U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. (Video screenshot)
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., now is facing an ethics complaints for her advocacy to the violent protesters demanding former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin be punished for George Floyd's death in 2020 whether or not he's found guilty by a jury.
And she's also losing support from other Democrats.
The octogenarian recently told a crowd of protesters outside the trial for Chauvin that, "Well, we’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business."
It was heard by observers as a clear message to jurors in the Chauvin trial, who were not sequestered, that a guilty verdict is needed.
Government watchdog Judicial Watch said that's inappropriate.
It alleges Waters "encouraged violence" by urging the protesters to "get more confrontational."
The watchdog said her statements appear to conflict with House ethics rules that require members to conduct themselves "at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."
The complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics, said, "Ms. Waters took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, which includes the rights accorded to Officer Chauvin to a fair and impartial trial by a jury of his peers and to due process. Ms. Waters’ inflammatory comments that pressure the jury, while encouraging rioters already engaged in rampant destruction of property and attacks on police officers, to 'get more confrontational' are irresponsible and dangerous incitement by a Member of Congress."
The complaint continued, "Ms. Waters’ conduct surely does not reflect creditably on the House. By encouraging violence in response to a 'guilty' jury verdict, she seeks to undermine the Constitution’s guarantees and protections, and fosters the breakdown of civil society. Such dangerous and reckless rhetoric demands investigation.
"More disturbingly still, this behavior by Rep. Waters represents a pattern of conduct. In June 2018, Ms. Waters exhorted protesters to form 'crowds' to 'push back' on President Trump’s cabinet members, saying, 'If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them! And you tell them that they are not welcome, anymore, anywhere.'"
Judicial Watch chief Tom Fitton said, "Rep. Maxine Waters not only incited violence, she is also attempting to subvert the legal system by intimidating the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin."
Fox reported it has been told "rank-and-file Democrats found what Waters said revolting."
The report said that "disgust" actually "further metastasized" after Hennepin, Minnesota, County Judge Peter Cahill, hearing the Chauvin case, "criticized Waters from the bench, describing her remarks as "disrespectful to the rule of law.'"
The judge noted Waters' opinion "really doesn't matter a whole lot," but he said he would like officials to "stop talking."
He pointed out that Waters' statements may have given defense counsel "something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., already has been asking Democrats to sanction Waters. Included in his efforts will be a resolution to censure Waters.
Fox explained, "With such a narrow majority, Democrats can only lose two votes on their side. Fox is told that some Democrats could in fact support what one lawmaker termed a 'reasonably worded' censure resolution to rebuke Waters. Plus, voting to punish Waters may well be good politics for some battleground district Democrats."
At the Gateway Pundit was a report that famed attorney and legal expert Alan Dershowitz said the judge should have granted a mistrial because of Waters' statements.
The report explained, "Even though the judge denied the defense’s motion for mistrial, he highlighted the damage her rhetoric may have done, saying 'Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned.'"
Dershowitz, interviewed by Newsmax's Grant Stinchfield, said, "Well, first of all the judge should have granted a motion for mistrial based on the efforts of Congresswoman Waters to influence the jury. Her message was clearly intended to get to the jury. If you acquit or you find the charge less than murder we will burn down your building, we will burn down your businesses. We will attack you. We will do what happened to the witness, blood on their door."
He continued, "This was an attempt to intimidate the jury. It’s borrowed precisely from the Ku Klux Klan of the 1930s…"
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