Leaders of Sedition?

are they traitors?

In the immediate aftermath of the unprecedented physical assault on the United States Congress, encouraged by the sitting president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and his supporters, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives need to undertake a deep and comprehensive look at members of Congress and others who may have incited and or facilitated the deadly attack on our Article I branch of American government.

Mr. Trump labeled his encouraged insurrection “Stop the Steal.” The Trump insurrection was, by all reasonable definitions, an attempted coup d'état, in our opinion. The attempted coup supported the timely Impeachment of the President for a record second time in his one-term presidency or invoking either the 14th or 25th Amendments.

Should any members of Congress be found complicit in the attack or attempted coup d'état, they could be and should be expelled from Congress, censured, charged with Sedition, or possibly Treason. Sedition or Treason may even apply to others who are not members of Congress but occupants of President Trump’s inner circle of friends and advisors.

Thomas unequivocally supports an immediate objective investigation into Congress members and Trump loyalists who may have aided and abetted the attack on Congress and the United States Constitution on January 6, 2021, and the consequences of their actions.

The defense of American democracy and the United States Constitution demands no less of us.

So, before we go there

What is Insurrection? Oxford Languages defines Insurrection as “a violent uprising against an authority or government.”

What is a Coup d'état? A Coup d'état is defined as an illegal and unconstitutional seizure of power by a political faction, the military, or a dictator.

What is Congressional Censure? The U.S. Senate defines Censure as “less severe than expulsion; a censure (sometimes called condemnation or denouncement) does not remove a senator from office. However, a formal statement of disapproval can have a powerful psychological effect on a member and their relationships in the Senate. In 1834, the Senate censured President Andrew Jackson — the first and only time the Senate censured a president. Since 1789, the Senate has censured nine of its members.”

What is Congressional Expulsion? Again, according to the U.S. Senate, “Article I, section 5 of the United States Constitution provides that ‘Each House [of Congress] may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.’ Since 1789, the Senate has expelled only 15 members. Of that number, 14 were expelled during the Civil War for supporting the Confederacy. In several other cases, the Senate considered expulsion but either dropped those proceedings or failed to act before the member left office. In those cases, corruption was the primary cause of complaint.”

What is Sedition? Oxford Languages defines sedition as “conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.” Sedition to be sedition must be overt rebellion against the established order, and more easily found where violence occurs.

What is Treason? Article III, section 3 of the United States Constitution posits that Treason “shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”

January 6, 2021

The attack on the United States Capitol occurred while both houses of Congress were formally meeting to affirm the Electoral College votes from the 50 states, which resulted in Joseph R. Biden defeating Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States.

Two members of the United States Capitol Police died in related incidents, as did four private citizens participating in storming Congress. This, after President Trump used a speech on the Ellipse to over-hype an already inflamed crowd of tens of thousands, telling them to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell.”

Some 60 legal cases were brought by President Trump and his inner circle of friends attempting to overturn Mr. Biden’s election according to various states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Almost every case, including an appeal to the United States Supreme Court, failed.

Contested cases in which Mr. Trump and his supporters alleged voter fraud were recounted, audited, and, in all instances, reaffirmed. Local and state authorities found no evidence of any significant voter fraud, some of whom were members of Mr. Trump’s own Republican Party. Even Mr. Trump’s Attorney General and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security concluded there was no objective evidence of voter fraud, as Mr. Trump charged.

Not to be persuaded, Mr. Trump then appeared to engage in inappropriate communications with state and federal officials seeking to overturn Mr. Biden’s election through illegal means. According to detractors, these presidential acts may have risen to the level of extortion or undue influence. Even Mr. Trump’s vice president was the target of illegal Trump demands.

Members of Congress Implicated?

A growing list of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives who appear suspect, according to various sources, of actively encouraging or inciting insurrection against Congress and the U.S. Constitution, and thus may become subject to congressional and law enforcement investigation, include the following:

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO)

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-TX)

U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorne (R-NC)

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)

U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX)

U.S. Representative Bob Good (R-VA)

U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ)

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)

U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH)

U.S. Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-LA)

U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

U.S. Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA)

U.S. Representative Scott Perry (R-PA)

U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)

U.S. Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX)

U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY)

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

Trump loyalists Implicated?

A growing list of critical members in President Trump’s inner circle of supporters also appear suspect, according to various sources, of actively encouraging or inciting insurrection against Congress and the U.S. Constitution and thus may become subject to congressional and law enforcement investigation.

The Question?

Are these Americans Sedition leaders? Did they commit Treason in representing President Donald J. Trump? Will Trump try to pardon one or all of them before he leaves office on January 20th, even though the Constitution clearly states that pardons are not valid in impeachment? Who knows?

Time and evidence for or against will tell. In the meantime, the company they keep and the bluster they spouted raised the question.

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