In the aftermath

An alert reader points me to this story from NBC News a few weeks ago. Good thing, because I'd missed it. It's a follow-up to the most dramatic stage of the Portland riots of 2020, when thousands protested outside the federal courthouse. In particular, the story points out that none of the untrained jackboot thugs from the Border Patrol who were ordered onto the scene by the Trump people will ever be held personally responsible for the violent assaults they committed in full view of the cameras.

To me the most surprising aspect of the story is that the reporter tracked down the former U.S. attorney for Oregon, Billy Williams, for some lively quotes. You may recall that Billy Bob dutifully carried water for President Orange Caligula, that hideous Bill Barr, and their Homeland Security goon, Chad Wolf, throughout the ordeal. And to this day Williams won't admit that a single thing the feds did was wrong, although anybody with a Twitter account could plainly see otherwise. As I wrote when Biden forced him out of office –

Williams defended the use of massive amounts of tear gas and other chemical weapons on downtown Portland streets. He did not lift a finger when the federal stormtroopers were shooting projectiles at demonstrators' faces and kidnapping them in unmarked rental vans, far from the federal facilities the mercenary jackboots were supposed to be "defending."

And since the summer, Williams has gleefully played second-string county prosecutor, bringing charges that the real D.A. has decided not to bring. Williams has dusted off federal "cvil disorder" laws of dubious origin to impose the federal will when there's no legitimate federal interest involved.

For his part of the NBC feature, Williams even drove into town to have his picture taken next to Fencie, the courthouse riot fence, parts of which are still standing. These days he's apparently filling out timesheets as a lawyer in a private Bend law firm. As they tell it –

During his 20-year tenure with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Billy became widely known as a consistent, balanced and effective consensus builder and community leader who continually strived to provide unbiased and apolitical justice to build community partnerships.

You can't make this stuff up. Not during that last year, he didn't.

Anyway, according to NBC, the injured demonstrators may still get paid by the federal government, but the individual stormtrooper wannabes themselves are off the hook. It's how Ginni and Clarence want it. Just another chapter in a sad story that's far from over.