If you think this is bad, wait until you find out what goes on in the Child Welfare System.
#maytheheavensfall
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Showing posts with label Mariia Butina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mariia Butina. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
I Finally Memorialized The Death Of Raymond Wojtowicz Former Hamtramck Mayor & Wayne County Treasurer
 |
| Ray Wojtowicz |
They all treated me like I was a worthless, ignorant, savage pagan, who was too vague to hate, yet a blast to celebrate.
It costs $25 to start a nonprofit in Michigan.
Then, when you run for office, sell the nonprofit for $250,000 for your campaign by donating to yourself as a personal contribution.
Then, after you win, or lose, you donate the leftovers of your campaign finance, in accordance to Michigan Campaign Finance Law, to your other nonprofit, that you can either use to sell for your next cycle of perpetual campaigning, like Taras used to do, or, you could invest in real estate, and start doing the early stages of the corporate shape shifting grift.
TAH DAH!
Ray was pimping big stupid money from the Wayne County Property Taxes.
He got a percentage on the money collected, and, if you were really, really nice to him, you could even get some free properties.
My sincerest apologies for missing this most auspicious moment in history.
#maytheheavensfall
Retired Wayne Co. treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz dies
Detroit — Former Wayne County treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz has died, officials said Wednesday. He was 90.
"Today, I was saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond J. Wojtowicz," said Eric Sabree, the county's current treasurer, in a statement. "In 2011, (he) gave me the opportunity to work under his leadership in the Treasurer’s Office. My condolences and prayers go out to (his entire) family during this difficult time."
I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz who admirably served our 43 communities for nearly 40 years, including his beloved hometown of Hamtramck. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wojtowicz family at this difficult time.” pic.twitter.com/GybX1NvZtI— Warren C. Evans (@CountyExecEvans) January 8, 2020
During his lengthy tenure, the Hamtramck native earned praise for working with distressed homeowners facing tax foreclosure, but also faced criticism because his office oversaw the foreclosure of more than 100,000 properties in a decade, The Detroit News reported.
Alisha Bell, chair of the Wayne County Commission, described Wojtowicz as "dedicated" to his job.
"He was a dedicated fiscal steward, overseeing billions of county tax dollars during his long run as Wayne County Treasurer," Bell said in an emailed statement. "He was a steady and stabilizing hand, helping guide Wayne County through some very tough financial times during his tenure."
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans also commented on the retired official's passing.
"I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Wayne County Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz who admirably served our 43 communities for nearly 40 years, including his beloved hometown of Hamtramck," Evans tweeted. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wojtowicz family at this difficult time.”
When seeking re-election in 2008, Wojtowicz touted his experience in The News, including working with 20 nonprofits to give assistance to people unable to pay their property taxes.
"Every day, there are issues that come up where people need assistance," he told the publication at the time. "I enjoy doing (the job) for the benefit for all of the people in Wayne County."
Wojtowicz retired as county treasurer Dec. 1, 2015, after nearly 40 years in office. He was 86 at the time. A Democrat, he was last elected county treasurer in 2012.
He previously served as mayor of Hamtramck.
A graduate of St. Ladislaus High School and Great Lakes College, Wojtowicz also served as a Wayne County Community College trustee. He was a married father of five children and a grandfather, according to Detroit News archives.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Tales Of The New Crown: Putin Prepares For His Detroit Grande Entrance With Voting Rights
Voting Rights is more than just standing in line casting a ballot.
Voting Rights addresses Parental Rights, which addresses the Right to Keep and Bear Arms of a nation state, where, the nation state, in this instance, is Russia, where, I bet he got it from Detroit.
The legislative body of a nation state has Voting Rights, if they have not been stripped by a court of law.
Putin has the companion backpocket obstruction of justice to Trump's backpocket obstruction of justice.
Perhaps, they shall both stop obstructing justice and pull those legal mechanisms from their backpockets, simultaneously, but hey, what do I know?
I know Maria Butina is still free and Paul Whelan is not.
Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday postponed a nationwide vote on proposed constitutional amendments that include a change that would allow him to seek another term in power.
Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite originally set for April 22, saying that it would depend on how the new coronavirus pandemic develops.
He also announced during a televised address to the nation that the government doesn’t want Russians except those working in essential sectors to come to work next week. He said that stores, pharmacies and banks will stay open.
“Health, life and safety of the people is an absolute priority for us,” Putin said.
Under current law, Putin wouldn’t be able to run for president again in 2024 because of term limits. A new measure would reset his term count, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms if he chooses.
The 67-year Russian leader has been in power since 2000, longer than any other country ruler since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Russian authorities reported 163 more virus cases in the country Wednesday since the day before, bringing the national total to 658. That marked a significantly bigger daily increase from previous days, when the number of new infections grew only by several dozens.
Russia’s comparatively low caseload given its size and shared border with China has raised questions and in some quarters, doubts. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Putin on Tuesday that the low number of cases in Russia could reflect insufficient screening rather than the actual scale of the epidemic and said the situation was “serious.”
Denis Protsenko, chief doctor of the top Moscow hospital treating COVID-19 patients, echoed the mayor’s sentiment and later told Putin that Russia needed to “prepare for the Italian scenario.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, wearing a protective suit enters a hall during his visit to the hospital for coronavirus patients in Kommunarka settlement, outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Photo: Alexei Druzhinin, AP)
Putin last week ordered the vote on amending the Russian Constitution to be held but kept the door open for a delay if the coronavirus situation worsened. He donned a yellow protective suit during a visit to a Moscow hospital treating people with COVID-19 and conferred with officials on strategies to contain the outbreak.
Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international norms – a provision reflecting the Kremlin’s irritation with the European Court of Human Rights and other international bodies that have often issued verdicts against Russia.
There are also proposed amendments to outlaw same-sex marriage and to mention “a belief in God” as one of Russia’s traditional values.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Voting Rights addresses Parental Rights, which addresses the Right to Keep and Bear Arms of a nation state, where, the nation state, in this instance, is Russia, where, I bet he got it from Detroit.
The legislative body of a nation state has Voting Rights, if they have not been stripped by a court of law.
Putin has the companion backpocket obstruction of justice to Trump's backpocket obstruction of justice.
Perhaps, they shall both stop obstructing justice and pull those legal mechanisms from their backpockets, simultaneously, but hey, what do I know?
I know Maria Butina is still free and Paul Whelan is not.
Putin delays constitutional vote allowing him to keep power
 |
| Puti Poo rocking that athletic suit. |
Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite originally set for April 22, saying that it would depend on how the new coronavirus pandemic develops.
He also announced during a televised address to the nation that the government doesn’t want Russians except those working in essential sectors to come to work next week. He said that stores, pharmacies and banks will stay open.
“Health, life and safety of the people is an absolute priority for us,” Putin said.
Under current law, Putin wouldn’t be able to run for president again in 2024 because of term limits. A new measure would reset his term count, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms if he chooses.
The 67-year Russian leader has been in power since 2000, longer than any other country ruler since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Russian authorities reported 163 more virus cases in the country Wednesday since the day before, bringing the national total to 658. That marked a significantly bigger daily increase from previous days, when the number of new infections grew only by several dozens.
Russia’s comparatively low caseload given its size and shared border with China has raised questions and in some quarters, doubts. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told Putin on Tuesday that the low number of cases in Russia could reflect insufficient screening rather than the actual scale of the epidemic and said the situation was “serious.”
Denis Protsenko, chief doctor of the top Moscow hospital treating COVID-19 patients, echoed the mayor’s sentiment and later told Putin that Russia needed to “prepare for the Italian scenario.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, wearing a protective suit enters a hall during his visit to the hospital for coronavirus patients in Kommunarka settlement, outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (Photo: Alexei Druzhinin, AP)
Putin last week ordered the vote on amending the Russian Constitution to be held but kept the door open for a delay if the coronavirus situation worsened. He donned a yellow protective suit during a visit to a Moscow hospital treating people with COVID-19 and conferred with officials on strategies to contain the outbreak.
Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international norms – a provision reflecting the Kremlin’s irritation with the European Court of Human Rights and other international bodies that have often issued verdicts against Russia.
There are also proposed amendments to outlaw same-sex marriage and to mention “a belief in God” as one of Russia’s traditional values.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Maria Butina Got A New Job
I bet she is making lots of new friends who tell her lots and lots of tales...
FREED RUSSIAN AGENT MARIA BUTINA SAYS SHE WILL WORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY AND HELP CONVICTED DRUG, WEAPONS TRAFFICKERS
Who Is Alleged Russian Spy Maria Butina?
