Hawley Shocked and Alarmed to Discover the FBI Would Follow the Money behind Right Wing Terrorists

[Nevilledog]

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@emptywheel
Josh Hawley Shocked and Alarmed to Discover the FBI Would Follow the Money behind Right Wing Terrorists

Josh Hawley Shocked and Alarmed to Discover the FBI Would Follow the Money behind Right Wing...
The January 6 insurrection happened on social media. And yet Josh Hawley seems shocked that, more than 270 arrests into the investigation of that insurrection, the FBI might have spoken to the social...
emptywheel.net
2:45 PM · Mar 2, 2021

https://www.emptywheel.net/2021/03/02/josh-hawley-shocked-to-discover-the-fbi-would-follow-the-money-behind-right-wing-terrorists/

There wasn’t much useful oversight in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray today. Democrats got him to repeat, over and over, that there is no evidence that Antifa or people only pretending to be pro-Trump were behind the January 6 insurrection. But there was almost no mention of Trump as the unifying force behind the disparate groups there. Instead of talking about how the Former President’s lies riled up the insurrection, Ben Sasse focused on people in their mother’s basement and grandmother’s attic.

There was a lot of focus on how a January 5 FBI report predicting that Congress might be targeted got disseminated, but none on why the FBI didn’t know what the rest of us did much earlier than that: that these unhinged terrorists were coming to DC in large numbers. No one raised QAnon until Wray dodged Richard Blumenthal’s questions about whether members of Congress pushing QAnon conspiracies exacerbates the problem.

Lindsey Graham and John Kennedy tried to score points because someone didn’t activate the National Guard in time, all the while pretending not to understand that the single person in DC who had unquestioned authority to order the Guard to the Capitol, but did not, was the Commander in Chief at the time.

Things got really weird when Republicans expressed concern about surveillance.

Mike Lee — who actually is a champion of civil liberties — suggested the only reason why right wingers might have been interviewed by the FBI would be by geolocating those who attended the rallies, even if they didn’t enter the Capitol. Then he bizarrely asked if the legal process behind such surveillance was FISA, which targets foreign threats, or National Security Letters.

Crazier still was Josh Hawley’s follow-up to Mike Lee’s questions.

*snip*

[Wounded Bear]

1. Perhaps because he contributed to them?

[Nevilledog]

3. Methinks they didn't think things through......oops.

[Clash City Rocker]

10. Yeah, that sounds like them, all right

[sheshe2]

11. Of course he did.

[Midnight Writer]

2. The GOP never asked why the Trump campaign was in contact with Russians

Instead, they concentrated on the auspices of the surveillance warrant.

They are doing the same thing here.

It's never about the wrongdoing, it is about the people who pointed out the wrongdoing.

[Hortensis]

5. :) Of course not, but like you I'm waiting for this subject

to, hopefully, explode back onto the national consciousness.

[brush]

4. Who doesn't know that? And this dumb fucker wants to be president.

[yellowcanine]

6. Hawley is desperately trying to find out what the FBI might have on him.

[Lucinda]

13. +1

[Frustratedlady]

15. I got all excited when I heard Hawley's questions. You could tell he was worried about something.

Ari Melber had a spot about Hawley's questioning with Malcolm Nance, Juanita ? and Jason Johnson. Ari asked about Hawley's questions and you could tell right away that they were ready to jump on that one. All four of them had a good laugh about Hawley's probable position regarding the FBI.

I hope they have a video of that interview, as it was very satisfying to hear all three of them agree that Hawley was nervous that the FBI may have had him in their sights either by his location through his cell or on-line social sites. I didn't understand all the terms of FBI surveillance methods, but I sure understood there was a good possibility they may have utilized them..and, that Hawley was trying to get information from Wray.

Cruz also had a leading question(s) that I felt was a fishing expedition regarding where he was/what he was doing or if he was communicating with those inside on Jan. 6th. I can't remember what or how he said it. Another thing that stood out, he was very polite in his questioning compared to his usual performance and particularly the scene at CPAC.

Is it true that 6 legislators may be on the list?

[empedocles]

7. Remember hawley is playing for rw media bits - not to delve deeply into important

issues and find out the roots of the problems in these hearings

RW media will narrowly show that 'hawley is shocked and alarmed that the FBI would investigate such matters' . . . [in depth].

[RW media will go no further than absolutely 'necessary' into an issue - and make sure not to embarrass patriot republicons].

[onecaliberal]

8. Hawley knows the FBI has the goods on him. They have the good on a lot of repukes. I think they'll

protect them all honestly.

[deminks]

9. How much did you give them, Joshy?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

12. Does Hawley think he's being subtle? LOL

[C_U_L8R]

14. It may be a good idea

to see what hidden accounts Hawley has. Check Cyprus and the usual offshore suspects.

[stillcool]

16. That's kind of standard, in MAGA world

when you get caught, blame those who caught you, and state it was a witch-hunt, then get the evidence dismissed or destroyed.