Politics DRAINING THE SWAMP

[MARIS61]

Obama's FBI brass hollowed out, after latest resignation of key official

By Brooke Singman | Fox News

Another top FBI official who helped oversee the Trump-Russia and Clinton email investigations is retiring, as the last traces of the bureau's embattled leadership team that once stood under Barack Obama's presidency disappear.

The official, Bill Priestap, will retire from his post as assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division by the end of the year.

“Assistant Director Bill Priestap became eligible to retire and has chosen to do so after 20 years of service,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday.

Priestap, who participated in the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and the FBI’s initial probe into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election, has testified before Congress on multiple occasions regarding the bureau’s handling of both investigations.

In this July 26, 2017 photo, Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, testifies during a Judiciary Committee hearing into alleged collusion between Russian and the Trump campaign. (Reuters)

His departure, which reportedly was unrelated to the controversies surrounding those investigations, is significant, as it marks the de facto end of the Obama-era leadership team -- which has been steadily disbanding since the early months of the Trump administration amid a combination of firings and retirements.

Here’s a look at other top Obama FBI officials who have since left the bureau, or been removed:

Former FBI Director James Comey

James Comey, the highest-profile of the lot, was the first to go, though he has remained in the spotlight ever since his departure. President Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017, after a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who pegged his advice on Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation, though other factors are suspected of playing a role.

Comey has been hit with scrutiny from both sides of the aisle over the bureau’s handling of the Clinton probe. Comey first announced in July 2016, during the heat of the presidential race, that he would recommend no charges against the former secretary of state while calling her handling of classified information on her server “extremely careless.” But just days before voters cast their presidential ballots, on Oct. 28 2016, Comey unilaterally announced he would re-open the investigation due to new emails uncovered on the laptop of Anthony Weiner—the husband of Clinton confidante Huma Abedin.

One week after Comey was fired, Rosenstein, who oversaw the Justice Department Russia investigation after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate.

Comey is slated to return to Capitol Hill in the coming days, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee to share his testimony on both the Clinton and Trump probes in a closed-door setting.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was Comey’s No. 2 and tasked with leading the bureau upon his termination, was fired by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March, just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, after it was determined that he lied to investigators reviewing the bureau’s probe of Clinton’s server.

Sessions fired McCabe after the DOJ inspector general revealed McCabe had made “an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor –including under oath—on multiple occasions.” Inspector General Michael Horowitz determined that McCabe had not been forthcoming in regard to the handling of the probe, which in turn, sparked a disciplinary process that recommended McCabe’s firing.

Video
That probe, though, was kick-started by Comey, who admitted to ordering the investigation this spring during an interview on his media blitz to promote his memoir. Comey said he believed McCabe was a “good person,” but that he “lied.”

McCabe, who served as acting FBI director from May 2017 until August 2017, when FBI Director Christopher Wray was confirmed to his post, was removed as Wray’s deputy in January after months of conflict-of-interest complaints from Republicans, including the president.

McCabe also led the bureau during the early months of the Russia investigation. Republicans accused McCabe of abusing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), by signing FISA warrants targeting former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page

Peter Strzok, a former senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, who worked as FBI general counsel, both left the bureau after a raging controversy over their apparent political bias.

Strzok and Page, who were romantically involved, first fell under intense scrutiny in December 2017, when the Justice Department inspector general revealed the two exchanged numerous anti-Trump text messages, dating back to 2016. The two discussed 2016 campaign politics and repeatedly blasted Trump. Some text messages also reflected apparent concern about being too tough on Clinton during the email probe.

One text message from Strzok to Page even vowed to “stop” Trump from becoming president.

Page and Strzok both worked on Mueller’s Russia investigation. Page left the special counsel’s office in the summer of 2017 after serving a short detail, and Strzok was removed and reassigned to the FBI’s Human Resources division after the politically charged text messages were uncovered last year.

Both Page and Strzok testified on Capitol Hill this summer—Page in a closed-door setting, and Strzok in an hours-long public grilling before the House Oversight Committee. In May, Page resigned from her post at the bureau. Strzok first lost his security clearance, and then was escorted from his FBI office. By August, Strzok was officially fired.

The inspector general is currently investigating whether Strzok’s anti-Trump bias factored into the launch of the bureau’s Russia investigation.

James Baker

James Baker served as FBI’s general counsel and left the bureau on May 4—the same day as Lisa Page.

James Baker, former FBI general counsel, left the bureau in May. (FBI)

Baker, a top FBI lawyer, was reassigned in late 2017 as an adviser to current FBI Director Wray, after being the subject of a Justice Department investigation on the suspicion of leaking classified information about the salacious anti-Trump dossier to a journalist.

Baker currently is a visiting fellow of governance studies at The Brookings Institution.

James Rybicki

James Rybicki, who served as chief of staff to Comey, left the FBI in January. He served as chief of staff to Wray in the first months of his leadership but left the bureau amid scrutiny over his role in the Clinton email investigation.

Former FBI Chief of Staff Jim Rybicki. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rybicki was not fired. Instead, his departure was “in the works for a while,” according to law enforcement sources.

Wray said in January that Rybicki was leaving for “an opportunity in the corporate sector,” and that he would be “dearly missed by the FBI family—and me personally.”

Michael Kortan

Michael Kortan, assistant director of public affairs at the FBI, retired from his post in February.

Michael Kortan, left, departed the FBI after previously serving under James Comey and Robert Mueller. (FBI/Reuters)

Kortan worked at the FBI for 33 years.

