EFTA00136798.pdf

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Friday, October 09, 2020 Importance: Normal Priority: Normal Sensitivity: None Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=201009&auth=113obdrpms> . <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=201009&auth=113obdrpms> TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020 6:30 AM EDT Holiday Message In observance of the U.S. federal Columbus Day holiday, we will not publish on Monday, October 12, 2020. Service will resume on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. We wish our readers a safe holiday. TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS Leading the News • Thirteen Arrested In Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor. Protests • Texas Police Officer Charged With Price Murder Fired. • Cole's Family Vows To Continue Fight Against Officer Who Killed Him. • Protests Continue After Security Footage Released Of Kansas City Arrest Of Pregnant Woman. • Analysis: Release Of Chauvin Illustrates Complicated Minnesota Bail Reform Debate. • NYTimes Reviews Facts Known About Prude Case. • Washington Supreme Court Dismisses Effort To Recall Seattle Mayor. Counter-Terrorism • US, States Readying For Election-Related Conflict. • Portland, Oregon City Council Urged To End FBI JTTF Cooperation. Counter-Intelligence • FBI Norfolk Office Prioritizing Election Security. • FBI Warns Of Phony Election Websites. • Trump Expresses Frustration With Administration For Not Prosecuting Democrats. • Former Trump Fundraiser Charged With Illegally Lobbying For Malaysian Fugitive. • NCSC Director Warns Of COVID-19 Disinformation Before Election. • Ratcliffe Accused Of Politicizing Intelligence. • Commentary: Clinton, Obama "Colluded" In 2016, But No Crime. • Grassley, Johnson Accuse CIA Director Of Withholding Trump-Russia Intel. • Declassified Russia Investigation Documents Cataloged. Criminal Investigations • Experts Say Ballistics Report Shows Officer Was Shot By Taylor's Boyfriend, Not Friendly Fire. • Fifteen Charged In Connection With Midwest Drug Ring. • Reputed MS-13 Member Arrested In Texas. • FBI Confirms Person Abducted From New Jersey Bodega Is Now Safe. • New Hampshire Man Sentenced For Buying Military Hand Grenades. • California Women Charged With Federal Robbery Had Shoplifted Six Bottles Of Body Wash. EFTA00136798 • Investigation Leads To Indictment Of 13 People On Federal Drug Charges In Louisiana. • Currency Exchange Case Defendant Pleads Guilty. • Montana Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Firearms. • Leader Of Conspiracy To Sell Drugs On Dark Web Gets Long Prison Sentence. • Montana Meth Case Defendant Sentenced To 121 Months In Prison. • Connecticut Couple Arrested On Drug Charges. • Nevada Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested. • FBI Seeks Florida Bank Robber. • Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography, Sex Trafficking. • Missouri Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charges. • Alabama Man Faces Federal Charges For Targeting Military, Police Aircraft With Laser. • Texas Man Convicted Of Child Pornography In 2009 Pleads Guilty To New Charges. • FBI Probes Lead To Charges For 18 Individuals. • FBI Offers $8,000 Reward In Texas Painting Heist. • Indiana Man Charged In 2014 Murder Of Illinois Teen. • Nebraska Principal Arrested On Child Pornography Charges Claims Mistaken Identity. • FBI Offers $5,000 Reward For Killer Of Virginia Teen. • Indiana Man Faces Federal Charges For Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Teen During Flight. • Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Robbery. • Idaho Man Accuses Police Of Framing Him In Colorado Cold Case. • FBI Seeking Information In Indiana Bank Robbery. Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals • Florida Rapper Allegedly Bought Ferrari With COVID-19 Relief Money. • FBI Executes Search Warrant For Hawaii TV Station. • Two Contractors Charged In San Francisco Corruption Probe. • Alabama Man Arrested In FBI Corruption Probe Is Sentenced. • Federal Charges Against New York Developer Are Dismissed. Cyber Division • US Appeals Injunction Preventing TikTok Ban. • DOJ Announces New Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework. • Cybersecurity Experts Warn Of Online Disinformation Attacks On Companies. • GAO Report Faults Administration's 5G Security Efforts. • Senate Republicans Take Aim At Foreigners Working To Hack US COVID-19 Data. • Putin: US Has Not Responded To Offer To Cooperate On Cybersecurity. International Relations • Coast Guard: Two Tons Of Cocaine Were Interdicted In Caribbean Last Month. Other FBI News • Trump: Wray Has Been "Disappointing" As FBI Director. Other Washington News • Trump Says He Thinks He Is "Better," Hopes To Hold Rally This Weekend. • Trump Says Stimulus Talks Are Back On, Tells McCarthy He Wants A "Big Deal." • Report: Meadows Hosted "Lavish Atlanta Wedding" Despite Coronavirus Restrictions. • NYTimes Report: Political Considerations Influenced Pence's Handling Of Task Force. • Fauci: Volume Of New Cases Needs To Come "Way, Way Down." • Birx Praises UConn Coronavirus Response, Urges Continued Caution. • Azar: Supplies Will Be Sufficient To Vaccinate All Americans By April. • Former CDC Director Urges Redfield To Stand Up To Trump. • AP Analysis: Healthcare Professionals "Battle Virus Skeptics." • Modema To Forgo Patents Related To COVID Vaccine. • Regeneron, Eli Lilly Ask For FDA EUAs. • NIAID Marks Start Of Convalescent Plasma Study. • WSJournal Analysis: Vaccine Trial Participants Focus On Ending Pandemic. • New York Coronavirus Restrictions Met With Protests, Lawsuits. • Tribal Nations Among Hardest Hit By Coronavirus. EFTA00136799 • NFL Announces More Postponements Due To Positive Tests. • Airbnb To Require Enhanced Cleaning By Hosts. • WPost Analysis: Both Parties Appear To Believe Barrett Would Restrict Or Overturn Roe. • Cuccinelli Announces Regulations Aimed At Cutting H-1B Abuse. • Massachusetts Lawmakers Ask ICE For Details Of Stopping Black Man. • DOJ Suit Alleges Discrimination In Yale's Admissions Process. • Perdue Reprimanded For Politicizing USDA Event. • NLRB Issues Complaint