MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew
MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew
8:30 AM – 10.25.19 – MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew And Disgraced Financier Jeffrey Epstein
MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew And Disgraced Financier Jeffrey Epstein | Celebrity InsiderFBI Investigation Finds Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths Were Due to Natural Causes: ReportFOX43 Finds Out: FBI hands over its investigation into Dominican Republic Deaths7:15 AM 10/25/2019 – DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe – USA TODAYRussia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation; GOP lawmakers demand watchdog probe of ‘leaks’Italy’s Premier Insists Its Agents Had No Role in RussiagateThe unraveling of a Don’s family – Center for Public Integrity
Check out C-SPAN’s Impeachment Inquiry Page: https://www.c-span.org/impeachment |
Post Link | C-SPAN has launched a new web page, c-span.org/impeachment, devoted to Congress’ impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The goal is to provide one-stop shopping for all of C-SPAN’s coverage of the inquiry, including the latest Hill tweets, various news conferences and hearings, and the Trump Administration’s response.
» Saved Stories – None: C-SPAN Launches Impeachment Coverage Page
22/10/19 07:34 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
C-SPAN has launched a new web page, c-span.org/ impeachment , devoted to Congress’ impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The goal … Saved Stories – None
22/10/19 07:34 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
C-SPAN has launched a new web page, c-span.org/ impeachment , devoted to Congress’ impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The goal … Saved Stories – None
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My Blogs By Michael Novakhov – Google Search
Michael Novakhov – SharedNewsLinks℠ In 25 Posts
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» Saved Stories – None: Italy’s Premier Insists Its Agents Had No Role in Russiagate
25/10/19 06:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Anna Momigliano , NYT Casting holes in a Trump conspiracy theory, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revealed details of two visits to Rome by Attorney General William P. Barr. Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Anna Momigliano , NYT Casting holes in a Trump conspiracy theory, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revealed details of two visits to Rome by Attorney General William P. Barr. Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Ivanka Trump celebrates her wedding anniversary by sharing pictures of just herself – indy100
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Ivanka Trump celebrates her wedding anniversary by sharing pictures of just herself indy100 Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Ivanka Trump celebrates her wedding anniversary by sharing pictures of just herself indy100 Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News: Trump Outsmarts Putin With Syria Retreat – BloombergQuint
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Trump Outsmarts Putin With Syria Retreat BloombergQuint “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Trump Outsmarts Putin With Syria Retreat BloombergQuint “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “Putin and American political process” – Google News: More Russian forces arrive in Syria under deal with Turkey – Peace Spring – TRT World
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
More Russian forces arrive in Syria under deal with Turkey – Peace Spring TRT World “Putin and American political process” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
More Russian forces arrive in Syria under deal with Turkey – Peace Spring TRT World “Putin and American political process” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “social media in trump campaign” – Google News: Minnesota Trump rally punch suspect facing felony assault charge: reports – Fox News
25/10/19 06:31 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Minnesota Trump rally punch suspect facing felony assault charge: reports Fox News “social media in trump campaign” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:31 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Minnesota Trump rally punch suspect facing felony assault charge: reports Fox News “social media in trump campaign” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Russia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation; GOP lawmakers demand watchdog probe of ‘leaks’ – Fox News
25/10/19 06:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Russia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation; GOP lawmakers demand watchdog probe of ‘leaks’ Fox News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Russia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation; GOP lawmakers demand watchdog probe of ‘leaks’ Fox News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Seth Meyers Skewers Sean Hannity’s Latest Ridiculous Defense Of Donald Trump
25/10/19 06:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“That’s your argument?” Meyers asked the Fox News primetime host. Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“That’s your argument?” Meyers asked the Fox News primetime host. Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Likely Outcry: Trump Made Durham Probe Political
25/10/19 06:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Katie Benner , Adam Goldman , NYT Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 06:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Katie Benner , Adam Goldman , NYT Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Durham’s FBI Probe Now Criminal Investigation: Sources
25/10/19 06:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Gregg Re & Ed Henry , Fox U.S. Attorney John Durham’s ongoing probe into potential FBI and Justice Department misconduct has transitioned into a full-fledged criminal investigation, two sources familiar with the investigation told Fo…
25/10/19 06:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Gregg Re & Ed Henry , Fox U.S. Attorney John Durham’s ongoing probe into potential FBI and Justice Department misconduct has transitioned into a full-fledged criminal investigation, two sources familiar with the investigation told Fo…
» Saved Stories – None: DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe – USA TODAY
25/10/19 02:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe USA TODAY Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe USA TODAY Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: John Durham opens criminal inquiry in DOJ’s investigation of the investigators – Washington Examiner
25/10/19 02:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
John Durham opens criminal inquiry in DOJ’s investigation of the investigators Washington Examiner Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
John Durham opens criminal inquiry in DOJ’s investigation of the investigators Washington Examiner Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: ABC News’s YouTube Videos: Inside Chechnya’s horror
25/10/19 02:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: ABC News Duration: 02:43 Journalist James Longman revealed details about coming out as gay to the head of Chechnya’s police, Apti Alaudinov, in a recent ABC News article. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF ‘WORLD NEWS TONIGHT’: https://bit….
25/10/19 02:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: ABC News Duration: 02:43 Journalist James Longman revealed details about coming out as gay to the head of Chechnya’s police, Apti Alaudinov, in a recent ABC News article. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF ‘WORLD NEWS TONIGHT’: https://bit….
» Saved Stories – None: Durham’s investigation into possible FBI misconduct is now criminal probe, sources say
25/10/19 02:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
… was a compromising recording of the president in a hotel room, and that ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen flew to Prague to build a conspiracy with … Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:32 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
… was a compromising recording of the president in a hotel room, and that ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen flew to Prague to build a conspiracy with … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Donald Trump | The Guardian: Justice department opens criminal inquiry into origins of Russia investigation – source
25/10/19 02:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Trump has complained that his campaign was improperly targeted, but critics say department is being used to chase conspiracy theories A US Justice Department review of the origins of the investigation into Russian interference in the 201…
25/10/19 02:30 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Trump has complained that his campaign was improperly targeted, but critics say department is being used to chase conspiracy theories A US Justice Department review of the origins of the investigation into Russian interference in the 201…
» Saved Stories – None: It looks like Trump’s pressure campaign against Ukraine went further than freezing military aid
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
But The Post’s reporting adds yet another layer to a growing portrait of the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to launch investigations … Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
But The Post’s reporting adds yet another layer to a growing portrait of the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to launch investigations … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Google Alert – Barr’s ‘investigation of investigators’: Coons, senators press Barr to explain growing record of political influence in Justice Department
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“President Trump has openly and publicly expressed a desire for such investigations , and his support for such investigations taking place. Any action … Google Alert – Barr’s ‘investigation of investigators’ Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“President Trump has openly and publicly expressed a desire for such investigations , and his support for such investigations taking place. Any action … Google Alert – Barr’s ‘investigation of investigators’ Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Russia meddling: US probing origin of Mueller probe for crime
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The U.S. Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into the origins of the Robert Mueller probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. … Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:29 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The U.S. Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into the origins of the Robert Mueller probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Google Alert – John Durham Investigation: Justice Department Opens Probe Into Possible Spying on Trump
25/10/19 02:28 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into whether … John Durham , the federal prosecutor leading the effort, now has the … Google Alert – John Durham Investigation Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:28 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into whether … John Durham , the federal prosecutor leading the effort, now has the … Google Alert – John Durham Investigation Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: US Justice Dept opens criminal inquiry into Russia investigation: report
25/10/19 02:27 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
US Justice Dept opens criminal inquiry into Russia investigation : report … Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, published in March, did support the … Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:27 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
US Justice Dept opens criminal inquiry into Russia investigation : report … Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, published in March, did support the … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: CNN’s YouTube Videos: Origins of Trump-Russia probe now a criminal investigation
25/10/19 02:27 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: CNN Duration: 06:09 Attorney General William Barr’s probe into the intelligence and origins of the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation is now a criminal investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter. The so-called inves…
25/10/19 02:27 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: CNN Duration: 06:09 Attorney General William Barr’s probe into the intelligence and origins of the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation is now a criminal investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter. The so-called inves…
» Saved Stories – None: DOJ Has Quietly Been Publishing Documents Related To Trump-Russia Probe – The Daily Caller
25/10/19 02:25 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
DOJ Has Quietly Been Publishing Documents Related To Trump-Russia Probe The Daily Caller Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:25 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
DOJ Has Quietly Been Publishing Documents Related To Trump-Russia Probe The Daily Caller Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Australian ambassador, in Missouri visit, says country is cooperating with Barr’s probe – STLtoday.com
25/10/19 02:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Australian ambassador, in Missouri visit, says country is cooperating with Barr’s probe STLtoday.com Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Australian ambassador, in Missouri visit, says country is cooperating with Barr’s probe STLtoday.com Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “trump investigated by the fbi” – Google News: Justice Department upgrades Russia review to criminal investigation – CBS News
25/10/19 02:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Department upgrades Russia review to criminal investigation CBS News “trump investigated by the fbi” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Department upgrades Russia review to criminal investigation CBS News “trump investigated by the fbi” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “trump criminal investigation” – Google News: Justice Dept. investigation of Russia probe is criminal in nature, person familiar with case says – The Washington Post
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Dept. investigation of Russia probe is criminal in nature, person familiar with case says The Washington Post “trump criminal investigation” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Dept. investigation of Russia probe is criminal in nature, person familiar with case says The Washington Post “trump criminal investigation” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Analysis Iran-Israel Flare-up Inches Closer Just as US Turns Back on Mideast
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
All the key players in the coalition negotiations – President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz … Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
All the key players in the coalition negotiations – President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Google Alert – John Durham Investigation: Justice Department investigation of Russia probe is criminal in nature, person familiar with case says