Josh Campbell, James Turgal, Greg Bower, Michael Steinbach, John Giacalone

Josh Campbell, a former special assistant to Comey, left the bureau this year and joined CNN as a law enforcement analyst.

James Turgal, a former assistant director to the FBI, left the bureau in October 2017 and now works at Deloitte in Cyber Risk Services.

Greg Bower, the FBI’s top congressional liaison, left the bureau in April, amid multiple congressional probes and inquiries into the FBI’s Clinton and Russia investigations.

Michael Steinbach, the former head of the FBI’s national security division, and his predecessor John Giacalone both left the bureau and have appeared on Capitol Hill for interviews with committees.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...-out-after-latest-resignation-of-key-official

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Citing Foxnews

 

[Lanny]

Obama's FBI brass hollowed out, after latest resignation of key official

By Brooke Singman | Fox News

Another top FBI official who helped oversee the Trump-Russia and Clinton email investigations is retiring, as the last traces of the bureau's embattled leadership team that once stood under Barack Obama's presidency disappear.

The official, Bill Priestap, will retire from his post as assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division by the end of the year.

“Assistant Director Bill Priestap became eligible to retire and has chosen to do so after 20 years of service,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday.

Priestap, who participated in the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and the FBI’s initial probe into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election, has testified before Congress on multiple occasions regarding the bureau’s handling of both investigations.

In this July 26, 2017 photo, Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, testifies during a Judiciary Committee hearing into alleged collusion between Russian and the Trump campaign. (Reuters)

His departure, which reportedly was unrelated to the controversies surrounding those investigations, is significant, as it marks the de facto end of the Obama-era leadership team -- which has been steadily disbanding since the early months of the Trump administration amid a combination of firings and retirements.

Here’s a look at other top Obama FBI officials who have since left the bureau, or been removed:

Former FBI Director James Comey

James Comey, the highest-profile of the lot, was the first to go, though he has remained in the spotlight ever since his departure. President Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017, after a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who pegged his advice on Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation, though other factors are suspected of playing a role.

Comey has been hit with scrutiny from both sides of the aisle over the bureau’s handling of the Clinton probe. Comey first announced in July 2016, during the heat of the presidential race, that he would recommend no charges against the former secretary of state while calling her handling of classified information on her server “extremely careless.” But just days before voters cast their presidential ballots, on Oct. 28 2016, Comey unilaterally announced he would re-open the investigation due to new emails uncovered on the laptop of Anthony Weiner—the husband of Clinton confidante Huma Abedin.

One week after Comey was fired, Rosenstein, who oversaw the Justice Department Russia investigation after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate.

Comey is slated to return to Capitol Hill in the coming days, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee to share his testimony on both the Clinton and Trump probes in a closed-door setting.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was Comey’s No. 2 and tasked with leading the bureau upon his termination, was fired by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March, just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, after it was determined that he lied to investigators reviewing the bureau’s probe of Clinton’s server.

Sessions fired McCabe after the DOJ inspector general revealed McCabe had made “an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor –including under oath—on multiple occasions.” Inspector General Michael Horowitz determined that McCabe had not been forthcoming in regard to the handling of the probe, which in turn, sparked a disciplinary process that recommended McCabe’s firing.

Video
That probe, though, was kick-started by Comey, who admitted to ordering the investigation this spring during an interview on his media blitz to promote his memoir. Comey said he believed McCabe was a “good person,” but that he “lied.”

McCabe, who served as acting FBI director from May 2017 until August 2017, when FBI Director Christopher Wray was confirmed to his post, was removed as Wray’s deputy in January after months of conflict-of-interest complaints from Republicans, including the president.

McCabe also led the bureau during the early months of the Russia investigation. Republicans accused McCabe of abusing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), by signing FISA warrants targeting former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page

Peter Strzok, a former senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, who worked as FBI general counsel, both left the bureau after a raging controversy over their apparent political bias.

Strzok and Page, who were romantically involved, first fell under intense scrutiny in December 2017, when the Justice Department inspector general revealed the two exchanged numerous anti-Trump text messages, dating back to 2016. The two discussed 2016 campaign politics and repeatedly blasted Trump. Some text messages also reflected apparent concern about being too tough on Clinton during the email probe.

One text message from Strzok to Page even vowed to “stop” Trump from becoming president.

Page and Strzok both worked on Mueller’s Russia investigation. Page left the special counsel’s office in the summer of 2017 after serving a short detail, and Strzok was removed and reassigned to the FBI’s Human Resources division after the politically charged text messages were uncovered last year.

Both Page and Strzok testified on Capitol Hill this summer—Page in a closed-door setting, and Strzok in an hours-long public grilling before the House Oversight Committee. In May, Page resigned from her post at the bureau. Strzok first lost his security clearance, and then was escorted from his FBI office. By August, Strzok was officially fired.

The inspector general is currently investigating whether Strzok’s anti-Trump bias factored into the launch of the bureau’s Russia investigation.

James Baker

James Baker served as FBI’s general counsel and left the bureau on May 4—the same day as Lisa Page.

James Baker, former FBI general counsel, left the bureau in May. (FBI)

Baker, a top FBI lawyer, was reassigned in late 2017 as an adviser to current FBI Director Wray, after being the subject of a Justice Department investigation on the suspicion of leaking classified information about the salacious anti-Trump dossier to a journalist.

Baker currently is a visiting fellow of governance studies at The Brookings Institution.

James Rybicki

James Rybicki, who served as chief of staff to Comey, left the FBI in January. He served as chief of staff to Wray in the first months of his leadership but left the bureau amid scrutiny over his role in the Clinton email investigation.

