One late evening last winter, newly elected U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene came bounding down a set of stairs and announced to a video camera: "Just finished with our meetings here at the White House. This afternoon we had a great planning session for our January 6 objection."
She was talking about the Jan. 6 insurrection. And don't forget, this North Georgia representative from Rome, Ga., was sworn in just days before - on Jan. 3.
"We aren't going to let this election be stolen by Joe Biden and the Democrats. President Trump won by a landslide," she continued. "Call your house reps, call your senators from your states. We've got to make sure they're on board and we already have a lot of people engaged. Okay, stay tuned."
So, there she is, admitting that s he was in meetings to plan for a "Jan. 6 objection."
Fast forward to Sunday, when, as the House investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection heats up, Rolling Stone published an exclusive story saying some of the planners - specifically an unnamed organizer and another unnamed planner - of the pro-Trump rallies in Washington have begun cooperating with congressional investigators and are sharing new information about what happened when the former president's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
The very first member of Congress named in the story was - wait for it - Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"I remember Marjorie Taylor Greene specifically," the organizer is quoted saying. "I remember talking to probably close to a dozen other members at one point or another or their staffs."
The organizer and planner detailed to Rolling Stone allegations that Greene was one of at least six other members of Congress, including another of our regional representatives - North Alabama's Mo Brooks. The others identified were Madison Cawthorn, R-North Carolina; Louie Gohmert, R-Texas; Paul Gosar, R-Arizona.; Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado; and Andy Biggs, R-Arizona. The organizer and planner said they also interacted with members of the Trump administration, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who they described "as having had an opportunity to prevent the violence."
Brooks, a 10-year veteran of Congress, and Cawthorn, another freshman sworn in just days before, spoke with Trump on the ellipse just ahead of Trump encouraging protesters - his supporters - to go to the Capitol. Brooks has acknowledged that he wore body armor that day. Greene, Gosar and Boebert also were billed as speakers at the "Wild Protest" (subtitled #Donotcertify, #Jan6, #Stopthesteal) which also took place on Jan. 6 at the Capitol.
Further, Gosar, according to the organizer and planner, in some of the preparation meetings, dangled the possibility of a "blanket pardon" for the planners and organizers.
If there wasn't going to be a riot, one with violence and law breaking, why would anyone need pardons?
According to Rolling Stone and Forbes, Nick Dyer, Greene's communications director, has said Greene was solely involved in planning to object to the electoral certification on the House floor.
Brooks denied involvement to the Montgomery Advertiser and said he did not know that his staffers had been involved.
Rolling Stone wrote that spokespeople for the other members of Congress named in planning the protests did not respond to their requests for comment. Representatives of Biggs and Cawthorne, however, also denied to Forbes that they were involved in planning Jan. 6.
Greene's spokesman elaborated to Rolling Stone, comparing Greene's efforts to dispute certification of Joe Biden's victory with similar objections certain Democrats lodged against Trump's first election.
"She objected just like Democrats who have objected to Republican presidential victories over the years," Dyer wrote. "Just like in 2017, when Jim McGovern, Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee, Raul Grijalva and Maxine Waters tried to prevent President Trump's election win from being certified."
No, it's not the same. In the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. capitol, hundreds were injured; five people died. Rioters built a gallows and chanted "Hang Mike Pence." They defaced the Capitol, broke into offices, stole Nancy Pelosi's laptop, threatened lawmakers, beat police officers and terrorized staff members who were hiding. As of Oct. 19, 684 people have been arrested and charged, and 105 have entered guilty pleas. Now many are talking about being persuaded and misled. And now some Congress members are feeling - rightfully - squeezed.
Anyone up for "stopping the steal" that these Congress members are trying over and over to perpetrate?
Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mo Brooks are two of ours. Let's drum them out of Congress before they can do any more harm.