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Barr had tapped Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham in May to review the FBI’s investigation , looking specifically at whether the U.S. government’s … Google Alert – John Durham Investigation Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Barr had tapped Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham in May to review the FBI’s investigation , looking specifically at whether the U.S. government’s … Google Alert – John Durham Investigation Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Crime and Criminology from Michael_Novakhov (10 sites): “political crimes” – Google News: AP Source: DOJ Review of Russia Probe Now a Criminal Inquiry – U.S. News & World Report
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
October 24, 2019 FBI News Review at 23 Hours Crime and Criminology from Michael_Novakhov (10 sites): “political crimes” – Google News: AP Source: DOJ Review of Russia Probe Now a Criminal Inquiry – U.S. News & World Report …
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
October 24, 2019 FBI News Review at 23 Hours Crime and Criminology from Michael_Novakhov (10 sites): “political crimes” – Google News: AP Source: DOJ Review of Russia Probe Now a Criminal Inquiry – U.S. News & World Report …
» Saved Stories – None: Justice Department review of Russia investigation now a criminal inquiry – WUSA9.com
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Department review of Russia investigation now a criminal inquiry WUSA9.com Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Justice Department review of Russia investigation now a criminal inquiry WUSA9.com Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News: Dilemma for the Baltic States: Prosperity or defense – Modern Diplomacy
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Dilemma for the Baltic States: Prosperity or defense Modern Diplomacy “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Dilemma for the Baltic States: Prosperity or defense Modern Diplomacy “Russia influence in Eastern Europe” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “donald trump russia” – Google News: Criminal inquiry opened into Trump-Russia probe origin – RTE.ie
25/10/19 02:19 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Criminal inquiry opened into Trump-Russia probe origin RTE.ie “donald trump russia” – Google News Saved Stories – None
25/10/19 02:19 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Criminal inquiry opened into Trump-Russia probe origin RTE.ie “donald trump russia” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: msnbcleanforward’s YouTube Videos: ‘Death Wish’: Trump Says ‘Self-Destructive’ Trump Fuels Impeachment With ‘Impulsive’ Behavior
25/10/19 02:05 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 10:48 President Trump is engulfed in Ukraine scandal and impeachment probe, as Dems ramp up their strategy. Tony Schwartz, ‘Art of the Deal’ co-author, joins MSNBC’s Ari Melber on why President Trump ‘see…
25/10/19 02:05 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 10:48 President Trump is engulfed in Ukraine scandal and impeachment probe, as Dems ramp up their strategy. Tony Schwartz, ‘Art of the Deal’ co-author, joins MSNBC’s Ari Melber on why President Trump ‘see…
» Saved Stories – None: msnbcleanforward’s YouTube Videos: President Donald Trump’s Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Is Shopping Around For Lawyers | All In | MSNBC
25/10/19 01:44 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 06:12 Ali Velshi takes a look at the growing case that Rudy Giuliani could face indictment. Aired on 10/24/19. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-d…
25/10/19 01:44 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 06:12 Ali Velshi takes a look at the growing case that Rudy Giuliani could face indictment. Aired on 10/24/19. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-d…
» Saved Stories – None: msnbcleanforward’s YouTube Videos: The Fox News Effect On Trump’s Base | All In | MSNBC
25/10/19 01:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 05:12 Rank-and-file Republicans who watch Fox News are far more loyal to Trump than those who don’t, according to new polling. Aired on 10/24/19. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc…
25/10/19 01:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: msnbcleanforward Duration: 05:12 Rank-and-file Republicans who watch Fox News are far more loyal to Trump than those who don’t, according to new polling. Aired on 10/24/19. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc…
» Saved Stories – None: Trump’s withdrawal has left the Middle East firmly under the control of Russia
25/10/19 01:31 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Michael_Novakhov shared this story . MEDIA pictures last week pretty much summed it up. Right there for the entire world to see were Russian troops heading into north-eastern Syria as US troops headed out. Other pictures of Kurdish civil…
25/10/19 01:31 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Michael_Novakhov shared this story . MEDIA pictures last week pretty much summed it up. Right there for the entire world to see were Russian troops heading into north-eastern Syria as US troops headed out. Other pictures of Kurdish civil…
» Saved Stories – None: Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election — that’s a fact, not a conspiracy theory – Washington Examiner
23/10/19 16:25 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election — that’s a fact, not a conspiracy theory Washington Examiner Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:25 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election — that’s a fact, not a conspiracy theory Washington Examiner Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Ukraine Knew Trump Was Freezing Aid Over Biden, New York Times Reports
23/10/19 16:24 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The report would blow a hole in Trump’s claims there couldn’t have been a quid pro quo arrangement. Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:24 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The report would blow a hole in Trump’s claims there couldn’t have been a quid pro quo arrangement. Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Stricter laws are needed to benefit the country, not the politicians – The Altamont Enterprise
23/10/19 16:23 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Stricter laws are needed to benefit the country, not the politicians The Altamont Enterprise Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:23 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Stricter laws are needed to benefit the country, not the politicians The Altamont Enterprise Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “Elections 2016 Investigation” – Google News: Pentagon’s Ukraine expert resumes impeachment testimony after Republican protest causes 5-hour delay – The Washington Post
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Pentagon’s Ukraine expert resumes impeachment testimony after Republican protest causes 5-hour delay The Washington Post “Elections 2016 Investigation” – Google News Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Pentagon’s Ukraine expert resumes impeachment testimony after Republican protest causes 5-hour delay The Washington Post “Elections 2016 Investigation” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Most voters: Obama WH illegally tried to bump Trump – OneNewsNow
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Most voters: Obama WH illegally tried to bump Trump OneNewsNow Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Most voters: Obama WH illegally tried to bump Trump OneNewsNow Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: The Trump-Ukraine Scandal: More than a Quid Pro Quo, It’s Extortion
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Trump -Ukraine Scandal: More than a Quid Pro Quo, It’s Extortion … that despite Trump’s fondness for Vladimir Putin , the United States remained a … Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:22 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Trump -Ukraine Scandal: More than a Quid Pro Quo, It’s Extortion … that despite Trump’s fondness for Vladimir Putin , the United States remained a … Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates – The New York Times
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates The New York Times Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates The New York Times Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: DOJ Confronts Chinese Infiltration With String of Spy Arrests – The Epoch Times
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
October 23, 2019 FBI News Review at 16 Hours DOJ Confronts Chinese Infiltration With String of Spy Arrests – The Epoch Times Most voters: Obama WH illegally tried to bump Trump – OneNewsNow David Harsanyi, American Hero, Heads To Nationa…
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
October 23, 2019 FBI News Review at 16 Hours DOJ Confronts Chinese Infiltration With String of Spy Arrests – The Epoch Times Most voters: Obama WH illegally tried to bump Trump – OneNewsNow David Harsanyi, American Hero, Heads To Nationa…
» Saved Stories – None: Live updates: Cooper testimony begins after five-hour delay caused by House Republicans barging into secure room – The Washington Post
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Live updates: Cooper testimony begins after five-hour delay caused by House Republicans barging into secure room The Washington Post Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:21 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Live updates: Cooper testimony begins after five-hour delay caused by House Republicans barging into secure room The Washington Post Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “trump russian money” – Google News: FirstFT: Today’s top stories – Financial Times
23/10/19 16:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
FirstFT: Today’s top stories Financial Times “trump russian money” – Google News Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 16:20 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
FirstFT: Today’s top stories Financial Times “trump russian money” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: FoxNewsChannel’s YouTube Videos: Live: Trump makes an official statement on Syria
23/10/19 15:56 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: FoxNewsChannel Duration: 00:00 Expected live at 11 a.m. ET: President Trump touts ‘big success’ on Turkey-Syria border ahead of official announcement on conflict. #FoxNews FOX News operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business …
23/10/19 15:56 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
From: FoxNewsChannel Duration: 00:00 Expected live at 11 a.m. ET: President Trump touts ‘big success’ on Turkey-Syria border ahead of official announcement on conflict. #FoxNews FOX News operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business …
» Saved Stories – None: Kamala Harris and 2 other senators are trying to use FOIA to get Trump-Ukraine info – Axios
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Kamala Harris and 2 other senators are trying to use FOIA to get Trump-Ukraine info Axios Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Kamala Harris and 2 other senators are trying to use FOIA to get Trump-Ukraine info Axios Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “crime and terror” – Google News: Israeli-Arab Who Aided Terror Cell that Killed 2 Druze Cops on Temple Mount Gets 16 Years – The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Israeli-Arab Who Aided Terror Cell that Killed 2 Druze Cops on Temple Mount Gets 16 Years The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com “crime and terror” – Google News Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Israeli-Arab Who Aided Terror Cell that Killed 2 Druze Cops on Temple Mount Gets 16 Years The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com “crime and terror” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: Biden gains widest lead in 2020 race in months amid Trump’s smears – live – The Guardian
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Biden gains widest lead in 2020 race in months amid Trump’s smears – live The Guardian Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 15:54 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Biden gains widest lead in 2020 race in months amid Trump’s smears – live The Guardian Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: “organized crime and Russian intelligence” – Google News: Czech Republic Uncovered Russian Cyber Warfare Ring — Intel Chief – The Moscow Times
23/10/19 06:34 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Czech Republic Uncovered Russian Cyber Warfare Ring — Intel Chief The Moscow Times “organized crime and Russian intelligence” – Google News Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 06:34 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
Czech Republic Uncovered Russian Cyber Warfare Ring — Intel Chief The Moscow Times “organized crime and Russian intelligence” – Google News Saved Stories – None
» Saved Stories – None: John Lithgow’s Rudy Giuliani Impression Is Just Wild
23/10/19 06:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“I’m not falling into that proof trap.” Saved Stories – None
23/10/19 06:33 from Saved Stories from Michael_Novakhov (1 sites)
“I’m not falling into that proof trap.” Saved Stories – None
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Michael Novakhov – SharedNewsLinks℠ | ||
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| MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew And Disgraced Financier Jeffrey Epstein | Celebrity Insider | ||
 Credit: PEOPLE
According to reports from MI6, the organization is worried that Russia might be in possession of compromising materials regarding none other than Prince Andrew.
This comes not long after the prince was implicated as an accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, and even though the accusations are still unclear, the mere mention of Prince Andrew’s name in the same context seems to have been enough to stir the pot.
It is not clear what exactly the Russians might have on the prince at this point, though, but the MI6 has implied that it could be related to Prince Andrew’s alleged connection to Virginia Giuffre, one of the girls named as Jeffrey Epstein’s sex slaves.
It is also not known what prompted the MI6 to believe that this might be the case, but it is not very likely that the agency would disclose their sources in the first place.
Some point to John Mark Dougan, an ex-Marine and former Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy who now lives in Russia, and who investigated Epstein.
Dougan fled to Russia with some embarrassing documents, according to one of his wild Facebook posts.
In any case, many people in the royal family have reportedly grown worried over the possible implications in recent times, and the situation seems to be deteriorating very fast.
Prince Andrew himself has not commented on the allegations, though his behavior will likely be closely monitored in the near future.
It is entirely possible that the royal family would prefer that he stayed quiet on the nature of his situation, rather than risking further embarrassment.
It is also worth noting that the information in Russia’s possession might be related to incidents that took place over two decades ago, although that would hardly change the situation if it came out.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue. It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts [Giuffre].”
A person had this reaction: “Why are we not hearing anything on the news about this? It’s absolutely disgusting what this man did, and because he and all his friends have money, they get away with it.”
Another commenter stated: “I’ve never seen anything suggesting these girls were forced or raped, so IDK what the noise is about.”
This social user shared: “evidence suggests that the ones who didn’t speak English were underage and most likely sold into sex slavery.”
