IN NEWLY OBTAINED MEMO, CONGRESS’S TOP COP SAID HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS SERVER VANISHED

The Daily Caller ^ | 07/02/2018 | Luke Rosiak, Investigative Reporter

[Yosemitest]

IN NEWLY OBTAINED MEMO, CONGRESS’S TOP COP SAID HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS SERVER VANISHED



A secret memo marked “URGENT” detailed how the House Democratic Caucus’s server went “missing” soon after it became evidence in a cybersecurity probe.
The secret memo also said more than “40 House offices may have been victims of IT security violations.”

In the memo, Congress’s top law enforcement official, Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, along with Chief Administrative Officer Phil Kiko, wrote,

“We have concluded that the employees [Democratic systems administrator Imran Awan and his family] are an ongoing and serious risk to the House of Representatives, possibly threatening the integrity of our information systems and thereby members’ capacity to serve constituents.”

The memo, addressed to the Committee on House Administration (CHA) and dated Feb. 3, 2017, was recently reviewed and transcribed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
The letter bolsters TheDCNF’s previous reporting about the missing server and evidence of fraud on Capitol Hill.

It details how the caucus server, run by then-caucus Chairman Rep. Xavier Becerra, was secretly copied by authorities after the House Inspector General (IG) identified suspicious activity on it, but the Awans’ physical access was not blocked.

But after, the report reads, the server appears to have been secretly replaced with one that looked similar.

The memo called for firing the Pakistani-born aides, revoking all their computer accounts, and changing the locks on any door they had access to.

Rep. Louie Gohmert — a Texas Republican on the House Committee on the Judiciary who has done oversight work on the case — said the missing server contained copies of Congress members’ emails.


“They put 40 members of Congress’s data on one server …
That server, with that serial number, has disappeared,” he said.

Multiple sources connected to the investigation told TheDCNF that shortly after an IG report came out identifying the House Democratic Caucus server as key evidence in a criminal probe, the evidence was stolen.


“They [the Awans] deliberately turned over a fake server” to falsify evidence, one official close to the CHA alleged.
“It was a breach.
The data was completely out of [members’] possession.”



The six-page letter says:


• In September of 2016 … the CHA and [IG] briefed the former Chairman of the Democratic Caucus about suspicious activity related to their server that the [IG] identified.
As a result, the former Chairman of the Democratic Caucus directed the CAO to copy the data from their server and two computers.

• The CHA directed the IG to refer the matter to the US Capitol Police.
The USCP initiated an investigation that continues to this day.

• In late 2016, the former Chairman of the Democratic Caucus announced his intention to resign from Congress to assume a new position.
The CAO and [sergeant-at-arms] worked with the Chairman to account for his inventory, including the one server.

• While reviewing the inventory, the CAO discovered that the serial number of the server did not match that of the one imaged in September.
[Investigators] also discovered that the server in question [the replacement server] was still operating under the employee’s control, contrary to the explicit instructions of the former chairman to turn over all equipment and fully cooperate with the inquiry and investigation.
[A House source said the “employee” was Abid Awan.]

• The USCP interviewed relevant staff regarding the missing server.

• On January 24, 2017, the CAO acquired the [replacement] server from the control of the employees and transferred that server to the USCP.



President Donald Trump referenced the Democratic Caucus’ missing server in a tweet.
But because the letter to the CHA was kept secret, many news outlets have not grasped that the House’s top cop documented a “missing server” connected to the Democratic Caucus.

The timeline laid out in the letter also shows that Becerra — now California’s Democratic attorney general — failed to ensure that the Awans didn’t have access to House computer systems during the 2016 election, which was wrought with cybersecurity scandals.

An IG presentation from September 2016 shows that Becerra knew of problems months before the server disappeared.



“The Caucus Chief of Staff requested one of the shared employees to not provide IT services or access their computers,” it read.
“This shared employee continued.”
It’s unclear why that request was not granted or why it was a request rather than an order.

A House official close to the probe said the employee was Abid, who was not on Becerra or the Caucus’s payroll.
The official said Becerra Chief of Staff Sean McCluskie apparently knew Abid was accessing Caucus servers.
According to payroll records, Abid’s sister-in-law, Hina Alvi, was the Caucus’ systems administrator.

