Epstein Files

EFTA00136313.pdf

dataset_9 pdf 6.7 MB Feb 3, 2026 59 pages
From: To: Subject: . - u rc airs ews ne mg nay, uy 1, 2020 Importance: Normal Priority: Normal Sensitivity: None Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=200731&auth=1q6hg68jtj> . <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=200731&auth=1q6hg68jtj> TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS Leading the News • FBI Says Its Review Of Surveillance Applications Found Only Minor Errors. Protests • US Charges Massachusetts Man With Firing At Boston Police During Protests. • Two More Charged In Kansas City Under Operation LeGend. • Operation LeGend Prosecution Underway In Albuquerque. • Trump: Feds Will Not Leave Portland Until Governor Clears Protesters. • DHS Compiled "Intelligence Reports" On Journalists Who Published Leaked Documents. • Pentagon Removes Language From Training Referring To Protesters, Media As "Adversaries." • In Leaked Recording, Trump Asks Inhofe To Preserve Name Of Fort Lee. • Prosecutor: No Charges For Ferguson Officer Who Killed Michael Brown. • Missouri AG Drops Gun Charges Against St. Louis Couple. • NYTimes Analysis: Trump Echoes Wallace As "Law And Order" Candidate. • Gerson: Trump Tweet On Housing Regulation "Laid Bare" His Biases. Counter-Terrorism • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Lying To FBI About Helping Another Join ISIS. • Conspirator In 1993 NYC Terror Plot Is Set For Release. Counter-Intelligence • Full DC Appeals Court To Review DOJ's Decision To Drop Flynn Case. • Senators Ask Agencies For Trove Of Trump-Russia Documents. • Federal Judge Blocks Anti-Trump Group From Filing Amicus Opposing Stone's Commutation. • Republican Senators Seek Records On Top Steele Dossier Source. • Op-Ed: Valerie Jarrett Uses Classic Obama Administration Tactic To Dismiss FBI Spying Scandal. • Book Review: Jeffrey Toobin's "True Crimes And Misdemeanors" On Trump Impeachment. • Op-Ed: Steele's Failings Go Far Beyond Dodgy "Dossier." • Bongino Says Durham's Report Will Be "Horrifying For The Democrats." • FBI, Counterintelligence Officials Warn Of China Election Interference. • Chinese National Pleads Guilty To Stealing Trade Secrets From Ohio Hospital. • FBI Probing Whether China Spied On Universities' Coronavirus Research. • Democrats Press Nunes For Details On Anti-Biden Package Provided By Ukrainian Official. • Lessons From The KGB On Dirty Tricks In 2020 Election. • Election Officials Game Worst-Case Scenarios In Drills. • Pentagon's Secret, Defunct UFO-hunting Program May Still Exist. EFTA00136313 • CFIUS Halted Eight Foreign Investment Deals In 2019, Trump Ended One. • Op-Ed: The US Has Failed To Adapt To Kinds Of Global Threats. • Russia Detains Alleged Ukrainian Spy In Its Black Sea Fleet. • Belarus' Arrest Of Russian Wagner Soldiers May Have Been Staged To Postpone Elections. • Op-Ed: Holding Syria Accountable For Chemical Attacks Will Be Tough Without Sharing Intelligence. • Anti-Tank Weapon Rarely Seen In Afghanistan Destroys Helicopter. Criminal Investigations • Trump Meets With Family Of Murdered Fort Hood Soldier, Pledges Rigorous Investigation. • FBI Joins Army Probe Of Killing Of Fort Bragg Paratrooper. • Epstein Accuser Alleged In Unsealed Deposition That Maxwell Was His Partner In Abuse. • Idaho Prosecutor Subpoenas FBI Agents In Daybell Probe. • Man Shot By FBI In Arkansas Will Remain Jailed. • Kentucky AG: Breonna Taylor Autopsy, Police Radio Files Should Not Be Released Yet. • Buffalo Exchange Closes Colorado Stores Amid Abuse Probe. • Mississippi Man Facing Charges Over Shooting US Task Force Officers. • Continuing: Alabama Pair Indicted In Connection To Killing Of Child. • Ohio Man Facing Child Pornography Charges. • Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty To Firearms Charge. • Kentucky Man Charged With Murder, Robbery. • South Dakota Community Scammed By FBI Impersonators. • Indiana Toddler Critically Wounded In Shooting. • DOJ Acknowledges Investigation Into Death Of Elijah McClain. • Continuing Coverage: Hawaii Man Accused Of Running Mob. • Two Accused Of Operating Illegal Marijuana Growing Operation In Massachusetts. • Four Defendants Charged With Meth Trafficking Plead Not Guilty. • Alleged Gang Leader, More Than 20 Others Arrested On Drug, Firearms Charges. • Six Arrested As Result Of Probe That Targeted Alleged Drug Trafficking Operation. • FBI Investigating Threats Against Missouri Elections Office. • Connecticut Man Arrested In Connection To Death Of Teenager. • FBI Investigating ATM Robberies In Minnesota. • West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Conviction Of Child Murderer. • Nevada Man Arrested Over Sex-Trafficking Charges. • New York Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Robberies. • Colorado Man Sentenced Over Child Pornography. • North Carolina Man Arrested Over Illegal Narcotics. • Indiana Men Facing Potential Hate Crime Charges. • Georgia Gang Member Arrested Over Methamphetamine. Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals • Ohio Lawmakers Vote To Remove House Speaker Householder After Indictment. • Tennessee Lawmaker Charged With Theft Of Federal Funds. • Los Angeles City Councilman Charged In Corruption Probe. • Texas Man Sentenced For Wire Fraud In New Hampshire. Cyber Division • Chinese Hackers Reportedly Targeted Modema's Vaccine Research. • Twitter Says Hacking Started With Phone Calls To Employees. • Senators Urge Justice Department To Open Investigation Into TikTok And Zoom. • DOD Inspector General's Uphill Battle To Create A Culture For Cybersecurity. • Volunteer Experts Seek To Assist US Election Cybersecurity. • Portugal Telecoms Won't Use Huawei For Core 5G Networks Despite Lack Of Official Ban. • Hackers Post Fake Stories On Real News Sites. • Gallagher Says Pentagon Needs Access To Defense Companies' Networks To Hunt Cyberthreats. • Op-Ed: US Must Prevent Foreign Cyber Attacks On Texas Energy Infrastructure. Law Enforcement Services • New Jersey Lawmakers Could Vote For Early Release Of 20% Of Prison Inmates. EFTA00136314 Other FBI News • Accessing Unclassified Data Poses