Tales Of The New Crown: Children's Villages Gets The Cooties - The Path Of No Return - Michigan's Kids For Cash

I am quite sure you know how I feel about Children's Village.

A Plausible Explanation As To Why WXYZ Released Ann Marie LaFlamme - The Well Of Tiny Humans

In the child welfare system, once you enter, there is no return to your station of life in the hierarchy of chattel law.

It is just a salvific thing, more intuitively recognized as "Kids For Cash".

#maytheheavensfall

5 staffers, 4 residents test positive for COVID-19 at Children's Village detention facility

The Path of No Return

Oakland County Children's Village seen on Thursday, July 9, 2015 in Pontiac, MI. 

Nine staffers and residents have tested positive for the coronavirus at Oakland County Children's Village and 17 other employees are self-isolating at home for 14 days.

County health officials are working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the juvenile detention facility after an employee tested positive Sept. 3, according to a statement from the county.

Since then, four more staff members and four residents have tested positive. All were close contacts of each other and were connected to one building. They are in isolation, the county stated.

The county health division has not determined the source of the original exposure.

Children's Village, located in Pontiac, offers detention, residential treatment and shelter care services to children and youth who come under the jurisdiction of the court and are deemed to be temporarily in need of out-of-home care, custody and treatment.

It has seven buildings, but only six are being used right now because the population is low, said Bill Mullan, spokesman for County Executive Dave Coulter.

Mullan said the outbreak occurred in residential treatment. He said three employees and two residents had symptoms.

There are 73 residents and 188 full-time employees at Children's Villages, the county stated in its release.

The health division conducted a contact investigation that required 17 additional employees to self-isolate.

It also tested all Children's Village employees and residents for the virus and will continue to do so until all results are negative, according to the county.

Nearby, the Oakland County Jail, the lockup for adults, reported no cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, Undersheriff Mike McCabe said.

Jail officials were sued earlier this year in federal court related to inmate care amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sheriff's office won an appeal in July.

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Prelude To Detroit: Where In The World Is Paul Whelan?

And the chaos escalates...

https://beverlytran.blogspot.com/search?q=paul+whelan

US Embassy in Moscow: No info on Paul Whelan’s whereabouts

Paul Whelan

Moscow – The US Embassy in Moscow said Tuesday it had no information on the whereabouts of an American convicted in June of espionage, despite reports that he is being transferred to a prison colony in central Russia.

Paul Whelan’s brother David said Tuesday on Twitter that he “appears to now be in Mordovia, on his way to prison camp IK-17.” The republic of Mordovia, about 350 kilometers (210 miles) east of Moscow, is home to several prison camps.

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, who was arrested in Moscow at the end of last year, was detained at the end of December for alleged spying.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, who was arrested in Moscow at the end of last year, was detained at the end of December for alleged spying. (Photo: Pavel Golovkin, AP)

The Interfax news agency cited David Whelan as saying he received the information from the British Embassy. Paul Whelan holds US, British, Irish and Canadian citizenship.

US Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Ross said on Twitter: “We have not received official notification from Russian authorities of any such move, despite our repeated recent attempts to gain consular access to Paul.”

Whelan, a former corporate security executive from Michigan, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018; he was convicted in June and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan’s lawyer has said his client was handed a flash drive that had classified information on it that he didn’t know about.

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Prelude To Detroit: Putin, Pompeo, Whelan, Tony Perkins, Guatanamo & Trafficking Tiny Humans

I bet Mike Pompeo wants Paul Whelan home really, super uber badly, right about now because it seems Russia is working with the U.S. to take down, and take out that industry of trafficking tiny humans, but, hey, what do I know?

I know we are in Detroit.

According to Wikipedia, here is the Guatanamo List exchange:

The "Guantanamo List" (Russian: список Гуантанамо) is the list of US politicians and citizens barred from the entrance into Russia for being responsible for human rights abuses, primarily in Guantanamo Bay detention camp, a "symmetric response" to the Magnitsky List.^[1]HistoryInitially the list contained 11 US officials responsible to running the Guantanamo prison was compiled in December 2012.^[2] The Russian law to match the Magnitsky Act was signed by Vladimir Putin on January 28, 2012.^[2] In January 2013 a Russian Parliamentarian Aleksey Pushkov announced that the list was expanded to 60 persons, to include people related to the prosecution of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, described as politically motivated, and of a Russian drug dealer Konstantin Yaroshenko, allegedly kidnapped by the USA in Liberia.^[1]In April 2013, the finalized list was published to include 18 US officials, four of which were related to Guantanamo and 12 were declared responsible to human rights violations with regard to Russian citizens abroad.^[3]In July 2014, the Guantanamo list was expanded with 10 people responsible for Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse and 2 more related to Guantanamo, a symmetric response to the American List of individuals sanctioned during the Ukrainian crisis.^[4]List of banned people[edit]The people banned from Russia are listed below: US officials involved in legalizing torture and indefinite detention of prisoners:

• David Addington, Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney (2005–2009)

• John Yoo, Assistant US Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice (2001–2003)

