EFTA00148034.pdf

From: "Bulletin Intelligence" <FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com> To: "FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com" <FBI@BulletinIntelligence.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, February 23, 2021 Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2021 11:27:29 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. L' dr-FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 6:30 AM EST TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Garland Tells Senators He Will Not Be "The President's Lawyer„" Vows Focus On Capitol Riot. CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS • FBI Has Identified More Than 500 Suspects, Made More Than 200 Arrests In Capitol Siege Probe. • Two Senate Committees To Hold Hearings On Capitol Riot. COUNTER-TERRORISM • FBI Agents Association Head: Make Domestic Terrorism A Federal Crime. • Families Of Victims Of Pensacola Navy Base Mass Shooting Sue Saudi Arabia. • Austin: Extremists And White Supremacists Tiny Fraction Of US Military, But Have "Outsized" Impact. • Opinion: ISIS Is Down But Not Dead Yet. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Opinion: John Durham May Not Bring More Additional Charges. • Researchers Say Chinese Used Spyware Developed By NSA. • North Macedonia Issues Arrest Warrant For Ex-Secret Police Chief. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Authorities Arrest Wife Of "El Chapo" On Drug Charges. • Investigation Faults Police For Treatment Of Elijah McClain. • Medical Clinic Shooting Suspect Was Allegedly Angry About Opioids. • Abducted Teen Rescued After Shootout, FBI Investigating. • Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of Woman In Los Angeles. • Kidnapped North Carolina Teen Returns Home. • Marijuana Conspiracy Case Defendant Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Prison. • Assaults On Asian Americans Renews Hate Crimes Data Collection Criticism. • New York City Man Arrested In Connection With Manhattan Store Robbery. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • States Paying Billions In Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Amid Pandemic. • Political Vendor Linked To Tennessee Lawmaker's Campaign. EFTA00148034 CYBER DIVISION • Congress To Hold Hearings On SolarWinds Hack. • Legislators To Review Proposed Cyber Diplomacy Act. • Georgia Launches Cyber Fraud Task Force. • New Study Says Most Cyberattacks In 2020 Originated From Criminal Groups. • DOD's New Cybersecurity Regulations May Fuel Contract Disputes. • Ukraine Blames Russia For New Cyber Attacks. • DHS Approves Viasat To Receive Cyber Threat Intelligence. • Study Finds Cybercrime Rose As More Workers Went Virtual In 2020. • Legislators Press DOD To Prioritize Navy, Air Force And Cyber In Budget. • DOD Focuses On 5G Applications For Space. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Targets Violent Crime In Louisville, Kentucky. • Virginia Lawmakers Vote To Abolish Death Penalty. • Pritzker Signs Criminal Justice Reform Bill. • Arbery's Mother Discusses Racial Injustice. • Murphy Signs Legislation Legalizing Marijuana In New Jersey. LAWFUL ACCESS • Treasury's IG Warns Law Enforcement Agencies May Need Warrants To Use GPS Data Pulled From Mobile Apps. OTHER FBI NEWS • Family Of Malcolm X Releases Letter Alleging FBI, NYPD Involvement In Assassination. • Gun, Badge Stolen From FBI Agent's Car In California. • Netflix Documentary To Examine "Operation Varsity Blues." • Florida Man Claims FBI Targeted Him In 1971 For Civil Rights Activities. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Biden, Marking 500K COVID Deaths, Says "We Will Get Through This." • FDA Outlines Fast Path For New Vaccines, Booster Shots To Cover New Virus Variants. • J8J Says It Should Have Enough Doses For More Than 20M By End Of March. • Pfizer Expects To Deliver More Than 13M Doses Per Week By Mid-March. • Politico Analysis: Effort To Get More Minorities Vaccinated Off To Slow Start. • Health Workers Frustrated That Vaccine Half-Doses Must Be Thrown Away. • Most Governors Have Chosen To Not Yet Get Vaccinated. • "Politicized Fights" Over COVID Rage At State Level. • Vaccine Produced In Baltimore Mostly Going Out Of State. • Chicago Teachers And School Staff May Be Required To Report Vaccination Status. • Los Angeles School District To Resume Some Services Next Week. • Cuomo Says NYC Movie Theaters Will Be Allowed To Reopen On March 5. • Some Women Concerned COVID Vaccines Can Cause Miscarriage Or Infertility Due To Online Rumors. • Howard University Surgeon: Many Skipping Preventive Care Appointments During Pandemic. • Biden Touts Changes To PPP Intended To Benefit Small And Minority-Owned Businesses. • House Budget Committee Approves Biden's Rescue Plan. • White House Continues To Back Tanden For OMB Despite Mounting Senate Opposition. • Haaland Commits To "Strike The Right Balance" On Oil, Natural Gas. • Conservatives Target Democratic Senators In Anti-Becerra Push. • Adeyemo Says Treasury Should Work With Congress And Allies Against Economic Rivals. • Biden Administration Opens First Migrant Facility For Children. EFTA00148035 • Klain Is In Frequent Contact With Progressives. • Biden Raised $22.1M For Transition. • White House Aides Say Ignoring Trump Is Easier Now That Biden Is President. • NYTimes' Rogers: Washington Weekends Have Returned To Normal Under Biden. • EPA Reverses Course, Backs Ethanol Industry In Lawsuit Headed To SCOTUS. • Texas Winter Storm Sparks Two Federal Inquiries. • SCOTUS To Take Up Cases Related To Abortion And Immigration. • Supreme Court Denies Trump Effort To Block Release Of Tax Returns To Manhattan DA. • Supreme Court Rejects Election Challenges. • Dominion Voting Systems Sues Lindell For $1.3B. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WHO's Tedros Urges Rich Nations Not To Hoard Vaccine Doses. • New COVID Cases Down In Worst Hotspots Worldwide. • UK Studies Show Vaccines Have Contributed To Sharp Drop In Hospitalizations; Government Reveals Plan To Reopen. • Many Elementary Schools In Germany Return To In-Person Learning. • France's Contracts With Consulting Firms For Vaccine Strategy Raise Questions. • Bulgaria Confronts Long Lines After Announcing Open Vaccine Availability. • Gaza Strip Starts Vaccination Drive. • WPost: US Should Declassify Intelligence On Pre-Pandemic Wuhan Illnesses. • Boot: Trump Officials Trying To Undermine Biden's Foreign Policy. • US Sanctions Two More Of Burma's Military Leaders. • Four Pakistani Aid Workers Killed In North Waziristan. • China's FM Rejects International Condemnation Of Muslim Uighurs' Treatment. • China Plans Changes To Committee That Selects Hong Kong's Chief Executive. • EU To Sanction Russian Officials Over Navalny's Detention. • Georgia Parliament Appoints Garibashvili Prime Minister. • Protesters Demand Armenian PM's Resignation. • Police, Protesters Clash In Greece. • Migrants Trying To Reach Europe Found Hiding Amid Cargo At North African Port. • Politico Analysis: Middle East Is Not A Top Priority For Biden. • In Third Attack In A Week, Three Rockets Land Near US Embassy In Baghdad. • WPost Analysis: IAEA Deal "Momentarily" Eases US-Iran Tension. • Emirati And Qatari Delegations Meet For The First Time In Years. • Italy's Ambassador To DR Congo Killed In Shootout. • Rwandan Opposition Figure Shot And Killed In South Africa. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Garland Tells Senators He Will Not Be "The President's Lawyer," Vows Focus On Capitol Riot. All three broadcast networks covered the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Attorney General-designate Garland. David Muir said on ABC World News TonightVI (2/22, story 6, 1:00, 8.08M) that Garland "said, 'I am not the President's lawyer, I'm the United States' EFTA00148036 lawyer.' And if confirmed, he revealed his top priority will be to investigate the Capitol riots." ABC's Rachel Scott: "He called that attack on Capitol Hill heinous, saying that he would prosecute the white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6." Norah O'Donnell said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (2/22, story 6, 2:00, 4.77M) that Garland "appears to be on his way to Senate confirmation." CBS' Kris Van Cleave: "Nearly five years after being nominated to the US Supreme Court, Merrick Garland finally got his Senate confirmation hearing today for attorney general. ... He'd take over a department beset by low morale and under fire by Democrats for decisions made during the Trump Administration, and from Republicans for its investigation of the Trump Administration." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): "You do not view your role as attorney general as being Joe Biden's wingman." Garland: "I'm not the President's lawyer. I am the United States' lawyer." Van Cleave: "After a summer of social unrest following the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer, Garland said civil rights enforcement will be a priority." Garland: "There's no question that there is disparate treatment in our justice system." Pete Williams said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (2/22, story 5, 1:25, Holt, 6.17M), "Garland says the siege at the Capitol shows that violent extremism is more of a threat now than it was 26 years ago when the Oklahoma City federal building was bombed, and Garland led that federal prosecution. He says the Capitol investigation will range beyond the actual rioters. ... Garland pledged to make sure the White House and politics don't interfere with investigations, including the special council's inquiry into the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign and the tax investigation of the President's son, Hunter." Garland: "I would not have taken this job if I thought that politics would have any influence over prosecutions and investigations." The AP (2/22, Balsamo, Tucker, Jalonick) says Garland, "among Biden's most widely supported nominees" sought to "assure lawmakers that the Justice Department would remain politically independent on his watch." The New York Times (2/22, Benner, Savage, 20.6M) reports Garland "vowed to uphold the independence of a Justice Department that had suffered deep politicization under the Trump administration." USA Today (2/22, Behrmann, Santucci, 12.7M) reports, "Garland was often pressed by Republican senators over the political independence of the Justice Department, and was pressed, to which he agreed, to commit to not prosecute Biden's political foes. Very few GOP lawmakers mentioned Trump's Justice Department, and the accusations Attorney General Bill Barr faced for using the power of the agency to help President Donald Trump politically." The Washington Post (2/22, Barrett, 10.52M) reports Garland "drew parallels to the domestic terrorism threat the Justice Department faced in confronting the Ku Klux Klan, as well as the prosecution he led of Timothy McVeigh in the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. 'We are facing a more dangerous period than we faced in Oklahoma City at that time; Garland asserted, promising a broad investigation into not just the rioters, but those who aided them." The Washington Times (2/22, Mordock, 626K) reports that Garland "sidestepped senators' questions about the Russian collusion probe and Hunter Biden's business dealings on Monday but vowed an aggressive prosecution of last month's U.S. Capitol rioters." The Times adds that Garland "also pledged to advance Mr. Biden's gun control agenda," and that "while Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee appeared unsatisfied with his answers, several signaled that they would vote for his confirmation next week." Politico (2/22, LeVine, Gerstein, 6.73M) reports, "Republicans did use the opportunity to gingerly push Garland to commit to allowing federal prosecutors to press on with politically sensitive investigations into the Department of Justice probe of Donald Trump's ties to Russia and into the business affairs of Biden's son, Hunter," but "beyond vowing that politics would play no role in his decisions, Garland made few promises. Despite that, there was little acrimony and many Democrats and Republicans on the panel appeared to treat his confirmation