Federal prosecutors submitted a court filing opposing any efforts to unseal the document laying out probable cause for the search. The filing came just days after they agreed to release a copy of the warrant itself as well as a receipt listing the materials that were seized during the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Archiv: US Department of Justice (DOJ)
Dear Director Wray: The FBI’s unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence is a shocking escalation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of law-enforcement resources against its political opponents.
(August 15, 2022)
The American people deserve transparency and accountability from our most senior law-enforcement officials in the executive branch. We will settle for nothing but your complete
cooperation with our inquiry.
Under the Biden Administration, the Justice Department has shattered public confidence in the equal application of justice. The Department has filed politically motivated lawsuits against Republican-led states on policies disfavored by the Biden Administration, artificially inflated domestic violent extremism statistics to advance the Biden Administration’s political narrative, used counterterrorism resources to target parents at school board meetings opposed to policies supported by the Biden Administration, and selectively prosecuted and investigated political opponents of the Biden Administration. These actions not only undermine the stated mission of the Department, they violate the most fundamental tenets of our country.
House Judiciary GOP seeks White House, DOJ and FBI documents on Mar-a-Lago search
“The FBI’s unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence is a shocking escalation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of law-enforcement resources against its political opponents,” read the letters led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), ranking member on the committee. “We will settle for nothing but your complete cooperation with our inquiry.”
The Republicans seek communications “referring or relating” to the decision to execute and seek the search warrant.
Former Trump official Michael Caputo blasts FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid: ‚Full-blown constitutional crisis‘
„America is in a full-blown constitutional crisis. The American people have endured a slow, creeping attack on our nation. I had a front row seat in the Russia hoax, and I’ve watched it get steadily and methodically worse ever since,“ Caputo said.
„With this militant raid on President Trump’s home, we have become Russia. The FBI is the KGB. I should know. I’ve seen them both in action and I see no difference at all,“ he said.
Representative Scott Perry says the F.B.I. seized his cellphone.
“My phone contains info about my legislative and political activities, and personal/private discussions with my wife, family, constituents and friends. None of this is the government’s business,” Mr. Perry said. “As with President Trump last night, D.O.J. chose this unnecessary and aggressive action instead of simply contacting my attorneys. These kinds of banana republic tactics should concern every citizen.”
(…)
It was not immediately clear why the F.B.I. had seized Mr. Perry’s phone. A spokeswoman for the congressman did not respond right away to a follow-up question, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Anklage gegen Julian Assange bricht zusammen: Gekaufter Zeuge packt aus
(29.06.2021)
Ohne Regen wollen wir am Sa., 3. Juli ab 17h eine Geburtstags-Sonder-Mahnwache vor der US Botschaft am Brandenburger Tor in Berlin abhalten. An vielen Orten wird am Samstag für die Freilassung des illegal inhaftierten Journalisten und Whistleblowers demonstriert.
Assange kein Hacker – Das Ende des Verfahrens gegen Julian Assange? Kronzeuge hat gelogen!
(29.06.2021)
Der Kronzeuge Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson gab gegenüber der isländischen Zeitung Stundin zu, seine Vorwürfe gegen Assange nur erfunden zu haben. Bis zu 175 Jahre Gefängnis drohen dem australischen Journalisten und WikiLeaks-Gründer Julian Assange im Falle einer Auslieferung in die USA.
Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment
(26.06.2021)
The witness, who has a documented history with sociopathy and has received several convictions for sexual abuse of minors and wide-ranging financial fraud, made the admission in a newly published interview in Stundin where he also confessed to having continued his crime spree whilst working with the Department of Justice and FBI and receiving a promise of immunity from prosecution.
The man in question, Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, was recruited by US authorities to build a case against Assange after misleading them to believe he was previously a close associate of his.
SolarWinds, Microsoft, FireEye, CrowdStrike defend actions in major hack – U.S. Senate hearing
Lawmakers started the hearing by criticizing Amazon representatives, who they said were invited to testify and whose servers were used to launch the cyberattack, for declining to attend the hearing.
