The State Department hired Cambridge Analytica's parent company SCL for $496K to target terrorist propaganda - a FOIA request by @Publici reveals the original solicitation request and State Dept justification for the no bid contract, by @pratheekrebala ti.me/2w0paWd
The State Dept hired SCL to reduce the “volume, credibility and effectiveness of ISIS recruitment propaganda” and to interview 50-75 potential ISIS recruits to “isolate those factors that have the ability to change the behavior” of recruiters and recruits
time.com/5372923/cambri…
time.com/5372923/cambri…
SCL was asked to identify which “groups, messages & messengers are capable of influencing the decision of potential recruits” to join ISIS & how these messengers could be mobilized to discourage recruits from joining ISIS or other terrorist organizations.
time.com/5372923/cambri…
time.com/5372923/cambri…
The State Department justified bypassing competition citing SCL’s “unique qualifications and special capabilities in designing influence campaigns that work” unlike other offerings which “are largely based on intuitive hunches or superficial research.”
time.com/5372923/cambri…
time.com/5372923/cambri…
The original solicitation request from the State Department's Global Engagement Center
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4775…
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4775…
The State Department's justification for other than full and open competition - for the SCL contract
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4775…
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4775…
In April @JoshMeyerDC @politico reported on Kirsten Fontenrose, who had worked at SCL and helped secure the State Dept contract and later joined the Trump WH in March 2018 as senior director for Gulf Affairs on the National Security Council
In April 2018 Senator Robert Mendez Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent 2 letters requesting info from the State Dept and SCL Group about the contract & asking for a description of work Michael Flynn did as SCL advisor
foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/…
foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/…
The letter Sen Mendez sent to the State Dept asked for communications with Nigel Oakes, Michael Flynn, Kirsten Fontenrose, Josh Weerasinghe, and all others around the bidding for the SCL State Dept contract
foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/…
foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/…
Josh Weerasinghe who was CEO of SCL Group Inc in the US (a subsidiary of the parent company in the UK) had worked for Michael Flynn previously at the office of the Director of National Intelligence/DNI
The SCL State Department contract was in March 2017, and basic details can be viewed on the procurement site
Here are a rew slides from SCL's presentation to the State Dept leaked to @profcarroll by an anonymous source
As @GHS0351 noted Steve Bannon worked in WH (he sold Cambridge Analytica shares Apr 2017) & State Dept had $496K no-bid contract with CA's parent SCL in Mar 2017 - if Bannon was involved would that be a violation or conflict @waltshaub @NormEisen @CREWcrew
