The Needle: USPP Has Spent $343K on Surveillance Gear, Hegseth Broke a World War II-Era Globe, Democratic AGs Are Preparing for Election Insanity, and More
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Gail O'Hara (via Washington CityPaper)
Cam alert: The U.S. Park Police have reportedly spent $343,000 to lease mobile surveillance cameras from Utah company LiveView Technologies (which also supplies ICE) to be used near convicted felon and President Donald Trump’s proposed arch, Memorial Bridge, and the Reflecting Pool. This comes even after Trump’s attempts to blame vandals for Reflecting Pool damage have been dismissed. Minus one point for surveillance and a waste of tax dollars. -1 [Guardian]
Dropping the ball: Silence buyer and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a 30-inch globe said to be used by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II for his office. Such items are typically moved by trained experts but Hegseth had his own team do it—due to “an apparent lack of patience,” says one source—and they dropped the globe and smashed it. The Army tells the Post that the globe was damaged during an “attempted move” Feb. 3. Minus one point for smashing historical artifacts. -1 [Post]
General feeling: State attorneys general are coordinating to prepare for Trump’s probable meddling in the midterms; 24 Democratic AGs have coordinated with Democratic secretaries of state and pro-democracy organizations to strategize about countering federal election intervention. They anticipate interference from the DOJ, which announced plans this summer to deploy 1,000 monitors; in response, the NAACP filed a lawsuit seeking details. Plus one point for preparation. +1 [Guardian]
Unsafe house: After federal agents searched Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s D.C. home last week, she says she will have to move because the attention the raid brought is making her feel unsafe there. Federal authorities say they are investigating potential fraud in her family but many questioned the timing in the weeks leading up to the midterms. She told MS NOW she is “confident in the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong.” She is running for reelection and will likely retain her seat. Minus one point for uprooting lives. -1 [AP News]
Voting right: D.C. AG Brian Schwalb issued a know-your-rights advisory on poll monitoring and voter intimidation for D.C. residents. The OAG answers questions about whether the DOJ, federal officials, the military, police, and others can monitor the polls or interfere with vote counting without authorization (no), whether they can “take over” elections (no), whether DOJ can seize ballots (no), and more. Plus one for preparing for what is already a volatile midterm election season. +1 [PoPville]
12 days … until the midterm elections. Plus one point for hope. +1