Former FBI Chief of Staff Jim Rybicki. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rybicki was not fired. Instead, his departure was “in the works for a while,” according to law enforcement sources.

Wray said in January that Rybicki was leaving for “an opportunity in the corporate sector,” and that he would be “dearly missed by the FBI family—and me personally.”

Michael Kortan

Michael Kortan, assistant director of public affairs at the FBI, retired from his post in February.

Michael Kortan, left, departed the FBI after previously serving under James Comey and Robert Mueller. (FBI/Reuters)

Kortan worked at the FBI for 33 years.

Josh Campbell, James Turgal, Greg Bower, Michael Steinbach, John Giacalone

Josh Campbell, a former special assistant to Comey, left the bureau this year and joined CNN as a law enforcement analyst.

James Turgal, a former assistant director to the FBI, left the bureau in October 2017 and now works at Deloitte in Cyber Risk Services.

Greg Bower, the FBI’s top congressional liaison, left the bureau in April, amid multiple congressional probes and inquiries into the FBI’s Clinton and Russia investigations.

Michael Steinbach, the former head of the FBI’s national security division, and his predecessor John Giacalone both left the bureau and have appeared on Capitol Hill for interviews with committees.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...-out-after-latest-resignation-of-key-official

Trust me, no one that's anyone wants to work in the Trump administration.

 

[MARIS61]

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2018
Former Non-Profit President Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional Trip
WASHINGTON – The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 49, and previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. Oksuz will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2019 before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Oksuz lied on disclosure forms filed with the Ethics Committee prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. Oksuz admitted to, in truth, orchestrating a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and then concealed the true source of funding, which violated House travel regulations.

A five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed in September. Oksuz was recently extradited from Armenia where he was detained by authorities, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, and Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistance in the Investigation was provided by Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorney Natalya T. Savransky of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition request to Armenia. The Office of International Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Armenian authorities provided substantial assistance with the extradition.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/...ds-guilty-scheme-conceal-foreign-funding-2013

 

[Sedatedfork]

Obama's FBI brass hollowed out, after latest resignation of key official

By Brooke Singman | Fox News

Another top FBI official who helped oversee the Trump-Russia and Clinton email investigations is retiring, as the last traces of the bureau's embattled leadership team that once stood under Barack Obama's presidency disappear.

The official, Bill Priestap, will retire from his post as assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division by the end of the year.

“Assistant Director Bill Priestap became eligible to retire and has chosen to do so after 20 years of service,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday.

Priestap, who participated in the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and the FBI’s initial probe into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election, has testified before Congress on multiple occasions regarding the bureau’s handling of both investigations.

In this July 26, 2017 photo, Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, testifies during a Judiciary Committee hearing into alleged collusion between Russian and the Trump campaign. (Reuters)

His departure, which reportedly was unrelated to the controversies surrounding those investigations, is significant, as it marks the de facto end of the Obama-era leadership team -- which has been steadily disbanding since the early months of the Trump administration amid a combination of firings and retirements.

Here’s a look at other top Obama FBI officials who have since left the bureau, or been removed:

Former FBI Director James Comey

James Comey, the highest-profile of the lot, was the first to go, though he has remained in the spotlight ever since his departure. President Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017, after a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who pegged his advice on Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation, though other factors are suspected of playing a role.

Comey has been hit with scrutiny from both sides of the aisle over the bureau’s handling of the Clinton probe. Comey first announced in July 2016, during the heat of the presidential race, that he would recommend no charges against the former secretary of state while calling her handling of classified information on her server “extremely careless.” But just days before voters cast their presidential ballots, on Oct. 28 2016, Comey unilaterally announced he would re-open the investigation due to new emails uncovered on the laptop of Anthony Weiner—the husband of Clinton confidante Huma Abedin.

One week after Comey was fired, Rosenstein, who oversaw the Justice Department Russia investigation after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate.

Comey is slated to return to Capitol Hill in the coming days, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee to share his testimony on both the Clinton and Trump probes in a closed-door setting.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was Comey’s No. 2 and tasked with leading the bureau upon his termination, was fired by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March, just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, after it was determined that he lied to investigators reviewing the bureau’s probe of Clinton’s server.

Sessions fired McCabe after the DOJ inspector general revealed McCabe had made “an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor –including under oath—on multiple occasions.” Inspector General Michael Horowitz determined that McCabe had not been forthcoming in regard to the handling of the probe, which in turn, sparked a disciplinary process that recommended McCabe’s firing.

Video
That probe, though, was kick-started by Comey, who admitted to ordering the investigation this spring during an interview on his media blitz to promote his memoir. Comey said he believed McCabe was a “good person,” but that he “lied.”

McCabe, who served as acting FBI director from May 2017 until August 2017, when FBI Director Christopher Wray was confirmed to his post, was removed as Wray’s deputy in January after months of conflict-of-interest complaints from Republicans, including the president.

McCabe also led the bureau during the early months of the Russia investigation. Republicans accused McCabe of abusing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), by signing FISA warrants targeting former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page

Peter Strzok, a former senior counterintelligence agent, and Lisa Page, who worked as FBI general counsel, both left the bureau after a raging controversy over their apparent political bias.

Strzok and Page, who were romantically involved, first fell under intense scrutiny in December 2017, when the Justice Department inspector general revealed the two exchanged numerous anti-Trump text messages, dating back to 2016. The two discussed 2016 campaign politics and repeatedly blasted Trump. Some text messages also reflected apparent concern about being too tough on Clinton during the email probe.

One text message from Strzok to Page even vowed to “stop” Trump from becoming president.

