Thread by @innercitypress

OK - Guo Wengui (Bannon) trial, Day 3, with Yvette Wong still on the stand, Guo on deck, at least on the list. Inner City Press is covering the case innercitypress.com/sdny6elimanguo… and will live tweet, thread below

Outside the @sdnylive courthouse there are two dozen Guo supporters. A witness in this case wrote in and characterized them as thugs "surfing" Chinatown looking for people to beat up. Yet in the gallery as the trial began there was only Inner City Press

Q: Mr. Guo wanted an a-la-carte payment system, each payment per report?
Wong: That was what I negotiated with Ms. Wallop.
Q: Let's explore the water-line concept. Ms. Wallop wanted monthly payments to keep teams in the field, right?
Wong: Only if qualified teams.

Q: Where did you get your training before you went to Switzerland?
Yvette Wong: I cannot tell you that.
Q: Why not?
Wong: I was never trained by the CCP. Period.
Q: Where did you go to school?
Wong: I cannot tell you.

Q: Where did you grow up?
Objection.
Judge Liman: You asked about education so this is fair background.
Q: Where did you grow up in China?
Wong: Mainland of China.
Q: College there?
Wong: I cannot tell you.

Q: Why not?
Wong: To protect my family and myself, from persecution.
Q: But if you were not trained by CCP, how can it expose your family?
Wong: What's your question? My family was already arrested. Now they will go after my classmates, my teachers

Q: Did you receive any intelligence training in China?
Wong: Of course not. That is ridiculous.
Q: Did you spend 16 years in Hong Kong?
Wong: I cannot tell you.

Judge Liman: Are you refusing to answer that question?
Wong: Yes, Your Honor. If I can.
Q: How many years did you work for China Golden Spring in Hong Kong?
Wong: Two to three.
Q: Where else did you work?
Wong: I cannot tell you.

Q: Isn't it true you were still a member of the CCP well into 2017?
Wong: I said that to protect my family. I cannot say on camera I cut off CCP when my family still in jail.
Q: You went on Mirror Media in New York.
Wong: After my husband was arrested.

Q: And you said you were in whistleblower movement - but still a CCP member?
Wong: I was interviewed by a CCP media. What do you want me to say, with my husband in jail?
[Note: the UN under @antonioguterres gives 10 offices to CCP media, bans Inner City Press]

Q: Would you allow funding of any project of Eastern Profit to be controlled by a member of CCP-CC?
Wong: No.
Q: How much do you know about "William Gee."
Wong: I trusted him as a CCP-fighter.
Q: But he released $1M to Strategic.

Q: Would it shock you to find out that "William Gee" is a member of CCP-CC?
Wong: There are 90 million CCP members - they are normal people. So William Gee, he is fighting against CCP.

Q: Did he tell you he was a member of a Chongqing - Hong Kong group?
Wong: Unlikely. We do not talk about that.
Judge Liman: We'll leave Ms. Wong's testimony open, so she can get another lawyer about possible incomplete statement to this court

Next witness, Han Chunguang, required interpreter. And there is another interpreter to check / contest the first. This could take a while. Where. Is. Guo.

Q: So you were the owner of Eastern Profit?
Han: Yes. Until June 27, 2017. I transferred it to "Guo Mei." But I continued with a role.
Q: Did Eastern Profit investigate the CCP?
Han: Yes.

Judge Liman calls lunch break, says the day may go a bit beyond 5 pm to get in as much testimony as possible. Guo? Watch this feed. matthewrussellleeicp.substack.com/p/guo-wengui-w…

Ok - Guo (Bannon) trial has re-started after hour-long lunch break, Han still on the stand, with interpreter.
Q: So you are comfortable sending money to a company whose director is in mainland China - that is, for Eastern to return the money to ACA?
Han: Yes.

Q: Are you a cook for Mr Guo?
Han: No.
Q: So where do you work?
Han: I work for company of my family.
Q: What is the name.
Han: Han family.
Q: You said in deposition you said it has nothing to do with this case?
Han: Correct.

