Not one member of the Senate Judiciary Committee asked Amy how she got those tiny Haitian Humans.
#maytheheavensfall
Some White colonizers "adopted" Black children. They "civilized" these "savage" children in the "superior" ways of White people, while using them as props in their lifelong pictures of denial, while cutting the biological parents of these children out of the picture of humanity. https://t.co/XBE9rRnoqq
$10M to Dr. Ibram Kendi and the Center for Antiracist Research at BU. This research will inform and fuel much needed and overdue policy change. I appreciate you Dr. Kendi, and I’m grateful for your work! https://t.co/M2zvIQYeEO
(CNN)Judge Amy Coney Barrett initially failed to disclose two talks she gave in 2013 hosted by two anti-abortion student groups on paperwork provided to the Senate ahead of her confirmation hearing to become the next Supreme Court justice.
Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, gave the talks -- a lecture and a seminar -- in 2013 in her capacity as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame. The seminar was co-sponsored by the school's Right to Life club and constitutional studies minor, and the lecture was held by the law school's Jus Vitae club. CNN's KFile found advertisements for two lectures on social media and in a weekly Notre Dame faculty newsletter.
Late on Friday night, hours after this story published, the Senate Judiciary Committee released a supplemental update to Barrett's committee questionnaire that includes the lecture and seminar, as well as a paid advertisement she signed that criticized Roe v. Wade and reaffirmed support for Notre Dame's "commitment to the right to life." The release came after CNN asked the White House about the advertisement earlier on Friday.
It is not known what was said in the two events, though both centered on abortion court cases. In a separate instance, CNN's KFile found a publicized talk that Barrett gave to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade -- a seminar Barrett disclosed in her Senate paperwork -- was removed by the university from YouTube in 2014. A school spokesman told CNN the video is now lost.
Content by CNN Underscored
Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court would strengthen its current conservative majority -- creating a 6-3 bloc of conservative justices -- and could limit abortion access.
Barrett's initial failure to disclose the two events also raises questions about whether the questionnaire is complete or whether there will be any consequences from the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees her confirmation hearing. Past chairmen of the powerful committee have halted the nomination process after judicial nominees omitted information in their Senate paperwork but under committee Chairman Lindsey Graham that scenario is unlikely.
The committee has slated a hearing for Barrett on October 12 in an effort to confirm her by the full Senate before the election.
Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Justice Department this week that said Barrett did omit materials concerning Roe v. Wade and asked if Barrett omitted any more materials after the National Review reported that Barrett signed a letter on a "right to life" ad in 2006 that called for the end of the landmark legal decision.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told CNN in an email, "Judge Barrett submitted her lengthy Senate Judiciary Questionnaire, spoke with an overwhelming majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and continues to be transparent throughout her confirmation process. She looks forward to answering questions from the Senators next week."
A spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee told CNN "it is a very normal practice" for Supreme Court nominees to update their questionnaire, noting that several current Supreme Court justices also supplied updated copies.
CNN reached out multiple times to Barrett through her law chambers but did not get a response.
While Barrett's association with anti-abortion groups has come under scrutiny -- including signing a Right to Life ad in 2006 -- little has been examined about her work with anti-abortion groups at Notre Dame. Barrett gave the talks hosted by the anti-abortion student groups while she was also a member of the Notre Dame chapter University Faculty for Life, which staunchly opposes abortion.
In 2016, the group sent a letter asking the university to rescind an award honored to then-Vice President Joe Biden in recognition for his work as an American Catholic. The group called it "a scandalous violation of the University's moral responsibility (as the American bishops wrote in 2004) never to honor those who act in defiance of fundamental moral principles about the sanctity of life" and attacked his views on abortion.
Barrett initially failed to disclose two seminars she gave students on Roe v. Wade
In April 2013, Barrett gave a small hour-long seminar "for students on changes to law and life for women after Roe v. Wade" entitled "Being a Woman After Roe."
According to a copy of the Facebook event advertising the seminar, spots were limited to 15 students. A student publication promoted the event as an informal seminar, small group setting in which students can learn more from faculty members who oppose abortion.
"The Right to Life Seminar Series was begun as an opportunity for students and professors to discuss a variety of issues related to human life and dignity," an advertisement for the event reads.