Remote-Work Challenges For FBI. • Cohen Free To Publish Anti-Trump Book While Serving Sentence At Home. Other Washington News • GOP Legislators Quick To Reject Trump's Floating Of Delay In November Election. • Trump Exhorts People Who Have Recovered From COVID To Donate Plasma. • Fauci Reiterates Ineffectiveness Of Hydroxychloroquine To Refute Viral Video Shared By Trump. • Birx Warns Cases Spiking In Midwest As Florida And Arizona Set New Death Records. • In Shift, Administration Officials Now Urging Public To Wear Face Masks. • Daily Beast: Trump's Revival Of COVID News Conferences Has Frustrated Staff. • Reports Tie Cain's Death From COVID To His Appearance At Trump's Tulsa Rally. • Vanity Fair: Kushner Team's Abandoned Ambitious COVID Testing Plan. • FDA Issues Guidance For Companies Making At-Home Tests. • Pentagon Researchers At Work On Developing COVID Antibody. • Johnson & Johnson Starts Human Vaccine Trials. • Data Suggest Native American Communities Disproportionately Impacted By Coronavirus. • Study: Children May Carry Coronavirus At High Levels. • NBA Issues New Safety Protocols. • WPost: Gohmert Face Of GOP Coronavirus Ignorance. • Trump Says 300 Miles Of New Border Wall Will Be Completed By End Of August. • Judge Blocks Administration's Green Card Eligibility Rules. • Undocumented Woman Who Worked At Trump Club Facing Deportation. • US GDP Shrunk By Record Amount In Second Quarter. • Weekly Jobless Claims Rise To 1.434M As Senators Remain Divided On Extending Benefit. • Trump, DeVos Reiterate Call For Schools To Reopen. • Tropical Storm Isaias Could Reach Florida Over Weekend. • Senate Hearing On Controversial Pentagon Nominee Tata Cancelled. • Albence Stepping Down As Acting ICE Director. • Memo Reveals State Department Dispute Over Susan Pompeo's Travel. • Obama Calls For Passage Of Voting Rights Act, Criticizes Trump In Lewis Eulogy. • House Votes To End Ban On Transgender Troops. • House Rejects Ocasio-Cortez Proposal To Bar Military Recruitment On Online Gaming Platforms. • Schweikert Admits To 11 Ethics Violations, Agrees To Pay $50K Fine. • Ginsburg Resting In Hospital Following Minimally Invasive Surgery. • NASA's Perseverance Rover Lifts Off En Route To Mars. • Omar Campaign Spent $606K At Husband's Firm In First Weeks Of July. International News • Trump: "Lamestream Media" Ignoring "Major China Virus Flare Up" In Other Countries. • Companies Work To Build Reliable Supply Chains For Coronavirus Vaccines. • EU Again Extends Travel Ban On Americans. • Study: UK Has Europe's Worst Surge In Deaths During Pandemic. • Pompeo: US Has Discussed Threats To Its Troops In Afghanistan With Russia. • US Urges Pakistan To Act After American Charged With Blasphemy Shot In Court. • Craft: Trump Wants To Give In-Person UN Address In September. • Pompeo Insists "Tide Is Turning" In Dealings With China. • US Ambassador To Russia Dismisses Conviction Of Marine Vet As "Absurd." • Democrats Slam Decision To Move US Troops Out Of Germany As Gift To Putin. • Polish Towns That Declared Themselves "LGBT-Free Zones" Are Denied EU Funds. • Violence In Darfur Increasing After Bashir's Overthrow. • Trudeau Defends Charity Deal In Rare Testimony Before Parliament. The Big Picture • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Washington's Schedule • Today's Events In Washington. EFTA00136315 Leading the News FBI Says Its Review Of Surveillance Applications Found Only Minor Errors. The AP <https://apnews.corn/2b182474062c00f4989d039ffeaa5835> (7/30, Tucker) reports that according to the FBI, "errors in more than two dozen applications for surveillance warrants were not as severe as the Justice Department inspector general made them out to be." The Justice Department IG has identified "important errors and omissions in applications the FBI submitted to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in the Russia investigation. In March, it said it had conducted an audit of 29 wiretap applications and found problems in all 29." However, the FBI said its review of the applications "found only two material errors, and neither is believed to have affected a judge's decision that there was probable cause for the surveillance. The FBI says that out of nearly 7,000 facts in the applications, there were rough 200 nonmaterial errors, such as typos and date inaccuracies." USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/fbi-says-wiretap-applications-contained- minor-errors/5551226002/> (7/30, Phillips, 10.31M) reports, "A statement issued Thursday came a few months after the Justice Department's internal watchdog said in a memo that it found errors and lack of documentation in nearly all 29 surveillance applications it is reviewing as part of a broader audit of the FBI's practices. The FBI and the Justice Department have since reviewed the 29 applications and found that the errors are mostly typographical, such as misspellings and wrong dates, the FBI said in the statement. The bureau said it found only two material errors, but neither would've affected the justifications for the surveillance." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/fbi-justice-depamnent-say-errors- found-in-29-fisa-applications-were-small/2020/07/30/8ed0dIa4-d28e-Ilea-8d32-lebf4e9d8e0d_story.html> (7/30, Barrett, 14.2M) reports, "A spokeswoman for the inspector general declined to comment. Back in March, the inspector general's office said it had `identified apparent errors or inadequately supported facts in all of the 25 applications we reviewed,' the memo said, adding that in another four cases, they couldn't even find a corresponding file meant to act as a fact-checking exercise for FBI agents seeking surveillance orders." The Post adds, "Thursday's FBI statement also noted that the 29 FISA applications predated changes to the surveillance process ordered by Director Christopher A. Wray. The FBI said in its statement that the bureau `remains confident these actions will fully address the findings and recommendations' of the inspector general." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-usa-fbi-wiretap/fbi-says-errors-uncovered-in-wiretap-applications- were-mostly-non-material-idUSKCN24V2R8> (7/30, Lynch) reports, "The FBI's findings could help take some of the heat off the bureau, which has been under fire for missteps in its early-stage investigation known as `Operation Crossfire Hurricane' into whether President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia." Fox News <https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-doj-claim-errors-in-fisa-court-filings-did-not-impact-orders> (7/30, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports, "The filing did not dispute that there were inaccuracies in the warrant applications, it only claimed that those inaccuracies did not ultimately affect the outcome of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's orders." The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminer.corn/news/fbi-review-indicates-carter-page-fisa- was-especially-problematic> (7/30, Dunleavy, 448K) reports that surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page "appears to have been uniquely problematic." The FBI released details of more than two dozen FISA applications, According to The Examiner, "This sample indicates that the 17 `significant errors and omissions' found by the DOJ watchdog in the process to obtain warrants to wiretap Page...was an outlier and gives Republican who believe Trump's campaign was unfairly targeted more ammo in the unraveling `Russiagate' controversy." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/fbi-internal-probe-finds-errors- in-fisa-warrants-didnt-undermine-cases-11596127762> (7/30, Viswanatha, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also EFTA00136316 reports. Protests US Charges Massachusetts Man With Firing At Boston Police During Protests. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jul/30/john-boampong-accused-shooting- boston-police-durin> (7/30, Mordock, 492K) reports that a Boston man "accused of firing a gun at 21 police officers during the city's George Floyd protests last month was slapped with federal charges Thursday." John Boampong was charged with "assaulting a federal officer, interfering with a law enforcement officer during the commission of civil disorder and being a person prohibited under felony indictment in possession of a firearm and ammunition." The Boston Herald <https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/30/man-accused-of-shooting-at-boston-police- during-protests-now-charged-federally/> (7/30, Cotter, 410K) reports that Boampong, 37, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, "is accused of spraying bullets from a car at officers standing on near the Four Seasons Hotel on Boylston Street in the early hours of June 1." The Herald adds, "One of the first protests following the police killing of Black Minneapolis man George Floyd coalesced May 31, a Sunday six day's after Floyd's death. The protest went off peacefully — but `devolved into widespread acts of violence, vandalism, looting and destruction of police property, including the burning of at least one police vehicle on Tremont Street. Some protestors threw rocks, bricks and commercially-available explosives, like M-80s, at police officers,' FBI Special Agent Timothy Kenny wrote in the new criminal complaint against Boampong." WFXT-TV <https://wwvv.boston25news.com/news/local/boston-man-facing-federal-charges-assaulting-officers-with- firearm-during-city-rioting-june-I/OTLYFKDODFHY5G47XTLS3L3GDU> Boston (7/30, Staff) also reports. Two More Charged In Kansas City Under Operation LeGend. The Kansas City (MO) Star <https://www.kansascity.com/news/localkrime/article244607087.html> (7/30, Nozicka, 549K) reports, "Two more people have been charged under the federal Operation LeGend, including a man who allegedly threatened a witness in a shooting, prosecutors said Thursday." According to the Star, "The two are among more than 50 people arrested so far in connection to the anti-crime initiative named after 4-year- old LeGend Taliferro, who was fatally shot last month in Kansas City." Shannon Walz, 45, "was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition after Kansas City police arrested him following a foot chase in May. Shortly before, he was accused of threatening a witness to keep their mouth shut about a shooting that led to the victim's death weeks later." The Star adds, "The other defendant whose charges were announced Thursday was 20-year-old Maricela Delores Lozano, who was accused of stealing a car at gunpoint in July from a County Club Plaza parking garage." KSHB-TV <https://www.kshb.com/newillocal-news/2-more-charged-with-firearm-offenses-under-operation- legend> Kansas City, MO (7/30, White, 90K) reports that Lozano "allegedly brandished an `AK-47 style pistol' in a Plaza parking garage and demanded the keys and cellphone of the victim. A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper spotted her in Fulton two days later and took her into custody, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Timothy Garrison." Walz "was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a criminal complaint unsealed on Wednesday. Walz was arrested by Kansas City police on May 30, nearly six weeks before Operation LeGend launched in Kansas City. Walz had allegedly told a person to `keep their mouth shut' about a shooting that had occurred the week before while waving a handgun `in a threatening manner,' according to Garrison's office. The victim in that shooting died on June 10." EFTA00136317 Operation LeGend Prosecution Underway In Albuquerque. The Albuquerque (NM) Journal <https://www.abqjournal.com/1481226/operation-legend-prosecution-underway- in-albuquerque.html> (7/30, Kaplan, 196K) reports, "The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting what appears to be its first Operation Legend case in Albuquerque — charging a defendant with being a felon in possession of a firearm during an incident last month." Carlos Trevon Morris, 44, "was arrested by federal officers on Tuesday. But the incident, a homicide, happened more than a month ago and federal agents have been investigating it for weeks. In response