Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Apr 30, 2021 5 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Washington Post scoop:

FBI gave #RonJohnson defensive briefing in 2020 warning he was being targeted by Russia to spread disinformation on Biden.

What did he do?

He considered it “completely useless and unnecessary”

With his usual paranoia, he thought FBI briefing was a trick
2. And then, worse of all, Johnson continued to use his office to act as a conduit for the Russian disinformation campaign to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

As @AshaRangappa_ and I detailed at length here.👇

justsecurity.org/71947/how-sen-…
3. Here’s the Washington Post report.

The headline is about Giuliani,
But lots of details about FBI’s warning Senator Johnson.

(scoop by @nakashimae @shaneharris @thamburger)

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
4. Ron Johnson in his own—self-incriminating—words:

“I suspected that the briefing was being given to be used at some future date for the purpose that it is now being used: to offer the biased media an opportunity to falsely accuse me of being a tool of Russia despite warnings.”
5. Worth recalling this is not a partisan issue.

Fellow Republican Senators—including Richard Burr and Marco Rubio—warned Johnson that he was using his congressional powers in a way that could aid the Kremlin’s efforts.

@AndrewDesiderio report in 2020:
politico.com/news/2020/02/2…

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More from @rgoodlaw

Jun 25
"Katie Phang ... brings this action against Todd Blanche ... claiming that he has improperly withheld information and failed to comply with other requirements in violation of the Epstein Act."

"[T]he Court GRANTS Ms. Phang’s motion."

1/🧵 Image
2/ "Ms. Phang identifies five categories of violations of the Epstein Act."

[See 5 in screenshot below.]

"The Attorney General does not respond substantively to any of these arguments."

"Accordingly, Ms. Phang is likely to succeed on the
merits." Image
3/ Corresponding to the five categories, Judge Sullivan states it is "ORDERED that by no later than July 2, 2026, the Attorney General shall" produce the documents or show cause. Image
Read 4 tweets
May 28
🚨Hegseth's Department of War opens up new military campaign in new country: Guatemala

Stephen Miller holds bimonthly "body counts" meetings

Great reporting by Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) and Eric Schmitt (@EricSchmittNYT)
1/🧵 Image
2/ "Guatemala has agreed to carry out joint strikes with the United States military inside its territory to target drug trafficking groups"

President Arévalo "agreed to both airstrikes and other military action in a call with" Hegseth.

Gift link: nytimes.com/2026/05/28/wor…
3/ "Mr. Miller chairs a bimonthly meeting — called a 'wins' meeting — at which various government agencies report on recent successes, with the Pentagon’s death toll from boat strikes regularly highlighted as one of the biggest."
Read 6 tweets
Apr 17
OMG

Kash Patel a drunken national security threat

"Meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights."

"A request for 'breaching equipment'...was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors." Image
2/ How long has the White House known this and let Patel keep his job?

How long has Todd Blanche known this?

theatlantic.com/politics/2026/…
3/ Seems to have been widely known.

Sourcing: "six current and former officials and others familiar"
Read 5 tweets
Apr 11
Pete Hegseth's Defense Dept appears to be caught in a lie.

It involves deaths of 21 people (including at least 5 children), injuring 110 in Lamerd, Iran with sports hall and school.

By a U.S. missile (PrSM) never before used in combat.

NYT sources include: 3 US officials!

1/ Image
2/

Gift link to NYT article: nytimes.com/2026/04/10/wor…

Expert backgrounder on the PrSM and U.S. weapons review: justsecurity.org/135490/precisi…

Hegseth's Defense Department's flat denial from March 31 (now appears to be provably false)⤵️ Image
3/ BBC also fact checked the DoD's denial:

Six experts "all commented independently ... citing the missile's visual features, the way it exploded, its trajectory and the number of strikes in the area."

@MerlynThomas @Shayan86 @jalalisarah

bbc.com/news/articles/…
Read 5 tweets
Apr 9
Wow

Ceasefire agreement did include Lebanon.

Trump: "agreed that included Lebanon."

Mediators: "believed the ceasefire to include Lebanon."

Pakistan announced it included Lebanon.

"However, the US position shifted following a phone call between Netanyahu and Mr. Trump."

1/ Image
3/ This reporting (Lebanon was, indeed, part of the ceasefire agreement) makes JD Vance's awful statement below even worse.

The kind of ugly statement that can undermine diplomacy and is even more egregious if Vance's statement on Lebanon was false:

Read 4 tweets
Apr 2
With Todd Blanche taking over the Justice Department.

There will and should be a sharp focus on his gross mishandling/coverup of the Epstein files and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Also do a search for "Deputy Attorney General" to see patterns of misconduct.

justsecurity.org/120547/presump…
2/ Read for yourself:

After outrageous letter by Blanche and Bondi, Judge Novak (Trump appointee) wrote:

“The Court finds it inconceivable that the Department of Justice, which holds a duty to faithfully execute the laws of the United States — even those with which it may have disagreement — would repeatedly ignore court orders, while simultaneously prosecuting citizens for breaking the law."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
3/ After Blanche's chief of staff violated a court order in Mangioni case, federal judge wrote:

“The Government is also directed to advise the Deputy Attorney General, for dissemination within the Department as appropriate, that future violations may result in sanctions, which could include personal financial penalties, contempt of court findings, or relief specific to the prosecution.”

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Read 4 tweets

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