Post: Think tank leader who claims to have given FBI inf

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Crime selectors, pages, etc.

Think tank leader who claims to have given FBI info on Hunter Biden charged by Justice Department

By HatetheSwamp
July 11, 2023 7:46 am
Category: Crime

(0.0 from 0 votes)
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Two words: Banana effin Republic!

Gal Luft, co-director of the Maryland-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, is accused of recruiting and paying an unnamed former high-ranking U.S. government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent, which is legally required.

Hunteresque, eh? Baha baha baha!

Cited and related links:

thehill.com

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Comments on "Think tank leader who claims to have given FBI info on Hunter Biden charged by Justice Department":

by Curt_Anderson on July 11, 2023 8:52 am
Does this mean he won't be offering testimony before a congressional hearing?

U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Co-Director Of Think Tank For Acting As An Unregistered Foreign Agent, Trafficking In Arms, Violating U.S. Sanctions Against Iran, And Making False Statements To Federal Agents

Gal Luft, a Dual U.S.-Israeli Citizen, Allegedly Evaded FARA Registration While Working to Advance the Interests of China in the United States and Sought to Broker the Illicit Sales of Chinese-Manufactured Weapons and Iranian Oil to China
justice.gov

by oldedude on July 11, 2023 11:17 am
Does this mean he won't be offering testimony before a congressional hearing?

Could be part of a plea deal. My guess is that DOJ will have at him first, use the phone books, tell him what to say, then let him go. Maybe the Israelis want him? Always a possibility. He may get routed through Saudi and "disappear."

by Ponderer on July 13, 2023 6:50 am

So we got another "Curveball" situation it appears. How about we call this one "Knuckleball".

Why is it, I wonder, that the "evidence" and "witnesses" and "whistle blowers" that the MAGA Republicans ever produce ALWAYS ends up being pure, unadulterated bullshit?

And I can't stress or emphasize enough the word ALWAYS.

I don't think that they will ever learn that the can't make their deluded fantasies and lies into reality with nothing but more deluded fantasies and liars. It's literally all they ever have. Ever. ALWAYS.

Seriously, when has the GOP ever stuck it to the Dems with some case against them or any Democratic members that actually amounted to anything other than flaming bullshit? I know there has to be at least one time that they succeeded. It just doesn't spring to mind right now.

Bill Clinton I guess...? Do we really have to go back that far for anything even approaching an example? And they were even trying to hang some other flaming bullshit on him when all the sexual stuff fell into their lap and they shifted to that.

Is there any another example of the the GOP successfully nailing some Democrat for illegal activity that anyone can think of?

by oldedude on July 13, 2023 9:03 am
Just a quick search...

Members of Congress that have violated a law designed to prevent insider trading and stop conflicts-of-interest
Congress passed the law a decade ago to combat insider trading and conflicts of interest among their own members and force lawmakers to be more transparent about their personal financial dealings. A key provision of the law mandates that lawmakers publicly — and quickly — disclose any stock trade made by themselves, a spouse, or a dependent child.

But many members of Congress have not fully complied with the law. They offer excuses including ignorance of the law, clerical errors, and mistakes by an accountant. Insider has chronicled this widespread nature of this phenomenon in "Conflicted Congress," an ongoing reporting project initially published in December 2021.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California
Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island
Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware
Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona
Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey
Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat of Nevada
Rep. Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from New York
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida
Rep. Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat from California
Rep. Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey
Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat from New Mexico
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat from New York
Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat from Pennsylvania
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey
Rep. David Trone, a Democrat from Maryland
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat from Texas
Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat of Florida
Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat of New Jersey
Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat from New York
Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from Illinois
Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington
Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat from Oregon
Rep. Bill Keating, a Democrat from Massachusetts
Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Colorado
Dwight Evans, a Democrat from Pennsylvania
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas
Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat from Iowa
Del. Michael San Nicolas, a Democrat from Guam
Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont

businessinsider.com

by Donna on July 13, 2023 9:30 am

Yep, that's a big problem too - D's and R's.

by Donna on July 13, 2023 9:35 am

You listed only 37 of the 78 members of Congress who have allegedly broken the law, though. I'm "guessing" that those 41 are R's.

by Curt_Anderson on July 13, 2023 9:45 am
OD,
I suspect that when Ponderer asked about Democrats, who were “nailed” she meant convicted, not simply accused of crimes. I didn’t recognize every name on your list, but I’m not aware that any of them were even charged much less convicted of any crimes.

U.S. lawmakers are not banned from investing in any company, including those that could be affected by their decisions. The STOCK Act prohibits members of Congress from using non-public information to enrich themselves in the stock market. I seriously doubt that all the people on that list engage in insider trading. Everybody on that list has political enemies who would be more than happy to see them prosecuted… if there was a case to be made.

by oldedude on July 13, 2023 8:36 pm
These have been found guilty in an investigation. You don't think there's two levels of justice?

In fairness there were R's in this also, but she didn't ask for those. This is what I was saying about campaign funds. I don't talk about them much unless there's censorship or something like that. Hickenlooper used campaign funds for 1st class tickets for a couple of vacations. He had to pay back the money.

Pena, Denver Mayor (then "energy Czar" under cliton, had Denver use the land as Eminent domain, Pena bought it for that amount and sold it back to Denver for DIA for dollars on the penny. He was never charged. And his wife (who divorced him) was not a part of that deal.

