Refried Beans | Subpoena Fingers (feat. Hugo Lowell) | originally 5/13/2022

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Beans – "Refried Beans | Subpoena Fingers (feat. Hugo Lowell)"

Release Date: May 10, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Refried Beans | Subpoena Fingers," hosts Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg delve into a series of pressing political and scientific topics with their characteristic blend of progressive insight and sharp wit. Featuring a special interview with Hugo Lowell from The Guardian, the episode navigates through federal investigations, congressional subpoenas, a potential bribery scandal involving high-profile political figures, and even touches upon a groundbreaking astronomical discovery.

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1. Federal Investigation into Donald Trump’s Classified Documents [00:45 – 06:15]

Alison Gill opens the discussion by highlighting the escalating federal investigation into former President Donald Trump concerning the mishandling of 15 boxes of classified documents taken to his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.

Alison Gill [02:01]: "Clerks for the win."

Dana Goldberg underscores the severity of the investigation, noting that it represents a significant expansion beyond preliminary inquiries. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has escalated its efforts by issuing subpoenas to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and seeking interviews with White House staff from Trump's final days in office.

Dana Goldberg [05:30]: "In recent days, the DOJ has taken the investigation out of the preliminary stages."

The hosts discuss the implications of the DOJ’s actions, including the potential involvement of Mark Meadows, Trump's former Chief of Staff, who allegedly violated the Presidential Records Act by not turning over documents.

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2. January 6th Committee Subpoenas Five Republican Congress Members [09:06 – 12:54]

Shifting focus, the podcast delves into the January 6th Committee's decision to subpoena five Republican members of Congress: Kevin McCarthy, Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, Scott Perry, and Jim Jordan.

Dana Goldberg [09:10]: "The committee that's investigating the riot in the Capitol... has subpoenaed five Republican members of Congress."

Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg discuss the strategic implications of these subpoenas, questioning whether the committee aims to set a precedent for future investigations and the potential political fallout. They highlight the skepticism surrounding the Republicans' willingness to comply and the broader impact on congressional authority.

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3. Rep. Katie Porter Uncovers Trump Bribery Scheme [15:07 – 15:29]

Alison Gill brings attention to Rep. Katie Porter's revelations about a possible bribery scheme involving former Trump officials. Porter has implicated Ryan Zinke, David Bernhardt, and real estate developer Mike Ingram in an off-the-record meeting that allegedly resulted in quid pro quo arrangements affecting environmental permits and political donations.

Alison Gill [13:52]: "This appears to be a quid pro quo because the real estate developer and his friends received a kickback after donating to the former President's victory fund."

Porter's findings suggest a significant breach of ethical standards, prompting the House Natural Resources Committee to file a criminal complaint against the involved parties, emphasizing the necessity to uphold the rule of law.

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4. Discovery of a Giant Black Hole at the Galaxy’s Center [15:07 – 18:01]

In a refreshing detour from politics, Dana Goldberg introduces an exciting scientific breakthrough: astronomers have captured the first direct image of the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, at the center of the Milky Way.

Dana Goldberg [15:25]: "Astronomers have captured an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy."

The hosts marvel at the achievement, discussing how the image corroborates Einstein's theory of general relativity and the collaborative effort of over 300 researchers worldwide through the Event Horizon Telescope project.

Alison Gill [17:58]: "It's just so fucking cool."

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5. Interview with Hugo Lowell from The Guardian [18:38 – 32:43]

Returning to the central theme of subpoenas, Alison Gill engages in an in-depth conversation with Hugo Lowell, a congressional reporter for The Guardian. They explore the intricacies behind the recent subpoenas issued to Republican lawmakers, the timing of these actions, and the potential implications for congressional procedures and future investigations.

Hugo Lowell [19:05]: "The committee knows that should there be a change of majority in the next Congress... they might want to subpoena Democrats."

Lowell elaborates on the committee's tactical considerations, including the delicate balance between enforcing subpoenas and maintaining the authority of congressional investigations. He also touches upon the challenges journalists face when investigative committees control the release of information, impacting media coverage and public transparency.

Hugo Lowell [32:42]: "It makes allies more difficult."

The interview concludes with discussions about the broader impact of such political maneuvers on journalistic integrity and the public's trust in governmental processes.

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6. Good News Segment: Positive Community Stories [33:19 – 43:16]

After navigating through intense political discourse, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg lighten the mood with their "Good News" segment, featuring listener submissions that bring humor and warmth to the episode.

• Anonymous Submission [34:37 – 35:17]: A humorous anecdote about discovering a neighbor's connection to John Eastman, complete with playful vandalism.

  Dana Goldberg [34:40]: "If someone drew a big dick with sidewalk chalk on Eastman's driveway, it was me."

• Rick’s Hole-in-One Achievement [35:25 – 36:56]: Celebrating Rick's extraordinary golf feat, despite the unconventional circumstances of his hole-in-one on a 256-yard par four.

  Dana Goldberg [36:35]: "This made me feel hopeful that some long shots can happen."

• Cuddly Turtle’s Election Involvement [37:02 – 38:57]: A listener shares their journey from passive supporter to active participant in a local school committee campaign, highlighting personal growth and community engagement.

  Alison Gill [38:26]: "Pretty hard. But I'm inspired to get involved with another campaign when the opportunity presents itself."

