1/ Let’s examine Dmitry Firtash within the context of his ties to Mike Flynn, Paul Manafort & Trump (This thread will be completed over several days. I will place each tweet under its prior tweet, rather than tweet each one to the main feed)
2/ First off, who is Dmytro Firtash? He has business interests, extensive political influence & is close to former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted in the Maidan revolution in February 2014.
3/ #Firtash is a key figure in Ukraine’s gas industry, serving as middleman to import central Asian and Russian gas to Ukraine. Firtash has ties to #SemionMogilevich, the Russian mafia don who was until late last year on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. theguardian.com/world/2010/dec…
4/ Firtash and Mogilevich run their gas trade business using the seedy underbelly of offshore accounts and laundered money. theguardian.com/world/us-embas…
5/ After the Maiden revolution in Ukraine, Firtash urged Ukraine to look to Russia for its gas needs through his company RosUkrEnergo. Putin funded Firtash with credit lines of up to $11bn. theguardian.com/world/2016/jan…
6/ Firtash’s ties to Putin and his opposition to the Ukraine-EU trade deal placed him at odds with US interests in Ukraine. Shortly after Yanukovych fled Ukraine for Moscow, Firtash was charged by the US govt with bribing Indian officials to secure a titanium deal. (Id).
7/ The US govt believes Firtash to be a Putin-connected mobster.
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8/ Federal prosecutors in Chicago (where Firtash’s case is docketed), also allege that Firtash mob money was earmarked to bribe US officials.
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9/ It is important to note that it was not only Putin funneling billions $ to Firtash. Russian oligarchs were also funneling billions $ to Firtash for the purpose of laundering their ill-gotten gains.
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10/ It is estimated that up to $20bn in Russian illegal money was laundered out of Russia:
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11/ Ukraine has formally accused Firtash of laundering billions $ through his gas business scheme. (Thread):
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12/ US federal prosecutors explain why they, too, believe Firtash should be prosecuted:
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13/ Yes. It is true. Federal prosecutors in Chicago have been investigating Firtash’s money laundering for a while. ✌🏼✌🏼
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14/ Let’s begin by examining Firtash’s links to Manafort.
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15/ Mueller specifically included the Manafort/Firtash connection in his indictment of Manafort.
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16/ Mueller has nailed down at least part of Manafort’s Firtash gravy train.
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17/ Manafort used real estate as a vehicle to launder Firtash money.
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18/ Manafort offered a way for Firtash to get his money out of Ukraine & Russia.
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19/ Thing is, Manafort is just not a very smart criminal. He left a trail of crumbs from Russia to the US
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20/ Manafort acted with impunity, as if he would never be caught.
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21/ This is no secret, as Mueller exposed Manafort’s money laundering:
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22/ For details on Manafort’s relationship to Trump and his laundering of money through Trump businesses, see: twitter.com/i/moments/8681…
23/ The $$$ referenced in Manafort/Gates indictment came from Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs funneled through #Firtash and #Deripaska
24/ #Firtash need not be extradited to cooperate with or to otherwise be of value to the Mueller investigation. Indeed, Firtash need not even cooperate to be of value. It is his docketed case which is a valuable vehicle for investigation.
25/ Firtash’s docket opened the floodgates to investigative discovery of money laundering and Manafort provided a roadmap for how the funds were laundered.
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26/ Manafort laundered money into Trump businesses from 2004-2014.
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27/ All the while, Manafort was pushing Putin’s agenda in the US.
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28/ The timing of Manafort’s ties to Trump are not coincidence. Trump was desperate for cash. Manafort was able to use Trump’s casino businesses to launder Russian & Ukraine $$$
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29/ One might ask why I posted this in early August 2016. Before I got sick, I served as Executive Director & General Counsel to an agency which regulated Trump Casino. I audited thousands of lobbyist expenditures for 18 yrs.
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30/ Manafort used Trump businesses—real estate AND casino—to launder close to $3bn in Russian & Ukraine money between 2006-2014.
31/ Let’s now resume our examination of #Firtash, keeping in mind that law enforcement has shifted its investigatory techniques, relying heavily on body wires and communications intercepts. reuters.com/article/usa-ju…
32/ As well, the DOJ began in the mid-2000s to vigorously pursue companies that violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a 1970s law that bars U.S.-linked companies and people from bribing foreign government officials in exchange for business. (Id).
33/ In particular, the FCPA was used to indict Firtash. (Id).
34/ Most recently, a coalition of human rights activists submitted 15 cases to the U.S. State Department and U.S. Treasury, urging them to investigate using the Global Magnitsky Act. Firtash is one of the 15. reuters.com/article/us-usa…
35/ Looking strictly at the 2012 Firtash indictment in Chicago, it alleges conduct which took place between 2006 and 2009. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
36/ Aside from the obvious Manafort connection to laundering Firtash money (see supra in this thread), what can we derive from publicly available information about other Trump associates who are tied to Firtash’s illegal activities?
