One America News Network
Published on Jul 22, 2019
With Democrat presidential candidates turning in their second quarter fundraising totals, political donors continue to feel the heat from both sides for 2020. One America's Chanel Rion sat down with a member of the Trump campaign team to learn more about their re-election strategies.
HUGE!… MUST SEE VIDEO: Reporter Ellen Ratner Discusses Her 3-Hour Meeting with Julian Assange – Was Outed Last Week as Ed Butowsky’s Source in Seth Rich Case
by Jim Hoft July 22, 2019
Businessman Ed Butowsky filed a lawsuit last week where he outed reporter Ellen Ratner as his source for the Seth Rich information.
This comes after Michael Isikoff’s report the previous week that labeled Butowsky as a Russian source for disinformation.
Ed told The Gateway Pundit last week that Ellen Ratner lied to Isikoff.
Ed provided The Gateway Pundit with a copy of his email with Ratner from 2016.
The Gateway Pundit attempted to contact Ellen Ratner but did hear back from her.
Ratner’s late brother Michael Ratner was a lawyer for Wikileaks before his death in 2016.
Butowsky added that he spoke with Isikoff off the record and Isikoff broke his trust by contacting Ratner.
Butowsky told The Gateway Pundit that after last week’s report he was forced to speak out.
Ed also says he has more evidence that Ratner was his source on the Seth Rich information.
Butowsky claims Ratner gathered the information on Seth Rich after contact with Wikileaks officials.
READ MORE:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/07/must-see-video-reporter-ellen-ratner-discusses-her-3-hour-meeting-with-julian-assange-was-outed-last-week-as-ed-butowskys-source-in-seth-rich-case/
Ellen Ratner (Fox News) tells of her meeting with Julian Assange on Nov. 5 2016
Baxter
Published on Jul 21, 2019
Ellen Ratner can confirm that the Saturday before the Election 2016, she met with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for 3 hours. He told her that Russia did not "hack" the DNC, it was from an internal source.
This interview was conducted on November 9, 2016, the day after elections. It was uploaded to YouTube from EmbryRiddleUniv channel on November 14, 2016. Full video in the link. Clip discovered by the great folks at Conservative Treehouse.
Soap Star Nancy Lee Grahn Smears Ivanka Trump as a Nazi for Getting a Dog
Soap star Nancy Lee Grahn reiterated her disdain for the Trump family in a tweet posted Sunday, smearing White House Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump as a Nazi after she posted a picture of her family’s new dog, Winter.
Trump tweeted a picture of her family’s newest furry addition – or what she called “Arabella’s birthday dream come true” – in a tweet to her 6.7 million Twitter followers Saturday. Grahn was perturbed by the photo.
“How darling. I see you skipped a rescue and went straight to an Aryan breeder. Does it sit and sieg heil yet?” Grahn wrote, making a clear Nazi reference.
READ MORE:
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/07/22/soap-star-nancy-lee-grahn-smears-ivanka-trump-as-a-nazi/
Scarborough Likens Trump to a Dictator — Using Tactic if You Criticize Him Then You’re Criticizing America
Monday, MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough compared President Donald Trump to a dictator because of how he has handled being criticized.
Scarborough would not go as far as to say outright that Trump is a dictator, but he said the president is using a similar tactic as dictators that they believe if someone criticizes them then they are being critical of the country itself.
“If you criticize the dictator, if you criticize the fascist, if you criticize the autocrat, they say you’re criticizing the country itself. That’s what Donald Trump is doing,” Scarborough told co-host Mika Brzezinski. “Of course he’s not a fascist or a dictator or an autocrat. Brutus is a good man. All I am saying is that Donald Trump has now used the tactic — he started to use the tactic, Mika, that suggests if you criticize him, you’re criticizing America. That’s very dangerous.”