• Matt’s Personal Reflections [38:57 – 41:22]: Matt offers a heartfelt tribute to his pug, Vega, blending personal storytelling with affection for his pet.

  Dana Goldberg [40:18]: "Here’s Vega. She's pure pug. A fantastic hot mess."

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Conclusion

Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to engage with the podcast's community through submissions and promoting upcoming events, such as their book club and other shows under the MSW Media umbrella.

Alison Gill [43:13]: "Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health, and vote blue over Q."

The episode concludes on a lighthearted note with the hosts reiterating their love for refried beans, leaving listeners both informed and entertained.

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Notable Quotes

• Alison Gill [02:01]: "Clerks for the win."
• Dana Goldberg [05:30]: "In recent days, the DOJ has taken the investigation out of the preliminary stages."
• Dana Goldberg [15:25]: "Astronomers have captured an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy."
• Hugo Lowell [32:42]: "It makes allies more difficult."
• Dana Goldberg [36:35]: "This made me feel hopeful that some long shots can happen."
• Alison Gill [43:13]: "Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health, and vote blue over Q."

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This episode of The Daily Beans masterfully balances critical political analysis with moments of levity, ensuring that listeners are both informed and entertained. From high-stakes investigations to charming community stories, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg deliver a comprehensive and engaging narrative that underscores the podcast's commitment to progressive news with a touch of snark.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media. Hey, everybody, it's Ag. And welcome to Refried Beans, where we play an episode of the Daily Beans podcast from the same week either one, two or three years ago, so we can see how far we've come. So please enjoy this episode from days gone by and note the date in the intro. Refried beans. I like refried beans. That's why I want to try fried beans, because maybe they're just as good and we're wasting time. Daily Beans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Daily Beans.

[Alison Gill]

Daily Beans.

[Dana Goldberg]

Daily Beans.

[Alison Gill]

Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, May 13, 2022. Today, Donald Trump is under federal investigation for those 15 boxes of classified documents he stole. Five Republican members of Congress have been subpoenaed by the January 6th Committee. Congresswoman Katie Porter raises concerns about a Trump bribery scheme. And there's a giant black hole at the center of the galaxy. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

I couldn't let the black hole thing go. I had to talk about it.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, how could you not? I mean, there's so much behind the fact that they have found a giant black hole at the center of the galaxy that's not either of our hearts at this point.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Or the January 6th Committee, where subpoenas go to die.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes.

[Alison Gill]

Where no subpoena or light can escape. So, speaking of subpoenas, I'm going to be talking with Hugo Lofriend.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm also glad. I'm sorry, AG. I'm glad the black hole story doesn't have anything to do with Madison Cawthorn, because I feel like at this point, anything does have to do with Madison Cawthorn.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. When he tweeted, just. He tweeted out 2000 mules. I was like, please don't show us video of you and 2000 mules. And then my friend Michael Castleberry responded. 2000 mules in a row.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Gill]

Clerks for the win.

[Dana Goldberg]

So good.

[Alison Gill]

But, yeah, talking about the subpoena black hole. I'm going to be discussing that with Hugo Lowell from the Guardian, and not just the subpoenas, but how the story came out, why it was rushed, why none of the congressmen had seen the subpoenas by the time the press had gotten a hold of it. And a couple of other speculative kind of space beans, things about whether or not we think people are going to show up. And you might be surprised by the answer. So stick around for that interview, because it's not what you think I would say. So I'm excited for you to hear that. Other than that we've got the good news later. And let's get to the news and hit the hot notes. Hot notes. So, Dana, huge giant, big day for justice in the news today. Seriously. I, like, I, I, I'm so excited about this story. And no one's covering it, of course, of course they're covering the subpoenas and, you know, of course, Covid and baby formula and inflation and how are people dealing with gas prices and how everything, how the black hole at the center of the galaxy is going to impact Democrats in the midterm elections. But nobody's talking about the fact that federal prosecutors have begun a fucking grand jury investigation into whether classified White House documents that ended up at Trump's Florida home were mishandled. And that's according to two people who were briefed on the matter. The intensifying inquiry suggests that the Justice Department is examining the role of Trump and other officials in the White House in their handling of sensitive materials during the final stages of his administration. In recent days, the Department of Justice has taken a series of steps showing that its investigation has progressed beyond the preliminary stages. Prosecutors issued a subpoena to the. Now, I want you to listen to that again. In recent days. In recent days, the DOJ has taken a series of steps showing that the investigation into these 15 boxes has progressed beyond the preliminary stages. Recent days, remember that Put a pin in that. Prosecutors issued a subpoena to the National Archives and Records Administration to obtain boxes of classified documents, according to the two people familiar who spoke on a condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. The authorities have also made interview requests to people who worked in the White House in the final days of the Trump presidency. That's according to one of the people who's probably one of the people who was requested to give an interview in the final days of Trump's presidency. Now, I also have breaking sort of unsourced rumors, intelligence news that some people are also being asked to go and talk to the Manhattan district attorney about Trump overinflating and deflating the valuation of his assets. And so that's also happening behind the scenes. But this is about the 15 boxes, and it's focused on the discovery by the National Archives in January. Remember, recent days, the DOJ has taken the investigation out of the preliminary stages. But the National Archives in January said that the end of Trump's term, he'd taken these boxes home from the White House that contained government documents, mementos, gifts and letters, found out they were top secret. Okay. Some of these documents and they hadn't been marked as declassified, either. After the boxes were returned to the National Archives, its archivists found documents containing items marked as classified National Security information Sci. And that's what the agency told Congress in February. And in April, it was reported to the federal authorities were in the preliminary stages of investigating. That's last month, the handling of classified documents. That's when we found out the investigation was in its preliminary stages. Buried lead. The subpoena that was sent to the National Archives in recent days for the classified documents is one of a series of requests that the Justice Department has made to the agency for records from the Trump administration in recent months, according to two people familiar. So if this investigation and this subpoena for the 15 boxes went out in the last couple of days, but the Department of Justice has been subpoenaing documents from the National Archives for months. That means they're investigating something else besides the 15 boxes. Does it make sense, you following me?

