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House Ethics Committee Extends Investigation Into ‘Ultra MAGA’ Congressman

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The House Committee on Ethics has announced it is extending its investigation into U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) after an initial referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics. Congressman Jackson is a self-described “ultra-MAGA” Republican who has spread various conspiracy theories and was demoted by the Pentagon after his retirement from the military.

While the Ethics Committee is always reserved in its announcements, and did not state the issue it is investigating, it did note it will “announce its course of action in this matter on or before Monday, June 24, 2024.” Thursday’s announcement follows announcements in April and May of 2022 confirming its investigation into Rep. Jackson.

In September of 2021 the Office of Congressional Ethics, a separate, nonpartisan, and independent office, launched an investigation into Congressman Jackson, the former Physician to the President under both Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Dr. Jackson also served as the Chief Medical Advisor to the President under Trump, a position created by the now-indicted ex-president.

In May of 2022 the Office of Congressional Ethics released documents stating it had “found ‘substantial reason to believe’ Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) spent campaign funds on personal expenses,” Forbes reported at the time.

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The Office had referred its findings to the House Ethics Committee one month earlier.

Congressman Jackson “refused to cooperate with the review,” CNN reported in 2022, noting it was “not the first time Jackson has come under scrutiny. Last year, the Pentagon inspector general outlined a scathing critique of his behavior, saying he drank alcohol and took sleeping pills while serving as a White House physician – and made ‘sexual and denigrating’ comments about a female subordinate. Jackson disputed the report’s findings.”

The New York Times in March reported on Dr. Jackson’s military demotion.

“In a report completed three years ago, the Pentagon found that Rear Adm. Ronny L. Jackson had mistreated subordinates while serving as the White House physician and drank and took sleeping pills on the job. The report recommended that he face discipline,” according to The Times. “Now it turns out that the Navy quietly punished him the next year. Though he had retired from the military in 2019, he was demoted to captain — a sanction that he has not publicly acknowledged.”

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Last summer at a Texas rodeo Congressman Jackson attempted to assist a person experiencing a medical event, but was “briefly detained” by law enforcement officers, his office stated, after reportedly refusing to move away from the woman.

According to The Texas Tribune, Jackson spewed multiple profanities at a trooper.

“’You are a f*cking full-on dick!’ Jackson told the trooper after being brought off the ground, according to bodycam footage provided by the Department of Public Safety. ‘You better recalculate, motherf*cker!'”

“I’m gonna call the governor tomorrow and I’m gonna talk to him about this sh*t because this is f*ckin’ ridiculous,” Jackson also reportedly said. “F*ckin’ ridiculous.”

The Tribune reported Jackson’s “office has emphasized he was ‘not drinking,’ though the sheriff’s report challenges that assertion.”

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‘Not Weighing in on That’: Republicans Refuse to Pull Support for Trump as Trial Nears End

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Donald Trump will have more than a dozen allies, including an elected Republican state attorney general and several House Republicans at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building on Monday, in likely the largest show of support yet for the indicted ex-president facing 34 felony charges related to his alleged effort to subvert the election by falsifying business records related to his “hush money” payments to two women.

At least four GOP members of the House, which is not back in session until Tuesday, are expected to show at the courthouse, and an even larger number, at least nine, Trump allies are also expected to attend – likely to deliver speeches before the cameras.

The list, according to NewsNation’s Libbey Dean, includes South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, an election denier who had supported overturning the 2020 presidential election and signed onto what has been called a “false and frivolous” lawsuit attempting to overturn the results. Wilson also was chair of the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2020 when the organization “sent a robocall encouraging ‘patriots’ to march on the Capitol and demand Congress overturn the election results,” the Associated Press reported in January 2021. He denied knowledge of the robocall project and five days after the January 2021 insurrection conceded Joe Biden had won the presidency.

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Other elected officials  attending Trump’s trial Monday are Republican U.S. Reps. Eric Burlison, Andrew Clyde, Mary Miller, and Keith Self.

Also attending are John Coale from the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, attorney Alan Dershowitz, Trump attorney and GOP attorney general candidate Will Scharf, convicted felon and Trump pardon recipient Bernie Kerik, Trump loyalist and former Trump administration official Kash Patel, and others.

Senate Republicans who spoke with CNN’s Manu Raju (video below) made clear they will not be dropping support for the indicted and embattled ex-president any time soon.