37/ To clarify, the Firtash grand jury convened in January 2012. His indictment was filed on June 20, 2013.
38/ We must look beyond the Chicago docket to comprehend the reach of Firtash into Trump matters. vanityfair.com/news/2017/08/w…
39/ Here is the SOHO / Firtash complaint, which reveals money laundering tied to Trump businesses. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
40/ Here is a 2013 civil complaint against Firtash which demonstrates that his business partner is/was Ivan Fursin. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
41/ Recall, Manafort’s indictment details how he used Lucicle Consultants Ltd to wire millions $ into US. The Cyprus-based Lucicle then received millions $ from Ukrainian parliamentarian *IVAN FURSIN* who’s closely linked to Russia’s most notorious criminal: Semion Mogilevich.
42/ Lucicle and *FURSIN* are tied to an “offshore entity, Mistaro Ventures, which is registered in St. Kitts and Nevis and listed on a government financial disclosure form that Mr. Fursin filed in Ukraine.” nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/…
44/ So, now that we have set the stage, let’s now examine Michael Flynn’s ties to *FURSIN* and Firtash. Where was then DIA Director, General Mike Flynn, in June 2013 when Firtash was indicted by a federal Chicago grand jury? You may want to have a seat: defenseone.com/ideas/2016/02/…
45/ Flynn’s conversion to Russian GRU “agent” came prior to his retirement from the military. His conversion preceded his attendance at the Dec 2015 Moscow RT dinner, where he sat between Putin and Russia’s chief propagandist, Margarita Simonyan. politico.com/magazine/story…
46/ Flynn turned to Russia BEFORE he was fired by Obama in 2014 over “policy disagreements”. Flynn’s private consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, which sought business w cyber security firms & defense contractors, was arguably a Kremlin front operation. This is no exaggeration.
47/ Flynn partnered in 2015-2016 with a tech company co-run by a man once convicted of trying to sell stolen biotech material to the Russian KGB espionage agency. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
49/ Flynn had a long history of turmoil in his career. He was/is a white nationalist. His values align clearly with the alt-right and with Putinists in Russia. newyorker.com/news/news-desk…
51/ We know that from his date of termination in 2014 through the FBI investigation, Flynn repeatedly lied about accepting foreign $ and disclosing foreign contacts. democrats-oversight.house.gov/sites/democrat…
52/ We know that Trump considered Flynn for VP and ignored Obama’s warnings about Flynn. nbcnews.com/politics/2016-…
53/ We know that Flynn used encrypted communications with Russian agents to conceal his unlawful activities. rawstory.com/2017/02/adam-s…
54/ We know that while Flynn was communicating with the Russian Ambassador on the 29-30 December 2016, Trump tweeted his approval to Putin.
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55/ We know that US Intel intercepts have Russian officials bragging during the campaign that they can use Mike Flynn to influence Trump. cnn.com/2017/05/19/pol…
56/ We know that Flynn was secretly working on a Middle East nuclear power plant deal while on Trump’s transition team AND while serving as Natl Security Advisor. wsj.com/articles/flynn…
58/ You see, although Firtash was indicted in June 2013, he has not been extradited to the US and he manages his business affairs from Austria. Those business interests square with Mike Flynn’s work.
59/ Recall, Firtash is an investor in SCL, which owns Cambridge Analytica. During his short tenure as Natl Security Advisor, Flynn ensured SCL received a govt contract with the State Department for work which will affect our future domestic elections. twitter.com/i/moments/8631…
60/ Firtash is angry with the US for indicting him and he had EVERY motive to fund efforts to meddle in the election so that Trump would win. bloomberg.com/news/features/…
61/ Although Firtash lost control of his gas trading company Emfesz in 2009 in what he says was a “fraudulent transfer”, he dominates Central/Eastern European chem & energy industry w plants in Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Tajikistan, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria & Estonia.
62/ ACU Strategic Partners (for whom Flynn was working to get the Nuclear Plant deal) proposed a partnership w Russia & IP3/IronBridge proposed working with China. In various filings in 2016 and 2017, Flynn did not initially disclose his connection to ACU. latimes.com/politics/washi…
66/ It is no surprise that Firtash’s case may lead to additional FCPA enforcement actions against others. shearman.com/~/media/Files/…
67/ Firtash is leveraging against Trump —He retained fmr US Atty Dan Webb, Clinton WH counsel Lanny Davis & fmr Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff. Firtash gives fed investigator probing Manafort’s ties to Russia ammunition agst Trump. chicagotribune.com/news/nationwor…
69/ I am having difficulty navigating this thread without disclosing unauthorized information. Pause thread so I can seek guidance.