Against Google Contractor. • Supreme Court Temporarily Permits Women To Obtain Abortion Medication Without Doctor Visit. • CMS Rushing To Send Letters To Medicare Recipients About Drug Assistance. • Trump: "Absentee Ballots Are Fine," But "Unsolicited" Ballots Will "Be A Disaster." • Facebook Bans Accounts Linked To Pro-Trump "Troll Farm." • Court Strikes Down Obama-Era Methane Rule. • Friends Say They Recall Dorris' Accusations Against Trump In 1997. • Louisiana Residents Bracing For Delta, Now Category 3 Hurricane. International News • India Sees "Rural Surge" Toward Highest Infection Rate Globally. • Hong Kong Considering Mandatory COVID Testing. • Israel Extends Emergency Lockdown Provisions On Public Gatherings. • Spanish Government Tells Madrid To Enforce Restrictions. • German Expert Warns Of "Uncontrolled" COVID Spread. • Administration Sanctions 18 Additional Iranian Banks. • Iranian Human Rights Advocate Freed Amid Health Concerns. • Trump's Troop Withdrawal Pledge Contradicts O'Brien, Alarms Military Officials. • Military Parade Could Include Showcase Of New North Korean Weapons. • Ortagus Says Chinese Communist Party Breaks Commitments. • Ortagus Touts Abraham Accords. • Trudeau Says Canada Paying Close Attention To US Election. • Kyrgyzstan President Says He's Prepared To Resign After New Cabinet Approved. • Islamic Extremists Free Malian Politician, Three European Hostages. • Protests Against Indonesia Jobs Law Continue. • NYTimes: Russia Must Step In To Freeze Conflict In South Caucasus. • WPost: Jailed Vietnamese Dissident A "Champion Of Democracy." The Big Picture • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Washington's Schedule • Today's Events In Washington. Leading the News Thirteen Arrested In Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor. All three broadcast networks opened their evening newscasts with what Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/a72874c85aac4e1a825bfc42b7d5faa37pubid=fbi> (10/8, lead story, 2:35, 5.56M) called "a stunning domestic terror plot to storm the Michigan statehouse and kidnap" Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). Federal and state prosecutors announced the arrests "of more than a dozen men who they say targeted the governor over what they saw as her uncontrolled power. The men, according to authorities, are linked to militia groups and are ready to instigate civil war." NBC's Pete Williams said Whitmer said "President Trump's refusals to criticize white supremacist groups have been heard by them as a rallying cry." Whitmer: "When our leaders meet with, encourage, or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit." EFTA00136800 On ABC World News Tonight <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/8ccf2585b2cc47ef97ed198413167c5c7pubid=fbi> (10/8, lead story, 4:05, 6.7M), David Muir said Whitmer, who "has been the target of protests since last spring over restrictions aimed to stop the spread of COVID amid one of the early outbreaks...thank[ed] authorities for protecting her and her family, but went on to talk about white supremacists in this country and the President." ABC's Pierre Thomas: "The FBI and state police...took action after the men met this week to exchange tactical gear and to pool their money to allegedly buy explosives. The mission: Attack the governor before Election Day. Authorities claim the planning was months in the making, with the men even going to the governor's vacation home twice to conduct surveillance." Jeff Pegues reported on the CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/e42d88e4e3d64e9f99ddc3396450577b?pubid=fbi> (10/8, lead story, 3:35, O'Donnell, 4.22M), "The militia members spent the summer trying to recruit like-minded members and preparing for that attack. ... According to court papers, the militia members discussed the need for 200 men to storm the Michigan Capitol building [and] take hostages, including the governor, who they would try for treason in a kangaroo court." The AP <https://apnews.com/article/michigan-checks-and-balances-archive-gretchen- whitmer-da09ca66cd8d5f36722021d3593425ff> (10/8) reports six men "were charged in federal court with conspiring to kidnap the governor in reaction to what they viewed as her 'uncontrolled power,' according to a federal complaint. Separately, seven others were charged under the state's anti-terrorism laws for allegedly targeting police and the state Capitol." The Detroit News <https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/feds-thwart-militia- plot-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5922301002/> (10/8, Snell, 825K) reports, "The federal court filing alleges the conspirators twice conducted surveillance at Whitmer's personal vacation home in northern Michigan and discussed kidnapping her to a `secure location' in Wisconsin to stand `trial' for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election." USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/08/militia-members-charged-plot- against-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5923650002/> (10/8, Egan, Baldas, 1.52M) reports, "Members of the group, who were in the Kent County, Michigan, area, talked about 'murdering...tyrants' or `taking' a sitting governor." The Detroit Free Press <https://wvvw.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/whitmer-wolverine- watchmen-militia-michigan/5924617002/> (10/8, Egan, 1.52M) reports Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) "referred to the accused as `extremists' who are hoping to recruit new members `by seizing on a moment of civil unrest' to wreak havoc on the country. She identified the militia group as the Wolverine Watchmen, whose members are accused of, among other things, conducting surveillance outside Whitmer's vacation residence, using code language and encrypted messages to throw off police and planting a bomb under a bridge to divert law enforcement." Reuters <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-whitmer/plot-to-kidnap-michigan-govemor-thwarted- militia-members-arrested-idUSKBN26T2ZF> (10/8, Layne, Borter) reports, "Thirteen men, seven of them associated with an anti-government militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen, have been arrested on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement, prosecutors said on Thursday." Prosecutors "said the conspirators discussed recruiting a force of 200 supporters to storm the state capitol building in Lansing and take hostages, but later switched to a plan to kidnap Whitmer at her vacation home." Reuters adds, "Internal U.S. security memos in recent months have warned that violent domestic extremists could pose a threat to election-related targets, a concern heightened by political tensions, civil unrest and foreign disinformation campaigns." FBI Director Wray "said in September that his agency was conducting investigations into domestic extremists, including white supremacists and anti-fascist groups." The Detroit Free Press <https://wvvw.