Posted on 11/12/2019 10:05:07 AM PST by sickoflibs
Fox News Gregg Re has just reported that a second whistleblower, possibly a real one this time, filed a complaint last week with the Intelligence Community Inspector General about the original whistleblower, alleged to be Eric Ciaramella. Re wrote that Ciaramella may have violated federal law by indirectly soliciting more than a quarter-million dollars from mostly anonymous sources via a GoFundMe page. So far, 6,000 donors have contributed a total of $227,000.
The new whistleblower alleges that these funds:
clearly constitute gifts to a current intelligence official that may be restricted because of the employees official position pursuant to 5 CFR 2635.203 and other statutes. The complaint also raised the possibility that some of the donations may have come from prohibited sources, and asked the ICIG to look into whether any foreign citizen or agent of a foreign government contributed.
Tully Rinckey PLLC, the law firm representing the individual reporting the allegations, is closely guarding the identity of their client, though Fox News is told the individual is the holder of a top-secret SCI security clearance and has served in government.
Regarding the fundraising, managing partner at Tully Rinckey, Anthony Gallo, told Fox that I have not seen anything on this scale. Its not about politics for my client its whistleblower-on-whistleblower, and [my clients] only interest is to see the government ethics rules are being complied with government-wide.
Fox reported in September that Ciaramellas lawyers, Andrew Bakaj and Mark Zaid of the Compass Rose Law firm, were working with non-profit Whistleblower Aid to launch a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his legal defense. Their goal was to raise $100,000. (That story can be viewed here.) His lawyers:
have called the GoFundMe a way to help support the Intelligence Community Whistleblower [to] raise funds, and the GoFundMe page itself states that A U.S. intelligence officer needs your help in the form of a crowdfunding effort to support the whistleblowers lawyers.
The fundraising page claims that donations will only be accepted from U.S. citizens. But, the majority of the GoFundMe donors to the whistleblowers campaign were not named, and legal experts have told Fox News that the ICIG likely would need to subpoena the website to obtain more information on their origins.
Anyway, earlier this year, the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) warned federal government employees that they may not accept any gift given because of the employees official position, meaning that the gift would not have been given had the employee not held the status, authority, or duties associated with the employees federal position. The OGE also cautioned that gifts may not be accepted from prohibited sources, including anyone who conducts activities regulated by the employees agency or who has interests that can be affected by the performance or non-performance of the employees official duties.
The new whistleblowers complaint claims these donations constitute a gift, were made due to the whistleblowers official status, authority or duties and that the whistleblower and his legal team appeared to be exploiting their access to classified information.
In a letter to ICIG Michael Atkinson last week (the same IG who took Ciaramellas complaint in August), Gallo wrote:
My client believes that the federal employee you are protecting and their attorneys apparently have strategically weaponized their alleged whistleblowing activities into a very lucrative money-making enterprise using a charity incorporated under a different name than the trade name it is using for fund-raising purposes, which would appear to my client to be a clear abuse of the federal employees authority and access to classified information
We are requesting you investigate whether [criminal statutes or regulations have] been violated by the federal employee you are protecting when they reportedly requested an investigation into a matter that they had no direct personal knowledge of, and on account of which they were able to obtain sizeable gifts from unknown persons because of their official duty.
Re explains that this portion of Gallos letter refers to the fact that Ciaramellas attorney, Mark Zaid is a co-founder of Whistleblower Aid which is also known as Values United. (Note: Values United tax documents show it paid $258,085 for advertising and consulting services to West End Strategy Team, whose founder Matt Dorf was quoted on the groups website saying he influences progressive politics, skillfully shifting the conversation to achieve the goals of West End Strategy clients.)
Its really such a small swamp, isnt it?
Its unclear what effect, if any, this latest complaint will have on Ciaramellas case. Its certainly doesnt help his case. But, if it wasnt an issue for the new whistleblower six weeks ago when the GoFundMe page was launched, I dont understand why it would suddenly become one now that hes exceeded the original target of $100,000. Well see what, if anything, GOP leaders do with it.
Ever since it was reported that a member of Schiffs staff had contact with Ciaramella before he filed his complaint, he has tried to distance himself. But, as more and more information comes out about Ciaramellas motivations, Schiff may not be able to dismiss him so easily. In fact, Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested over the weekend that if Ciaramella does not testify before the impeachment committee, Schiff may find his whole case will be dead on arrival in the Senate.
Stay tuned.
Needed to shorten the title to 100 characters to post
Are we allowed to say Eric Ciaramella??
For some reason, I hear the opening notes of Dueling Banjos.
Guantanamo is to good for Ciaramella.
Are we allowed to say Eric Ciaramella??
Yes.
Didn’t McCabe do the Go Fund Me too?
Per Washington Post
McCabe will shut down GoFundMe page, which raised more than $538,000 for his legal defense
I seem to remember there was a Rose Law firm that had some Arkansas connection.
How much of this was CIA slush fund $$$$$
Just a part of
THE BIG DEMOCRAT PARTY MONEY MAKING MACHINE!!!
Forget 5 CFR.
Prohibited sources turns this into 18 USC.
Haha, turnabout is fair play.
If you say it three times, he materializes in front of you and is free to wreak havoc in the world.
In addition to gofundme, Ciaramella’s lawyers also offer bribes to anyone willing to go after Trump. That should NOT be legal...
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