Today every Republican finds themselves asking a new question: “If I speak out, will the FBI come for me next”? Recently, the LD3 Republican Committee heard a “Resolution to Censure the FBI as the Arm of the Leftist Police State in Maricopa County.” The fear in the room was palpable, for nobody knows any longer where the First Amendment ends and “sedition” begins. Yet nonetheless, one brave man, the songwriter Bruce Arlen, stood up and began to read.
He read a damning condemnation of the weaponization of the DOJ and the perversion of the law. And he read a clear and resounding call for the Legislature and Governor of Arizona, through both words and actions, to provide the citizens of our state with the “double security” against invasion of their liberties for which the federal system was designed. His courage inspired others. The motion carried. Bravery is contagious.
I am also afraid. I have seen the mechanizations of the DOJ and J6 Committee up close and know that this is no idle political witch-hunt but a coordinated and deadly serious effort to decapitate the Republican Party’s leadership and cow ordinary Republicans into silence and inaction. To be sure, some of the rioters on January 6th appear to have broken the law. But most of the “crimes” that Washington’s tyrants are now investigating amount to no more than allegations that political opponents said things that they do not like. The others are mere pretexts to prosecute people for the same reason.
Over the past few months, I have fielded too many questions from the Republican grassroots about whether they can still communicate with party leadership safe from the prying eyes of the FBI. And as a lawyer, I have had too many citizens come to me to ask, “can I say this”? One is too many.
So let me be clear: President Trump has a constitutional and God-given right to say that the 2020 election was stolen. So do you. And President Trump, like all Americans, has a constitutional and God-given right to petition Congress to take action on the basis of that belief or any other. Had Congress acted, those acts would, perhaps, have been proper subjects of judicial review. The rights to expression and petition are not. They are absolute.
Unfortunately, citizens are increasingly aware that if they are unlawfully targeted for their speech, they can no longer rely on the procedural protections of the American justice system as they once might have. The left has long intimidated and harassed attorneys willing to represent conservatives through the traditional Soviet tactics of the midnight phone call and anonymous threat. With the 65 Project, the left has institutionalized this harassment through a coordinated and well-funded effort to “shame” such attorneys, “make them toxic in their communities,” and curtail their ability to practice law by filing bar complaints against them. Attorneys willing to defend conservatives, never many in number, are becoming a rapidly dying breed.
In a few months, I will place my hand on the Bible and swear to defend the constitutions of the United States and the State of Arizona against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Then, despite my fear, duty will no longer permit me the luxury of inaction. I have heard the cries of the people of my district and will make every effort to fulfill my sacred obligation to defend the liberties of the citizens of Arizona.
It is a fact unknown to most that the federal and state criminal codes are so lengthy and complex that almost everyone is a criminal. It is, for example, a federal offense to slice canned peaches incorrectly. When everyone is a felon, prosecutors have unfettered discretion to prosecute their political opponents for perfectly “real” crimes. To protect our rights to freedom of speech and association, I will work to reform the law to ensure that only things that you and I would perceive as morally wrong can be prosecuted.
Ten years ago, Congress caught the FBI teaching agents that they could “bend or suspend the law.” Its academy is notorious for teaching trainees that suspects have “forfeited their right to the truth.” Thus, should the FBI continue down its dark path, I will go further and heed the calls of my PCs to introduce legislation prohibiting the State of Arizona from sharing information with the FBI that might help facilitate their reckless political prosecutions.
I call on liberals of good faith to join in these efforts. The FBI began its metamorphosis under Hoover. I am not blind to the fact that it was one of my favorite Republican presidents, Calvin Coolidge who appointed him. The erosion of our constitutional liberties was furthered by Dick Cheney’s push to expand the power of the secret FISA courts to spy on American citizens. His daughter Liz Cheney now continues his dastardly work by serving on the J6 committee. Today they are coming for Trump and the GOP leadership. But tomorrow the midnight knock could be at the door of my home. Or yours.
Do not let yourself become used to these escalations. Do not let your anger diminish with each new outrageous assault on your rights. Do not allow your liberty to be slowly boiled away like the life of a frog in a pot. The time to stand is while the noose sits but lightly about the neck. The time to fight is now.
Alexander Kolodin is a constitutional attorney and a Representative-Elect to the Arizona House.
On Monday evening, FBI agents raided former President Donald Trump’s household-name Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking at least 15 boxes of missing records from Trump’s administration that the National Archives seeks to recover.
Mainstream media received the inside scoop, many making retroactive edits and falling in line with a euphemistic switch from “raid” to “search” preferred by former and current Biden administration officials. Establishment media knowledge of the raid outpaced what Republican elected officials told the public they knew.
Please folks stop calling it a “raid.”