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/08/militia-members-charged-plot- against-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5923650002/> (10/8, Egan, Baldas, 1.52M) reports, "Authorities said Thursday that the Wolverine Watchmen group planned on storming either the capitol or Whitmer's vacation home as part of a broader mission to instigate a civil war. The FBI and Michigan's attorney general outlined felony domestic terrorism charges against the group's organizers, who planned on hurling molotov cocktails at EFTA00136801 any police officers who tried to stop the kidnapping, a federal affidavit said." USA Today adds, "The FBI became aware early in 2020, through social media, that a militia group was `discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law enforcement components' and `agreed to take violent action,' according to a sworn affidavit. Organizers of the domestic terror plot talked about 'murdering ... tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor, according to the affidavit. The FBI monitored a meeting June 20 in Grand Rapids, the affidavit says." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/us/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-militia.html> (10/8, Bogel-Burroughs, Dewan, Gray, 18.61M) reports that FBI Special Agent Richard J. Trask "said in the criminal complaint...that one of those arrested had bought a Taser for the mission last week and that the men had been planning to buy explosives on Wednesday. Court records indicated that at least five of the men had been arrested on Wednesday in Ypsilanti, Mich." The Detroit Free Press <https://www.freep.corn/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/whitmer-wolverine- watchmen-militia-michigan/5924617002/> (10/8, Egan, 1.52M) reports that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel "referred to the accused as "extremists" who are hoping to recruit new members 'by seizing on a moment of civil unrest' to wreak havoc on the country. 'There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies,' Nessel said at a press conference Thursday. 'This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy, some of these groups' mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others.'" The Detroit News <https://www.detroitnews.corn/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/feds-thwart-militia- plot-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5922301002/> (10/8, Snell, 825K) reports, "Organizers allegedly met starting in June, including at a Second Amendment rally in Lansing and in a Grand Rapids shop basement accessed through a secret door hidden under a rug." The federal affidavit "was filed hours after a team of FBI agents raided a Hartland Township home Wednesday and comes amid an investigation into the death of a Metro Detroit man killed during a shootout with FBI agents." The Chicago Tribune <https://vvww.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-whitmer-militia-kidnapping-trumplightfoot- 20201008-s5uo3g6u4ffij7mfyyolgymeugm-story.html> (10/8, Pratt, 2.65M) reports, "The six men charged in federal court plotted for months, consulting and training with members of a group that federal authorities described as a militia, and undertaking rehearsals in August and September, according to an FBI affidavit. They were arrested Wednesday night and face up to life in prison if convicted. Four planned to meet Wednesday to 'make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear,' the FBI said in the court filing. The FBI quoted one of the accused as saying Whitmer 'has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end.'" The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/oct/8/fbi-says-it-thwarted-militia-plot- kill-michigan-go/> (10/8, Mordock, 492K) reports, "Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that they had charged six militia members with conspiring to kidnap Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat. If convicted, all six could face life in prison. Separately, Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel filed charges against seven other members accused of having roles in the plot. Those seven face 19 felony charges, including state terrorism counts, that could land each in prison for more than 20 years. It is not clear what role the defendants facing state charges are accused of played in the kidnapping plot." CNN <https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/politics/fbi-plot-michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer/index.html> (10/8, Carrega, 83.16M) reports, "The arrests are likely to draw additional attention to the political tensions roiling the nation in the closing weeks of the 2020 election season, and underline warnings from law enforcement officials, members of Congress and groups that track extremism about the increasing threat of extremist and far-right groups. Whitmer at times has been the focus of extreme vitriol from far-right groups over her handling of the coronavirus pandemic." CNN adds, "In an interview on CNN's 'Erin Burnett OutFront' on Thursday night, Whitmer thanked law enforcement for making the arrests. 'This is unlike anything we have seen before. The brave men and women of these two police organizations put their lives on the line to keep me and my family safe,' she said. 