On Thursday, January 7, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a case by Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert asking it to prohibit Vice President Mike Pence from certifying the election results.
Congressman Gohmert alleged in his lawsuit that the Electoral Count Act was in conflict with the 12th Amendment and therefore unconstitutional. Though the Court did not give a detailed reasoning for its decision, it likely considered the case moot given the successful certification of the electoral votes in the early morning hours of January 7.
The U.S. House of Representatives introduced an article of impeachment on January 11, accusing President Donald Trump of “incitement of insurrection.” The House is also set to vote on a separate measure calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.
President Donald Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter following his response to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Other social media companies followed suit, suspending his accounts at least until the end of his presidency on January 20.
Twitter said in a statement, “After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them – specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter – we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”
Georgia lawyer L. Lin Wood, known for filing lawsuits challenging the election results, was also permanently banned from Twitter after posting that the violence at the Capitol was caused by antifa and suggesting the events of January 6 were staged. Twitter did not officially comment on why Mr. Wood was banned.
At least 13 people face federal charges for the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and about 40 more face charges in Washington, D.C. superior court.
Additional Reading
ABA president condemns mob assault on Capitol as Rep. Gohmert asks SCOTUS to stop Pence, ABA Journal (January 6, 2021)
Supreme Court Rejects Gohmert Bid to Reverse Trump’s Defeat, Bloomberg (January 7, 2021)
Lin Wood – Lawyer Closely Tied to Trump – Permanently Banned From Twitter After Claiming Capitol Siege Was ‘Staged,’ Forbes (January 7, 2021)
Twitter Permanently Suspends Trump, Citing ‘Risk Of Further Incitement Of Violence,’ NPR (January 8, 2021)
House introduces article of impeachment accusing Trump of ‘incitement of insurrection,’ ABA Journal (January 11, 2021)
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