Q: Where is the office of your family company?
Han: In China.
Q: Was Eastern Profit's office in Hong Kong in the Bank of China building?
Han: On the 49th floor. Natasha worked there.
Q: Did you meet William Gee in the Bank of China building?
Han: I don't remember

Judge Liman: Mr. Han, did you ever read this Research Agreement all the way through?
Han: No.

OK - now an additional lawyer asks if he can stand in the courtroom to advise Mr. Guo of his rights.
The live tweeting may slow for a bit, but will resume, and story later on InnerCityPress.com and patreon.com/MatthewRussell…

Guo is in jury box with lawyer. Inner City Press in gallery with 10 who came in with Guo.
He calls himself Kwok.
Q: Are you a dissident?
A: Yes.

Guo / Kwok uses word genocide. Young man in suit in gallery nods.

Q: Any retaliation?
Guo: 18 family members arrested.
The Minister of Security came to threaten me in England.

Guo: I want to tell the judge, China put my relatives on trial 11 times...
Broidie was trying to have me deported.

Objection! Calls for narrative, hearsay.

OK - after Guo conferred with his "Fifth Amendment" counsel, it continues.
Q: Did you feel pressured to act to protect your family?
Guo: Of course. I was afraid.
Q: Did you sign a document pledging allegiance to Chairman Xi?
Guo: I signed four to five times.

Q: Can you describe the cyber attack?
Guo: At that time, my wi-fi was hacked. My YouTube and Twitter, both were hacked.
Q: Was there a law firm that represented you and got hacked?
Guo: Yes. A firm in Washington, an immigration firm.
Q: Clark Hill?
Guo: Yes.

Q: Were you the lead on negotiating the contract [with Strategic Vision]?
Guo: No.
Judge Liman: You say you were going to try them with justice - where did you expect the information would lead to charges? Which court?
Guo: We would report to US DOJ, US FBI

[On Strategic Vision]
Guo: All they had on the thumb drive was information you could find on Google, information I had already found and used in my whistleblower campaign.
Q: What about the information on the USB drives?
Guo: It was useless.

Q: Did the work Mr. Waller and Ms. Wallop did meet your expectations in any way?
Guo: No. It was deception.
Q: Did you continue on with your expose program?
Guo: Yes, we have continued to expose the CCP.

[Now cross-examination]
Strategic Vision's lawyer Edward Greim: You came to the US before 2017, right? You claimed to have fled China when?
Guo: 2014, December.
Greim: Weren't you detained in China then released in January 2015?
Guo: That's rubbish.

Greim: Mr Guo, you currently have Hong Kong citizenship, right?
Guo: Yes.
Greim: And a Hong Kong passport?
Guo: Yes.
Greim: Between 2014, and 2017, where were you?
Guo: In the UK, in the US, Europe and Japan. Also UAE and the Middle East.

Greim: You bought an apartment in the Sherry Netherland in 2015, right?
Guo: Under the 5th Amendment I will not answer this question.

Greim: Is it true you have not moved a penny out of Hong Kong or the mainland since you began whistleblowing?
Guo: I am invoking the 5th Amendment.
Greim: You had an attorney say that to the WSJ.
Guo: I'm invoking the 5th Amendment.

Greim: Why did you not begin whistleblowing until 2017?
Guo: The Chinese CCP arrested my family and continued into 2016. Starting from January 2015, Broidy and Bruno Wu, JhoLo [?], they called me and threatened my family would be arrested

Guo: Bruno Wu called me and said, it was Elliott Broidy with influence in the US... they threatened me. Bruno is a registered person in intelligence for China overseas.
Greim - Mr. Guo!
Judge Liman: The question was simple, did they call you?

Greim: Did you listen to the court proceedings yesterday or the day before?
Guo: No.
Greim: Has anyone discussed with you the testimony here of Monday or Tuesday?
Guo: No.
Judge Liman: We'll break for the day. Mr. Guo, you may leave. I need a word with the lawyers

Judge Liman: Will Sasha Gong testify tomorrow?
A: Yes.
Judge Liman: And we'll need to hear on the open question as to Yvette Wong. Adjourned.
Story (and podcast) later on InnerCityPress.com & patreon.com/posts/50233009