SolarWinds breach launched from within the United States
Neuberger notably said the attack, which compromised „9 federal agencies and about 100 private companies,“ was launched from inside the United States.
SolarWinds shares are down 1.4%. Two security names closely tied to the hack, FireEye (FEYE -3.2%) and CrowdStrike (CRWD -2.5%), are also in the red.
Biden administration says investigation into SolarWinds hack is likely to take „several months“
The US government’s probe into the devastating SolarWinds breach is likely to take „several months“ at least, according to the top White House cybersecurity official, speaking to reporters Wednesday in the Biden administration’s first public assessment of the gravity of the suspected Russian spying campaign.
Live: FBI, Justice Department Hold Briefing On Capitol Riots | NBC News
Watch live coverage as members of the FBI and Justice Department provide updates on the investigation into the attack a pro-Trump mob executed at the U.S. Capitol.
“My first thought was that the Iranians had followed through on their threat to strike the Capitol” -an actual US senator
NEW: FBI and DOJ to hold 3 p.m. ET news conference on Wednesday’s storming of the US Capitol, DOJ announces.
Deutsche Bank Agrees to Pay over $130 Million to Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Fraud Case
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Bank or the Company) has agreed to pay more than $130 million to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and a separate investigation into a commodities fraud scheme.
The resolution includes criminal penalties of $85,186,206, criminal disgorgement of $681,480, victim compensation payments of $1,223,738, and $43,329,622 to be paid to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in a coordinated resolution.
Auch deutsche Firmen betroffen – Was über den US-Hackerangriff bekannt ist
Nach einem schweren Hackerangriff auf Behörden und Institutionen in den USA ist nach wie vor unklar, wer dahinter steckt.
Trump contradicts Pompeo, plays down alleged Russian role in cyberattack
Trump’s comments in the form of Twitter posts on Saturday went against comments his secretary of state made less than 24 hours earlier.
SolarWinds, the company at the center of the attack, has not yet blamed any one country.
SolarWinds breach raises stakes for NDAA Trump still threatens to veto
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said the breach makes a clear case for the work of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and the cyber provisions that made it into the annual defense policy bill passed by the House and Senate.
“This is the most important bill on cyber ever passed by Congress, and that’s why I’m really hoping that the president will either sign the bill or let it become law without a signature, because there is so much critically important material in the bill,” King said during an annual summit hosted by Defense One.
Pompeo macht Moskau für Cyberangriff verantwortlich
Der Angriff weitet sich stetig aus. Nicht nur werden immer mehr Betroffene bekannt, darunter die US-Atombehörde und der Softwarehersteller Microsoft, es wurde zudem offenbar weitere Software für die laut US-Behörden sehr ausgefeilten Angriffe manipuliert.
Congressional backers cite cybersecurity provisions as they push Trump to sign defense bill
The massive defense bill that President Donald Trump is threatening to veto contains provisions for increased cybersecurity, which has taken on significantly more importance in the wake of a massive cyberattack on federal agencies at the hands of suspected Russian hackers.
The National Defense Authorization Act includes pay raises for America’s soldiers, modernizations for equipment and provisions to require more scrutiny before troops are withdrawn from Germany or Afghanistan.
After government hack, media mum on ex-cybersecurity chief highlighted for contradicting Trump’s fraud claims
„As I said in a news briefing, Election Day was ‘just another Tuesday on the Internet,’“ he wrote. „Normal sorts of scanning and probing were happening, but we did not see any successful attacks or damaging disruptions.“
Yet hackers were arms deep in a slew of federal agencies. The infiltration, believed to have been conducted by the Russians, appears to have compromised the Departments of Energy, State, Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury and Commerce. His name did not appear in CNN’s story about CISA and the hack published Thursday.