Welcome to politics. You can split hairs, but don't EVER. EVER. call the other guy crooked. Because you're as crooked as what you say they are. Period. Welcome to politics. Why do you think nothing happens in these cases?

by Indy! on July 13, 2023 8:54 pm

Nancy Pelosi is missing from the list - she's been exposed numerous times committing insider trading.

by Curt_Anderson on July 13, 2023 9:07 pm
Every case I saw on your link, OD, were cases that were similar to this one:
"Whitehouse was a couple days late disclosing January 2022 purchases of Target Corporation and Tesla Inc. stock, each valued at between $15,001 and $50,000."

Sometimes the violation was about a spouse's stock transaction.

That is Section 6 of the STOCK Act.
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (EGA) to require specified individuals to file reports within 30 to 45 days after receiving notice of a purchase, sale, or exchange which exceeds $1,000 in stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and other forms of securities, subject to any waivers and exclusions.

The penalty is a maximum of $5000 and it's a civil crime. None of those violations would wind up in a criminal court. There a varying degrees of "crookedness". Some things are minor infractions, some are major crimes. So, no, I don't paint all politicians with the same brush. Some, like Trump, are grifters with no regard for legal boundries.

When it comes to justice, you get what you pay for.

by oldedude on July 14, 2023 6:55 am
You didn't read shit from my post. OMFG. All of that, and you're still looking for the trees and missed the forest.

So you're supporting and defending the use of insider information to provide personal gain. Got it. You are part and parcel to the problem with politics right now.

by Curt_Anderson on July 14, 2023 7:32 am
OD,
Maybe you posted the wrong link. If you have a link that shows that any of those Democrats you named was found guilty of insider trading, please share it. I would be interested in seeing if any of those Democrats you listed, were even indicted for any kind of financial crime.

Short of that, I have to assume you’ve got nothing

by oldedude on July 14, 2023 9:17 am
That was it. It's financial crime. It's called insider trading.

by Ponderer on July 14, 2023 9:42 am

"OD, I suspect that when Ponderer asked about Democrats, who were “nailed” she meant convicted, not simply accused of crimes." -Curt

Exactly, Curt. And I expected nothing less that a huge pile of obfuscation and non sequitur subject changing from our resident Red Hats.

These were all convicted criminals just from the Trump administration!:

1. Steve Bannon
2. Tom Barrack
3. Elliott Broidy
4. Michael Cohen
5. Michael Flynn
6. Rick Gates
7. Paul Manafort
8. George Nader
9. George Papadopoulos
10. Roger Stone
11. Allen Weisselberg

You can see what they wee convicted for at the link.

Why is it do you think that Trump made a practice of surrounding himself with literal criminals?

cnn.com

by Indy! on July 14, 2023 9:46 am

Curt will buy anything for a dollar. Nobody is as... ahem... "lucky" in the stock market as CONgress. And again - both parties. Look at Pelosi's wealth from when she went in and where she is now. That just doesn't happen unless you know something.

by HatetheSwamp on July 14, 2023 9:48 am

Preach it, Indy!!

by Donna on July 14, 2023 9:56 am

I have to agree with Indy and Hts on that. Seems to me that it'd be difficult to "prove" in a court of law that a lawmaker engaged in insider trading. I mean how many Congresspeople have been convicted of that? I think most of us sense, though, that it's rampant and that they're all covering for each other. I mean why ruin a good thing?

by Curt_Anderson on July 14, 2023 10:18 am
Donna, Indy,
No doubt there are criminal Democrats, but they are not credibly on OD’s list. Read the “allegations”. It is mostly being late in disclosing a transaction, like this one:
“Maloney was months late in disclosing he sold eight stocks he inherited in mid-2020 when his mother died.” What crime is that?

Tell me if you see anything that indicates a Democrat profited from insider trading or anything illegal.

We know about Trump Republicans who have been or will be indicted and/or convicted. I don’t believe that there is a comparable list of Democrats.

by oldedude on July 14, 2023 2:33 pm
curt- I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you would find illegal activity if I mentioned the GOP members. And had you actually read the article, it includes these are people that HAVE been citied by the oversight committees. Just because they don't go to jail doesn't mean they weren't guilty when it comes to congress. Or politicians in general.

by Indy! on July 14, 2023 3:00 pm

Nobody in DC ever goes to jail unless they piss off the bosses.

by Indy! on July 14, 2023 3:02 pm

Also, yes Curt - I alluded to that with Nancy Pelosi not being on the list.

by Curt_Anderson on July 14, 2023 3:25 pm
"And had you actually read the article, it includes these are people that HAVE been citied by the oversight committees." ---OD

I did read the article. Give me just one name on the list where it says that person was cited by the Oversight Committee.

Btw, I am not so sure that being cited by the Oversight Committee is a major stigma. The Oversight Committee has the authority to issue subpoenas which I presume they reserve for actual criminal behavior, not just for being late with paperwork and filling out forms.

You remind me of Joseph McCarthy who was constantly waving a list of names as if that was evidence of wrongdoing in itself.

by oldedude on July 14, 2023 4:37 pm
They all have. That's who does the investigations, dumbass.

And it's either the ethics committee or the oversight committee, depending.

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