almost as a foregone conclusion." EFTA00148037  The New York Daily News (2/22, Sommerfeldt, 2.51M) reports that Garland will "become the third Jewish attorney general in American history if confirmed by the Senate." He told the committee, "I come from a family where my grandparents fled antisemitism and persecution. The country took us in, and protected us. I feel an obligation to the country to pay back and this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back." The Wall Street Journal (2/22, Gurman, Viswanatha, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports under the headline "Garland Makes Case For New Era At Justice Department" that the nominee "received a mostly warm reception during his daylong confirmation hearing." The Los Angeles Times (2/22, 3.37M) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin "told reporters he expected his panel would vote on the nomination early next week, with a floor vote coming a few days later." Jennifer Rubin writes in the Washington Post (2/22, 10.52M) that Garland "was the model of judicial deportment, precision and character." Garland, she adds, "reiterated his commitment to keep the department free of political interference." Dana Milbank writes in the Washington Post (2/22, 10.52M) that Garland sent "a clear message to the violent white supremacists and other domestic terrorists who thrived during the Trump years, most visibly in their attack on the Capitol last month: There's a new sheriff in town." Reuters (2/22, Chiacu), the New York Post (2/22, Nelson, 7.45M), Axios (2/22, Allassan, 1.26M), Politico (2/22, LeVine, Gerstein, 6.73M), The Hill (2/22, Carney, Beitsch, 5.69M), Roll Call (2/22, Ruger, 130K), and the CNN (2/22, Rogers, Herb, 89.21M) and Fox News (2/22, Raasch, 23.99M) websites are among other sources covering the hearing. Garland Sees "No Reason" Why Durham Probe Should Not Be Left In Place. Fox News (2/22, Singman, 23.99M) reports that Garland "said he sees 'no reason' why" Durham "should not be left in place to continue his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe - but he wouldn't explicitly make a committal." Ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley "pressed Garland on whether he would commit to allowing Durham to continue his probe through the Biden administration. `Will you commit to providing Special Counsel Durham with staff, resources and funds needed to thoroughly complete his investigation?' Grassley asked." Garland "said that, at this point, he does not have `any information about the investigation as I sit here today."I understand that he has been permitted to remain in this position and sitting here today, I have no reason to think that was not the correct decision,' Garland said, adding that he does `have to have an opportunity to talk with' Durham." The Washington Examiner (2/22, Dunleavy, 888K) reports that Grassley "asked Garland if he was saying that Durham would only be removed 'for cause.' Garland didn't commit to that either. 'I would have to have an opportunity to talk with him,' Garland said. 'I have not had that opportunity. As I said, I don't have any reason, from what I know now, which is really very little, to make any determination on that ground. But I don't have any reason to think that he should not remain in place.' Garland also would not commit to releasing Durham's full report. 'I am a great believer in transparency,' Garland said. 'I would, though, have to talk with Mr. Durham and understand the nature of what he's been doing and the nature of the report. But I am very much committed to transparency and to explaining Justice Department decision- making." Garland Refuses To Comment On Comey's Tenure As FBI Director. Fox News (2/22, Singman, 23.99M) reports that Garland "wouldn't comment on whether he believed James Comey was a good FBI director during his confirmation hearing despite being pressed by Republican senators to assess Comey's job performance." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC, "after pressing Garland on his thoughts related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, asked whether he believed Comey was a good FBI director. 'Senator, I really don't want to get into analyzing any of the previous directors,' Garland said." Later, Sen. John Comyn (R-TX) "pointed to Comey's move prior to the 2016 election to rail against Clinton's conduct, even though the Justice Department had decided not to bring any charges against her," and "Garland said it wouldn't be 'useful' for him to weigh in on the actions of Comey, as a former official, but said he EFTA00148038 would `zealously' work to restore the department's longstanding policy of not making any derogatory comments beyond what would appear in an indictment." Garland Concurs With IC That China Is A "Threat" To US Interests. Fox News (2/22, Barrabi, 23.99M) reports that Garland "concurred Monday with the U.S. intelligence community's view that China is a `threat' in certain ways to U.S. interests but declined to say whether he views the country's leadership in Beijing as an enemy." Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R- TN) "cited remarks from former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe...that China `poses the greatest threat to America today.' Blackburn asked Garland if he considered the Chinese Communist Party an `enemy' of the United States. `Well, I don't have the same familiarity with the intelligence information that the director of the national intelligence has, so in terms of comparing, say, the threat from China and the threat from Russia, I'm just not competent to make that comparison; Garland said in response. `Certainly, from what the director said, there's no doubt that China is a threat with respect to hacking of our computers, hacking of our infrastructure, theft of our intellectual property,' Garland said." Garland Vows DO) Probe Of New York Nursing Homes Will Be Free Of Conflicts. Fox News (2/22, Barrabi, 23.99M) reports that Garland "pledged Monday that the Justice Department would avoid conflicts of interest in any investigation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of the state's nursing home crisis during the coronavirus pandemic." Fox News adds, "The U.S. Attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York is reportedly in the early stages of an investigation into the Cuomo administration." The investigation "is said to be focused on members of Cuomo's coronavirus task force, which includes Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) noted that SDNY US Attorney Audrey Strauss "is DeRosa's mother-in-law. 