Confessed Russian agent Maria Butina, who was released from prison and immediately deported back to Moscow in October, has been invited to join Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights to assist citizens in various predicaments overseas, according to comments she made in an interview published Tuesday.
Speaking with Russia's Federal News Agency, Butina said as part of her post-incarceration advocacy she will work to raise funds for Konstantin Yaroshenko and Viktor Bout, two Russians serving lengthy prison sentences in the United States.
Yaroshenko, a former aircraft pilot, was convicted in April 2011 of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. The Justice Department says he is a trans-national drug trafficker "who transported thousand-kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout South America, Africa, and Europe."
Bout, an international arms dealer, was convicted by a U.S. jury in November 2011 for his participation in a conspiracy to sell weapons to Colombian FARC rebels, an armed guerilla group that had long been in conflict with the country's security forces. The FARC officially disarmed in 2016 amid a broader peace deal with the Colombian government.
In the interview, Butina decried the "huge sentences" and "terrible conditions" both men are facing. Yaroshenko was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Bout was sentenced to 25.
In response to a request for comment, Lee Ginsberg, a lawyer for Yaroshenko, provided Newsweek with the following statement:
"I always believed that Mr. Yaroshenko's prosecution was the result of the overreaching of the U.S. government in a drug sting operation. Hopefully, this new development will lead to his release from custody."
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Federation's Commissioner for Human Rights about Butina's work and has not yet heard back.
As part of her plea deal with federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia, Butina admitted to establishing "unofficial lines of communication" with American powerbrokers in order to influence domestic politics at Russia's behest. Working to advance the interests of a foreign entity often requires pre-registration with the Justice Department, which Butina admitted did not do.
Butina's years-long efforts included attempts to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA) and ingratiate herself with influential conservatives. By attending various NRA conferences and co-mingling with Republican attendees, she hoped to establish an unofficial back channel to a prospective Trump administration.
More than just a rogue operator, Butina has become a cause célèbre in her native Russia after making well-publicized comments about the conditions of her confinement in the United States.
Her characterizations of the American prison system and descriptions of languishing inside solitary confinement have served as fodder for Russian propaganda, but they also recall credible criticisms of how the United States treats detainees.
As part of the work she says she will do for the human rights commission, Butina described a hotline she will purportedly help develop to provide legal assistance to Russian citizens. She also said she will push to eliminate abusive prison practices internationally.
"I will be working to ban torture in the form of prolonged solitary confinement in places of imprisonment around the world," she said. "You need to call things by their names, a person is not meant to live in isolation. Solitary confinement is torture. Even though the U.N. convention classifies it as torture, this method of punishment is still widely used, especially in the United States. My four months in solitary confinement is a great example."
In the interview, Butina also recounted a previously untold story about being welcomed back to Russia once her prison sentence was complete. After being put on an Aeroflot plane in Miami, she claims, a reporter handed her a phone with Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, on the other end of the line.
According to Butina, Zakharova comforted her, saying, "Maria, the whole country is looking at you. Get ready, we have been waiting for you so much."
Butina says she will work on preparing a forthcoming report on the status of Russians currently in legal jeopardy abroad.
In terms of the cases of Yaroshenko and Bout, which the Russian government has been pressing for years, Butina believes that the President Donald Trump's administration is no longer willing to cooperate on these sorts of issues.
"We expected one thing, for example, that a friendly [President Donald] Trump would be interested in building a new, good relationship between Russia and the United States, and that the United States would stop being hostile towards Russia," she said. "But as you see, it turned out to be the opposite of that."
Butina professed a sense of patriotic duty in her purported work for Russian citizens on behalf of the government, which regularly detains dissidents and utilizes torture, according to Human Rights Watch.
"The Russians do not abandon their own, so now the baton is in my hands, and I consider it my duty to help those who find themselves in the same situation," she said.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
FREED RUSSIAN AGENT MARIA BUTINA SAYS SHE WILL WORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY AND HELP CONVICTED DRUG, WEAPONS TRAFFICKERS
Who Is Alleged Russian Spy Maria Butina?
Confessed Russian agent Maria Butina, who was released from prison and immediately deported back to Moscow in October, has been invited to join Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights to assist citizens in various predicaments overseas, according to comments she made in an interview published Tuesday.Speaking with Russia's Federal News Agency, Butina said as part of her post-incarceration advocacy she will work to raise funds for Konstantin Yaroshenko and Viktor Bout, two Russians serving lengthy prison sentences in the United States.
Yaroshenko, a former aircraft pilot, was convicted in April 2011 of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. The Justice Department says he is a trans-national drug trafficker "who transported thousand-kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout South America, Africa, and Europe."
Bout, an international arms dealer, was convicted by a U.S. jury in November 2011 for his participation in a conspiracy to sell weapons to Colombian FARC rebels, an armed guerilla group that had long been in conflict with the country's security forces. The FARC officially disarmed in 2016 amid a broader peace deal with the Colombian government.
In the interview, Butina decried the "huge sentences" and "terrible conditions" both men are facing. Yaroshenko was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Bout was sentenced to 25.
In response to a request for comment, Lee Ginsberg, a lawyer for Yaroshenko, provided Newsweek with the following statement:
"I always believed that Mr. Yaroshenko's prosecution was the result of the overreaching of the U.S. government in a drug sting operation. Hopefully, this new development will lead to his release from custody."
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Federation's Commissioner for Human Rights about Butina's work and has not yet heard back.
As part of her plea deal with federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia, Butina admitted to establishing "unofficial lines of communication" with American powerbrokers in order to influence domestic politics at Russia's behest. Working to advance the interests of a foreign entity often requires pre-registration with the Justice Department, which Butina admitted did not do.
Butina's years-long efforts included attempts to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA) and ingratiate herself with influential conservatives. By attending various NRA conferences and co-mingling with Republican attendees, she hoped to establish an unofficial back channel to a prospective Trump administration.
More than just a rogue operator, Butina has become a cause célèbre in her native Russia after making well-publicized comments about the conditions of her confinement in the United States.
Her characterizations of the American prison system and descriptions of languishing inside solitary confinement have served as fodder for Russian propaganda, but they also recall credible criticisms of how the United States treats detainees.
As part of the work she says she will do for the human rights commission, Butina described a hotline she will purportedly help develop to provide legal assistance to Russian citizens. She also said she will push to eliminate abusive prison practices internationally.
"I will be working to ban torture in the form of prolonged solitary confinement in places of imprisonment around the world," she said. "You need to call things by their names, a person is not meant to live in isolation. Solitary confinement is torture. Even though the U.N. convention classifies it as torture, this method of punishment is still widely used, especially in the United States. My four months in solitary confinement is a great example."
In the interview, Butina also recounted a previously untold story about being welcomed back to Russia once her prison sentence was complete. After being put on an Aeroflot plane in Miami, she claims, a reporter handed her a phone with Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, on the other end of the line.
According to Butina, Zakharova comforted her, saying, "Maria, the whole country is looking at you. Get ready, we have been waiting for you so much."
Butina says she will work on preparing a forthcoming report on the status of Russians currently in legal jeopardy abroad.
In terms of the cases of Yaroshenko and Bout, which the Russian government has been pressing for years, Butina believes that the President Donald Trump's administration is no longer willing to cooperate on these sorts of issues.
"We expected one thing, for example, that a friendly [President Donald] Trump would be interested in building a new, good relationship between Russia and the United States, and that the United States would stop being hostile towards Russia," she said. "But as you see, it turned out to be the opposite of that."
Butina professed a sense of patriotic duty in her purported work for Russian citizens on behalf of the government, which regularly detains dissidents and utilizes torture, according to Human Rights Watch.
"The Russians do not abandon their own, so now the baton is in my hands, and I consider it my duty to help those who find themselves in the same situation," she said.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Friday, January 17, 2020
DOJ: Former Senior Fincen Employee Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Unlawfully Disclose Suspicious Activity Reports
For the history of the case, click here.
And here.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
And here.
Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards Illegally Repeatedly Transmitted SARs and Other Sensitive Government Information To A Reporter Resulting In Approximately 12 News Articles Over 1-Year Period
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NATALIE MAYFLOWER SOURS EDWARDS, a/k/a “Natalie Sours,” a/k/a “Natalie May Edwards,” a/k/a “May Edwards,” a former senior adviser at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), pled guilty today to conspiring to unlawfully disclose Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”). EDWARDS pled guilty before United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As she has now admitted, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a former senior-level FinCEN employee, abused her position of trust by agreeing to repeatedly disclose highly sensitive information contained in Suspicious Activity Reports. Maintaining the confidentiality of SARs, which are filed by banks and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions, is essential to permit them to serve their statutory function, and the defendant’s conduct violated the integrity of that critical system and the law.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Information, publicly available information, court filings, and statements made during the plea proceeding:
The mission of FinCEN is to “safeguard the financial system from illicit use and combat money laundering and promote national security through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities.”[1] Among other things, FinCEN manages the collection and maintenance of SARs regarding potentially suspicious financial transactions, which, under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), U.S. financial institutions and other parties are required by law to generate and deliver to FinCEN. Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, willful disclosure of a SAR or its contents by government employees or agents is a felony unless necessary to fulfill official duties.
Beginning in approximately October 2017, and lasting until her arrest in October 2018, EDWARDS agreed to and did unlawfully disclose numerous SARs to a reporter (“Reporter-1”), the substance of which were published over the course of approximately 12 articles by a news organization for which Reporter-1 worked (“News Organization-1”). The illegally disclosed SARs pertained to, among other things, Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, the Russian Embassy, Mariia Butina, and Prevezon Alexander. EDWARDS had access to each of the pertinent SARs and saved them – along with thousands of other files containing sensitive government information – to a flash drive provided to her by FinCEN. She transmitted the SARs to Reporter-1 by means that included taking photographs or images of them and texting the photographs or images to Reporter-1 over an encrypted application. In addition to disseminating SARs to Reporter-1, EDWARDS sent or described to Reporter-1 internal FinCEN emails or correspondence appearing to relate to SARs or other information protected by the BSA, and FinCEN nonpublic memoranda, including Investigative Memos and Intelligence Assessments published by the FinCEN Intelligence Division, which contained confidential personal information, business information, and/or security threat assessments.
At the time of EDWARDS’s arrest, she was in possession of a flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed SARs, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to Reporter-1.
* * *
EDWARDS, 41, of Quinton, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARs, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. EDWARDS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Woods on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Maurene R. Comey are in charge of the prosecution.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Monday, January 6, 2020
"Who Pays The Piper Plays The Tune" - Putin On FARA, Internet, Justice & Propaganda
Even Maria Butina was smeared, but she is free to tell her tale of U.S. Justice System.
Who is the original source?
Follow the money.
"We see you, Trollie Trolls."
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Saturday, January 4, 2020
DOJ: Congressman Duncan D. Hunter Pleads Guilty to Stealing Campaign Funds
Stealin'!
It seems DOJ is finally starting to grind out those House Ethics Referrals, but when will they get around to litigating the ones that Trump is obstructing justice by keeping them in his backpocket?
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily W. Allen (619) 546-9738, W. Mark Conover (619) 546-6763 and Phillip L.B. Halpern (619) 546-6964
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 3, 2019
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Representative Duncan D. Hunter pleaded guilty in federal court today to the major count in his indictment, admitting that he knowingly and willfully stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds that he and his wife used to maintain their lifestyle.
According to the plea agreement, Hunter and his wife, Margaret, who pleaded guilty in June 2019, illegally converted more than $150,000 in campaign funds from 2010 through 2016 to purchase goods and services for their personal use and enjoyment, and engaged in 30 or more illegal transactions using campaign funds for personal use.
As detailed in the indictment, the Hunters stole money from the campaign for items as inconsequential as fast food, movie tickets and sneakers; as trivial as video games, Lego sets and Playdoh; as mundane as groceries, dog food, and utilities; and as self-indulgent as luxury hotels, overseas vacations and plane tickets for their family pet rabbits, Eggburt and Cadbury – all while their family was otherwise deeply in debt.
“Congressman Duncan D. Hunter violated the trust of his supporters by diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars they donated in good faith to his reelection campaign for personal expenditures,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney David Leshner. “This was not an accounting mistake by his campaign. This was a deliberate, years-long violation of the law. Congressman Hunter used the power of his position to fund a lifestyle out of his reach, unwittingly financed by those who put him there. His guilty plea entered today acknowledges and accepts responsibility for his conduct. Leshner praised prosecutors Phil Halpern, Emily Allen and Mark Conover as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.
“Our campaign finance laws are designed to promote transparency in our electoral process by, among other things, prohibiting the diversion of campaign contributions for personal use,” said Scott Brunner, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Division of the FBI. “The FBI will fully investigate any person who blatantly disregards these laws and abuses the trust of constituents and contributors by turning campaign coffers into a personal slush fund. Today, the comprehensive FBI investigation resulted in Duncan Hunter pleading guilty to a conspiracy with his wife to convert hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal use.”
U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan set Mr. Hunter’s sentencing for March 17, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
“Congressman Hunter was indicted—and he pled guilty today—because of his own misconduct, and no one else’s,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Allen. “This is not a case about mismanagement, or sloppy accounting, or ‘mistakes.’ Duncan Hunter intentionally took money that did not belong to him and used it for his own benefit. For that, he has been held accountable, and we are pleased that today he has taken this first step toward taking responsibility for his crime.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Halpern said: “The foundation of our legal system is based upon the proposition that no one individual is above the law, regardless of the heights they've reached, how much they've contributed, or what office they occupy. Today's disposition ensures that the rule of law remains pre-eminent in this country and that Mr. Hunter both acknowledges and is held accountable for his role in stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds.”
As detailed in the indictment, beginning no later than 2010 and continuing up to and including at least 2016, Duncan and Margaret Hunter agreed to use campaign funds for their own personal benefit and enjoyment—and to spend freely from Hunter’s campaign donors’ funds. Many of the Hunters’ personal outings with family or friends (which as detailed in the indictment included trips to the Del Mar racetrack, dinners or drinks with friends, family and “couples” vacations, golf outings, and a weekend-long bachelor party) should not have been paid for with campaign funds. Among their improper spending, the Hunters paid $2,448.27 in campaign funds in August 2011 for a “couples” vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada, which Hunter concealed by falsely reporting to the campaign treasurer that the expenses were all “campaign related.”
Similarly, later that same month, knowing that their family bank account had a negative balance, the Hunters improperly used $113.73 in campaign funds to pay their half of the bill during another couples’ “date night” out with good friends at Jake’s Del Mar; improperly used $156.22 in campaign funds during a “couples” day at the Del Mar Racetrack; and improperly used $511.03 in campaign funds at the Hotel del Coronado to celebrate their child’s birthday. Hunter once again falsely told the campaign treasurer that all these charges were “campaign related.”
Previously, Hunter’s wife, Margaret, publicly acknowledged that these types of improper expenses went on for years and included spending as flagrant as: (1) $100.69 on November 16, 2013 at Casa De Pico in La Mesa to take their family and close friends out to dinner in relation to a sporting event featuring one of the Hunters’ children; (2) $1,489 on June 28, 2014 to treat their good friends to dinner at the Studio restaurant in the Montage Laguna Beach resort, and for room service, drinks, and meals the next day for the Hunters by themselves; (3) a family trip to Disneyland on September 26, 2015, which included $229.44 at Disneyland’s Star Trader shop for Minnie Mouse ear headbands and Star Wars-themed clothes for the Hunters’ children; and (4) $669.07 on March 27, 2016 at the Hotel del Coronado for a family Easter Sunday brunch in the Crown Room that the Hunters recognized was well outside their budget.
In her plea agreement, Margaret Hunter specifically acknowledged that she and Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to secretly make thousands of dollars in improper personal purchases (including family vacations, household goods and groceries, restaurants and bar tabs, a bachelor party, gas, fast food, retail shopping, cash withdrawals, a garage door, and personal Uber rides, among others) which they continued to disguise as campaign-related expenses.
The indictment also details how Hunter aided his malversation by repeatedly providing his wife with a campaign credit card despite the advice from his treasurer that he not do so. Similarly, Hunter – against the advice of his campaign staff and congressional office staff – installed Margaret as his paid campaign manager on two separate occasions with full knowledge that she was misappropriating campaign funds in order to finance their personal lifestyle. When discussing her appointment as the salaried campaign manager for the second time in 2014, Margaret observed that Hunter “need[ed] the extra money as much as I do[.]”
