Two of the operatives involved in Trump's effort to challenges votes, John Sweeney and Pam Bondi, are registered foreign agents. Two others, Giuliani and Lewandowski, have been accused of being unregistered foreign agents. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Former Rep. John Sweeney, who Giuliani said is "going around the country" looking for voting irregularities, lobbies for a Kremlin-controlled Russian bank, VEB, and for Nordstream II, the Russian controlled pipeline project. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Sweeney has also had varied personal and legal issues since his 2006 defeat in a House race, by now Sen. Gillibrand.
Bondi works for Ballard Partners, which has ibeen extremely successful building a lobbying business based access to Trump. And she is a registered agent for Qatar. motherjones.com/politics/2019/…
Lewandowski isn't a registered lobbyist or foreign agent. But how's he make money? He works a lobbying firm, and he has been very credibility accused of helping allies land contracts based on his perceived access and taking a cut. motherjones.com/politics/2019/…; motherjones.com/politics/2018/…
Giuliani of course has been investigated for his efforts in Ukraine. But there's far more. He's been paid to talk to DOJ on behalf of a Venezuelan seeking to avoid indictment, by a culty Iranian group, and to attack an anti-corruption campaign in Romania. motherjones.com/politics/2019/…
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After Cliff Li, head of the National Committee of Asian American Republicans endorsed Biden, he got this cease and desist letter from the RNC telling him to stop using a logo resembling theirs. Li has used the logo for years without prior RNC complaint. documentcloud.org/documents/7281…
In the fairness to the RNC, the logos are quite similar. But they left Li alone as long as he didn't oppose Trump.
Former top Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy is now pleading guilty to participating in a conspiracy to violate FARA by concealing from the US gov his lobbying on behalf of Jho Low, the alleged architect of the looting of a Malaysian state fund, 1MDB. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Broidy is also admitting that at least in part in exchange for payments from Jho Low, he also lobbied the Trump administration and Trump personally, to extradite Guo Wengui, a wealthy critic of the Chinese government, to China, where he faces charges. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Broidy admits that in May 2017, he traveled to Hong Kong and then Shenzhen, China, where he met with Low and a Chinese official (Sun Lijun, then China’s vice minister of public security) regarding Guo's extradition.
Though it doesn't seem to be working, it's notable that DNI John Ratcliffe, at Devin Nunes' request, again released distorted, cherry-picked four-year old intelligence to try help Trump's dwindling reelection chances. foxnews.com/politics/dni-b…
As Brennan notes, he was describing US ability to eavesdrop on “what the Russians were talking about,” and mentioned Russians claiming Clinton planned to cite Trump’s ties to Russia. But the Russians were either speculating or spreading disinformation.
The Director of National Intelligence would have us believe Obama gleaned unsurprising details on Clinton’s campaign plans via the CIA eavesdropping on Russians spying on her. Via this approach, Obama learned Clinton planned to accurately accuse Trump of receiving Russian help.
“Mine is legitimate back channel.” Disgraced Republican financier Elliott Broidy is accused of secretly lobbying for China in a filing related to an expected guilty plea Monday by one of his partners in a complicated and, allegedly, super corrupt scheme. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Prosecutors say Broidy, Pras, the former Fugee, and Nickie Lum Davis, the ex of a JDate founder, took large sums of $ from Jho Low, a key figure in the Malaysian 1MDB embezzlement scheme, to lobby DOJ to stop investigating that case and extradite a billionaire Chinese dissident.
Guo Wengui, owner of the yacht Bannon was arrested on last week, back in 2017 was the target of a Chinese-backed lobbying campaign to win his extradition. GOP financier Elliott Broidy met in Shenzhen with China’s vice minister to discuss the effort. wsj.com/articles/new-d…
Money that Malaysia's former PM and allies stole from the country's 1MDB fund financed the lobbying, which involved Jho Low, who also used 1MDB funds to become a Hollywood player, Pras from the Fugees and a GOP fundraiser just charged with violating FARA. hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/08/21/for…
This line from the Hawaii indictment helps explain why Pras Michel, who seems to be Person A, came spout wild pro-Chinese claims about Guo. "DAVIS, Person A, and Person B also met with PRC Minister A in the PRC..." motherjones.com/politics/2018/…
Barr invokes John Lewis, noting it is "especially important to remember today that he pursued his cause passionately and successfully with an unwavering commitment to nonviolence."
Barr opposes voting rights efforts. Maybe he should not cite Lewis to attack current protests.
Barr: "Every year approximately 7,500 black Americans are victims of homicide, and the vast majority of them –
around 90 percent – are killed by other blacks, mainly by gunfire. Each of those lives matter."
In reading his opening statement, Barr skipped his dishonest reference to the "bogus 'Russiagate' scandal." I think I swayed him.