There are a lot of people who think Attorney General Merrick Garland is a 98-pound weakling. In their eyes, the lack of any action against Donald Trump and others who incited the Jan. 6 insurrection suggests that Garland isn’t willing to bring justice to those responsible for that day’s horror.
A quick read of recent events shows Garland is anything but a weakling. He indicted Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress, and all indications point to him teeing up Mark Meadows as well. He’s making a concerted effort to hold states accountable for politically and racially motivated gerrymandering, and forced Derek Chauvin to take a plea deal as his only shot of getting out of prison on his feet rather than in a pine box.
If that isn’t enough for you, former FBI Counterintelligence Chief Frank Figliuzzi believes he noticed another sign. Figliuzzi believes that with an unhinged tirade against Democratic prosecutors and law enforcement, Individual 1 all but admitted that he knows he’s directly in the legal line of fire.
In case you missed this latest Trump tantrum, read it here, courtesy of Trump spokeswoman/sockpuppet Liz Harrington.
Many saw this as yet another case of steaming hypocrisy from Trump. Remember, this is the same man who actually encouraged those “Lock her up!” chants at Hillary. But Figliuzzi saw something different: a time bomb about to go off.
Figliuzzi expanded on this further during a panel discussion with MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian:
Figliuzzi said that when Trump goes off like this, it almost always means that “he’s learned something he doesn’t know”—and doesn’t like it. In this case, Figliuzzi suspects that Trump has learned that “something … is about to happen to him” and he’s “lashing out.” Specifically, Figliuzzi thinks that someone told him that either federal prosecutors, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, or New York state Attorney General Letitia James are “getting closer to him.”
Figliuzzi added that he’s seen indications that the Justice Department isn’t just sitting on its hands. He went on to say that he doesn't believe that the Justice Department and the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 are operating in a vacuum. They're likely sharing information as it comes up.
"For those all over social media who are understandably frustrated with timing and wonder if DOJ and Merrick Garland and the FBI are doing absolutely nothing. I'm an evidence guy. I see glimpses that not only is DOJ not doing nothing, but rather that they understand the role of the select committee."
He explained that the Justice Department and the White House waived executive privilege and people at a high level are cooperating with the committees and law enforcement.
As evidence, Figliuzzi noted that a lot of people involved in the insurrection are singing—like MAGA influencer Brandon “WalkAway” Straka and a number of Oath Keepers. He noted that FBI agents specifically asked a high-ranking Oath Keeper, “Were you in contact with members of Congress or their staff?” Additionally, when Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson revealed who sent the text messages released by the committee, he used “the same language the FBI is using when they question Oath Keepers.” That led him to conclude that the FBI is already investigating sitting Congress members.
Figliuzzi knows what he’s talking about. He was the No. 2 man at the FBI’s Miami office and the head of the FBI in Cleveland before becoming the FBI’s counterintelligence chief, so he knows how investigations are supposed to work. He also has some experience in pulling off these slow-motion strangulations. If lawmakers are being investigated, it could partly explain why Trump went off on Sunday. After all, the only person they could possibly give up if they want to avoid jail time is Trump.
Suddenly, Trump’s lawsuit against James—which can only be described as another thinly disguised Twitter tirade—makes even more sense. He knows the walls are closing in on him and is doing anything to stop it. But if things are moving along as fast as Figliuzzi thinks they are, Trump is only delaying the inevitable.
Tick tock, Trump. Tick tock.