Page and Strzok both worked on Mueller’s Russia investigation. Page left the special counsel’s office in the summer of 2017 after serving a short detail, and Strzok was removed and reassigned to the FBI’s Human Resources division after the politically charged text messages were uncovered last year.

Both Page and Strzok testified on Capitol Hill this summer—Page in a closed-door setting, and Strzok in an hours-long public grilling before the House Oversight Committee. In May, Page resigned from her post at the bureau. Strzok first lost his security clearance, and then was escorted from his FBI office. By August, Strzok was officially fired.

The inspector general is currently investigating whether Strzok’s anti-Trump bias factored into the launch of the bureau’s Russia investigation.

James Baker

James Baker served as FBI’s general counsel and left the bureau on May 4—the same day as Lisa Page.

James Baker, former FBI general counsel, left the bureau in May. (FBI)

Baker, a top FBI lawyer, was reassigned in late 2017 as an adviser to current FBI Director Wray, after being the subject of a Justice Department investigation on the suspicion of leaking classified information about the salacious anti-Trump dossier to a journalist.

Baker currently is a visiting fellow of governance studies at The Brookings Institution.

James Rybicki

James Rybicki, who served as chief of staff to Comey, left the FBI in January. He served as chief of staff to Wray in the first months of his leadership but left the bureau amid scrutiny over his role in the Clinton email investigation.

Former FBI Chief of Staff Jim Rybicki. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rybicki was not fired. Instead, his departure was “in the works for a while,” according to law enforcement sources.

Wray said in January that Rybicki was leaving for “an opportunity in the corporate sector,” and that he would be “dearly missed by the FBI family—and me personally.”

Michael Kortan

Michael Kortan, assistant director of public affairs at the FBI, retired from his post in February.

Michael Kortan, left, departed the FBI after previously serving under James Comey and Robert Mueller. (FBI/Reuters)

Kortan worked at the FBI for 33 years.

Josh Campbell, James Turgal, Greg Bower, Michael Steinbach, John Giacalone

Josh Campbell, a former special assistant to Comey, left the bureau this year and joined CNN as a law enforcement analyst.

James Turgal, a former assistant director to the FBI, left the bureau in October 2017 and now works at Deloitte in Cyber Risk Services.

Greg Bower, the FBI’s top congressional liaison, left the bureau in April, amid multiple congressional probes and inquiries into the FBI’s Clinton and Russia investigations.

Michael Steinbach, the former head of the FBI’s national security division, and his predecessor John Giacalone both left the bureau and have appeared on Capitol Hill for interviews with committees.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ob...-out-after-latest-resignation-of-key-official

If we wanted to investigate potential conflicts of interest, maybe these people should disclose their tax records..... oh....

 

[Lanny]

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2018
Former Non-Profit President Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional Trip
WASHINGTON – The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 49, and previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. Oksuz will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2019 before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Oksuz lied on disclosure forms filed with the Ethics Committee prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. Oksuz admitted to, in truth, orchestrating a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and then concealed the true source of funding, which violated House travel regulations.

A five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed in September. Oksuz was recently extradited from Armenia where he was detained by authorities, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, and Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistance in the Investigation was provided by Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorney Natalya T. Savransky of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition request to Armenia. The Office of International Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Armenian authorities provided substantial assistance with the extradition.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/...ds-guilty-scheme-conceal-foreign-funding-2013

This is proof that the Justice Department is totally corrupt and can't be trusted to administer justice. I suggest using the Proud Boys. Them boys knows justice.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[MARIS61]

No deeper swamp than San Francisco.

San Francisco mayor trying to get brother, a convicted killer, out of lockup 20 years early

By Frank Miles | Fox News

San Francisco Mayor London Breed sent a letter to departing Gov. Jerry Brown in late October asking him to “consider leniency” and commute the sentence of her older brother, who has served nearly two decades of a 44-year sentence on a manslaughter conviction, according to reports.

Her office didn’t respond to Fox News’ request for comment Wednesday night.

A spokesman for Brown, Brian Ferguson, on Wednesday told Fox News by email: “Our office does not comment on individual cases/applications. We can certainly keep you posted of any future commutation decisions we announce.”

Breed, 44, has spoken out about her rough upbringing in San Francisco public housing.

Brown, who is now 46, pushed Lenties White from a getaway car on the Golden Gate Bridge after an armed robbery in June 2000. White, 25, was struck by a vehicle and died.

The mayor’s letter was first reported Tuesday night by KNTV. The television news station reported that court records say Brown was recently caught with heroin in prison and had two years added to his sentence, a detail not included in the mayor’s letter to the governor.

Sandra McNeil, the mother of the victim, said Brown does not deserve early release.

“I don’t think it would be justice,” she said. “She’s the mayor, so she’s got a little power, so she thinks she can get her brother out.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sf...convicted-killer-out-of-lockup-20-years-early

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

This freaking guy, citing FoxNews....

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Two years ago we feared Trump would turn America into a dictatorship. Now we’re discussin’ if he’ll be impeached, indicted or resign. His foundation is bein’ dissolved and he’ll never get his wall.

The resistance has held and we are witnessin’ his demise

 

[Lanny]

No deeper swamp than San Francisco.

San Francisco mayor trying to get brother, a convicted killer, out of lockup 20 years early

By Frank Miles | Fox News

San Francisco Mayor London Breed sent a letter to departing Gov. Jerry Brown in late October asking him to “consider leniency” and commute the sentence of her older brother, who has served nearly two decades of a 44-year sentence on a manslaughter conviction, according to reports.

Her office didn’t respond to Fox News’ request for comment Wednesday night.