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm following you. I smell what you're stepping in. AG Good.

[Alison Gill]

And I'm stepping in a giant pile of Meadows manure is what I think, because he is also, you know, handed over some of the documents to the committee, stopped cooperating, hasn't been indicted for his contempt of the subpoena that the committee sent to him. And we've been speculating, well, maybe the Department of Justice is investigating Meadows. He did violate the Presidential Records act on several occasions by not handing his shiz over to the National Archives. And so that could be one of the things that the Department of Justice, why they have been subpoenaing documents for months. Other documents besides what was in those 15 boxes anyway? Buried fucking lead right there in paragraphs 97 of the new York Times. Now, the investigation is focused. This boxes, the 15 boxes probe is focused on how the documents made their way to the residence, who boxed them up, whether anyone knew that classified materials were being improperly taken out of the White House. Because you have to prove corrupt intent. Right? That's why Hillary wasn't indicted for her use of a private email server, because she had no corrupt intent. She wasn't trying to leak it to, you know, I don't know, Russia. So there's no corrupt intent there. But that's why they're trying to find out if they knew that they were improperly taken from the White House and how they were ultimately stored at Mar A Lago. Were they mishandled? That's according to a person familiar with the matter, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity probably one of the guys who boxed up the documents. An investigation. And here's where the New York Times brings up Hillary Clinton over a similar issue involving her personal email account ended without her being charged. And in the case of Trump, legal experts say presidents have the ability while in office to essentially declassify whatever they want, which could complicate any possible prosecution. But other experts, including myself, say that there's a declassification process and none of those marks were on these documents. And then you're just putting them in a room in Mar a Lago for anyone to just walk in and take them. The classified documents are considered presidential records under federal law. And because of that distinction, Trump's lawyers were notified of the Justice Department's request giving them the opportunity to block their release by going to court to quash the subpoena. It's unclear if the lawyers have responded. And what is clear is that the lawyers are the leak to Maggie Haberman for this story. Oh, yeah, just give my personal opinion. So that's big ass news, though. Not only do we know that there is now a federal criminal investigation of the mishandling of classified documents into Donald Trump himself, but that they have been subpoenaing records from the National Archives for months. And what could those be about?

[Dana Goldberg]

So good. And ag speaking of subpoenas.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Next up in line, the committee investigating the January 6, 2021.

[Alison Gill]

I was doing jazz hands, which I'm now going to refer to as subpoena hands.

[Dana Goldberg]

Subpoena hands? Yes. The committee that's investigating the riot in the Capitol, attack by a pro Trump Mob, has subpoenaed five Republican members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Now, this is after they refused to cooperate with the panel's inquiry. So they've been asking them to show up at their own accord for a long time now.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, since January.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, look at this. Rep. Benny Thompson, who is the chair, he chairs the Select Committee, said Thursday that the panel has subpoenaed McCarthy, Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, Scott Perry, and I can't afford a jacket. Jim Jordan.

[Alison Gill]

That's going to be his excuse not to show up. I don't have a jacket.

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't have a blues. Or you can borrow one of mine. I'm a lesbian. I've got 40. Just pick one out of the closet, you asshole.

[Alison Gill]

It's like when you go to dinner and don't have a coat and tie. Like, we can provide that for you, sir. Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

Now, this move, AG marks a significant escalation in the committee's efforts to obtain information related to lawmakers communications with then President Donald Trump and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows before, during and after the attack. And this is a quote, before we hold our hearings next month, we wish to provide members the opportunity to discuss these matters with the committee voluntarily. And that was from Thompson. And he went on to say, regrettably shocking, the individuals receiving subpoenas today have refused. And we're forced to take this step to help ensure the committee uncovers facts concerning January 6th. We urge our colleagues to comply with the law, do their patriotic duty and cooperate with our investigation as hundreds of other witnesses have done. I love that they're like now the committee said in its letters to McCarthy and Brooks that it's compelling the two Republicans to appear for depositions on May 31. Depositions for Biggs and Perry are scheduled for May 26, and Jordan is scheduled to testify May 27. Now the subpoenas come ahead of the committee's long awaited public hearings, which are scheduled to begin June 9th. Investigators have been working to identify precedents for subpoenaing sitting members, according to two people familiar with the inquiry. One example in which they have focused on is the House Ethics Committee's two year probe into the personal finances of former Congressman Charles Rangel. Now the New York Democrat who was ultimately found guilty on 11 ethics charges was subpoenaed by the investigative subcommittee after refusing repeated requests for a forensic accountant's report and other documents. So all five of the Republican lawmakers subpoenaed Thursday have declined to voluntarily provide information to the committee. As we said before in a brief interview with reporters Thursday, McCarthy declined to say whether he would comply with the subpoena while reiterating his criticism of the committee. Now, Jordan, Perry, Biggs and Brooks, they also declined to say whether they would comply and said they hadn't yet seen the subpoenas as of Thursday afternoon. And Mo Brooks went on to say, quote, it would be wise to wait to respond to the subpoena until the five members have a chance to discuss a possible joint response collusion, which sounds to me like they want to get their stories straight. Now ag I have to and the beans listeners, I have not heard the interview that you're going to go to. So my thought, and this may surprise people, is they're kind of between a rock and a hard place because they're in a committee that might be in charge of subpoenas at a later date. And if Jordan does not comply with the subpoena, he's setting a precedent that so can the people he's subpoenaing and there will be no consequences. So they're sort of kind of fucked at this point. And so they might actually have to show up. Now, whether they actually say anything or take the Fifth, we won't know. But those are my beans. That's what I think. And you're just nodding and you don't have to say anything.

