Matt Gaetz, and every non-authorized Congressperson in that secure room,

[guillaumeb]

should be subject to discipline by the House for violating the rules.

It is that simple. This is a blatant attempt to interfere with a lawful legislative process, and every one of them should be disciplined for it, up to and including censure and expulsion if possible.

[VMA131Marine]

1. I don't understand

why they haven't been arrested by the sergeant-at-arms and been forcibly removed. That's what would have happened to a member of the general public who forced their way in.

[guillaumeb]

2. As many have noted here, they want the attention.

The media will love this. In my own post I suggested that every unauthorized member be censured and/or expelled from the House.

[Wednesdays]

5. Because that's exactly what the rethuglicans want

Faux Noise and Limbaugh would be apoplectic about "jack booted Democrats" hauling off their beloved patriots.

[VMA131Marine]

15. That's not a reason not to do it

Faux and Limbaugh are basically all propaganda all the time, we aren't ever going to reach the people who take them seriously.

[StarfishSaver]

10. That's what they're trying to provoke

The Democrats aren't going throw them in the briar patch.

[trueblue2007]

46. They should all be Censured

[homegirl]

23. How I would love

mug shots and handcuff photos.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. And they'd have claimed the Dems were violating the Speech or Debate Clause

in the Constitution, which immunizes members of Congress from arrest when they are in Congress - not to mention the fact that they'd have loved to have been arrested so they could use that as "proof" that the Dems are being mean and unfair.

[fleur-de-lisa]

3. Several legal experts who have previously had or still have SCIF clearances have stated

that the idiots who did this today (bringing electronic devices in) knowingly committed a felony.

[guillaumeb]

6. Expulsion is one remedy.

It is obvious that the GOP will do anything to stop this testimony.

[tritsofme]

20. It is a remedy, if you can find nearly 60 House Republicans to agree...

[dalton99a]

33. +1

[OliverQ]

4. They should all be expelled from Congress, especially Gaetz.

But sadly that requires 2/3rds of the House.

[guillaumeb]

8. Censure requires a majority.

They are obviously frightened that the truth about Trump is being revealed.

[dchill]

35. Obviously there's a fear factor...

But mostly, they're just belligerently and stupidly sociopathic.

Besides, I believe this whole thing was ordered up by Trump. Now there is one scared dude.

[Mike 03]

7. What are we waiting for? I can't believe this is still ongoing!

Wasn't the Sergeant-at-Arms being consulted? If this is a strategy of "taking the high road" or letting them make fools of themselves it is not effective! It's also extremely unfair to the witness.

[guillaumeb]

9. If I were Pelosi,

I would be speaking to the national media about how the GOP will do anything to prevent the evidence of Trump's crimes from being revealed.

[StarfishSaver]

11. The national media is already saying that

[guillaumeb]

13. It is the only obvious conclusion.

And the support for impeachment and removal is slowly growing.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. I have been scanning some of the media

and for example -

Politico (when you are RW and lose Politico, it ain't good news) -

The GOP stunt, led by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), comes as Trump has demanded that Republicans “get tough and fight” for him in the impeachment probe. But Republicans have struggled to defend Trump on the substance of the allegations against him, and have instead focused on hammering Democrats over what they see as an illegitimate impeachment process.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/23/impeachment-republicans-trump-055688

ABC News (note this article said the Capitol Police DID do a "sweep" of the room and one of the GOP committee members collected the illegal cell phones) -

GOP Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, sensing a problem, began collecting cell phones from members, who are supposed to deposit them in a cabinet outside before entering the room, according to Connolly and others in the room.

The Republicans who forced their way into the room argued they should be able to question the witness even though they aren't members of the committees conducting the impeachment inquiry.

/snip

Capitol Police swept the hearing room where Cooper was scheduled to testify after members brought their electronic devices into the secure facility, according to sources. It was not immediately clear when proceedings would restart.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/top-defense-official-questioned-military-aid-ukraine-withheld/story?id=66469001

The Hill -

House Republicans stormed a closed-door hearing Wednesday to protest Democrats' impeachment inquiry process, breaking up the deposition of a top Defense Department official who was testifying about President Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/467092-republicans-storm-into-house-hearing-to-break-up-trump-impeachment-testimony

CNN -

(CNN)Roughly two-dozen House Republicans on Wednesday stormed a closed-door deposition in secure House Intelligence Committee spaces to rail against the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, a political stunt ratcheting up the GOP complaints about the process that threw the deposition into doubt.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/politics/republicans-storm-impeachment-inquiry-deposition-laura-cooper/index.html

Washington Post -

The demonstration reflected Republicans’ desire to shift the narrative away from the allegations against Trump and toward complaints about how Democrats are conducting the inquiry. GOP lawmakers have accused the probe’s leaders of conducting a secret would-be takedown of the president by investigating behind closed doors; Democrats have said they will open the process for public hearings in a matter of weeks after they conduct their initial investigation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pentagon-official-to-testify-about-ukraine-aid-in-house-impeachment-probe/2019/10/22/59c2c872-f518-11e9-8cf0-4cc99f74d127_story.html

NYT -

Republicans are hammering Democrats for limiting attendance at the hearings to members of the Intelligence, Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees. It is common practice for sensitive congressional investigations to be conducted behind closed doors, at least in their preliminary stages. House Republicans did just that when they controlled the chamber and opened an inquiry into the 2012 attack on the United States embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

Democrats have said they plan to hold open hearings after the committees finish deposing witnesses, and that they intend to make public complete transcripts of witness testimony after they have been reviewed to determine whether they contain any classified material. Democrats argue that, lacking any defense of the substance of Mr. Trump’s actions, Republicans are attacking them over process.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/us/politics/trump-impeachment-news.html

[guillaumeb]

40. If you have not made this response a stand alone post, you really should. eom

[struggle4progress]

12. They should be reminded on the rules governing the secure location

together with the standards of behavior expected for House members, and these matter should be referred to the Ethics Committee for its recommendation

[guillaumeb]

14. Exactly.

All this does, in my view, is demonstrate that these GOP members have no respect for the law.

