‼️Update: #UkraineGate
AKA
The Notorious Cast of Shady Characters — Engineers of the Ukraine Scandal
📌Spoiler alert: Rebekah Mercer added. 😳
AKA
The Notorious Cast of Shady Characters — Engineers of the Ukraine Scandal
📌Spoiler alert: Rebekah Mercer added. 😳
Dmitry Firtash, charged with conspiracy by the U.S. and living in Vienna, shuffled lawyers in July to add Barr pals* Joe diGenova & Victoria Toensing, all vocal supporters of Trump who had worked with Giuliani.
*See #PassPortGate below.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
*See #PassPortGate below.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑The effort by Dmytro Firtash, a UKR gas mogul described in DOJ court filings as an “upper-echelon [associate] of Russian organized crime,” underlines the wide-ranging consequences of Giuliani’s effort to use Ukraine as a wedge issue in U.S. politics.
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
🔑Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said. “Firtash is arguably the most odious, or one of the most odious oligarchs in Ukraine,”
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
In July, Firtash made a revealing change to his Washington legal team, hiring Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, a husband-and-wife duo closely associated with the Trump adm [and Republican political dirty tricks ops reaching back to #Monica.]
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
Toensing & diGenova reportedly worked with Giuliani as he sought to mine damaging information on the president’s rivals in Ukraine and have been involved in Republican Party campaigns (operatives) dating back to the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998.
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
DiGenova and Toensing have billed Firtash about $1 million for their work, one of the people said.
That includes costs for Lev Parnas, a Giuliani associate, as a translator and important contact.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
That includes costs for Lev Parnas, a Giuliani associate, as a translator and important contact.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
💦💰Ukrainian Igor Fruman and Russian-born Lev Parnas
🔑As a result of the publicity Giuliani generated with Shokin’s statement, two of the people said they believe the odds of the DOJ dropping the case against Firtash have plummeted, because it would look like a quid pro quo.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
People working on Firtash’s behalf collected a witness statement from Viktor Shokin, a disgraced former Ukrainian prosecutor-general.
🔑Giuliani pushed Trump adm to grant a visa to this same Ukrainian official (Viktor Shokin) promising dirt on Democrats
cnn.com/2019/10/18/pol…
🔑Giuliani pushed Trump adm to grant a visa to this same Ukrainian official (Viktor Shokin) promising dirt on Democrats
cnn.com/2019/10/18/pol…
In the stmt notarized on 9/4/19, Shokin alleges that as VP, Biden—pressured Ukrainian politicians to prevent Firtash from returning to Kyiv in 2015 after a lower Austrian court rejected his extradition request.
📌Why Firtash hates Biden
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
📌Why Firtash hates Biden
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
It wasn’t just Washington that didn’t want to see Firtash return to UKR (no extradition treaty) the UKR didn’t either.
In late 2015, it was rumored that he might return, IM Arsen Avakov dispatched a group to the Kyiv airport to detain him if he arrived
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
In late 2015, it was rumored that he might return, IM Arsen Avakov dispatched a group to the Kyiv airport to detain him if he arrived
foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/giu…
Giuliani cited Shokin’s stmt repeatedly, waving it around on cable news as evidence of Biden’s alleged corruption, to harm Biden & help Trump in the 2020 elex.
Echos of 2016 elex...
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Echos of 2016 elex...
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑The Hill and other media outlets provided links to Shokin’s dubious statement, with Giuliani later suggesting he had a role in making it public.
“This is the affidavit I put out,” he said during a Fox News interview this month.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
“This is the affidavit I put out,” he said during a Fox News interview this month.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑If indeed Firtash’s camp aided the Trump political machine, that could be a problem.
🔑American politicians cannot accept foreign campaign contributions, and as Mueller’s investigation has laid out, even non-monetary assistance can have a value.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑American politicians cannot accept foreign campaign contributions, and as Mueller’s investigation has laid out, even non-monetary assistance can have a value.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Giuliani, in a text message, wrote: “I have nothing to do with Firtash case. Never met him and don’t know him.”
😂🙄😂🙄😂🙄😂
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
😂🙄😂🙄😂🙄😂
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Firtash was looking to get out from under five years of legal headaches.