• Geoffrey D. Miller, retired US Army Major General, commandant of Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), the organization that runs the Guantanamo Bay detention camps (2002–2003)

• Jeffrey Harbeson, US Navy officer, commandant of JTF-GTMO (2010–2012)

The Russian lawmakers also banned several U.S. officials involved in the prosecution and trial of Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout and drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko, both serving prison time in the United States:

• Jed Rakoff, Senior US District Judge for the Southern District of New York

• Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York

• Michael J. Garcia, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York

• Brendan R. McGuire, Assistant US Attorney

• Anjan S. Sahni, Assistant US Attorney

• Christian R. Everdell, Assistant US Attorney

• Jenna Minicucci Dabbs, Assistant US Attorney

• Christopher L. Lavigne, Assistant US Attorney

• Michael Max Rosensaft, Assistant US Attorney

• Louis J. Milione, Special Agent, US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Sam Gaye, Senior Special Agent, US DEA

• Robert F. Zachariasiewicz, Special Agent, US DEA

• Derek S. Odney, Special Agent, US DEA

• Gregory A. Coleman, Special Agent, US Federal Bureau of Investigation

Pompeo rips Russia over spying conviction for former Marine

#maytheheavensfall

Lawyer: Appeal of Whelan's conviction, 16-year sentence likely in next two weeks

A Michigan security executive convicted of spying on the Russian government could appeal his 16-year sentence in a maximum-security prison colony within the next couple of weeks, according to one of his Russian lawyers. 

Olga Karlova and Vladimir Zherebenkov plan to review next with Whelan the details of the appeal, which must be filed within about 10 days of sentencing. 

It is unlikely that Whelan, 50, of Novi will serve his sentence at a maximum-security labor camp because "he is too important," Karlova said. 

Whelan's family has expressed worry over the sentence but noted the verdict also might trigger further involvement from diplomats seeking some kind of deal to secure Whelan's release. 

"The Russian government has been clear, through statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that it expected to extract concessions but that Paul's inclusion in those discussion would only happen after a conviction," Paul's brother, David Whelan, said in a statement Monday. "That time is here."

Karlova on Monday said she and Zherebenkov have heard rumors of an exchange with the United States for Victor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko. Bout is a Russian arms trader convicted in 2011 of conspiring to sell weapons to Colombian rebels, while Yaroshenk is a Russian pilot arrested for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S., according to the Associated Press.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Monday that the United States is outraged with the Monday ruling, which occurred after a "secret trial, with secret evidence, and without appropriate allowances for defense witnesses." 

Pompeo demanded Whelan's release. 

"We have serious concerns that Mr. Whelan was deprived of the fair trial guarantees that Russia is required to provide him in accordance with its international human rights obligations," he said.

Whelan, a former U.S. Marine and director of global security for Auburn Hills auto parts supplier BorgWarner, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 and charged with espionage, which carries an up to 20-year prison sentence.  Russia’s Federal Security Service arrested him at his hotel after agents allegedly found a USB drive with classified information in his room.

His family has said he was visiting the city for a friend's wedding. 

Whelan has told reporters in Moscow that a Russian friend in law enforcement planted the storage drive without his knowledge. He has denied being a spy.

U.S. officials have decried Russia's handling of Whelan's case, noting there has been no credible evidence produced in court to show Whelans' guilt and prison officials at times have delayed Whelan's medical treatments.

“During his detention, Mr. Whelan has endured unimaginable hardships," Michigan's Congressional delegation said Monday. "He was denied necessary medical care until his condition required a life-saving emergency surgery. He was barred from speaking to his family for over a year. He has been threatened by prison guards. 

“Despite months of harsh and cruel treatment, we remain steadfast in our commitment to working with the Whelan family to end this nightmare. Mr. Whelan should not continue to be held as a political prisoner, and he should be allowed to return home to his family in Michigan immediately.”

David Whelan also criticized the sentence Monday and called on President Donald Trump "to bring Paul home."

"The court's decision merely completes the final piece of this broken judicial process," David Whelan said. "We had hoped that the court might show some independence, but, in the end, Russian judges are political, not legal, entities."

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Prelude To Detroit: Will Paul Whelan Do Hard Labor Or Will Pompeo Continue To Cloak CIA Trafficking Tiny Humans Operations?

SOS Children's Villages

Paul Whelan is about to do hard labor in a Russian prison camp.

I bet that sucks.

Mike Pompeo wants Paul to come home.

I bet that will suck for Pompeo when Paul comes home due to the fact that we are dealing with stealin' the children, land & vote because the CIA is the one who crafted the U.S. Child Welfare System.

I just do not understand how people so readily forget that Pompeo was running in the aeronautics industry before he got a law license, long before he was appointed by Trump to be CIA Director, which means he already knows what is going on with Whelan.