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/07/22/scarborough-likens-trump-to-a-dictator-using-tactic-if-you-criticize-him-then-youre-criticizing-america/
DJT Tweet
First Lady
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1153311945698742272
Bloomberg TicToc
Published on Jul 22, 2019
Justice John Paul Stevens Lies in Repose at Supreme Court
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has been remembered as a “brilliant man” with a “deep devotion to the rule of law” during a ceremony at the court where he served for nearly 35 years.
Stevens died last week in Florida at age 99 after suffering a stroke, and his body is in repose in the court’s Great Hall.
At a ceremony Monday morning, Justice Elena Kagan called Stevens modest and humble. Kagan replaced Stevens on the court when he retired in 2010.
Six of Stevens’ former colleagues were at the court to pay their respects. Besides Kagan, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor attended the ceremony along with retired Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Stevens will be buried Tuesday in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Trump: Mainstream Media ‘Have Gone Bonkers and No Longer Care What Is Right or Wrong
By Zachary Stieber
July 22, 2019
President Donald Trump issued sharp criticism of mainstream media outlets on July 22, accusing the Washington Post of making up sources for one of its stories about him.
The Post—which was bought by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in 2013 for $250 million, and which openly opposes Trump—published an article about some of Trump’s recent spat with some Democratic Congresswomen, inserting opinion into the headline by calling the attacks “racist.” One line, in particular, stuck out to Trump.
“The Amazon Washington Post front-page story yesterday was total Fake News,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They said ‘Advisors wrote new talking points and handed him reams of opposition research on the four Congresswomen.’ Now really, does that sound like me?”
“What advisors, there were no talking points except for those stated by me, & ‘reams of paper’ were never given to me. It is a made-up story meant to demean & belittle. The Post had no sources,” Trump added.
The president then noted that the Congresswomen—Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who many media outlets have taken pains to support—have made a number of inflammatory comments about Israel and America.
“The facts remain the same, that we have 4 Radical Left Congresswomen who have said very bad things about Israel & our Country!” Trump wrote.
He then issued two additional missives attacking the press, taking aim at the clearly partisan reporting by some outlets.
“Mainstream Media is out of control. They constantly lie and cheat in order to get their Radical Left Democrat views out their for all to see. It has never been this bad. They have gone bonkers, & no longer care what is right or wrong. This large scale false reporting is sick!” he wrote.
Trump had previously criticized the Post story, writing that reporters cited “phony sources who do not exist.”
Reporters wrote in the story that it was “based on interviews with 26 White House aides, advisers, lawmakers and others involved in the response—most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to share behind-the-scenes details.”
Only one person was quoted on the record regarding inside information about Trump—Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally.
Seung Min Kim, one of the reporters bylined on the piece, shared a tweet from colleague Aaron Blake, who attempted to rebut Trump’s claim that there were no talking points.
None of the reporters provided evidence rebutting Trump’s claim that they made up sources.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-mainstream-media-have-gone-bonkers-and-no-longer-care-what-is-right-or-wrong_3011616.html
Trump says Mueller shouldn’t testify, warns hearing will backfire
7-22-2019
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-mueller-shouldnt-testify-warns-hearing-will-backfire
https://twitter.com/M2Madness/status/1153326433965658113
https://twitter.com/TwitterMoments/status/1153320012297515012
Hello, neighbor! Watch Tom Hanks channel his inner Mr. Rogers in the first trailer for #ABeautifulDayMovie.
Perfect Movie for a Pedo
https://twitter.com/M2Madness/status/1153331583425961984>>24648
notable
notable as fuck
Turkish President Erdogan Suffers Heart Attack, Rumors of Turkey Covering Up his Death
By David Sidman July 22, 2019 , 11:57 am
so that in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat Genesis 8:4 (The Israel Bible™)
Turkish president Rediep Tayyip Erdogan died following a heart attack on Monday reports Alraees News. He is currently 61 years old. Doctors were reportedly fighting to save his life. Turkish sources neither confirm nor deny the news
The site “Arab Turk” quoted a presidential source saying that the rumors of his death are “unfounded.”