'In this instance, the acting US attorney is the mother-in-law of the senior official of the Cuomo administration that admitted to the cover-up; Cruz said. `Will you at least commit to not having the investigation done by a person with a conflict of interest?"Of course; Garland said in response." Garland Supports Release Of Report On FBI's Handling Of Nassar Probe. The Orange CountyJCA) Register (2/22, Reid, 594K) reports, "Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday that he supports releasing the results of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar/USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal." Garland "also said if confirmed he would also consult with the Justice Department's inspector general about the USA Gymnastics/Nassar investigation." The OCR adds, "Between August and October 2018, Office of Inspector General investigators and FBI agents from local field offices interviewed" gymnasts "and their parents about the FBI's investigation of Nassar, according to interviews and documents obtained by the Southern California News Group. The Justice Department, however, still has not released the OIG report on the FBI's role in the Nassar scandal nearly 2 12 / years after the OIG official leading the investigation told parties in the case that the investigators' report had been forwarded to the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section." Garland: Handling Of Epstein Case Was "Horrendous." USA Today (2/22, Jansen, 12.7M) reports that Garland "called the treatment of alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein `horrendous,' but said he couldn't comment on why the Justice Department acted the way it did." Epstein, "who died by suicide in jail, was indicted in 2019 for sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of minor girls at his homes in New York and Florida. Federal prosecutors in New York alleged that for years, Epstein paid some of his victims to recruit more underage girls," but "the charges came years after former U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta resolved a sex-crimes case through a non-prosecution deal without notifying his alleged victims. A Justice Department investigation found Acosta showed 'poor judgment,' but Acosta said the review debunked allegations he cut a 'sweetheart deal.' CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS EFTA00148039 FBI Has Identified More Than 500 Suspects, Made More Than 200 Arrests In Capitol Siege Probe. In a posted video, CBS News (2/22, 5.39M) reports that the FBI "said it has identified over 500 suspects in the federal investigation into the deadly riot, and made more than 200 arrests." Oath Keeper Alters Claim That She Met With Secret Service Before Attack On Capitol. Reuters (2/22, Ax) reports Jessica Watkins, "a leader of the far-right group Oath Keepers who is charged with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol," on Monday "reversed her story...about having met with Secret Service agents in Washington on the day of the insurrection," and in a new court filing her attorney instead "said she had merely spoken with some agents while passing through a security checkpoint." According to Reuters, "Watkins is asking the court to release her to home confinement while she awaits trial, citing in part the risk of maltreatment she faces in jail as a transgender woman." USA Today (2/22, Voyles Pulver, Axon, 12.7M) reports, "The lawyer's original motion, filed over the weekend, raised questions about whether the Secret Service had coordinated rally security with paramilitary groups that later stormed the U.S. Capitol. Federal authorities allege Watkins coordinated with a group of at least eight other people who wore tactical gear and helmets and marched in military fashion into the Capitol." The Secret Service "wasted no time rejecting the original claim that it had worked with Watkins or any private citizens on security for the rally. The agency said it relied only on the assistance of government partners. 'Any assertion that the Secret Service employed private citizens to perform those functions is false,' the agency said Monday. Watkins' federal public defender filed a 'clarification' later on Monday saying the motion never meant to imply Watkins met with the Secret Service." DC Judge Rules Proud Boys Leader Now Compliant With Pretrial Services Agency. The Washington Post (2/22, Alexander, 10.52M) reports, "A D.C. Superior Court judge Monday concluded Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner in the city, is currently following rules of his pretrial release but warned Tarrio he could be jailed until trial if he fails to remain in compliance." According to the Post, "In a Feb. 4 letter to the court, an official from the Pretrial Services Agency in the District, which monitors defendants who are released pending trial, alerted the court that Tarrio had failed to report by phone, had not verified his address and was deemed a loss of contact." Tarrio, 33, "was arrested in the District on Jan. 4 and charged with destruction of property in the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner outside a D.C. church in December." Florida Woman Arrested For Threatening To Kill FBI Agents Amid Siege Probe. The Washington Post (2/22, Shepherd, 10.52M) reports, "After FBI agents phoned Suzanne Kaye in late January, the Boca Raton, Fla., retiree...posted a video to her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts. 'Just got a call from the FBI,' Kaye said. 'They want to come talk to me about my visit to D.C. on January 6." Kaye "then spewed an obscenity-laden screed against the federal law enforcement agency. 