[Alison Gill]

Very, very interesting. Yep, yep, Dana, I'm gonna talk to Hugo Lowell all about that, but that is still a few minutes down the road. First, I wanna tell you about Rep. Katy Porter and how she's raising awareness about former Trump's latest financial debacle, which is a newly uncovered bribery scheme which in this would be in the news cycle for weeks. It would be the biggest fucking scandal on the planet, but yet here we are. I haven't heard a minute on it, except for when Katie Porter appeared on MSNBC last night. And that's where she offered details about the latest developments involving former Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, former Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and a real estate developer, Mike Ingram. Bernhardt and Ingram reportedly had an off the record meeting that is believed to have led to a quid pro quo. According to Porter, three major occurrences happened shortly after that meeting. First, the Army Corps of Engineers reportedly announced they were reopening the permit process for an area in Arizona that was previously deemed environmentally sensitive. Around that same time, Ingraham and a dozen of his business acquaintances donated $250,000 to the Trump Victory Fund and the Republican National Committee. Shortly after the donation was made, top ranking Fish and wildlife officials received a call where he was told. This particular official was told that a high level politico wanted him to reverse his decision that his development would harm the environment. The Democratic lawmaker also made it clear that this appears to be a quid pro quo because the real estate developer and his friends received a kickback after donating to the former President's victory fund. Quote, this developer was basically able to buy his way around environmental protection law. Porter's remarks on MSNBC came as the House Natural Resource Committee filed a criminal complaint against the US Department of Justice. Porter made it clear that this type of. I think they don't mean the U.S. department of Justice, I think they mean the Environmental Protection Agency, but I'm not sure, I'm not sure why the House would file a complaint, a criminal complaint against the Department of Justice. But anyway, Porter made it clear that this type of egregious situation should indicate to Congress that re establishing the rule of law and the expectation that administration officials are going to follow it.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right, thank you so much, Ag. And for the first time, here's your black hole story. Astronomers have captured an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our universe. If that's not fucking. I just. It really just sums up the pandemic at this point. For so many of us, it's actually.

[Alison Gill]

At the center of our galaxy.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, thank you. Galaxy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Alison Gill]

It's like it's close by, you know, relatively speaking.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you for the correction on universe, which is really funny. There's a black hole in the center of my universe.

[Alison Gill]

Don't say it's me. It's not me, is it?

[Dana Goldberg]

It's definitely me. It's the first direct observation confirming the presence of the black hole known as Sagittarius A as the beating heart of the Milky Way. Now, black holes don't emit light, but the image shows the shadow of the black hole surrounded by a bright ring, which is light bent by the gravity of the black hole. Now, astronomers said the black hole is 4 million times more massive than our sun. Yes. Now, Michael Jordan. I love when people's names double up. This is an astrophysicist at Harvard, Although I'm sure the other Michael Jordan could probably reach the black hole. This is an astrophysicist at Harvard. He said, quote, for decades, astronomers have wondered what lies at the heart of our galaxy, pulling stars into tight orbits through its immense gravity. Now, the black hole is about 27,000 light years away from Earth. I love this shit. Which is why I'm reading the story more slowly so you all can soak this in.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, me too.

[Dana Goldberg]

Our solar system is located and one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy, which is why we're so distant from the galactic center. Now, if we could see this in our night sky, the black hole would appear to be the same size as a donut sitting on the moon. Okay, so this is a quote. He said, we were stunned by how well the size of the ring agreed with predictions from the Einstein's theory of general relativity. And this is from the EHT project Scientist Jeffrey Bauer from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics Academia, Seneca, Taipei, in a statement now went on to say, these unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very center of our galaxy and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their surroundings. So the discovery was made possible by more than 300 researchers from 80 institutions working with a network of eight different radio telescopes around the globe that make up the Event Horizon Telescope. And they saw Ferris pass out at 31 flavors, because that's exactly what that sounded like. Now the telescope is named after the Event Horizon, the point in which no light can escape from a black hole. This global telescope network essentially forms a single quote, earth size virtual telescope when all eight are linked and observing in tandem. How fucking cool is that story?

[Alison Gill]

That's just like the cooperation of everyone around the world. It's just so fucking cool. And again, I know it's not politics, I hope y' all will forgive me for that, but I wanted to include that story. I love astronomy and that's just, that's just a big discovery. And I mean the fact that it, it totally is in sync with the Einstein's theory of relativity, it's like, damn, that's so cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's amazing.