— Symone D. Sanders-Townsend (@SymoneDSanders) August 9, 2022
🦀🦀🦀🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 > FBI says they don't like the term "raid" > MSNBC and New York Times seen CHANGING their headlines, ERASING their usage of that word
A number of unnamed insiders supplied details of the raid to the following outlets: Axios, Reuters, CNNreported that the raid concerned potentially classified documents taken by Trump, NBCreported that the search warrant was connected to the National Archives, the Washington Postreported that the potentially classified documents in question may have been taken to Trump’s residence instead of sent to the National Archives, and Politicoreported that paper records were seized.
The Arizona Republican Party said that the Biden administration crossed an “unprecedented line” in American history. The organization called on Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to seek an explanation for the raid, which they claimed was a historical level of political targeting.
“[Biden’s] administration has weaponized the Judicial System — the raid at President Trump’s home was an act of political warfare,” stated the organization.
This abuse of power must stop, and the only way to do that is to elect Republicans in November. pic.twitter.com/ExnYWGkpnm
Neither Kelly or Sinema have commented on the Trump raid, as of press time. When Tuesday came, they focused their messaging on President Joe Biden’s passage of the CHIPS and Science Act: a $280 billion package with $52 billion in subsidies to increase domestic production of semiconductor chips, also called “integrated circuits” (ICs) or “microchips.” Both Democratic senators issued support in the hopes that Arizona would attract manufacturing plants from Intel and other companies.
Huge news, Arizona – our bipartisan Chips and Science Act was just signed into law! We worked hard to secure this historic investment in semiconductor manufacturing in Arizona and across the country, strengthening our supply chains and lowering costs for everyday families.
The Arizona Democratic Party issued their response to the Trump raid in the context of the statement released by Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Their party didn’t comment on the legitimacy or significance of the raid.
“Be wary of someone seeking government office who doesn’t understand the law, and pours fuel on the fire when issues arise,” said the organization.
Some very concerning language here.
Be wary of someone seeking government office who doesn’t understand the law, and pours fuel on the fire when issues arise. https://t.co/U7Q3ZwtMUX
Governor Doug Ducey didn’t remark on the raid. His silence wouldn’t be uncharacteristic. The Republican Governors Association (RGA) convened last November at the Biltmore resort in Scottsdale to plan the defeat of Trump-endorsed candidates.
Trump’s endorsed candidates swept the primaries last week. Lake, Blake Masters (U.S. Senate), Paul Gosar (incumbent, U.S. House), Mark Finchem (secretary of state), Abraham Hamadeh (attorney general), David Farnsworth (Arizona House), Anthony Kern (Arizona Senate), Wendy Rogers (Arizona Senate), Robert Scantlebury (Arizona Senate), and Janae Shamp (Arizona Senate) secured their spots as the Republican candidates for November.
Arizona’s Republican congressional leaders spoke out against the Trump raid.
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) pointed out that the FBI was fixated on Trump but ignoring claims of corruption linked to the Biden family, via the evidence of Hunter Biden’s laptop, and Hillary Clinton via her mass email deletion.
“This seems to be yet another example of the Department of Justice’s hypocrisy and political bias,” stated Lesko.
(1/2) President Trump said his Mar-a-Lago home was raided by the FBI, the same FBI that has ignored evidence on Hunter Biden’s laptop and has not gone after Hillary Clinton for deleting over 30,000 emails.
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) August 9, 2022
Lesko pledged to investigate DOJ abuses if Republicans secure the majority come November. Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) went one step further. He pledged support to get rid of the FBI.
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) said that he’s attempted to gather insight on why the FBI raided Trump’s home.
“The only thing missing from the unprecedented FBI raid at President Trump’s home is Muammar Gaddafi’s sunglasses and cap on Joe Biden,” tweeted Biggs. “I stand by President Donald J. Trump.”
The FBI and DOJ have weaponized their powers against Americans who disagree with them politically.
The House Oversight Committee requested that FBI Director Christopher Wray provide it with a briefing.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declared Tuesday that neither Biden or anyone in the White House had knowledge of the raid. Insiders that informed Politico of the raid confirmed the White House’s denial.
On Tuesday, Trump posted a campaign-style video that concluded with the statement, “the best is yet to come.” The post and its rhetoric led to speculations that Trump would launch a third presidential candidacy.
“We are a nation that’s become a joke. But soon we will have greatness again,” said Trump. “As long as we are confident and united, the tyrants we are fighting do not even stand even a little chance, because we are Americans and Americans kneel to God and God alone. It’s time to start talking about greatness yet again,” said Trump.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it sued the state over its new law requiring individuals to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The law, HB2492, wouldn’t take effect until next January.
DOJ Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called Arizona’s proof of citizenship rule an “onerous” and “unnecessary” requirement.
The DOJ contended in its press release that Arizona’s law violates Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and Section 101 of the Civil Rights Act. The NVRA specifies that individuals aren’t required to show proof of citizenship for the federal voter registration form enabling them to vote in federal elections, just to attest that they have one: these are called “federal-only voters.”