According to documents previously made public, the Hunters used campaign funds improperly on a number of family vacations, including:
A July 2014 vacation to Washington, D.C. and a resort in Pennsylvania (which included personal items and activities such as purchasing cigarettes, $399 for zip lining for Hunter and two of his children, and $250 in airline travel charges for Eggburt);
A February 2015 family trip to Minnesota, during which they improperly paid for personal family expenses including $250 in airline travel charges for Eggburt, and $132 in Uber rides to take the Hunter family to the Mall of America;
A June/July 2015 family vacation to Hunter’s cousin’s wedding in Boise, Idaho, and a stopover in Las Vegas, in which the Hunters, among other things, spent $205.62 in campaign funds for personal items at the North Face store;
A November 2015 family vacation to Italy, in which the Hunters improperly used more than $14,000 in campaign funds, which Hunter justified by attempting to set up a one-day tour of a U.S. Navy facility in Italy (which never occurred);
Similarly, Hunter used more than $1,000 in campaign funds to take one of his girlfriends on a 2010 winter ski trip to the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino.
The indictment also highlights how Hunter turned to campaign funds because his family’s finances were in constant disarray. During the course of the conspiracy, the Hunters overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period resulting in $37,761 in “overdraft” and “insufficient funds” bank fees. Their credit cards were frequently charged to the credit limit, often with five-figure balances, resulting in an additional $24,600 in finance charges, interest, and other fees related to late, over the limit, and returned payment fees.
According to the indictment and other publicly filed documents, Hunter and his wife both recognized that campaign funds were being spent on personal activities. For example, after returning home from their Boise and Las Vegas vacation, Duncan and Margaret Hunter discussed how the campaign card had been declined as the family had “racked up a $600 minibar…and more charges at Caesars…” as well as a $200 family breakfast, the “kids room service” and pool drinks, and gift shop purchases. And, despite falsely telling the campaign treasurer that the various charges related to their 2015 Italy vacation “were mostly military/defense meet related,” Margaret Hunter emailed a friend that “Italy was amazing. Truly our best family trip so far. Like that saying ‘if traveling was free you’d never see me again’!”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18cr3677-W
Duncan D. Hunter Age: 42 Alpine, CA
Margaret E. Hunter Age: 44 La Mesa, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Conspiracy to Steal Campaign Funds – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
It seems DOJ is finally starting to grind out those House Ethics Referrals, but when will they get around to litigating the ones that Trump is obstructing justice by keeping them in his backpocket?
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily W. Allen (619) 546-9738, W. Mark Conover (619) 546-6763 and Phillip L.B. Halpern (619) 546-6964
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 3, 2019
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Representative Duncan D. Hunter pleaded guilty in federal court today to the major count in his indictment, admitting that he knowingly and willfully stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds that he and his wife used to maintain their lifestyle.
According to the plea agreement, Hunter and his wife, Margaret, who pleaded guilty in June 2019, illegally converted more than $150,000 in campaign funds from 2010 through 2016 to purchase goods and services for their personal use and enjoyment, and engaged in 30 or more illegal transactions using campaign funds for personal use.
As detailed in the indictment, the Hunters stole money from the campaign for items as inconsequential as fast food, movie tickets and sneakers; as trivial as video games, Lego sets and Playdoh; as mundane as groceries, dog food, and utilities; and as self-indulgent as luxury hotels, overseas vacations and plane tickets for their family pet rabbits, Eggburt and Cadbury – all while their family was otherwise deeply in debt.
“Congressman Duncan D. Hunter violated the trust of his supporters by diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars they donated in good faith to his reelection campaign for personal expenditures,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney David Leshner. “This was not an accounting mistake by his campaign. This was a deliberate, years-long violation of the law. Congressman Hunter used the power of his position to fund a lifestyle out of his reach, unwittingly financed by those who put him there. His guilty plea entered today acknowledges and accepts responsibility for his conduct. Leshner praised prosecutors Phil Halpern, Emily Allen and Mark Conover as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.
“Our campaign finance laws are designed to promote transparency in our electoral process by, among other things, prohibiting the diversion of campaign contributions for personal use,” said Scott Brunner, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Division of the FBI. “The FBI will fully investigate any person who blatantly disregards these laws and abuses the trust of constituents and contributors by turning campaign coffers into a personal slush fund. Today, the comprehensive FBI investigation resulted in Duncan Hunter pleading guilty to a conspiracy with his wife to convert hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal use.”
U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan set Mr. Hunter’s sentencing for March 17, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
“Congressman Hunter was indicted—and he pled guilty today—because of his own misconduct, and no one else’s,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Allen. “This is not a case about mismanagement, or sloppy accounting, or ‘mistakes.’ Duncan Hunter intentionally took money that did not belong to him and used it for his own benefit. For that, he has been held accountable, and we are pleased that today he has taken this first step toward taking responsibility for his crime.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Halpern said: “The foundation of our legal system is based upon the proposition that no one individual is above the law, regardless of the heights they've reached, how much they've contributed, or what office they occupy. Today's disposition ensures that the rule of law remains pre-eminent in this country and that Mr. Hunter both acknowledges and is held accountable for his role in stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds.”
As detailed in the indictment, beginning no later than 2010 and continuing up to and including at least 2016, Duncan and Margaret Hunter agreed to use campaign funds for their own personal benefit and enjoyment—and to spend freely from Hunter’s campaign donors’ funds. Many of the Hunters’ personal outings with family or friends (which as detailed in the indictment included trips to the Del Mar racetrack, dinners or drinks with friends, family and “couples” vacations, golf outings, and a weekend-long bachelor party) should not have been paid for with campaign funds. Among their improper spending, the Hunters paid $2,448.27 in campaign funds in August 2011 for a “couples” vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada, which Hunter concealed by falsely reporting to the campaign treasurer that the expenses were all “campaign related.”
Similarly, later that same month, knowing that their family bank account had a negative balance, the Hunters improperly used $113.73 in campaign funds to pay their half of the bill during another couples’ “date night” out with good friends at Jake’s Del Mar; improperly used $156.22 in campaign funds during a “couples” day at the Del Mar Racetrack; and improperly used $511.03 in campaign funds at the Hotel del Coronado to celebrate their child’s birthday. Hunter once again falsely told the campaign treasurer that all these charges were “campaign related.”
Previously, Hunter’s wife, Margaret, publicly acknowledged that these types of improper expenses went on for years and included spending as flagrant as: (1) $100.69 on November 16, 2013 at Casa De Pico in La Mesa to take their family and close friends out to dinner in relation to a sporting event featuring one of the Hunters’ children; (2) $1,489 on June 28, 2014 to treat their good friends to dinner at the Studio restaurant in the Montage Laguna Beach resort, and for room service, drinks, and meals the next day for the Hunters by themselves; (3) a family trip to Disneyland on September 26, 2015, which included $229.44 at Disneyland’s Star Trader shop for Minnie Mouse ear headbands and Star Wars-themed clothes for the Hunters’ children; and (4) $669.07 on March 27, 2016 at the Hotel del Coronado for a family Easter Sunday brunch in the Crown Room that the Hunters recognized was well outside their budget.
In her plea agreement, Margaret Hunter specifically acknowledged that she and Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to secretly make thousands of dollars in improper personal purchases (including family vacations, household goods and groceries, restaurants and bar tabs, a bachelor party, gas, fast food, retail shopping, cash withdrawals, a garage door, and personal Uber rides, among others) which they continued to disguise as campaign-related expenses.
The indictment also details how Hunter aided his malversation by repeatedly providing his wife with a campaign credit card despite the advice from his treasurer that he not do so. Similarly, Hunter – against the advice of his campaign staff and congressional office staff – installed Margaret as his paid campaign manager on two separate occasions with full knowledge that she was misappropriating campaign funds in order to finance their personal lifestyle. When discussing her appointment as the salaried campaign manager for the second time in 2014, Margaret observed that Hunter “need[ed] the extra money as much as I do[.]”
According to documents previously made public, the Hunters used campaign funds improperly on a number of family vacations, including:
A July 2014 vacation to Washington, D.C. and a resort in Pennsylvania (which included personal items and activities such as purchasing cigarettes, $399 for zip lining for Hunter and two of his children, and $250 in airline travel charges for Eggburt);
A February 2015 family trip to Minnesota, during which they improperly paid for personal family expenses including $250 in airline travel charges for Eggburt, and $132 in Uber rides to take the Hunter family to the Mall of America;
A June/July 2015 family vacation to Hunter’s cousin’s wedding in Boise, Idaho, and a stopover in Las Vegas, in which the Hunters, among other things, spent $205.62 in campaign funds for personal items at the North Face store;
A November 2015 family vacation to Italy, in which the Hunters improperly used more than $14,000 in campaign funds, which Hunter justified by attempting to set up a one-day tour of a U.S. Navy facility in Italy (which never occurred);
Similarly, Hunter used more than $1,000 in campaign funds to take one of his girlfriends on a 2010 winter ski trip to the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino.
