90 Miles From Tyranny

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

You house proud town mouse ha ha, charade you are

Big man, pig man

Ha ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel

Ha ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You're nearly a good laugh

Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying "keep on digging"
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find?

When you're down in the pig mine
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry

FBI Refuses to Explain FBI Role in January 6

A top official with the Federal Bureau of Investigation repeatedly refused to disclose how many FBI agents and informants were involved in the Capitol protest on January 6, 2021.

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning, Jill Sanborn, executive assistant director of the FBI’s national security branch, cited privileged protocols as to why she would not tell Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) the number of FBI assets that “actively participated” in the protest. “Sir, I’m sure you can appreciate that I can’t go into sources and methods,” Sanborn, who served as assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division when the protest erupted on January 6 and would have full knowledge of FBI undercover operations, told Cruz.

The Texas senator also demanded to know if FBI agents committed any violent crimes or incited any violent crimes on January 6. Sanborn again declined to answer. Presenting photos of Ray Epps, a man caught on video on both January 5 and 6, imploring people to “go into the Capitol” but has not been charged with any crime, Cruz asked Sanborn whether she knew Epps. “I’m aware of the individual, sir, I don’t have the specific background to him,” Sanborn replied.

“Miss Sanborn, was Ray Epps a fed?” Cruz asked. Again, Sanborn said she could not answer the question. Cruz also asked why, based on reporting by Darren Beattie at Revolver News, Epps’ “magically disappeared” from the FBI’s Most Wanted List related to January 6.

Again, Sanborn had no answer.

According to a recent Newsweek investigative report, the Justice Department stationed elite FBI forces at the FBI training academy in Quantico the weekend before January 6; hundreds of agents were deployed to the Capitol grounds that morning.

In September, the New York Times confirmed that FBI informants infiltrated the Proud Boys, an alleged militia group, and participated in the first breach of the Capitol perimeter right before 1 p.m. The man seen with the Proud Boys before the first intrusion was Ray Epps.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked Matthew Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, whether any plain-clothes officers were at the Capitol on January 6. Olsen, who announced today the formation of a domestic terror unit within DOJ, said he was not “aware” of any plainclothes officers within the crowd or inside the building on January 6. Cotton slammed Olsen for repeatedly refusing to give the committee specific answers. “Did you prepare for this hearing, did you know this hearing was happening before this...

A report by the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests Florida is on track to become the 22nd constitutional carry state.

Constitutional carry is a “priority” for the Republican-led Florida legislature, the Sentinel reported.

Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R) has already introduced legislation to do away with the concealed carry permit requirement for Floridians. Open carry without a permit would also be legalized by Sabatini’s bill.

Moreover, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has already made it clear he will sign constitutional carry legislation, should it reach his desk.

Florida Gun Rights’ Matt Collins posted a video online asking DeSantis, “If constitutional carry made your desk, would you sign it?”

DeSantis responded, “Of course.”

There are currently 21 constitutional carry states in the U.S. Those states are...

Republicans concerned trial delayed to appease Tehran during nuclear talks

The Biden administration has for the third time delayed the trial of an accused Iranian spy, renewing concerns that the high-profile case is being used as a bargaining chip in nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

The Justice Department confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday that the trial for Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi would again be delayed. The Iranian citizen and U.S. permanent resident was charged last year with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Iranian regime. The trial, which was scheduled to move ahead in January, was postponed twice last year at Afrasiabi's request, sparking Republican concerns that the Biden administration was allowing delays to appease Iran while it negotiated a new nuclear deal.

"The defendant complained of medical issues that he claims make it difficult for him to assist in the preparation of his defense, so he has asked for more time and we have not objected," a Justice Department spokesman told the Free Beacon. "This was the motion publicly filed by his standby counsel." No date has been set yet for the trial to commence, according to the spokesman. Afrasiabi's counsel requested that the case be rescheduled for April 20, according to a court filing.

Afrasiabi's case has emerged as a flashpoint between the Biden administration and congressional Republicans, who suspect the case is being used as leverage in ongoing talks with the Iranian government about inking a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear accord. In October 2021, after the case was delayed for a second time, a group of House Republicans wrote to the Biden administration to express their concern "that Afrasiabi is being used by the Iranian regime as a political tool for backdoor negotiations" with Iran, as the Free Beacon reported at the time. The third delay has renewed these concerns.

Iranian Americans for Liberty, a grassroots advocacy group that opposes the hardline regime and works with Congress on the issue, accused Biden's Justice Department of "postponing a clearly winnable case against a well-known operative of the Islamic...

Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #173

Triple jabbed Swiss marathon record holder and Olympic athlete diagnosed with myocarditis

The star runner Fabienne Schlumpf announced the news in a post on Instagram. Schlumpf confirmed to a Swiss newspaper that she has been triple vaccinated and that she has not had Covid.

“Unfortunately myocarditis is holding me back at the moment. It’s certainly not an easy time for me, but I’m not giving up. I hope to be back soon, chasing my dreams… and competitors,” she wrote. This is however the end of the road for her career. “Nobody can say how long I’ll have to put my career on hold,” she admitted.

The 31-year-old is said to feel “tired” everyday and after her heart rate shot up during an easy endurance run last month, she consulted a doctor who diagnosed her with myocarditis.

The veteran runner had planned to go on training camp in Portugal early this year, but this was canceled after her diagnosis. The runner who specializes in the 3000 meters steeplechase, won the silver medal at the...

Liz Cheney is using the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to persecute those working to unseat her at home.

Wyoming nominal Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is using the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to persecute those working to unseat her at home.

On Tuesday, the committee on which Cheney serves as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hand-picked vice chair unveiled subpoenas for three advisers to the Trump family. Andrew Surabian and Arthur Schwartz, who’ve advised Donald Trump Jr., and Ross Worthington, who played a role in drafting President Donald Trump’s speech on Jan. 6, were each called to hand over documents and testify before the committee between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2.

“The Select Committee is seeking information from individuals who were involved with the rally at the Ellipse,” Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a statement. “Protestors became rioters who carried out a violent attempt to derail the peaceful transfer of power. We have reason to believe the individuals we’ve subpoenaed today have relevant information.”

Except Surabian, who is advising the Wyoming Values Political Action Committee (PAC) in support of Cheney’s primary challenger attorney Harriet Hageman, had no involvement with the White House protest that the probe has sought to conflate with the violence at the Capitol.

“During the time period that the rally was being organized, Mr. Surabian was overseeing a Super PAC in support of Republican Senate candidates in Georgia,” Surabian attorney Daniel Bean said in a statement. “Mr. Surabian is a close friend to Donald Trump Jr. and is running a Super PAC that opposes the reelection of one of the members of the committee. Accordingly, we believe this is nothing more than harassment of the Committee’s political opponents and is un-American to the core.”

Schwartz did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment.

Cheney faces a competitive primary for a fourth term as one of the most unpopular Republicans in the country. Out of...