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Defend Our Country Digest

Defend Our Country Digest — May 6, 2022

Driving the Day: 

Must Read Stories

Rudy Giuliani Abruptly Backs Out Of January 6 Committee Testimony 

  • Associated Press: Giuliani Withdraws From Interview With Jan. 6 Committee: A spokesman for the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol says Rudy Giuliani, who led Donald Trump’s court efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, has withdrawn from an interview that was scheduled to take place Friday. Committee spokesman Tim Mulvey released a statement to multiple media outlets Thursday night saying: “Mr. Giuliani had agreed to participate in a transcribed interview with the Select Committee. Today, he informed committee investigators that he wouldn’t show up unless he was permitted to record the interview, which was never an agreed-upon condition.” Mulvey continued: “Mr. Giuliani is an important witness to the conspiracy to overthrow the government and he remains under subpoena. If he refuses to comply the committee will consider all enforcement options.”

New Evidence Undercuts The Right Wing Conspiracy Theory That The FBI Instigated The January 6 Attack 

  • New York Times: New Evidence Undercuts Jan. 6 Instigator Conspiracy Theory: Prominent Republicans — including former President Donald J. Trump — have for months promoted a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was a federal informant who helped to instigate the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The claims, made in congressional hearing rooms, on Fox News and at Mr. Trump’s political rallies, have largely been based on a video taken just before violence erupted at the Capitol, showing Mr. Epps at the barricades outside the building whispering into the ear of a man named Ryan Samsel. Within moments of the brief exchange, Mr. Samsel, a Pennsylvania barber, can be seen moving forward and confronting the police in what amounted to the tipping point of the riot. Despite lacking proof for their claims, many Republicans have surmised that Mr. Epps instructed Mr. Samsel to antagonize the officers. They have also pushed the notion that because Mr. Epps has not been arrested, he must have been working for the government. But for more than a year, well before the name Ray Epps was widely known in right-wing circles, federal authorities have had information — from both him and Mr. Samsel — suggesting that he was not a government agent and did not encourage the younger man to engage with the police that day.

In The States

Michigan State Police Seize Voting Machines In Widening Probe Of Breaches Tied To The 2020 Election 

  • CNN: Michigan State Police Seizes Voting Machine As It Expands Investigation Into Potential Breaches Tied To 2020 Election: The Michigan State Police has expanded its investigation into whether third parties gained unauthorized access to voting machine data after the 2020 election, and is now examining potential breaches in at least one new county, CNN has learned. In a raid last Friday, state police seized one voting machine tabulator in Irving Township, Barry County Clerk Pamela Palmer told CNN on Thursday. Palmer told CNN that she was not aware of any issues until police notified her of the voting machine seizure. Michigan State Police first opened its investigation into potential voting machine breaches in February after the Secretary of State’s Office notified it that an unnamed third party was allowed to access vote tabulator components and technology in Roscommon County. Michigan State Police Lt. Derrick Carroll told CNN on Wednesday that the department’s investigation has expanded to more counties where they were notified of breaches of election systems, but would not confirm the seizure in Irving Township specifically. It’s unclear if the investigation includes localities beyond Roscommon County and Irving Township but a source familiar with the investigation told CNN that state police are aware of a third potential breach. “If we find more examples of unauthorized access, we talk to those officials to find out what transpired,” Carroll added. These potential breaches did not affect results in the 2020 election, Carroll said, noting the breaches occurred after the election was complete.

Headlines

The Ongoing Threat To Elections 

Daily Beast: Lin Wood Turns On ‘Audit’ Group He Backed After It Finds No Election Fraud

The New Republic: What Unions Are Doing to Protect American Democracy

Talking Points Memo: Mastriano Swiftly Ends Interview Over Questions About Jan. 6, QAnon Conference

Washington Post (Analysis): Watch the birth of a right-wing term of art: ‘Ballot trafficking’

January 6 Investigation 

Associated Press: Giuliani withdraws from interview with Jan. 6 committee

New York Times: New Evidence Undercuts Jan. 6 Instigator Conspiracy Theory

Politico: Alex Mooney says it’s “insulting” to characterize the Jan. 6 attack as a domestic terrorist attack. He calls it a “protest.”

In The States

CNN: Michigan State Police seizes voting machine as it expands investigation into potential breaches tied to 2020 election