[Alison Gill]

All right. And speaking of relativity. No, that's a dumb segue. Just. You know what? We'll be right back with Hugo Lowell to discuss the huge news today about the 16 committee subpoen speaking.

[Dana Goldberg]

You made me laugh.

[Alison Gill]

I need a jingle that's just like, I don't have a segue here or something.

[Dana Goldberg]

Totally.

[Alison Gill]

But anyway, we'll be right back. Stick around after these messages. We'll be right back. Everybody. Welcome back. I am joined today by congressional reporter for the Guardian, Hugo Lowell. Hugo, welcome.

[Hugo Lowell]

Thank you. Great to be back.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, it's good to talk to you again, my friend. So big day, big things happening in D.C. with the subpoena out to some Republican members of Congress. First of all, a little pleasantly surprised that the committee had the, the chutzpah to actually subpoena members of Congress, members of the body that they, that they're in. So can you tell us a little bit about who got a subpoena today?

[Hugo Lowell]

Yeah. So you know, your, your prime targets, basically the people who got letters and then turned around and said no way to the committee. Their, their non compliance or their, their refusal to accept the invitation has been rewarded with a subpoena. So you know, McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, the first three House Republicans who got letters from the committee back in whenever it was January. And then also the other members who got letters last week and then turned around and said no way to the committee. So Mo Brooks and Andy Biggs. Curiously though, no subpoena to Ronny Jackson. That was the one admission.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And that was one person who they said they wanted to continue to speak to. And this seems a little bit different from kind of the Meadows stuff in that, it does seem that there are some things that the committee might not have been able to get or didn't already get that they would need testimony from these members of Congress to get. Is that sort of the sense that you're getting, or do you not know about what the committee might already have or why these subpoenas were issued?

[Hugo Lowell]

The one thing that we don't have clarity on is the question of, like, why now? Like, why has the committee decided to issue subpoenas now? You know, they. They say, you know, we were always looking at the available evidence, and we're deciding, do we need them to come in or not? But they could have and arguably did reach that decision in January when they started sending the letters. If you're going to send a letter, why wouldn't you send a subpoena? And it was purely a worry about partisan backlash. I think what's changed is the McCarthy tapes that the New York Times obtained and some of the revelations in the DOJ court filings and the. And I think they're trying to capitalize on the public outrage at how deeply these members were involved in the former president's attempts to overturn the election. So I think that's kind of the impetus here for why we're seeing the subpoenas now.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And they did say, well, we found some new evidence in the last few months that we didn't have before. And like you said, that's probably got a lot to do with those tapes that were released, the McCarthy tapes. But, you know, I mean, it also could, like you said, just be, well, the public's heard those tapes now. We. We maybe. Maybe they knew about them, but now we kind of have to. Otherwise we look like we're not doing our job. But, you know, we'll. We'll see what happens. And as it turns out, though, when I say who got. Who got subpoenas, they actually, when they were asked to, you know, provide comment, like McCarthy and Brooks, etc. Brooks who said, you know what? I think we'll all get together and decide on, like, a joint reply. And McCarthy was like, this is, you know, political theater or whatever. But none of them said they wouldn't appear, which I thought was interesting, because generally what we've seen is immediate refusal to comply with the voluntary letters, but not necessarily these subpoenas. And they didn't. When they were asked about him, they said, I haven't seen it yet. Which, you know, there's some information that you have about the fact that this news was kind of rushed. Can you talk about that?

[Hugo Lowell]

Yeah. And let me kind of take this step by step. Like, so the first point about, you know, whether or not they will cooperate, you know, the fact that they didn't say they wouldn't cooperate, you know, Jordan. And Jordan's always been very coy about this. For instance. Right. Like, when he got a letter, he never outright said, I would not provide voluntary cooperation to the committee and the investigation. I mean, ultimately, he didn't, but he didn't outright say it. He, like, didn't close the door on it. And I thought the way that McCarthy sidestepped the question today on Capitol Hill when he was speaking to us was interesting in that he also did not close the door on complying with the subpoena. And this is what the committee has been betting on. The committee knows that should there be a change of majority in the next Congress, and people like Jim Jordan are going to wield the gavel on the House Judiciary Committee and might want to issue subpoenas to Democrats. If they do, like, a partisan investigation at Hunter Biden, if they want to subpoena Democrats or Democratic members of Congress, but they've already devalued the congressional subpoena for members by themselves not showing up, then they're in a problem. And so I think there's a very careful weighing going on between McCarthy and these other members, thinking, do we want to outright refuse these subpoenas and set a precedent for members not complying with congressional subpoenas and virtually wiping out their power overnight, or do we want to give them a little bit and go through the motions of complying with the subpoena, but extracting maybe a concession, maybe they'll testify in public or something, and that way they can keep the power of the congressional subpoena intact for when they want to use it, potentially. I think that's the first one.

[Alison Gill]

Right, Right. Yeah. And if I were the House, I'd be like, you're not testifying in public without us talking to you behind closed doors first because you're just gonna be Jim Jordan.