Trump’s trial, which last week had been on schedule to end this week, will now extend into next week with closing arguments beginning Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) told CNN’s Raju, he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Trump is convicted, while echoing, almost verbatim, Trump’s talking points.

“I mean, that’s probably going to happen, but that’s going to get, most likely, thrown out. These charges, frankly, talk about election interference, that’s what’s going on right now in that New York courtroom.”

READ MORE: Dem Wants Probe Into Allegations of Congress Members Drinking During Contempt Hearing

Senator James Lankford (R-OK), whose bipartisan border bill was killed by Trump, would only offer this to CNN: “I want to be able to have people that are role models and leaders and all those things as well.”

“For me, the policy issues are going to matter significantly,” he added, suggesting support for Trump.

Senate Republican Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota was asked if he will continue to support Trump if he is convicted.

“We’ll see how the trial comes out. I’m not weighing in on that.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: Why Alito’s ‘Stop the Steal’ Flag Story Just Fell Apart

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Dem Wants Probe Into Allegations of Congress Members Drinking During Contempt Hearing

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House Oversight Republicans held a contempt of Congress hearing for Attorney General Merrick Garland while lawmakers allegedly were drinking alcohol and acting “pretty ugly” during Thursday night’s proceedings. Now, they are the ones accused of behavior “embarrassing to our institution” by Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who wants an investigation.

“Members of the panel ultimately advanced a contempt of Congress resolution against Attorney General Merrick Garland on a party-line vote, but the far more striking takeaway was the personal attacks and theatrics lobbed between lawmakers in both parties — as Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) struggled unsuccessfully to gain control for more than an hour,” Politico reported Friday, adding: “both Republicans and Democrats acknowledged some members had been drinking that evening.”

Who was drinking remains a secret.

“A House Republican described the hearing as ’embarrassing’ and ‘a four -alarm dumpster fire,'” Axios reported. “The session quickly devolved into chaos, with Democrats blasting the GOP for postponing the hearing so several members could visit former President Trump’s trial and Republicans heckling them in response.”

One Democrat during the hearing spoke up.

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Ranking Member Raskin “said it was ’embarrassing to our institution’ and that he ‘constantly’ instructs his members to maintain a ‘high level of dignity and respect and decorum.'”

“We have some members in the room who are drinking inside the hearing room … who are not on this committee,” alleged Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM).

The Hill adds that Congressman Raskin said, “I didn’t see the drinking,” and that “the gentlelady from New Mexico, Melanie Stansbury raised it, she said there are members drinking in the room, and that’s something that is worth investigating if there was in fact drinking taking place.”

One unnamed House Republican told Axios, “This place is so stupid.”

The evening’s events quickly took a bad turn when U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), violating decorum, interrupted Ranking Member Raskin barely 30 seconds into his remarks.

Watch below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Partisan Insurrectionist’: Calls Mount for Alito’s Ouster After ‘Stop the Steal’ Scandal

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Will Trump Testify at Trial? ‘Absolutely’ Is Now a ‘No Decision’ Yet

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The State of New York’s prosecution of Donald Trump is nearing it end, as Judge Juan Merchan announced late Thursday afternoon final arguments could begin on Tuesday. But one question remains: Will the ex-president who is facing 34 felony charges in the election interference, falsification of business records, and hush money cover-up case, testify in his defense?

Just over one month ago Trump was asked that question. He quickly responded, “Yeah I would testify, absolutely.”

Trump appeared resolved.

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“I’m testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case,” he said, as NBC News reported.

NBC added last week that Trump “told Newsmax two weeks ago that he would testify ‘if necessary,’ and on Tuesday he said in an interview with Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin that he would ‘probably’ take the stand, adding that he ‘would like to.'”

But when Judge Merchan asked Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, on Thursday, the answer was very different.

“That’s another decision that we need to think through,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

But Politico’s Erica Orden reported, “Blanche says Trump hasn’t made a final decision about whether to testify.”

Last week, as the question of Trump’s testifying loomed large, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) insisted he would not.

“It’s over. Donald Trump has a right to not testify. Yet he PROMISED he would. Now it’s clear he won’t. The jury can’t consider this. But you can. He is chickenshit and you should conclude he’s guilty as hell.”

On Wednesday, attorney George Conway addressed the topic, saying, “If he doesn’t testify, it’s because he’s scared.”

He also said, “in a million years, I would never tell him to testify. I would tell him not to testify.”

Watch the video above or at this link.

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