling. "The Republicans cheering for war with Mexico are taking the United States down a dark, dangerous path," said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). "It’s an extremist and insane position," Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said about DeSantis.

• TRUMP. This is really nothing new. Former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper said President Trump in 2020 had floated the idea of firing missiles at drug labs and cartels in Mexico. Esper wrote in his book that Trump wanted to use military force, but publicly deny that the U.S. was involved.

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REGULAR ORDER. As always, we welcome back our weekly readers. Let me take a quick minute to ask you to consider buying a subscription. This little newsletter offers a unique inside view of what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Sign up for ‘Regular Order,’ give someone a gift subscription, or maybe just buy me a drink. Support independent journalism and help send those three Dupree kids to college.

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MCCARTHY. What should have been an easy political stop in upstate New York for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy instead turned into yet another example of Republicans taking credit for new jobs generated by a bill they voted against. Once again, it was the bipartisan infrastructure law, which was hotly opposed by McCarthy.

• LOCAL NEWS. Often members of Congress can buffalo local news reporters who aren't up to speed on stuff like this. But the Syracuse Post-Standard was ready. "House Speaker McCarthy tours Syracuse factory benefiting from legislation he voted against," the paper reported on Thursday.

• STORY. "McCarthy, in town for a political fundraiser, stopped first at JMA Wireless’s new 5G equipment factory on Syracuse’s South Side," the paper reported. "McCarthy said JMA is an example of American companies building critical technology in the U.S. McCarthy last year voted no on the federal infrastructure bill that contained a “buy American” provision that JMA said will boost its business."

• BIDEN. The White House was happy to chime in. "I'm glad that my Administration’s infrastructure investments are so popular that even Speaker McCarthy is trying to take credit for them, despite voting against them," President Biden said. "That’s alright. I’ll see him at the next groundbreaking."

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UKRAINE. President Biden spoke on Thursday with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day. Zelenskyy again took the opportunity to publicly thank the United States for its help in fending off a Russian invasion. "Together, we prove that freedom and independence are worth fighting for."

• CHANGE. Maybe the most dramatic political change that I've seen in my 40+ years on Capitol Hill has been how the Republican Party deals with Russia. It used to be that almost anything related to Moscow was bad. Not anymore. And a leading conservative political group is a perfect example of that change.

• COMMUNISM. In 2015, the Heritage Foundation denounced 'Russia's brazen seizure' of Crimea, keeping to its GOP roots on Moscow. But in 2023, Heritage has suddenly veered into the isolationist wing of the Republican Party, coming out against extra aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

• AID. "Until Joe Biden offers a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Congress shouldn’t approve another cent," said a Heritage video released earlier this week. Heritage portrayed the issue as a choice between funding disaster relief in the United States or aid for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

• FUNDING. House GOP leaders still haven't issued any public comment on President Biden's request for $24 billion in new aid for Ukraine. Much of the money isn't even going to Ukraine - it's going to American defense companies who are delivering weapons and ammunition - with jobs in the U.S.

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TOURISM PLEA. We have all seen the terrible images out of Hawaii in the wake of the devastating wildfires there. But most of Maui is fine, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) took to social media on Thursday to hammer home that reality, urging people not to cancel vacations to Hawaii.

• SCHATZ. "South Maui resorts (Lahaina is West Maui) NEED visitors. Furloughs and layoffs starting because people think the whole island is closed. It is not. If you are planning a trip to Wailea or Kihei, don’t cancel. If you want to come to Hawaii pls consider South Maui," Schatz tweeted.

• FEMA. One note about hotels in Hawaii - Republicans have already accused federal emergency officials of staying in high-priced resorts while coordinating disaster relief on Maui. I’ll almost guarantee you that some numbskull will run up a big tab that will generate outrage at a future Congressional hearing.

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RAP SHEET. An Illinois man - who is a federal employee - was arrested yesterday for his actions on Jan. 6. Robin Reierson was charged with physically assaulting police officers outside the Capitol. Reierson works at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois; the feds say he took vacation days to go to D.C.

• SOVEREIGN. A New York man has pleaded guilty for his actions on Jan. 6. Eric Bochene had failed to show for a hearing and was arrested again earlier this month. He demanded to be paid $75,000 an hour, claiming he was a 'sovereign citizen,’ signing documents with a supposedly bloody thumbprint.

• JAIL TIME. Six different Jan. 6 defendants will learn their sentences today. They include a Delaware couple who stole two police gas masks inside the Capitol, a Missouri locksmith who dressed up like George Washington, and an Oklahoma man who said after Jan. 6, “Maybe I shouldn’t have gone in.”

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MUSE OF HISTORY.  August 25, 1948.  This is one of the most famous days in Congressional history, as television cameras carried live coverage of the showdown between Alger Hiss and Whitaker Chambers before the House Un-American Activities Committee.  Chambers accused Hiss of spying for Moscow, a charge Hiss bitterly denied.  "I challenge him to make the statements about me with respect to communism in public," said Hiss.  "Every Communist in the United States is a potential spy or saboteur," said Chambers.  Hiss would ultimately go to jail for perjury, but debates continue to this day on what he did for the Russians. 

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LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House next has votes on September 12.

The Senate next has votes on September 5.

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Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com

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