Coda to the ‘Broken Men’ - Accountability for ‘Evil’

My report about Stewart Rhodes getting the stiffest sentence yet for seditious conspiracy related to J6 garnered thoughtful responses from this community, including a powerful letter from Martin Sheil

My report on the sentencing of Oath Keeper’s leader Stewart Rhodes - ‘The Broken Men’ - earned some thoughtful Letters to Bette.

Among the first to respond came from retired IRS criminal investigator Martin Sheil, whose words appear often on these pages and who reminds us to never stop following the money when evaluating criminal conspiracies.

Here is Marty’s Letter to Bette:

Dear Heidi,

Here! Here!

Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for as the NYT put it - "mobilizing the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021."

This sentencing is no doubt a good thing, a needed thing in helping to heal the wounds our Democracy suffered on that fateful day.

BUT

Congressman Raskin asked the following question a couple of months ago and I paraphrase - While it is good that the "foot soldiers" of the coup face accountability for their evil, what of those that led and subsidized the foot soldiers? Are they not equally responsible for the damages that our Democracy suffered on 1/6?

When will the Colonels and the Generals of the Coup attempt, be confronted by the Department of Justice and held accountable for their tweets and speeches in the run up to the attack on the Capitol - from Trump’s invitation to come to Washington DC on Jan. 6 - "It's gonna be wild" - to his disgraced personal attorney Rudy Giuliani promoting "trial by combat"?

Sure, Jack Smith is working on an investigation of former President Trump's role in the Seditious Conspiracy that just swallowed up Stewart Rhodes, and hopefully he will be coming forward with an indictment soon for the Donald. But what about all of Trump's 1/6 enablers? Michael Flynn was quoted at the hotel across the street from the White House on January 5 as stating out loud - "People are willing to die".

Flynn was protected there along with his cohort in extremism Roger Stone by a contingent of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, while Rudy Giuliani and a contingent of philistine attorneys worked in another room on an ill-fated plan to steal the election rightfully won by Joe Biden.

It’s worth noting that Roger Stone also incited stochastic terrorism with his rhetoric when he was caught on film saying - “F**k the voting, Let’s get right to the violence”.

Now the question I have and have repeatedly asked, who payed for these rooms and who arranged transport for Flynn and Stone from Florida so they could take part in the coup? Should these financiers of an Insurrection face justice - the same justice as Stewart Rhodes?

In fact, the same question could be asked as to who paid for the transport and storage of the arsenal of weapons Rhodes had conveyed to the Comfort Inn in Arlington County, Va. should they be needed - recall Flynn and Stone’s rhetoric of violence, “people are willing to die” and “let’s get straight to the violence”. It was never a question of “if” to these henchmen.

So Raskin's question hangs out there - now that the foot soldiers have been addressed, when do we get to the real leaders and enablers whose money greased the skids of a rebellion facilitating thousands to come to DC and "fight like hell!"

“Trial by combat.”

Hey, Merrick Garland that question is directed to you. Don't leave it all to Jack Smith.

IF Watergate taught us all one lesson it was "to follow the money."

If the DOJ is short on resources then let ProPublica and the WSJ assist you in finding and following the money trail. 

And, if too lazy to click links and read the articles then let me point out some salient names - Kimberly Guilfoyle, Caroline Wren and Publix heiress Julie Fancelli. 

Follow the money and bring to justice those who enabled the foot soldiers of the insurrection. Are their overt acts in subsidizing a rebellion NOT as seditious as the actions of those knocking down doors, windows and Capitol Police heads?

Pierce the PACs anonymity and shine light on the cowards who solicit wire transfers to facilitate infamy. 

To paraphrase Lauren Bacall - all you have to do is read.  You know how to read doncha?

Just open your eyes and makes some arrests!

Marty

I could not have said it better myself, and for those who are new to Bette Dangerous, please scan the archives for Marty’s essential wisdom. Our Follow the Money series is vital reporting.

We are seeing history in the making, as Stewart Rhodes’ sentencing reminds us that it has been more than a decade since any American received a sentence for seditious conspiracy.

Although I got some pushback for referring to Rhodes as a broken man, when he was clearly an opportunist, I do have sources close to him who described how this opportunist became further radicalized.

MICE is a bitch.

Money. Ideology. Compromise. Ego.

I do indeed write about broken men, many of whom are traitors to the US because of some variation of MICE.

HiFi’s quote is important, and can be applied to so many of the domestic terrorists:

“Once again, we see another horrible, sad, broken man, filled with conspiracies, gaslighting, and lies - this one an opportunist - whose life has been ruined and ruined the lives of others. Those who would make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. And now, Rhodes will pay for the atrocities he has committed,” said OSINT investigator Josh Fidel, aka my podcast partner HiFi. “When will the people who feed heads full of those absurdities and pointed people at the Capitol on January 6 be held to account?“

Like Marty, I will not rest until I see action taken against those who instigated the plot that led to the violence. These men with their MICE afflictions, who still walk free, let their days of freedom be short.

Let Merrick Garland read Martin Sheil’s words.

Arrest the broken men. Let America begin healing.

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(Images below, from the January 6 Committee Hearing, July 2022)