Thread by @QSamuelAdams

I don’t like the Post, but this article happens to be true.

https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1305260710604279809

Feds are investigating Bannon’s deals with #MilesGuo/#GuoWengui: “Bannon’s partnership with Chinese businessman Guo Wengui ... has come to dominate his post-White House career — a partnership that is now also under scrutiny.” @WarRoomPandemic #CPDChina

“A company linked to both is a focus of a separate federal investigation, according to multiple people familiar with the probe.”

“Bannon, in turn, has emerged as one of the biggest champions of Guo, who casts himself as an anti-communist dissident.... Even as other critics of the Chinese government have grown skeptical of Guo’s claims that he is a political victim of Beijing....”

“... Bannon has said Guo has valuable insider information that could help take down China’s Communist Party... But there are now signs that federal investigators are scrutinizing Guo’s financial activities in the United States and GTV Media Group” of which Bannon was chairman.

“Guo said [GTV] raised $300 million from investors, according to people familiar with the investigation.”

“Some of those investors now say they think they were defrauded by the company and have been interviewed repeatedly by the FBI in recent months, according to three people with knowledge of the case.”

“Bannon, who until his arrest served as a director at the company, declined to comment on the investigation.”

“people familiar with his relationship with the billionaire said they also came to think that Bannon — one of the chief promoters of Trump’s ‘drain the swamp’ message — was driven by the lucrative aspects of the partnership.”

“Bannon has told others that he personally shielded the billionaire in his role as chief White House strategist.
“‘I was the protector,’ he told the Wire China in an interview conducted with the publication before his arrest.”

Bannon said he admired Guo in 2008 while Guo was thriving with CCP & its MSS spy agency: “During his trip, Bannon said, he also noticed the Guo-constructed hotel across from the Olympic stadium. ‘Miles was the man,’ Bannon said. ‘He was the Donald Trump of China at the time.’”

Influence peddling: “Bannon wanted me to vouch for him to others,” said Michael Pillsbury of the Hudson Institute. “It’s as if he was obligated to Mr. Guo to deliver people who were influential.”

“‘There’s a cost to poking around about Mr. Guo,’ [Pillsbury] said. ‘Whatever he is is complicated.’”

“‘Steve Bannon has a lot of influence in media and the Republican Party,’ [@Sasha_Gong] said. ‘I thought it was my duty to keep reminding him what is wrong.’”

“In her deposition, [@Sasha_Gong] said that she had seen the group’s internal financial information and became concerned it was not being transparent with donors. ‘I realized whatever money they promised never exist,’ she testified.”

“Guo told The Post that Bannon had been removed from his role as chairman of the board after his arrest and played no part in raising funds for the company.”