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| FBI Investigation Finds Dominican Republic Tourist Deaths Were Due to Natural Causes: Report | ||
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| FOX43 Finds Out: FBI hands over its investigation into Dominican Republic Deaths | ||
FOX43 Finds Out: FBI hands over its investigation into Dominican Republic Deaths
**UPDATE** After our story aired on 10/16/2019, the FBI reached out to us and sent the following statement: “Toxicology test results to date were provided on September 16th by the FBI to the Dominican authorities. The FBI is testing for two additional toxins and will provide Dominican authorities with results when tests are complete.”
It`s the story that made headlines earlier this year: Americans seeming to mysteriously die while on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic authorities maintain their own investigations revealed the travelers died from natural causes.
Meanwhile, the FBI did its own investigation, including toxicology reports.
That took longer than expected and we now know the FBI handed over that information to the families of the people who died and Dominican Authorities back on September 16th.
The State Department`s Bureau of Consular Affairs sent FOX43 Finds Out a statement that reads: “The results of the additional, extensive toxicology testing completed to date have been consistent with the findings of local authorities. Our condolences and sympathy go out to the families during this difficult time.”
The Attorney General’s Office in the Dominican scheduled a news conference on the findings back on September 30th to publicize the results.
However, that was postponed.
It alleges the office received incomplete results from the FBI.
Forward Keys studies flight bookings.
It found those bookings to the DR are getting back to normal.
A Dominican Republic media outlet claims 100,000 fewer people visited the Dominican between January and September of this year compared to 2018.
That outlet blames the decrease on ‘negative media attacks.’
Even though Dominican authorities maintain the Americans died from natural causes, the Dominican tourism industry has updated some of its emergency policies.
That includes more hotel inspections and emergency information in each hotel room.
At the end of each year, the US Department of State releases the total number of american deaths in foreign countries.
That may give us a clearer picture of how many people died in the past 12 months in the Dominican republic and why.
We also broke down the deaths in the Dominican over the past few years, you can find those stats here.
And if you have a story you want Jackie to look into, FOX43 wants to find out.
Send her a message on Facebook or email FOX43FindsOut@FOX43.com.
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| 7:15 AM 10/25/2019 – DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe – USA TODAY | ||
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| Russia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation; GOP lawmakers demand watchdog probe of ‘leaks’ | ||
Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here’s what you need to know as you start your Friday …
Russia probe ‘origins’ review now a criminal investigation, sources tell Fox News
U.S. Attorney John Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russia investigation has become a criminal inquiry, two sources told Fox News on Thursday – and an upcoming report on alleged FBI surveillance abuses against the Trump campaign will shed light on why, one source said. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said Thursday his report would be available to the public soon, with “few” redactions.
Attorney General William Barr, center, and Vice President Mike Pence, left of Barr, attend a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The investigation’s new status means Durham can subpoena witnesses, file charges, and impanel fact-finding grand juries. Fox News reported on Tuesday that Durham’s probe had expanded significantly based on new evidence uncovered during a recent trip to Rome with Attorney General William Barr. Click here for more on our top story.
‘Leaking like mad’: GOP lawmakers demand probe into release of ‘highly sensitive information,’ disclose fired FBI agent’s texts to make point
Top Republicans have demanded that Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Michael Atkinson explain why the watchdog hasn’t said if it’s investigating “a number of leaks of highly sensitive information” in recent years — and released several previously unpublished texts and emails from since-fired FBI agent Peter Strzok. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, specifically asked Atkinson why Strzok texted bureau colleague Lisa Page the following on Dec. 15, 2016: “Think our sisters have begun leaking like mad. Scorned and worried and political, they’re kicking into overdrive.”
“What are they worried about, and what are they kicking into ‘overdrive?’ Johnson and Grassley wrote. “Who are the ‘sisters,’ and what does it mean to say that the ‘sisters have [been] leaking like mad’?” In addition, the senators pushed to know whether the ICIG was looking into Strzok’s email to FBI colleagues on April 13, 2017, when he wrote that an unidentified “agency” might be the “source of some of the leaks” to the media that he’d been seeing. Click here for more.
Trump campaign responds to Biden’s ’60 Minutes’ remarks on president’s family
The Trump 2020 campaign late Thursday night responded in a tweet to Joe Biden’s upcoming “60 Minutes” interview in which the former vice president is critical of President Trump for allowing his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner to work in important positions from within the White House. Biden told CBS, in a report that will air Sunday night, that he “wasn’t raised to go after the children,” but said it was a wrong decision by Trump to tap family members for positions that “they know nothing about.” (CBS released portions of the interview Thursday.)
Ivanka is listed as an adviser and her husband is listed as a senior adviser to the president. The Trump campaign responded and said Biden is right about one point: “Hunter Biden would never have an office in the White House because he’s proven that his only qualification is being the son of Joe Biden.”
Tulsi Gabbard says she won’t seek re-election to Congress in 2020
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, announced early Friday, Eastern time, that she will not seek re-election to Congress in 2020 so that she can focus on her bid for the White House. “I will not be seeking re-election to Congress in 2020, and humbly ask you for your support for my candidacy for president of the United States,” Gabbard said in a video posted online. The decision to not seek a fifth term representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District makes way for a competitive race for her seat, Hawaii News Now reported.
Gabbard launched her presidential campaign in January. She has been in a war of words with Hillary Clinton after the former secretary of state suggested in an interview last week that Russians were “grooming” Gabbard to be a third-party candidate in the 2020 presidential election.
Nude photos prompt freshman Democrat’s lawyers to send ‘cease and desist’ letter to DailyMail
Attorneys representing Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., on Thursday sent a “cease and desist” letter to the DailyMail, demanding the British tabloid remove from its website nude photos that it claims depict the freshman congresswoman, and that Hill claims were published without her consent, according to reports. Lawyers Marc Elias and Rachel Jacobs of the firm Perkins Coie wrote to DailyMail executive editor Candace Trunzo on behalf of Hill, threatening swift legal action if the photos — one of which purportedly shows Hill naked with a bong — were not immediately taken down.
DailyMail published a series of nude photos Thursday, which the newspaper claimed showed Hill and a female former campaign staffer. The story comes after website <a href=”http://RedState.com” rel=”nofollow”>RedState.com</a> reported last week that Hill, who is openly bisexual, had developed a “long-term sexual relationship” with the unnamed staffer, who ultimately entered into a “throuple” with Hill and her husband, Kenny Heslep — who has since filed for divorce. Click here for more on this story.
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In an appearance on “Hannity,” Mark Levin, host of “Life, Liberty & Levin,” observes that Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were treated fairly during their impeachment processes but that President Trump is “treated worse than a terrorist or mass murderer.”
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| Italy’s Premier Insists Its Agents Had No Role in Russiagate | ||
Also amazing that with all the intelligence agencies, the FBI, the State Department, the entrenched Obama holdovers in DOJ and throughout the federal bureaucracy, Mueller’s team of rabid Trump-haters, and the entire unbiased, objective news media investigating the Russian collusion accusations with all the high tech tools they had available, they could find nothing in three years. I wonder how Obama would have withstood that kind of scrutiny, had his self-described wing man Eric Holder not killed every investigation into everything, and with a media not kneeling in reverence and kissing Obama’s ring for 8 years.
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| The unraveling of a Don’s family – Center for Public Integrity | ||
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| Italy’s Premier Insists Its Agents Had No Role in Russiagate | ||
Anna Momigliano, NYT
Casting holes in a Trump conspiracy theory, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revealed details of two visits to Rome by Attorney General William P. Barr. | ||
| US v. Giuliani – Google Search | ||
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| US v. Giuliani – Google Search | ||
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| US v. Giuliani – Google Search | ||
Deep state v. shadow government: Who’s running the US?
KCRW–9 hours ago
… impeachment inquiry against Trump in the last few days, namely that they were undermined by unelected people like Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, …
United States of America v. Rudolph W. Giuliani
Just Security–20 hours ago
What would an indictment of Rudy Giuliani look like based on the current, publicly … (Taylor, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, currently heads the U.S. …
Article II of the Constitution: Trump’s ‘right to do whatever I …
USA TODAY–22 hours ago
Impeaching a U.S. president might not be the be-all-end-all for their career. …. Giuliani says he’d only cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry if his client …
2 Giuliani allies deny guilt in campaign-contribution charges
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (blog)–Oct 24, 2019
2 Giuliani allies deny guilt in campaign-contribution charges … Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebekah Donaleski told a judge Wednesday that a dozen search warrants had …. Click here to watch » <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?” rel=”nofollow”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?</a>v=mqdZraTiORk].
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| US v. Giuliani – Google Search | ||
Web resultsUnited States of America v. Rudolph W. Giuliani – Just Security
https://www.justsecurity.org › united-states-of-america-v-rudolph-w-giuliani
21 hours ago – At all times relevant to this Indictment, Defendant RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI was a private U.S. citizen licensed to practice law in the State of New …
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| Giuliani probe snowballs – POLITICO | ||
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| “Black Cube has ethical boundaries” | ||
Following press reports overseas that Israeli private intelligence company Black Cube was hired by oil drilling company Oro Negro to expose a bribery scam at Mexican state-owned energy company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), resulting in a lawsuit against Pemex, “Globes” spoke to Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, who has advised Black Cube for the past two years, about the company’s role in the Pemex affair and its operating methods.
“The investigation in Mexico is a typical Black Cube operation,” Eiland says.”In this case, Oro Negro obtained a franchise to sell oil to Pemex, a government agency. The parties agreed a price, but Pemex was afterwards unwilling to pay it. It was hinted to Oro Negro that the prices had been lowered because it wasn’t paying a bribe, or ‘success fees.’ The resulting losses amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. It was obvious that something wasn’t right, but there wasn’t any proof. The hints that the company received weren’t documented, and in any case could have been interpreted differently.”
“Globes”: This is where Black Cube entered the picture?
Eiland: Yes. The call doesn’t necessarily come from Black Cube’s final client. In this case, we received a call from one of the largest law firms in the US, which works with Black Cube in the US and Europe. Lawyers are good at proving things with documents, but when someone talks about someone else using hints, lawyers don’t always know what to do with it.”
Black Cube, founded by veterans of the IDF Intelligence Corps, is managed by Avi Yanus and Dan Zorella. Many of its employees previously worked in the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Mossad. Its senior advisors include former Mossad director Efraim Halevy and former Israel Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino.
Eiland says that the company relies on only two intelligence gathering techniques: human intelligence (HUMINT), and gathering and analyzing information from non-confidential sources, such as reports in the communications media and social media, or understanding the structure of the company being investigated and the existing law in that country.
After constructing an intelligence picture of the target, agents employed by Black Cube enter the arena.
“This is the HUMINT method, in which we make contact with people and induce them to talk and perhaps say things that they did not intend to say, and perhaps even against their interests.”
That is what happened with an executive at Pemex. Agents talked with him at a restaurant in Mexico City, and he opened a Pandora’s box.
