Crash Course: Legal expert: Fulton DA Fani Willis "gearing up to indict" Trump after grand jury probe concludes

The special grand jury has finished its work and submitted its recommendations to the district attorney. [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbjA4YmFjbzM0My8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaXA5eng2Zno0Mi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Legal expert: Fulton DA Fani Willis "gearing up to indict" Trump after grand jury probe concludes The special grand jury in Atlanta that spent the last eight months investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies committed crimes while trying to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election has [finished](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNWd2YTR2NWJ5NC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) its work. The [special grand jury](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNGZ6YXNwenN0OS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — made up of 23 members and three alternates — heard testimony from dozens of witnesses over the span of six months, including various people close to the former president and high-ranking Georgia state officials. Trump's former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows were among the witnesses. Fulton County DA Fani Willis previously informed state officials that her office would probe potential violations of Georgia law including criminal solicitation to commit election fraud, intentional interference with the performance of election duties, conspiracy and racketeering. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, predicted that Willis is already "gearing up to indict Donald Trump." "[The] DOJ has more resources and the Mar-a-Lago documents case appears to be stronger," Mariotti wrote on Twitter. "But it looks like any DOJ prosecution will likely be proceeding after the Fulton County case." [Read more from Samaa Khullar.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZHhobDV3Ymw5OC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Steve Bannon and MAGA allies promoted fake "stolen election" claims ahead of Brazil riots Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who played a central role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, praised supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, who stormed the National Congress and other government buildings in Brasilia on Sunday to protest his election loss. When rioters broke through a blockade set up by security forces and invaded government buildings on Sunday, Bannon described them as "Brazilian Freedom Fighters" on the conservative social media app Gettr. "The Criminal Atheistic Marxist Lula stole the Election and the Brazilians know this... now see Lula crackdown like all Communist dictators," Bannon wrote. In different episodes of his "War Room" podcast, Trump's former adviser and his guests repeated false allegations of a "stolen election" and made claims about shadowy forces. Bannon, who helped former President Donald Trump organize his Jan. 6 mob, told the Post he also advised Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president's son, about the power of pro-Bolsonaro protests and potential challenges to the Brazilian election results. [Read more from Areeba Shah.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvazZzNmJxYXpnaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images) - Trump lawyer [Alina Habba in "judge's sights"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdjkydHd5NHI4Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) over courtroom stunts and "frivolous" claims: report - "He broke the law by lying": [Santos hit with FEC complaint](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdHdqMm43MGpnYi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) over mysterious $705K campaign loan - With the House in the hands of the moonbats, [time for Senate Democrats to step up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMva3FnejdiNG55by8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Will [young people save American democracy](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMG16aGw2ajlnei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) from Republican authoritarians? It's not that simple - Meet [MGen, a new STI](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveW15d2xmZjEybC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) going around that no one is talking about - A [measles outbreak is happening in Ohio](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMGI0bXVmMm5ubS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Experts warn this won't be the last - Anne Rice's journal archives point to issues she would have had with [AMC's "Mayfair Witches"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvd2pkOG1mcWJmcC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - A [weird, dead magnetized star](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdnczdXZhOGhmaC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) has a solid surface, surprising astronomers - Abbondanza: This [vodka sauce](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYTkwZ3VpN2twZi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is the silkiest, easiest and creamiest weeknight dinner imaginable If you found yourself here without subscribing, sign up for [Crash Course](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNXlwY3BvZDlqMS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), so you don't miss anything! Call it the Conspiracy Theory Congress: Things are about to get dangerously weird on Capitol Hill While the clown show has been highly entertaining to anyone not named Kevin McCarthy, in all the ways that truly matter, it's been irrelevant. [As Heather "Digby" Parton noted Friday at Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveDU4ajJsOWo2bC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), the members of the insurrectionist caucus "already run everything." That was true long before Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida decided to head up the "Humiliate Kevin" fund-raising scheme. It was true last year, when McCarthy cozied up to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, cementing the QAnon-loving congresswoman as one of the most powerful people on Capitol Hill. It was true when[ McCarthy tried to get Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMXpnaDNwemZnai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), on the January 6 committee because he thought Jordan possessed the necessary lying skills to cover for Trump's guilt. It was true even on January 6, 2021, [when McCarthy joined 146 other House Republicans](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvc2pzYTlsMTc1Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to vote to de-certify the 2020 election, even after Donald Trump sent a murderous mob to the Capitol. The media covered the Speaker fight as one between McCarthy and "election deniers," but in truth, McCarthy should be considered an election denier himself. In a very real sense, the silly drama over the Speaker election has distracted from a larger, more disturbing truth: House Republicans are going to spend the next two years using taxpayer money to wage war on not just democracy, but truth itself. The antics of various House committees, as they work hand-in-glove with Fox News to create and disseminate right wing conspiracy theories, will make an epsiode of Infowars seem downright sober-minded. [Read more from Amanda Marcotte.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaGZ2bXkzbTM4ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) - "U.S. Anti-Abortion Activists Are Spreading Clinic Protests Around the World," [The New Republic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYWwxemExOGgyOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Your stuff is actually worse now," [Vox](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbTdudjlmeWUzMy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "In 2022, the IRS Went After the Very Poorest Taxpayers," [Reason](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdmRvMXlqdjQ3bS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Maggie Haberman, the Confidence Man’s Chronicler," [The New Yorker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN3BmejI0Z2t6cy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Twitter Promised Them Severance. They Got Nothing," [Wired](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvczgyNWlkc21nay8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Electric Vehicles Are Bringing Out the Worst in Us," [The Atlantic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnBtMnY1bzN1eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) House Republican sounds the alarm on Kevin McCarthy’s MAGA giveaway: “What backroom deals were cut?” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Sunday raised concerns about potential "backroom deals" cut by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to secure enough party support to win his election. McCarthy secured the support of most of the 20 Republicans that had opposed his speaker bid on Friday, [finally winning](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZGF0c2hxZm9meC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) his long-coveted job on the 15th ballot after convincing the remaining six holdouts to vote "present." McCarthy agreed to [numerous concessions](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcXllMzBtN3Bpei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) from the far-right group that have already been reported, but Mace raised concerns about potential dealmaking that has not been made public. "What I saw last week was a small faction of the 20… trying to cut backroom deals in private, in secret without anyone knowing what else was going on," Mace told [CBS News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYXZ1MHU1c3lsYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). "So my question really is today is what backroom deals were cut- did they try to cut?" It's unknown what kind of deals may have been cut behind the scenes but Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., revealed to [Fox News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNXpoc3R4bTRwNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on Sunday that he got a seat on the House Republican Steering Committee in exchange for his vote for McCarthy. Gaetz, who voted present after leading the campaign against McCarthy, had privately sought the chairmanship of a House Armed Services subcommittee, according to [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcDZldmk2cWsyeS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., pushed to head another subcommittee overseeing domestic spending, according to [Politico](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbnZkNzlhdGRqNi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Freshman Rep. Andrew Ogles, R-Tenn., demanded a seat on the powerful Financial Services and Judiciary committees, according to [Bloomberg](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvb2VvMzEyaThsei8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2tXA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). [Read more from Igor Derysh.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNGlwOGZrdmYzNS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPXIzcGs5cHBpa2smbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKY7VQU71jyOjw7VIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) (Photo via OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmO1UFO9Y8jo8O1SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2023 Crash Course, All rights reserved. 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801 [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRln9hOP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpjtVBTvWPI6PDtUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)