The Awans’ continued physical access to Becerra’s equipment after red flags emerged enabled the server to disappear after it became evidence, House officials close to the investigation told TheDCNF.
(RELATED: Becerra Tried To Block Awan From House Democratic Caucus Server, But Logins Continued; He Didn’t Go To Cops)



Becerra has refused to comment, citing an ongoing criminal investigation.

The February 2017 memo itemizes “numerous and egregious violations of House IT security” by members of the Awan family, including using Congress members’ usernames and “the unauthorized storage of sensitive House information outside the House.”



“These employees accessed user accounts and computers for offices that did not employ them, without the knowledge and permission of the impacted Member’s office,” it said,
adding, “4 of the employees accessed the Democratic Caucus computers 5,735 times.”
More than 100 office computers were open to access from people not on the office’s staff, it said.

Chris Gowen — a former aide to Hillary Clinton who is now serving as Imran’s attorney — told TheDCNF, “There is no missing server and never was.”

He didn’t provide any support for his claim, which is contrary to evidence Kiko and Irving presented to Congress.

The memo said the CHA possesses voluminous evidence, including, “Interview notes with House Members’ Chiefs of Staff,” and “Logon activity and computer access logs.”
Prosecutors have not brought charges.

The Awans were banned from Congress’s computer network the day the letter was sent, and Kiko held a briefing to convey the message to chiefs of staff for members who employed them.



But Democrats claim they were never told about any of the cybersecurity issues itemized in the urgent memo.
Rep. Jackie Speier — a California Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence who employed Imran and his wife, Hina Alvi — said she never heard of any missing server.

Joaquin Castro of Texas — another Democratic intelligence committee member who employed one of the Awans — told TheDCNF that Kiko never told him of any cybersecurity issues whatsoever and that the Awan probe was instead described as a theft issue.

Indeed, the CHA issued only one public statement on the case and titled it the “House Theft Investigation” — wording that avoids cybersecurity words while political news coverage raged about other cybersecurity issues in the 2016 election.

Yet even the alleged theft has not resulted in criminal charges — even though the letter also says House authorities have “purchase orders and vouchers” that allegedly show procurement fraud, as well as testimony from a Democratic chief of staff to Rep. Yvette Clarke, who warned of procurement fraud.

The FBI arrested Imran at the airport in July 2017 for alleged bank fraud that occurred six months prior, and Democrats have since claimed that the case is about nothing but bank fraud.
Bank fraud does not explain why the Awans were kicked off the House network concurrent with the urgent memo, which did not cite bank fraud.

A Democratic IT aide who alleged that Imran solicited a bribe from him told TheDCNF he believes members of Congress are playing dumb and covering the matter up.
Wendy Anderson, a former chief of staff to New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, told House investigators

that she suspected that her predecessor, Shelley Davis, was working with Abid on a theft scheme,
but Clarke refused to fire Abid until outside investigators got involved, TheDCNF reported.

Eighteen months after the evidence was recounted in the urgent memo, prosecution appears to have stalled for reasons not publicly explained.
Imran is in court July 3 for a possible plea deal in the bank fraud case.
Gohmert said the FBI has refused to accept evidence demonstrating alleged House misconduct, and some witnesses with first-hand knowledge say the bureau has not interviewed them.


Imran Awan: A Continuing DCNF Investigative Group Series

[Yosemitest]

There is much more supporting information and links at the source, at the bottom of that article.
Please go to the bottom link and continue reading the evidence.

Imran Awan: A Continuing DCNF Investigative Group Series

[rdl6989]

What a coincidence!

[rrrod]

Sessions could bring the deep state down if he had a spine

[princess leah]

Arrest Debbie Wasserman Schultz for aiding and abetting foreign enemy infiltratrators Iwan and his wife! They have the server!

[rktman]

Yeah, but Trump didn’t punch Putin out so there. Server? What server?

[DannyTN]

Which again raises the question, what is Mueller indicting Russians for, if the key evidence is missing.

Or is this not the server in question?

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Bkmrk.

[rdl6989]

Agreed, but I won’t hold my breath waiting.

[gathersnomoss]

Sessions IS the deep state.

[i_robot73]

‘Amazing’, considering his “get out of any prior criminal act” card given by the FBI/DOJ.

Course, this info would NEVER come out PRIOR to any case...Surprised it came out @ ALL, actually.

[Lee'sGhost]

Which is why DWS won’t talk...they have the server.

