Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene testified in a Georgia courtroom on Friday afternoon as part of a legal challenge to her re-election bid. A group of Georgia voters contend that Greene helped foment the January 6th Capitol attack, which violates a clause in the 14th Amendment prohibiting insurrectionists from holding public office.
Greene is known for her brash rhetoric and outlandish hyperbole, but on Friday she seemed intent on providing as little information as possible, often dodging questions or looking towards her lawyer for advice.
The first-term Congresswoman said she had no recollection of having had advanced communication with elected officials about the pro-Trump demonstration on January 6th that devolved into an assault on the Capitol. She added that she “had no knowledge of any attempt” to illegally interfere with the counting of electoral votes.
Asked if interfering with the electoral count makes one an ‘enemy of the Constitution,’ Greene demurred. She referenced the hundreds of people who have been arrested for their roles in the riot, saying “breaking the law is unlawful.”
“I was asking people to come for a peaceful march, which everyone is entitled to do,” Greene said, referencing social media posts she made encouraging people to come to D.C. on the 6th. “I was not asking them to actively engage in violence.”
“I only believe in peaceful demonstration,” Greene added. “I do not support violence.”
Greene denied that anyone from her office distributed maps of the Capitol to rioters.
“No, we got our keys to my office on January 3rd. I couldn’t even find where the bathroom was most of the time,” she said.
Greene refused to characterize the Proud Boys as a “far-right extremist group,” saying she doesn’t know much about them. The Department of Justice alleges the militia conspired to violently thrawt the certification of Biden’s presidency.
Greene also repeated the widely debunked conspiracy that election fraud helped elect Joe Biden.
“We saw a tremendous amount of voter fraud,” she said.
NPR reports:
The plaintiff’s lawyers also played a January 2021 Facebook video in which Greene said, “You can’t allow it to just transfer power peacefully like Joe Biden wants and allow him to become our president. Because he did not win this election. It’s being stolen.”
In the same video, Greene encouraged people to come to Washington as she and other members of Congress prepared to object to the certification of the election results.
Greene says the video was taken out of context.
Asked whether she advocated to then-President Donald Trump that he impose martial law to remain in power, she said, “I don’t recall.”
Her attorneys argue that not only is her rhetoric protected political speech, she was a victim of the Jan. 6 attack, not a participant.
Andrew Celli, a lawyer for the group challenging Greene’s reelection bid, repeatedly pressed her on her social media activity. Newsweek explains:
Celli also referred to a Facebook post Greene’s account “liked” that said a “bullet to the head” would be a faster way to remove Nancy Pelosi from office than impeachment.
Greene said she had “no idea who liked that comment,” explaining that multiple people have managed her social media accounts over the years. When Celli again asked if Greene may have liked it herself, she said “I do not know.”
Celli also referenced a CNN article saying Greene called Pelosi a traitor to the country and is guilty of treason, saying the crime is punishable by death. Greene said CNN has lied about her “multiple” times.
The Guardian adds:
Ron Fein, a lawyer for the voters who filed the challenge, said Greene took an oath and then broke it by engaging in an insurrection.
Unlike past insurrections, like the civil war, that involved military uniforms and tactics, Fein said: “The leaders of this insurrection were among us, on Facebook, on Twitter, on corners of social media that would make your stomach hurt.”
Although Greene was not on the steps of the Capitol, she nevertheless played an important role in stoking Republican fury, Fein said. The day before the insurrection, Greene posted, “It’s our 1776 moment!” on the conservative-friendly Parler platform.
“The most powerful witness against Marjorie Taylor Greene’s candidacy … the most powerful witness in establishing that she crossed the line into engagement in insurrection is Marjorie Taylor Greene herself,” Fein said.
