,

DOJ Unseals 18-Month Old Indictment against Lev Parnas' Financial Backer

/
/
emptywheel
The indictment unsealed against Andrey Muraviev yesterday was otherwise identical to one obtained on the same day in September 2020, except that it charged Muraviev.

Wheat Exporter Russia Begs China for Food

/
/
emptywheel
At the moment that Russia is destabilizing both Europe and much of the world (in part because a key food producer will be harvesting tanks and cluster bombs instead of grain), Russia has asked China for help feeding its soldiers. 
, , , ,

The Lesson Marina Ovsyannikova Offers to Chuck Todd and Lester Holt

/
/
emptywheel
The lesson Marina Ovsyannikova offers journalists like Chuck Todd and Lester Holt as democracy is under attack is that you cannot wait until authoritarians take power to speak up.
, ,

A White Board of the Sedition-Curious

/
/
emptywheel
Recent reports ties the Roger Stone - Oath Keeper sedition activities much closer to the Mike Flynn - Sidney Powell conspiracies.

On the Benefits of Having a Career Diplomat Run CIA: "This Is One Information War that I Think Putin Is Losing"

/
/
emptywheel
In the Threat Reports Hearing last week, CIA Director William Burns talked about all the information wars he has lost against Vladimir Putin in the past and how, under his tenure as CIA Director, selective declassification has changed that.

Another Report from an Unidentified Russian Operative

/
/
Rayne
This most recent one is painful, knowing what we know now about some areas under Russian control in Ukraine.

Reports from an Unidentified Russian Operative

/
/
Rayne
Here are Letters 2-4 allegedly from an FSB insider. They're worth reading as alternatives to U.S. perspective. What about these letters rings true, what doesn't? Is this all a massive psyop? What if it's not?

Putin's FSB: Failed Straightforwardness and Benevolence

/
/
Rayne
How can spies and analysts obtain and present the truth when they're under tight political restrictions to report only what a volatile president wants to hear?

Now that DOJ Has Rudy Giuliani's Phone Contents, Lev Parnas Prepares to Plead

/
/
emptywheel
After failing to forgoing really onerous plea deal in the past, now that SDNY has obtained the content of Rudy Giuliani's devices, Lev Parnas is preparing to plead guilty.
,

Steve Bannon's Phantom Executive Privilege

/
/
emptywheel
When Robert Costello sat down with the DOJ and FBI on November 3, 2021 to try to talk them out of indicting Steve Bannon, he claimed he had a letter from Trump's lawyer invoking Executive Privilege. But when they asked for that letter, he changed his story.
,

"Problem:" SDNY Charges Elena Branson as Unregistered Agent of Russia

/
/
emptywheel
The complaint against Elena Branson unsealed yesterday raises questions about how forthright Donald Trump was when asked about the World Chess Championship staged in New York the day after he won the presidency.
, ,

Questions about the Proud Boys Superseding Indictment

/
/
emptywheel
DOJ has finally added Enrique Tarrio to the Proud Boys indictment and showed clear premeditation to focus on the Capitol. But the indictment provides few clues about where DOJ is headed from here.
Pezzola
,

Enrique Tarrio Gets His Chance to Fit In or Fuck Off

/
/
emptywheel
Enrique Tarrio has finally be included in the Proud Boy conspiracy indictment.
,

Judge Carl Nichols Upends DOJ's January 6 Prosecution Strategy

/
/
emptywheel
On Friday, I argued that both the January 6 Committee and TV lawyers wailing about DOJ's slow pace of prosecution needed to look more closely at the litigation surrounding DOJ's use of 18 USC 1512(c)(2) to prosecute January 6 defendants. [U]ltimately…
, ,

It Is Not News that Bill Barr Lied to Protect Kleptocracy

/
/
emptywheel
Before Russia invaded a peaceful country, it attempted to achieve the same ends by cultivating Trump, by trading him electoral wins for Ukrainian sovereignty. Bill Barr was a central part in letting that effort continue unchecked until January 20, 2021. Yet TV journalists are interviewing him as if he is a respectable member of society.

The Pointy End of Attrition's Stick

/
/
Rayne
While Putin continues his steady genocidal obliteration of Ukraine's cities, the pointy end of this war of attrition is coming around toward Russia.
, , ,

"The Whole Idea Was to Intimidate Congress:" Bill Barr Continues to Minimize Witness Tampering

/
/
emptywheel
In a supine interview with Lester Holt, Bill Barr minimized the danger of witness tampering on January 6 just like he minimized Proud Boy associated threats against Amy Berman Jackson and Randy Credico.
, , ,

John Durham Says Election-Hack Victims Should Wait Until After the Election to Report Tips

/
/
emptywheel
John Durham says Michael Sussmann's alleged lie is material because the FBI needed to know that neither his nor Rodney Joffe's cybersecurity concerns were real. The problem is, he hasn't alleged that, much less proven it.
,

John Durham Drops Claim that Rodney Joffe "Mined" EOP Data for Derogatory Information on Trump from Boilerplate

/
/
emptywheel
When Michael Sussmann demanded that John Durham strike language in a conflicts memo that led to false claims and calls for death, Durham responded that he had nothing improper. But a follow-up motion dropped two of his most inflammatory claims.

Security Saturday

/
/
Rayne
It's Saturday once again and our cleaning chores have changed. It's time to address digital chores like information security, ensuring the week will be safer than the last.
image_print
Share this entry