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

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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.
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Security Saturday

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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.
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The Error that Betrays Insufficient Attention to the Obstruction Standard in the January 6 Eastman Filing

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emptywheel
The January 6 Committee -- and the TV lawyers commenting on the John Eastman filing -- need to look more closely at what the (at least) ten DC district rulings upholding the use of 18 USC 1512(c)(2) with January 6.
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The Timing of the Jack Hanick Prosecution

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emptywheel
Jack Hanick -- the former Fox News director arrested for his post-sanction ties to Konstantin Malofeyev -- wasn't arrested yesterday, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nor was he charged in February, when he was arrested in London. On the contrary, he was indicted last November, almost five years to the day after the 2016 election.
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A World War of Economic Attrition

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Rayne
This is a world war aimed at economic attrition; its effects need to be gamed out, beginning with wheat futures.
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Three Things: Part 3 — Putin's Particular Peculiarities

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Rayne
Perhaps it doesn't matter what's going with Putin; we must assume the most radical, worst case scenario no matter Putin's condition.
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"Thanks to your bullshit we're now under siege"

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emptywheel
Emails between John Eastman and Mike Pence's counsel suggest that Eastman figured that by forcing the Congress to adjourn, they would effectively force Pence into breaking the ECA, which Eastman shamelessly used to demand Pence further violate the law. 
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What Sedition Looks Like: Lots of Stewart Rhodes, but Key Uncharged Others

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emptywheel
Joshua James' statement of offense lays out a lot more evidence of Stewart Rhodes' plans for insurrection. But the silences may be just as interesting.
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Three Things: Part 2 — Russia's Idiosyncratic Military Deployment [UPDATE-1]

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Rayne
There are so many quirks to Russia's military deployment in its invasion of Ukraine that it's obvious to non-military observers this has not been an effective mission or missions.
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It's Official: January 6 Was Sedition

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emptywheel
For those of you who've been wondering what Merrick Garland's DOJ has been doing for the last year, it's this: January 6 was officially, for at least one participant, sedition. 
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The Single-Legged Stool of the Horseshoe Left's Apology for Putin

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emptywheel
Key mouthpieces of the purportedly anti-imperialist Putin-apologizing horseshoe left has embraced Putin's false claim that this attack is only about NATO and not also about democracy.
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John Durham and Newly-Sanctioned Alfa Bank's Filings: "Almost like they were written by the same people"

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emptywheel
In a DC hearing on February 9 regarding Alfa Bank's attempt to obtain documents from Michael Sussmann before his trial, DC Superior Judge Shana Frost Matini observed that the Alfa Bank allegations and the John Durham indictment seemed like they…
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EDNY Notes that Tom Barrack Won't Explain the Tactical Advantage of Waiting to Charge Him

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emptywheel
In response to Tom Barrack's argument that he should have been charged early enough for Trump to pardon him, DOJ notes that he has referenced nothing unavailable now that might have provided a defense unavailable now.
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Three Things: Part 1 — Cognitive Dissonance and Ukraine

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Rayne
Cognitive dissonance may have been to blame for the low key response to Russia's previous incursions beginning in 2008, and now in Ukraine. It's time to wake up, snap out of it.
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Questions for Bill Barr about His Cover-Ups Pertaining to Ukraine and Russia, Starting with: Who Withdrew the Red Notice for Yevgeniy Prigozhin?

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emptywheel
Among the many questions that Bill Barr should be asked as he attempts to launder his reputation against the backdrop of the Russian invasion are what happened to the arrest warrant issued against the owner of Putin's contract killers, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, for his role in Russia's 2016 operation against US democracy?
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Three Things: The C C D of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

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Rayne
Colonialism, a rejection of consent, DARVO -- they're all elements of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
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How Not to Lose a World War between Authoritarianism and Democracy, Two

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emptywheel
One of the key developments of the last day is that China abstained from a UN vote attempting to condemn the Russian invasion. But there has been lots more bad news for Putin, as well.
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How Not to Lose a World War between Authoritarianism and Democracy

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emptywheel
Vladimir Putin prefers authoritarianism because its easier to coerce legitimacy than negotiating it. That's true. It would be far easier if Biden could order China to stay out, if Biden could order Germany to buy off on greater financial sanctions, if Biden could ignore right wing efforts to use financial stress to undermine his Administration.  He can't. That's what makes defending democracy all that more difficult.
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Rudy Giuliani Attacks Biden as SDNY Sifts Through His Comms for Ukraine Foreign Agent Investigation

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emptywheel
Trump was not serious about Ukraine. He viewed it as nothing more than a political football. Almost his entire party backed him in that effort. And his former attorney, wailing on Twitter about the 'CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER" posed by "mentally deteriorating [men], who [were] of limited intelligence even before [] dementia" remains under criminal investigation as an unregistered agent of Russian-backed Ukrainians for his role in politicizing Ukraine.
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