According to Wikipedia:

In 1998, Pompeo moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he and three other West Point friends, Brian Bulatao, Ulrich Brechbuhl, and Michael Stradinger, acquired three aircraft-part manufacturers there (Aero Machine, Precision Profiling, B&B Machine) and in St. Louis (Advance Tool & Die), renaming the entity Thayer Aerospace after West Point superintendent Sylvanus Thayer.[23][24][25] Venture funding for the private organization included a nearly 20% investment from Koch Industries [26] as well as Dallas-based Cardinal Investment, and Bain & Company (Brechbuhl worked for Bain at the time).[27][23] Brechbuhl and Stradinger left the company shortly after it was founded, but Pompeo and Bulatao continued.

In 2006, he sold his interest in the company, which by then had been renamed Nex-Tech Aerospace, to Highland Capital Management, which had clients including Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream Aerospace, Cessna Aircraft, Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems and Raytheon Aircraft.[28] Pompeo then became president of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment manufacturer that was also a partner of Koch Industries.[29]

In 2017, when Pompeo became head of the CIA, he named his former business partner, Brian Bulatao, the agency's chief operating officer.[24]

Then, this happened....

Pompeo denies impropriety in firing of State Dept. watchdog

Secretary of State Mike Pom... by Ebony Bowden on Scribd

Mike Pompeo is from Kansas, the very same state which hosts the fake ass foreign money laundering National Alliance of Children's Trust & Prevention Funds for all the States, which started in Detroit, where Sam Brownback is running the international ops for Faith Base Funding through USAID.

But, hey, what do I know?

I know this happened....

Prelude To Detroit: The Unholy Alliance Of Bill Barr, Mark Esper & Mike Pompeo Falsely Advise Trump To Block ICC War Crimes Prosecutions Of Afghanistan Trafficking Tiny Humans

I know we are in Detroit because it all started in Detroit.

Michigan man to be sentenced in Moscow, faces 18 years in labor camp

After nearly 18 months in prison, Michigan's Paul Whelan is expected to be sentenced Monday in Moscow as his espionage trial there concludes.

Prosecutors are seeking up to 18 years in a labor camp, which Whelan's family and attorneys consider particularly harsh, Whelan's twin brother David said.

Whelan, 50, of Novi has maintained his innocence. His attorneys pressed for acquittal.

His family doesn't really know what’s going to happen Monday, but they expect Whelan will be automatically convicted under Russia's justice system, which involves no due process. A conviction in Russia, David said, means the defendant didn't confess.

"I’m concerned and anxious for Paul. No one wants to be sentenced to 18 years, even if it’s for show. He is the one who will face going to a labor camp in 30 days," David said. "But I really am very hopeful that finally that’s out of the way."

The family is eager for the verdict because that means Whelan can finally move to the next step, where diplomats become heavily involved.

The Russian foreign ministry has indicated during the last year its interest in trading the American for certain Russian prisoners or for access to diplomatic properties the they've been denied access to in New York and Maryland, David said.

"Conviction is a necessary occurrence, so that Paul can then be considered in that potential for whatever concession the Russian government is looking for," David said.

"The sentence is almost immaterial because we don’t want him to have any of the sentence over there. It’s much more about getting past this procedural milestone, so on the government-to-government side they can have discussions about some sort of future exchange."

Paul Whelan, who grew up in Ann Arbor, was arrested in December 2018 in a Moscow hotel room and charged with espionage, which carries up to 20 years in prison in Russia.

The former U.S. Marine was director of global security for auto parts supplier BorgWarner in Auburn Hills and was visiting Moscow for a friend's wedding, according to his family.

He has denied being a spy and urged President Donald Trump to intervene, telling reporters in Moscow that a Russian friend in law enforcement planted a hard drive on him without his knowing.

Russian media reported during the trial that Paul believes Ilya Yatsenko, an FSB agent, set him up to avoid repaying a $1,400 loan to Paul, David said. The FSB is the successor agency to the communist KGB secret police.

In prison, Paul was denied treatment for a painful hernia that worsened and led to emergency surgery two weeks ago. He was transferred back to Lefortovo prison the next day, David said.

U.S. lawmakers and diplomats have repeatedly urged Russia to send Paul home, criticizing the fairness of the judicial process, the lack of evidence against him and the conditions in which he's been held.

“We ... call on Russia to do the same for Paul Whelan, who needs to be released now," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Wednesday in Washington.

Ryan Fayhee, the Whelan family's attorney, has said Paul doesn't fit the profile of a spy, as the U.S. government wouldn't send someone to engage in intelligence gathering without diplomatic cover.

It's unclear why Paul was arrested — whether it was carefully orchestrated or was the product of negligence, said Fayhee, who worked in the Justice Department's counter-espionage section.

"What is clear is that Paul is not a spy and that he has subsequently been held, isolated from his family and subjected to a secret 'trial' that will lead to its forgone conclusion," Fayhee said Friday.

"This has all been done to seek some advantage or to extract some benefit from the U.S. government, as has been made quite clear time and again openly by Russian officials."

As a matter of policy, U.S. officials have necessarily been deferential to the Russian judicial process, Fayhee said, but once there is a conviction that deference will cease on both sides.