The indictment also highlights how Hunter turned to campaign funds because his family’s finances were in constant disarray. During the course of the conspiracy, the Hunters overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period resulting in $37,761 in “overdraft” and “insufficient funds” bank fees. Their credit cards were frequently charged to the credit limit, often with five-figure balances, resulting in an additional $24,600 in finance charges, interest, and other fees related to late, over the limit, and returned payment fees.
According to the indictment and other publicly filed documents, Hunter and his wife both recognized that campaign funds were being spent on personal activities. For example, after returning home from their Boise and Las Vegas vacation, Duncan and Margaret Hunter discussed how the campaign card had been declined as the family had “racked up a $600 minibar…and more charges at Caesars…” as well as a $200 family breakfast, the “kids room service” and pool drinks, and gift shop purchases. And, despite falsely telling the campaign treasurer that the various charges related to their 2015 Italy vacation “were mostly military/defense meet related,” Margaret Hunter emailed a friend that “Italy was amazing. Truly our best family trip so far. Like that saying ‘if traveling was free you’d never see me again’!”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18cr3677-W
Duncan D. Hunter Age: 42 Alpine, CA
Margaret E. Hunter Age: 44 La Mesa, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Conspiracy to Steal Campaign Funds – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Friday, December 20, 2019
Michigan Steve Marino Gets Another Pass On Public Corruption
Nice looking out, Chad, but this may be a Detroit Grand Jury Issue...dealing with Grand Rapids, but, hey, what do I know?
I know this tale has yet to be told...or did the Celestial Goddess of the Woodshed start unraveling this one almost two decades ago?
Who knows.
We must sit and mull the moment Trump decides to stop obstructing justice and pull that IG Report from his backpocket.
Perhaps, we, the people, for not wanting to be misunderstood in translation for saying "us" when it was to mean "U.S.", must just wait and see if the world shall be granted that backpocket New Year's gift.
Oh, humbug...at least Mariia Butina is free.
State Rep. Steve Marino, whose name surfaced repeatedly at the Larry Inman bribery trial in Lansing, has engaged in a host of political shenanigans throughout his political career, all the way back to, well, to 2014 when he was first elected at age 25.
The young Republican from Macomb County raised suspicions that he was allegedly involved in Rep. Inman’s scheme to pocket $10,000—perhaps as much as $30,000—in campaign contributions in exchange for voting to maintain the state’s prevailing wage law. Testimony suggested that Marino allegedly was keeping a tally of planned money exchanges as 12 House Republicans were targeted in 2018 by the carpenters union for an infusion of campaign bucks as an incentive to preserve the law.
During the trial, investigators tried to subpoena Marino to force him to testify. But they couldn’t find him. The FBI tried to interview him but he reportedly “made himself unavailable” and stopped returning the bureau’s phone calls. Inman, a Grand Rapids Republican, was saved by a deadlocked jury, though prosecutors may try him again. Marino is the guy who got away. Scot free.
A strange path into politics
Yet, Marino’s story of strange and sometimes sleazy politics took several twists and turns before that futile attempt to serve him with a subpoena.
The Harrison Township Republican decided in 2013, for God knows what reason, to pursue a career in politics. At that point, since he had first become a registered voter five years earlier, Marino had cast a ballot in just three of 13 elections. Among those he missed were the 2008 and 2010 general elections and the presidential primary of 2012.
Marino ran for county commissioner and caught a break. His challenger in the August 2014 GOP primary died in June, early enough so his name could be removed from the ballot, leaving Marino unopposed for the nomination. He won the general election that fall by tacitly inserting into the campaign the sudden death of the wife of his Democratic competitor, a tragedy years earlier that led to personal bankruptcy for the candidate.
Based on his campaign resume, Marino was an apparently self-employed political consultant (with no political experience) who specialized in assisting candidates with completion of their campaign finance reports. During the campaign, the county fined Marino for failing to file his campaign finance report on time.
Marino – enforcer of integrity?
When the commissioners were sworn into office in January 2015, they elected Marino as their Sergeant-At-Arms. That’s the guy who is supposed to keep everything orderly and proper during meetings of the Board of Commissioners. Steve Marino – enforcer of integrity in Macomb County government.
Things got a lot more shady when Marino quickly decided that he needed a promotion. In February 2016, he announced his candidacy for state House in a highly competitive, nearly 50-50 district.
That’s when Marino, then a 27-year-old lobbyist, became infamous in Michigan politics. Democrat “trackers” secretly taped Marino’s remarks to small groups of constituents and supporters at informal coffee klatch events that summer.
The tapes made public by the Democrat Party caught Marino saying: U.S. corporations should take advantage of overseas child labor laws in factories that employ kids 10 to 12 years old; the Social Security eligibility age should be raised to 75; outsourcing jobs to China is an effective means for corporations to avoid paying American wage rates; as a lobbyist, he paid big bar tabs racked up by state legislators and, that he engaged in a ploy to avoid paying part of his property tax bill on the lakefront home he bought from his father.
When the media grabbed ahold of the story, Marino backpedaled furiously. He recanted the story about buying booze for lawmakers, shamelessly saying he made it all up.
The liberal website Eclectablog concluded that Marino is either, “a sleazy lobbyist, a tax cheat, or an unmitigated liar. Or maybe all of the above.”
It seemed that things couldn’t get worse for Marino. But they did.
Indicted drug dealer to host his fundraiser
He announced an October campaign fundraiser at the home of his neighbor, Dr. Jennifer Franklin, though the invitations didn’t mention that she had been indicted by the feds as part of a drug ring that pedaled addictive pain killers such as Oxycodone.
Marino tried to spin the story when Franklin’s background became public, but in the end he cancelled the event. Months later, Franklin pleaded guilty in federal court to using her authority as a physician to help sell more than $2 million in pain pills on the street.
The political situation became so bad, Republican leaders in Lansing and pro-GOP lobbyists were ready to cut the cord on the self-destructive Marino, though his district was a high priority for the party.
Still, on Election Day in November 2016 Marino easily won election in the 24th House District (Harrison Township and parts of Clinton and Macomb townships), over a well-known Democrat county commissioner. Straight-ticket voting and the pro-Donald Trump furor, especially in that area of Macomb County, certainly played a major factor. He won re-election to the House by an identical margin in 2018.
To this day, it seems a safe bet that many of Marino’s constituents are entirely unaware of his path to that House seat or his recent ties to the Inman bribery scandal. Maybe some know him from his outrageous dog-and-pony show in 2017 when he introduced a package of bills to toughen ethics rules for legislators.
For others, in the wake of all the Macomb County political corruption unearthed in recent years, perhaps Marino is accepted as a chip off the old block.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
I know this tale has yet to be told...or did the Celestial Goddess of the Woodshed start unraveling this one almost two decades ago?
Who knows.
We must sit and mull the moment Trump decides to stop obstructing justice and pull that IG Report from his backpocket.
Perhaps, we, the people, for not wanting to be misunderstood in translation for saying "us" when it was to mean "U.S.", must just wait and see if the world shall be granted that backpocket New Year's gift.
Oh, humbug...at least Mariia Butina is free.
Steve Marino Escapes Controversy…Again
By Chad Selweski on December 20th, 2019 |
| Steve Marino |
The young Republican from Macomb County raised suspicions that he was allegedly involved in Rep. Inman’s scheme to pocket $10,000—perhaps as much as $30,000—in campaign contributions in exchange for voting to maintain the state’s prevailing wage law. Testimony suggested that Marino allegedly was keeping a tally of planned money exchanges as 12 House Republicans were targeted in 2018 by the carpenters union for an infusion of campaign bucks as an incentive to preserve the law.
During the trial, investigators tried to subpoena Marino to force him to testify. But they couldn’t find him. The FBI tried to interview him but he reportedly “made himself unavailable” and stopped returning the bureau’s phone calls. Inman, a Grand Rapids Republican, was saved by a deadlocked jury, though prosecutors may try him again. Marino is the guy who got away. Scot free.
A strange path into politics
Yet, Marino’s story of strange and sometimes sleazy politics took several twists and turns before that futile attempt to serve him with a subpoena.
