The 'aim is to not just threaten — and in this case, take a specific action — but its aim is to silence Donald Trump’s critics,' said California Democrat allegedly targeted by Stone

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., declared in an interview that long-time Donald Trump confidante and adviser Roger Stone should “absolutely” be prosecuted after he was apparently caught on tape discussing the assassination of Swalwell and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Stone was allegedly captured on the tape talking of the murder of the Democratic lawmakers.

“Either Swalwell or Nadler has to die before the election. They need to get the message,” Stone allegedly told ex New York cop Sal Greco at a restaurant in Florida on the tape weeks before the 2020 election.

  • RegalPotoo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    5 months ago

    Not a lawyer, but my understanding is that you can charge someone with conspiracy if they take an “affirmative step in the furtherance of a crime”; idly discussing if it would be a good idea to assassinate someone probably isn’t conspiracy (probably 1A protected, and doesn’t “further” a crime), but actually getting together with your friends and starting to plan out how you would do that probably is

    • whatwhatwhatwhat@lemmy.world
      71·
      5 months ago

      One could argue that, because of a congressperson’s increased influence and power, the bar for what qualifies as “conspiracy” perhaps should be a little lower. I’m not saying that it actually is lower, but maybe it should be.

      Regardless, this seems like a serious ethics violation. Someone should not be allowed to serve in government if they’re going to talk about how their colleagues “need to die” before a certain date to send some sort of a “message”.