Over the past several hours on Monday, social media sites have reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan died, following a heart attack. The presidential presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey has remained silent on the matter.
His name, “Erdogan” is a leading search engine keyword on Google, following rumors of his death that have been circulating on the internet.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was born 26 February 1954 and is the 12th and current President of Turkey as of 2014.
Erdoğan visited Cairo on 12 September 2011, soon after Turkey had booted Israeli ambassadors, severing all diplomatic relations with Israel due to Israel’s refusal to apologize for the Gaza flotilla raid. In the raid, eight Turkish nationals and one Turk-American were killed.
Breaking Israel News reported on Erdogan expecting a shipment of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia last month.
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/133857/turkish-president-erdogan-suffers-heart-attack-rumors-of-turkey-covering-up-his-death/
This could be a rumor but it's making the rounds
https://twitter.com/M2Madness/status/1153337882330968064
KEK
White House to Urge Pakistani Leader to Ramp Up Anti-Terror Crackdown
By Ivan Pentchoukov
July 22, 2019
Trump administration officials plan to use the official White House visit by Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan on July 22 to urge the leader to intensify and continue a recent crackdown on terrorists and militants operating in Pakistan, according to a senior administration official.
The White House will also ask Khan to help Washington reach a permanent ceasefire with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“The purpose of the visit is to press for concrete cooperation from Pakistan to advance the Afghanistan peace process and to encourage Pakistan to deepen and sustain its recent effort to crack down on militants and terrorists within its territory,” the senior administration official said.
“We also want to message to Pakistan that the door is open to repairing relations and building an enduring partnership if Pakistan changes its policies with regard to terrorists and militants,” the official added.
In January last year, the U.S. Department of State withdrew $900 million in security aid from Pakistan until it took concrete action against Taliban and the Haqqani network terrorist groups.
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Jan. 1, 2018.
A senior administration official confirmed on July 21 that the aid remains suspended pending significant action by the Pakistani government.
In September last year, the U.S. Department of Defense suspended $300 million in counter-terrorism aid to Pakistan, saying the country failed to meet demands for decisive action against terrorist groups operating within its borders.
While other topics are on the table—including trade, energy, and women’s issues—the negotiations with the Taliban have reached a crucial juncture and the White House will ask Khan to “pressure the Taliban into a permanent ceasefire.” The White House also wants the Taliban to participate in peace talks that include the Afghan government.
On July 21, the Taliban attacked a security checkpoint and a hospital in northwestern Pakistan, killing nine people and wounding at least 30. In Afghanistan, the Taliban killed 18 Afghan soldiers in overnight clashes on July 17.
READ MORE:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/white-house-to-urge-pakistani-leader-to-ramp-up-anti-terror-crackdown_3011409.html
Top White House Advisor: ‘Squad’ Wants America to be a ‘Socialist, Open Borders Country
By Zachary Stieber
July 22, 2019
A top advisor to President Donald Trump said that the four radical freshman lawmakers known as the Squad “detest America as it exists.”
“These four congresswomen detest America as it exists, as it is currently constructed. They want to tear down the structure of our country. They want it to be a socialist, open borders country,” Stephen Miller, the advisor, said during an appearance on Fox News on July 21.
Miller was referring to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
“If you, as Donald Trump says, want to destroy America with open borders, you cannot say you love your country. If you attack border agents the way that Ocasio-Cortez has, it means you have a deep-seated hatred of the nation as it exists,” Miller added.
“That’s why you want to erase its borders, fundamentally transform the country and in the process, it doesn’t matter if American citizens lose their jobs, lose their homes, lose their livelihoods, lose their health coverage and lose their very lives.”
READ MORE:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/top-white-house-advisor-squad-wants-america-to-be-a-socialist-open-borders-country_3011606.html
Video of a Stealth Bomber Flying Over the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on July 4th, 2019
https://twitter.com/gholland04/status/1153341443055898624
Real Clear Investigations
Paul Sperry
7/22/2019
Now an answer is emerging. Sources tell RealClearInvestigations that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz will soon file a report with evidence indicating that Comey was misleading the president. Even as he repeatedly assured Trump that he was not a target, the former director was secretly trying to build a conspiracy case against the president, while at times acting as an investigative agent.