[Hugo Lowell]

Right. But as to your second point, though, the way it was rushed, they were rushed. And if you look at the subpoena letters, the letters say delivery by hand. So there was presumably going to be a committee council that went to each of their offices and dropped these letters off. But when we asked McCarthy if he had seen the letters, he said, you haven't even seen it yet. And part of that, at least my hypothesis, is because they were so anxious to get out the door. And that is partly because I was sitting on this subpoena story last night. I learned that the subpoenas had been authorized last night, that the committee had been working on this whole of yesterday. And then when I learned the names of the subpoena targets this morning, the Select Committee put me on hold when I call them to call for comment and use that time that I was on hold to quickly rush out the statement and the off record guidance to make sure that I didn't break the story because they wanted to be the ones to announce it. But in doing so, they kind of went way too early or much earlier than they had hoped. And I think part of the reason why McCarthy and these other members never got the subpoenas before the news became public was because they were trying to make sure that they were the ones who announced it because they were desperate to avoid the optics of further leaks.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And so for anyone who was upset earlier, I think it was a week or two ago when the Department of Justice was refusing to allow certain former members of DOJ to answer certain questions to the committee or they were refusing to release certain documents with regards to Meadows. This is kind of a testament to just how leaky the Congress is. It took months for us to learn that the Department of Justice has been investigating via a grand jury the 15 boxes of documents stolen by Trump. Months it took us to learn that. Months it took us to learn Sidney Powell was under investigation. It took months. This hours, within hours of the subpoenas. The ink's not even dry yet and the story is getting out, or they're doing their best to prevent the story from getting out. So I always kind of want people to think about when the Department of Justice refuses to hand things over to Congress or tell them what they're doing. That might be why. Also, Steny Hoyer said something interesting about this. He's like, if you want to go ahead and subpoena us, if you take over the Congress, we will show up and tell the truth. We haven't committed any crime. Crimes. Right. So, but you know, there's, there could be this double edged sword like you said, they might have some sort of conditions on appearing. And then if they don't, if the committee doesn't honor those conditions, then, you know, the GOP can say, hey, we tried, we tried with this illegitimate political witch hunt and they wouldn't acquiesce to our demands. And that's just, it's all just seems like political talking points that at this.

[Hugo Lowell]

Point, I Mean, it's all political theater. But the committee knows this as well. And, you know, I think on the one hand, they believe that Republicans might just come in and cooperate if they issue the spino. And that was why they issued the subpoenas, because there's this kind of game theory running about, you know, if. If you want to do it, then you have to comply as well first. But on the flip side, they also know there's a very good chance that they don't cooperate and Republicans will be like, to hell with precedent. We'll issue. Now that you've subpoenaed us, we're going to subpoena next Congress or whatever. We get power anyway. We don't care about whether we honor it or not. You're the suckers almost that abide by precedent. We don't care about something like that and may just not come in and testify at all, in which case.

[Dana Goldberg]

The.

[Hugo Lowell]

Subpoenas don't amount to anything. And I think part of the calculus was the committee realized that they could never enforce these subpoenas in court, or if they attempted to do so, it would take months and months. The courts and the justice system hates weighing in on internal House rules and House procedure. It just doesn't like to do it thinks the House should deal with its own problems. And so it was unlikely that they would even take this down an enforcement route. And so I think with that as the backdrop, they decided, you know, it doesn't actually matter if we. There's no downside anymore.

[Dana Goldberg]

Right?

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, it's almost, you know, in the interest of due process, to say, hey, we invited them and then we subpoenaed them.

[Hugo Lowell]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

And then also for the optics, because if they did not subpoena some of these members of Congress, although, again, why not Ronny Jackson and then why not Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley? But if they did not, then there would be more public outcry about, you know, what's the committee even for? Even though we know that they probably can tell this story and quote, unquote, blow the roof off of the place without this particular testimony.

[Hugo Lowell]

But the Ronnie Jackson thing is also important, right? Like, yeah, it was. It was a very curious admission to me, like, omission to me. And I don't know if that. If Ronnie Jackson didn't get a subpoena because they don't want to, you know, they want to keep far away from the DOJ investigation. And if they started subpoenaing Ronny Jackson over revelations that came from oath keeper group chats, you know, they were talking about Ronny Jackson in their group chat then maybe that he was a little bit too close to the criminal investigation and they didn't want to be doing that. But at the same time, like, that seems to me like a particularly important line of inquiry. Like, you have these guys charged on seditious conspiracy, talking about a certain member knowing about his whereabouts on the sick as the capital attack is unfolding. Like, they weren't saying that about, like Pelosi. You know, it's like it is a very curious, it's a very curious member to choose. He's not like a celebrity guy.

[Alison Gill]

Right.

[Hugo Lowell]

It's not like, it's like Jordan, but.

[Alison Gill]

He is the one that's mentioned in court filings.

[Hugo Lowell]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

With regards to the Oath Keepers. And that is a very big, massive, giant, ongoing investigation. And so, you know, and we know that they're investigating it now, so we'll see. And again, it kind of lends to that. Don't, don't tell the committee anything. It will get out to the public very fast. And Zolofgren, you know, with the why now things o Lofgren said today, I think on cnn, I think she was talking to Jake Tapper. She said that, hey, you know what, everybody? We know that the midterms are in November. I'm not conceding that we're going to lose in November. But regardless, the Congress ends at the end of the year no matter who wins the midterms. So we know and we'll be done by then. I find the timing very interesting, and I'm with you that this isn't about getting their testimony. It's about just making sure that you subpoenaed it.

[Hugo Lowell]

Yeah, I think that's, that's absolutely right.