'I'm incredibly grateful and humbled by the work they do." EFTA00136802 Fox News <https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michigan-whitmer-trump-militia-kidnapping-plot> (10/8, Barrabi, 27.59M) reports, "Whitmer, a Democrat, has enacted strict lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Local Democrats have praised the measures as a necessary step to protect state residents, while critics, including Trump, have argued her plan was too restrictive and infringed on individual freedoms and the state economy. The Michigan governor said she has made `tough choices to keep our state safe' and expressed sympathy for losses suffered by local residents and businesses." The Hill <https://thehill.corn/homenews/state-watch/520189-fbi-says-it-foiled-plot-to-kidnap-michigan- governor> (10/8, Budryk, 2.98M) reports, "Whitmer, who imposed some of the nation's strictest measures to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic, said in May that she saw an `explosion' of threats as a result. The governor's residence implemented a $1.1-million security upgrade in September, which a spokesperson for her office said was part of 'routine maintenance and upgrades.'" The Hill notes that in May, Robert Sinclair Tesh, "a 32-year- old Detroit man, was charged with threatening to kill both Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel (D)." The Lansing (MI) State Journal <https://www.lansingstatejournal.corn/stoty/news/2020/10/08/gretchen-whitmer- kidnap-plot-michigan-residents-react-fbi/5928135002/> (10/8, Thompson, 206K) reports, "The arrest of six militia members accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and take her to Wisconsin for a 'trial' did not come as a shock to some of her Lansing neighbors. Though chilling, the plot felt like an escalation of the protests that have become common in the wealthy and usually tranquil neighborhood near Moores River Drive since spring. 'It's a shame that it's not a surprise, but it's not a surprise,' said James Perkins, a retired professor who lives a few doors down from the Michigan governor's residence where Whitmer and her family live." The State Journal adds, "Protesters demonstrating against coronavirus lockdown measures have periodically gathered outside the governor's residence, gridlocking the streets with cars, carrying weapons, shouting into bullhorns." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020110/08/michigan-plot-kidnapping- boogaloo-socialmedia/> (10/8, Timberg, Stanley-Becker, 14.2M) reports, "In June, one of the suspects in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to the relative privacy of a Facebook group to make clear his brewing hatred. Adam Fox called Whitmer a `tyrant bitch,' according to an FBI affidavit, and declared, 'I don't know boys, we gotta do something... give me some ideas of what we can do.' Such online declarations, brimming with anger and potentially violent intent, have become staples of extremism-fueled crime news in recent years, from police killings to synagogue massacres to bombing plots. Before they become real, they percolate online, courtesy of a social media ecosystem that's ubiquitous, barely moderated and well suited to helping aggrieved people find each other." Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.corn/news/articles/2020-10-09/facebook-approached-fbi-about-michigan- militia-six-months-ago> (10/9, Wagner, Berthelsen, 4.73M) reports, "Facebook Inc. first approached the FBI six months ago about activity on its platform that led to 13 men being charged in Michigan with planning to storm the state capitol and kidnap the governor." Facebook "alerted" the FBI "that there were discussions happening on its social network about overthrowing the government and law enforcement, according to a person familiar with the tip who asked not to be identified discussing the confidential probe. The FBI was already investigating a Facebook Group for a Michigan militia, called the Wolverine Watchmen, and the company ultimately removed the group in late June." Facebook "confirmed that it worked with the FBI, and said in a statement that it removes content and accounts immediately when they are reported to law enforcement authorities if there is a `credible threat of imminent harm to people or public safety.' We proactively reached out and cooperated with the FBI early in this ongoing investigation,' a company spokesperson added." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/justice-department-charges-6-in-alleged-plot-to-kidnap- michigan-governor-whitmer-11602176787> (10/8, Ailworth, Levy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the Detroit Free Press <https://www.freep.corn/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/what-we-know-men-charged- michigan-kidnapping-plots/5924672002/> (10/8, Wisely, 1.52M), Deadline Detroit <http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/26369/fbi_says_it_foiled_plot_to_kidnap_michigan_gov_gretchen_wh itmer_6_men_charged> (10/8, Ikonomova), MLive (MI) <https://wvvw.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/10/judge- jails-5-michigan-men-in-alleged-conspiracy-to-kidnap-gov-gretchen-whitmer.html> (10/8, Agar, 925K), the Lansing (MI) State Journal <https://www.fitep.com/story/news/2020/10/08/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-militia- EFTA00136803 kidnapping-security-upgrades-governors-residence/5923550002/> (10/8, Thompson, 206K), the Oakland (MI) Press <https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/six-people-charged-in-plot-to-kidnap-gov-gretchen- whitmer/article_995fc610-0980-11eb-ae72-210913aded9b.html> (10/8, 95K), the Daily Beast <https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-bust-militia-plot-to-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-overthrow- government-affidavit-says?ref=home> (10/8, Melendez, 1.39M), BuzzFeed News <https://vvwvv.