Updated -- As EmptyWheel astutely points out, today -- this same sort of a web, looks to have also closed in on one Steve "Jabba the Hut" Bannon. Perfect; couldn't happen to a nicer guy. A guy Tangerine proactively pardoned, before he left office -- but that pardon cannot reach conduct for which he hadn't been charged at the time -- like this. End updated portion.
Since of late, the frothy hard right wants to whine on and on, about a supposed Hunter Biden laptop's contents. . . [even if genuine, it belonged to a guy who never held any role in any White House -- and never lobbied anyone -- for anything], I decided to offer a recap of what the very well-documented evidence from multiple sources in a formal federal indictment shows. . . as to the billionare Thomas Barrack -- who clearly steered Tangerine, very directly. . . to adopt very pro-UAE (anti-Qatar) positions in his first 100 days, and then throughout the ensuing four years.
This is. . . a few pages of pure gold, from a federal agency lawyer, at the end of March 2022:
. . .The indictment alleges multiple direct contacts and communications between the defendants and United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) officials, as well as communications with their co-defendant Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi (“Al Malik”) in which Al Malik makes clear that he was conveying information and direction from UAE officials. For example: (a) Barrack and Al Malik met directly with senior UAE officials in May 2016, see ECF No. 5 ¶ 16; (b) Barrack directly solicited direction from a senior UAE official through Al Malik in advance of media appearances during which he promoted the UAE and its foreign policy interests, see id. ¶ 24(a); (c) the defendants drafted materials proposing a strategy for the UAE to promote its foreign policy interests and increase its political influence in the United States, after Al Malik conveyed to the defendants that a senior UAE official wanted the defendants to prepare such a strategy, see id. ¶¶ 25-34; (d) the defendants flew to Tangier, Morocco to meet with a senior UAE official, see id. ¶ 31; (e) Barrack emailed a senior UAE official directly and discussed that they were “on track on all counts” and that Barrack had “updated your team,” again making clear that Barrack understood the ultimate principal here, see id. ¶ 33;(f) the defendants downloaded a secure messaging application on a dedicated cellular telephone at the direction of a senior UAE official to allow them to communicate directly with senior UAE officials, see id. ¶¶ 35-42; and (g) the defendants traveled to the UAE and met with senior UAE officials in December 2016 where they discussed a plan to influence U.S. foreign policy in the first 100 days, the first six months, year and four years of the incoming Trump Administration, see id. ¶¶ 60-61.
In this case, the government has alleged substantial facts to prove that the defendants knew that the ultimate principal here was the UAE. . . .
And it matters, immensely, that Bill Barr sat on the moving papers related to Barrack's well documented felonies, by doing all this in secret from the American public. It is very droll indeed, that Barrack now argues that Barr's burying this has prejudiced him. . . I gather because it allowed the government's honest lawyers to shore up the evidence from a wide array of sources. Folks, this is a currently indicted person, after an impartial grand jury heard evidence. It is well-past time to end the trafficking in inuendo about Hunter. Whatever he did, if anything -- it has literally no connection to current affairs at 1600 Penn. Give it a rest. If he committed crimes, put up -- or shut up. But it begins and ends. . . at his door. Not 46's. Onward. Loving that Bannon may go down on charges -- like Barrack's. Too bad the statute of limitations has run on Paulie Manafort, who also did much the same.
नमस्ते
No comments:
Post a Comment