[Alison Gill]

All right, cool. Well, thank you so much for your time. I'm sorry that you got put on hold by the committee while they released your story out from under you. That is very frustrating. And so I appreciate you coming on to tell us about it today.

[Hugo Lowell]

No, no, thank you. And you know, in many respects, it's a very selfish kind of complaint. But, you know, this is how I don't think people understand kind of how this world works. Like, in our attempts to get news out, we have to go through a lot of these machinations and cross off, do the checkboxing and confirm all this stuff. And when the committee plays games like this, it makes it harder for us to do ad jobs because I now can't trust the committee with a story. I can't go to them for comment because I can't risk them going forward announcing news that I'm about to break. And so what it actually does is it makes allies more difficult.

[Alison Gill]

It chills you. Yeah.

[Hugo Lowell]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Hugo Lowell]

So that's the wider implication on this.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And we don't need to be chilling journalists reporting on the insurrection, on results of the insurrection. It's just too important. Thank you for your work and we will talk soon, I'm sure. Everyone, check out the Guardian follow Hugo Lowell. Very important follow on Twitter. Thanks for your time today. Thanks so much, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news after these messages. We'll be right back, everybody. Welcome back. It's time for the good news.

[Hugo Lowell]

Who likes good news, Everyone? Then good news, everyone.

[Alison Gill]

Good news. Good news. And if you have any good news corrections, confessions would be stories, things that you're making if you want to tell me how dumb you think Louie Gohmert is. Although he didn't get a subpoena today. So, I mean, you know, he's doing better than some of his friends. You can send anything to us, anything and everything. All your pod, pet tax and whatnot to DailyBeansPod.com go there and click on contact. First up from Anonymous. No pronouns given. This is part confession and part wtf. I was yesterday, years old when I found out one of our good friends is neighbors with, wait for it, John Eastman. I was ranting to my husband about Eastman in response to some news coverage, and he just casually mentioned that, oh yeah, he's X's neighbor. Names and locations concealed to protect the innocent. The innocent? Really? Sorry, how did I not know this? I asked my significant other if I could go egg his house and TP his trees, but alas, no. Our friend has been to neighborhood parties with Eastman and says he's basically nice but crazy and yeah, should be in prison. My flabber is gasted. That is a great. That might be the episode.

[Dana Goldberg]

It's a great saying, if you hear.

[Alison Gill]

That someone drew a big dick with sidewalk chalk on Eastman's driveway, it was me. So I will remain anonymous and also forego pet tax picks in this submission.

[Dana Goldberg]

For that reason, just to protect a dog. If, for God forbid, you have a dog in the neighborhood and everyone's like, hey, that's the dick drawers dog.

[Alison Gill]

I love this because I. This reminds me of when I went to my Aunt Julie's house for Christmas many years ago. You know, maybe my 30s. Like not. I wasn't a child and my sister and I saw these light up deer. You Know like life size wire deer. They're fake though, but they're lights. You know what I'm talking about.

[Dana Goldberg]

I do.

[Alison Gill]

And we saw those in the. In my. My aunt's neighbor's front yard. And so we thought it would be funny if we made them hump. So we picked one up and mounted it on the back of this other deer and laughed away, giggling. Tee hee hee. Went into aunt Julie's house. Aunt Julie is a jokester. She's a prankster. So we figured she would love this shit, right? So we told her, hey, guess what, Aunt Julie, guess what we did. Hee hee hee hee hee. And she's like, fuck. And we're like, what? And she's like, they're gonna think it's me because I did that last year.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God, that's fantastic.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, yeah. So definitely draw that dick on Eastman's driveway.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm looking at this next story and I'm so proud of this guy Rick, whoever you are. This is fucking awesome. So this is Rick pronouns he and him. Because I'm a golfer. But good news. Today I scored my first hole in one. Now listen everyone, this isn't a normal hole in one if you ask me. It was at my local course on a short 256 yard par four. So Rick hit a fucking golf ball. You know how big that is in a hole just a little bit bigger than that from 256 yards away on something that should have taken more than like a par 4, if you understand that.

[Alison Gill]

Because normally you get a hole in one on a par three right around 190, 210 yards. Yeah, yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

So that means instead of hitting. I don't know if you hit with a driver. I don't know how hard you drive, but those are much harder to control. Okay. Anyway, it made me feel hopeful that some long shots can happen. Dem majority in the Senate, 20, 23. Anything's possible, right? Rick also put a map of this so you can see exactly how far he hit this ball. That is awesome, dude.

[Alison Gill]

That's amazing.

[Dana Goldberg]

Congratulations that you're going to remember that for the rest of your ever. For the rest of your ever.

[Alison Gill]

Yep. For the rest of your ever. My flabber is gasted. I love it. All right, next up from cuddly turtle pronouns, she and her. Last election cycle, I submitted my name to work at the polling stations. I was not needed at the time, but they kept a list and I was called. This year I've started my training and I'm so excited to be part of the team to make sure our elections are safe and secure. If the hellfire that is our political landscape has done anything, at least it is a catalyst people to get engaged. Yeah, that's very true. One silver lining. Also, my state is now referring to everyone by their gender neutral term voter. As in welcome voter. Check in over here. As opposed to sir or ma' am. I was gonna say. What is it? Woman. Welcome woman. Welcome man. As opposed to sir or ma' am, which just makes me smile. Love to you all. My pet tax is Toby the floof who decided he needed a dog bone.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, Toby.