The Harrison Township Republican decided in 2013, for God knows what reason, to pursue a career in politics. At that point, since he had first become a registered voter five years earlier, Marino had cast a ballot in just three of 13 elections. Among those he missed were the 2008 and 2010 general elections and the presidential primary of 2012.
Marino ran for county commissioner and caught a break. His challenger in the August 2014 GOP primary died in June, early enough so his name could be removed from the ballot, leaving Marino unopposed for the nomination. He won the general election that fall by tacitly inserting into the campaign the sudden death of the wife of his Democratic competitor, a tragedy years earlier that led to personal bankruptcy for the candidate.
Based on his campaign resume, Marino was an apparently self-employed political consultant (with no political experience) who specialized in assisting candidates with completion of their campaign finance reports. During the campaign, the county fined Marino for failing to file his campaign finance report on time.
Marino – enforcer of integrity?
When the commissioners were sworn into office in January 2015, they elected Marino as their Sergeant-At-Arms. That’s the guy who is supposed to keep everything orderly and proper during meetings of the Board of Commissioners. Steve Marino – enforcer of integrity in Macomb County government.
Things got a lot more shady when Marino quickly decided that he needed a promotion. In February 2016, he announced his candidacy for state House in a highly competitive, nearly 50-50 district.
That’s when Marino, then a 27-year-old lobbyist, became infamous in Michigan politics. Democrat “trackers” secretly taped Marino’s remarks to small groups of constituents and supporters at informal coffee klatch events that summer.
The tapes made public by the Democrat Party caught Marino saying: U.S. corporations should take advantage of overseas child labor laws in factories that employ kids 10 to 12 years old; the Social Security eligibility age should be raised to 75; outsourcing jobs to China is an effective means for corporations to avoid paying American wage rates; as a lobbyist, he paid big bar tabs racked up by state legislators and, that he engaged in a ploy to avoid paying part of his property tax bill on the lakefront home he bought from his father.
When the media grabbed ahold of the story, Marino backpedaled furiously. He recanted the story about buying booze for lawmakers, shamelessly saying he made it all up.
The liberal website Eclectablog concluded that Marino is either, “a sleazy lobbyist, a tax cheat, or an unmitigated liar. Or maybe all of the above.”
It seemed that things couldn’t get worse for Marino. But they did.
Indicted drug dealer to host his fundraiser
He announced an October campaign fundraiser at the home of his neighbor, Dr. Jennifer Franklin, though the invitations didn’t mention that she had been indicted by the feds as part of a drug ring that pedaled addictive pain killers such as Oxycodone.
Marino tried to spin the story when Franklin’s background became public, but in the end he cancelled the event. Months later, Franklin pleaded guilty in federal court to using her authority as a physician to help sell more than $2 million in pain pills on the street.
The political situation became so bad, Republican leaders in Lansing and pro-GOP lobbyists were ready to cut the cord on the self-destructive Marino, though his district was a high priority for the party.
Still, on Election Day in November 2016 Marino easily won election in the 24th House District (Harrison Township and parts of Clinton and Macomb townships), over a well-known Democrat county commissioner. Straight-ticket voting and the pro-Donald Trump furor, especially in that area of Macomb County, certainly played a major factor. He won re-election to the House by an identical margin in 2018.
To this day, it seems a safe bet that many of Marino’s constituents are entirely unaware of his path to that House seat or his recent ties to the Inman bribery scandal. Maybe some know him from his outrageous dog-and-pony show in 2017 when he introduced a package of bills to toughen ethics rules for legislators.
For others, in the wake of all the Macomb County political corruption unearthed in recent years, perhaps Marino is accepted as a chip off the old block.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
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
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.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
FUN FACT! PAUL WHELAN IS A CONSTITUENT OF MELISSA SLOTKIN
Novi man in prison in Russia loses job at BorgWarner
 |
| Paul Whelan |
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.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Thursday, November 7, 2019
What If The Whistleblower Is Not Anonymous?
What if the Whistleblower is not anonymous?
Just throwing it out there, to the "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending).
Someone will figure it out, eventually.
*Routing for you.*
FYI: Maria Butina is free, you know.
Just throwing it out there, to the "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending).
Someone will figure it out, eventually.
*Routing for you.*
FYI: Maria Butina is free, you know.
#maytheheavensfall
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Monday, November 4, 2019
Cocktails & Popcorn: The Webb Report - Chapter Five - E Is For Energy And Epstein
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Elizabeth Whelan Wails For Her Brother
The voice of Elizabeth Whelan wails for her brother, Paul Whelan's release.
The trials start soon.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-mco.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZSNBUL5SGFBTXGMNSM7UOSNWCA.jpg)
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.”
artists
Comments (4)
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
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.”
artists
Comments (4)
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Tale of Maria Butina Begins - Gerrymandering In The United States
Maria Butina shall be memorialized in the annals of history as Goddess... just as soon as she tells her tales of Michigan and how they have been stealin' the children, land and votes.
What they did to her, they do to children, but much worse, because no one cares.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
What they did to her, they do to children, but much worse, because no one cares.
Russiagate’s first survivor: The harsh education of Maria Butina
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Maria Butina Speaks Upon The U.S. Justice System - No Money, No Justice - The American Way of Chattels
Maria Butina discusses, first hand, how jacked up the United States justice system is.
She covers the lack of due process, solitary confinement, immigration, gender equality, and why 90% of the people in the U.S. take pleas.
No money, no justice - The American Way of Chattels
FUN FACT! EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO HER HAPPENS TO CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE AND INCARCERATED JUVENILES IN THE UNITED STATES
Ministry of Foreign Affair... by Beverly Tran on Scribd
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Maria Butina Is Deported But Paul Whelan Is Not
No one speaks upon Michigan.
This is not an exchange.
This is due process.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Convicted Russian agent Maria Butina was released from a Florida prison on Friday after serving most of her 18-month sentence for conspiring to influence U.S. conservative activists and infiltrate a powerful gun rights group, and taken into custody by immigration officials to be deported to her native country.
Convicted Russian agent Maria Butina is accompanied by federal agents after her release from a Florida prison, during her transfer onto a jet bound for Moscow at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, U.S. October 25, 2019. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout via REUTERS.
Butina, 31, had been scheduled for release from the low-security prison in Tallahassee in early November, but a change in federal law moved up her release date based on credit for good behavior, her attorney Robert Driscoll said.
A prison official confirmed she was released on Friday morning and taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities.
She left Miami International Airport on a direct flight to Moscow at about 6 p.m. (2200 GMT), ICE said in a statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed “outrage” over Butina’s prison sentence and said she did not carry out any orders from Russian security services.
Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to act as a foreign agent and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The Siberia native admitted to conspiring with a Russian official and two Americans to infiltrate the National Rifle Association, a group closely aligned with U.S. conservatives and Republican politicians including President Donald Trump, and create unofficial lines of communication to try to shape Washington’s policy toward Moscow.
Her 18-month sentence included nine months she spent incarcerated after her July 2018 arrest.
Butina’s case was separate from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, which detailed numerous contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Her activities occurred during the same period as the contacts investigated by Mueller.
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL
The Russian official with whom Butina conspired was later identified as Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s central bank. He was never charged in the case, but was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.
One of the two Americans referenced in her case was conservative political activist Paul Erickson, her boyfriend. Erickson was not charged for his links to Butina, but was indicted on unrelated wire fraud and money laundering charges in South Dakota. The case against Erickson is still pending.
In addition, Overstock.com (OSTK.O) Chief Executive Officer Patrick Byrne resigned in August after confirming a report by Fox News contributor Sara Carter that he also had an intimate relationship with Butina.
Federal prosecutors have said Butina did not engage in “traditional” spy craft, but worked behind the scenes to make inroads in conservative political circles and promote friendlier U.S.-Russian relations. She arranged dinners in Washington and New York and attended events to meet prominent politicians.
Butina in 2015 appeared at a Trump campaign event and asked him a question about whether he wanted better relations with Russia. Trump responded by telling Butina that he would “get along very nicely with Putin.”
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year accused the United States of forcing Butina to make a false confession to “absolutely ridiculous charges” of being a Russian agent.
Slideshow (2 Images)
“It’s not clear what she was convicted of or what crime she committed,” Putin said in April. “I think it’s a prime example of ‘saving face.’ They arrested her and put the girl in jail. But there was nothing on her, so in order not to look totally stupid they gave her, fixed her up, with an 18-month sentence to show that she was guilty of something.”
Asked whether Washington now expects Russia to release a former U.S. Marine named Paul Whelan currently being held on accusations of espionage, a State Department spokesperson said, “We continue to urge the Russian government to ensure a fair trial, including a fair and public hearing without undue delay, in accordance with its international legal obligations.”