“That’s right. Now you will presumably want to ask why people talk and why people tell people about things? There’s a psychological element here that everyone has to one degree or another. Let’s assume that I used my cleverness to steal $10 million from you. I got rich and you went bust, and nobody knows about it. I’m happy – I have $10 million, and I’m so proud that I’m smart and you’re dumb – so I have to tell somebody about it.
“This is a temptation that cannot always be resisted. Call it ego, or call it anything you like. People eventually talk. Obviously, you don’t go to someone and ask him to tell you how he gave a bribe. You use trickery. You usually pretend that you’re somebody else.”
In recent years, Black Cube has been linked to various affairs in Israel and elsewhere, including the case of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The company has been accused of surveillance of women who accused Weinstein of sexual assault and journalists involved in publicizing the case.
According to Eiland, since these affairs, the company has introduced internal procedures aimed at avoiding entanglement in another scandal. “We established a procedure in which every approach that we receive is assessed by someone who functions as a chief compliance officer, who colors it green, yellow, or red,” he says. A case colored yellow requires further clarification with the client, while red means an an approach from a criminal organization or an Iranian company. “Then there’s a committee that decides which clients to accept and which to reject. I or one of three former high-ranking intelligence officers on this committee have veto power. We have set limits for ourselves that we don’t cross: the company doesn’t deal in political or policy matters; doesn’t engage in actions that are illegal in the countries in which it operates; always acts on behalf of the injured party, not the injuring party; and all of its activity is for the purpose of litigation and legal proceedings taking place in a Western country. The company makes a good profit, and its owners can also sleep well at night.”
Four months ago, the Uvda television program on Channel 12 (Keshet) broadcast an investigation into Black Cube’s activity on behalf of Idan Ofer on the issue of royalties on potash mining at the Dead Sea. The investigation mentioned information gathering on legal counsel and senior officials at the Ministry of Finance involved in those proceedings.
“Everything described there was from three or more years ago, before I began advising the company, and before the procedures I’m talking about were established. This was a case of a journalist who wasn’t at her best. Some of the things broadcast in the program are the subject of legal proceedings, and not just because they were portrayed unfairly, but because they were wrong. They accused us of bugging, which is a criminal offense. We never touch it. The same is true of passport forgery. It’s forbidden for a commercial company to do this.”
Black Cube swiftly sued Uvda for £15 million in a UK court, which is an unusual step.
“There was no other way out. The company has two centers, in the UK and in Israel, and the main law firms that it works with are in the UK, so it was convenient and preferable to file the lawsuit there. In this case, it’s also likely that the UK court will be far more balanced in its view of what happened or didn’t happen.”
This can also be perceived as a lawsuit designed to silence journalists.
“There was damage in this case. If you’re a journalist, you’re allowed to criticize and write harsh things, and I’m always in favor of this, unless you write lies. Then we, as a company, have no other resort but to do this. Even if you write things that I don’t like, no one will try to silence you.”
Some people will regard you, a major general in the reserves, and other former high-ranking intelligence officers like Halevy and Danino, as a fig leaf for a company that may be acting underhandedly. You are people known for your honesty and your good name. You are the company’s external face. Does that bother you?
“I hear this argument now and then. If I thought that the company was acting unethically or doing harmful things, I wouldn’t go anywhere near them, if only for my own selfish reasons. When you reach a certain age, your good name is more important to you than anything else. In this case, I was convinced that Black Cube badly needed responsible adults to set boundaries both for the way it accepts projects and for its modus operandi, and particularly to help it avoid actions that run counter to Israel’s interests.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on October 24, 2019
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019
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| Former Federal Prosecutor Mimi Rocah Reveals Telltale Sign Rudy Giuliani Is In Major Trouble | ||
Former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah said there’s a sure sign that Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to President Donald Trump, knows he’s in serious trouble.
“He’s apparently been declining to go on TV and give interviews,” Rocah, former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, said on MSNBC on Thursday. “When I saw that, I thought Giuliani actually knows that there’s real trouble.”
Earlier in the day, former U.S. attorneys Barbara McQuade and Joyce Vance published a column as a “thought experiment” that outlined three charges Giuliani could face based on the public record: conspiracy to interfere with the fair administration of elections, conspiracy to commit bribery and contempt of Congress.
According to The New York Times, Giuliani is a “person of interest” in two federal investigations.
See Rocah’s discussion with Brian Williams in the clip above.
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| DOJ inquiry into origins of Russia investigation has shifted to criminal probe – USA TODAY | ||
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| John Durham opens criminal inquiry in DOJ’s investigation of the investigators – Washington Examiner | ||
John Durham opens criminal inquiry in DOJ’s investigation of the investigators Washington Examiner
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| Durham’s investigation into possible FBI misconduct is now criminal probe, sources say | ||
… was a compromising recording of the president in a hotel room, and that ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen flew to Prague to build a conspiracy with …
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| Durham’s investigation into possible FBI misconduct is now criminal probe, sources say | ||
U.S. Attorney John Durham’s ongoing probe into potential FBI and Justice Department misconduct in the run-up to the 2016 election through the spring of 2017 has transitioned into a full-fledged criminal investigation, two sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News on Thursday night.
One source added that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s upcoming report on alleged FBI surveillance abuses against the Trump campaign will shed light on why Durham’s probe has become a criminal inquiry. Horowitz announced on Thursday his report would be available to the public soon, with “few” redactions.
The investigation’s new status means Durham can subpoena witnesses, file charges, and impanel fact-finding grand juries.
Fox News reported on Tuesday that Durham’s probe had expanded significantly based on new evidence uncovered during a recent trip to Rome with Attorney General Bill Barr.
Barr reportedly told embassy officials in Italy that he “needed a conference room to meet high-level Italian security agents where he could be sure no one was listening in.”
A source in the Italian Ministry of Justice told The Daily Beast earlier this month that Barr and Durham were played a taped deposition made by Joseph Mifsud, the professor who allegedly told ex-Trump aide George Papadopoulos that the Russians had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. Mifsud reportedly was explaining to investigators in the deposition why people would want to harm him, and why he needed police protection.
Papadopoulos has suggested he was connected with Mifsud as part of a setup orchestrated by intelligence agencies.
Sources told Fox News that Durham was “very interested” to question former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, an anti-Trump critic who recently dismissed the idea. The New York Times reported Thursday that Durham’s criminal review has prompted some CIA officials to obtain criminal legal counsel in anticipation of being interviewed.
Brennan and Clapper were at the helm not only when Mifsud spoke to Papadopoulos, but also when an unverified and largely discredited dossier, written by British ex-spy Christopher Steele and funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee, was used to help justify a secret surveillance warrant against former Trump adviser Carter Page in the run-up to the 2016 election. (The Times’ reporting on Thursday, which overtly framed Durham’s probe as politically tainted without evidence, did not mention the Steele dossier at all.)
The FBI apparently obscured the fact that the Clinton campaign and DNC funded the dossier in its warrant application, telling the secret court only that the dossier was prepared at the behest of an unidentified presidential campaign.
Additionally, in its original FISA application and subsequent renewals, the FBI told the FISA court it “did not believe” Steele was the direct source for a Yahoo News article implicating Page in Russian collusion. Instead, the FBI suggested to the secret court, the September 2016 article by Michael Isikoff was independent corroboration of the dossier. But, London court records showed that contrary to the FBI’s assessments, Steele briefed Yahoo News and other reporters in the fall of 2016 at the direction of Fusion GPS.
It has further emerged that Steele had communications with a State Department contact — which were relayed to the FBI — in which Steele claimed the Russians were running a “technical/human operation run out of Moscow targeting the election” and that “payments to those recruited are made out of the Russian Consulate in Miami.”
There is no Russian consulate in Miami, a fact the State Department official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Kavalec, emphasized in her notes. And, Steele had suggested his client was “keen” to see his information come to light prior to Election Day.
Kavalec forwarded her notes to the FBI and other government officials several days before the FISA warrant was issued for Page.
Additionally, Special Counsel Robert Mueller was unable to substantiate other key claims in the dossier, including that the Trump campaign employed hackers in the United States, that there was a compromising recording of the president in a hotel room, and that ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen flew to Prague to build a conspiracy with hackers. Cohen has denied ever heading to Prague, and no public evidence has contradicted that claim.
Nevertheless, in responding to the expanded Durham probe, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, D-Calif., followed the Times’ framing and accused the Trump administration of misconduct.
“These reports, if true, raise profound new concerns that the Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump’s political revenge,” they said. “If the Department of Justice may be used as a tool of political retribution, or to help the President with a political narrative for the next election, the rule of law will suffer new and irreparable damage.”
Also on Thursday, top Republicans revealed never-before-seen texts from fired FBI agent Peter Strzok, in which he apparently discussed systemic leaking at the bureau.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed the texts in a letter to the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) requesting an update on whether the FBI’s apparent leaks to the media were being probed.
The senators pushed to know whether the ICIG was looking into Strzok’s email to FBI colleagues on April 13, 2017, when he wrote that an unidentified “agency” might be the “source of some of the leaks” to the media that he’d been seeing.
“I’m beginning to think the agency got info a lot earlier than we thought and hasn’t shared it completely with us,” Strzok wrote, according to documents that the senators included in their letter to the ICIG. “Might explain all these weird/seemingly incorrect leads all these media folks have. Would also highlight agency as a source of some of the leaks.”
The senators also asked why Strzok texted bureau colleague Lisa Page on Dec. 15, 2016: “Think our sisters have begun leaking like mad. Scorned and worried and political, they’re kicking in to overdrive.”
“What are they worried about, and what are they kicking into ‘overdrive?’ Johnson and Grassley wrote. “Who are the ‘sisters,’ and what does it mean to say that the ‘sisters have [been] leaking like mad’?”
In a June 6, 2017 email to Page, Strzok mused, “Think there will be a crescendo of leaks/articles leading up to Thurs.”
And, a Dec. 13, 2016 text message apparently showed Strzok trying to set up a Skype meeting with a reporter. “Text from reporter: retrieving my password for Skype,” he wrote.
Then, on April 6, 2017, Strzok wrote to senior FBI leadership to complain about a New York Times article entitled, “C.I.A. Had Evidence of Russian Effort to Help Trump Earlier Than Believed,” claiming it painted the FBI in an unfavorable light and got key facts wrong.
“Mike, below is inaccurate, favors the CIA at the expense of the FBI in particular, and is at odds with what Apuzzo and Goldman know,” Strzok wrote. “Most importantly, it’s at odds with the D’s [FBI Director’s] recent public testimony that we’ve been looking at links (which necessarily imply favoring Trump) since July ’16.”
Strzok specifically objected to the Times’ reporting that the CIA’s briefings with lawmakers “indicate that intelligence officials had evidence of Russia’s intentions to help Mr. Trump much earlier in the presidential campaign than previously thought,” and “reveal a critical split last summer between the C.I.A. and counterparts at the F.B.I., where a number of senior officials continued to believe through last fall that Russia’s cyberattacks were aimed primarily at disrupting America’s political system, and not at getting Mr. Trump elected, according to interviews.”