A spokesman for Brown, Brian Ferguson, on Wednesday told Fox News by email: “Our office does not comment on individual cases/applications. We can certainly keep you posted of any future commutation decisions we announce.”

Breed, 44, has spoken out about her rough upbringing in San Francisco public housing.

Brown, who is now 46, pushed Lenties White from a getaway car on the Golden Gate Bridge after an armed robbery in June 2000. White, 25, was struck by a vehicle and died.

The mayor’s letter was first reported Tuesday night by KNTV. The television news station reported that court records say Brown was recently caught with heroin in prison and had two years added to his sentence, a detail not included in the mayor’s letter to the governor.

Sandra McNeil, the mother of the victim, said Brown does not deserve early release.

“I don’t think it would be justice,” she said. “She’s the mayor, so she’s got a little power, so she thinks she can get her brother out.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sf...convicted-killer-out-of-lockup-20-years-early

Fox, well now you've got us there. Fox is known for their accuracy.

 

[MARIS61]

Filipina immigrant who became hotshot Chicago judge sentenced to jail for $1.4m mortgage fraud
By Lukas Mikelionis | Fox News

Jessica Arong O’Brien, 51, broke down into tears after the judge sent her to prison after the federal jury convicted her in February of two counts alleging that she took part in a scheme in which several lenders were scammed. (Facebook)

The first Filipina judge in Cook County, Chicago, who came to the U.S. with almost nothing and no education, was sentenced on Thursday to a year in prison after being found guilty to participating in a $1.4 million mortgage fraud scheme a decade ago.

Jessica Arong O’Brien, 51, broke down into tears after the judge sent her to prison following her February conviction of two counts alleging that she took part in a scheme in which several lenders were scammed, the Chicago Tribune reported.

She was convicted of lying to lenders to obtain more than $1.4 million in mortgages on two investment properties that she sold while she owned a real estate company.

O’Brien reportedly made money by selling the two homes in 2007 after paying kickbacks to a straw purchaser. Personally, she made a profit of at least $325,000 from the sales, prosecutors said.

The lenders, meanwhile, lost money as the straw purchaser defaulted on payments and properties were foreclosed.

Jessica Arong O’Brien with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Facebook)

Her lawyer Steve Greenberg argued for probation, pointingto her true American dream story, where a Filipina immigrant, who came to the U.S. without anything, educated herself and became a judge.

According to the Tribune, after O’Brien came to the U.S., she earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. She later went to John Marshall Law School, graduating in 1998.

With a law degree, she went on to become the first Asian elected president of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and served on the board of governors for the Illinois State Bar Association. She also co-founded a group in 2008 that gives scholarships to law students from diverse backgrounds.

But U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin denied the request for probation, arguing that her fraud scheme wasn’t just a mistake but a rather elaborate fraudulent scheme.

"This wasn’t stupid. This was a crime. … You really didn’t need to do this."

— U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin

Prosecutors, meanwhile, used O’Brien’s story to push for a harsher sentence, saying that she committed fraud despite not having the financial needs to do it.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/filipina...go-judge-sentenced-to-jail-for-mortgage-fraud

 

[MARIS61]

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 21, 2018
Former Government Consultant Indicted on Federal Charges in Bribery and Fraud Scheme
Defendant Allegedly Bribed D.C. Government Employee to Cash in on Contracts
WASHINGTON – A consultant and independent contractor for a company that did business with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources was indicted today on charges that he paid more than $140,000 in bribes to a former D.C. government employee and that he stole payments on city contracts that should have gone to his employer.

John Woods, 56, of Sterling, Va., was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on three counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, one count of bribery, and two counts of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. Woods will be arraigned on the charges on a date to be determined by the Court.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.

According to the indictment, Woods worked as a consultant and independent contractor for a firm identified in the court documents as “Company A.” The firm had agreements with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources (DCHR) to provide organizational skills training courses and human resources consulting to various D.C. government agencies. Woods was the company’s main point of contact with DCHR and handled the submission of invoices.

The indictment alleges that, beginning in April 2013, and continuing through August 2017, Woods schemed to defraud “Company A” and the D.C. government.

As part of the scheme, according to the indictment, between April 2013 and February 2015, Woods stole $214,910 in D.C. government checks that were issued to “Company A.” Beginning in March 2015, the indictment alleges, Woods began usurping “Company A’s” role under the contracts and keeping the profits for himself. The indictment alleges that Woods fraudulently deposited approximately 27 checks issued by the D.C. government to “Company A” into a bank account he controlled, totaling approximately $1,040,023, from March 2015 through August 2017.

In order to keep his scheme in place, the indictment alleges that Woods paid more than $140,000 in bribes to Latasha Moore, then a DCHR employee. As a resource allocation analyst, Moore was the main point of contact for “Company A” and in a position to ensure that no complaints or suspicions about the contracts reached others in the government. For example, Moore failed to report problems that arose while Woods was managing the work, including complaints of contractors arriving late, leaving early or failing to show up at all for training.

Moore, 38, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 11, 2018 to a federal bribery charge. She is awaiting sentencing.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

Mail fraud and wire fraud charges carry statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison, and the charge involving illegal monetary transactions carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/...cted-federal-charges-bribery-and-fraud-scheme

 

[MARIS61]

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Maryland Woman Charged With Health Care Fraud
Defendant Allegedly Caused Medicaid To Be Billed Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
WASHINGTON – A Maryland woman who was employed as a personal care aide has been charged with scheming to submit false claims to the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.