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/terror-plot-kidnap-michigan-governor-gretchen- whitmer> (10/8, Jamieson), and Fox News <https://www.foxnews.corn/politics/michigan-whitmer-trump-militia- kidnapping-plot> (10/8, Barrabi, 27.59M) websites are among the other outlets covering the story. Trump: Whitmer "Complaining," Doing "Her Political Act." Trump said in an interview on Fox News' Hannity <https://video.foxnews.corn/v/619898847700 Itiplaylist_id=930909813001fisp=show-clips> (10/8, 535K), "I see Whitmer today, she's complaining, but it was our Justice Department that arrested the people that she was complaining about. It was my Justice Department that arrested them. But instead she goes and does her political act." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/the-plot-against-gretchen-whitmer-11602199047> (10/8, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says in an editorial that federal agencies quickly moved against the plotters, and that Whitmer owes a debt of gratitude to the Justice Department and the FBI. FBI Warned Over The Summer About Reenergized Militia Movement. Yahoo! News <https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-fbi-wamed-over-summer-that-pandemic-was-helping-to-reenergize-militia- movement-192520053.html> (10/8, Winter, 12.82M) reports, "Almost four months before the FBI arrested six men for plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor, the bureau warned local and state law enforcement about a surge in militia extremists seeking to target government officials, particularly those they blamed for pandemic restrictions, according to an intelligence bulletin obtained by Yahoo News. 'Militia extremists likely pose an increased threat to state and local law enforcement, government personnel and associated facilities due to a perceived resurgence in recent months of activity surrounding state-level gun control legislation, as well as concerns specific to state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic,' the FBI said in an intelligence bulletin dated June 18 and produced jointly with the National Counterterrorism Center." In an opinion piece for the New York Times <https://www.nytimes.corn/2020/10/08/opinion/militias-gretchen- whitmethtml> (10/8, 18.61M) , former acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord writes, "In the swirls of disinformation that now pollute our political discourse, one is particularly dangerous: that private militias are constitutionally protected. Although these vigilante groups often cite the Second Amendment's 'well regulated militia' for their authority, history and Supreme Court precedent make clear that the phrase was not intended to — and does not — authorize private militias outside of government control. Indeed, these armed groups have no authority to call themselves forth into militia service; the Second Amendment does not protect such activity; and all 50 states prohibit it." More Commentary. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/08/thwarted-right-wing-plot-bodes-michigan-bodes-badly- this-fall/> (10/8, 14.2M) , Greg Sargent writes, "There are two immediate points here: First, this should be another case in which Trump realizes that he needs to be a lot more careful with his language of incitement, though of course he will not for a second treat this as a teachable moment. Second, this may bode very badly for this fall, since it heralds the possibility of more right-wing violence should Trump lose the election, declare it rigged and mobilize his supporters against it in some way. Both these points come to me by way of Elizabeth Neumann, the former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security who recently stepped down and has since been pointedly critical of Trump." In an opinion piece for the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/outlook/2020/10/08/white- supremacists-gretchen-whitmer/> (10/8, 14.2M) , Kathleen Belew writes, "This isn't just a one-off event or the work of a few mad actors - it's part of a rising tide of white power activity, one that poses an imminent danger to American democracy. The Department of Homeland Security's threat assessment report, released earlier this week after a long wait, made that clear: White power movement violence and affiliated extremism is, by far, the EFTA00136804 greatest terrorist threat to our nation." Belew adds, "Not only does this kind of extremist violence outstrip any violence carried out by what President Trump has referred to as `antifa and the left,' but white power violence now also exceeds the threat of radical Islamist terror. The DHS assessment makes clear that `2019 was the most lethal year for extremism in the United States since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995." Protests Texas Police Officer Charged With Price Murder Fired. CNN <https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/us/jonathan-price-shooting-police-officer-fired/index.html> (10/8, Rank, Chavez, 83.I6M) reports on its website that Wolfe City, Texas, officials on Thursday said police officer Shaun Lucas was terminated from his position "for his egregious violation of the City's and police department's policies" in the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Black man Jonathan Price. CNN says Lucas was charged with murder earlier this week. He "was responding to a report of a disturbance and a possible fight in progress Saturday at a convenience store in Wolfe City when he shot Price four times in the torso, the probable cause affidavit released by the Hunt County District Clerk said." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/10/08/north-texas-police-officer-fired- after-being-charged-with-murder/> (10/8, Berman, 14.2M) calls Lucas "one of the rare law enforcement officers to face criminal prosecution for shooting and killing someone while on duty." Cole's Family Vows To Continue Fight Against Officer Who Killed Him. The AP <https://apnews.corn/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-police-suburbs-shootings- ce74e756614030d7b892ed349620cdca> (10/8, Richmond) reports Kimberley Motley, an attorney for the family of Black teen Alvin Cole, who was killed by Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah, "vowed Thursday to keep fighting and working to prove racism pervades the officer's department, after a prosecutor declined to file charges in the case." Motley said she intends to file a federal lawsuit against Mensah, and "sued in state court on Tuesday seeking department documents that she believes will show Mensah's supervisors are racist and that officers have racially profiled Black drivers for years." She also seeks to have both Mensah and Police Chief Barry Weber fired. In addition, Cole's sister Taleavia said to protesters Wednesday that Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, who is white, must step down; she "said he has shown bias against Black families in his more than 20 years as a prosecutor," though "she didn't cite examples." Protests Continue After Security Footage Released Of Kansas City Arrest Of Pregnant Woman. The Kansas City Star <https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article246309230.html#storylink=mainstage_lead> (10/8, Rice, Kite, 549K) reports the office of Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker is reviewing the arrest of Deja Stallings, a pregnant Black woman, and is asking the Kansas City Police Department to conduct its own investigation. According to the Star, the arrest — during which a police officer put his knee on Stallings' back "with her belly on the ground" — has "led to protesters occupying the lawn in front of City Hall in Kansas City for the past week." On Thursday, the KCPD "said they have been in touch with the prosecutor's office regarding the incident," though "the officers involved in the arrest remain on duty." CNN <https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/us/protest-arrest-of-pregnant-woman-kansas-city-trnd/index.html> (10/8, Toropin, Lee-Johnson, 83.16M) reports on its website that security camera video released by the KCPD of EFTA00136805 the arrest "shows as many as a dozen people gathered" around a gas station and convenience store, "some pushing each other." Police attest Stallings "and man tried to pull [a] suspect away" from officers, but Stacy Shaw, Stallings' attorney, "disputes the police's assertion." According to CNN, "The security video shows Stallings briefly step between an officer and the man he was moving to arrest, but the officer quickly pushes past her to chase after the suspect, catching up with him just a few feet later." Analysis: Release Of Chauvin Illustrates Complicated Minnesota Bail Reform Debate. The Minneapolis Star Tribune <https://www.startribune.com/release-of-derek-chauvin-again-brings-bail- questions-to-the-forefront-in-minnesota/572682182/> (10/8, Mannix, 1.04M) reports, "For the second time since the death of George Floyd, Minnesota is reckoning with questions over the transparency of its bail system." The release of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin this week on $1 million bond "was so contentious it prompted the governor to activate 100 National Guard members in anticipation of violent protests." Hundreds "marched down south Minneapolis streets Wednesday evening, many calling Chauvin's release pending trial another example of inequality in the justice system." The protests "come a few months after President Donald Trump's re-election campaign leveled attacks against the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a charitable organization that posts bail for people who cannot afford it." According to the Star Tribune, the "two cases illustrate the complicated politics of a bail reform debate that other states have wrestled with for years, but Minnesota has mostly avoided up until now." NYTimes Reviews Facts Known About Prude Case. In a piece headlined "What We Know About Daniel Prude's Case And Death," the New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-happened-daniel-prude.html> (10/8, Gold, 18.61M) reports, "Against the background of a national discussion over police brutality and racism, the family of Daniel Prude held a news conference in September to highlight disturbing video footage of the police encounter that preceded his death in Rochester, NY." The video, in addition to police reports released by local activists, "brought renewed attention to the case of Mr. Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who died in March after a confrontation in which officers put a mesh hood over his face and pressed his head into the pavement." Since the release of the footage, "Prude's family has accused officials of covering up his death to protect the police officers involved." Washington Supreme Court Dismisses Effort To Recall Seattle Mayor. The Seattle Times <https://wvvw.seattletimes.corn/seattle-news/politics/washington-supreme-court-tosses-out- durkan-recall-effort/> (10/8, Gutman, 935K) reports, "A unanimous Washington State Supreme Court tossed out the effort to recall Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan," ruling that accusations Durkan allowed the Seattle Police Department to use tear gas in June "did not rise to the level that would allow a citizen initiative to remove her from office." The decision "kills the push to recall the mayor and means that, barring unforeseen circumstances, voters in 2021 will have the final say on Durkan's job performance, should she choose to run for a second term." In a brief order, Chief Justice Debra Stephens said, "The allegations in this case are deeply troubling and our review requires that we treat the factual allegations as true.... Nevertheless, after carefully considering the issues presented, the court concludes that the recall charges presented in this case are factually and legally insufficient." Counter-Terrorism US, States Readying For Election-Related Conflict. EFTA00136806 USA Today <hops://www.usatoday.coin/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/08/election-2020-law- enforcement-bracing-election-related-conflict/5923168002/> (10/8, Phillips, Johnson, 10.31M) reports, "A season of unrest is quickly giving way to urgent preparations for possible conflict aimed at next month's contentious election, which President Donald Trump has already repeatedly cast as illegitimate." According to USA Today, "Federal, state and local law enforcement officials have been bracing for possible clashes at local polling places, violence and larger demonstrations similar to the summer-long social justice protests that spilled into the streets of dozens of American cities. Across the country, authorities