[Yosemitest]

Imran Awan: A Continuing DCNF Investigative Group Series

• Documents
• Timeline
• Summary: 14 Things To Know
• DOJ Agrees Not To Prosecute Imran Awan For House Cybersecurity And Theft, Contradicting House Findings
• In Newly Obtained Memo, Congress’s Top Cop Said House Democratic Caucus Server VANISHED
• Dem IT Vendor Says Imran Tried To Sell Access To Office Of Then-Rep. Gwen Graham
• Rep. Yvette Clarke's Chief Of Staff Tried To Expose Suspected Theft Ring On Capitol Hill, Was Met With Resistance
• Days After Awan's Wife Told Police She Was Being Kept 'Like A Slave,' Gunmen Shot At Her
• Sources: Wasserman Schultz Screamed At House Officials To Kill Hacking Probe, Intervened In Pakistani Criminal Matter
• Imran Awan Now Allegedly Trying 'To Hide His Money' With LLC, Gold -- While DOJ Negotiates
• Capitol Police Accidentally Gave Evidence To House Hacking Suspect’s Defense Attorney
• Awan Knew Witness Emailed FBI, Lawyer Lashed Out At Her, She Says She's Been Wiretapped, Robbed, Threatened
• Awan Lawyer Demanded Witness Reveal What She Told FBI, Probed About 'Radical Islamic Activities'
• Abid Awan Attorney Mocks 'Wacko Lunatic' Widow As Abid Wins $45,000 Payout
• Trump Is Right: A 'Pakistani Mystery Man' Has Documents Wasserman Schultz Didn’t Want Prosecutors To See
• Summary: Fifteen Things To Know About 'Pakistani Mystery Man' Imran Awan
• Father Gave USB To Pakistani Official, Claimed Power To 'Change US President,' Ex-Partner Alleges
• Hearing Reveals Congress Provided 'No Supervision' Of IT Aides, Missed Red Flags, But Members Block Proposed Reforms
• Congress And Wasserman Schultz Negligent For Allowing Hacking Suspects Continued Access, Expert Says
• Exempted From Background Checks Despite Policy
• Long History Of Alleged Witness Intimidation, Evidence Tampering
• Ethics Complaint: Rep. Cleaver Said Imran Was His IT Guy -- But He Wasn't On His Payroll, A McDonald's Worker Was
• Why Did FBI Let A Hacking Suspect Leave The Country?
• Intel Committee Dems 'Dangerous,' 'Negligent' In Handling Of Breach
• Internal Probe Reported 'Unauthorized Access' To Data; Officials Misrepresented Findings As 'Theft'
• House IT Aides Ran Car Dealership With Markings Of A Nefarious Money Laundering Operation
• Becerra Tried To Block Awan From House Democratic Caucus Server, But Logins Continued; He Didn't Go To Cops
• Hard Drive Tied to Wasserman Schultz Is Central To Imran Awan Case
• 18 Months In, Dem IT Aides Not Charged With Hill Crimes Despite Evidence
• Used Political Influence To Have Fraud Charges Dropped In Pakistan
• Own Wife Turns, Accuses Him Of Fraud, Violent Threats
• Imran Awan 'Very Strongly' Wants To Block Review Of DWS' Hard Drive
• Lawyer Implicates Congressmen
• Sending Money To Police Officer In Pakistan
• Funneling 'Massive' Data Off Congressional Server, Dems Claim It's Child's Homework
• 'Like a Slave': Three Muslim Women, At Least One Of Them Bloodied, Called Police on Imran
• Had Secret Server, Caught Falsifying Evidence To Cover It Up
• Imran Still Has Copy Of Laptop DWS Said Has Sensitive Leg-Branch Info
• DWS Laptop Found at 3AM In Phone Booth With Letter To Prosecutors
• Awan Asks Judge To Remove GPS, Citing Possible Emergency With Kids--Who Are In Pakistan
• Has Secret, Still-Active House Account--123@mail.house.gov--Linked To Intelligence Specialist
• DWS 'Islamophobia' Claim Prompts Angered Witnesses To Go Public
• Rep. Yvette Clarke Quietly Signed Away $120,000 In Missing Equipment
• Imran, Hina Indicted For Conspiracy Against U.S.
• DWS Now Says Laptop She Sought To Keep From Police Was Awan's, Not Hers
• Liquidating $1.8M In Real Estate When Arrested, Some Still Pending
• DWS Seemingly Planned To Pay Suspect Even While In Pakistan
• Lawyer Is Longtime Clinton Associate
• Arrested At Airport After Wiring $300k To Pakistan
• FBI Seized Smashed Hard Drives From Home
• Ex-DNC Head 'Negotiating' With Police Over Letting Them See Evidence
• Dems Tying Themselves Into Knots To Ignore Criminal Probe
• 'You'd Like Him:' Associates Describe 'Cunning,' Charismatic Con Artist
• In Personal Lives, Evidence Of Massive Cons
• House Dems Hired A Fired McDonald's Worker As Email Administrator
• DWS Admits To Violating Network Security, Blames House
• Wasserman Schultz Threatened Police Chief For Gathering Evidence
• Suspect Has Fled To Pakistan, Relative Says
• House IT Aides Fear Suspects In Hill Breach Are Blackmailing Members
• Read the Court Docs Detailing Their Greed, Ruthlessness
• Paul Ryan: Capitol Police Getting 'Assistance'
• Brothers Could Read Every Email Of Dozens Of Congressmen
• ...Also Had Access To DNC Emails
• ...Allegedly Kept Stepmom In 'Captivity' To Access Offshore Cash
• ...Received $4 Million From Dem Reps
• ...Owed Money To Hezbollah-Connected Fugitive
• ...Secretly Took $100K In Iraqi Money
• Brothers Had Massive Debts, Years Of Suspicious Activity
• House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs Committee Members IT Compromised