Horowitz, the DOJ watchdog, faulted the FBI last year for repeated violations of its media communications policy, noting that agents had received gifts from reporters and leaked regularly and brazenly — even from phones at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
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| Here comes the cavalry – Palmer Report | ||
Based on what’s leaked out thus far about their testimony, each House impeachment inquiry witness has been more devastating to than the last, with the State Department’s Bill Taylor representing the closest thing to a smoking gun witness. Of course that makes Taylor a target, and Donald Trump has already begun tweeting deranged false accusations about him. But here comes the cavalry.
When it comes to witness testimony, there’s safety in numbers. If witnesses can independently corroborate each other’s testimony, it gives a significant boost to the credibility of the witnesses involved. So who’s going to back up Bill Taylor? It turns out you can start with a National Security Council adviser named Tim Morrison, who according to CNN is going to testify next week in a way that thoroughly corroborates Taylor’s account. It looks like he’s not the only one.
Tim Morrison works in an entirely different department than Bill Taylor. They’re not known to be personally loyal to each other. They’re simply backing up each other’s version of events because, well, it’s the truth. That’s how a jury would see it, and that’s how viewers sitting at home will see it once these witnesses sit in front of the television cameras in a few weeks.
Moreover, Tim Morrison worked for John Bolton. This comes after Fiona Hill, who also worked for Bolton, also testified. This all seems to be leading up to John Bolton himself inevitably testifying. The fact that Bolton is a far-right extremist should serve to give him more credibility, because Trump can’t argue that Bolton is part of some liberal Democratic conspiracy against him. The cavalry is coming to back up Bill Taylor’s testimony.
Bill Palmer is the publisher of the political news outlet Palmer Report
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| Trump’s withdrawal has left the Middle East firmly under the control of Russia | ||
MEDIA pictures last week pretty much summed it up. Right there for the entire world to see were Russian troops heading into north-eastern Syria as US troops headed out.
Other pictures of Kurdish civilians pelting passing American vehicles with stones and rotting fruit only underlined the indignity of the US retreat.
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| SPECIAL REPORT-Putin’s allies channelled billions to Ukraine oligarch | ||
(This is part of Reuters ‘Comrade Capitalism’ series)
By Stephen Grey, Tom Bergin, Sevgil Musaieva and Roman Anin
MOSCOW/KIEV, Nov 26 (Reuters) – In Russia, powerful friends helped him make a fortune. In the United States, officials want him extradited and put behind bars. In Austria, where he is currently free on bail of $155 million, authorities have yet to decide what to do with him.
He is Dmitry Firtash, a former fireman and soldier. In little more than a decade, the Ukrainian went from obscurity to wealth and renown, largely by buying gas from Russia and selling it in his home country. His success was built on remarkable sweetheart deals brokered by associates of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, at immense cost to Russian taxpayers, a Reuters investigation shows.
Russian government records reviewed for this article reveal for the first time the terms of recent deals between Firtash and Russia’s Gazprom, a giant gas company majority owned by the state.
According to Russian customs documents detailing the trades, Gazprom sold more than 20 billion cubic metres of gas well below market prices to Firtash over the past four years – about four times more than the Russian government has publicly acknowledged. The price Firtash paid was so low, Reuters calculates, that companies he controlled made more than $3 billion on the arrangement.
Over the same time period, other documents show, bankers close to Putin granted Firtash credit lines of up to $11 billion. That credit helped Firtash, who backed pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovich’s successful 2010 bid to become Ukraine’s president, to buy a dominant position in the country’s chemical and fertiliser industry and expand his influence.
The Firtash story is more than one man’s grab for riches. It demonstrates how Putin uses Russian state assets to create streams of cash for political allies, and how he exported this model to Ukraine in an attempt to dominate his neighbour, which he sees as vital to Russia’s strategic interests. With the help of Firtash, Yanukovich won power and went on to rule Ukraine for four years. The relationship had great geopolitical value for Putin: Yanukovich ended up steering the nation of more than 44 million away from the West’s orbit and towards Moscow’s until he was overthrown in February.
“Firtash has always been an intermediary,” said Viktor Chumak, chairman of the anti-corruption committee in the previous Ukrainian parliament. “He is a political person representing Russia’s interests in Ukraine.”
A spokesman for Putin rejected claims that Firtash acted on behalf of Russia. “Firtash is an independent businessman and he pursues his own interests, I don’t believe he represents anyone else’s interests,” said Dmitry Peskov.
The findings are the latest in a Reuters examination of how elites favoured by the Kremlin profit from the state in the Putin era. In the wild years after the fall of the Soviet Union, state assets were seized or bought cheaply by the well connected. Today, resources and cash flows from public enterprises are diverted to private individuals with links to Putin, whether in Russia or abroad.
Putin’s system of comrade capitalism has had huge costs for the ordinary people of Russia: By granting special cheap deals to Firtash, Gazprom missed out on about $2 billion in revenue it could have made by selling that gas at market prices, according to European gas price data collected by Reuters. Four industry analysts said that Gazprom could have sold the gas at substantially higher prices to other customers in Europe.
At the same time, the citizens of both Russia and Ukraine have seen unelected oligarchs wield political influence.
Firtash, whose main company, Group DF, describes him as one of Ukraine’s leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists, was arrested in Austria on March 12 at the request of U.S. authorities. The Americans accuse him of bribery over a business deal in India unrelated to events examined in this article. Firtash denies those allegations and is currently free on bail.
Firtash imported the cheap Russian gas through a Cypriot company of which he is sole director, and a Swiss one set up by Group DF. He and Group DF declined to answer questions about those two companies and their gas dealings. A spokesman said Firtash was not available to discuss his business operations, and that Group DF did not wish to comment on “any of the questions you put forth.”
The Kremlin spokesman Peskov said Putin has met Firtash but that they are not close acquaintances. He said Russia supplied gas at “lower prices” to Ukraine because Yanukovich had asked for it and Russia wanted to help Ukraine’s petrochemical industry. Peskov said the deals were arranged through Firtash because “the Ukrainian government asked for it to be that way.”
Yanukovich, who fled to Russia in February after mass demonstrations against his government, could not be reached for comment.
THE MIDDLEMAN
From the moment he first became Russia’s president, Putin moved to take control of his country’s most valuable resource: natural gas. After assuming power in 2000, he replaced the management of Gazprom, put trusted allies in charge, and ensured the Russian state controlled more than half the shares.
The corporate behemoth now supplies about a third of Europe’s gas, generating vital revenue for Russia and giving Putin a powerful economic lever. “Gazprom is very much a tool of Russian foreign policy,” says Rem Korteweg, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. Every major deal that Gazprom signs is approved by Putin, people in the energy industry say.
Putin’s spokesman rejected such assertions: Gazprom, he said, “is a commercial, public company, which has international shareholders. It acts in the interests of its shareholders, which also include the Russian state.”
In normal times, Gazprom’s second biggest customer in Europe is Ukraine; Russian gas was piped directly across the border between the two countries until Russia cut off supplies earlier this year.
In the 2000s, though, Gazprom decided to sell gas not directly to Ukraine’s state gas company Naftogaz, but to intermediaries – in particular Firtash, an international gas dealer who had risen from humble origins.
Firtash grew up in west Ukraine, where his father worked in education and his mother in a sugar factory, according to an account Firtash gave during a meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Kiev in 2008. Both his parents disdained communism and lacked the contacts needed to get their son into university, he said.
He joined the army in 1986, then trained to be a fireman. When the Soviet Union collapsed, leading to Ukraine’s independence in 1991, Firtash found himself having to make a living in an uncertain world, according to his account to the ambassador. With his first wife, he set up a business in west Ukraine shipping canned goods to Uzbekistan, according to local media reports researched by the U.S. embassy.
A U.S. diplomatic cable, which summarised Firtash’s discussion with the ambassador, drily noted: “Due to his commodities business, (Firtash) became acquainted with several powerful business figures from the former Soviet Union.”
According to the cable, Firtash told the U.S. ambassador he had been forced to deal with suspected criminals because at that time it was impossible to do business in Ukraine cleanly. He said he had needed and received permission from a man named Semion Mogilevich to establish various businesses. Mogilevich, an alleged boss of organised crime in eastern Europe, is wanted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud in the 1990s involving a company headquartered in the United States. He was indicted in 2003, and described by the FBI in 2009 as having an “extensive international criminal network.”
Firtash has repeatedly denied having any close relationship with Mogilevich. Mogilevich could not be contacted for comment. He has previously denied any wrongdoing or any connection to the gas trade in Ukraine.
By 2002, a company called Eural Trans Gas, registered in Hungary, was transporting gas from Turkmenistan through Russia to Ukraine. Its ownership was unclear, but Firtash represented it. In July 2004, a new company, RosUkrEnergo, became the intermediary for gas deals between Russia and Ukraine. The owners of RUE were unknown at first, but it later emerged that nearly all of the company was owned by Firtash and Gazprom.
RUE bought gas cheaply and sold it on at a higher price in Ukraine and Europe. This arrangement guaranteed profits for RUE and was hugely controversial among Ukrainians who saw RUE as an unnecessary intermediary. Another U.S. diplomatic cable, from March 2009, described RUE as a “cash cow” and a “serious source of … political patronage.” In a website posting, RUE said that in 2007 it sold nearly $10 billion worth of gas and had net income of $795 million.
After Yulia Tymoshenko, herself a former gas trader, became prime minister of Ukraine in 2008, she reacted to public anger about the gas trade and moved to cut Firtash and RUE out of the business. She struck her own gas deal with Putin in 2009.
By that time, Firtash was rich. In the country’s 2010 presidential election, Firtash, by his own admission, aided the pro-Russian Yanukovich. A U.S. diplomatic cable described Firtash as a “major financial backer” of Yanukovich.
“Firtash supported Yanukovich in various ways,” said Vadym Karasiov, an aide to Viktor Yuschenko, Ukraine’s president from 2005 to 2010, in an interview. Karasiov said the mogul used his influence in the media to promote Yanukovich. In April 2010, in the aftermath of the election, Karasiov told the Kiev Post: “Without Dmitry Firtash there wouldn’t have been a (Yanukovich) victory.”
With Yanukovich president, Tymoshenko stepped down as prime minister. Business associates of Firtash were appointed to influential positions in the new administration. He had allies in the corridors of power, and ambitious plans to expand his business empire and get back into the gas trade. His friends in Russia were happy to help him.
THE LOANS
Tucked away in Nicosia, Cyprus, a bundle of tattered papers wrapped in string records Russian credit agreements made to Firtash companies. The documents, reviewed by Reuters, detail a series of financing deals worth billions of dollars.
