Posted on 10/22/2019 2:07:24 PM PDT by jazusamo
Full title: Judicial Watch: AP Reporters Gave DOJ/FBI Ukraine Info and Code to Private Locker of Paul Manafort in Apparent Effort to Push Criminal Prosecution
Andrew Weissmann organized off-the-record DOJ/FBI meeting with
AP to exchange ‘clarification’ and ‘assistance’ in their investigation
for details on former Trump Campaign Director Paul Manafort
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today released two productions of heavily redacted FBI documents – 28 pages and 38 pages – about an April 11, 2017, “off-the-record” meeting set up by then-Chief of the Justice Department’s Criminal Fraud Section Andrew Weissmann, between the DOJ, the FBI and the Associated Press in which AP reporters provided information on former Trump Campaign Director Paul Manafort, including the numeric code to Manafort’s storage locker.
Two months later, in early June , Weissmann was hired to work on Robert Mueller’s special counsel operation against President Trump. Weissman then reportedly spearheaded the subsequent investigation and prosecution of Manafort.
Included among the new documents are two typed write-ups of the meeting’s proceedings and handwritten notes taken during the meeting by two FBI special agents.
According to a June 11, 2017, FBI write-up :
The purpose of the meeting, as it was explained to SSA [supervisory special agent, redacted] was to obtain documents from the AP reporters that were related to their investigative reports on Paul Manafort.
No such documents were included in the documents released to Judicial Watch.
During the meeting, the AP reporters provided the FBI information about a storage locker of Manafort (the Mueller special counsel operation raided the locker on May 26, 2017 ):
The AP reporters advised that they had located a storage facility in Virginia that belonged to Manafort…The code to the lock on the locker is 40944859. The reporters were aware of the Unit number and address, but they declined to share that information.
The reporters shared the information that “payments for the locker were made from the DM Partners account that received money from the [Ukraine] Party of Regions.”
The notes suggest the AP pushed for criminal prosecution of Manafort:
AP believes Manafort is in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), in that Manafort send [sic] internal U. S. documents to officials in Ukraine AP has documentation proving this, as well as Manafort noting his understanding doing so would get him into trouble.
AP asked about the U.S. government charging Manafort with violating Title 18, section 1001 for lying to government officials, and have asked if the FBI has interviewed Manafort. FBI and DOJ had no comment on this question.
Also, according to the FBI write-up, “The AP reporters asked about FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] violations and they were generally told that they are enforceable.”
Although, according to the FBI write-up, “no commitments were made [by DOJ] to assist the reporters,” Andrew Weissmann asked the AP to contact foreign authorities to follow up:
[A]fter the meeting was started and it was explained to the reporters that there was nothing that the FBI could provide to them, the reporters opted to ask a series of questions to see if the FBI would provide clarification. No commitments were made to assist the reporters in their further investigation into the life and activities of Paul Manafort and the AP reporters understood that the meeting would be off the record.
They [AP reporters] reiterated what they had written in their article, which was a response from the Cypriot Anti-Money Laundering Authority (MOKAS) that they [MOKAS] had fully responded to Department of Treasury agents in response to [Treasury’s] request. The AP reporters were interested in how this arrangement worked and if the U.S. had made a formal request. FBI/DOJ did not respond, but Andrew Weissman [sic] suggested that they ask the Cypriots if they had provided everything to which they had access or if they only provided what they were legally required to provide.
The AP reporters asked if we [DOJ/FBI] would be willing to tell them if they were off based [sic] or on the wrong traack [sic] and they were advised that they appeared to have a good understanding of Manafort’s business dealings.
The reporters asked about any DOJ request for the assistance of foreign governments in the U.S. Government’s investigation of Manafort:
The AP reporters asked if there had been any official requests to other countries. FBI/DOJ declined to discuss specifics, except to state that the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty requests are negotiated by diplomats, so they should remain at that level.
AP reporters told the FBI about payments in the “ black ledger ,” a Ukrainian record of allegedly illegal off-the-books payments:
The reporters advised that their next report , which was scheduled to come out in the next day or so after the meeting, would focus on confirming, to the extent that they could payments in the so called “black ledger” that were allegedly made to Manafort.
The impression that their sources give is that Manafort was not precise about his finances, specifically as it related to the “black ledger.” The AP reporters calculated that he received $60 to $80 million from his work in Ukraine, during the time period the ledger was kept. According to their review of the ledger, it appears that there is a slightly lesser amount documented based on all of the entries. The AP reporters accessed a copy of the ledger online, describing it as “public” document (Agent’s note – the ledger has been published in its entirety by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, after it was given to them by Sergei Leshenko, Ukrainian RADA member [Ukrainian parliament] and investigative reporter.)
The AP reporters discussed an extensive list of issues, companies, and individuals that they felt should be investigated for possible criminal activity, including a $50,000 payment to a men’s clothing store; a 2007 meeting with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska; Loav Ltd., which was possibly incorporated by Manafort; NeoCom, which the AP reporters implied was incorporated solely to cover up money laundering; and other matters.
The reporters described an “internal U.S. work product that had been sent to Ukraine.” The reporters described it as an “internal White House document.” The FBI report stated that it “was not clear if the document was classified.”
“These shocking FBI reports evidence a corrupt collusion between the DOJ and the media, specifically The Associated Press, to target Paul Manafort,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “These reports are further reason for President Trump to pardon Manafort and others caught up in Mueller’s abusive web.”
Evidently referring to these documents, Manafort’s lawyers alleged that Weissmann provided guidance and leaked grand jury testimony to the AP reporters investigating Manafort.