70/ #Firtash is making progress for himself, legally. He still has a case pending in Chicago. Yes. That case relates to Mueller’s work on Trump-Russia ✌🏼 prnewswire.com/news-releases/…
73/ From 2000-2016, Firtash made billions $$ partnering with Russia’s Gazprom via a jointly-owned Swiss company (RosUkrEnergo) against Ukraine in gas pipeline disputes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia%E2…
74/ Reminder: Manafort is DIRECTLY tied to Firtash and Mueller’s indictments of Manafort DIRECTLY ties to Firtash.
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75/ Recall: Manafort has LIVED in Trump Tower since 2004. After Trump’s Moscow trip in December, 2013, he and Manafort made the rounds in 2014, gathering up support from Putin-friendly oligarchs.
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76/ Putin is getting VERY nervous. As well, his pivot toward Saudi and China makes these oligarchs a nuisance to him.
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77/ Firtash has been right under our noses this entire time.
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78/ Firtash ties Trump to Putin.
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79/ Did someone say Vassilaides? He connects Trump to Firtash, Putin and other oligarchs. He is also a contemporary of Wilbur Ross from Cyprus Bank.
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80/ Firtash’s plane was in US last month 😉🤔(credit @MacFinn44)
81/ In 2006, Firtash and Fursin used a non-existent company name (Izvestia) in their deal with Gazprom to hide their identities from the US Justice Dept.
82/ Firtash jacked up the price of gas by 3x during the Ukraine gas crisis. He made billions and split it with Gazprom. There was skimming, as well, to the Russian mob. Firtash was a point man to launder $ out of Russia (via Manafort /Trump) en.corporativ.info/2010/09/12/bil…
83/ Ok, let’s get to the verb. Firtash was/is interested in Flynn’s nuclear power expansion program. Firtash recently pivoted to producing ilmenite concentrate, which is required for titanium. mineralcommodities.com/portfolio_type…
Senator Collins is waning on about interest groups against Kavanaugh but IGNORES dark money interest groups in support of Kavanaugh.
Senator Collins references Kavanaugh’s judicial record. She disagrees w notion he will eliminate ACA protections, pointing to his dissent in Holder. She argues that his views on severability is narrow.
She addresses the concern about Kavanaugh protecting the POTUS. She argues that Kavanaugh defers to legislative authority. She argues Clinton got 2 justices confirmed while under Whitewater investigation and 3 Nixon appointees ruled against Nixon ruled against Nixon.
1/ Here is what really bothers me about Kavanaugh: he feels he deserves everything he has and will have because he has earned it. This is a uniquely Calvinist-origin ideology. It is also precisely one of the things which **theologically** distinguishes Catholics from Protestants.
2/ The implications are enormous if one considers the reverse scenario: those to whom life has brought hardship are unworthy, lazy, and have not “earned” their way. Protestant-Calvinist thinking is deeply entrenched in American culture, especially at Yale. christianity.com/church/denomin…
3/ If Kavanaugh adhered to Catholic teaching, he would have by this age internalized that it is mandatory we give a preferential option to the poor. He would practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. He would NOT insist that his success is due to his own merit or worth.
A new article discussing Deripaska, Steele, Waldman, and Assange by @IgnatiusPost requires some serious unpacking. Christopher Steele worked for Deripaska in 2012. (washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-gop…)
Deripaska was interviewed by the FBI in 2015, 2016, and possibly in 2017.
In 2009, while Mueller was FBI Director, the FBI conducted a covert outreach to Deripaska to locate missing CIA contractor Robert Levinson. (I believe this was accomplished through John McCain).
), and dissect the “Kavanaugh Catholic” — with the caveat I, too am a Catholic.
2/ First, we all witnessed Kavanaugh last night make several public pronouncements, to wit:
“I was a virgin.”
“I was busy studying.”
“I was the Captain of my football team.”
“I have never sexually assaulted anyone, ever.”
3/ Kavanaugh had his wife by his side, who vouched for him throughout. He also claimed to have spent his career as a champion for women and women’s issues. Neither Kavanaugh nor his wife (whom he met after high school) addressed the bevy of mounting evidence against him.
In accordance w the Violence Against Women & Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2013 (“VAWA 2013”), officers and/or investigators may not require victims of sexual assault to submit to a polygraph test or other truth-telling devices.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE
POLICY AND TRAINING CONTENT GUIDELINES — The Senate Judiciary Committee is doing everything WRONG.
The unwarranted exertion of control by @ChuckGrassley over a putative sexual assault victim violates every single guideline recommendation of the Intl Assoc of Chiefs of Police.