Marjorie Taylor Greene testimony: Georgia rep grilled about Jan 6 and Proud Boys plan at ballot hearing

This blog has now closed

Marjorie Taylor Greene denies wanting to stop Biden's certification

Marjorie Taylor Greene today faced an administrative judge at a hearing that could see the Georgia Republican banned from public office because of her alleged support for the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol.

The congresswoman was questioned about the 2021 Capitol riot by lawyer Ron Fein, representing a group of voters who filed a challenge with the Georgia secretary of state’s office alleging that Ms Greene helped facilitate the attack that ultimately sought to upend Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

They say that her behaviour violates a clause in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment and makes her ineligible to run for reelection.

Among other things, the case against the congresswoman hinges on her repeated use of a “codeword” – specifically, repeated references to the year 1776 – which the lawyers say encouraged the rioters who descended on the Capitol.

For her part, Ms Greene is appealing a federal judge's ruling allowing a challenge to her eligibility to run for reelection to proceed and in the hour leading up to her hearing, the pro-Trump lawmaker took to Twitter to urge her fellow Republicans to “protect election integrity”.

Key Points

• Congresswoman tweets call for ‘election integrity’ before facing court
• Lawyer fighting to block Greene says she used ‘codeword’ to encourage Capitol riot
• Trump blames Republicans for Greene ‘going through hell’
• Greene complains ahead of hearing that ‘nasty’ media will be in courtroom
• Congresswoman lashed out after judge green-lit lawsuit that would ban her from ballot

[23 April 2022 07:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Related: Gaetz slams McCarthy for support of Liz Cheney after audio leak

As Kevin McCarthy faces humiliation over a recording of him suggesting that Donald Trump resign over the 6 January riot, hardcore Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has attacked the House Republican leader for his previous support for Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Tweeting the morning after the audio emerged, Mr Gaetz wrote that Mr McCarthy had stood by the staunchly Trump-critical congresswoman, who also appears on the recording, even as she prepared to vote for Mr Trump’s impeachment after the Capitol was attacked.

Andrew Naughtie has the story.

[23 April 2022 09:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

ICYMI: Greene lawyer claims Trump ‘executive privilege’ to block question on martial law discussions

The attorney defending Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene against a lawsuit seeking to disqualify her from appearing on the 2022 midterm ballot for supporting the 6 January insurrection attempted to block her from answering a question about whether she discussed the invocation of martial law with former president Donald Trump by invoking “executive privilege”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

[23 April 2022 11:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

ICYMI: Greene complains that ‘nasty’ media will be in courtroom for hearing

Republican US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene complained to former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis that the press would have access to the courtroom during a trial over whether or not she was actually eligible to be included on the ballot in the midterm elections.

A group of five voters from Ms Greene’s district is suing the congresswoman, alleging that she is ineligible to run for federal office under the 14th Amendment. The group claims she “voluntarily aided and engaged” in the Capitol riot insurrection, which should invalidate her ability to hold federal office under the 14th Amendment. That amendment was ratified after the Civil War to prevent Confederate officers and officials from holding public office in the US.

“It’s absurd what they are claiming and lying about,” Ms Greene said. “They’re going to allow the press in the courtroom. They’re going to allow the whole thing to be videoed live out to go anywhere in the world that they want to. And you know what that’s going to look like — the Democrats and the nasty mainstream media, you know, the ones that lie about me constantly anyways, well, they’re going to be able to twist and turn, and clip out any little piece they want of the horrible things that these funded attorneys are going to try to say about me.”

Graig Graziosi reports.

[23 April 2022 12:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

ICYMI: Marjorie Taylor Green used ‘codeword’ to encourage Capitol riot says lawyer

According to the lawyers working to disqualify Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress, the Georgia Republican used a “codeword” to encourage violence during the 2021 Capitol riot.

“The day before the attack, she signaled to her followers a codeword that meant to storm federal buildings and supposedly overthrow tyrants,” Ron Fein, the attorney who will question Ms Greene, told MSNBC on Wednesday. “So, we are going to ask her about all of that and more.”

Nathan Place reports.

[23 April 2022 13:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Greene forced to admit she called for Pelosi to get death penalty

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was left scrambling to avoid committing perjury on Friday after an attorney representing voters seeking to disqualify her from this year’s election ballot confronted her with video of past statements in which she accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “treason” and suggested the California Democrat should be executed.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

[23 April 2022 14:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Recap: Marjorie Taylor Greene evades questions on martial law, ‘traitors’ and... alien invasion movies?

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday claimed not to remember who she spoke to or what she said or did in the weeks between former president Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden and the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol during a court hearing which will determine whether she is eligible to appear on the ballot in Georgia this year.

Ms Greene, who testified under oath in an administrative hearing as part of a lawsuit brought by Georgia voters who say she is ineligible to serve because she supported the pro-Trump mob that attacked Congress in hopes of preventing certification of Mr Biden’s 2020 election victory, used the phrase “I don’t recall” in excess of 50 times in response to a range of questions regarding her conduct and public statements during the run-up to the insurrection.

Andrew Feinberg reports on yesterday’s hearing.