The deals were arranged by a Russian lender called Gazprombank. Despite its name, the bank is not controlled by Gazprom, which holds only a minority stake. It is a separate business, overseen by people linked to Putin. They include Yuri Kovalchuk, a banker who until March 2014 controlled an investment firm that manages a majority stake in Gazprombank.
In a statement, Gazprombank said: “We do not receive any instructions from the Kremlin … The strategy of the bank is developed by its management board and approved by the board of directors. No other influence is possible.”
Asked whether Putin had any role in issuing the loans to Firtash companies, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said: “Putin, as president, does not have anything to do with this.”
Gazprombank began lending money to Firtash companies soon after Yanukovich took power in Ukraine in February 2010.
In June that year, Firtash established a company called Ostchem Investments in Cyprus. A month later, Gazprombank registered a credit line to the company of $815 million, according to the Cyprus documents. In September, Ostchem Investments bought a 90 percent stake in the Stirol fertiliser plant in Ukraine. It was perfect synergy: Firtash knew the gas business, and natural gas is a major feedstock for making fertiliser.
Further loans and deals with Firtash companies followed.
Reuters found that by March 2011, Gazprombank had registered credit lines of up to $11.15 billion to Firtash companies. The companies may not have borrowed that whole sum, but the documents indicate that loans up to that amount were available, according to Cyprus lawyers.
In the space of seven months in 2011 alone, Firtash acquired control of two more fertiliser plants in Ukraine, Severodonetsk Azot and Rivne Azot. He also bought the Nika Tera sea port, through which fertiliser and other dry bulk goods are shipped. He acquired a lender called Nadra Bank and invested in the titanium processing industry.
Such was his expansion that Firtash became the fifth largest fertiliser producer in Europe. Being a large employer brought not just potential profits but also political clout, he boasted. “We have relations with MPs,” Firtash told Die Presse in Austria in May. “We are big employers in the regions that they represent. Entire cities live on our factories. Election candidates seek our support.”
When asked in 2011 where the money came from to pay for his acquisitions, Firtash was coy. At a press conference called to announce his purchase of the Severdonetsk plant, he declined to name his major lenders. “It’s a secret,” he told Ukrainian journalists.
But a Gazprombank manager told Reuters that the Russian bank had led a consortium of lenders which in 2011 agreed to lend about $7 billion to Firtash. The official said Gazprombank itself lent Firtash $2.2 billion, and that Firtash still owed the bank $2.08 billion. The official declined to name other lenders in the consortium.
A $2.2 billion loan was a big commitment for Gazprombank: It amounted to nearly a quarter of the bank’s total capital, the maximum loan allowed by Russian banking rules for any single client or group. Based on regulatory filings, the loan facility made Firtash the biggest single borrower from Gazprombank.
Reuters was unable to establish exactly how much in total the Gazprombank consortium lent to Firtash companies.
In a statement, Gazprombank said that “the aggregate amount of loans disbursed to Ostchem Group” was “several times lower” than $11 billion. “And all capital requirements and limitations of the Central Bank of Russia in respect of loans granted have always been complied with by Gazprombank, including loans to Ostchem Group,” the statement said.
The bank declined to give any further details, saying it had to protect client confidentiality. The central bank had no comment.
GAS PROFITS
Firtash now had money, political connections and businesses that relied on large supplies of gas. What he needed next was fuel.
In January 2011, Firtash signed an unpublished agreement, seen by Reuters, with Gazprom to buy gas through a company called Ostchem Holding in Cyprus, where he is the sole director listed.
The gas deal was later extended to include sales to Ostchem Gas Trading AG in Switzerland. It was also agreed by Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned gas firm, where Yanukovich had installed new senior management. Firtash needed Naftogaz’s sign-off because it controlled pipelines delivering gas and, until that point, had an exclusive deal to import gas from Gazprom.
Naftogaz’s decision to agree to the deal was an odd one. Not only did it mean Naftogaz would surrender its monopoly on Russian gas imports, but the deal could also potentially damage the state firm. Naftogaz had previously agreed with Gazprom to pay for a set amount of gas whether it could sell it in Ukraine or not. Firtash’s deal could leave the Ukrainian state firm buying gas it would struggle to sell.
Firtash’s return to importing gas became public knowledge after Yanukovich’s election victory. But the price he paid Moscow, and how much cheap gas he bought, remained unclear. An Ostchem spokesman told Reuters the price was “confidential information.”
Russian customs records seen by Reuters show that in 2012, Moscow sold the gas to Firtash for $230 per 1,000 cubic metres (the standard unit used in gas sales). In 2013 the average cost was $267 per unit. Those prices were at least one-third less than those paid by Ukraine’s Naftogaz.
Ukrainian customs documents and corporate filings show that Firtash’s Ostchem companies in Cyprus and Switzerland resold the gas to his chemical plants in Ukraine for $430 per unit. The prices and volumes suggest that the two offshore Ostchem companies made an operating profit of approximately $3.7 billion in two years.
Naftogaz’s current management is highly critical of the way in which Gazprom favoured Firtash’s companies. Aliona Osmolovska, chief of press relations, said: “These special deals for Ostchem were not in the interest of Ukraine.”
The real loser in the deal, though, was Gazprom. The arrangement, which Putin described during a press conference as having been made with the “input of the Russian leadership,” meant Russia sold its gas to Firtash for at least $100 per unit less than it could have made in Western Europe, according to Emily Stromquist, head of Russian energy analysis at Eurasia Group, a political risk research firm.
In addition, the profits from the subsequent resale of the gas were all reaped offshore by companies that did not benefit the Russian taxpayer. Those profits in 2012 and 2013 would have meant an additional $2 billion for Gazprom, whose ultimate majority owners are Russia’s citizens.
Gazprom declined to comment on its sales to Firtash’s companies.
Putin’s spokesman Peskov said Naftogaz agreed to Firtash receiving gas at low prices because the deal was intended to help Ukraine’s petrochemical industry. Asked why the gas was sold to companies in Cyprus and Switzerland, Peskov said: “Putin doesn’t need to approve this action. These operations are technical and were made by Gazprom according to the structures which are always used by its Ukrainian partners.”
Neither of the two Firtash companies that bought gas from Russia publishes accounts. Firtash declined to comment on the firms or their results.
UNEASY STANDOFF
The new government in Ukraine alleges that Yanukovich had allowed corruption to flourish and stolen millions of dollars. In the longer term, the new government says it wants to forge closer ties with the European Union and reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
In June, Moscow cut off supplies of gas to Kiev, claiming that it was owed billions of dollars by Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz. Late last month, the two countries struck a deal allowing supplies to resume, but the agreement runs only until March. Firtash retains large stocks of gas but has not imported new supplies since Yanukovich was ousted.
Firtash remains in Austria awaiting the outcome of extradition hearings. According to a U.S. indictment unsealed in April, he is suspected of a scheme to bribe Indian government officials to procure titanium. Two U.S. government officials said the American investigation into Firtash is continuing; they declined to give further details.
The Ukrainian oligarch has said the allegations are “without foundation” and has accused Washington of acting for “purely political reasons.” He has hired an all-star legal defence team. It includes Lanny Davis, who helped President Bill Clinton weather a series of White House scandals in the 1990s.
In his time of trouble Firtash has not been deserted by the Russians. Since his arrest he has received another loan in order to pay his bail: $155 million from Vasily Anisimov, the billionaire who heads the Russian Judo Federation, the governing body in Russia of Putin’s beloved sport.
“I have known Mr. Firtash for a number of years, though he is neither my friend nor business partner,” Anisimov told Reuters in an email. “I confirm that I loaned 125 million euros to him. This was a purely business transaction.” (Additional reporting by Michele Kambas in Cyprus, Elizabeth Piper and Jason Bush in Moscow, Oleksandr Akymenko and Pavel Polityuk in Kiev, Jack Stubbs in London, Warren Strobel in Washington and Michele Martin in Berlin; Edited by Richard Woods and Michael Williams)
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| The Dark Heart Of The Impeachment Investigation Is A Powerful Oligarch — With Close Ties To Vladimir Putin | ||
If you were wondering how Vladimir Putin’s “mafia state” was involved in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, look no further than the Ukrainian oligarch wanted by the US.
Dmytro Firtash is usually described as a Ukrainian oligarch with admitted ties to organized crime, but he is much more than that. He has direct ties to Russia, and to President Vladimir Putin in particular, and those have only grown since he was arrested five years ago, awaiting extradition to the United States.
Now Firtash is at the nexus of Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s effort to undermine the president’s enemies — and behind Firtash is a whole lot of Russian money and cover.
The events that spawned the impeachment inquiry have shown how Trump uses his perch in the White House to serve personal goals (in this case pressuring the new Ukrainian president to investigate the 2016 election and events related to the upcoming one in 2020). Giuliani’s shadow investigation to serve those goals intersected perfectly with the interests of people with personal grievances in Ukraine, and with Ukrainian Americans in the US long used to hustling to make a quick buck.
Firtash understands those dynamics as well as anyone. He had long been in the sights of US investigators when he was indicted in 2013, charged with leading an international scheme to bribe Indian officials to win the rights to a mining project there and then sell the goods to a US company, reportedly Boeing. But those details, for the purposes of the impeachment inquiry and for understanding Firtash’s role in the world, don’t actually matter. It’s like getting Al Capone on charges of tax evasion.
Firtash was arrested in Austria in 2014, and has been fighting extradition to the US ever since. He swiftly posted 125 million euros ($140 million) in bail and promised not to leave the country. The bail was the highest ever paid in Austria — and he got the funds to cover it via a loan from Russian billionaire Vasily Anisimov, who made his money in metals before switching to property development. Anisimov owns the luxury grounds on which a number of wealthy, well-connected Russian men have built their homes, including Putin’s childhood friend, billionaire Arkady Rotenberg. Anisimov also heads Russia’s Judo Federation — Putin often awards his associates plum spots on Russia’s sports leagues, and judo is his favorite of them all. Anisimov told Reuters, in a massive investigation into Firtash’s Russia ties, that the loan “was a purely business transaction.”
Why the interest from Russia? As one former US official who closely followed Firtash’s case put it: “He knows where all the bodies are buried.”
Firtash built himself up to become a key player in the tug-of-war between Russia and Ukraine. In a State Department cable written in 2008 and publicized in a dump by WikiLeaks, then-ambassador Bill Taylor — who would go on to give explosive testimony in the impeachment inquiry this week — wrote up a meeting with Firtash and said, “he acknowledged ties to Russian organized crime figure Seymon Mogilevich, stating he needed Mogilevich’s approval to get into business in the first place.” Mogilevich, one of Russia’s most powerful organized crime figures and listed as most wanted by the FBI, lives freely in Moscow, under cover of the Kremlin.
When people talk about Russia being a “mafia state,” this is sort of what they mean — if the mob ran wild in the post-Soviet 1990s, in Putin’s era it has been co-opted, and some of its tactics absorbed and deployed by the state. Subsequent court documents filed in the US called Firtash and his associate Andras Knopp — now also living freely in Moscow — ”two upper-echelon associates of Russian organized crime.”
