Like many, I have been highly critical of the statements made by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) accusing Israel of bombing the hospital in Gaza and other inflammatory comments. However, I also opposed the effort to censure Tlaib on free speech grounds. I was impressed by the comments of Speaker Mike Johnson on the measure and the 23 GOP members who took the unpopular step of voting against the measure even though they disagreed with her viewpoints. Continue reading “Republicans Join Democrats in Defeating Censure of Rep. Tlaib”
Category: Congress
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) has pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor after he was caught on videotape pulling a fire alarm in the middle of a key vote to avoid a government shutdown. The misdemeanor was the charge that I discussed when this first arose. However, the release of the videotape raises another issue: whether Bowman has clearly lied to not just the court but Congress in his account. Continue reading “Bowman Video Contradicts His Account to Congress, the Court, and the Public”
Below is my column in the Daily Beast on the call from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to expel members of the Squad from Congress. Five members recently made public comments against Israel at rallies in Washington: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri. Similar to calls from Democrats to disqualify Republicans for their support of Donald Trump’s election claims, the move against the far left members would establish a dangerous precedent for Congress. It would also devastate both free speech and democratic values.
Here is the column:
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has long been a leading voice among Democrats calling for censorship and speech controls in the name of combatting disinformation. She is now accused of precisely the same conduct after posting a picture purportedly showing children killed by Israeli forces. In reality, it was a picture of victims of a 2013 sarin gas attack in Ghouta, Syria. The incident should, but is unlikely to, prompt Omar and fellow Democrats to reconsider their push for censorship and other anti-free speech measures. Such false imagery was quickly and effectively addressed in this incident without the need for bans and speech regulation. Continue reading “Rep. Ilhan Omar Retweets False Photo of Palestinian Children Killed by Israeli Forces”
Below is my column in The Messenger on how the Speaker’s Chair has become the latest manifestation of our politics of chaos. This includes the truly bizarre suggestion of the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin that the GOP “invited” the terror attack in Israel by allowing eight members and the entire Democratic block to vacate the chair. While Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.) received the most votes in the GOP caucus yesterday, the party remains divided between him and Jim Jordan (R., Oh.).
In Monty Python’s film, “The Life of Brian,” the lead character hangs hopelessly on the cross when a small army arrives to rescue him. His relief is short-lived as Otto, the leader, promptly announces that they are the crack suicide squad trained to kill themselves “within 20 seconds.” The scene came to mind yesterday as eight Republicans joined Democrats to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It was a moment that perfectly captured our politics of chaos and disruption, including the refusal of a single Democrat to prevent the House from going through a week of unnecessary turmoil. There was a time when opposing members would oppose such moves in the interest of House as an institution. This is not one of those times. Continue reading “The House Crack Suicide Squad: The Ouster of McCarthy Captures the Politics of Our Times”
After the initiation of the Biden impeachment inquiry, new messages are deepening concerns over the influence of Chinese figures on the Biden family. Messages from longtime Biden associate Fran Person show the Chinese stepping in to support Hunter’s lavish lifestyle as funds dried up during his divorce. Person wrote Hunter that Chinese businessman Bo Zhang “will help you with what you need.” Continue reading ““He Will Help You With What You Need”: New Messages to Hunter Deepen Concerns Over Chinese Influence”
Below is my column in Fox.com on the controversy involving Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and his pulling the fire alarm during the voting on the stopgap budget measure.
Here is the column: Continue reading “No, The Bowman Controversy Does Not Warrant Expulsion”
Below is my column in The Hill on moving forward with the Biden impeachment inquiry. The column discusses four possible impeachment articles that could be brought by the House and what the House would need to prove.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Four Biden Impeachment Articles and What the House Will Need to Prove”
Below is my column in The Messenger on my response to Steve Bannon and others who were upset that I testified this week that, while there is ample evidence to launch the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Joe Biden, I do not believe that the current evidence would support articles of impeachment. That is the purpose of the inquiry in establishing a full record for such articles of impeachment. By withholding judgment and building a record, the Republicans are restoring a regular order to this constitutional process.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “The Proper Way to Impeach: Why Steve Bannon was Right for the Wrong Reason”
We previously discussed how Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) perfectly captured the age of rage in raving at members and the press off the House floor. He is now accused of causing a false evacuation after pulling a fire alarm during tense negotiations between the Republican and Democratic members. Continue reading “Rep. Bowman Accused of Pulling Fire Alarm in Congressional Building”
Below is my column in the Daily Beast responding to the attack launched by Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) during my testimony in the first hearing of the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Joseph Biden. Krishnamoorthi falsely suggested that I represented and supported Tom Green, a polygamist who was convicted of child rape. While I attempted to explain that that was untrue, Krishnamoorthi would not allow me to finish and then quickly left the hearing room. I never represented Green, I condemned Green in those columns, and said that he was justifiably prosecuted. The columns dealt with my opposition to “morality legislation.” I was representing The Sister Wives family both during a criminal investigation and my later challenge to the underlying law. I continue to oppose such laws that have been used against a wide range of religious and social groups, including LGBT individuals. I never thought that a liberal Democrat would attack me for such pro bono representation in support of civil liberties. Continue reading “The Green Scare and the New McCarthyism: A Response to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi”
There have been repeated references to the ten facts that I alluded to in my congressional testimony as establishing an ample basis to launch a formal impeachment inquiry. I have received emails asking about those ten developments so I wanted to post them. They are found in my written testimony, but I did not have time to go through them all in the course of my oral statement before the Committee.
While many have noted that I stated that I do not view the current evidence as sufficient for articles of impeachment, that is hardly surprising. This was the first hearing of the inquiry and was called to address why the threshold for an inquiry had been established. I was also asked to address the constitutional standards and best practices going forward. Indeed, I criticized the last two impeachments for prematurely declaring impeachable conduct without fully developing a record to support such articles. This hearing returned the impeachment process to a type of regular order in reserving judgment until all of the evidence could be acquired by the three committees.
Here are the ten developments that I cited as justifying an impeachment inquiry (a view with which my fellow witness University of North Carolina Professor Michael Gerhardt disagreed): Continue reading “Ten Reasons Why the Biden Impeachment Inquiry is Justified”
This morning, I will testify in the first hearing of the impeachment inquiry of President Joseph Biden. The hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability will start at 10am in Room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building. My written testimony is below. Continue reading “Turley Testifies at Biden Impeachment Hearing”
Below is my column in The Hill on the indictment of Senator Robert Menendez for bribery, again. As predicted in this column, his colleagues are now expressing disgust at his corruption. However, make no mistake about it, Menendez is not being abandoned due to his corrupt inclination but his conspicuous consumption.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Robert Menendez Broke the ‘Goldilocks Rule’ of Corruption”