Thread by @karolcummins

How Iran Used an International Playboy (Reza Zarrab) to Launder Oil Money

On May 3, Halkbank – and by extension the Erdoğan regime – goes on trial in New York City, accused of helping Iran evade sanctions. occrp.org/en/how-iran-us…

Halkbank Timeline

justsecurity.org/71694/trump-ba…

According to the prosecutors, Halkbank and its executives also “illicitly transferred approximately $20 billion worth of otherwise restricted Iranian funds.”

fdd.org/analysis/2020/…

#TurkeyGate

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1184244160984825856?s=21

📌#TurkeyGate & TeamTrump

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1184244160984825856?s=21

📌Question for Barr: Why would the President or you try to avoid a criminal indictment of the bank given the serious allegations that it engaged in a multi-billion dollar scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran?

justsecurity.org/68699/three-do…

📌Investigation into whether any inappropriate influences led to efforts to interfere, from the president’s business interests and those of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to a powerful Trump-connected lobbying firm and the Turkish president himself.

americanoversight.org/investigation/…

As he was with Ukraine, Giuliani was so steeped in events in Turkey that State Department officials grew increasingly alarmed. Earlier in 2017, he had traveled to the country and met with Erdogan as part of his effort to seek a resolution in Zarrab’s case.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

📌In 2017: Trump pressed then-SOS Rex Tillerson to help persuade the DOJ (Sessions) to drop a criminal case against an Iranian-Turkish gold trader who was a client of Giuliani, according to three people familiar with the 2017 meeting in the Oval Office..

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

At one point, the State Department under Tillerson got involved in discussions over possibly swapping Zarrab for Brunson, the jailed pastor, but the matter was eventually dropped because Turkey kept escalating its demands.

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

2018: Trump backer & then RNC Chair & close friend of Don Jr. Tommy Hicks Jr. and former C.I.A. Director James Woolsey (Trump transition) flew to Turkey in September 2018 to help secure the release of Brunson from Turkish detention.

occrp.org/en/investigati…

The trip to free Brunson was just one of several backchannels, in which an international network of businessmen — many of them since embroiled in organized crime investigations and trials — served as intermediaries between Erdoğan and Trump.

occrp.org/en/investigati…

Paraphrasing Berman: If Giuliani & Mukasey’s efforts succeeded in dropping the US case against Zarrab they would be helping Iran evade US sanctions.

See full quote below:

justsecurity.org/71694/trump-ba…

Ex-Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, fired by Trump, twice refused to resign
Berman's sudden departure last month created a political maelstrom in Washington because he was overseeing the investigation of a Trump associate.

nbcnews.com/politics/polit…

Tommy Hicks Jr.served as chair for America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, prior to being named co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

coloradotimesrecorder.com/2019/10/gop-ch…

"Fruman and Parnas appear to have bought access to 'Trumpworld' by directing a six-figure contribution to Tommy Hicks Jr’s pro-Trump superPAC AMERICA FIRST ACTION through a shell corporation," says Brendan Fischer, an attorney with the CLC.

Lawsuit

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1176270292898861056?s=21

📌Parnas and Hicks were in contact for at least four months, messages show, as the scheme to oust then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yavonovitch and pressure Ukraine to announce political investigations unfolded.

abcnews.go.com/Politics/giuli…

Together w/ powerful Ukrainians Correia, Parnas, Fruman, Rick Perry (& his TX oil & Gas cronies), Pence, Tommy Hicks Jr., (“the money guy,”) who is the co-chairman of the RNC and pal of DonJr. are all involved in the attempt to takeover/control Naftogaz.

apnews.com/7f97eac651e7ad…

“Hicks (along with James Woolsey) also played a behind-the-scenes role, in the freeing last year of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who was detained for two years by the Turkish government.”

Brunson was released days after the Khoshoggi murder.

nationalmemo.com/the-hidden-inf…

October 11, 2018: Turkey agrees to free Pastor Brunson in exchange for a commitment to ease economic pressure, reportedly helping soothe relations for Halkbank to discuss their case with the Trump administration. 

justsecurity.org/71694/trump-ba…

Human smuggling, money laundering probes surround Saipan casino

James Woolsey and Eugene Sullivan, sit on the SC board. Former Louisiana Governor Haley Barbour, former FBI director Louis Freeh & former PA Gov Ed Rendell serve as Saipan Casino advisers

staradvertiser.com/2017/04/09/bre…

Human smuggling, money laundering probes surround Saipan casino

James Woolsey and Eugene Sullivan, sit on the SC board. Former Louisiana Governor Haley Barbour, former FBI director Louis Freeh & former PA Gov Ed Rendell serve as Saipan Casino advisers

staradvertiser.com/2017/04/09/bre…

On April 2, 2017 Louise Mensch sends a warning to Woolsey, Freeh & Flynn.

What happened that day?

Re: April 2 statement that the FBI investigation into the construction accident wasn’t related to the group or its employees but rather human trafficking & money laundering.

Woolsey, Freeh & Rendell also linked through their involvement with MEK.

washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogi…

Other MeK devotees include John Bolton, Newt Gingrich.

Elaine Chao has also been on the MeK payroll, as has former Bush 43 security aide Fran Townsend, whose name was in play as a possible Trump secretary of homeland security or DNI in 2017.
politico.com/magazine/story…