Nancy Pelosi in serious legal peril (coup attempt?)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing potentially serious legal peril over her actions after the January 6th Capitol riot.
Critics say Pelosi quietly attempted a coup against former President Donald Trump two days after the riot — and conservative legal watchdog Judicial Watch has taken action.
In the aftermath of the riot, Pelosi privately reached out to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, about “precautions” to prevent Trump from using his authority as commander in chief to initiate military action in the last days of his presidency. In a letter to the public, Pelosi said Milley gave unspecified assurances that there were safeguards in place.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board called it a quiet coup attempt that potentially violated the U.S. Constitution. Congressional leadership has no authority to intervene in the military chain of command, they claimed in a scathing op-ed.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton wants answers. His legal group filed a Freedom of Information Act request on January 11th, which the Department of Defense has not responded to.
So now they’re suing to get access to the transcripts of Pelosi’s phone call.
“If Speaker Pelosi’s description of her conversation with General Milley is true, it sets a dangerous precedent that could undermine the president’s role as commander in chief and the separation of powers,” Fitton said in a statement. “Our new lawsuit aims to uncover the truth about the call.”
In their lawsuit, Judicial Watch demanded the Department of Defense release:
- Any and all records regarding, concerning, or related to the telephone call between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and General Mark Milley on or about January 8, 2021. This request includes, but is not limited to, any and all transcripts, recordings, and/or summaries of the call, as well as any other records produced in preparation for, during, and/or pursuant to the call.
- Any and all additional records of communication between Gen. Milley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi between November 1, 2020 and the present
At the time, a spokesman for Milley, Col. Dave Butler, confirmed the phone call but didn’t give details on what was discussed.
“He answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority,” Butler told The Associated Press.
If Pelosi did violate her authority — or even pressured Milley to take illegal actions — she could be in serious legal trouble.
The Horn editorial team
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