Russia Scandal Befalls Two Brothers: John and Tony Podesta
By KENNETH P. VOGELNOV. 10, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/us/politics/john-tony-podesta-mueller-russia-investigation.html
WASHINGTON — One is a rail-thin liberal idealist who spent his career in government, on campaigns and at think tanks. The other is an overweight pragmatist who made a fortune lobbying for all manner of liberal boogeymen.
And now, in a twist with Shakespearean undertones, the two influential Washington brothers have found themselves on opposite sides of the scandals over Russian interference in the 2016 election.
John D. Podesta, perhaps more than anyone except Hillary Clinton, was a victim of the Russian cyberassault on allies of her presidential campaign, of which he was the chairman. Emails stolen from his personal Gmail account were dribbled out by WikiLeaks last fall, revealing the embarrassing rifts roiling the campaign and Washington’s Democratic establishment. He has pushed hard for an aggressive investigation of Russia’s role in the election.
Last week’s indictment did not name the Podesta Group or another firm with which it worked on the Ukraine account, Mercury Public Affairs. Instead, the indictment referred to them as “two Washington, D.C., firms” that were recruited by Mr. Manafort and Mr. Gates.
While both firms disclosed the work to Congress under less-rigorous domestic lobbying rules, they did not initially register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges that was done intentionally — by routing the money through a Brussels-based nonprofit — “to minimize public disclosure of their lobbying campaign” that “was under the ultimate direction” of Mr. Yanukovych, his party and his government.
Which of course was obfuscation due to his known extremely close ties to HILLARY CLINTON and her influence in the State Department, The Clinton Foundation, and the upcoming election.
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ASolo ago
How much steam you think Pizzagate gonna get now, ESPECIALLY once news of child pornography on COMET PING PONG and PIZZA private servers also gets national attention?
Are_we__sure ago
Why are you lying about this article?
Why do you lies line up exactly with a different campaign of lies?
The article doesn't mention UraniumOne at all. So why are you lying to everyone on Voat and claiming it does.
Again I ask why?
ESOTERICshade ago
We haven't decided yet if there will be a public hanging for pedosatanists, but we are thinking about it.
ASolo ago
While this isn't necessarily a retraction, it is more of a CORRECTION. You are right, my limited understanding of the entirety of the Podesta Groups lobbying contracts are responsible for the confusion and these subpoenas were served on the Podesta Group for work that would "boost Ukraine’s reputation in the United States and increase its chances of joining the European Union" and NOT for their involvement in the Uranium1 issue as stated in the title. Further research into this issue today has helped clear up my misunderstanding.
While "both firms claim that they were unaware of any connection to the Ukrainian government", the Clinton political mechanization's in the Balkan/Kosovo conflicts during their tenure make that lie utterly contemptuous.
I do apologize for any misleading information.
The rise and fall of the Podestas, Washington’s powerful political brother act
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-podestas-washingtons-powerful-political-brother-act/2017/11/10/04bf1f6e-c4a6-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.02d34e123c94
"Podesta and the other firm, Mercury Public Affairs, say that they were hired by the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, a nonprofit group based in Brussels, to boost Ukraine’s reputation in the United States and increase its chances of joining the European Union. Both firms claim that they were unaware of any connection to the Ukrainian government. The Podesta Group received $1.1 million between 2012 and 2014 from the organization.
Its representation was originally listed under the Lobbyist Disclosure Act but not the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), as required. A Podesta Group spokeswoman says that following media reports that the ECMU may have been connected to Ukraine’s government, the firm submitted new disclosure forms, after which “the FARA office at DOJ informed the Podesta Group that it was not the subject nor a target of an investigation.”
Legalities aside, the question among lobbyists in Washington is why someone at the top of his game like Tony would have anything to do with Manafort, whom one Republican lobbyist described as a “shady businessman advocating for murderers, thugs and thieves — even if those criminals were heads of states.” Sources close to the Podesta Group claim that Manafort was not involved with the ECMU at the time the firm worked on its behalf.
Tony declined to comment on anything involving the investigation. His company has “fully cooperated” with Mueller’s office and “taken every possible step to provide documentation that confirms compliance with the law,” according to the spokeswoman.
But the news was enough to end Tony’s tenure at his own firm. He resigned just hours after Manfort’s indictment went public."
Are_we__sure ago
This makes absolutely zero sense. You have the wrong decade and the wrong geology. Ukraine is not part of the Balkans and this NGO was formed in 2012.
It also makes no sense logically. The NGO was advocated for better EU-Ukraine relations, but it was pretending it was the EU part of that equation. It was a deception and there's no reason, it couldn't have been a successful deception.
Wow, this is big news.
From your WP quote :
If they are no longer the subject of an investigation, this could just mean they were a cooperating witness against Manafort. Their lawyers have said that "The ECFMU provided formal certification that it was neither funded by nor directed by a government or political party.” So the ECFMU sent out a deceptive certification. It seems to me the crux of the case is, does Mueller believe that the Podesta group or Tony Podesta knew this was deceptive? If Podesta participated in the deception or didn't ask enough question to find out the truth, he would be in jeopardy. But if their lawyers explained this to the special counsel's office and the special counsel declared that.......
Wait. I'm reading that wrong. I almost just said that Tony Podesta was off the hook, but the document refers to the company
This could mean that the FARA office doesn't have an investigation, but the special counsel does.
Or it could mean
The Podesta group is not the subject of an investigation, but Tony Podesta himself is. This would make sense with him stepping down and the company renaming itself. He might be personally guilty. Maybe the firm didn't know Manafort was involved, but Tony Podesta did.
