Well, Catherine Engelbrect and Gregg Phillips appeared in Judge Hoyt’s court room on Oct. 31, and they did indeed refuse to provide the name of the second analyst. See my prior post on this wild hearing here. So, Judge Hoyt ordered they be confined in jail until they release the name. Engelbrecht and Phillips claim the second analyst is in danger from drug cartels.

New Lawyers

It turns out True the Vote replaced their earlier lawyer, Brock Akers, after he provided the name of the first analyst in court. Mr. Akers did not appear at the second October hearing. That does suggest True the Vote fired him and hired a new lawyer, Michael Wynne. At the Oct. 31 hearing, Mr. Wynne argued that the second analyst does not have the data, because it is too large. Judge Hoyt, unmoved, simply responded “I don’t know that and neither do you.” The judge appears to still question the credibility of Ms. Engelbrecht and Mr. Phillips. Certainly, the judge cannot credit anything anyone says, because Engelbrecht’s and Phillips’ testimony was too inconsistent. They contradicted their own testimony. Too, the two true the Vote leaders admitted they had no first-hand knowledge about the data. They only saw it displayed on a computer screen.

Mr. Wynne offered into evidence several text messages between Engelbrecht and what they claim are FBI agents. But, again, the judge was not interested. He expected them to reveal the name of the second analyst and nothing else. The lawyer for Konnech said three weeks ago, the FBI made it clear they had no interest in maintaining confidentiality with this matter.

Too, claiming someone is in danger from “drug cartels” is just over the top. Such a claim needs support. Where is an affidavit from the second analyst making the claim himself? The affidavit can be filed under seal. But, someone must first testify with first-hand information about these wild claims.

Call for Donations

Two hours after they entered a jail cell, Engelbrecht and Phillips issued a call for donations on Truth Social. They posted: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32,” the organization posted. “To join us in cause, please donate here.” See Texas Tribune report here for more information.

This is what happens when amateurs are sent to jail. If they were true reporters, they would have a boss and more independent legal advice. Someone would explain to the reporter that in court, you cannot claim “danger: – unless a credible person can testify with first-hand testimony about that alleged “danger.” Even if there was danger to someone, the name would still have to be provided. Persons cannot harm the reputation and business of someone else without providing evidence of their claims. In a democratic country, that is how the legal system works.