The article “Former Overstock.com CEO says he took part in White House Meeting about election results” has got me wondering just what distinguishes disgruntlement and complaining from sedition. Patrick Byrne, taking photos to prove his attendance, participated in a meeting with Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell and others to discuss Donald Trump’s strategy to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden. As reported, the discussion considered seizing voting machines in several states (only states where Donald Trump lost) and the possibility of using the military to do so.
Byrne disputed the claim that military intervention was discussed, but left no doubt he and others are trying to overturn the presidential election. Further, Byrne insisted that he felt sorry for Trump and is personally funding “an army” of hackers and cybersleuths who he believes will prove the election results were “rigged” by Democrats, even though not one piece of credible evidence bears this out, and Attorney General William Barr has said there is “no basis” for seizing voting machines “as the Trump legal team has advised.” Mr. Byrne did not disclose just what systems he is attempting to hack, but one has to conclude it is state and county voting systems.
I am not a prosecutor, not even a lawyer. And I know that successful charges of sedition are rare. Sedition, defined as conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of the state, often bumps up against the First Amendment authorizing freedom of speech. But actively plotting to overturn a valid presidential election and personally funding an army of hackers seems to go beyond First Amendment protections. You can believe all the “alternative facts” you want, you even can shout bald-faced lies from a busy street corner if you want. But participating in a meeting in the White House to actively plot the overturn of a free and fair election, and paying hackers to do so, feels like sedition to me. I would like to see these men face the courts for their behavior.
Cathryn Collis, Salt Lake City