to questions about what makes the case part of Operation Legend, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico said the main goal is to get guns out of the hands of convicted felons and others who are prohibited from having them. Last week, on July 22, Attorney General William Barr and President Donald Trump announced more than 25 federal officers are coming to Albuquerque as part of the operation, which is also being conducted in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago." Trump: Feds Will Not Leave Portland Until Governor Clears Protesters. President Trump took to Twitter <https://twittencorn/realDonaldTrump/status/1288826742539464707> Thursday to write, "Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, isn't doing her job. She must clear out, and in some cases arrest, the Anarchists & Agitators in Portland. If she can't do it, the Federal Government will do it for her. We will not be leaving until there is safety!" The Hill <https://thehill.corn/homenews/administration/509755-trump-feds-wont-leave-portland-until-governor- clamps-down-on> (7/30, Chalfant, 2.98M) reports Brown responded on Twitter <https://twittercorn/OregonGovBrown/status/1288887417894612993> to Trump, writing, "I think we've had enough political grandstanding from DC. The President's plan to `dominate' the streets of American cities has failed. We will protect free speech and the right to protest peacefully." Echoing the President, Deputy CBP Commissioner Robert Perez said on the Lars Larson Show <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/c450037d4da640d0b2e580f6Ifd6835b?pubid=fbi> (7/30), "We're not going anywhere. We're going to remain in the city. The Federal Protective Service...along with the US Marshals, they are the ones charged with protecting that courthouse and those federal buildings. That said...we constantly and continually are collaborating and working alongside our state and local law enforcement. So we welcome and we've been wanting the sort of typical collaboration that we've always had there in Portland to quell this violence that has been occurring and all this criminal activity around the courthouse." Perez was also interviewed on America First <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/4dbadb2fbedb4733a4437ce3e3679996?pubid=fbi> (7/30). Police Move To Take Over Defense Of Federal Buildings. Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-global- race-protests/signs-portland-federal-withdrawal-moving-ahead-idUSKCN24V2J9> (7/30) reports that on Thursday in Portland, police "cleared a downtown park, making at least one arrest, as part of a plan for federal tactical police to leave the city following weeks of clashes with protesters." A day after Brown and US officials announced a phased withdrawal deal, "Oregon State Police requested the park be closed before their planned takeover of security at a nearby federal courthouse." DHS Compiled "Intelligence Reports" On Journalists Who Published Leaked Documents. The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/dhs-compiled-intelligence-reports-on- journalists-who-published-leaked-documents/2020/07/30/5be5ec9e-d25b-1 I ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html> (7/30, Al, Harris, 14.2M) reports DHS has compiled "intelligence reports" about "the work of American journalists covering protests in Portland, Ore., in what current and former officials called an alarming use of a EFTA00136318 government system meant to share information about suspected terrorists and violent actors." Over the past week, the department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis "disseminated three Open Source Intelligence Reports to federal law enforcement agencies and others, summarizing tweets written by two journalists — a reporter for the New York Times and the editor in chief of the blog Lawfare — and noting they had published leaked, unclassified documents about DHS operations in Portland." The intelligence reports, obtained by the Post, "include written descriptions and images of the tweets and the number of times they had been liked or retweeted by others." Pentagon Removes Language From Training Referring To Protesters, Media As "Adversaries." Politico <https://www.politico.cotn/news/2020/07/30/pentagon-strips-out-language-protesters-adversaries- 388751> (7/30, Seligman, 4.29M) reports Defense Secretary Esper "has directed the Pentagon to adjust the wording in a mandatory training course that identifies protesters and journalists as `adversaries,' a day after Politico first reported on the materials." The training material has been in use since 2010, but "it was shared with a wider audience following Esper's new guidance aimed at clamping down on leaks released this month, chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman told reporters on Thursday." In Leaked Recording, Trump Asks Inhofe To Preserve Name Of Fort Lee. The Washington Examiner <https://wwvv.washingtonexaminer.corn/news/in-overheard-call-trump-asks-senator- to-preserve-the-name-of-fort-lee> (7/30, Doyle, 448K) reports President Trump was overheard on a phone call <https://www.nytimes.cotn/video/us/politics/100000007265038/trump-inhofe-audio-call.html> to Senate Armed Services Chairman James Inhofe "asking for assurance that Fort Lee, a U.S. military base that bears the name of the commander of the Confederate Army, Robert E. Lee, would not be renamed." According to the New York Times, Trump asked Inhofe, "We're gonna keep the name of Robert E. Lee?" Inhofe was at "an Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill, when he took the call on Wednesday." Inhofe replied, "Just trust me. I'll make it happen." Inhofe "put the president on speakerphone, which allowed a nearby diner to record the call." Prosecutor: No Charges For Ferguson Officer Who Killed Michael Brown. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch <https://www.stItoday.corn/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-prosecutor- to-announce-decision-in-2014-killing-of-michael-brown-in-fergusorgarticle_8e537a12-4dd0-51d8-a325- 11ba7dddd20e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1> (7/30, Currier, 685K) reports St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell on Thursday "finally answered the question that has followed him since his political campaign: Will he charge a former Ferguson police officer in the 2014 shooting death" of Michael Brown. The answer is "no." Speaking to reporters, Bell said, "This is one of the most difficult things I've had to do as an elected official. Although this case represents one of the most significant moments in St. Louis' history, the question to this office is a simple one: Could we prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown he committed murder or manslaughter under Missouri law? After an independent and in-depth review of the evidence, we cannot prove that he did." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/michael-brown-darren-wilson-ferguson.html> (7/30, Eligon, 18.61M) reports that "six years after a white police officer shot and killed" Brown "another investigation into the killing has come to the same conclusion as the first: The officer should not be charged." Thursday's announcement "most likely marks the end of the legal saga in a case that started the global rise of the Black Lives Matter movement." EFTA00136319 Missouri AG Drops Gun Charges Against St. Louis Couple. Townhall <https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2020/07/30/victory-missouri-ag-intervenes-to-drop-charges- against-couple-who-fended-off-mob-n2573458> (7/30, Vespa, 177K) reports Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is "stepping to stop what pretty much is a politically motivated legal action against" St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who "defended their home when a roving band of leftist rioters broke down the gate to their home and ventured onto their property." NYTimes Analysis: Trump Echoes Wallace As "Law And Order" Candidate. Peter Baker writes in an analysis for the New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/politics/trump-wallace.html> (7/30, Al, 18.61M) reports that amid the 1968 race riots, the "law and order" candidate was George C. Wallace. Fifty-two years later, "in another moment of social unrest, the `law and order' candidate is already in the Oval Office and the politics of division and race ring through the generations as President Trump tries to do what Wallace could not." According to Baker, "comparisons between the two men stretch back to 2015 when Mr. Trump ran for the White House denouncing Mexicans illegally crossing the border as rapists and pledging to bar all Muslims from entering the country. But the parallels have become even more pronounced in recent weeks after the killing of George Floyd." Gerson: Trump Tweet On Housing Regulation "Laid Bare" His Biases. In a column titled "Trumpism's Most Persistent Goal Is The Preservation Of White Supremacy," Michael Gerson writes in the Washington Post <https://wvvw.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumpisms-most-persistent-goal-is- the-preservation-of-white-supremacy/2020/07/30/0a3a6aec-d291-11ea-8c55-61e7fa5e82ab_story.html> (7/30, 14.2M) that President Trump "has trouble concealing his intentions." He cites a tweet this week from the President stating: "I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood." His language, Gerson argues, "laid bare his motivating biases. He was 'happy' to make the announcement." Counter-Terrorism North Carolina Man Sentenced For Lying To FBI About Helping Another Join ISIS. WBTV-TV <https://wwvv.wbtv.cotn/2020/07/30/nc-man-sentenced-lying-fbi-about-helping-with-persons-plans- join-isis/> Charlotte, NC (7/30, 57K) reports from Union County, North Carolina, "A North Carolina man has been sentenced to five years in prison for lying to the FBI about buying plane tickets for someone who planned traveling to Syria to join ISIS." Alexander Samuel Smith, 32, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, "was sentenced to 60 months in prison Wednesday for making a false statement to the FBI. Smith was also ordered to serve three years under court supervision upon completion of his prison term." WBTV-TV adds, "According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial and Wednesday's sentencing hearing, in Feb. 2016, Smith lied during an interview with the FBI about his plans to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and about providing assistance to other individuals to do the same." Conspirator In 1993 NYC Terror Plot Is Set For Release. EFTA00136320 The New York Post <https://nypost.com/2020/07/30/victor-alvarez-conspirator-in-1993-nyc-terror-plot-set-for- release/> (7/30, Feuerherd, Golding, 4.57M) reports, "A would-be terrorist convicted in a fiendish plot to bomb New York City landmarks is set for release from prison on Thursday — and could be headed straight for a Manhattan homeless shelter." Victor Alvarez, 54, "has finished serving a 30-year sentence for conspiring with the late, blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman to blow up the various Big Apple bridges and tunnels, as well as the United Nations and local FBI headquarters. His crimes included helping stir diesel fuel and fertilizer for what the feds called a `witches' brew' that was found inside a makeshift bomb factory in Queens when it was raided in 1993, disrupting the terror scheme. Abdel-Rahman and nine followers, including Alvarez, were found guilty in 1995 following a nine-month trial that included audio and video recordings secretly made with the help of bodyguard for the radical Egyptian cleric after he became an informant for the FBI." The New York Daily News <https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-blind-shiekh-follower-released- 20200730-vg25whcapncinewi5zuht621m4-story.html> (7/30, Brown, 2.52M) reports, "A mentally-ill follower of `Blind Shiekh' Omar Abdel Rahman completed his 30-year prison sentence Thursday for plotting to blow up New York City buildings in 1993 — and then alarmed federal officials by vowing to stop taking his meds. Victor Alvarez's return to society got off to a rocky start