bonginoreport--2020-02-06--NYC Mayor Vows to “Save Our City” – Presumably From Himself

Mayor Bill de Blasio used a “ save our city ” theme for his seventh State of the City speech — prompting confused New Yorkers to wonder , “ Save us from what — your leadership ?
” “ We need a plan to save our city because that ’ s where we are right now , ” Hizzoner told a crowd of hundreds at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan Thursday .
“ We ’ re at a point where we have to be saved .
This city and everything it stands for must be saved and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves , ” the mayor said in the first few minutes of his hour-plus address .
“ His theme was ‘ save the city !
’ He has been mayor for six of his eight years , who does he think it needs saving from ?
” asked Councilman Joe Borelli ( R-Staten Island ) after the speech .
De Blasio also cited “ a particular fear out there , a particular anxiety .
“ People are afraid New York City won ’ t be New York City anymore .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slip away , ” he said , blaming “ greed ” for making the metropolis unaffordable .
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson , who is running to succeed the term-limited de Blasio in 2021 , agreed about the feelings of anxiety , but panned Hizzoner ’ s overall message .
“ People are anxious about things like housing and homelessness , and worried that they can ’ t afford to live here , ” Johnson ( D-Manhattan ) told The Post .
“ But I wouldn ’ t frame it like the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs vision , big ideas and serious investment in things like NYCHA , our transportation system and affordable housing , ” Johnson said .
De Blasio ’ s “ Blueprint to Save Our City ” includes adding 100 cops to a new NYPD “ Vision Zero Unit ” to crack down on speeding , expanding pre-k-for-all to 26,000 3-year-olds , and legalizing basement apartments and tiny houses in backyards to create 10,000 affordable homes .
In his two remaining years in office the mayor also wants to invest $ 500 million of city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a landlord vacancy tax and cut fines for mom-and-pop shops in half .
In addition to the tiny homes and basement apartments , de Blasio will build 2,000 more units of affordable housing for families making under $ 50,000 a year .
He said he ’ ll help the city ’ s youth by expanding hours at Parks Department recreation centers , reopening six shuttered community centers and building seven new ones in the outer boroughs .
As part of his efforts to tackle climate change the mayor will assist homeowners in installing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government ’ s use of plastic bottles by 2021 .

Mayor Bill de Blasio used a “Save Our City” theme for his seventh State of the City speech — prompting confused New Yorkers to wonder, “Save us from what — your leadership?”
“We need a plan to save our city because that’s where we are right now,” Hizzoner told a crowd of hundreds at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan Thursday.
“We’re at a point where we have to be saved. This city and everything it stands for must be saved and we are the ones who have to save ourselves,” the mayor said in the first few minutes of his more than hourlong address.
“His theme was ‘save the city!’ He has been mayor for six of his [full two terms’] eight years Who does he think it needs saving from?” asked Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) after the speech.
De Blasio also cited “a particular fear out there, a particular anxiety.
“People are afraid New York City won’t be New York City anymore. They’re afraid that our heart and soul could slip away,” he said, blaming “greed” for making the metropolis unaffordable.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who is running to succeed the term-limited de Blasio in 2021, agreed about the feelings of anxiety, but panned Hizzoner’s overall message.
“People are anxious about things like housing and homelessness, and worried that they can’t afford to live here,” Johnson (D-Manhattan) told The Post.
“But I wouldn’t frame it like the city needs to be ‘saved.’ It needs vision, big ideas and serious investment in things like NYCHA, our transportation system and affordable housing,” Johnson said.
In a rebuttal speech following the mayor’s address, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said de Blasio’s shortcomings are the reason the city needs saving.
“The mayor spoke of the need to save our city, and he may be right — but in many cases, at critical points, past opportunities to take on issues have been met with policies that were either insufficient to address the scale of need, or further deepening it,” Williams said.
He pointed to “misplaced money and priorities” in de Blasio’s handling of mental-health policy, mismanagement of NYCHA, and missed targets for homelessness.
De Blasio’s “Blueprint to Save Our City” includes adding 100 cops to a new NYPD “Vision Zero Unit” to crack down on speeding, expanding pre-K-for-all to 26,000 3-year-olds, and legalizing basement apartments and tiny houses in backyards to create 10,000 affordable homes.
In his two remaining years in office, he also wants to invest $500 million of city pension funds into small businesses, create a landlord vacancy tax and cut fines for mom-and-pop shops in half.
In addition to the tiny homes and basement apartments, de Blasio will build 2,000 more units of affordable housing for families making under $50,000 a year.
He said he’ll help the city’s youth by expanding hours at Parks Department recreation centers, reopening six shuttered community centers and building seven new ones in the outer boroughs.
As part of de Blasio’s efforts to tackle climate change, the city will assist homeowners in installing solar panels on 50,000 homes and end the government’s use of plastic bottles by 2021.


