The defense team for Michael Flynn presents their sentencing memo [see here] to support the special counsel recommendation. However, within the memo the Flynn team smartly uses pre-approved (by Special Counsel) language to highlight how the FBI structured the set up Yes, Flynn’s lawyers had to get permission to write this:
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a 35-page sentencing memo (full pdf below) recommending a two-year prison term for busted Senate Intelligence Committee Director of Security, James Wolfe. The DOJ is seeking a term of imprisonment above the guidelines for the plea of lying to federal investigators.
The DOJ sentencing recommendation outlines the events surrounding the FBI investigation of Wolfe, and provides a more fulsome picture of the issues faced when a top-tier staff member of the legislative branch is suspected of leaking classified intelligence.
The DOJ notes the challenge presented when the executive branch is investigating a critical internal office of the legislative branch. While James Wolfe was never actually charged with leaking classified documents, the type of leaks he participated in and the resulting media reports which drew from his information network – certainly implies there was classified documentary evidence leaked; the DOJ claims they cannot prove it.
Given the direct evidence of corrupt and politically motivated conduct by officials within the DOJ and FBI the sentencing memo is an interesting read with multiple facets for consideration. (more…)
The CFO of Huawei has been released on bail pending her extradition hearing to the United States. Ms. Meng will have to wear and ankle monitor and travel with security agents until her next hearing on February 6th.
(Via NBC) A Vancouver judge set a $10 million CAD bail ($7.5 million U.S.) for Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou Tuesday, capping a week of increasing trade tensions and strong market reactions around the dispute between the Department of Justice and one of China’s largest hardware companies.
The United States had asked the Vancouver court to deny bail for Meng, whose father is a billionaire and a founder of Huawei, calling her a flight risk. Canada has been expected to extradite Meng to the United States over charges that the company improperly took payments from Iran in violation of sanctions against the country.
A known individual on a “terror watch list” opened fire at a Christmas Market in Strasbourg France.
[Via NBC] Two people are dead and at least 11 injured in a shooting Tuesday night in the French city of Strasbourg, with police searching for a suspect who is on a terrorist watch list.
The shooting took place around 8 p.m. near a Christmas market in the French-German border city of Strasbourg that attracts millions of tourists every year.
Early this morning China transmitted and interesting tweet position that was/is a transparent display of their panda mask. In essence the panda play was a call for team USA to drop the zero-sum outlook and seek a win/win. Given the historic nature of Chinese negotiations the tweet was rather funny. However, it does highlight the dance.
Additionally, a few hours later President Trump tweeted about ongoing U.S-China trade discussions and something to watch for: Moments ago we received the first indications of Chairman Xi’s panda play:
(Via Wall Street Journal) China agreed to reduce tariffs on U.S. autos to 15%, down from 40% currently, during a phone call with U.S. officials that opened the latest round of trade talks aimed at settling a trade dispute festering between the world’s two largest economic powers, according to a person familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump invites the media to stick around and watch as he highlights the resistance between his administration and democrats on border security.
Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer are very uncomfortable allowing the media to hear their resistance discussion.
Backstory: According to an email chain between Google executives obtained by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and Breitbart News, Google’s Multicultural Marketing development head Eliana Murillo sent out an email November 9th, 2016, detailing how Google had “supported partners like Voto Latino to pay for rides to the polls in key states,” which she characterized as a “silent donation.”
“We even helped them create ad campaigns to promote the rides (with support from HOLA folks who rallied and volunteered their time to help),” Murillo said. “We supported Voto Latino to help them land an interview with Sen. Meza of Arizona (key state for us) to talk about the election and how to use Google search to find information about how to vote. They were a strong partner, among many in this effort.”
Jim Jordan questions Google CEO Sundar Pichai about their specific political bias.
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These answers ring especially hollow when you remember the video of Google CEO Sundar Pichai and all top executives discussing their sadness at the result of the 2016 election. See below: (more…)
A relatively rare interview with a key senior advisor and emissary for President Trump, Jared Kushner. Topics include: the upcoming chief of staff position; federal prison reform and the first-step act; and the ongoing dialogue in the middle east.
An interesting legal development (full pdf below) in the aftermath of the mysterious FBI raid on protected FBI whistleblower Nate Cain. [Backstory] The DOJ wants the details behind the search warrant to remain under seal, and the whistleblower target of that warrant -who was not arrested- is accusing the DOJ-FBI of being a police state:
Something about this entire story is just not adding up. The whistleblower came forward to the IG with information about how the FBI covered-up for the Clintons during investigations about the Clinton Foundation. The IG gave the whistleblower protection, confirmed anonymity, and passed on his documentary evidence to the Senate Intelligence Committee (SSCI). Then the whistleblower gets raided.
From the outset the DOJ and IG claims don’t match the DOJ and FBI conduct. Even Senator Chuck Grassley has questions. (more…)