in Manhattan Federal Court as he began a three-year term of supervised release for what prosecutors called a conspiracy to `wage a war of urban terrorism' by bombing the FBI building in New York, United Nations and other targets. He insisted on an in-person hearing so he and his court-appointed attorney could explain that he would refuse mental health treatment and medicine to treat his mental illness while on home confinement at the Bellevue Men's Shelter." Counter-Intelligence Full DC Appeals Court To Review DOJ's Decision To Drop Flynn Case. The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/locaUlegal-issues/michael-flynn-case-to-be-reheard-by- full-federal-appeals-court-in-dc/2020/07/30/003f9720-d033-11ea-8d32-lebf4e9d8e0d_story.html> (7/30, Marimow, I4.2M) reports that on Thursday, the full US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit "agreed...to revisit US District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's plan to examine" the Justice Department's decision to drop its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, thereby "reviving the unusual case testing the limits of the judiciary's power to check the executive branch." The Post adds "the decision to rehear the case before a full complement of judges wipes out the June ruling from a three-judge panel that ordered Sullivan to immediately dismiss the case and said Sullivan was wrong to appoint a retired federal judge to argue against the government's move to undo Flynn's guilty plea." Politico <https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/30/appeals-court-michael- flynn-388384> (7/30, Gerstein, Cheney, 4.29M) says Thursday's announcement is "a setback for Flynn, who scored an unexpected victory on the issue last month." Fox News <https://www.foxnews.corn/politics/flynn-to- go-before-fidl-appeals-court-as-legal-saga-drags-on> (7/30, Olson, 27.59M) calls the move "the latest twist in the long-running legal drama that stemmed from the FBI's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016." NPR <https://www.nprorg/2020/07/30/897205758/full-d-c-appeals-court-agrees-to-take-up-michael-flynn-legal- case> (7/30, Johnson, 3.12M) reports that the full appeals court "likely will assess whether Sullivan can go ahead with the consideration and investigation of the government's change of heart; the smaller panel of judges ruled that he had overstepped himself and violated the privilege of the executive branch to reach decisions about prosecutions confidentially." The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/jul/30/michael-flynn-case-be-heard-full- appeals-court> (7/30, Mordock, 492K) points out "the DC Circuit is currently composed of seven judges appointed by three Democrats and four Republican appointees." Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.corn/news/articles/2020-07-30/michael-flynn-dismissal-will-be-heard-by-full-appeals- EFTA00136321 court> (7/30, Larson, Yaffe-Bellany, 4.73M) reports that the appellate court "said in a one-page order that the `parties should be prepared to address whether there are "no other adequate means to attain the relief" desired.'" The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-appeals-court-will-reconsider-dismissal-of-case- against-former-trump-security-adviser-flynn-11596133273> (7/30, Tau, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that arguments are set for August 11. USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/appeals-court-rehear-trump-ally- michael-flynns-case-rare-move/5358913002/> (7/30, Phillips, 10.31M) indicates that "rehearing a case that had already been ruled on is very rare, a request granted only in proceedings that involve `a question of exceptional importance' and when the court feels the need to `maintain uniformity' in its decisions." USA Today adds "the move set off an unusual legal battle in the appeals court, where both the defense and prosecution wanted to dismiss the case while the presiding judge — himself represented by an attorney — argued he's entitled to scrutinize the Justice Department's motives for dropping the prosecution." CNBC <https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/michael-flynn-appeals-court-will-reconsider-case-of-former-trump- aide.html> (7/30, Mangan, Breuninger, 3.62M) says the decision "implies that at least some judges on the appeals court believe Sullivan should be given the opportunity to rule on the dismissal request before an appeal is heard of his refusal to do so." The AP <https://apnews.corn/affa6d959446fdabd986f6d4fa4d68ee> (7/30, Tucker) reports "Sidney Powell, a lawyer for Flynn, did not immediately return an email seeking comment, but did tweet the news and wrote, `WOW!'" Powell said on Fox News' Hannity <https://video.foxnews.com/v/6176857493001? playlist_id=930909813001#sp=show-clips> (7/30, 535K), "It is a sad day for the rule of law. Judge Sullivan's petition for rehearing should not have even been considered by the court because he had no standing to file it. He's not a party in the case. He is supposed to be a neutral umpire. And yet, he has taken on the role of an advocate for some sort of hearing that he wants to conduct back in his court on an issue that the government has decided to dismiss, a case it has decided to drop.... He cannot act as a prosecutor because only the Department of Justice can under Article II of the Constitution. So, there are two Constitutional provisions that preclude him from doing what he's trying to do, and the court seems to be indicating that it is going to give him that opportunity, despite the fact he has no Constitutional authority to proceed." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corrilarticle/us-usa-trump-flynn/case-of-ex-trump-aide-flynn-to-be-reheard-by-full- u-s-appeals-court-idUSKCN24V30T> (7/30, Wolfe, Lynch) reports "Democrats have said the Flynn case is an example of Attorney General William Barr improperly meddling to help Trump's friends and political allies." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/politics/michael-flynn-appeals-court.html> (7/30, Savage, 18.6IM) says that "Barr's Justice Department, while not embracing Ms. Powell's accusations that prosecutors committed misconduct, argued that the uncertain status of the Flynn inquiry at the time agents questioned him meant that Mr. Flynn's lies were not a crime because they were not connected to a legitimate investigation." Also reporting on the move are CBS News <https://www.cbsnews.corn/news/michael-flynn-appeals-court- arguments-dismissal/> (7/30, Hymes, 3.68M), ABC News <https://abcnews.go.corn/Politics/michael-flynns- criminal-case-reheard-full-appeals-court/stoty?id=72081112> (7/30, Mallin, 2.97M), BBC World News (UK) <https://www.bbc.corn/news/world-us-canada-53603915> (7/30, 3.28M), The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminer.corn/news/full-dc-appeals-court-agrees-to-rehear-michael-flynn-case> (7/30, Chaitin, 448K), The New York Post <https://nypost.corn/2020/07/30/dc-appeals-court-revives-case-against- michael-flynn/> (7/30, Nelson, 4.57M), Business Insider <https://www.businessinsider.corn/michael-flynn-loses- washington-dc-circuit-court-of-appeals-2020-7> (7/30, Sheth, Samuelsohn, 3.67M), and Law360 <https://www.law360.corn/articles/1296942> (7/30, Subscription Publication, 8K). Senators Ask Agencies For Trove Of Trump-Russia Documents. The Daily Caller <https://dailycaller.corn/2020/07/30figor-danchenko-laufman-steele-dossier> (7/30, Datoc, EFTA00136322 716K) reports that Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) "are pressing multiple government agencies for the release of a slew of documents related to the Trump-Russia probe, including records of a former Justice Department official's correspondence with Igor Danchenko, a Russia analyst identified as the primary source for the Steele dossier." The senators sent letters "to the Justice Department, FBI, State Department, CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence seeking records about surveillance activities against the Trump campaign and other related issues." The letter to DOJ and the FBI "seeks records of correspondence between Danchenko, the purported dossier source, and David Laufman, who served as chief of the Justice Department's counterintelligence and export control section until 2018." Federal Judge Blocks Anti-Trump Group From Filing Amicus Opposing Stone's Commutation. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/jul/30/federal-judge-blocks-anti-trump- group-filing-legal/> (7/30, Mordock, 492K) reports that US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Thursday "blocked a trio of anti-Trump lawyers from filing a legal brief opposing the commutation of Roger Stone's prison sentence." Judge Jackson "said the case is closed so there is no reason for more court filings. Although Stone has appealed his conviction to a federal appeals court, those issues are not before her, Judge Jackson said. 'Here there is no motion or question to be decided pending before the Court — indeed the matter is on appeal and the Court lacks jurisdiction to deal with it,' she wrote in a brief, one-page order." Judge Jackson "said the law is murky on whether the public can file" an amicus brief "in a criminal case, much less one that is no longer before the court." Republican Senators Seek Records On Top Steele Dossier Source. The Washington Examiner <https://r.bulletinintelligence.corn/3469919f7366427c8fefaId5 I b7e3a4b> (7/30, Dunleavy, 448K) reports two top Senate Republicans "drastically expanded the scope of their inquiry into the Russia investigation, sending letters asking for information from the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA, the ODNI, and the State Department." Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Finance Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), the chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, "told key Trump Administration officials in separate letters...that their committees 'are investigating matters related to the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation' and noted that they had requests for records related to a host of Trump-Russia figures and controversies." They "asked Attorney General Barr for all records tying former DOJ counterintelligence official David Laufman to Igor Danchenko." Op-Ed: Valerie Jarrett Uses Classic Obama Administration Tactic To Dismiss FBI Spying Scandal. In a commentary in the Washington Examiner <https://wvvw.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/valerie-jarrett- uses-classic-obama-administration-tactic-to-dismiss-fbi-spying-scandal> (7/30, 448K), Becket Adams writes, "White House spin is nothing new, though the press's frenetic coverage of the Trump Administration would have you believe otherwise. During the Obama years, for example, the White House and its allies had a go-to strategy for dismissing unflattering reports and outright scandals. They would note simply of whatever story threatened to damage the White House that it happened a long time ago, as if the passage of time itself was a defense or an explanation." She contends, "Valerie Jarrett's appearance this week on the Fox Business Network is merely a reminder that the Trump Administration is not the first to declare simply that its scandals are non-stories. Also, given that the 'old news' tactic was the go-to strategy for the Obama Administration, it should not surprise you to see that Jarrett is still leaning on this trick, even years removed from the White House." Book Review: Jeffrey Toobin's "True Crimes And Misdemeanors" On Trump Impeachment. EFTA00136323 In a book review in the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlookJ2020/07/30/trump-tried- shut-him-down-robert-mueller-was-his-own-worst-enemy/> (7/30, 14.2M), Carlos Lozada reviews Jeffrey Toobin's new book, `True Crimes and Misdemeanors,' which explores "the inquiry into Russian electoral interference as well as the Ukraine scandal that led to Trump's impeachment and Senate trial." Lozada writes, "A staff writer for the New Yorker and a legal analyst for CNN, Toobin has written books on the Bill Clinton investigation and the Iran-contra scandal; he had served as a