have been considering their role in securing an election at a time when public confidence in law enforcement has been threatened by a series of fatal shootings involving police, prompting sustained protests in Portland, Minneapolis, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C." The AP <https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-violence-voting-rights- feal7face39f812c06c813c20bf493a8> (10/8, Balsamo, Kunzelman, Long) reports, "Federal and state law enforcement officials have begun expanded preparations for the possibility of widespread unrest at the polls on Election Day, a response to extraordinarily high tensions among voters and anxieties about safety stoked in part" by the President. FBI and local officials "have been conducting drills, running through worse-case scenarios, setting up command centers to improve coordination on reports of violence and voter intimidation, and issuing public warnings that any crime that threatens the sanctity" of the election "will not be tolerated." The Washington Post <https://wvvw.washingtonpost.corn/politics/contested-election-2020- preparations/2020/10/08/49a58352-08af-Ileb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html> (10/8, Gardner, Bade, Viebeck, I4.2M) reports House Speaker Pelosi "has recently spoken in multiple meetings about preparing for a situation in which neither candidate attains the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, according to multiple Democrats familiar with her remarks," and "has also directed some of her members to be ready if GOP legislatures in states with narrow margins or unfinished counts seek to appoint their own electors." Portland, Oregon City Council Urged To End FBI JTTF Cooperation. The Portland (OR) Tribune <https://pamplinmedia.coin/pt/9-news/483391-389818-city-council-told-to-end-all- fbi-jrif-cooperation> (10/8, Redden, 92K) reports, "Pressure is growing for the City Council to end Portland police cooperation with all federal law enforcement organization, including the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. The issue is being fueled by the ongoing controversy over the 58 Portland officers who were federally deputized ahead of dueling political protests on Saturday, Sept. 26." The Tribune adds, "Five people testified against further cooperation with the JTTF before the council on Wednesday, Oct. 7. They included Brandon Mayfield, the local Muslim lawyer who was illegally spied on and arrested by the FBI in 2004, resulting in a $2 million settlement. Mayfield criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for deputizing the Portland officers through the end of the year. Mayor Ted Wheeler, who oversees the Portland Police Bureau, said he and Police Chief Chuck Lovell were not told the officers were being deputized and have told the federal government that they no longer are." Counter-Intelligence FBI Norfolk Office Prioritizing Election Security. WVEC-TV <https://wvvw.13newsnow.com/article/news/politics/elections/fbi-norfolk-on-high-alert-ahead-of- election-day-heres-what-the-biggest-threat-is/291-ladd86dc-b5c9-4ef3-a6da-9ccff5d54917> Hampton Roads, VA (10/8, 49K) reports the FBI, DHS, "and other agencies are actively working to make sure the U.S. has a secure election." FBI Norfolk Supervisory Special Agent Scott Zmudzinski "said this time around intelligence EFTA00136807 agencies are on high alert. Zmudzinski is leading the local effort to investigate election crimes." The article quotes Zmudzinski saying, "One of the biggest threats that the American public faces are foreign influence. Foreign countries that are tying to influence our election cycles through misinformation and sometimes cyber intrusions." FBI Warns Of Phony Election Websites. Business Insider <https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-voting-websites-fbi-warning-2020-10> (10/8, Holmes, 3.67M) reports the FBI announced last week that "cybercriminals are setting up fake voting websites to spread misinformation and confuse people" in the runup to the election. "Some of the fake sites aim to mislead voters to influence the election, while others try to use interest around voting to steal people's passwords." Trump Expresses Frustration With Administration For Not Prosecuting Democrats. Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.corn/news/articles/2020-10-08/trump-complains-barr-pompeo-should-go- after-hillary-clinton?sref=3IOEzKok> (10/8, Wingrove, Kinery, 4.73M) reports that in a call to Fox Business Thursday morning, President Trump "lashed out at two of his most loyal Cabinet members — Attorney General Bill Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — and threatened to personally intervene in federal investigations into Democrats over controversies stemming from the 2016 election." President Trump said on Fox Business Mornings with Maria <https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6198767208001/?playlist_id=3166411554001fisp=show- clips> (10/8) that unless Attorney General Barr "indicts these people for crimes — the greatest political crime in history — then we are going to get little satisfaction unless I win...because I won't forget it. But, there people should be indicted. This was the greatest political crime in the history of our country and that includes Obama and it includes Biden." Trump later said in an interview on Fox News' Hannity <https://video.foxnews.corn/v/6198988477001?playlist_id=9309098130014sp=show-clips> (10/8, 535K), "We caught them spying on our campaign. This is treason. We caught them trying to take down a duly elected Administration/President and we have all the evidence now. We have to see what the law enforcement is going to do with it, but we caught them spying — as sure as you are sitting there." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.corn/2020/10/08/us/politics/trump-calls-to-indict-political- rivals.html> (10/8, Baker, Haberman, 18.61M) reports Trump "berated his own cabinet officers on Thursday for not prosecuting or implicating his political enemies, lashing out even as he announced that he planned to return to the campaign trail on Saturday just nine days after he tested positive for the coronavirus." The President "has not been seen in person since returning from the hospital on Monday, but he sought to reassert himself on the public stage with a pair of telephone interviews with Fox News and Fox Business, a video and a series of Twitter messages." The President "castigated his own team, declaring that" Barr "would go down in history 'as a very sad, sad situation' if he did not indict Democrats" like former Vice President Biden and former President Obama. Trump "complained that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had not released Hillary Clinton's emails, saying, 'I'm not happy about him for that reason.'" He also targeted FBI Director Wray, saying, "He's been disappointing." The AP <https://apnews.corn/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-elections-archive- bb887a6d59164532627e9a23a401d418> (10/8, Balsamo, Miller, Tucker) reports President Trump "is increasingly at odds" with Barr "over the status of the Justice Department's investigation into the origin of the Russia probe, with the president increasingly critical about a lack of arrests and Barr frustrated by Trump's public pronouncements about the case, according to people familiar with the matter." The President "and his allies had high hopes for the investigation led by Connecticut US Attorney John Durham, betting it would expose what they see as wrongdoing when the FBI opened a case into whether the Trump campaign was coordinating with Russia to sway the 2016 election." However, "a year and a half into the investigation, and with less than one month until Election Day, there has been only one criminal case." Barr "has privately expressed frustration over the public comments, according to a person familiar with his thinking." EFTA00136808 Durham Reportedly Seeking Grand Jury Testimony To Investigate New Front In Russian Probe. The Daily Caller <https://dailycaller.corn/2020/10/08/john-durham-alfa-bank-trumpt> (10/8, 716K) reports, "US Attorney John Durham has reportedly opened a new front in his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe." According to a report by The New Yorker, the Caller says, "Durham is seeking grand July testimony from computer scientists behind an allegation that Donald Trump's real estate company had a secret communications channel with Alfa Bank." The theory "was first floated in October 2016, but was debunked in the Justice Department inspector general's report on the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign." Durham "is also reportedly seeking the testimony of Daniel Jones, a former Senate Intelligence Committee investigator who partnered with Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele in 2017." Former Trump Fundraiser Charged With Illegally Lobbying For Malaysian Fugitive. The AP <https://apnews.corn/article/donald-trump-campaigns-lobbying-hawaii-courts- 280b9f9ee473c701a98168fde43e7674> (10/8) reports that Elliott Broidy, "a prominent fundraiser for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged in an illicit lobbying campaign aimed at getting the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the multibillion-dollar looting of a Malaysian state investment fund." According to the AP, Broidy is "the latest person accused by the Justice Department of participating in the covert lobbying effort." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/us/politics/elliott-broidy-trump-fundraiser.html> (10/8, Vogel, 18.61M) reports Broidy "was charged with a single count of conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act as part of an influence operation that prosecutors say sought to use his political ties to help Malaysian and Chinese interests, according to federal court filings that became public on Thursday." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/national-security/trump-fundraiser-broidy- charged/2020/10/08/f2640488-fl f7-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html> (10/8, Zapotosky, 14.2M) reports prosecutors "believe he took millions in undisclosed money to end a US investigation into a billion-dollar embezzlement of a Malaysian state investment fund and, separately, to return outspoken Chinese exile Guo Wengui to his home country." According to the Post, the charges "are the latest blow to the RNC's fundraising leadership under Trump." Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-08/ex-fundraiser-for-trump-rnc-is-charged- over-foreign-lobbying?sind=premium&sref=3IOEzKok> (10/8, Melby, Voreacos, 4.73M) describes Broidy as "a former top political fundraiser" for President Trump, and says he is accused of having "participated in a scheme to illegally lobby the Trump administration to stop investigating the embezzlement scandal at the 1MDB Malaysian state investment fund." Bloomberg reports that Jho Low, "a Malaysian fugitive and the accused mastermind of the 1MDB fraud, initially paid Broidy $6 million to lobby the Justice Department to stop its investigation and promised an additional $75 million if the lobbying succeeded." Broidy has been "charged with conspiring to lobby for a foreign national without registering." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/republican-fundraiser-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-violating-foreign-lobbying- law-sources-say-11602185672> (10/8, Viswanatha, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says cases emerging from the investiation into the 1MDB fraud exposed an extensive effort by Low to attempt scaling back the US investigation by hiring top GOP consultants and lawyers with ties to the President. The Daily Beast <https://vvww.thedailybeast.com/ex-trump-mega-fundraiser-elliott-broidy-charged-in-scheme- to-influence-trump-admin-for-malaysian-businessman?re home> (10/8, 1.39M) reports prosecutors "say Broidy conspired in the scheme with a Hawaii businesswoman named Nickie Lum Davis, who pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to violate FARA, and an unnamed co-conspirator who, based on previous reporting, is believed to be Pras Michel, best known as a founding member of the Fugees." The government "is also seeking to seize any assets derived from the lobbying campaign." EFTA00136