The US has charged him w/ corruption & racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to bribe Indian officials to secure titanium that would be sold to Boeing Co.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The US has charged him w/ corruption & racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to bribe Indian officials to secure titanium that would be sold to Boeing Co.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Firtash Boeing Titanium
Dmytro Firtash
Dmytro Firtash
📌Firtash’s aides have argued the case is ‘politically motivated’ [by the PBO/Biden adm], designed to keep him from influencing Ukraine after the country’s pro-Russian president was ousted in 2014 [that he & Manafort worked hard to install]. Get it?
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑This op is a Hail Mary pass to fight Firtash’s case/extradition:
🔑After joining the Firtash team, DiGenova and Toensing sought information related to Biden to bolster the idea that the case was political, the people familiar with the matter said.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑After joining the Firtash team, DiGenova and Toensing sought information related to Biden to bolster the idea that the case was political, the people familiar with the matter said.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Flip the script
Tapping pro-Trump lawyers like diGenova and Toensing looked like a useful way to help get his case thrown out.
The legal duo had considered reppping Trump during the Mueller probe.
DiGenova has appeared many times on FoxNews attacking Mueller’s inv’n.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The legal duo had considered reppping Trump during the Mueller probe.
DiGenova has appeared many times on FoxNews attacking Mueller’s inv’n.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
In late September, Fox News reported that the pair was working “off the books” with Giuliani to dig up dirt on the Bidens in Ukraine.
That mission was shared by Parnas & Fruman, associates of Giuliani who helped set up meetings with Ukrainian officials.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
That mission was shared by Parnas & Fruman, associates of Giuliani who helped set up meetings with Ukrainian officials.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Along with Parnas, Fruman was arrested last week and charged with campaign finance violations.
Both men had one-way tickets to Vienna.
Giuliani also had a trip scheduled to Vienna.
📌Firtash lives in Vienna.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Both men had one-way tickets to Vienna.
Giuliani also had a trip scheduled to Vienna.
📌Firtash lives in Vienna.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Parnas & Fruman assisted DiGenova and Toensing in their law practice, according to John Dowd, a former Trump lawyer now representing them had noted in a letter to lawmakers,
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Dowd also wrote that Parnas and Fruman assisted Giuliani in his legal work for Trump, arguing that the two should be protected under attorney-client privilege rules.
Privilege is waived if actions stem from a corrupt purpose (crime-fraud exception).
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Privilege is waived if actions stem from a corrupt purpose (crime-fraud exception).
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Toensing has said her firm hired Parnas as a paid ‘translator’,
however Firtash has plenty of translators and key aides who speak fluent English.
A spokesman for Firtash said he had no contractual or other commercial relationship with Parnas or Fruman.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
however Firtash has plenty of translators and key aides who speak fluent English.
A spokesman for Firtash said he had no contractual or other commercial relationship with Parnas or Fruman.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Firtash is desperately looking for any way to get out from under five years of legal headaches.
U.S. Federal prosecutors have accused him of corruption and racketeering conspiracy.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
U.S. Federal prosecutors have accused him of corruption and racketeering conspiracy.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Giuliani was an attractive ally for Firtash because he was a close adviser to Trump and became his personal lawyer in April 2018.
🔑He also brought extensive contacts in Republican-leaning legal circles.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑He also brought extensive contacts in Republican-leaning legal circles.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑There was one additional connection that DiGenova and Toensing had that people in the Firtash camp considered potentially useful as well — their son Brady Toensing.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Brady Toensing is the former head of the Vermont Republican Party, & has joined the Justice Department as senior counsel in its Office of Legal Policy in June.
In that position, Brady Toensing allegedly has no connection to the Firtash case.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
In that position, Brady Toensing allegedly has no connection to the Firtash case.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Giuliani met recently with senior Justice Department officials to discuss a foreign bribery case for a client that Mr. Giuliani described as “very, very sensitive.” FIRTASH!
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
🔑Giuliani requested the meeting to discuss a case related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars Americans from bribing foreign officials.
🔑The meeting was attended by Brian A. Benczkowski, head of the DOJ criminal division.
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
🔑The meeting was attended by Brian A. Benczkowski, head of the DOJ criminal division.