"And so, optimistically, Paul’s family very much hopes that with Paul’s conviction, a more intensive political process can begin after 18 long months," Fayhee said.

"We hope and expect, come Monday, the full court press will begin. ... We look forward to the coming engagement, whatever it brings."

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Tales Of The Crown: Paul Whelan Can Never Get The Cooties Because Moscow Is On Lockdown

Paul Whelan cannot get the cooties because he is already in custody.

DUH.

Moscow is on lockdown.

I bet Detroit, being its sister city in stealin' the children, land & votes, will coincide in its pending lockdown.

'Cybergulag': Russia looks to surveillance technology to enforce lockdown

#maytheheavensfall

Russian prison denies delivery of protective gear for Paul Whelan amid pandemic

"I'd rather have the cooties."

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Russian prison authorities denied protective health gear for Michigan's Paul Whelan, who remains in solitary confinement in Moscow as his espionage trial is delayed, his family said.

U.S. Embassy staff were able to deliver food last week for Whelan to Lefortovo prison, but prison officials would not accept the personal protective equipment, said David Whelan, Paul's twin brother.

"They took masks, gloves and wipes, and all were refused," David Whelan said Thursday. "Since then, Moscow has been locked down, and Paul will not have outside visitors for some time."

Whelan, 50, of Novi was arrested 15 months ago in a Moscow hotel room and charged with espionage, which carries up to 20 years in prison in Russia.

Paul Whelan of Novi has been imprisoned since his arrest for  alleged spying in Moscow on Dec. 28, 2018.
Paul Whelan of Novi has been imprisoned since his arrest for alleged spying in Moscow on Dec. 28, 2018. (Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP)

The former U.S. Marine, who was director of global security for auto parts supplier BorgWarner in Auburn Hills, has denied the charges and has urged President Donald Trump to intervene.

Whelan has told reporters in Moscow that a Russian friend planted a hard drive on him without his knowing.

U.S. lawmakers and diplomats have urged Russia to produce credible evidence against Whelan or release him from custody. He's not been able to speak to his family since his arrest.

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The trial for Whelan was expected to begin last month but was pushed back. His next hearing has been postponed until April 13, David Whelan said.

"Unless the pandemic precautions in Moscow change, that date is likely to be rescheduled as well," he said.

The Whelan family continues to sound alarms about Paul's health in prison, especially the denial of medical intervention for a preexisting hernia, and about his treatment and isolation by Russian authorities.


"The prison's inability to handle even the most rudimentary medical issues doesn't give us much confidence" amid the coronavirus outbreak, David Whelan said.

"The prison has apparently taken precautions, including changing how Lefortovo is staffed, in order to minimize the risk. But they could go one better by releasing Paul — and the couple of dozen other Americans held in Russia — and give him an opportunity to protect himself from the virus back home in the USA."

David Whelan said he's monitoring Russian media for news of any infections in the Russian prison system, and has not seen any reported so far.

John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, met with Whelan last week when he was in court for a hearing.

"There's no evidence & clearly no crime," Sullivan tweeted Thursday. "We all want to see Paul go home. Now."

AmbSullivan: “Today I spoke at length with members of US Congress about #PaulWhelan. They share my concern for Paul’s health & wellbeing & isolation from family during these difficult days. There’s no evidence & clearly no crime. We all want to see Paul go home. Now.” @mfa_russia

— Rebecca Ross (@USEmbRuPress) April 2, 2020

He spoke by phone Thursday with Michigan lawmakers on a call set up by U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, who represents Paul Whelan in Congress.

“For the last 15 months, we’ve sort of been locked in a pretty bad game with the Russians where they say we’re going to delay his trial, and then he has a trial date, and they delay it again,” Stevens said, noting the most recent delay was attributed to the pandemic.

“They have not produced any evidence and not properly tried this individual for 15 months.”

She said lawmakers asked Sullivan about Whelan's safety amid the pandemic and his potential exposure to the virus in prison.

"The State Department is taking that very seriously," Stevens said.

The Michigan delegation last year introduced a bipartisan resolution led by Stevens and the state's senators, urging Russia to reveal its evidence against Whelan or "immediately" release him from prison. The House adopted the measure, but the GOP-led Senate has not.

Having the Senate take up the resolution "would obviously be very significant," Stevens said.

"The goal and all this activity centers around ensuring his safety and his safe return home," she added.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Tipton Republican, said he told U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, that he would urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to take up the Whelan resolution and pass it.

Walberg, who participated in Thursday's call with Sullivan, said Whelan’s trial in mid-April before a three-judge panel could last three days or more, and the expectation is he will be automatically convicted under the Russian system, which involves no due process.

A verdict should allow diplomats to begin discussions about potentially trading Whelan for a convicted Russian national held in U.S. prison, Walberg said.

"This is only inference from past performance of the Russians relative to prisoners, but the assumption could be made that at some point in time the Russians are going to try to use Paul as a trading tool," said Walberg, whose district is home to Whelan's parents.

"Probably what ultimately needs to be done is have Paul convicted by the three-judge panel, and then those negotiations can probably start."

