"Texas town to pay $175,000 to Democrats after 'Trump Train' highway incident"

"San Marcos, Texas, police officers and professional staff must receive training on responding to political violence and voter intimidation and ways to develop community trust as part of a legal settlement approved over a 2020 incident in which a caravan
of Donald Trump supporters were accused of harassing a Joe Biden campaign bus as it drove on Interstate 35.

The city will also pay $175,000 to four individuals on the bus: former state Sen. Wendy Davis, who was running for Congress at the time; former Biden campaign staffer David Gins; campaign volunteer Eric Cervini; and bus driver Timothy Holloway.

They accused San Marcos law enforcement in a 2021 lawsuit of ignoring multiple requests for a police escort as they traveled on I-35 from San Antonio to Austin days before the 2020 presidential election. They said they were surrounded by Trump supporters
who allegedly drove dangerously close to the bus while honking and shouting, forcing it to slow to a crawl.

The San Marcos City Council discussed the lawsuit behind closed doors Tuesday. Mayor Jane Hughson later publicly stated during a council meeting that members had "given staff direction," on the lawsuit, but did not elaborate.

City officials did not immediately respond to further questions Wednesday.

The Texas Tribune obtained a copy of the settlement Wednesday that was signed by the staff members named in the lawsuit and City Manager Stephanie Reyes. The officers named remain employed by the city. They are San Marcos police Cpl. Matthew Daenzer;
Chase Stapp, San Marcos' former director of public safety and current assistant city manager; and Brandon Winkenwerder, an assistant police chief.

The lawsuit plaintiffs said law enforcement "turned a blind eye to the attack -- despite pleas for help -- and failed to provide the bus a police escort." The lawsuit alleged that by refusing to help, law enforcement officers violated the Ku Klux Klan
Act of 1871 because they were aware of "acts of violent political intimidation" but did not take appropriate steps to prevent the Trump supporters from intimidating eligible voters.

The Klan Act bars groups from joining together to obstruct free and fair federal elections by intimidating and injuring voters, or denying them the ability to engage in political speech."
[snip]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-town-pay-175-000-191548234.html

A little spaghetti here. A little spaghetti there. And pretty soon you have a whole mountain of spaghetti, with a whole bunch of magaloons under it.

TB

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