Two U.S. officials briefed on the inspector general’s investigation of possible FBI misconduct said Comey was essentially “running a covert operation against” the president, starting with a private “defensive briefing” he gave Trump just weeks before his inauguration. They said Horowitz has examined high-level FBI text messages and other communications indicating Comey was actually conducting a “counterintelligence assessment” of Trump during that January 2017 meeting in New York.
In addition to adding notes of his meetings and phone calls with Trump to the official FBI case file, Comey had an agent inside the White House who reported back to FBI headquarters about Trump and his aides, according to other officials familiar with the matter.
Although Comey took many actions on his own, he was not working in isolation. One focus of Horowitz’s inquiry is the private Jan. 6, 2017, briefing Comey gave the president-elect in New York about material in the Democratic-commissioned dossier compiled by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. Reports of that meeting were used days later by BuzzFeed, CNN and other outlets as a news hook for reporting on the dossier’s lascivious and unsubstantiated claims.
Comey’s meeting with Trump took place one day after the FBI director met in the Oval Office with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to discuss how to brief Trump — a meeting attended by National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and National Intelligence Director James Clapper, who would soon go to work for CNN.
READ MORE:
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2019/07/22/comey_under_scrutiny_for_own_inquiry_and_misleading_trump_119584.html
thx
Kellyanne Conway: Mueller testimony is an 'insult to taxpayers
7/22/2019
The White House is seeking to undercut the potential impact of Robert Mueller’s testimony to Congress on Wednesday, saying his appearance amounts to an “insult” to taxpayers and to democracy.
Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway said Mueller had already made clear that he would offer no further evidence beyond his published report, and that taxpayers had already spent "$35 million or so, over two years and counting."
She said: “Director Mueller himself has said that his report is his testimony. That ought to be respected and that ought to be accepted."
“This idea that we need Bob Mueller to come to Congress to read from his report is an insult to the taxpayers, it’s an insult to Americans’ intelligence and it’s an insult to Director Mueller,” he said. “It’s an insult to democracy.”
President Trump was unconcerned about Mueller’s appearance before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees to answer questions about Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election in favor of the Republican candidate.
“The president has zero concerns except that taxpayers are on the hook again for this fantasy that never came true … that there would be a criminal conspiracy and conclusion,” she said Monday.
While Mueller’s report did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to swing the election, it also concluded that Trump could not be cleared of trying to obstruct the probe.
Democrats hope their questions can unlock further damaging revelations about Trump’s efforts to limit the investigation. They will likely focus on 10 specific episodes detailed in the report, such as the time Trump is alleged to have directed Don McGahn, the then-White House counsel, to have Mueller removed. Mueller remained in his post.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/kellyanne-conway-mueller-testimony-is-an-insult-to-taxpayers
Trump to host Australian prime minister for second state dinner since taking office
by Hunter Lovell
| July 22, 2019 12:07 PM
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an official visit and state dinner on Sept. 20, the White House announced in a statement Monday.
"The visit will celebrate our two countries' close friendship and shared history, and reaffirm our common vision for global peace, security, and prosperity," the statement read.
The September event will mark the second time since taking office that Trump has hosted a state dinner. The first was with French President Emmanuel Macron in April 2018.
READ MORE:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-to-host-australian-prime-minister-for-second-state-dinner-since-taking-office
Tulsi Gabbard: Decriminalizing border crossings ‘could lead to open borders
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is "looking at" supporting the decriminalization of border crossings but fears it could lead to an open borders policy.
"That's something that I'm looking at," the Hawaii Democrat running for president said after being asked Monday on ABC's The View whether she supports the idea. "I think decriminalizing could lead to open borders. We need safe, secure borders in this country. We need to reform our laws."