The conservative judge also did not disclose that in November 2013 she spoke to Jus Vitae, the law school's Right to Life club, on "The Supreme Court's Abortion Jurisprudence." The law school advertised the lecture as focusing on Roe v. Wade and the cases that followed it, including cases that were being litigated on the lower courts at that time.
The lecture Barrett did disclose was entitled "Roe at 40: The Supreme Court, Abortion, and the Culture War that Followed," taking place in January 2013 and open to the university community. It was co-sponsored by the university's Constitutional Studies minor.
However, video for the lecture, which CNN's KFile found on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine was advertised by the school as being available on YouTube, was removed by the user in 2014, according to a YouTube spokesperson.
Of 11 lectures publicized as available to watch on the school's event, only Barrett's was removed from YouTube.
After CNN inquired to obtain video of the event, a university spokesperson, Dennis K. Brown, told CNN, "We have checked with the organizer of the event [sic] have no information on what has become of the video of that lecture."
Several on-campus publications covered the event and Barrett's remarks at the time.
The Observer, Notre Dame's student newspaper, wrote that Barrett said, ''I think it is very unlikely at this point that the court is going to overturn Roe as curbed by [Planned Parenthood v.] Casey. The fundamental element, that the woman has a right to choose abortion, will probably stand," she said.
The Irish Rover, a student publication covering Catholic identity, quoted Barrett as saying, "whether or not Roe gets overturned is irrelevant," saying the question of abortion would return to the state level and could still be legal in certain states.
Anti-Biden letter
As Barrett gave talks on abortion to groups associated with the on-campus Right to Life groups, Barrett was also a member of the university's chapter of the University Faculty for Life from the group's founding in 2010 until 2016, according to her Senate paperwork.
While she was a member of the group, the group unanimously passed a resolution for a letter calling on the university to rescind an award given to then-Vice President Biden because of his beliefs on abortion.
"Notre Dame claims to award the Laetare Medal 'annually to an American Catholic in recognition of outstanding service to Church and society,'" the letter reads. "But our Faculty for Life Chapter agrees with Bishop Kevin Rhoades that the awarding of the Laetare Medal to Vice-President Biden is a scandalous violation of the University's moral responsibility (as the American bishops wrote in 2004) never to honor those who act in defiance of fundamental moral principles about the sanctity of life."
The faculty letter attacks Biden's position on abortion for not wanting to "impose" the Catholic Church's teachings on abortion upon a woman or a doctor, supporting the death penalty and for rejecting "the truth that human life begins at conception." It also states that public officials like Biden have "an especially grave duty to preserve" life.
In this pastoral play, Jorge goes deep inside the bowels of global Public Private Partnerships' souls via TED, to see what he can Holy See because the IOR is a hot mess and we are almost in Detroit.
His Holiness Pope Francis | Our moral imperative to act on climate change -- and 3 steps we can take
Perhaps, just perhaps, the reason why Gretchen Whitmer and the FBI did not inform Lee Chatfield, et al about the situation was, maybe, because he and his cohorts might have been the subject of something or another, indirectly related, but, hey, what do I know?
Michigan's House speaker on Saturday expressed frustrations with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over what he called a failure to communicate with lawmakers about the alleged plot to overthrow the government and kidnap her.
Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, issued a series of tweets Saturday, saying those in the Capitol were not warned of the plot to take hostages and there needs to be better cooperation going forward across the aisle.
"Why weren’t we in the Legislature warned of the plot to take hostages at the Capitol? The plot by these terrorists was against us too. Why weren’t House sergeants warned?" Chatfield said. "You knew, and we weren’t even given a warning. We had people working in the building every day doing essential work, and their lives matter too."
Governor, we need to cooperate more. A better message needs to be sent. And now that a couple days has gone by since the plot to attack us both has passed, there are several points that I believe need to be made and questions that need to be asked. (1/7)
Zack Pohl, communications director for Whitmer, said in an emailed response that the governor "won't be distracted by the Speaker’s partisan attacks."
"She remains focused on bringing Michiganders together to keep people safe and save lives. We are not going to comment on an ongoing criminal investigation," Pohl said in the email. "If the Speaker has concerns with this successful law enforcement operation, he should direct them to the FBI and President Trump’s Department of Justice, which was in command.
Federal agents said Thursday they thwarted a plot to violently overthrow the government as well as kidnap and harm Whitmer — a conspiracy that included visits to her home in northern Michigan and training with firearms and explosive devices.
