Flimsy Charges against Congresswoman (D); $5 Mill. Award for Family of Violent Jan. 6 Attacker

By Brigitte L. Nacos

Democratic Congresswoman LaMonica McIver of New Jersey was charged with assaulting ICE and police officers outside an immigration detention facility in Newark on May 9^th. She and other members of congress had tried to make an oversight visit in the detention center.

I remember watching the news footage of scuffles outside the facility between protesters, Democratic lawmakers, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, when a bunch of ICE agents and police tried to arrest the mayor and eventually managed handcuffing him. Congresswoman McIver was in the crowd that pulled and pushed in efforts to defend Baraka against the large number of ICE and police officers who did their share of pushing and pulling.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Democratic politicians “stormed the gate and broke into the detention center." The videotaped scenes did not show any of this.

Today, President Trump supported the arrest of Ms. McIver claiming that she was “out of control.” He also warned,  “The days of crab are over.”

Not surprisingly, congressional Democrats and Ms. McIver called this case “purely political.”

This first legal action against an opposition politicians surely looks that way.

Ironically, the drastic move came within hours of news reports that the U.S. government will pay close to $5 Mill. to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot to death by a Secret Service agent as she used violence in her effort to entering the House of Representatives on January 6, 2021.  

Babbitt has been glorified by President Trump and his MAGA followers as an American patriot and hero.

Her family sued the U.S. government for Babbitt’s wrongful death seeking $30 Mill. A trial was set for July 2026. But now both sides agreed on a $5 Mill. settlement that will be paid by us--American taxpayers.

Here you have the assault charge against a Democratic lawmaker trying to exercise her oversight rights in an overcrowded immigration detention facility; there you get a rich award for a family member's participation in the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Just another crazy day in Donald Trump’s America.