Credit: AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, Pool
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Political Rewind: McMichaels want plea deal for federal charges in Arbery killing; SCOTUS nomination
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The Panel:
Dr. Amy Steigerwalt — Professor of political science, Georgia State University
Dr. Audrey Haynes — Professor of political science, University of Georgia
Fred Smith — Professor of constitutional law, Emory University
Jim Galloway — Former political columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Breakdown:
1. Two of Ahmaud Arbery's murderers reach pleas to drop federal charges.
- In February 2020 three white men, Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor William "Rodie" Bryant, chased Ahmaud Arbery down, shot and killed him.
- All three were convicted of Arbery's murder in a state court in November 2021.
- The McMichaels were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- Now the pair want to enter a plea deal on federal hate crime charges, in hopes to be transferred to federal prison. A federal judge takes up the matter this afternoon.
- CBS News reports Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, declined the plea deal federal prosecutors presented to her earlier this month.
2. Jan. 6 congressional panel subpoenas Georgia GOP chair David Shafer.
- Back in December of 2020, 16 Georgia Republicans assembled in the state Capitol and falsely certified that Donald Trump won the state’s electoral votes.
- Republicans in six other states also had false electors.
- The Democratic-led House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed 14 of those false electors.
3. Justice Breyer to retire from Supreme Court. President Biden looks to keep campaign promise.
- Breyer has served on the court for 28 years.
- Biden made a campaign promise to appoint the first Black woman to The Supreme Court.
- The President said he will submit his nomination by the end of next month.
Tomorrow on Political Rewind:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tamar Hallerman,