š§µBREAKING: An indictment has just been filed against Elena Branson, after I wrote about the FBI investigation into her months ago: forensicnews.net/fbi-investigatā¦
THE INDICTMENT: Branson is charged with "espionage lite" just as the Forensic News article discussed. justice.gov/usao-sdny/presā¦
WOW. Indictment says that Branson was an agent of the Russian government for over a decade, including taking funding and direction from senior Russian officials. 
This indictment is just remarkable. The FBI is alleging that both the Russian Center in NY and KSORS, the Russian youth diaspora group, were Russian government fronts.
"Throughout, BRANSON has received funding and
direction from the Russian Government, including from the Russian Embassy in the United States, and received tasking from high-level Russian Government officials and Russian Governmentrun organizations."
direction from the Russian Government, including from the Russian Embassy in the United States, and received tasking from high-level Russian Government officials and Russian Governmentrun organizations."
The use of the word "tasking" is intentional and striking. It gives insight into why they charged Section 951 ("espionage-lite") and not just FARA. They think Branson was a *spy*, not just an unregistered agent.
Branson in a 2016 email:
āOnce again, I sincerely thank the Government of Moscow and the Moscow House of Compatriot for approving the application āfor providing financial support to the KSORS websiteā in the amount of 700,000 rubles.ā
āOnce again, I sincerely thank the Government of Moscow and the Moscow House of Compatriot for approving the application āfor providing financial support to the KSORS websiteā in the amount of 700,000 rubles.ā
Goldmine for the FBI. KSORS appears to have recorded all of their board meetings. During a review of Branson's emails, they found all of the recordings.
During one of the recorded meetings, Branson says that KSORS shouldn't use the term "political" because āthey will make us register as agents,ā
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov appears to have been one of Branson's handlers. He appears all throughout the indictment. Here he is asking for updates on what she and her group were doing.
šØ Branson tried to set up a meeting with Trump and a Russian government official in 2016
This is hugely significant because Branson and KSORS rallied Trump voters in 2020.
Holy crap. Branson was the person that invited Trump to the chess tournament that Mueller investigated for a long time. Peskov and Dmitriev were there.
Branson or someone at the Russian Center registered an account to eFile FARA paperwork in 2019 but they never submitted anything after emailing the Russian Ambassador for guidance.
This might be the most significant Russian agent charge since Anna Chapman. It is expansive, with at least 7 unnamed co-conspirators, and based on what we know/what has been reported, this could easily snowball into more people being charged.
/end
/end
One last thing:
Round of applause for the Forensic News sources that helped me write this article: forensicnews.net/fbi-investigatā¦
Subscribe to Forensic News to help us catch Russian spies. Patreon.com/forensicnews
Round of applause for the Forensic News sources that helped me write this article: forensicnews.net/fbi-investigatā¦
Subscribe to Forensic News to help us catch Russian spies. Patreon.com/forensicnews
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