Walberg said his colleagues from Michigan also plan to send a letter to House members to stress their continuing concern about Whelan's uncertain trial date, his physical condition going unaddressed and his solitary confinement without any certainty about the charges or evidence against him.

"We need to do everything possible to draw attention to the injustice that is taking place with one of our citizens in a Russian jail right now," Walberg said.

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Paul Whelan Lost His Job - Mariia Butina Is Still Free

Well, I bet that sucks.

FUN  FACT!  PAUL WHELAN IS A CONSTITUENT OF MELISSA SLOTKIN

Novi man in prison in Russia loses job at BorgWarner

Paul Whelan

Paul Whelan, a Novi man held on spying charges in Russia, has had his job back in Michigan eliminated.

Automotive parts supplier BorgWarner eliminated Whelan's job on Friday, company officials confirmed, as Whelan approaches the one-year anniversary of his arrest and imprisonment in Russia.

BorgWarner spokeswoman Kathy Graham said on Wednesday that Whelan's job as director of global security for the auto parts supplier was eliminated as part of corporate restructuring efforts announced in April.

"His position was eliminated as part of that," Graham said.

Graham said the company worked through the proper channels to notify Whelan's representatives of the termination as he remains in Russian custody.

Whelan worked for Auburn Hills-based BorgWarner since January 2017 and was responsible for overseeing security at facilities around the world.

BorgWarner doesn't have any operations in Russia, although it has customers there, company officials have said. Graham has said previously that she didn't think Whelan had traveled to Russia on the company's behalf since he started working there.

Whelan’s family has said the 49-year-old Novi man was in Russia for a friend’s wedding when he was arrested Dec. 28 in a Moscow hotel room and charged with espionage.

His lawyers have said Whelan was framed and had no knowledge of the classified data on a flash drive he was handed as part of the alleged setup.

Whelan's brother, David, said in an email on Wednesday that Paul's health has declined and his life has "unraveled, collateral damage in the Russian Federation's geopolitical gamesmanship."

David said the firing from BorgWarner "increases the strain on our family's ability to keep some semblance of his former life ready for when he returns home."

David also said his brother will have another detention hearing around Christmas Day.

"Without action in Washington, D.C., to secure his freedom, his life will continue to unravel and Paul will end up spending many more months as a political prisoner of the Russian government," David said in the email.

In October, the U.S. House unanimously approved a resolution urging Russia to produce “credible” evidence against Whelan or “immediately” release him.

A former U.S. Marine, Whelan has been held in Lefortovo Prison for several months without Russian authorities presenting “evidence of supposed wrongdoing,” the resolution said.

Whelan's family and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have raised concerns about his declining health due to a hernia, as well as his treatment and isolation by authorities in Russia. A trial is not expected until early 2020.

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Elizabeth Whelan Wails For Her Brother

The voice of Elizabeth Whelan wails for her brother, Paul Whelan's release.

The trials start soon.

Release of Marine veteran jailed as spy in Russia called for by lawmakers

Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan, accompanied by Sen. Gary Peters., D-Mich., left, and Sen, Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., right, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, to call on Congress to pass a resolution condemning the Russian government for detaining Paul Whelan. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Canvas on Hold, Artist Elizabeth Whelan Works for Her Brother's Release
Noah Asimow
Saturday, October 5, 2019 - 6:30am

Bond movies are fun to watch. It’s a little different when your life becomes one.

But for the past year that has been the case for Chappaquiddick-based artist Elizabeth Whelan.

On. Dec. 28, 2018, Ms. Whelan’s brother Paul Whelan was arrested while he was in Moscow attending a wedding. Accused of international espionage, Paul Whelan has been held in the notorious Lefortovo prison for the past nine months.

Now Ms. Whelan has temporarily left her quiet life as a Martha’s Vineyard portrait artist and traded in her canvases for canvassing, moving to Washington D.C. in a tireless attempt to lobby all 535 members of Congress and the American ambassador in Russia, John Huntsman, for her brother’s release.

Letters are mailed to her brother but rarely received, Ms. Whelan said. — Jeanna Shepard
“I was literally in a Twitter spat with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the other weekend,” Ms. Whelan told the Gazette in an interview this week. “How often do you get in a Twitter spat with the state department of a foreign country — not to mention the one that is holding your brother hostage? When you talk about situations that you would have never dreamed of, I think that this one is pretty high on my list.”

Although the Russian government has not allowed her to contact Paul, her persistent work on Capitol Hill has played an instrumental role in the creation of two congressional resolutions that call on the Russian government to provide evidence of Mr. Whelan’s wrongdoing.

“I’m used to talking to people one-on-one for my portraits,” Ms. Whelan said. “But I’m not used to sitting at a table with all this fancy china laid out, and all of these very important people sitting across from me, in this historic room — and yelling. That is not what I do.”

Paul Whelan was arrested nine months ago. Since then, the Whelan family has undertaken an aggressive public relations campaign that has steadfastly asserted from day one that he is being unjustly held as a political chess piece. “Trade fodder,” she said. Ms. Whelan’s brothers, David and Andrew, have mobilized, sending weekly email updates, holding press conferences, and working with the governments of the three other countries where Paul holds citizenship — the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland.