Mobolaji Tina Stewart, 57, of Laurel, Md., was arrested on Dec. 13, 2018 on a criminal complaint charging her with health care fraud and making health care false statements. She made her first appearance later that day in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and was ordered held pending a detention hearing today. At that hearing, she was ordered released on personal recognizance pending further court proceedings.

According to the complaint, Stewart was employed as a personal care aide from January 2014 through her arrest. Under the Medicaid program, personal care aides perform services intended to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in carrying out the activities of daily living. These can include helping beneficiaries get in and out of bed, bathe, dress, take medication, and engage in toileting. To receive personal care services under Medicaid, a beneficiary must obtain a prescription from a doctor.

Stewart’s billing practices drew the attention of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance after she was identified as the second-highest paid personal care aide in 2014 and 2015.

According to the complaint, Stewart caused Medicaid to be billed for more than 24 hours in a given day, for services that she allegedly provided while she was out of the country, and for services that she allegedly provided to a beneficiary who was hospitalized at the time. Based on a review of Medicaid billing claims data, between January 2014 and January 2017, Stewart caused Medicaid to issue payments totaling approximately $434,000, including payments based on fraudulent timesheets.

The charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman, with assistance from Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Paralegal Specialist Robert Fishman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/maryland-woman-charged-health-care-fraud

 

[Lanny]

Filipina immigrant who became hotshot Chicago judge sentenced to jail for $1.4m mortgage fraud
By Lukas Mikelionis | Fox News

Jessica Arong O’Brien, 51, broke down into tears after the judge sent her to prison after the federal jury convicted her in February of two counts alleging that she took part in a scheme in which several lenders were scammed. (Facebook)

The first Filipina judge in Cook County, Chicago, who came to the U.S. with almost nothing and no education, was sentenced on Thursday to a year in prison after being found guilty to participating in a $1.4 million mortgage fraud scheme a decade ago.

Jessica Arong O’Brien, 51, broke down into tears after the judge sent her to prison following her February conviction of two counts alleging that she took part in a scheme in which several lenders were scammed, the Chicago Tribune reported.

She was convicted of lying to lenders to obtain more than $1.4 million in mortgages on two investment properties that she sold while she owned a real estate company.

O’Brien reportedly made money by selling the two homes in 2007 after paying kickbacks to a straw purchaser. Personally, she made a profit of at least $325,000 from the sales, prosecutors said.

The lenders, meanwhile, lost money as the straw purchaser defaulted on payments and properties were foreclosed.

Jessica Arong O’Brien with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Facebook)

Her lawyer Steve Greenberg argued for probation, pointingto her true American dream story, where a Filipina immigrant, who came to the U.S. without anything, educated herself and became a judge.

According to the Tribune, after O’Brien came to the U.S., she earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. She later went to John Marshall Law School, graduating in 1998.

With a law degree, she went on to become the first Asian elected president of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and served on the board of governors for the Illinois State Bar Association. She also co-founded a group in 2008 that gives scholarships to law students from diverse backgrounds.

But U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin denied the request for probation, arguing that her fraud scheme wasn’t just a mistake but a rather elaborate fraudulent scheme.

"This wasn’t stupid. This was a crime. … You really didn’t need to do this."

— U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin

Prosecutors, meanwhile, used O’Brien’s story to push for a harsher sentence, saying that she committed fraud despite not having the financial needs to do it.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/filipina...go-judge-sentenced-to-jail-for-mortgage-fraud

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 21, 2018
Former Government Consultant Indicted on Federal Charges in Bribery and Fraud Scheme
Defendant Allegedly Bribed D.C. Government Employee to Cash in on Contracts
WASHINGTON – A consultant and independent contractor for a company that did business with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources was indicted today on charges that he paid more than $140,000 in bribes to a former D.C. government employee and that he stole payments on city contracts that should have gone to his employer.

John Woods, 56, of Sterling, Va., was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on three counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, one count of bribery, and two counts of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. Woods will be arraigned on the charges on a date to be determined by the Court.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.

According to the indictment, Woods worked as a consultant and independent contractor for a firm identified in the court documents as “Company A.” The firm had agreements with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources (DCHR) to provide organizational skills training courses and human resources consulting to various D.C. government agencies. Woods was the company’s main point of contact with DCHR and handled the submission of invoices.

The indictment alleges that, beginning in April 2013, and continuing through August 2017, Woods schemed to defraud “Company A” and the D.C. government.

As part of the scheme, according to the indictment, between April 2013 and February 2015, Woods stole $214,910 in D.C. government checks that were issued to “Company A.” Beginning in March 2015, the indictment alleges, Woods began usurping “Company A’s” role under the contracts and keeping the profits for himself. The indictment alleges that Woods fraudulently deposited approximately 27 checks issued by the D.C. government to “Company A” into a bank account he controlled, totaling approximately $1,040,023, from March 2015 through August 2017.

In order to keep his scheme in place, the indictment alleges that Woods paid more than $140,000 in bribes to Latasha Moore, then a DCHR employee. As a resource allocation analyst, Moore was the main point of contact for “Company A” and in a position to ensure that no complaints or suspicions about the contracts reached others in the government. For example, Moore failed to report problems that arose while Woods was managing the work, including complaints of contractors arriving late, leaving early or failing to show up at all for training.

Moore, 38, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 11, 2018 to a federal bribery charge. She is awaiting sentencing.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

Mail fraud and wire fraud charges carry statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison, and the charge involving illegal monetary transactions carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/...cted-federal-charges-bribery-and-fraud-scheme

Ah, so the Justice Department does do some good.