FBI, CISA officially confirm US govt hacks after SolarWinds breach
(17.12.2020)
The compromise of multiple US federal networks following the SolarWinds breach was officially confirmed for the first time in a joint statement released earlier today by the FBI, DHS-CISA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
„Over the course of the past several days, the FBI, CISA, and ODNI have become aware of a significant and ongoing cybersecurity campaign,“ the US intelligence agencies said …
DHS, DOJ And DOD Are All Customers Of SolarWinds Orion, The Source Of The Huge US Government Hack
Though it’s not clear whether it uses the Orion tool, the DHS’s own Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is a SolarWinds customer too, buying $45,000-worth of licenses in 2019. The U.S. Cyber Command also spent over $12,000 on SolarWinds tools in the same year.
SolarWinds, a publicly-listed Austin, Texas-based company with a value of over $6 billion, has its own customer list, though it doesn’t break down which products clients use. That list includes more than 425 of the Fortune 500, all major US telecoms providers, the top five U.S. accounting firms, hundreds of global universities, the NSA and the White House.
Lawmakers ask whether massive hack amounted to act of war
Hackers believed to be part of a nation state have had access to federal networks since March after exploiting a vulnerability in updates to IT group SolarWinds’s Orion software. The hack has compromised the Treasury, State and Homeland Security departments and branches of the Pentagon, though it is expected to get worse. SolarWinds counts many more federal agencies as customers, along with the majority of U.S. Fortune 500 companies.
Justizminister erlaubt Ermittlungen zu Wahlbetrug
US-Justizminister William Barr hat Medienberichten zufolge Staatsanwälten die Erlaubnis erteilt, Vorwürfe des Wahlbetrugs noch vor Bekanntgabe der Endergebnisse zu untersuchen.
Barr authorizes Justice to probe any ’substantial allegations‘ of voter fraud
Attorney General William Barr has authorized the Department of Justice to investigate any „substantial allegations“ of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Barr wrote that investigations “may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State.”
Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into Russia probe won’t be public before election
Trump has ramped up his criticism of Barr in recent days as he seeks to make the origins of the Russia probe a major election issue. The president has long cast the Russia investigation as a political hoax meant to undermine him and has called for the indictment of his political enemies, including former President Barack Obama and former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Former CIA Director John Brennan on ethics of intelligence, challenges to democracy
(07.10.2020)
– Recent declassifications by DNI John Ratcliffe: „I thought it was a outrageous, appalling and blatant act of politicization that he released, very selectively, some intelligence that was provided then to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is right now engaged in, I think, a very partisan effort to try to debunk the necessary investigative efforts of the FBI that looked into Russian interference in the 2016 election.“
Trump’s spy chief declassified unverified Russian intelligence despite concerns raised by CIA and NSA
(30.09.2020)
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence despite concerns being raised by the CIA and National Security Agency, according to people briefed on the matter.
Career officials in the intelligence agencies were concerned about declassifying the information because it was unverified and they believed it could reveal sources and methods. Ratcliffe overrode those concerns and sent the document to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, the people sa
Comey knocks Barr’s attacks on the Russia probe: ‚I have no idea what on Earth he is talking about‘
(30.09.2020)
Graham pointed to the documents declassified Tuesday by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe — which summarized unverified Russian intelligence that Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign was trying to „stir up a scandal“ by tying Trump to Russia — arguing they showed the FBI’s double standard in not investigating Clinton and Russia.
One Republicans senator even asked Comey about the Democratic allegations he had swung the 2016 election to Trump by releasing information about the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s emails.
BREAKING: Newly Declassified Documents Show Hillary May Have Set Up the Russia Hoax
(29.09.2020)
“According to his handwritten notes, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the ‘alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.’”
„On 07 September 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding ‘U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server,’” the letter continues.
Barr: Coronavirus lockdowns ‚greatest intrusion on civil liberties‘ since slavery
„Even the most well-meaning people can do great damage if they lose perspective,“ Barr added. „The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say. Individual prosecutors can sometimes become headhunters, consumed with taking down their target.“
Iran – Venezuela: USA beschlagnahmen vier Öltanker
(14.08.2020)
Der Iran bestreitet jede Verbindung zu den Tankschiffen. Die Beschlagnahmung der vier Tankschiffe „Bella“, „Bering“, „Pandi“ und „Luna“ wurde laut dem Ministerium bereits im Juli angeordnet.