That left Elizabeth to deal with the American politicians.

“I basically ended up being the more flexible person, making me the one who went to D.C,” Ms. Whelan said. “This is a political situation, and unfortunately only a political solution will bring it to an end . . . when I said that to my brothers in January, I had no idea what that was going to turn into.”

She started by meeting with Cong. Bill Keating and the representative from Paul’s home district in Michigan, Haley Stevens, learning how to run back and forth between different sides of Capitol Hill like the proverbial K-Street lobbyist she is not. Almost a year later, Ms. Whelan has made contact with hundreds of members of Congress, non-governmental organizations, advocacy groups and embassies. But because the United States government isn’t calling Paul a hostage, she hasn’t gotten any help from the alphabet soup of bureaucrats and secret service agents whose job it is to bring home Americans who are being held hostage abroad.

“So what’s happened is that Elizabeth Whelan is running around D.C. trying to make her own fusion cell,” Ms. Whelan said.

“It’s crazy, because when I go to these meetings and talk to the Deputy Secretary of State, they aren’t telling me they are going to take care of this and get him out,” she added. “They are giving me suggestions about what I should do. And I tell them, I am more than happy to call President Putin myself and discuss the situation of my brother’s detention with him. But I will not meet with him in person because, as my brother David says, no Whelan will be going to Russia until Russia returns the Whelan they already have.”

With persistence, she has made inroads in Washington. The joint resolutions now in front of both the House and Senate say that if the Russians continue to not provide evidence of Paul’s purported crimes, he must be returned. A week after they were introduced, the bills received numerous co-sponsors and were released from committee. Now Ms. Whelan has three weeks to call all 535 legislators again before they reconvene in less than a month leading up to a vote.


“I am more than happy to call President Putin myself and discuss the situation of my brother’s detention with him.” — Jeanna Shepard
“It’s an extraordinarily large job for one person,” she said. “Luckily I’m a spreadsheet queen.”

Meanwhile, Paul has had little contact with anyone other than the U.S. Embassy consular staff, according to Ms. Whelan. He’s spent time in solitary confinement and hours in the interrogation room. His attorney was chosen by the Russian government. His family cannot speak to him. They’ve sent him hundreds of letters, including many from Martha’s Vineyard. Ms. Whelan said hardly any arrive.

“It’s extremely restricted, and when you compare it to how U.S. government treats Russians who we have, they are allowed to talk and to have family visits,” she said.

Things don’t appear to be getting any easier for the Whelan family. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, who has been the primary liaison to Paul, is stepping down and had his last meeting with Paul on Wednesday, Ms. Whelan said. President Trump has appointed his Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan, as Mr. Huntsman’s replacement, but it could take weeks or months for him to be sworn into office.

But that hasn’t stopped the Whelans from devoting their lives to getting their brother home.

“I never, ever thought I would be doing this,” Ms. Whelan added. “One of the reps from Michigan is going to be in Boston to talk about what we should do next. Who does that? Not a little artist working from Chappaquiddick. I just want to be behind my easel in the woods.”

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Cocktails & Popcorn: Paul Whelan, The U.S. Canadian Irish Citizen Claims His Innocence In Russia

Which Embassy shall Paul request constituency services for intervention?

Stay tuned because Canada is experiencing similar challenges.

#FreeMariaButina

'I was set up:' Paul Whelan yells in Russian courtroom during hearing on espionage charges

Whelan calls charges against him 'garbage'

MOSCOW - A Novi man has been jailed in Moscow, Russia, for more than eight months after being charged with spying. He was told Tuesday that he must remain in custody for the time being.

That decision came after a noisy hearing in a Russian courtroom, where Whelan called the charges against him "garbage."

"I appreciate the support," Whelan said. "They know that this is garbage. Everyone in the West knows this is garbage."

Whelan was arrested last December in Moscow and charged with espionage. During his months in custody, he claims he was injured by doctors and held in isolation.

He's a Novi resident who heads global security for auto supplier Borg-Warner. Whelan has traveled to Russia for years and was in Moscow for a wedding.

On Tuesday, in the courtroom where a court denied his appeal to end his detention Whelan said an old friend, a Russian security officer, planted a flash drive on him and set him up to be arrested.

"I did not commit a crime. I went to the Kremlin in the morning. I went back to change my clothes for the wedding. A person turned up in my room, put something in my pocket and then I was arrested," Whelan said.

Russian authorities said Whelan was caught with state secrets in his possession. Whelan has citizenship not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. He is appealing to all four governments to help him.

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Cocktails & Popcorn: Paul Whelan Is Coming Home To Detroit From Russia

Ambulances and medical emergencies, the most efficient form of covert transport when coming to Detroit.

Ambulance called to Russian courthouse for accused spy Paul Whelan

Accused spy Paul Whelan says he entered Russia on BorgWarner visa.

