Thread by @DawsonSField

This is the most interesting thing I have seen in ages.

A secret DHS spy unit conducting surveillence of the media, Congress & NGOs.

One agent tried to blackmail Ali Watkins over her affair with James Wolfe, head of SSCI security...
#ButNothingsHappening
HT @LornaLe46125377

https://twitter.com/FreedomofPress/status/1469712262219071488

CBP Agent Jeffrey Rambo even implied to Watkins that he was with FBI & told her he was trying to recruit her as an FBI confidential human source.
There is a huge but as yet unreleased OIG report on the scandal.

Was this also an effort to flip Wolfe against SSCI?

Rambo was illegally using CBP & other government databases to vet these reporters.

Looks like Rambo or his unit ended up under FBI Counterintelligence investigation.

They then ran information in DOMEX a program that grabs content from people's electronic devices whne they cross the border. Seems like it would be illegal to access that for this.

I wonder if DHS's Charlie Ratliff also ran these numbers & emails through the FBI's FISA database?

They then started spying on members of Congress & their staffers, gathering information when they traveled abroud & passed through customs.

Rambo then tasked private intel contractors with Deloitte to spy upon Watkins & Wolfe...

Deloitte promptly spied on the Facebook accounts of Watkins & several family members...

Spying on reporters at Politico, Yahoo, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal & others.

So these DHS agents identify reporters they want to 'recruit', then spy on them calling it vetting a potential source.
Then trying to blackmail those reporters covering national security cases.

What I find very interesting in relation to the #ButNothingsHappening cases is that the DHS agents were trying to identify the reporters sources involved in cases that connect to those investigations.

Were they hunting those sources to stop reporting on corruption cases?

I'm wondering if this is the government agency mentioned in the April 2017 FISA court ruling that had access to FBI FISA data but the court ruled it wasn't a violation as they were govt agents, but ruled they had access without training & compliance.

Rambo even had Deloitte target Reality Winner after she was arrested for stealing classified info from the NSA...

Rambo then passed on information to the FBI & believed that he had triggered an FBI leak investigation into Wolfe....

So FBI said they were opening an investigation, then told Rambo they were not, then in October of 2017 the investigation was back on again.

Wonder who at FBI was pushing it or blocking it...

Did Wolfe actually not leak to Watkins?

Is that why they got him for lying to FBI agents about his relationship with Watkins but no charges for leaking?

But it backfired because Watkins had Rambo's real name from the credit card he used when they met for drinks the first time.

So Rambo was named in a Washington Post article, but I don't recall seeing that story at the time.

Triggering Rambo's boss to say he didn't know about the meetings with Watkins & a DHS OIG investigation into the illegal spying!

Rambo & Ratliff were both referred to DOJ's Eastern District of Virginia for prosecution.
But in January EDVA decided to not prosecute based on the lack of DHS policies about what was authorized & not authorized.

People often wonder why these OIG investigations are important. It is because they identify when agencies have gaps in their procedures that allow 'crimes' to happen. OIG reports require closures of these loopholes to prevent or prosecute the next violation.

Rambo is apparently back on the job with CBP.
He is also running a coffee shop but is being targeted for his actions.

It is likely true that FBI would not have had a case against Wolfe were it not for Rambo illegally spying on Watkins.
But did Rambo send them after Watkins & Wolfe as a distraction from real leak investigations? Unknown.

Rambo's old boss is back that the CBP Counter Network Divison too.
Trying to ignore OIG's demands for new rules too...

Rambo is upset that journalists are investigating him & he no longer has access to databases to spy on them back.
Ironically, he may get fired for speaking to reporters about his case when DHS didn't fire him for spying on & likely attempting to blackmail reporters...