young prosecutor in the latter case. A Toobin book on the Trump investigations seemed inevitable. In an author's note, Toobin says he interviewed members of Mueller's staff, subjects and witnesses in the probe, Trump's legal team and members of his administration, as well as lawmakers. Specific sources usually go unnamed, and Toobin also relies on reporting and analysis by The Washington Post, the New York Times, Lawfare and others. Put together, this all gives the book an authoritative, omniscient-narrator quality." Op-Ed: Steele's Failings Go Far Beyond Dodgy "Dossier." In an op-ed in the Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jul/30/christopher-steeles- failings-go-far-beyond-dodgy-t/> (7/30, 492K), retired CIA officer Daniel Hoffman writes, "President Trump earlier this month publicly called for the extradition of former British MI6 Intelligence Officer Christopher Steele.... Steele's dossier made a number of other sensational but inaccurate claims, including that Mr. Fridman and Mr. Aven provided Mr. Putin with foreign policy guidance; that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen traveled to Prague to conspire with Russian hackers; and that Russian intelligence possessed a salacious blackmail tape of Mr. Trump himself." He contends, "Mr. Steele would best serve his own interests — and the national security of both the UK and US — with a mea culpa admitting his errors of judgment and laying out the multitude of lessons we should learn from his shoddy work product." Bongino Says Durham's Report Will Be "Horrifying For The Democrats." The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminer.corn/news/dan-bongino-three-reasons-why-john- durhams-report-will-be-horrifying-for-the-democrats> (7/30, Chaitin, 448K) reports that, according to conservative commentator Dan Bongino, Democrats are "terrified by what US Attorney John Durham will put in his report." Fox News host Sean Hannity "had the former Secret Service agent and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, on his show Wednesday night, and they touched on Attorney General William Barr's testimony the day before in which he refused to rule out releasing Durham's report before Election Day." Hannity "mentioned that Democrats are `scared to death' of Durham's criminal inquiry into the Russia investigation, a point which Bongino drew out in his comments." He said, "There are three things we know now that are going to be really horrifying for the Democrats, okay? Number one, we know that that January meeting happened, where we know Steele's sources were garbage. January of 2017, so what Mueller was doing, we still have no idea." FBI, Counterintelligence Officials Warn Of China Election Interference. Axios <https://www.axios.corn/fbi-counterintelligence-china-election-interference-87aa1353-dd92-4010-bar- cbb521179aa2.html> (7/30, Treene, 521K) reports, "FBI Director Christopher Wray and other intelligence community officials warned about China's increased capability to interfere in U.S. elections in separate classified hearings with the Senate Intelligence Committee this week, two sources familiar with the hearings tell Axios." Wray and other officials "cited concerns that China is developing the ability to interfere with local election systems and target members of Congress to influence China policy, sources said." Wray "briefed committee EFTA00136324 members on Tuesday afternoon, and the other intel officials, including William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) briefed them on Wednesday. An official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which includes the NCSC, said it has been providing 'robust intelligence-based briefings on election security to the presidential campaigns, political committees, and Congressional audiences' but declined to comment on the details." The Washington Examiner <https://r.bulletinintelligence.com/47fdlal8ff8f49e8806cb6f5868d0625> (7/30, Dunleavy, 448K) reports that "following last week's revelation by" Evanina "that the U.S. intelligence community is most concerned about China, Russia, and Iran seeking to meddle in November's election and" Director Wray "reportedly warning the Senate Intelligence Committee this week about the Chinese government's growing ability to interference in U.S. elections, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that Beijing has not just the capability but the intention of conducting influence operations inside the United States." Pompeo Says Tech Leaders Must Be Aware China Steals IP. CNBC <https://vvwvv.cnbc.corn/2020/07/30/pompeo-slams-us-tech-for-downplaying-china-cyber-threat.html> (7/30, Macias, 3.62M) reports on its website that in an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, Secretary of State Pompeo "slammed U.S. tech companies...for their lack of transparency in regards to the breadth and depth of intellectual property theft the Chinese government conducts on American industries." Pompeo is quoted as saying, "The idea that anyone in the tech space could not know of what the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to steal and the cyberattacks they are making seems incredulous to me." Blumenthal And Hawley Urge DOJ To Probe TikTok And Zoom's Ties To China. Reuters <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-tiktok-zoom/senators-urge-u-s-justice-dept-to-probe-tiktok-zoom- idUSKCN24V36O> (7/30) reports Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote to the Justice Department on Thursday "to urge a probe of video technology company Zoom and Chinese-owned social media company TikTok." They wrote, "We believe that it is imperative that the Department of Justice investigate and determine whether Zoom and TikTok's business relationships, data handling practices, and operational connections to China pose a risk to Americans." The senators charged that "both Zoom and TikTok have failed to answer even basic questions about their business operations, including who has access to personal information and when they comply with request from Chin

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