The alleged plot mainly involved six conspirators unhappy in part about Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions, calling her a "tyrant." They wanted to create a "self-sufficient" society free from what they called unconstitutional state governments and discussed plans to storm the Capitol and take hostages, according to FBI documents filed in court.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel separately announced 19 state charges against seven other individuals pursuant to the state's anti-terrorism act, "all of whom are in custody and linked to the militia group Wolverine Watchmen."
Remember this gem all the way back in September? Legislators claiming they had no knowledge of the possibility of a tragic event at the Capitol are disingenuous at best. Want to protect those who work at the Capitol building? Pass legislation to ban weapons from Capitol grounds. https://t.co/qv8lib0IWL
On Saturday, Nessel tweeted a response calling Chatfield's comments disingenuous and saying the Legislature had a chance to ban weapons in the Capitol building back in September and never did.
"Remember this gem all the way back in September? Legislators claiming they had no knowledge of the possibility of a tragic event at the Capitol are disingenuous at best," Nessel tweeted Saturday. "Want to protect those who work at the Capitol building? Pass legislation to ban weapons from Capitol grounds."
Chatfield also noted comments by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist blaming "Michigan Republicans for the evil plans of these mentally unstable men."
Chatfield
Gilchrist told CNN's Don Lemon on Thursday night that the suspects in the kidnapping plot were "emboldened" by President Donald Trump and the "complicity and the encouragement of the Michigan Republican Party, who created the rhetorical space for them to plan these deadly actions."
Gilchrist noted some of those arrested had participated in protests at which GOP lawmakers also were present and had stood in the Senate gallery during session.
"For Republicans to be so flippant as to fraternize with these people while they were armed in the Capitol shows you where their priorities are at," Gilchrist said on the show.
"That accusation is inflammatory and untrue and does nothing to solve this problem. You chose to blame President Trump instead," Chatfield said Saturday. "The truth is, I started getting death threats to my family at my home the day you said my legislative actions would kill people. Realize that as well."
Pohl said that the same day the news of the alleged plot was revealed, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, a Republican from Clarklake, spoke at a protest against the governor that was organized by Speaker Chatfield’s father, Rusty Chatfield.
"It’s time for Republicans, from the White House on down, to forcefully condemn violent domestic terrorists," Pohl said.
Placing blame
Earlier on Thursday, Whitmer laid some blame for the plot to kidnap her on Trump, whom she said didn't do enough to condemn white supremacists. She specifically mentioned the president's comments at the first presidential debate on Sept. 29 when Trump told the Proud Boys group to "stand back and stand by."
"Hate groups heard the president's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, a call to action," said the Democratic governor, who is also a co-chair of Joe Biden's presidential campaign. "When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight.”
Trump slammed Whitmer on social media late Thursday night, saying Whitmer had called him a white supremacist instead of thanking him for federal authorities who filed the kidnapping plot against her.
"I do not tolerate any extreme violence," Trump tweeted. "Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President!"
Earlier, Trump administration and campaign officials fired back, arguing it is Whitmer who is trying to create divisions by saying the Republican president inspired the plot.
On Saturday, Chatfield said others in the Legislature have been threatened, too, but don't have the same resources to protect themselves.
"They’ve received threats, letters and calls to their homes. These threats have been to both Republicans and Democrats, but they aren’t given security. They don’t have the state resources to build million-dollar fences at their homes. And we were targeted in these evil plots too. That’s why to overcome this, it will take a unified message and not political talking points or partisan finger-pointing. It will take leadership," he said.
Chatfield ended his message with a call for more unity.
"Now, I’ve been critical of many of your decisions this year during COVID. I’ll admit that. I’ve agreed with some decisions too. It’s important we have these debates. It makes us stronger. It ensures all voices of our state are heard. It’s how our process was designed to work. But we need to do it the right way. Blanket, partisan blame is wrong. It simply further divides us and causes more political strife," he said.
"Hatred and violence are wrong, and that’s why I’ve continually denounced it. And I agree, it’s time to tone the partisan rhetoric and “the heat down” as you’ve said," Chatfield continued. "Will you do the same for President Trump? You’ve arguably been his biggest critic this year in the country. You even fundraised this week off this plot, now making it political, which is sad. Will the Lieutenant Governor do it to the entire Republican Party, of whom are millions of his constituents? This wasn’t standing tall. It was cheap. We can do this, but we have to make this decision together. Let’s back up our words with actions."