An ambulance was called to a Moscow courtroom Friday morning for Michigan businessman Paul Whelan, who has been held in a Russian prison for eight months on allegations of espionage.

Whelan, 49, of Novi told the court that a guard at Lefortovo Prison injured him, and that he needed medical treatment.

"He was moving to another cell and they force(d) him to lift his own items and take it with him," his English-speaking lawyer, Olga Karlova, told the Free Press in an email message. "These items were heavy enough to make his hernia worse. We have submitted an appeal, which was supported by Paul, to make an operation on his hernia."

The judge stopped the court proceedings Friday so Whelan could be evaluated, Karlova said.

"His hernia is constantly painful," she said. "He said it to the judge and she decided to call the ambulance. Paul was examined in my presence. Every ... word was translated to the paramedic. She proved his hernia is painful, but there is no pinching at the moment so he needs a planned operation."

Read more:

Held in a Russian prison, Michigan man accused of spying faces medical crisis

Russia seeks prisoner exchange, but stops short of swap for Paul Whelan

Whelan had initially scheduled surgery to repair the hernia when he returned to the United States in January from his trip to Russia, his twin brother, David Whelan, told the Free Press last week. He'd traveled to Moscow to attend the wedding of a friend.

But Whelan, a former Marine who worked in global security for auto-parts supplier BorgWarner, didn't make it home in time for that scheduled surgery because he was arrested Dec. 28 in his room at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges Whelan was caught with classified information on a flash drive. But Whelan insists he is not a spy. He said he thought his friend had given him vacation photos, not classified information, on that flash drive.

After he was examined in court Friday, Whelan was ordered to continue to be held at Lefortovo Prison for several more months. If he is convicted of spying, he could serve up to 20 years in prison.

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of spying in Moscow at the end of 2018, stands in a cage while waiting for a detention hearing in a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of spying in Moscow at the end of 2018, stands in a cage while waiting for a detention hearing in a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP)

In a video posted to YouTube Friday by Ruptly, a Russian news video service, his lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said he is hopeful Whelan will be exonerated.

"More and more information surfaces that shows it was a provocation," Zherebenkov told reporters outside the court. "It was a set up, even though the investigation committee does not agree."

He said Whelan remains in high spirits and is handling the stress of his ongoing incarceration well.

"But you know, there are things he does not understand," he said. "Our justice system is different. The way the investigation is carried out is also different than what he is accustomed to. It’s been eight months already, so quite unusual for him.

"And also he lives in conditions which are very much unusual for him. He is deprived of things he is accustomed to. He has only one hour for walking around. ... He wants justice. Unfortunately, justice comes not that often."

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine, left, who was arrested for alleged spying in Moscow at the end of 2018, is escorted by Federal Security Service officers to a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine, left, who was arrested for alleged spying in Moscow at the end of 2018, is escorted by Federal Security Service officers to a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP)

Zherebenkov said it's likely that the final charges will be presented in the next two weeks. Then, his attorneys will examine the documents, work to overcome the translation issues and also seek surgery for Whelan.

"By December, I think we will be 80% ready" for a trial, Zherebenkov said. "Of course, it all depends on Paul’s condition."

Whelan holds four passports. He is an American citizen who was born in Canada to British parents and Irish grandparents. The consulates in all four countries have said they are working to support him.

"There remains no reason for his arrest or continued detention," his brother David Whelan said in an email last week. "No trial. No evidence. ...

"Paul has said that he keeps up his morale in part due to his Marine Corps SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) training. He has indicated in letters home that, so far, it has helped him maintain his hopes for release, safeguard his personal security in Lefortovo prison, and withstand the coercion the FSB has engaged in to get a false confession.

"... As the months drag on, we hope that a diplomatic solution will be found to bring Paul home."

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Paul Whelan Update - Mariia Butina Is Still Not Free

I guess Paul's brother does not read my blog because if he did, he would know why Russia is holding him.

#FreeMariaButina

Russia seeks prisoner exchange, but stops short of swap for Paul Whelan

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called on the U.S. Monday to free Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko from prison in exchange for Americans it is holding, Interfax news service reported.

But Ryabkov stopped short of saying Russia would be willing to release Michigander Paul Whelan — who was arrested in December and charged with espionage — as part of the trade.

Ryabkov told the RIA news agency that it wouldn't be right to include Whelan in a prisoner swap with the U.S. because Whelan has not yet been convicted in the Russian court system.

Whelan's detention has continued for more than six months as Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) investigators look for evidence the former U.S. Marine was spying during his trip to the country late last year.

The U.S. State Department declined to comment Tuesday on Ryabkov's offer.

"The U.S. government continues to closely follow all cases of imprisoned U.S. citizens in Russia," a State Department spokeswoman told the Free Press in an email. "We do not read out our private diplomatic discussions."

Yaroshenko was arrested in 2010 by U.S. special forces in Liberia and later convicted of conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and is serving time in a low-security correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut.

His release has been long-sought by Russian authorities.

Tatiana Moskalkova, the Russian Federation's high commissioner for human rights, sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017 asking for a pardon for Yaroshenko. It was denied.