In April, Julián Castro, former housing and urban development secretary, led the charge among 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls in arguing that illegal border crossings be decriminalized.
During the second night of the first Democratic debate in June, 8 of the 10 candidates onstage raised their hands in support of the position.
Gabbard, 38, is currently tied for eleventh in the Democratic presidential primary race, polling at 1% along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota according to RealClearPolitics.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-decriminalizing-border-crossings-could-lead-to-open-borders
John Doe Thread on EZRA
https://twitter.com/Truth_inContext/status/1153340510754545664
Q Movie hits home for many
https://twitter.com/martingeddes/status/1153359605327716353
Having fun? When does your spelling bee start?
Spot on assessment.
Congress nearing deal to lift spending caps and borrowing limit
by Susan Ferrechio
| July 22, 2019 01:54 PM
Republicans and Democrats are nearing a deal that would permanently end budget control caps and would lift the nation’s borrowing limit through July 31, 2021.
“The talks are down to some technical issues,” a source close to the negotiations told the Washington Examiner.
The accord would lift caps on domestic and military spending by $320 billion over two years, to 2021, which is when the 2011 Budget Control Act expires.
The measure includes $75 billion in spending offsets, only half of what the administration hoped would be included.
But it left out language Democrats pushed to include in past spending bills that would prevent Trump from using funds to pay for a wall on the Southern Border, an aide told the Washington Examiner.
The measure would increase spending equally for domestic and military budgets, which Democrats had also demanded.
“The near-final agreement is a traditional bipartisan budget agreement where both sides will be unhappy with some aspects,” the source said. “A true compromise.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said last week she is aiming for a vote in the House this week on the deal. The House adjourns Friday and is not scheduled to return to session until September.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/congress-nearing-deal-to-lift-spending-caps-and-borrowing-limit
Elizabeth Warren's plan to save us from recession isn't based in reality
Tim Worstall
16 minutes ago
Have you heard the news? Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has a plan. No, not that plan, nor that one, but another plan: this one. She says the U.S. is on the verge of a terrible recession, one which she has a plan to beat. So far so normal for a politician on the stump, sans moi le deluge — without me, the end of the world. There is a slight problem here though, a problem with her plan: Any plan to improve the country has to start from where we are, from some sort of base in our actual and extant reality. Warren's plan is not based in reality.
Have you heard the news? Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has a plan. No, not that plan, nor that one, but another plan: this one. She says the U.S. is on the verge of a terrible recession, one which she has a plan to beat. So far so normal for a politician on the stump, sans moi le deluge — without me, the end of the world. There is a slight problem here though, a problem with her plan: Any plan to improve the country has to start from where we are, from some sort of base in our actual and extant reality. Warren's plan is not based in reality.
For example, we are told that household debt in the U.S. is even higher than it was in 2008, just before that last flood. This means that we've got to forgive those student debts, really get a grip on auto loans, and force wages up, according to Warren. It is true that debt is higher, the Federal Reserve tells us so. It's $13.5 trillion now, up from $12.7 trillion. Horrors!
First we've got to introduce the Wise Solon to the concept of “inflation.” These are nominal numbers, not real — the economists' jargon for before adjusting for inflation and afterwards. Plug that 2008 number into an inflation adjustment and we get about $14.8 trillion. Debt levels are below where they were.
But that's not enough of course. Debt is worrisome only as a portion of income, not as a number in itself. Owing $1,000 when you're on $5,000 a month isn't a problem, owing the same sum when you're earning minimum wage could well be. By definition, all GDP is an income to someone and GDP has risen from $14.8 trillion to $20.8 trillion over the last 11 years (nominal!). That means that debt as a percentage of our collective income has fallen to 65% of GDP, well below that peak of 85% and more.
Warren is either just throwing large numbers around in the hopes of scaring us, or she really doesn't know this -- which is even less of a qualification for office.
