House to vote on censor of Dem rep in ICE facility incident

Well, guys, it’s another day in the clown show that is Washington, D.C., and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), is stealing the spotlight with a performance that’s equal parts audacity and denial. McIver, who apparently moonlights as a professional obstructionist, has pleaded not guilty to charges of forcibly impeding federal officers at an ICE facility back in May, in spite of the video evidence clearly showing her impeding federal officers at an ICE facility in May. 

Yes, a sitting member of Congress is accused of getting physical with law enforcement while they were doing their jobs. And not just any law enforcement, mind you, but Homeland Security agents at the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark. Classy move La.

Enter Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who's had enough of this nonsense and dropped a resolution to censure McIver and boot her from the Homeland Security Committee. "Rep. LaMonica McIver’s continued service on the Committee on Homeland Security, which is charged with oversight of Federal immigration enforcement and other national security matters, would represent a significant conflict of interest," he said. 

Translation: You can’t oversee the feds while you’re out there allegedly body-checking them. The resolution also cites House rules, specifically clause 1 of rule XXIII, which demands that members "behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House." Spoiler alert: Slamming your forearm into a federal officer doesn’t exactly scream "creditably."

So, what’s McIver’s defense? 

The old lefty handbook move: she’s playing the victim card faster than you can say "political persecution." In a statement to Axios, she sneered, "Clay Higgins is a bigot who wants to be back in the news." [Not like she's aiming for the spotlight or anything like that.]

But wait, she’s not done: "This resolution aims to kick me off the committee that presides over the Department of Homeland Security and shame me for doing the oversight work that is my job. Good luck, Clay." Oversight work? Is that what we’re calling it now? Body camera footage from the Department of Homeland Security paints a different picture, one where McIver, decked out in red, allegedly wrapped her arms around Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to block officers from arresting him, then threw in a forearm slam and a grab for good measure. Real oversight-y stuff there, Congresswoman.

McIver’s facing a three-count federal indictment for assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal officers during what was supposed to be a congressional oversight visit, coincidentally timed with an immigration protest. When agents told Baraka to leave a secured area, McIver apparently decided it was time to channel her inner WWE star. After pleading not guilty last month, she doubled down, whining, "At the end of the day this is all about political intimidation. The Trump administration and his colleagues or cronies, or whatever you want to call them, have weaponized the federal government. They weaponized the Department of Justice and anybody who stands up to them, anyone who criticizes them, anyone who fights back against them finds themselves in these hairs that we are in today." Yes, she said "hairs." And yes, she’s blaming Trump for her own decision to allegedly go hands-on with federal agents. Because of course she is.

Higgins, who’s clearly not here for the drama, told Axios he waited until just before the House's five-week recess to see if Democrats would do the right thing and yank McIver’s committee assignment themselves. Spoiler: They didn’t. House Republicans have a rule that indicted members lose all committee assignments. 

Democrats are cool with indicted members keeping their seats, as long as they don’t hold leadership roles. [Gotta love those high standards.] 

Higgins summed it up nicely: McIver "should not be participating on the committee that has oversight and voting authority over the branch of federal government that she’s been indicted for committing crimes against." Hard to argue with that, unless you’re allergic to logic.

McIver’s headed to trial on Nov. 10, and if the body cam footage is any indication, she’s got some explaining to do. But don’t hold your breath for accountability, this is D.C., where consequences are as rare as an honest politician. 

In the meantime, McIver’s out here crying "intimidation" while allegedly intimidating federal officers. The irony is as thick as Nancy Pelosi's makeup.

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USSS didn't fire 1st shot at Trump shooter according to preliminary investigation

The Secret Service counter-sniper who neutralized Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13 did not fire the first shot at the would-be assassin. According to a preliminary investigative report from Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), it was a local SWAT operator who initially "stopped Crooks" and damaged his firearm. In related news, the USSS female team member was able to eventually reinsert her firearm into her holster.

The ninth shot fired on July 13 came from a Butler SWAT operator positioned on the ground approximately 100 yards away from the AGR building. This shot struck Crooks' rifle stock, causing it to break apart and fragment, impacting his face, neck, and right shoulder area.

The SWAT sniper who took this shot was a "Billy Badass" kind of guy: when he spotted the shooter, Crooks, mostly obscured by foliage on the AGR rooftop, he immediately abandoned his assigned post. He ran towards the threat, positioning himself directly in the line of fire to get a clear shot, even as Crooks was firing eight rounds. This ESU SWAT operator took a very tough shot and stopped Crooks. More importantly, it's possible this shot damaged the buffer tube on Crooks' rifle.

While the effect of the first shot is not yet a fact, based on reliable eye-witness ESU officers who observed the failed assassin's AR before it was taken into evidence by the FBI, the buffer tube was indeed damaged. If so, his weapon would not fire after his 8th shot.

Crooks “went down” from his firing position when shot 9 was fired, and the SWAT officer was certain of his hit. According to the ESU SWAT operator, Crooks recovered after just a few seconds, and “popped back up”.

The 10th and final shot was fired from the southern counter-sniper team, according to Clay Higgins. (Preliminary Investigative Report.)

Higgins, an Army veteran and former law enforcement officer, also dispelled theories that a second shooter was on a nearby water tower.

So while the USSS would like to take credit for stopping Crooks, they were not the ones who did.

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