[Alison Gill]

Ooh, that's so cool. Welcome voter. That's beautiful.

[Dana Goldberg]

Now we go from Toby the floof to Tony of the sea. Pronouns he and him. Good morning, friends. I feel like only recently began listening to msw. But the reality is that I started absorbing the daily beans early last year. Between a remodel, a head on collision. Jesus. No injury, but a total car, a new pod pet, and my wife, a term away from graduating with a cybersecurity degree, life has rushed by. You folks crush my news addiction with the perfect balance of fuck this and how nice is that? Do you like the way I read that?

[Alison Gill]

I did.

[Dana Goldberg]

That was very good and thank you. In appreciation, I offer some pics of our lovely fur friend. Meet Vega. She's pure pug. A fantastic hot mess. Loves being outside more than in and is the biggest pile of love in my wife and I's life. She's eight months old, but feels like a mix of old lady and toddler. She's the best. I too am a mix of old lady and toddler. Toni.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, look at this picture in the snow. This brindle pug. I've never seen the coloration like that. That's a beautiful. And one blue eye. No, I think that's a ringlet.

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't know, it might just be the. Yeah, the angle.

[Alison Gill]

No, look. Oh, it's blue in the other. This pug has one blue eye. This is like a merle.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, it looks like the pug is mixed with like a. An Australian shepherd. Shepherd. And got one of the eyes.

[Alison Gill]

But this is a purebred pug. I didn't know they could merle out like that. That's so beautiful.

[Dana Goldberg]

Me either. That's cool.

[Alison Gill]

Cool. Thank you for that. That's amazing. Next up, from Rob in New England, pronouns, he and him. Hello, all. Here's a bit of good news for you. For the past six weeks, I have been a chief social media graphic and video designer and roadside Sign holder for a local school committee candidate. Awesome. It's the first time I've ever been involved with any political campaign anywhere, ever. Apart from chucking a couple of bucks at candidates for national office whom I've never met. In part, I got involved because this candidate is exactly what the school committee needs. He's a certified history and psychology teacher, a certified school principal, a certified school district superintendent, a college psychology professor, and he's got one other resume item that involves national security, so let's just say he's been a little busy the last couple of months. But also, he's truly a decent guy and a champion for teachers in a district that has lately developed a knack for disrespecting its teachers. Pretty hard.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oof.

[Alison Gill]

Even with all that, he didn't get elected. This particular town's politics qualifies as ugly with a capital ug. And popularity seems to mean more than qualifications. So my political campaign batting average is well below the Mendoza line. But I'm inspired to get involved with another campaign when the opportunity presents itself. If I win the next one, I'll be batting.500. Woo. Democracy. I don't have pet Tax, but I do have a couple of photos of my childhood woobie to offer. Yes, this is my stuffed bear. It was already pretty ancient when I first became its roommate. My mother added the red felt vest to keep him intact. But the curious part about the bear is the zipper in the back. The zipper would unzip in order for a little tiny music box to be placed inside so the teddy bear could play a lullaby. Pretty sure Antiques Roadshow would take a pass on it now, but it'll stay with me until the end, I think. Meanwhile, thanks for the great work you all do, and let's vote out the bastard people. Oh.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, that's got a lot of love, that baby.

[Alison Gill]

Look at that woobi. Yeah, that vest. Oh, there's the zipper.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right.

[Alison Gill]

How cool.

[Dana Goldberg]

And to end, we've got Matt. No pronouns given. Good morning, Beanie Babies. After years of Modest Mouse getting stuck in my head daily after hearing it on your show and hearing you put out the call for a Good News segment bumper, I knew what I had to do. I submit this for your consideration. Keep up the good work, and here's what it sounds like. Good news.

[Alison Gill]

How awesome. And seriously, thank you to everyone for sending in your Good News and your submissions and your confessions and your pod pets and your woobies and the small businesses that you own. If you have any that you want to send in to us, please do so by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. We're gonna need it. So, Dana, do you have any final thoughts before we get out of here for the weekend? Because I just want to should remind Everybody, today at 3:00pm Andrew and I, Andrew Torres and I have Andrew and me. I, Andrew and I have a happy hour zoom call for the cleanup on aisle 45, patrons. And then at 4:00 Pacific, an hour later, we have our zoom call for patrons of this show. This, you know, the Mueller, she wrote family of shows. So that's happening this afternoon. Now, before we get out of here for the weekend, Dana, any final thoughts?

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I have nothing to say. I think the people have been through enough today, and I think we should just sign off. Although I do actually have a final thought. I thought I was dying today because my allergies and my sinuses are so bad that I took a COVID test. So if it's windy in your area and you feel like, oh, my God, this is it. Possibly allergies, I think the pollen count's very high. It's windy in Los Angeles, and I think it's unfair. I think it's unfair that allergies and Covid exist at the same time during our lifespan. It's rude.

[Alison Gill]

Yes, that is rude. As are zits during menopause. I want my zit clemency. I've called for this. I've written several strongly worded letters. So, yeah, allergies and Covid should not exist at the same time. I concur. All right, cool. So, Dana, we'll be back on Monday for the daily beans. And everybody check out the MSW book club and Mueller she wrote on Sunday. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health, and vote blue over Q. I've been AG and I've been dg and them's the beans. Refried beans. I like refried beans.