This document production comes in an April, 2019 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice ( Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:19-cv-00879)) filed after the FBI failed to respond to a July 5, 2018, FOIA request for:
• All records concerning the April 2017 meeting between Department of Justice and FBI personnel and representatives of The Associated Press. This request includes all notes, reports, memoranda, briefing materials, or other records created in preparation for, during, and/or pursuant to the meeting.
• All records of communication between any representative of the Department of Justice and any of the individuals present at the aforementioned meeting.
Under Mueller, Weissmann became known as “the architect of the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort,” which produced no evidence of collusion between Manafort, the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. It indicted Manafort on unrelated charges.
In an October 2017 article describing Weissmann as Mueller’s “ Pit Bull ,” The New York Times wrote, “He is a top lieutenant to Robert S. Mueller III on the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign. Significantly, Mr. Weissmann is an expert in converting defendants into collaborators — with either tactical brilliance or overzealousness, depending on one’s perspective.” Weissman oversaw the pre-dawn home raid of Manafort in what one former federal prosecutor described as “textbook Weissmann terrorism.” Weissmann reportedly also attended Hillary Clinton’s Election Night party in New York.
In May 2019, Judicial Watch uncovered 73 pages of records from the DOJ containing text messages and calendar entries of Weissmann showing he led the hiring effort for the investigation that targeted President Trump.
In December 2017, Judicial Watch made public two productions of DOJ documents showing strong support by top DOJ officials for former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ refusal to enforce President Trump’s Middle East travel ban executive order. In one email, Weissmann applauds Yates, writing : “I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects.”
For evidentiary purposes, there is no poisonous tree.
The reporters are just tipsters to the FIBees.
There might be some breach of mythical ethics rules, but all the players are out of reach.
Sounds, to me, like our so called law enforcement agencies, DOJ, FBI are more crooked than anyone.
Thanks.
If you go back and check their work product, you can lay money that these dogs never barked once at the 0bama-Clinton shenanigans.
The FBI probably fed them the information and gave up the key. Wish there was a way to get them to cough up their sources.
The FBI probably fed them the information and gave up the key. Wish there was a way to get them to cough up their sources.
“He is a top lieutenant to Robert S. Mueller III on the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign. Significantly, Mr. Weissmann is an expert in converting defendants into collaborators — with either tactical brilliance or overzealousness, depending on one’s perspective.” Weissman oversaw the pre-dawn home raid of Manafort in what one former federal prosecutor described as “textbook Weissmann terrorism.” Weissmann reportedly also attended Hillary Clinton’s Election Night party in New York.
Winter Is Coming to Pelosi and others who are trying to over throw President Trump....because he is upsetting their sand-boxes......nothing criminal or unconstitutional....just the D.C. way of corruptness.
Heavily redacted?
So, it’s OK for the Associated Press to get classified information?
But the rest of us puppies have to keep barking at the back door until DOJ-FBI decides to let us in the house?
Total Corruption!
Meanwhile, instead of hauling Herr Wiessmann and his storm troopers before his Senate Judiciary committee, Linda Graham wonders on a Sunday yik-yak show if he’ll vote to convict the President of an as yet unknown high crime.
If Manafort had not plucked so many people, a more highly-skilled pr team would have flipped-the-script during this absurd raid in which Mrs. Manafort had reason to fear for her life.
The dumb basterd had no surveillance cameras, no private security, and didn't bother to video the alphabet assault.
That is what the MSM reported. Which means it was a lie and all the cameras/security/video evidence was removed by Weissman's posse.
I think this had been rumored since the information was made public.
Very plausible explanation.
Reporter Jack Gillum frequently cowrites with Stephan Braun [sometimes Brown]. Braun followed the Russian arms smuggler Victor Bout and was right out there working for John Kerry to smear the Swift Boat Vets. You can bet he’s involved...may be he’s a Brennan boy:
L.A. Times Smears Swift Vet Group
12/20/2007, 1:04:47 PM · by Phil Harmonic · 2 replies · 85+ views
Patterico’s Pontifications ^ | Dec. 19, 2007 | Patterico
Stephen Braun at the L.A. Times writes: The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth raised more than $25 million for media buys. Some of the money was donated in multimillion-dollar installments from reliable Republican fundraisers, including Texas businessmen T. Boone Pickens Jr. and Bob J. Perry....
Gillum is known to cowrite articles with Stephan Braun
Another traitor to hang. Ma, we’re gonna need more rope.
Did the AP gang get a little “help” from Putin’s FSB/FBR or GRU re the Mannafort locker number, etc?
Thanks jazusamo.
Supposedly the locker location and code was provided by a employee or former employee of Manafort.
Reading some of the documents in the JW release raises one of my eyebrows.
"11) Konstantin Klimnic - Klimnic was one of Manafort's Ukrainian operatives/employees. He is allegedly associated with the Russian Intelligence Services."
The hand written notes about the above are: Konstantin Kimnic -> FMR KGB?
We know through Jon Solomon's reporting Klimnic has extensive ties to our DOS
All this a few days after DWS’s laptop is found stuffed in a place at the Capitol on the 6th:
In April 11, 2017 around or at the time this meeting was going on between the DOJ, FBI and the 4 AP reporters over the code to Manafort’s storage locker, President Obama was in French Polynesia on an island a short 20 minute hop from Tahiti, and so was someone from the FBI. I don’t know where John Kerry was, lol.
Also Comey appointed Stephan Laycock to the Counterintelligence Division.
Strzok messages Lisa Page about a media leak strategy. Trump approves Montenegro membership in NATO. Trump allegedly calls Comey.
Wash Post scoop on FBI summer 2016 attempt to get approval for monitoring of Carter Page miffs the NYTimes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.