ASolo ago
A few days late but there it is:
Jeff Sessions considering a special counsel to investigate Hillary: Attorney General urges prosecutors to look into Republican concerns - including Clinton Foundation 'wrongdoing' and the sale of a Uranium company to Russia
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5079641/Sessions-raises-prospect-special-counsel-GOP-concerns.html
URANIUM 1 IS GONNA SINK THEM ALL.
Are_we__sure ago
Fox News explains Uranium One and why it's bound to disappoint people. Must watch video. That actually explains what went on.
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/360371-fox-news-shepard-smith-hits-trump-for-inaccurate-claims-on-uranium-one-deal
And here's what Jeff Sessions told Congress. Also bound to disappoint people.
Are_we__sure ago
Good on your for your retraction. Kudos. If you genuinely misunderstood the issue, I withdraw lie and will subsitute, "This is false and you are misinformed."
It does show the power of the dishonest UraniumOne narrative though.
Here's a non-dishonest summary. Mueller is not investigating Uranium dealings in any shape or form. Not UraniumOne, nor the Tenex the company involved in the bribery crime. Mueller is investigating Russian interference in our presidential election. This led him to look at Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort. Looking at Paul Manafort led to several shady transactions that looked like money laundering. A local NYC blogger got a tip and found out that Paul Manafort owned a brownstone in Brooklyn. Real Estate records showed. The building was bought for $3 million dollars in an ALL CASH no mortgage deal by a shell company and later ownership was transferred to Paul Manafort for $0. Manafort then got $6.8 million in mortgages on the house. (5.3 million of these was for a one year mortgage. Due in Jan 2018.) https://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2017/10/paul-manafort-carroll-gardens_30.html
This basically classic money laundering. Further examination of Manafort found other NYC properties with the same MO. Mueller has found tens of millions of dollars that Manafort has been paid to him by Pro-Russian Urkanian political party and he has never declared this money. Among things he was paid for was lobbying for Ukraine in the US and setting up a non-profit organization in Belgium who's purpose was to do PR for the corrupt Ukrainian president.
This was illegal because Manafort did not disclose this under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. This is where Tony Podesta comes in. The Belgian non-profit was intended to look like an International Organization and it hired a couple of firms in the US to do PR work, a Democratic firm, The Podesta Group and another Republican affiliated firm. The Podesta group didn't disclose under FARA. They are claiming they the work they did never counted as lobbying work and they disclosed the work in a different way to Congress. In effect they are arguing they used a loophole. Whatever the legal status of doing it that way, that argument probably falls apart if they knew the money was really coming from Ukraine and Paul Manafort. The Podesta group denied this was the case in a cease and desist letter to Tucker Carson's show. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4164203-Tony-Podesta-Cease-amp-Desist-to-Tucker-Carlson.html
So what we know is
A. The Podesta Group was subpoenaed to turn over documents and testimony.
B. NBC News described The Podesta Groups and Tony Podesta as "subjects" of Mueller's investigation. In this case a subject has a specific meaning, meaning the subject might be indicted. Manafort was a "target" of the Mueller investigation meaning, he was almost certain to be indicted. It's possible to subpoenaed to the grand jury and not have any legal jeopardy. If they were just looking at Manafort, they still could have requested documents and testimony from Podesta to find out things about Manafort's potential crimes, but it seems that Mueller is going to see Podesta violated FARA too.
C. None of this involves pizzagate or uranium. Folks are deliberately trying to confuse people about that.
D. Neither Tony Podesta nor John Podesta are in custody. That was always goofy nonsense.
E. Tony Podesta has stepped down from the Podesta group and this news has definitely affected his firm.
What we don't know.
If John Podesta is involved at all. He doesn't work at The Podesta Group and hasn't had a financial interest there since the 1990's, I believe.
That Tony Podesta is indicted. It's possible that the loophole that Manafort is claiming stands up or Mueller can't find enough evidence to prove a FARA violation. It's possible that the sealed indictments include Podesta and given E. above, I think this is likely
JohnCStevenson ago
This is a prime example of fake news. Why don't you go after real pedophiles, like Roy Moore?
https://shareblue.com/roy-moore-threatens-investigation-of-women-accusing-him-of-child-molestation/
Tallest_Skil ago
Mods, please explain why this self-admitted paid kike shill has not been banned.
DangersDad ago
We all know your podesta.
Piscina ago
Stop playing whataboutery. Many of us are going after Moore. But if you haven't noticed, this is about pizzagate
GeorgeT ago
Looks like SGT Report was right - that Trump and Muller teamed up and the DNC got played! I knew something was up when Donna Brazile threw Killary under the bus. She was greenlighted, assuring her that she won't be Seth Riched.
Oh_Well_ian ago
What's the over-under on how long it takes the MSM to report that Hillary Clinton, is indeed a Satanist and drinks baby blood ?
This is going to destroy the entire Communist movement in America.
unclassified ago
Oh well ian: That will never happen. Unfortunately Big Earth shaking news like that will never be aired in the news media.
fogdryer ago
MSN won’t air it
Oh_Well_ian ago
MSN will be dead in 6 months
you will see a huge vacuum being filled by truthful sources
Americans will not stand for lies after PG breaks and all is revealed.
fogdryer ago
Is that a promise I saw no hope for them I feel so angry towards them
fogdryer ago
why will not Trump be a "better" leader and expose this crap------ok msm wont air it but there are other ways
ESOTERICshade ago
WE are the way. Even if this is all a smokescreen we pushed them into it.
fogdryer ago
Yea I know but you know what I’m saying I want to watch him expose everyone
Oh_Well_ian ago
It's coming.
Remember, he is the one that attacked the media on Day One.
First question, first press conference
Blacksmith21 ago
From your mouth to God's ears.