'You think I'm going to ... let you come talk to me?' she said. 'I'm an American. I know my ... rights. My First Amendment right to free speech, my Second Amendment right to carry a gun to shoot your f a-- if you come to my house.' The FBI took her comments seriously, and charged Kaye in a criminal complaint filed on Feb. 15 with making a communication in interstate commerce that threatened to kill agents from the FBI." Former Florida Police Officer Charged In Capitol Riot Probe. The AP (2/22, Anderson) reports from St. Petersburg, Florida, "A former Florida police officer and Marine Corps veteran is the latest person to be charged with taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol." The AP adds, "Court documents filed Sunday show that Nicholes Lentz is charged in a criminal complaint with illegally being in a restricted building and disruptive and disorderly conduct." Lentz, 41, "is a former North Miami Beach police officer who also served with the Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to an FBI affidavit. There have been numerous people affiliated with law enforcement and the military charged with participating in the riot. Lentz was identified though Facebook posts, including by North Miami Beach Mayor EFTA00148040 Anthony DeFillipo. According to the FBI, Lentz was interviewed by agents last week at his home in Boynton Beach and admitted being at the Capitol on Jan. 6." Kansas Man Linked To Proud Boys Arrested In Capitol Siege Probe. The AP (2/22, Stafford) reports from Liberty, Missouri, "A man linked to the Kansas City metro chapter of the Proud Boys was charged Monday with conspiring with members of the group to participate in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6." Ryan Ashlock, of Gardner, Kansas, "was arrested Monday without incident, the FBI said. An affidavit alleges Ashlock conspired with five other members of the Proud Boys who have already been charged in the riots." Ashlock "traveled to the riots with other Proud Boy members, marched with them to the Capitol, and helped knock down metal barricades between police and protesters outside the Capitol, according to the affidavit. He separated from the group when police pepper-sprayed him, and it was unclear if Ashlock entered the Capitol, the FBI said." Two Senate Committees To Hold Hearings On Capitol Riot. The New York Times (2/22, Broadwater, 20.6M) reports that as the House of Representatives "haggle[s] over the formation of a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol," the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee are "pressing ahead with a series of investigative hearings to scrutinize the security breakdowns that failed to prevent the deadly proTrump rampage." The Times says lawmakers on Tuesday will "question the officials who were in charge of securing the Capitol during the attack, when Capitol Police officers and members of the District of Columbia's police force called in as reinforcements were overrun as the vice president and members of the House and the Senate were gathered inside." Politico (2/23, Cheney, Desiderio, 6.73M) reports, "Lawmakers will get their first chance Tuesday to expose the security failures that allowed rioters to overtake the Capitol on Jan. 6 and threaten the presidential transition of power." Politico adds, "At a rare joint oversight hearing, senators are set to hear from security officials who were on duty when a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters ransacked the building and sent them fleeing for their lives. The story of Jan. 6 has become clearer as hundreds of rioters have faced charges, but high-level decision-making by top congressional security officials has so far remained a black box," and "that lack of transparency from the upper echelons of the Capitol Police leadership in particular has sparked pushback from the police force's union. It's also clouded congressional efforts to increase security and ensure the Hill learns from the insurrection chaos. Senators expect Tuesday's hearing to be only the first step in their efforts to investigate the run-up and response to the siege." However, the Washington Post (2/22, DeBonis, Demirjian, 10.52M) warns that the hearing "could also become a battleground for competing narratives over what prompted the riot and who was responsible for it - a question that has become even more pointed following former president Donald Trump's acquittal on impeachment changes earlier this month." House Leaders Divided Over Composition Of 1/6 Commission. Politico (2/22, Caygle, Cheney, 6.73M) reports House Speaker Pelosi "and her Republican counterparts" are "battling over the contours of a panel inspired by the 9/11 Commission to investigate the deadly Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, with Republicans demanding equal representation." Politico says they "have already traded one offer each but still remain at odds over several issues including membership on the proposed commission, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks." Politico adds that while Pelosi "proposed tilting the panel in favor of Democrats, with her party getting to pick seven of the members while Republican leaders choose four additional appointees," Republicans "are insisting on an equal split - each party gets to appoint five members - in their counteroffer, sources told Politico," and they "are pressing Democrats to avoid specifically prescribing avenues of inquiry that might steer the panel in certain directions, as opposed to allowing panelists to determine their own course." The Hill (2/22, Marcos, 5.69M) provides similar coverage. EFTA00148041  Capitol Police Officer Discusses Attack On Capitol. In an exclusive, the ABC News (2/22, Thomas, Ordonez, Larramendia, 2.44M) reports on its website that Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn "said the rotunda no longer resembled the room he once knew on Jan. 6, the day of the siege on the Capitol," and he "recalls gasping for air through the pepper spray and bear mace, blood on his knuckles and the relentless noises from the