A Russian court on Thursday ordered Whelan, detained in 2018, held in custody until Dec. 29.
Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish passports, has denied the espionage allegations.
Media caption'My human rights are being violated and my life threatened'
Ten months after his arrest on espionage charges in Moscow, ex-US marine Paul Whelan has said he is more like naive, fictional buffoon Mr Bean than suave spy James Bond.
Russia says he was caught red-handed with state secrets on electronic files.
A judge extended his pre-trial detention until 29 December.
As the judge delivered his ruling, Mr Whelan defied orders to keep quiet, reading a statement from a cage guarded by an FSB officer in a balaclava.
"Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission. In reality, they abducted Mr Bean on holiday," Mr Whelan told the court.
A regular visitor to Russia, who made many friends over the years, Paul Whelan was detained at the Metropol hotel in December. He says he was getting ready for a wedding when an old friend turned up unexpectedly. Moments later, security officers burst in and arrested him for receiving state secrets.
Mr Whelan claims the flash drive they found was planted by the friend: an FSB officer he believes betrayed him.
His lawyers, who are now working their way through several thousand pages of the case files - including surveillance material - say they've still seen nothing to prove his guilt.
He has become increasingly defiant at his court appearances, a rare few hours out of his prison cell every three months.
Media captionRussia spy case: Is Paul Whelan a hostage of Russia or a spy?
This time he told the BBC the case against him was "a joke".
"This is just a hostage situation," he said in court.
The American, who also holds British, Irish and Canadian passports, suspects he's a victim of plummeting relations between Russia and the West. Some have speculated that Moscow wants to swap him for a Russian prisoner abroad, though the Foreign Ministry here denies that.
Its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, insists he was caught red-handed. "We have the facts," she said last week.
At his latest hearing, the ex-Marine requested the prosecutor and judge be replaced for their failure to investigate his claims of ill treatment and a lack of objectivity.
Mr Whelan was guarded in the defendants' cage by a balaclava-clad FSB officer
When the judge refused, as neither are official grounds for recusal, Mr Whelan displayed mock incredulity.
"So if the prosecutor were my sister that would be illegal, but human rights violations are fine?'" he asked.
"What do you think, Alexei? Shall we go for it?" he then joked to the chief investigator, wondering whether to request his removal too.
"It's your right," the FSB officer replied in English, with a smile.
But this high-profile case is a serious matter.
Mr Whelan claimed today he had been assaulted by prison staff. His lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said later that a guard had been disciplined following a dispute over the American "jumping and singing" during his daily exercise hour.
More serious still, the espionage charge he's facing carries a 20-year prison sentence.
Paul Whelan - innocent wedding guest or spy?
Former US marine alleges set-up in Russia spy case
Ex-marine calls Russia spy case 'political kidnap'
The investigation is now complete and his legal team say there is "lots in their favour" in the files they've been handed: none of his other Russian friends have said he claimed to be a spy or tried to recruit them.
But the lawyers say Mr Whelan is going through the papers himself in such detail, his trial is now unlikely to start before Spring.
Mr Whelan's family insist he was only visiting Russia to attend a friend's wedding
'I said to him, maybe we should get it over and done with this year? Get you home sooner,' Mr Zherebenkov recalled. 'But he wants to read everything, very carefully.'
The team have talked before of possible "misunderstandings" between Mr Whelan and his FSB "friend". They've hinted at jokes, maybe lost in translation. His family confirm that he's well known for his "banter", as displayed recently in court.
That may explain Mr Whelan likening himself to the hapless, but harmless, Mr Bean. It's hard to judge as the case is secret, including details on what data he allegedly sought, who for and how.
But Paul Wheel argues there's nothing to hide. So as he was led out of court in handcuffs, he attempted to break the blackout by flinging a copy of the latest court ruling at me down the corridor. It was scooped up by a Western diplomat. Only, the information it reveals is classified.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
This is not an exchange.
This is due process.
#FreeMariaButina
Russian agent Butina released from U.S. prison, deported
 |
| Mariia Butina |
Convicted Russian agent Maria Butina is accompanied by federal agents after her release from a Florida prison, during her transfer onto a jet bound for Moscow at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, U.S. October 25, 2019. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout via REUTERS.
Butina, 31, had been scheduled for release from the low-security prison in Tallahassee in early November, but a change in federal law moved up her release date based on credit for good behavior, her attorney Robert Driscoll said.
A prison official confirmed she was released on Friday morning and taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities.
She left Miami International Airport on a direct flight to Moscow at about 6 p.m. (2200 GMT), ICE said in a statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed “outrage” over Butina’s prison sentence and said she did not carry out any orders from Russian security services.
Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to act as a foreign agent and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The Siberia native admitted to conspiring with a Russian official and two Americans to infiltrate the National Rifle Association, a group closely aligned with U.S. conservatives and Republican politicians including President Donald Trump, and create unofficial lines of communication to try to shape Washington’s policy toward Moscow.
Her 18-month sentence included nine months she spent incarcerated after her July 2018 arrest.
Butina’s case was separate from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, which detailed numerous contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Her activities occurred during the same period as the contacts investigated by Mueller.
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL
The Russian official with whom Butina conspired was later identified as Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s central bank. He was never charged in the case, but was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.
One of the two Americans referenced in her case was conservative political activist Paul Erickson, her boyfriend. Erickson was not charged for his links to Butina, but was indicted on unrelated wire fraud and money laundering charges in South Dakota. The case against Erickson is still pending.
In addition, Overstock.com (OSTK.O) Chief Executive Officer Patrick Byrne resigned in August after confirming a report by Fox News contributor Sara Carter that he also had an intimate relationship with Butina.
Federal prosecutors have said Butina did not engage in “traditional” spy craft, but worked behind the scenes to make inroads in conservative political circles and promote friendlier U.S.-Russian relations. She arranged dinners in Washington and New York and attended events to meet prominent politicians.
Butina in 2015 appeared at a Trump campaign event and asked him a question about whether he wanted better relations with Russia. Trump responded by telling Butina that he would “get along very nicely with Putin.”
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year accused the United States of forcing Butina to make a false confession to “absolutely ridiculous charges” of being a Russian agent.
Slideshow (2 Images)
“It’s not clear what she was convicted of or what crime she committed,” Putin said in April. “I think it’s a prime example of ‘saving face.’ They arrested her and put the girl in jail. But there was nothing on her, so in order not to look totally stupid they gave her, fixed her up, with an 18-month sentence to show that she was guilty of something.”
Asked whether Washington now expects Russia to release a former U.S. Marine named Paul Whelan currently being held on accusations of espionage, a State Department spokesperson said, “We continue to urge the Russian government to ensure a fair trial, including a fair and public hearing without undue delay, in accordance with its international legal obligations.”
A Russian court on Thursday ordered Whelan, detained in 2018, held in custody until Dec. 29.
Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish passports, has denied the espionage allegations.
Paul Whelan: Russia spy suspect 'more Mr Bean than James Bond'
Media caption'My human rights are being violated and my life threatened'
Ten months after his arrest on espionage charges in Moscow, ex-US marine Paul Whelan has said he is more like naive, fictional buffoon Mr Bean than suave spy James Bond.
Russia says he was caught red-handed with state secrets on electronic files.
A judge extended his pre-trial detention until 29 December.
As the judge delivered his ruling, Mr Whelan defied orders to keep quiet, reading a statement from a cage guarded by an FSB officer in a balaclava.
"Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission. In reality, they abducted Mr Bean on holiday," Mr Whelan told the court.
A regular visitor to Russia, who made many friends over the years, Paul Whelan was detained at the Metropol hotel in December. He says he was getting ready for a wedding when an old friend turned up unexpectedly. Moments later, security officers burst in and arrested him for receiving state secrets.
Mr Whelan claims the flash drive they found was planted by the friend: an FSB officer he believes betrayed him.
His lawyers, who are now working their way through several thousand pages of the case files - including surveillance material - say they've still seen nothing to prove his guilt.
He has become increasingly defiant at his court appearances, a rare few hours out of his prison cell every three months.
Media captionRussia spy case: Is Paul Whelan a hostage of Russia or a spy?
This time he told the BBC the case against him was "a joke".
"This is just a hostage situation," he said in court.
The American, who also holds British, Irish and Canadian passports, suspects he's a victim of plummeting relations between Russia and the West. Some have speculated that Moscow wants to swap him for a Russian prisoner abroad, though the Foreign Ministry here denies that.
