Far Left Defense Official Pleads Guilty to Leaking Classified Information to Journalists – Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

The Justice Department in October announced the arrest of 31-year-old Henry Kyle Frese, a (now former) Defense Intelligence Agency employee, for leaking to journalists.

Frese pleaded guilty to charges related to his disclosure of classified national defense information (NDI) to two journalists in 2018 and 2019, the DOJ announced on Thursday.

Frese faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 18, 2020, at 9:30 am according to the DOJ.

Henry Kyle Frese of Virginia, a far left radical, was hit with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information.

According to the DOJ, Frese lived with, and had a romantic relationship with one of the reporters he was transmitting top secret information to in 2018 and 2019.

Mr. Frese reportedly leaked classified information to Amanda Macias, a CNBC national security reporter.

Frese gave Ms. Macias classified intelligence information that she and NBC News later used in reports on North Korea’s weapons systems, according to journalist Matthew Keys.

“In or about mid-April to early May 2018, FRESE accessed an intelligence report unrelated to his job duties on multiple occasions, which contained NDI classified at the TOP SECRET/SCI level, which related to a certain foreign country’s weapons systems,” the indictment said.

According to the indictment, Frese stated he was “down” to help the journalist who contacted him via Twitter direct message because “he wanted to see the journalist progress.”

“Frese violated the trust placed in him by the American people when he disclosed sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “He alerted our country’s adversaries to sensitive national defense information, putting the nation’s security at risk. The government takes these breaches seriously and will use all the resources at our disposal to apprehend and prosecute those who jeopardize the safety of this country and its citizens.”

“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with Top Secret information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Frese violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and engaged in felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This case should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal.”

“Mr. Frese violated his sworn oath to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States by using his access to the United States’ most sensitive information and steal state secrets for nothing more than personal gain,” said Robert Wells, Acting Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The men and women of the FBI who investigated this case swore the same oath but unlike Mr. Frese, they chose to uphold it. I am proud of the work they did to hold Mr. Frese accountable for his actions.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/far-left-defense-official-pleads-guilty-to-leaking-classified-information-to-journalists-faces-up-to-10-years-in-prison/

Bernie Sanders Briefed that Russia Trying to Help His Campaign

U.S. officials have warned Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that Russia is attempting to boost his prospects of winning the White House in 2020, sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.

President Donald Trump and Congressional lawmakers have also received briefings regarding the Kremlin’s efforts to help Sanders, reports the Post. In a statement to the newspaper, Sanders called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “thug” and said he stands “firmly against” any efforts to interfere in U.S. elections

“I don’t care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president,” Sanders said. “My message to Putin is clear: stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do.”

“In 2016, Russia used internet propaganda to sow division in our country, and my understanding is that they are doing it again in 2020. Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Sanders campaign would not comment on the nature of Russia’s attempted efforts to help the Vermont senator.

Speaking to reporters about the Post’s report, Sanders revealed that he learned of Russia’s interference a month ago and seemingly suggested that their efforts were made public Friday in a bid to hurt him one day before the Nevada caucuses.

The development comes after Sanders raised the prospect of Russia being behind some online posts in support of the lawmaker, which have been described as toxic and violent by former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) at this week’s Democrat debate in Nevada. Several other Sanders detractors have made similar claims.

“All of us remember 2016 and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our election and divide us up,” Sanders said, referring to memes posted by alleged Russian government agents in the last election.

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Russia has “developed a preference” for President Trump to win re-election. The president took to Twitter Friday to rebuke the Times‘ report, tweeting: “Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!”

https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/02/21/report-bernie-sanders-briefed-that-russia-trying-to-help-his-campaign/The development comes after Sanders raised the prospect of Russia being behind some online posts in support of the lawmaker, which have been described as toxic and violent by former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) at this week’s Democrat debate in Nevada. Several other Sanders detractors have made similar claims.

“All of us remember 2016 and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our election and divide us up,” Sanders said, referring to memes posted by alleged Russian government agents in the last election.

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Russia has “developed a preference” for President Trump to win re-election. The president took to Twitter Friday to rebuke the Times‘ report, tweeting: “Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!”

https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/02/21/report-bernie-sanders-briefed-that-russia-trying-to-help-his-campaign/

US Will No Longer Tolerate Russia's "Non-Compliance" Of Open Skies Treaty: Esper

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has slammed Russia's longtime "non-compliance" to the Open Skies treaty, months after the Trump administration expressed a desire to nix it along with the recently defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Esper told reporters at US Strategic Command on Thursday that the US has yet to finally determine whether it will stay the course with the treaty, but underscored that Washington “can’t continue” to tolerate Russian “noncompliance” with the treaty.

“So far, no formal final decision has been made. In due course we will be getting together to do that, to decide the best path forward for our nation,” Esper said.

“I take no view one way or the other with regard to arms control in general. They should be in our national interests if we’re going to enter an agreement or continue an agreement. The place where we begin is compliance with what’s happening on those agreements.” Esper continued.

The Trump administration notified NATO in late November that the US is mulling pulling out of the treaty unless Russian non-compliance issues are rectified.

The Americans and Russians have for years quarrelled over specifics, including what reconnaissance cameras and equipment should be allowed, but more importantly Russia's restriction of US overflights near Kaliningrad and Georgia, as detailed in the following:

U.S. critics of the treaty have raised concerns about Russian compliance with the treaty, citing, in particular, Russia’s refusal to allow observation flights within 500 kilometers of Kaliningrad or within a 10-kilometer corridor along Russia’s border with the Georgian border-conflict regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The United States has reciprocated by restricting flights over the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii and the missile defense interceptor fields in Fort Greely, Alaska.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-will-no-longer-tolerate-russias-noncompliance-open-skies-treaty-pentagon-chief

I don't trust this guy

Pentagon nominee Esper, a former Raytheon lobbyist

he served as a Senate staffer, chief of staff at The Heritage Foundation, and Raytheon's top lobbyist.

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2019/07/15/pentagon-nominee-esper-a-former-raytheon-lobbyist-must-extend-recusal/

Former DEA Agent and His Wife Indicted for Alleged Roles in Scheme to Divert Drug Proceeds from Undercover Money Laundering Investigations

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-dea-agent-and-his-wife-indicted-alleged-roles-scheme-divert-drug-proceeds-undercover