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
Days after the meeting, it was revealed that Giuliani was under inv’n himself for possible violations of foreign lobbying laws by fed prosecutors in NY..
Giuliani has pursued a range of lucrative deals w/ clients around the world seeking access to Trump
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
Giuliani has pursued a range of lucrative deals w/ clients around the world seeking access to Trump
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
‼️Giuliani - counterintelligence probe
📌Giuliani was retained this year to headline a team that was paid $425,000 to drum up American and foreign government support for a methane project in Uzbekistan that was also seeking Chinese financing.
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/…
Giuliani’s Ukraine Team: In Search of Influence, Dirt and Money
The president’s lawyer was paid by Lev Parnas, who with Igor Fruman worked on behalf of President Trump in Ukraine.
nytimes.com/2019/10/10/us/…
The president’s lawyer was paid by Lev Parnas, who with Igor Fruman worked on behalf of President Trump in Ukraine.
nytimes.com/2019/10/10/us/…
‼️Rudy Giuliani’s Year of Living Dangerously
Why Firtash hates Joe Biden:
Biden had threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Shokin was fired because of his failure to tackle corruption.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Biden had threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Shokin was fired because of his failure to tackle corruption.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Biden’s action was proposed by State Department officials and supported by the European Union.
🔑Ergo Biden was just the messenger.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
🔑Ergo Biden was just the messenger.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
‼️Interesting nugget: a political hit job aimed at a likely opponent (Biden) & funded by a major RW donor (Rebekah Mercer) that Trump and his lawyer (Rudy Giuliani) impatiently hijacked, with consequences that could turn out to be disastrous for them.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
‼️Additional puzzle pieces & connections to keep in mind for now:
🔑Firtash & Cambridge Analytica
🔑Cambridge University accepted over £6 million from Ukrainian oligarch
🔑Dmitry Firtash began donating to the University in 2010
varsity.co.uk/news/12328
🔑Firtash & Cambridge Analytica
🔑Cambridge University accepted over £6 million from Ukrainian oligarch
🔑Dmitry Firtash began donating to the University in 2010
varsity.co.uk/news/12328
🔑Vincent Tchenguiz, the largest shareholder in Cambridge Analytica’s parent company SCL Group, has ties to the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian oligarch Dmitry Firtash — who has also ties to Paul Manafort.
tabletmag.com/jewish-news-an…
tabletmag.com/jewish-news-an…
📌Erik Prince has also done business with Vincent Tchenguiz, formerly the largest shareholder of Cambridge Analytica’s parent company (SCL Group).
medium.com/@JamesFourM/tr…
medium.com/@JamesFourM/tr…
Is there a link between Cambridge Analytica and the DUP’s secret Brexit donors?
Today we reveal the close relationship between a key CamAna backer and a senior pro-Brexit Northern Irish PR man – who has Russian friends in high places
H/T @paulhanley opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-…
Today we reveal the close relationship between a key CamAna backer and a senior pro-Brexit Northern Irish PR man – who has Russian friends in high places
H/T @paulhanley opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-…
🔑Mogilevich 👉🏼Firtash (Manafort)👉🏼Tchenguiz👉🏼Nix👉🏼Banks👉🏼Farage👉🏼 Bannon👉🏼 Mercer👉🏼Flynn👉🏼TrumpCampaign & Brexit/VoteLeave
🔑Lutsenko, Giuliani, Trump, Kliminik, Manafort, Zelensky, Whistle Blower,
🔑How Giuliani’s Lutsenko & Manafort’s Kilimnik thwarted Mueller investigation
🔑How Giuliani’s Lutsenko & Manafort’s Kilimnik thwarted Mueller investigation
‼️Ukrainian Influence operations
🔑Keep your eye on this aspect of #UkraineGate as it will soon be exposed in greater detail.
🔑Secretive LLCs obscure Ukrainian foreign influence operation funding
opensecrets.org/news/2018/09/s…
🔑Keep your eye on this aspect of #UkraineGate as it will soon be exposed in greater detail.
🔑Secretive LLCs obscure Ukrainian foreign influence operation funding
opensecrets.org/news/2018/09/s…
🔑A failed Ukrainian presidential candidate & various influence ops.
