Staff Reports
Federal prosecutors have accused Tucker Carlson, a Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder, of selectively choosing evidence and deceiving viewers about the events of January 6th in response to a court filing. Carlson had recently released footage related to Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola’s motion to dismiss the seditious conspiracy case against him, which was based on Carlson’s footage of Jacob Chansley, known as the “QAnon Shaman.”
JUST IN: Prosecutors offered their fullest repsonse to Tucker Carlson's Chansley footage, noting that the aired portion covers about 4 minutes of his 1 hour inside the Capitol
And it omits the vast evidence that is damaging to Chansley, they say. https://t.co/SaQyIJrqx7 pic.twitter.com/DBZOnNMsoz
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 12, 2023
The prosecutors claimed that the footage that Tucker Carlson had broadcast was incriminating evidence against Pezzola, Chansley, and other participants of the Capitol riot. However, the prosecutors contended that the footage lacked the necessary context of events that occurred both before and after the footage. Additionally, they pointed out that all the footage that Carlson had aired had already been presented to the defendants during discovery.
Justice Department Prosecutors Respond To Tucker Carlson’s Capitol Riot Footage https://t.co/tlVBf9hKCH
— US Burning (@UsBurning) March 13, 2023
The Justice Department has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for their management of the Capitol riot. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have led the disapproval of Tucker Carlson for broadcasting the footage and his statements regarding the incident. Meanwhile, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defended his choice to provide Carlson with the footage and supported it on Wednesday.
Albert Watkins, the former defense attorney for Chansley, has urged the Justice Department to declare publicly that they had not provided Chansley with all the footage during his prosecution. However, the prosecutors have denied any allegations of withholding evidence that was captured by the Capitol Police’s surveillance system (CCTV).
The assertion that the Justice Department is minimizing the gravity of the Capitol riot by withholding evidence and concocting false narratives is evident. Their attempt to discredit Tucker Carlson’s footage only bolsters the claim that they are trying to conceal their own blunders. It is disgraceful that they are striving to distort the truth to shield themselves from responsibility.
The Justice Department should be answerable for their conduct and should be forthright regarding the events that took place during the Capitol riot. It is unacceptable for them to conceal their errors by distorting evidence and creating false narratives. The public deserves to know the truth, and it is our responsibility to guarantee that it happens.
