3mo ago

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens to expose Republican scandals if Matt Gaetz report is released | World News - Times of India

timesofindia.indiatimes.com Marjorie Taylor Greene: Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene threatens to expose Republican scandals if Matt Gaetz report is released | World News - Times of India

US News: Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has ignited controversy by accusing her GOP colleagues of hypocrisy, alleging they used taxpayer funds

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Been hearing this for days, and it's just such a weird self-own at this point. It's bizarre enough that I can't decide if this is meant to scare them into submission or what? That's the only angle that makes sense.
- It's also probably illegal blackmail (threatening to release private information that is of a humiliating nature unless someone acts in a certain way seems to fit the bill), assuming she is threatening specific people. But as usual, it's so shameless and the threat is done in full view of the public, so I guess everyone's cool with that now.
  Edit: Not illegal apparently/sadly, see below.
  
  Speech and debate clause
  
  Thanks, I definitely didn't remember this, but reviewing it in the era we're about to enter is pretty depressing:
  https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013300/
  ...They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
  As succinctly described by the Court, the Clause’s immunity from liability applies even though their conduct, if performed in other than legislative contexts, would in itself be unconstitutional or otherwise contrary to criminal or civil statutes. This general immunity principle forms the core of the protections afforded by the Clause.
  Once it is determined that the Clause applies to a given action, the resulting protections from liability are absolute, and the action may not be made the basis for a civil or criminal judgment against a Member. In such a situation, the Clause acts as a jurisdictional bar to the legal claim
  Basically, I assume GOP congressional members are going to be Trump's attack dogs like we've never seen, since they can threaten outright criminal conduct without repercussion.
  
  Why wouldn't this be felony extortion (not covered by speech and debate clause)?
  
  There's not a strong enough argument there. If the things that were said around Jan 6 weren't enough to break through this protection, vague threats probably won't do it either.
  Law only goes as far as political will.
- It's a threat. She's telling them to not release the report, or else.
  
  Yeah, but why her own party? Like if one comes out, she's just going to blow up the rest? It's just such a weird take.
  
  Because Gaetz is her bestie and she knows he's in danger of not getting the votes to get confirmed. The hardcore trumpists will absolutely use blackmail to get what they want. And they don't want to lose face by having a trump pick get defeated early on. But yeah, she should have leaned on them privately, not in public. She's not the smartest.
  
  That entire group of people are shitheads. They don't care about eachother past being in the same party.

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