[StarfishSaver]

16. The fact that the media is all over this and is calling it out for what it is is a great thing

Among other things, it's not having the effect Gaetz and his thugs are intending. They just look desperate and ridiculous.

[guillaumeb]

17. Excellent.

But all of them should also face the consequences for their behavior.

[majdrfrtim]

18. I seem to remember that when I was in the military, a violation of SCIF security rules

was punishable up to imprisonment.

The actions by Gates, et al., to enter a SCIF while in possession of unauthorized electronic communication devices constitute an attack on US national security!!!

And they call themselves, “patriotic”!

[StarfishSaver]

19. True.

But since they're doing this in service of the people who would normally prosecute such behavior, well ...

[onenote]

28. This isn't a DoD SCIF

And it is governed by the House Intelligence Committee rules which generally provide only for referral to the House Ethics Committee for violations (and those rules are themselves focused mostly on disclosure of classified material not unauthorized access).

[kentuck]

21. Take a censure vote on each individual Gongressman that chose to participate in this stunt.

How many votes does it take to expel?

[onenote]

25. Two-Thirds

So that isn't going to happen.

[2naSalit]

36. OMG!!!

I don't know if it's a typo r not but Gongressmen is hilarious since all these clowns are more like Ging Show contestants than esteemed members of Congress!

In either case, it's perfect!

[onenote]

24. Agreed.

[matt819]

26. It should come from the sergeant at arms

As noted in another thread, Pelosi handled it like a pro. Calmly, no hysterics, made the republicans look like the buffoons they are.

That said, they did violate a ton of rules and probably a number of laws. The response should come from the sergeant at arms, the capitol police, and others. Not from the Democrats. Don't know if the FBI would become involved, but if they should, then they should also take the appropriate action. And if they don't, well, that says something about the FBI, the DoJ, and Barr, doesn't it.

We are in true Banana republic mode. I would hope that run of the mill republicans would see this, but I lost hope for them years ago. After all, from their perspective, why should they change? Look at what about a dozen republican senators said. No matter what evidence is presented at a trial in the senate, they will not vote to against trump. People like that would be dismissed from any jury pool in the country. And yet they are permitted to prejudge and tell us what they'll vote even before the trial. So if that's good enough for us senators, it's good enough for the rest of the cult followers.

[guillaumeb]

41. An excellent response.

The GOP is no longer the Party of law and order.

[pecosbob]

27. 'a blatant attempt to interfere with a lawful legislative process'

The GOP motto since 1968.

[YOHABLO]

29. Rules? The Constitution? Eh. Nazi brown shirts don't follow no damn rules.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. If they aren't deterred, they & others will do it again. . . . nt

[OAITW r.2.0]

32. Sure looks like an organized crime by the Organized Crime Party.

They are acting like Outlaws. Stakes are pretty high for them. Lose Trump and your Party is doomed. And you may be facing some pretty serious charges in the future.

[malaise]

34. Yep

+1,000

[guillaumeb]

43. The GOP has no respect for the Constitution.

They only respect power and money.

[hurple]

37. Here's what needs to happen next

They need to have charges quietly filed against them and a summons to appear issued. No big theater, no photo ops, just legal consequences.

[turbinetree]

38. Let's put this in a legal perspective............. this "stunt" is an example................

that there should be legal ramifications for these / those law breaking assholes storming a "Federal Congressional Grand Jury" to intimidate a witness and to intimidate the jury pool asking those questions during the depositions ......................because this is what this is................. this and other hearings of either state or Federal grand juries seeking evidence which is done all over this country are held in secret setting's to protect the process and to find if there is enough evidence to indict ......................... and if you and I were to do this "stunt" are asses would be in jail..............................


November 3, 2020 cannot get here fast enough..............................

[guillaumeb]

44. Lindsey Graham is no different.

He pretends to be unaware of the difference between an investigation and a trial. Only in a trail does the accused have the right to confront accusers and witnesses.

And he was a lawyer.

[turbinetree]

47. And he is getting a retirement check as a former Air Force JAG....................

just calls into his question on how he was reinforcing the laws when he was a JAG.................

[guillaumeb]

49. And where did he lose his integrity?

And his self respect?

[turbinetree]

54. When party became more important than country..................

and he and other's cannot distinguish the two anymore on importance.................

[Wounded Bear]

39. They're trying to call it a "protest"...

as if they are patriots fighting for some right or something.

No, it's a stunt that violates national security law.

[guillaumeb]

42. Agreed.

And if Democrats had done anything even close to this during the 8 years of Bush Jr., the GOP would have exploded and called for jail time for the Democrats.

[JCMach1]

45. And stripped of Security Clearances

[guillaumeb]

48. Permanently if possible.

That would be the least that should be done.

[ck4829]

50. K&R

[royable]

51. I think a bill should be generated for the cost of their stunt (extra security work, overtime hours)

and the bill amount should be taken out of their paychecks.

[spanone]

52. I agree 100% What is this?

Never seen anything like it.

Scary as hell.

[guillaumeb]

53. Trump epitomizes this behavior.

Trump has no respect for the law, and the GOP is happy to agree with him on this. And they are open about it.

As if daring anyone to do something about it.