It all began with Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager, now serving a seven-year prison sentence for bank fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, false statements, and witness tampering. Now Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is promoting Manafort’s defense of his felonious behavior: I was looking for the Democratic National...
Category: Congress
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How Sen. Ron Johnson’s Investigation Became an Enabler of Russian Disinformation
The hard-right Attorney General Bill Barr says that the FBI investigation Donald Trump’s entourage in 2016, amounted to “spying.” Left- wing columnist Matt Taibbi, says the Trump-Russia investigation was a “hoax.” But that’s kind of last year’s debate. In the 2020 election cycle it is hard to dispute Ryan Goodman and Asha Rangappa’s piece in...
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Pelosi Upbraids Counterintelligence Chief Over Russian Meddling
While it is highly debatable whether Russian social media activities could swing the 2020 election, there’s not much doubt that the Russian state agent, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, are trying to help Trump. The Trump White House would rather not share what the U.S. government knows about the subject. When William Evanina, chief of counterintelligence for...
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Schatz Amendment Would End the 1033 Program That Militarizes Cops
From Consortium News: Congress is taking action on the 1033 program, which authorizes the Defense Department to send military equipment and weapons to local police departments. Since 1990 more than $5.4 billion in equipment has flowed to the hands of cops with predictable results. The response by local law enforcement to the nationwide uprising that...
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Three Questions for Investigators of the COVID19 Intelligence Failure
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks President George Bush stoutly resisted the creation of a committee to investigate of how the hijackers were able to penetrate America’s defenses. Only the congressional intelligence committees should investigate, Bush said, and only behind closed doors. Vice President Cheney said those who charged the attacks on New York...