[blueunicorn6]

Democrats are not Americans.

Remember that when you deal with them.

[Liz]

During Sept 2016, The Awan clan continued to use Cong Xavier Becerra’s House Democratic Caucus computers in anomalous ways:

<><> logging on as “system administrators”
<><> changing identities
<><> logging onto Cong Becerra’s server using 17 different user account credentials
<><> some credentials belonged to Democrat House members
<><> the Awans did not work for 9 of the 17 offices to which user accounts belonged.
<><> investigations found “possible storage of sensitive House information” outside the House
<><> Dropbox is installed on two Democratic Caucus computers used by the suspects
<><> user accounts had thousands of files in their Dropbox folder on each computer
<><> Using Dropbox is against House rules because it uploads files offsite.
<><> Wash/Po reported “Based on the file names, some of the information is likely sensitive.”
<><> post-awan clean up discovered many computer set-ups were little more than “thin clients”
<><> computer set-ups were portals to an outside computer.
<><> Awans were using terminal servers from a computer in a different location.
<><> Virtual Private Networks can make a server’s hard drive appear to be local to a computer.
<><> remote sessions remained active for months at a time.
<><> data was always out of the members’ possession
<><> the Awans were using Becerra’s House Democratic Caucus as their central service warehouse.
<><> the Awans collectively logged onto Becerra’s Caucus system 5,735 times, avg 27 per day
<><> other offices were accessed less than 60 times.
<><> the pattern of login activity suggests steps were taken to conceal their activity
<><> aggregating multiple members’ data means all that data was absconded with
<><> L/E said Becerra’s entire Democratic Caucus server physically disappeared while being monitored by L/E.
<><> no scenario exists where the Awan clan’s access was appropriate
<><> House members are not allowed to accept services from people not on their payroll
<><> House employees are not permitted to log in to servers of members for whom they do not work.
<><> House policies are codified by law.

[yoe]

Read for a clue:(Debbie & Awan)

[Bonemaker]

“Sessions could bring the deep state down if he had a spine”

He’s got all this buried in a file cabinet.... somewhere. It’s on his to-do list....sometime.

[DoughtyOne]

J M E I F S F S E I R N S G O . N . * . B . E . A . U I R N E . G . A . R . D . * . S . E A S C S T I I O O N N S . * . I I I

Day: 523

[Yo-Yo]

In the Awan plea deal, the government wrote:

Particularly, the Government has found no evidence that your client illegally removed House data from the House network or from House Members' offices, stole the House Democratic Caucus Server, stole or destroyed House information technology equipment, or improperly accessed or transferred govemment information, including clas sif,red or sensitive information.

Therefore, this memo must be fake news.

(Please read my tagline before replying...)

[shelterguy]

Is that Peter Frampton?