rioters." In an interview on Monday, Dunn became the first US Capitol Police officer "to speak publicly about the events of Jan. 6." ABC World News TonightVi (2/22, story 7, 1:50, Muir, 7.55M) also aired a segment of the interview. According to ABC's Pierre Thomas, Dunn "said the mob hurled the N-word at him, a Black officer, that weapon of a word." Dunn: "What the hell just happened? I got called a [bleep]. Couple dozen times today. Protecting this building. Is this America?" Thomas added Dunn "wanted to make it clear he's speaking for himself and not his department. A force that's still trying to cope with that nightmarish day. But he's so proud of the men and women who fought beside him in that fight for democracy." COUNTER-TERRORISM FBI Agents Association Head: Make Domestic Terrorism A Federal Crime. In an op-ed for USA Today (2/22, 12.7M), Brian O'Hare, president of the FBI Agents Association, writes, "The FBI Agents Association supports a law that creates penalties for those violent acts that meet the definition of domestic terrorism already included in the federal criminal code." O'Hare adds that "making domestic terrorism a federal crime...would offer an additional tool and increase the effectiveness of law enforcement personnel dedicated to protecting the public," and "would target acts of violence that have no place in the political discourse secured by our Constitution and Bill of Rights." O'Hare argues that "calling out domestic terrorism for what it is promotes deterrence. Imagine being a victim of domestic terrorism only to discover that it isn't against the law. Victims deserve to have the crimes against them - and the trauma they cause - named accurately. Making domestic terrorism a federal crime would be a logical and important affirmation of our shared values and would send a clear message about our country's commitment to resolving political differences peacefully." Families Of Victims Of Pensacola Navy Base Mass Shooting Sue Saudi Arabia. The Washington Post (2/22, Hsu, 10.52M) reports the families of three US service members killed in the "mass shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 2019" and 13 others injured in the attack "alleged Monday that the government of Saudi Arabia facilitated the attack, which U.S. authorities concluded was an act of international terrorism." According to the Post, "A 152-page complaint in federal court in Pensacola, Fla., makes new allegations that the shooter, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani, executed the attack with the support of `accomplices," including "fellow Saudi air force trainees." The AP (2/22, Tucker) reports the lawsuit "also says Saudi trainees were aware that he had purchased and stored firearms and ammunition in his barracks, and that they had failed to report his posting of and sharing extremist and anti-American material on social media." The Pensacola (FL) News Journal (2/22, Blanks, 196K) reports that "an explosive 152- page complaint filed Monday in federal court in Pensacola brought on behalf of the 16 plaintiffs and their families outlines in chilling detail the events leading up to Dec. 6, 2019, as well as why attorneys feel the Saudi Arabian government owes the American victims and families money for their pain and suffering." The complaint "alleges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had every reason to know that 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Al-Shamrani harbored serious anti- American sentiments and terroristic tendencies long before he joined the Royal Saudi Air Force in 2015," and it "even goes as far as to say that Saudi Arabia might have known Al-Shamrani was planning to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil and did nothing to stop him. The complaint points to his active and public social media accounts in which he voiced disdain for EFTA00148042 America, including an ominous message posted to Twitter on Sept. 11, 2019, stating that 'the countdown has begun." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/22, Darnell, 1.46M) reports, "The lawsuit said Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani executed the attack with the support of 'accomplices.' Those included fellow Saudi Air Force trainees, whom he told of his plans at a dinner the night before and during a November 2019 visit to the 9/11 memorial in New York City to pay tribute to the hijackers, the plaintiffs allege. The families also accused the Trump administration and Saudi government of reneging on pledges of support for families." ABC News (2/22, Katersky, 2.44M) reports, "According to the lawsuit, Saudi Arabia knew of Al-Shamrani's radicalization and anti-American sentiments, which were publicly associated with a Twitter account bearing his name." ABC News adds, "In May, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray said Al-Shamrani had communicated directly with al- Qaida operatives in an attack that they described as 'a brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation,' based on newly revealed evidence obtained from the shooter's iPhones. Al- Shamrani made efforts to destroy his phones, even shooting a bullet through one of them, Barr said." Fox News (2/22, Manfredi, 23.99M) reports, "The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages for an attack the families say was caused by Saudia Arabia and its 'intentional, knowing, reckless, willful and/or grossly negligent' act to send a terrorist operative 'Trojan horse' into a U.S. program tied to 'billions of dollars in military arms sales from the United States to the Kingdom." Austin: Extremists And White Supremacists Tiny Fraction Of US Military, But Have "Outsized" Impact. The Washington Examiner (2/22, McIntyre, 888K) reports that, in his first Pentagon news conference Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "was careful to say that while the department does not yet have hard data on the number of extremists in the ranks, he suspects they make up a tiny fraction of the 1.3 million member active-duty force." Austin said, "I really and truly believe that 99.9% of our servicemen and women