Firtash built much of his wealth and power through RosUkrEnergo, a needless intermediary that inserted itself into the gas trade between Russia and Ukraine. That trade served two purposes for Russia: It fed massive corruption, likely enriching Putin personally, and it was a key tool that Russia would deploy to try to bully Ukraine into doing what the Kremlin wanted.
“This RosUkrEnergo scheme is really as close as you get to Putin himself,” the former US official said. ”It was this massive diversion of gas revenues through this scheme to, on the one hand, Putin’s private accounts or those associated with his beneficiaries, and then the pro-Russian Party of Regions on the other hand, not to mention Firtash’s own pocket. It all goes back to Putin, and that’s why I think he knows where the bodies are buried. This is one of the most audacious frauds probably in Russian history, it’s just a cash cow that keeps channeling money back into Putin’s pockets but also helps support the whole pro-Putin political architecture in Ukraine.” Firtash has repeatedly denied all accusations against him.
“He’s a power broker with close links to the Kremlin, who used to be the proxy to one of the most dangerous criminals in the world, who is interested to keep Ukraine closer to Russia,” said Daria Kaleniuk, the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, a leading NGO in Kyiv. “The people whom he represents — those people in the Kremlin — are very much trying to block his extradition to the US, as he’s still needed as a proxy to manage some important assets.” Among those is a plant in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia seized in 2014. “In order to operate such a plant in Crimea, you need the blessing and cover of Russians and the Kremlin,” Kaleniuk said.
The flood of impeachment news has swirled around Firtash from the beginning, starting with Giuliani and his merry cast of Ukrainian and Ukrainian American characters. It was an affidavit for his case, written by fired prosecutor Viktor Shokin and published by John Solomon in the Hill, that fed Giuliani’s conspiracy theory that the Ukrainian had been fired for investigating Joe Biden’s son. Then, it emerged that the oligarch fired his longtime lawyer Lanny Davis, because he represented Trump’s (now remorseful) former lawyer Michael Cohen, and replaced him with two lawyers close to the president and Giuliani, Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing. That hire, according to the Washington Post, was suggested by Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, who has pleaded not guilty to four counts of campaign finance violations. Parnas, a key player in Giuliani’s drive to get information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials, was working for Firtash’s legal team as a translator, a fact that seems to go unremarked upon, although it makes little sense that a man who spent enormous amounts of money and energy working his way into US political circles and private jets, and ran dozens of businesses in his lifetime, would take work as a translator.
A spokesperson for Firtash’s legal team declined to comment on how Firtash and Parnas met — though he said it happened in June, one month before diGenova and Toensing signed on. Parnas, and Giuliani associate Igor Fruman, who also pleaded not guilty, were en route to Vienna when they were arrested. DiGenova told the Wall Street Journal at the time that it was unconnected to Firtash’s case; CNN reported Wednesday that the two men were telling people they were heading there to set up an interview for Sean Hannity with Shokin. To cap it all off, Firtash this summer also hired Mark Corallo, who acted as spokesperson for Trump’s private defense team during the Mueller investigation.
Meanwhile, Parnas and Fruman were pushing for leadership changes at the Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz, to which Firtash still owes a massive debt. Outgoing Energy Secretary Rick Perry was pushing for a leadership shake-up there as well.
These connections make sense when you consider Firtash’s, and the Kremlin’s, ultimate goal — to prevent his extradition to the US, and some retention of his wealth and power. Some former US officials and agents who spoke to BuzzFeed News believe the US would likely seek to mine Firtash for information about Putin. There are constant rumors of a plea bargain. But Firtash reportedly rejected an approach to cooperate with the Mueller investigation.
“I think Firtash would rather spend decades in an American prison than give up dirt on Putin because I think if he did, that would be the end of him and he knows it,” one former official said. (On top of that, the US has a history of jailing high-profile Russian targets, like arms dealer Viktor Bout, who refuse to spill.)
Much of the discourse around Trump’s ties to Russia and the Mueller investigation was misguided — seeking a smoking gun, or a backroom deal, that would reveal a secret plot between Trump and Putin to bring the unlikely candidate to power, when in fact much of that wooing was done out in the open. Two years into his presidency, Trump’s character and governing style was fully revealed — transactional, narcissistic, power-hungry, obsessed with vengeance. That is the type of person whom Firtash, the ultimate power broker and a man who grew wealthy managing the interests of some of the most powerful people in the world, knows how to deal with.
“What the Ukrainians are better than the American at is connecting the dots, because Americans say, look, for me to connect the dots, I need a call from that guy to that guy. It doesn’t work that way,” a second former US official said. “It’s all very behind the scenes, very few written communications, a lot of phone calls, a lot of get on a plane and fly out for a 20 minute meeting and fly back home. Come to Vienna, we’ll have dinner, things like that,” the former official said. “You have to think like they do and not like we do.”
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| William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical | ||
Editorial563735252Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
October 24, 2019 — 11:39am
Kirk D. McKoy • Los Angeles Times • TNS
The astonishing testimony of William B. Taylor, this country’s top diplomat to Ukraine, shows the depths to which the administration of President Donald Trump has sunk in its efforts to put the president’s personal interests above those of this nation.
Taylor’s 15 pages of testimony, given in closed session to the U.S. House impeachment inquiry committee, lays out in meticulous detail how Taylor came to the queasy but inescapable conclusion that his official mission was at odds with a second, unofficial — and arguably more powerful — group led by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who holds no position within the federal government.
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It sounds an alarm that should be heeded by every American, for it directly ties Trump to a quid pro quo that put his own re-election interests above national security concerns.
Taylor, who served as President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Ukraine, is intimately familiar with its strategic importance. U.S. foreign policy goals have been well served by aiding Ukrainian security as that nation fights a yearslong battle against Russian aggression.
Taylor, it should be noted, has unassailable credentials that should render him immune to the standard Republican character attacks against anyone who opposes Trump. He has a lifetime of service to his country, starting as a top-of-his-class West Point cadet who commanded a company in the 101st Airbone Division in Vietnam, won a Bronze Star, worked in NATO and the State Department, and served under Republican and Democratic administrations in hot spots around the world.
When he was asked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to return to Ukraine as its chief of mission, the lead official for a diplomatic mission abroad, he did not yet know that Giuliani’s forces would undercut him at every turn in their effort to enlist a foreign government in Trump’s re-election push.
Since its forced annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has continued to attempt its encroachment of Ukraine, which has depended heavily on U.S. aid in its efforts to fend off Russian aggression and maintain its independence. Imagine Taylor’s horror when he learned that newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, seeking an alliance with Trump, instead was subjected to a different kind of aggression — pressure to “investigate” Trump’s top political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Taylor’s testimony goes further, revealing that he was told that Zelensky would have to publicly commit to such action because Trump wanted to put him “in a public box.” Hanging in the balance was $391 million of desperately needed security assistance, with congressional authorization that expired at the end of September. As Ukrainians fought and died to preserve their country, Taylor said he was told the country would have to “pay up” before Trump would “sign the check.”
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and Trump’s obsession with re-election over this nation’s strategic interests is dangerous. It’s time for Republican lawmakers to search their conscience. Taylor is no stooge or unwitting pawn. He’s a tough, principled public servant who was rightly appalled at what he saw and now is laying it out clearly for others. That takes considerable courage in the face of an administration that demands personal fealty to its leader and wreaks vengeance on those who refuse.
On Wednesday, the president’s lawyers argued in court that Trump is above the law while in office no matter what he does, even if he should, in words the president once used, shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. That same day, a band of House Republicans forced their way into the closed impeachment inquiry committee, in a stunt that violated House rules and delayed testimony for five hours.
With such goings-on, it is more important than ever for Americans to be reminded that among us exist individuals of principle who serve this nation’s best interests, believe in its values, guard its reputation and call out wrongdoing when it jeopardizes the country they love. William Taylor is one of those leaders, and his warning call deserves to be heeded.
This time, don’t rely on brief video clips or even newspaper accounts. Read the testimony for yourself (tinyurl.com/TaylorTestimony).
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William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
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William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Editorial563735252Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
October 24, 2019 — 11:39am
The astonishing testimony of William B. Taylor, this country’s top diplomat to Ukraine, shows the depths to which the administration of President Donald Trump has sunk in its efforts to put the president’s personal interests above those of this nation.
Taylor’s 15 pages of testimony, given in closed session to the U.S. House impeachment inquiry committee, lays out in meticulous detail how Taylor came to the queasy but inescapable conclusion that his official mission was at odds with a second, unofficial — and arguably more powerful — group led by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who holds no position within the federal government.
It sounds an alarm that should be heeded by every American, for it directly ties Trump to a quid pro quo that put his own re-election interests above national security concerns.
Taylor, who served as President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Ukraine, is intimately familiar with its strategic importance. U.S. foreign policy goals have been well served by aiding Ukrainian security as that nation fights a yearslong battle against Russian aggression.
Taylor, it should be noted, has unassailable credentials that should render him immune to the standard Republican character attacks against anyone who opposes Trump. He has a lifetime of service to his country, starting as a top-of-his-class West Point cadet who commanded a company in the 101st Airbone Division in Vietnam, won a Bronze Star, worked in NATO and the State Department, and served under Republican and Democratic administrations in hot spots around the world.
When he was asked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to return to Ukraine as its chief of mission, the lead official for a diplomatic mission abroad, he did not yet know that Giuliani’s forces would undercut him at every turn in their effort to enlist a foreign government in Trump’s re-election push.
Since its forced annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has continued to attempt its encroachment of Ukraine, which has depended heavily on U.S. aid in its efforts to fend off Russian aggression and maintain its independence. Imagine Taylor’s horror when he learned that newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, seeking an alliance with Trump, instead was subjected to a different kind of aggression — pressure to “investigate” Trump’s top political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Taylor’s testimony goes further, revealing that he was told that Zelensky would have to publicly commit to such action because Trump wanted to put him “in a public box.” Hanging in the balance was $391 million of desperately needed security assistance, with congressional authorization that expired at the end of September. As Ukrainians fought and died to preserve their country, Taylor said he was told the country would have to “pay up” before Trump would “sign the check.”
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and Trump’s obsession with re-election over this nation’s strategic interests is dangerous. It’s time for Republican lawmakers to search their conscience. Taylor is no stooge or unwitting pawn. He’s a tough, principled public servant who was rightly appalled at what he saw and now is laying it out clearly for others. That takes considerable courage in the face of an administration that demands personal fealty to its leader and wreaks vengeance on those who refuse.
On Wednesday, the president’s lawyers argued in court that Trump is above the law while in office no matter what he does, even if he should, in words the president once used, shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. That same day, a band of House Republicans forced their way into the closed impeachment inquiry committee, in a stunt that violated House rules and delayed testimony for five hours.