U.S. Seizes Four Iranian Tankers Carrying Fuel to Venezuela
(14.08.2020)
The tankers were transporting 1.116 million barrels of petroleum, which has now been confiscated after help from “foreign partners,” the Justice Department said in a statement Friday. It is not clear where the ships were at the time of the seizures because they had all turned off their satellite-tracking systems to avoid detection between May and July, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Federal agents use tear gas to clear Portland protesters, police say they find Molotov cocktails
„Ammunition and destructive devices recovered by Portland Police in the area of this incident at around the same time appear to be unrelated,“ Portland police said. Police did not say whether the shooting was related to the protests.
More than 2,000 Portland demonstrators take to street for 57th night in a row, clash with feds
“They’re anarchists,” Trump said. “That’s even, that’s a level that people haven’t seen but they’re anarchists.“
On Wednesday, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler and hundreds of others were objecting to the presence of federal police sent by Trump, who previously labeled the demonstrators as “agitators & anarchists” after Wheeler was gassed.
Portland City Council bans local police from working with federal law enforcement
The measure, which was passed on Wednesday, orders all members of the Portland Police Department to stop giving or receiving „operational support“ from officers representing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Marshal Service, Federal Protective Service and Customs and Border Protection, according to local news reports. Under the resolution, police are also banned from overseeing demonstrations alongside federal officers.
Trump Threatens to Send Federal Law Enforcement Forces to More Cities
The president portrayed the nation’s cities as out of control. “Look at what’s going on — all run by Democrats, all run by very liberal Democrats. All run, really, by radical left,” Mr. Trump said. He added: “If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And we’re not going to let it go to hell.”
Democrats said the president was the one out of control.
Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police
Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. “What we’ve seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters,” says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal violence follows many years of “severe police brutality” from local police. “It’s left the people of Portland not only worried about their safety, but, even more so, justified in the fight that we’re engaged in.”
“Camouflaged Goon Squads”: Outrage, Legal Challenges in Portland as Federal Agents Snatch Protesters
The U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon has called for an investigation into the conduct of federal officers deployed to protests in Portland, calling their behavior “unlawful.” Local officials are also mounting legal challenges to remove the agents from city streets. Juan Chavez, project director and attorney at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, says it’s a terrifying situation for Portland residents who face “these camouflaged goon squads” who often refuse to identify themselves or their agencies. “They just appear in the middle of the night next to people who are in and around downtown who then get corralled into these vehicles, not told where or who’s picking them up,” he says.
UNHINGED: Dem Rep. Clyburn Compares Federal Law Enforcement To Nazi Germany Gestapo
Democrat Congresswoman Jim Clyburn compared federal law enforcement to Nazi Germany Gestapo, when he appeared on CNN on 7/20/2020.
Rand Paul: ‚No place‘ for feds ‚rounding people up at will‘ in Portland
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appear to have increasingly abused emergency authorities to justify the use of force against Americans exercising their right to peaceful assembly,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
House Democrats ask watchdogs to probe federal crackdown on protests
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appear to have increasingly abused emergency authorities to justify the use of force against Americans exercising their right to peaceful assembly,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
Aaron Swartz’s Partner Accuses DOJ Of Lying, Seizing Evidence Without A Warrant & Withholding Exculpatory Evidence
Yesterday we wrote about Attorney General Eric Holder’s ridiculous claims defending the prosecution of Aaron Swartz. We noted two key things that were ridiculous. First, Holder insisted that Swartz was only facing a few months in jail (he implied 5 months, tops) and scolded the media for claiming it was 35 years. As we noted it was the US Attorneys‘ own press release that trumpeted the 35 years. More importantly, the few months in prison was only if he agreed to plead guilty.