 

[MARIS61]

Wells Fargo to pay states $575M for phony accounts, deception scandals
By Brittany De LeaPublished December 28, 2018MarketsFOXBusiness

Scandal-plagued Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $575 million to a number of states to settle claims related to the notorious fake bank account scandal and allegations of other deceptive practices, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

States have been investigating Wells Fargo for the phony account scandal – discovered about two years ago – whereby employees of Wells Fargo’s retail banks allegedly set up as many as millions of phony accounts for customers without their consent or knowledge in order to meet sales targets. Since then the bank has dealt with a slew of major issues across many of its businesses.

Reuters reported that the settlement would also cover allegations of improper insurance referrals and auto loan insurance, in addition to wrong mortgage rate lock extension fees.

A person familiar with the matter told the Journal that the payout would need court approval.

A spokesperson for Wells Fargo did not immediately return FOX Business’ request for comment.

Wells Fargo paid a $185 million fine in 2016 as a penalty for the phony account scandal.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced in June that Wells Fargo had agreed to pay a $1 billion fine as part of a settlement after the bank allegedly forced an auto loan insurance program onto hundreds of thousands of consumers who did not need it and mischarged consumers for certain mortgage interest rate lock extension products.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department announced that the bank would pay a civil penalty of more than $2 billion for allegedly misrepresenting the quality of its residential mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis.

 

[Lanny]

Wells Fargo to pay states $575M for phony accounts, deception scandals
By Brittany De LeaPublished December 28, 2018MarketsFOXBusiness

Scandal-plagued Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $575 million to a number of states to settle claims related to the notorious fake bank account scandal and allegations of other deceptive practices, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

States have been investigating Wells Fargo for the phony account scandal – discovered about two years ago – whereby employees of Wells Fargo’s retail banks allegedly set up as many as millions of phony accounts for customers without their consent or knowledge in order to meet sales targets. Since then the bank has dealt with a slew of major issues across many of its businesses.

Reuters reported that the settlement would also cover allegations of improper insurance referrals and auto loan insurance, in addition to wrong mortgage rate lock extension fees.

A person familiar with the matter told the Journal that the payout would need court approval.

A spokesperson for Wells Fargo did not immediately return FOX Business’ request for comment.

Wells Fargo paid a $185 million fine in 2016 as a penalty for the phony account scandal.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced in June that Wells Fargo had agreed to pay a $1 billion fine as part of a settlement after the bank allegedly forced an auto loan insurance program onto hundreds of thousands of consumers who did not need it and mischarged consumers for certain mortgage interest rate lock extension products.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department announced that the bank would pay a civil penalty of more than $2 billion for allegedly misrepresenting the quality of its residential mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis.

My wife and I have an account at Wells Fargo. I wonder if we were unknowing victims.
Just a tid bit of knowledge here but it was Wells Fargo that absorbed First Interstate Bank which came from Oregon's First National Bank.

 

[MARIS61]

My first bank account was at The Oregon Bank on 4th and A Ave in LO.

 

[Lanny]

My first bank account was at The Oregon Bank on 4th and A Ave in LO.

Must have been when I was living in either Portland or Aloha.
Our family used to have accounts in the First National Bank building between State St. and First St. on 'A' avenue. This was near the old Rexall Pharmacy where I use to sneak a peak at the first Playboy magazines. That bank building moved before the first Playboys came out.
As a small child attending Forest Hills Grade School I had a savings account at an institution on State St. near 'A' Avenue.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

My wife and I have an account at Wells Fargo. I wonder if we were unknowing victims.
Just a tid bit of knowledge here but it was Wells Fargo that absorbed First Interstate Bank which came from Oregon's First National Bank.

Don't worry. That also was Fox News. Never happened

 

[Lanny]

Don't worry. That also was Fox News. Never happened

I don't trust Fox News. That doesn't mean they're always wrong. They're just wrong often enough for me to not trust them. In fact, they're well beyond the threshold of being untrustworthy.

 

[MarAzul]

Ginsburg is begining to look like a stand in for Stephen Hawkins.

Oh! I probably should not have posted this!

 

[MARIS61]

Another child-molester bites the dust.

Prominent Democratic donor Terry Bean indicted on sex abuse charges

By Kathleen Joyce | Fox News

Democratic donor Terry Bean indicted on sex abuse charges

Prominent Democrat donor Terry Bean was indicted earlier this month on two counts of sodomy and one count of sex abuse for allegedly having sex with a teenage boy.

Bean was arraigned Thursday on the charges, TV station KGW8 reported. He pleaded not guilty and was taken into custody at Lane County jail in Oregon. He was released Thursday and told KGW8 he was “innocent.”

The indictment was filed on Jan. 4 but made public following the arraignment.

OBAMA FUNDRAISER, DONOR FACING SEX ABUSE CHARGES

Bean, a gay rights activist who donated almost $70,000 of his own money to former President Barack Obama’s campaign, was charged with sexual abuse in 2014 but the case was dismissed after the alleged victim did not testify. Prosecutors refiled the charges after this, court records stated, according to The Oregonian. The “alleged victim is not named in the new indictment” but the dates are similar to the previous charges, KGW8 noted.

Bean, a real estate developer, and his former boyfriend, Kiah Lawson, allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy in a Eugene, Oregon, hotel in September 2013. They allegedly used the app Grindr to arrange the sexual encounter. Lawson was also charged but his case was dismissed.

The media outlet reported that political candidates accepted campaign contributions from Bean after the case was dropped against him.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/prominent-democratic-donor-terry-bean-indicted-on-sex-abuse-charges

 

[SlyPokerDog]

My first bank account was at The Oregon Bank on 4th and A Ave in LO.