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Arizona Over Restrictive Voter Registration Requirementshttps://t.co/nIzluHFZVj
In its lawsuit, the DOJ rationalized that the federal voter registration form doesn’t require anything beyond an attestation because documentation “is not necessary to prove citizenship.”
The DOJ also cited the 2013 Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, which determined that Arizona couldn’t require proof of citizenship for those registering to vote using the federal form.
As for the alleged Civil Rights Act violation, the DOJ argued that Arizona officials couldn’t deny individuals the right to vote if they willfully or mistakenly didn’t check a box on the voter registration form confirming that they’re a U.S. citizen. The checkmark serves as an attestation of citizenship, similar to the one outlined by the NVRA.
With this lawsuit, the Biden administration effectively declared their allegiance with other establishment Democrats suing Arizona over the citizenship requirement. At the helm of lawsuits from progressive activist organizations is Marc Elias, a favored lawyer within the Democratic Party who was at the center of the 2016 Russiagate hoax.
HB2492 not only requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote. It also requires election officials to cross-check applicants’ citizenship through government databases. On top of local and state databases, these include databases within the Department of Transportation concerning Arizona IDs and driver licenses, the Social Security Administration, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program, and the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems Electronic Verification of Vital Events System.
Over 11,000 voters in the 2020 election didn’t provide proof of citizenship. In 2018, that number was about 1,700.
Attorney General Mark Brnovich pledged to fight the Biden administration to uphold the law.
In addition to free rooms and transportation for those illegally entering our country, the DOJ now wants to give them a chance to vote.
I will once again be in court defending Arizona against the lawlessness of the Biden administration. https://t.co/tYt3EVoEn8
Arizona parents promptly pushed back against the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) announcement Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Attorney’s Offices would investigate the trend of protests against school boards and other staff. The DOJ indicated that it would create a task force to accomplish this goal.
In a memorandum, Garland cited a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” against public school staff nationwide. Garland explained that the FBI and law enforcement leaders would brainstorm reporting mechanisms and strategies to address violence, threats of violence, harassment, intimidation against public school staff. Nowhere in either the announcement or letter did the DOJ or Garland call those responsible for the purported spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats, “domestic terrorists.”
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values. Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to work without fear for their safety,” wrote Garland. “The Department takes these incidents seriously and is committed to using its authority and resources to discourage these threats, identify them when they occur, and prosecute them when appropriate.”
A coalition of moms, West Valley Parents Uniting, said it was hypocritical for Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Biden Administration to highlight parents as a national threat while largely ignoring the rising rates of violent crime, human trafficking, and migrant encounters. Founders Heather Rooks and Devon Updegraff-Day submitted a joint statement to AZ Free News in response to the DOJ announcement.
“Administrators, school board members, and teachers are not the victims. The children are the victims! They have always been the victims; our children have been used as pawns for twisted political games for decades and parents have finally had enough […] The Biden Administration can issue warnings to parents and threaten legal recourse all they want; parents will never be made silent! Parents have the right and will always have the right to speak out against ANYTHING they deem inappropriate or detrimental to their child’s well-being; that is what being a parent is all about. The Biden Administration needs to get their tail out from between their legs and fight against real threats in America and stop trying to create distractions. Criminal conduct behavior is widespread, but one of the few places where it is not occurring is at school board meetings!”
While some issued formal statements, others opted to issue a prompt response on Twitter.
Pam Kirby, Republican Party of Arizona and Latinos for Trump Advisory Board Member, promised to continue rallying at school board meetings.
Another user accused the DOJ of pandering to teachers’ unions.
“Wow, all it took was one poorly drafted complaint letter from a teachers union, and DOJ responds. Without evidence. Just repeats what it has been told. We [see] who you work for.”
Yet another user claimed it was hypocritical of Democrats to crack down on parents at school board meetings but condone the behavior of illegal immigrants and activists who chased and filmed Senator Kyrsten Sinema into a bathroom.
“While leftists in office applaud those that chased, harassed [and] recorded a female elected official in a bathroom, they call parents using the normal channels of public meetings ‘radical extremists’ and accuse them of ‘infiltrating’ open meetings.”
The Biden Administration’s DOJ hasn’t issued any similar statements to other, more organized movements like the local Antifa-aligned groups, whose members have exhibited repeat patterns of actively threatening and engaging in violence.
Opposition to the DOJ’s announcement even came from some school officials. One vocal advocate for affording full transparency to parents, Litchfield Elementary School District (LESD) Board Member Jeremy Hoenack, told AZ Free News that he was disappointed with the DOJ’s response.
“It’s highly disturbing that the President’s Administration seems to think that parents don’t count,” said Hoenack.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco defended the DOJ’s initiative before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The committee hearing itself wasn’t focused on the DOJ announcement, but Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) insisted that Monaco answer for it.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