With such goings-on, it is more important than ever for Americans to be reminded that among us exist individuals of principle who serve this nation’s best interests, believe in its values, guard its reputation and call out wrongdoing when it jeopardizes the country they love. William Taylor is one of those leaders, and his warning call deserves to be heeded.
This time, don’t rely on brief video clips or even newspaper accounts. Read the testimony for yourself (tinyurl.com/TaylorTestimony).
More From Opinion
Listen: Taylor’s damning testimony
The U.S. envoy to Ukraine’s account may accelerate the impeachment inquiry. Hear the “Playing Politics” analysis from WCCO Radio’s Chad Hartman and the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s Scott Gillespie and John Rash.
How NASA could help stop climate change with solar satellites
A plan to gather always-available energy in space and send it to the surface has been in the works for decades and has become feasible.
Author Scott Turow: Foreign Service officers, hacks? Not even close.
I’ve met many of them in my work. They deserve better than White House attacks.
Former NPR host Michele Norris: So you want to talk about lynching?
Here, in gruesome detail, is what that history is.
William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
Share this story on NewsBlur
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
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William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Editorial563735252Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
October 24, 2019 — 11:39am
The astonishing testimony of William B. Taylor, this country’s top diplomat to Ukraine, shows the depths to which the administration of President Donald Trump has sunk in its efforts to put the president’s personal interests above those of this nation.
Taylor’s 15 pages of testimony, given in closed session to the U.S. House impeachment inquiry committee, lays out in meticulous detail how Taylor came to the queasy but inescapable conclusion that his official mission was at odds with a second, unofficial — and arguably more powerful — group led by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who holds no position within the federal government.
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It sounds an alarm that should be heeded by every American, for it directly ties Trump to a quid pro quo that put his own re-election interests above national security concerns.
Taylor, who served as President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Ukraine, is intimately familiar with its strategic importance. U.S. foreign policy goals have been well served by aiding Ukrainian security as that nation fights a yearslong battle against Russian aggression.
Taylor, it should be noted, has unassailable credentials that should render him immune to the standard Republican character attacks against anyone who opposes Trump. He has a lifetime of service to his country, starting as a top-of-his-class West Point cadet who commanded a company in the 101st Airbone Division in Vietnam, won a Bronze Star, worked in NATO and the State Department, and served under Republican and Democratic administrations in hot spots around the world.
When he was asked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to return to Ukraine as its chief of mission, the lead official for a diplomatic mission abroad, he did not yet know that Giuliani’s forces would undercut him at every turn in their effort to enlist a foreign government in Trump’s re-election push.
Since its forced annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has continued to attempt its encroachment of Ukraine, which has depended heavily on U.S. aid in its efforts to fend off Russian aggression and maintain its independence. Imagine Taylor’s horror when he learned that newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, seeking an alliance with Trump, instead was subjected to a different kind of aggression — pressure to “investigate” Trump’s top political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Taylor’s testimony goes further, revealing that he was told that Zelensky would have to publicly commit to such action because Trump wanted to put him “in a public box.” Hanging in the balance was $391 million of desperately needed security assistance, with congressional authorization that expired at the end of September. As Ukrainians fought and died to preserve their country, Taylor said he was told the country would have to “pay up” before Trump would “sign the check.”
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and Trump’s obsession with re-election over this nation’s strategic interests is dangerous. It’s time for Republican lawmakers to search their conscience. Taylor is no stooge or unwitting pawn. He’s a tough, principled public servant who was rightly appalled at what he saw and now is laying it out clearly for others. That takes considerable courage in the face of an administration that demands personal fealty to its leader and wreaks vengeance on those who refuse.
On Wednesday, the president’s lawyers argued in court that Trump is above the law while in office no matter what he does, even if he should, in words the president once used, shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. That same day, a band of House Republicans forced their way into the closed impeachment inquiry committee, in a stunt that violated House rules and delayed testimony for five hours.
With such goings-on, it is more important than ever for Americans to be reminded that among us exist individuals of principle who serve this nation’s best interests, believe in its values, guard its reputation and call out wrongdoing when it jeopardizes the country they love. William Taylor is one of those leaders, and his warning call deserves to be heeded.
This time, don’t rely on brief video clips or even newspaper accounts. Read the testimony for yourself (tinyurl.com/TaylorTestimony).
More From Opinion
Listen: Taylor’s damning testimony
The U.S. envoy to Ukraine’s account may accelerate the impeachment inquiry. Hear the “Playing Politics” analysis from WCCO Radio’s Chad Hartman and the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s Scott Gillespie and John Rash.
How NASA could help stop climate change with solar satellites
A plan to gather always-available energy in space and send it to the surface has been in the works for decades and has become feasible.
Author Scott Turow: Foreign Service officers, hacks? Not even close.
I’ve met many of them in my work. They deserve better than White House attacks.
Former NPR host Michele Norris: So you want to talk about lynching?
Here, in gruesome detail, is what that history is.
William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
Share this story on NewsBlur
William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Editorial563735252Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
October 24, 2019 — 11:39am
The astonishing testimony of William B. Taylor, this country’s top diplomat to Ukraine, shows the depths to which the administration of President Donald Trump has sunk in its efforts to put the president’s personal interests above those of this nation.
Taylor’s 15 pages of testimony, given in closed session to the U.S. House impeachment inquiry committee, lays out in meticulous detail how Taylor came to the queasy but inescapable conclusion that his official mission was at odds with a second, unofficial — and arguably more powerful — group led by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who holds no position within the federal government.
It sounds an alarm that should be heeded by every American, for it directly ties Trump to a quid pro quo that put his own re-election interests above national security concerns.
Taylor, who served as President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Ukraine, is intimately familiar with its strategic importance. U.S. foreign policy goals have been well served by aiding Ukrainian security as that nation fights a yearslong battle against Russian aggression.
Taylor, it should be noted, has unassailable credentials that should render him immune to the standard Republican character attacks against anyone who opposes Trump. He has a lifetime of service to his country, starting as a top-of-his-class West Point cadet who commanded a company in the 101st Airbone Division in Vietnam, won a Bronze Star, worked in NATO and the State Department, and served under Republican and Democratic administrations in hot spots around the world.
When he was asked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to return to Ukraine as its chief of mission, the lead official for a diplomatic mission abroad, he did not yet know that Giuliani’s forces would undercut him at every turn in their effort to enlist a foreign government in Trump’s re-election push.
Since its forced annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has continued to attempt its encroachment of Ukraine, which has depended heavily on U.S. aid in its efforts to fend off Russian aggression and maintain its independence. Imagine Taylor’s horror when he learned that newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, seeking an alliance with Trump, instead was subjected to a different kind of aggression — pressure to “investigate” Trump’s top political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Taylor’s testimony goes further, revealing that he was told that Zelensky would have to publicly commit to such action because Trump wanted to put him “in a public box.” Hanging in the balance was $391 million of desperately needed security assistance, with congressional authorization that expired at the end of September. As Ukrainians fought and died to preserve their country, Taylor said he was told the country would have to “pay up” before Trump would “sign the check.”
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and Trump’s obsession with re-election over this nation’s strategic interests is dangerous. It’s time for Republican lawmakers to search their conscience. Taylor is no stooge or unwitting pawn. He’s a tough, principled public servant who was rightly appalled at what he saw and now is laying it out clearly for others. That takes considerable courage in the face of an administration that demands personal fealty to its leader and wreaks vengeance on those who refuse.
On Wednesday, the president’s lawyers argued in court that Trump is above the law while in office no matter what he does, even if he should, in words the president once used, shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. That same day, a band of House Republicans forced their way into the closed impeachment inquiry committee, in a stunt that violated House rules and delayed testimony for five hours.
With such goings-on, it is more important than ever for Americans to be reminded that among us exist individuals of principle who serve this nation’s best interests, believe in its values, guard its reputation and call out wrongdoing when it jeopardizes the country they love. William Taylor is one of those leaders, and his warning call deserves to be heeded.
This time, don’t rely on brief video clips or even newspaper accounts. Read the testimony for yourself (tinyurl.com/TaylorTestimony).
More From Opinion
Listen: Taylor’s damning testimony
The U.S. envoy to Ukraine’s account may accelerate the impeachment inquiry. Hear the “Playing Politics” analysis from WCCO Radio’s Chad Hartman and the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s Scott Gillespie and John Rash.
How NASA could help stop climate change with solar satellites
A plan to gather always-available energy in space and send it to the surface has been in the works for decades and has become feasible.
Author Scott Turow: Foreign Service officers, hacks? Not even close.
I’ve met many of them in my work. They deserve better than White House attacks.
Former NPR host Michele Norris: So you want to talk about lynching?
Here, in gruesome detail, is what that history is.
William Taylor’s testimony is credible and critical
Diplomat revealed what Trump is willing to do while putting his interests above the nation’s.
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
Share this story on NewsBlur
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
Share this story on NewsBlur
Signed in as Michael_Novakhov
Share this story on NewsBlur
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| MI6 Is Worried About Russia Having Compromising Materials On Prince Andrew And Disgraced Financier Jeffrey Epstein | Celebrity Insider | ||
Credit: PEOPLE
According to reports from MI6, the organization is worried that Russia might be in possession of compromising materials regarding none other than Prince Andrew.
This comes not long after the prince was implicated as an accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, and even though the accusations are still unclear, the mere mention of Prince Andrew’s name in the same context seems to have been enough to stir the pot.
It is not clear what exactly the Russians might have on the prince at this point, though, but the MI6 has implied that it could be related to Prince Andrew’s alleged connection to Virginia Giuffre, one of the girls named as Jeffrey Epstein’s sex slaves.
It is also not known what prompted the MI6 to believe that this might be the case, but it is not very likely that the agency would disclose their sources in the first place.
Some point to John Mark Dougan, an ex-Marine and former Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy who now lives in Russia, and who investigated Epstein.
Dougan fled to Russia with some embarrassing documents, according to one of his wild Facebook posts.
In any case, many people in the royal family have reportedly grown worried over the possible implications in recent times, and the situation seems to be deteriorating very fast.
Prince Andrew himself has not commented on the allegations, though his behavior will likely be closely monitored in the near future.
It is entirely possible that the royal family would prefer that he stayed quiet on the nature of his situation, rather than risking further embarrassment.
It is also worth noting that the information in Russia’s possession might be related to incidents that took place over two decades ago, although that would hardly change the situation if it came out.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue. It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts [Giuffre].”
A person had this reaction: “Why are we not hearing anything on the news about this? It’s absolutely disgusting what this man did, and because he and all his friends have money, they get away with it.”
Another commenter stated: “I’ve never seen anything suggesting these girls were forced or raped, so IDK what the noise is about.”
This social user shared: “evidence suggests that the ones who didn’t speak English were underage and most likely sold into sex slavery.”
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