The news comes as U.S. officials grow increasingly concerned about Whelan's health in Moscow's Lefortovo prison. The 49-year-old global security director for Auburn Hills-based auto supplier BorgWarner has not been seen by an independent doctor, said Andrea Kalan, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, in a tweet.

His condition, she said, is worsening.

#PaulWhelan gets basic medical care at Lefortovo, but his condition needs more than the prison can provide. We asked in April for an outside exam at no cost to the Russian govt. Request denied, yet Paul’s condition worsens. Welfare of U.S. citizens abroad is our highest priority. https://t.co/AewxpDH2kh

— Andrea Kalan (@USEmbRuPress) July 1, 2019

Whelan's family has declined to share details about his health condition out of concern for his privacy. But his twin brother, David Whelan, said the Russian prison doesn't offer much beyond basic First Aid and emergency medical care.

"And they appear only be able to provide it in the Russian language," David Whelan said. "Like many people in their late 40s, Paul has health concerns that need professional attention, to avoid them becoming emergencies. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejection of the US government request that an English-speaking physician be allowed to examine Paul is disappointing."

A State Department spokeswoman said the agency is continuing to press for "fair and humane treatment, due process, and access to appropriate medical care. We take allegations of mistreatment seriously, and will continue to raise Mr. Whelan’s case at every opportunity. The Department has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. We urge the Russian government to guarantee a fair and transparent judicial process without undue delay, in accordance with its international legal obligations."

Whelan, who lives in Novi, denies he is a spy and has told reporters during court appearances that he is a victim of political kidnapping.

At a detention hearing in late June, Whelan asked President Trump to intervene on his behalf.

Although Trump has yet to make a statement (or tweet) about Whelan, others in his administration — most recently U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton — have spoken out against the continued detention of an American citizen without evidence from the Russian government to support its claims of espionage.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges Whelan was caught in possession of a flash drive containing classified information at his hotel in Moscow. Whelan has told his lawyers that the flash drive came from a Russian friend, and that he was under the impression that it contained photos of the friend's hometown.

He will continue to be held in a Moscow prison at least until his next court hearing at the end of August, his lawyers have said. A trial date has not yet been set in his case.

David Whelan said Tuesday that the family has not discussed with U.S. officials the possibility of a prisoner swap.

"We haven't spoken with the U.S. government about swaps or sanctions, or any other tool of diplomacy they might use to bring Paul home," he wrote in an email to the Free Press. "We are leaving it up to the professional diplomats to work out the tool and the timing. Hopefully it will be sooner than later."


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Cocktails & Popcorn: Will The U.S. Get Caught By The Brady Rule - Russia & U.S. Have Exculpatory Evidence On Each Other

Russia has Whelan.

U.S. has Butina.

Wanna motion to enjoin?

I will show you your exculpatory evidence if you show me mine.

I bet that would really piss off the United Nations.

#FreeMariaButina

Accused spy Paul Whelan says he's being threatened, denied showers in Russian prison

Michigan businessman Paul Whelan told reporters in a Russian courtroom Friday that he's being threatened, abused and harassed at Moscow's Lefortovo Detention Facility, and that his imprisonment on an espionage charge is akin to political kidnapping.

A judge extended the pre-trial phase of Whelan's detention for three more months on Friday, which means Whelan, 49, of Novi is to remain in prison at least until Aug. 29.

“This is typical prisoner of war isolation technique," Whelan told journalists in the courtroom, the Associated Press reported. "They’re trying to run me down so that I will talk to them."

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, center, who was arrested
 in Moscow at the end of last year, waits for a hearing in a court
in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 24, 2019. The American was
detained at the end of December for alleged spying.

Whelan, an ex-Marine who was the director of global security for the Auburn Hills-based auto supplier BorgWarner, said he was in Russia in December for the wedding of a friend when he was arrested in his hotel and accused of spying.

He told the court on Friday that there was "absolutely no legitimacy" to the case against him, and said his imprisonment is retaliation for U.S. sanctions.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges Whelan was caught in possession of a flash drive containing classified information. Whelan has told his lawyers that the flash drive came from a Russian friend, and that he was under the impression that it only contained photos of the friend's hometown. 

Whelan, who was born in Canada to British parents and grew up in Ann Arbor, holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports. If he's convicted of spying, he could be imprisoned for up to 20 years.

More: Paul Whelan’s employer BorgWarner has Russian ties

More: Mysterious tale of Paul Whelan, accused of spying in Russia, steeped in contradictions

“We of course remained concerned by the lack of evidence in his case and the secretary is committed to continuing to raise this at the highest levels,” said Morgan Ortagus, a State Department spokeswoman.

Paul Whelan's twin brother, David Whelan, told the Free Press that he believes his brother was targeted by Russian authorities because he was an American businessman.

"Unfortunately, the FSB appears to have miscalculated whatever result they helped to extort out of Paul's false arrest," he said. "Paul has shared notes through his lawyer that he believes his arrest has some sanctions-related element, but we don't know why he says that."

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