Moving away from the simple ability to do useful sums, we also have a certain theoretical problem. The senator rightly notes that manufacturing wages are now below average wages for the economy as a whole. Or, as we can also put it, below service industry wages. This leads to a demand that we should and must invest hugely in manufacturing.
READ MORE:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/elizabeth-warrens-plan-to-save-us-from-recession-isnt-based-in-reality
Golden State Times
TRUMP SLAMS DEMOCRATS OVER MUELLER HEARING: The President Holds Press Conference at the White House
July 22,2019
President Trump holds Press Conference at the White House where he spoke on many issues including the Mueller Hearing where he slams the Democrats
PoolReports
Notice of Continuation Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations
https://publicpool.kinja.com/subject-text-of-a-notice-on-the-continuation-of-the-na-1836603504
Still hunting around for some additional support articles. This does indicate he might have some heart problem history.
Michigan Democrat, Now Trump Supporter: “The things he’s promised, well, he’s done them
Posted on July 22, 2019
As the week begins, it’s worthwhile reemphasizing the value of President Trump, and how the focused, albeit at times pragmatic, policy is received by the larger U.S. electorate. This interview is representative of the silent majority voice; some silent no more:
The underlying reality behind these words from a Michigan voter is exactly why the media need to have redoubled their efforts of opposition. President Trump is simply succeeding, despite the enormous scale of manufactured political opposition.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=t-46449b-ok
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/07/22/michigan-democrat-now-trump-supporter-the-things-hes-promised-well-hes-done-them/
https://twitter.com/SaraCarterDC/status/1153333887570829313
How Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann's offer to an oligarch could boomerang on DOJ
By John Solomon, opinion contributor — 07/22/19 04:30 PM EDT
The ink was still drying on special counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment papers when his chief deputy, the famously aggressive and occasionally controversial prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, made a bold but secret overture in early June 2017.
Weissmann quietly reached out to the American lawyers for Ukrainian oligarch Dmitry Firtash with a tempting offer: Give us some dirt on Donald Trump in the Russia case, and Team Mueller might make his 2014 U.S. criminal charges go away.
The specifics of the never-before-reported offer were confirmed to me by multiple sources with direct knowledge, as well as in contemporaneous defense memos I read.
Two years later, Weissmann’s overture may have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), here and abroad. His former boss, Mueller, is slated to testify Wednesday before Congress.
The DOJ, Mueller’s office and Weissmann did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on Monday.
At first blush, one might ask, “What’s the big deal?” It’s not unusual for federal prosecutors to steal a page from Monty Hall’s “Let’s Make a Deal” script during plea negotiations.
But Weissmann’s overture was wrapped with complexity and intrigue far beyond the normal federal case, my sources indicate.
At the time, pressure was building inside the DOJ and the FBI to find smoking-gun evidence against Trump in the Russia case because the Steele dossier — upon which the early surveillance warrants were based — was turning out to be an uncorroborated mess. (“There’s no big there there,” lead FBI agent Pete Strzok texted a few days before Weissmann’s overture.)
Likewise, key evidence that the DOJ used to indict Firtash on corruption charges in 2014 was falling apart. Two central witnesses were in the process of recanting testimony, and a document the FBI portrayed as bribery evidence inside Firtash’s company was exposed as a hypothetical slide from an American consultant’s PowerPoint presentation, according to court records I reviewed.
In other words, the DOJ faced potential embarrassment in two high-profile cases when Weissmann made an unsolicited approach on June 4, 2017, that surprised even Firtash’s U.S. legal team.
To some, the offer smacked of being desperately premature. Mueller was appointed just two weeks earlier, did not even have a full staff selected, and was still getting up to speed on the details of the investigation. So why rush to make a deal when the prosecution team still was being selected, some wondered.
Second, Weissmann’s approach was audaciously aggressive, even for a prosecutor with his reputation.
READ MORE:
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/454185-how-mueller-deputy-andrew-weissmanns-offer-to-an-oligarch-could-boomerang
Oldy but a goody
karmatic