Its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, insists he was caught red-handed. "We have the facts," she said last week.
At his latest hearing, the ex-Marine requested the prosecutor and judge be replaced for their failure to investigate his claims of ill treatment and a lack of objectivity.
Mr Whelan was guarded in the defendants' cage by a balaclava-clad FSB officer
When the judge refused, as neither are official grounds for recusal, Mr Whelan displayed mock incredulity.
"So if the prosecutor were my sister that would be illegal, but human rights violations are fine?'" he asked.
"What do you think, Alexei? Shall we go for it?" he then joked to the chief investigator, wondering whether to request his removal too.
"It's your right," the FSB officer replied in English, with a smile.
But this high-profile case is a serious matter.
Mr Whelan claimed today he had been assaulted by prison staff. His lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said later that a guard had been disciplined following a dispute over the American "jumping and singing" during his daily exercise hour.
More serious still, the espionage charge he's facing carries a 20-year prison sentence.
Paul Whelan - innocent wedding guest or spy?
Former US marine alleges set-up in Russia spy case
Ex-marine calls Russia spy case 'political kidnap'
The investigation is now complete and his legal team say there is "lots in their favour" in the files they've been handed: none of his other Russian friends have said he claimed to be a spy or tried to recruit them.
But the lawyers say Mr Whelan is going through the papers himself in such detail, his trial is now unlikely to start before Spring.
Mr Whelan's family insist he was only visiting Russia to attend a friend's wedding
'I said to him, maybe we should get it over and done with this year? Get you home sooner,' Mr Zherebenkov recalled. 'But he wants to read everything, very carefully.'
The team have talked before of possible "misunderstandings" between Mr Whelan and his FSB "friend". They've hinted at jokes, maybe lost in translation. His family confirm that he's well known for his "banter", as displayed recently in court.
That may explain Mr Whelan likening himself to the hapless, but harmless, Mr Bean. It's hard to judge as the case is secret, including details on what data he allegedly sought, who for and how.
But Paul Wheel argues there's nothing to hide. So as he was led out of court in handcuffs, he attempted to break the blackout by flinging a copy of the latest court ruling at me down the corridor. It was scooped up by a Western diplomat. Only, the information it reveals is classified.
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Dear Dumb Chick From Florida Who Invested In A Detroit House On Santa Rosa
Dear Dumb Chick from Florida who bought a house somewhere on Santa Rosa in Detroit,
 |
| The Celestial Goddess of the Woodshed bestows the Rat's Arse upon her Ukrainian Dumb Chick |
I really do not give a flying rat's arse which is why I did not even bother to look up your address or phone number, but in your case, just because you possess the fortitude to even call me, I shall make this exception only for you,
Please, whatever you do, even though someone lied to you, making you believe that you are all uber super smart and stuff, do not call me again.
If you believe you or your property is subject of criminal activity, call the Detroit Police Department.
You see, Dumb Chick, I hail from the land of Detroit, where I am able to localize your accent to be in the southeastern vicinity of Poland.
So, since you may face a language barrier, call 9-1-1 if you believe a crime has been committed.
Oh, and tell Lyrix I said, "What up, doe?"
And tell your other Dumb Chicks I said, "Shoo!"
#FreeMariaButina
via GIPHY
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
FAULTLINES: Lee Stranahan & Garlan Dixon Interview Robert Driscoll, Attorney For Maria Butina
Meet Robert Driscoll in this interview with Lee Stranahan and Garlan Dixon of Fautlines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AjTn-YaWTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3COwwN5Fby0
Robert N. “Bob” Driscoll, a Member, leads the firm’s Washington, DC office and serves as co-chair of the firm’s White Collar/Government Investigations Group. He focuses on representing clients in government and internal investigations as well as in matters adverse to the federal government.
Bob represents corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in judicial proceedings, as well as in matters investigated by executive branch agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Special Counsel’s Office of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (HHS), Commerce, State, Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and legislative branch bodies or committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (including representing witnesses before both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees of the Senate and House), as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He has also conducted domestic and international internal investigations for public and private companies.
Bob is the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
Thanks to his extensive experience, Bob is a regular guest on numerous news programs on Fox News and MSNBC, has appeared on CNN, PBS, OAN, and NPR, and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.
Government and Internal Investigations
Bob conducts internal investigations for publicly traded and privately held companies and assists corporations as well as Boards of Directors and general committees with answering allegations of wrongdoing alleged by whistleblowers or minority shareholders. He also assists with, and negotiates, subpoenas and other congressional requests for information, and represents corporate witnesses before relevant bodies.
Indirect Auto Lending/Fair Lending
Bob has represented auto lenders and subprime lenders in all aspects of governmental agency investigations before the DOJ, CFPB, and DHS, from initial stages of investigations to negotiation and settlement.
Representation of Individuals in High-Profile Matters
In addition to his representation of companies in governmental investigations, Bob has represented individuals in several high-profile investigations, including witnesses in the 2016 election investigation by the Special Counsel and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. He has handled matters related to charges of corruption, leaking confidential information, and fraud, including civil suits and class action matters.
Non-Public Individual Representation
Bob’s experience extends to the representation of government officials and employees in criminal investigations of the DOJ, the SEC, and various Inspectors General of cabinet agencies.
Civil Rights-Related Case Experience
Bob has also represented government entities, individuals, and private institutions in civil-rights related litigation and investigations. He has represented jurisdictions, senior elected officials, and educational institutions targeted by the DOJ.
Congressional Investigations
Bob has represented corporate clients and individual witnesses in congressional investigations before numerous high-profile Congressional committees. He has also personally testified before House and Senate Committees, experience that helps his clients know how to prepare and what to expect.
Supreme Court
Bob has been counsel of record and written amicus briefs in four civil rights related matters before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Professional Affiliations
Federalist Society
Honors
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Lawyer
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AjTn-YaWTg
Robert N. “Bob” Driscoll, a Member, leads the firm’s Washington, DC office and serves as co-chair of the firm’s White Collar/Government Investigations Group. He focuses on representing clients in government and internal investigations as well as in matters adverse to the federal government.
Bob represents corporations, governmental entities, and individuals in judicial proceedings, as well as in matters investigated by executive branch agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Special Counsel’s Office of the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (HHS), Commerce, State, Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and legislative branch bodies or committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (including representing witnesses before both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees of the Senate and House), as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He has also conducted domestic and international internal investigations for public and private companies.
Bob is the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
Thanks to his extensive experience, Bob is a regular guest on numerous news programs on Fox News and MSNBC, has appeared on CNN, PBS, OAN, and NPR, and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.
Government and Internal Investigations
Bob conducts internal investigations for publicly traded and privately held companies and assists corporations as well as Boards of Directors and general committees with answering allegations of wrongdoing alleged by whistleblowers or minority shareholders. He also assists with, and negotiates, subpoenas and other congressional requests for information, and represents corporate witnesses before relevant bodies.
Indirect Auto Lending/Fair Lending
Bob has represented auto lenders and subprime lenders in all aspects of governmental agency investigations before the DOJ, CFPB, and DHS, from initial stages of investigations to negotiation and settlement.
Representation of Individuals in High-Profile Matters
In addition to his representation of companies in governmental investigations, Bob has represented individuals in several high-profile investigations, including witnesses in the 2016 election investigation by the Special Counsel and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. He has handled matters related to charges of corruption, leaking confidential information, and fraud, including civil suits and class action matters.
Non-Public Individual Representation
Bob’s experience extends to the representation of government officials and employees in criminal investigations of the DOJ, the SEC, and various Inspectors General of cabinet agencies.
Civil Rights-Related Case Experience
Bob has also represented government entities, individuals, and private institutions in civil-rights related litigation and investigations. He has represented jurisdictions, senior elected officials, and educational institutions targeted by the DOJ.
Congressional Investigations
Bob has represented corporate clients and individual witnesses in congressional investigations before numerous high-profile Congressional committees. He has also personally testified before House and Senate Committees, experience that helps his clients know how to prepare and what to expect.
Supreme Court
Bob has been counsel of record and written amicus briefs in four civil rights related matters before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Professional Affiliations
Federalist Society
Honors
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Lawyer
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Monday, September 16, 2019
Cocktails & Popcorn: Awan 911 - The Webb Report - Chapter One - Page 5 - What Mueller Left Out
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Cocktails & Popcorn: Awan 911 - The Webb Report - Chapter One - Page Four
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)