🔑Former US congressmen & (former members of TeamTrump) turned lobbyists.
🔑Mysterious shell companies and offshore accounts funding it all
opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/f…
🔑Former US congressmen & (former members of TeamTrump) turned lobbyists.
🔑Mysterious shell companies and offshore accounts funding it all
opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/f…
📌Side note:
FARA
🔑In 2017 Toensing & diGenova LLP we’re registered as foreign agents for Kurdistan re the referendum & other issues of concern involving the KRG & KDP.
🔑They represented the KurdiStan Democratic Party (KDP) in the United States🤔
search.justice.gov/search?query=T…
FARA
🔑In 2017 Toensing & diGenova LLP we’re registered as foreign agents for Kurdistan re the referendum & other issues of concern involving the KRG & KDP.
🔑They represented the KurdiStan Democratic Party (KDP) in the United States🤔
search.justice.gov/search?query=T…
What is at stake are the huge oil fields the Kurds captured in their fight against ISIS.
npr.org/sections/paral…
npr.org/sections/paral…
"Bringing the Kurdish natural gas to Turkey [and then] to Europe is probably Rosneft's best bet for rivalling Gazprom's gas export monopoly, [which] Rosneft and peers have been lobbying the Russian government to end,"
aljazeera.com/indepth/featur…
aljazeera.com/indepth/featur…
🔑Overall, it appears that Rosneft's investment in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq has been a risky gamble and, like in Venezuela, whether it pays off or not, will depend on how the geopolitical situation evolves.
Indeed....enter Trump.
aljazeera.com/indepth/featur…
Indeed....enter Trump.
aljazeera.com/indepth/featur…
This too speaks to Trump’s actions against the Kurds in recent days. It’s all about the oil & strategic location of the territory.
📌Oil not people matter to TOC.
Trump’s moves in Ukraine & Syria benefit Putin & Transnational Organized Crime network.
washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
📌Oil not people matter to TOC.
Trump’s moves in Ukraine & Syria benefit Putin & Transnational Organized Crime network.
washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
📌Pin this comment:
Trump Goes to CIA ... Suggests Stealing Iraq’s Oil
About how the US “should have kept the oil” after invading Iraq. “Maybe we’ll have another chance,” he added.
Trump does tell the truth sometimes.
The Kurdish territory in N Syria
foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/21/tru…
Trump Goes to CIA ... Suggests Stealing Iraq’s Oil
About how the US “should have kept the oil” after invading Iraq. “Maybe we’ll have another chance,” he added.
Trump does tell the truth sometimes.
The Kurdish territory in N Syria
foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/21/tru…
*1992 PassPortGate
GWHB Adm File Search to dig up dirt on WJC In 1992 Race Wasn't Illegal
Says then AG Bill Barr’s SP Joe diGenova.
I betcha the Trump adm is using gov’t resources, records & personnel to dig up dirt on Dem candidates, don’t you think?
nytimes.com/1995/12/01/us/…
GWHB Adm File Search to dig up dirt on WJC In 1992 Race Wasn't Illegal
Says then AG Bill Barr’s SP Joe diGenova.
I betcha the Trump adm is using gov’t resources, records & personnel to dig up dirt on Dem candidates, don’t you think?
nytimes.com/1995/12/01/us/…
Barr appointed DiGenova as special prosecutor to probe whether senior officials in the GHWB WH instigated, encouraged or acquiesced in attempts to use gov’t records & workers to influence the outcome of 1992 presidential election
washingtonpost.com/archive/opinio…
washingtonpost.com/archive/opinio…
‼️Stay tuned folks as I am sure we will soon learn additional information & gain new puzzle pieces as everything is connected in some way, shape or form.. .
@threadreaderapp unroll please and thank you. #UkraineGate #TurkeyGate
@threadreaderapp unroll please and thank you. #UkraineGate #TurkeyGate
Evidence in case against Giuliani’s South Florida associates includes 50 bank accounts
miamiherald.com/news/politics-…
miamiherald.com/news/politics-…
Evidence in case against Giuliani’s South Florida associates includes 50 bank accounts
miamiherald.com/news/politics-…
miamiherald.com/news/politics-…