believe in [their] oath. They believe, embrace the values that we are focused on, and they're doing the right things. I expect for the numbers to be small, but quite frankly, they'll probably be a little bit larger than most of us would guess ... But I would just say that, you know, small numbers, in this case, can have an outsized impact." Opinion: ISIS Is Down But Not Dead Yet. In a commentary in the Daily Beast (2/22, 933K), Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of 'The Daughters of Kobani,' writes, "The ghost of the 2003 Iraq war has hung over and shaped every decision the US has made on the Syrian civil war since 2011. The incoming Administration will soon grapple with the question: how to handle the Islamic State as it finds openings and regroups." She contends, "The success of the US-SDF relationship isn't well known, but it contains US policy implications: as the new administration considers Middle East policy, it now faces the question of whether to continue America's limited presence in northeastern Syria and how to employ diplomacy to move toward an end to the war in Syria." She concludes, "There are always conflicting priorities in the first 100 days of any administration, but as those who crafted the counter-ISIS policy return to government, ensuring ISIS does not return to power...should be among the top." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Opinion: John Durham May Not Bring More Additional Charges. EFTA00148043 In a commentary in The Hill (2/22, 5.69M), former FBI agent Mark Ferbrache writes, "It is becoming apparent that the prosecution of former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith may be the zenith of special counsel John Durham's investigation into the roots of the FBI's `Crossfire Hurricane' investigation involving Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. Recent reporting suggests no other senior FBI or Department of Justice (DOJ) officials will face criminal charges." He contends, "There are hints that Durham's 20-month autopsy of Crossfire Hurricane may amount to findings of violations of FBI policies and investigative procedures, and other noncriminal matters. Other than additional false statement charges, the activities under investigation may not reach a criminal threshold." He concludes, "Some will believe that anything less than criminal charges resulting from Durham's efforts will demonstrate a disappointing failure by an inept justice system." Researchers Say Chinese Used Spyware Developed By NSA. Reuters (2/22, Satter) reports Israeli researchers "said on Monday Chinese spies used code first developed by the NSA to support their hacking operations, another indication of how malicious software developed by governments can boomerang against their creators." Tel Aviv-based Check Point Software Technologies "issued a report noting that some features in a piece of China-linked malware it dubs `Jian' were so similar they could only have been stolen from some of the NSA break-in tools leaked to the Internet in 2017." Gov Info Security (2/22) reports the new Check Point research "demonstrates how the Chinese hacking group reportedly stole, cloned and then exploited a zero-day vulnerability created by the Equation Group, which is widely believed to be tied to the NSA's elite Tailored Access Operations team." The report also raises "additional questions about how some of the NSA's most prized cyber weapons have been discovered or stolen by nation-state hacking groups and then turned on their developers over the years." The Washington Times (2/22, Lovelace, 626K) reports that Check Point's Eyal Itkin and Itay Cohen write that "The exploit was replicated by the APT during 2014 to form Ilan' and used since at least 2015, until finally caught and patched in March 2017." They add that the "security flaw was reported to Microsoft by Lockheed Martin's Computer Incident Response Team, which hinted at a possible attack against a U.S. target." Wired (2/22, Greenberg, 3.42M) reports that a "source familiar with Lockheed Martin's cybersecurity research and reporting confirms to WIRED that the company found the Chinese hacking tool being used in a US private sector network—not its own or part of its supply chain—that was not part of the US defense industrial base, but declined to share more details." However, Dark Reading (2/22, Sheridan) reports that while "they may exploit the same vulnerability, Check Point researchers point to `meaningful changes' between the original EpMe tool and the repurposed Jian tool." Cohen said, "EpMe, the exploit by Equation Group, is much more comprehensive and more professional." ZDNet (2/22, Osborne, 298K) reports that the "investigation into Jian also exposed a module containing four privilege escalation exploits that were part of Equation Group's DanderSpritz post-exploitation framework." Gizmodo (2/22, 596K) reports that the "alleged hacker group behind `Jian,' APT 31, is known for specializing in intellectual property theft (the group also goes by colorful nicknames such as `Zirconium' and `Judgment Panda')." The group has also previously been linked to hacks of U.S. presidential campaigns, including Joe Biden's. Kieren McCarthy writes for the Register LW. (2/23) that the report "again raises the question over whether it is in the US intelligence community's best interests to share the details of any exploitable vulnerabilities they find - rather than try to keep them a secret and use them themselves - because, ultimately the tools will leak (or the bugs be discovered by others) and expose US businesses and institutions to hacking attempts." Security Week (2/22, Arghire) also runs a report, among others. EFTA00148044 North Macedonia Issues Arrest Warrant For Ex-Secret Police Chief. The AP (2/22) reports North Macedonia "issued an international warrant late Monday for the country's former secret police chief who disappeared before an expected court verdict on his alleged involvement in a massive wiretapping scandal." Police searched several locations in capital Skopje on Sunday for "Sasho Mijalkov who, along with 11 former government and police officials, is on trial over the 2016 scandal that toppled the country's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party after a decade in government." Mijalkov "is accused of masterminding phone taps on more than 20,000 people, including politicians, judges and journalists between 2006-2016." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Authorities Arrest Wife Of "El Chapo" On Drug Charges. The AP (2/22, Balsamo) reports Emma Coronel Aispuro, the 31-year-old wife of "Mexican drug kingpin" Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was arrested on Monday at Dulles International Airport in Virginia "and accused of helping her husband run his multibillion-dollar cartel and plot his audacious escape from a Mexican prison in 2015." The AP describes her arrest as "the latest twist in the bloody, multinational saga involving Guzman, the longtime head of the Sinaloa drug cartel," while Reuters (2/22, Stempel, Daniel) highlights that her arrest "is the highest profile U.S. capture of a Mexican on drug charges since former Mexican Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos was detained in October, and experts said it indicated a deterioration in bilateral security relations." The New York Times (2/22, Feuer, Goldman, 20.6M) reports court documents "filed in Ms. Coronel's case said she relayed messages for Mr. Guzman that helped him make drug shipments from 2012 to 2014 and evade capture by the legions of American and Mexican authorities who had been pursuing him for years." The Times adds evidence "emerged at Mr. Guzman's trial that Ms. Coronel was also a chief conspirator in a sophisticated plot to break him out of the Altiplano prison in Mexico by digging a nearly mile-long tunnel into the shower of his cell." Reuters (2/22, Stempel, Daniel) reports that the "investigation into Coronel was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), rather than the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The charges relate to alleged trafficking activity between 2014-2107 prior to the high- profile Brooklyn trial where Guzman was convicted on drug trafficking offenses." The Washington Examiner (2/22, Dunleavy, 888K) reports that the "indictment against Coronel Aispuro penned by an FBI special agent detailed multiple unnamed high-ranking cooperating witnesses who fed the bureau information about the cartel and the role played by El Chapo's wife and family." The FBI "agent wrote that one of the witnesses said that during the unsuccessful attempt to help El Chapo escape after he was rearrested in 2016, Coronel Aispuro claimed $2 million had been paid to the Mexican official who oversaw Mexico's prisons in an unsuccessful effort to free El Chapo." USA Today (2/22, McCoy, 12.7M) reports that federal authorities said in court documents, "Coronel grew up with knowledge of the narcotics trafficking industry, and married Guzman when she was a teenager. Coronel understood the scope of the Sinaloa Cartel's drug trafficking; Coronel knows and understands the Sinaloa Cartel is the most prolific cartel in Mexico." CNN (2/22, Carrega, 89.21M) reports that she "is expected to make her initial appearance Tuesday in US District Court in Washington, DC, via video conference." CNN adds that Jeffrey Lichtman and Mariel Colon "told CNN they are representing Coronel." Colon said, "We're just trying to get the full scope of the government allegations at this time." Meanwhile, the Washington Post (2/22, Hsu, Sheridan, 10.52M) reports she "grew up in Sinaloa state, the traditional heart of Mexico's illegal drug industry, but was born in California, making her a U.S. citizen." The Post adds that she "slipped over the border in 2011 to give birth to the couple's twin daughters, Maria Joaquina and Emali, in a Los Angeles County hospital." EFTA00148045 The Wall Street Journal (2/22, de Cordoba, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that Coronet "is the daughter of a prominent member of the Sinaloa drug cartel, a Mexican drug trafficker who is serving a 10-year prison sentence." The Hill (2/22, Pitofsky, 5.69M) also reports on the arrest, as do the Daily Beast (2/22, Melendez, 933K), The Guardian (UK) (2/22, Agren, 5.53M), ABC News (2/22, Mallin, 2.44M), the Washington Times (2/22, Mordock, 626K), and others. Investigation Faults Police For Treatment Of Elijah McClain. The AP (2/22, Nieberg, Slevin) reports that an investigation conducted on behalf of the city of Aurora, Colorado, of the fatal arrest of Elijah McClain released Monday "criticizes how police handled the entire incident, faulting officers for their quick, aggressive treatment of the 23- year-old Black man and the department for having a weak accountability system that failed to press for the truth about what happened." The AP adds the probe "found "two contrasting stories" of what happened to McClain in August 2019 after someone reported him as suspicious. One, based on officers' statements to investigators, where police describe a violent, relentless struggle. And another based on body camera footage in which McClain can be heard crying out in pain, apologizing, explaining himself, and pleading with the officers as they restrained him, applied `pain compliance' techniques, and sat or kneeled on him." The Denver Post (2/22, Schmelzer, 660K) says the investigation found Aurora police and paramedics "made substantial errors at nearly every stage of their interaction with Elijah McClain and the detectives tasked with investigating the incident that led to the 23-year-old's death stretched the truth to exonerate the officers involved." On ABC World News TonightVi (2/22, story 8, 0:20, 8.08M), David Muir said that the "scathing independent investigation" found police "had no legal basis to stop him while walking home or for using a choke hold." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (2/22, story 7, 1:40, O'Donnell, 4.6M), Omar Villafranca reported the investigation "says Aurora, Colorado did not have the right to stop, frisk, or violently restrain Elijah McClain in August 2019," and "according to report, EMS `administered a ketamine dosag