Mine was at Fred Meyer Savings and Loan. Everyone who opened an account was entered to win an Atari Pong game.

The Washington Mutual bought them.

The Chase bought WaMu.

I closed the account when Chase got involved.

 

[Lanny]

Another child-molester bites the dust.

Prominent Democratic donor Terry Bean indicted on sex abuse charges

By Kathleen Joyce | Fox News

Democratic donor Terry Bean indicted on sex abuse charges

Prominent Democrat donor Terry Bean was indicted earlier this month on two counts of sodomy and one count of sex abuse for allegedly having sex with a teenage boy.

Bean was arraigned Thursday on the charges, TV station KGW8 reported. He pleaded not guilty and was taken into custody at Lane County jail in Oregon. He was released Thursday and told KGW8 he was “innocent.”

The indictment was filed on Jan. 4 but made public following the arraignment.

OBAMA FUNDRAISER, DONOR FACING SEX ABUSE CHARGES

Bean, a gay rights activist who donated almost $70,000 of his own money to former President Barack Obama’s campaign, was charged with sexual abuse in 2014 but the case was dismissed after the alleged victim did not testify. Prosecutors refiled the charges after this, court records stated, according to The Oregonian. The “alleged victim is not named in the new indictment” but the dates are similar to the previous charges, KGW8 noted.

Bean, a real estate developer, and his former boyfriend, Kiah Lawson, allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy in a Eugene, Oregon, hotel in September 2013. They allegedly used the app Grindr to arrange the sexual encounter. Lawson was also charged but his case was dismissed.

The media outlet reported that political candidates accepted campaign contributions from Bean after the case was dropped against him.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/prominent-democratic-donor-terry-bean-indicted-on-sex-abuse-charges

The swamp won't be drained at least until we get rid of Trump.

 

[Lanny]

Mine was at Fred Meyer Savings and Loan. Everyone who opened an account was entered to win an Atari Pong game.

The Washington Mutual bought them.

The Chase bought WaMu.

I closed the account when Chase got involved.

We had an account at Fred Meyer's. We got some cool crystal glasses for opening that account. While I was in St. Louis, I didn't pay attention to the fact that if you didn't access the account, and I can't recall what the requirement was but probably some sort of minimum monthly deposit. We were charged a service charge. They closed our account because of a zero balance and that's when I learned what was going on. I wouldn't have anything to do with those bastards if my lifte depended on it.
Now, we've got gobs of cash and any derivative of Fred Meyer's savings and loan will never see another dime from us.

 

[CupWizier]

View attachment 23980

Ginsburg is begining to look like a stand in for Stephen Hawkins.

Oh! I probably should not have posted this!

Nah, it seems to be your typical classless act.

 

[Lanny]

We had an account at Fred Meyer's. We got some cool crystal glasses for opening that account. While I was in St. Louis, I didn't pay attention to the fact that if you didn't access the account, and I can't recall what the requirement was but probably some sort of minimum monthly deposit. We were charged a service charge. They closed our account because of a zero balance and that's when I learned what was going on. I wouldn't have anything to do with those bastards if my lifte depended on it.
Now, we've got gobs of cash and any derivative of Fred Meyer's savings and loan will never see another dime from us.

Edit: We had an account at Chase and kept it just long enough to collect our $500 for opening an account with a minimum balance and then closed the account. I think we deposited $10,000 for six months. We made 10% on that deal.

 

[MARIS61]

Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned Thursday after photos emerged of him wearing blackface as a Hurricane “Katrina victim” at a Halloween party in 2005.
The stunning development ended the former Seminole election supervisor’s 16-day stint as Florida’s top elections officer.
The Tallahassee Democrat obtained the photos and showed them to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office Thursday morning. The governor’s office announced Ertel’s resignation just hours later.
“It has been an honor to serve you and the voters of Florida,” Ertel’s resignation letter stated.

The Democrat reported that the photos were taken a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August 2005.
Ertel told the paper he was the man “in blackface and red lipstick, wearing earrings and a New Orleans Saints bandanna, and falsies under a purple T-shirt that had ‘Katrina Victim’ written on it.”

Ertel would not talk with the Democrat about the circumstances surrounding the photo.
“There's nothing I can say,” Ertel said. He did not respond to the Sentinel’s request for comment.

Ertel had been Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County since 2005 before his appointment by DeSantis to the state job.

© Provided by Local News RSS EN-US
Mike Ertel “That is not the Mike Ertel that I know,” said Seminole County Commissioner Lee Constantine, who had been considered one of the potential successors to Ertel as supervisor.

DeSantis named Chris Anderson, chief investigations officer for the Seminole County Tax Collector’s Office, as the county’s new supervisor of elections on Jan. 18.
Ertel’s appointment to the key post, which oversees the Division of Elections, earned bipartisan praise after the state dealt with election chaos following the November election and the unprecedented three statewide recounts.

Ertel had long been active on social media, providing opinions on Twitter and Facebook about elections issues. But on Thursday, his Twitter account was deactivated.
The Seminole elections office also received plaudits for its programs, including the student registration efforts which earned it a prestigious First Time Voters Award in 2017 from the International Elections Awards in Jordan.

On Friday, DeSantis suspended Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher at the recommendation of Ertel, who wrote a three-page letter that listed what he called “ingrained institutional incompetence” at the Palm Beach office.

“I strongly recommend you [suspend Bucher],” Ertel wrote, “allowing fresh, competent leadership to take the reins of the much-maligned office.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mi...lackface-photos-surface/ar-BBSHq9e?ocid=ientp

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Many
Are
Getting
Arrested