bonginoreport--2020-02-06--U.S. Productivity in 2019 Saw Best Growth in Nearly a Decade

FILE- In this Jan. 4 , 2019 , file work continues on a plan of new homes in Franklin Park , Pa. U.S. productivity rebounded in the final three months of 2019 , helping to boost productivity growth for the year to the best showing in nearly a decade .
The Commerce Department said Thursday , Feb. 6 , 2020 that productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.4 % in the October-December quarter , a significant improvement from a 0.2 % drop in productivity in the third quarter .
( AP Photo/Keith Srakocic , File ) FILE- In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues on a plan of new homes in Franklin Park , Pa. U.S. productivity rebounded in the final three months of 2019 , helping to boost productivity growth for the year to the best showing in nearly a decade .
The Commerce Department said Thursday , Feb. 6 , 2020 that productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.4 % in the October-December quarter , a significant improvement from a 0.2 % drop in productivity in the third quarter .
( AP Photo/Keith Srakocic , File ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last year , helping to boost productivity growth for the year to the best showing in nearly a decade .
The Labor Department ’ s Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday that productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.4 % in the October-December quarter , reversing the direction of a 0.2 % drop during the third quarter .
For the year , productivity increased 1.7 % , up from 1.3 % advances in both 2017 and 2018 .
While a 1.7 % rise in productivity is considered modest , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % advance in 2010 .
Labor costs rose 1.4 % in the fourth quarter , a slowdown from a 2.5 % jump in the third quarter .
For the year , labor costs rose 2 % , up from a 1.8 % gain in 2018 .
Productivity , a key factor needed to boost living standards , has been lagging for most of this record-long expansion , now in its 11th year .
But economists believe there are some signs at least that productivity may finally be starting to improve .
The 1.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long stretch of very weak gains which have left productivity growing at average annual rates of just 1.3 % since 2007 .
That compares to gains that were double that at 2.7 % from 2000 to 2007 when the country was benefiting from advances in computers and the internet .
Since 1947 , productivity has averaged annual gains of 2.1 % .
Donald Trump has pledged to boost overall economic growth , as measured by the gross domestic product , to double the 2 % average during this elongated expansion .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieve that campaign pledge and in fact , GDP growth last year slowed to 2.3 % , the most meager pace in three years .
Economists say for Trump to achieve his goal for faster GDP growth , he will need to find ways to increase productivity .
In a separate report Thursday , the Labor Department said that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits claims fell by 15,000 , to 202,000 , the lowest level since last April , when claims hit 193,000 .
That was the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will release the January jobs report on Friday .
Economists are expecting it will show a solid gain of around 150,000 jobs with the unemployment rate remaining at a half-century low of 3.5 % .

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. productivity rebounded in the final three months of last year, helping to boost productivity growth for the year to the best showing in nearly a decade.
The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday that productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.4% in the October-December quarter, reversing the direction of a 0.2% drop during the third quarter.
For the year, productivity increased 1.7%, up from 1.3% advances in both 2017 and 2018. While a 1.7% rise in productivity is considered modest, it was the best annual showing since a 3.4% advance in 2010.
Labor costs rose 1.4% in the fourth quarter, a slowdown from a 2.5% jump in the third quarter. For the year, labor costs rose 2%, up from a 1.8% gain in 2018.
Productivity, a key factor needed to boost living standards, has been lagging for most of this record-long expansion, now in its 11th year. But economists believe there are some signs at least that productivity may finally be starting to improve.
The 1.7% annual gain in productivity has followed a long stretch of very weak gains which have left productivity growing at average annual rates of just 1.3% since 2007. That compares to gains that were double that at 2.7% from 2000 to 2007 when the country was benefiting from advances in computers and the internet. Since 1947, productivity has averaged annual gains of 2.1%.
Donald Trump has pledged to boost overall economic growth, as measured by the gross domestic product, to double the 2% average during this elongated expansion.
However, he so far has failed to achieve that campaign pledge and in fact, GDP growth last year slowed to 2.3%, the most meager pace in three years. Economists say for Trump to achieve his goal for faster GDP growth, he will need to find ways to increase productivity.
In a separate report Thursday, the Labor Department said that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits claims fell by 15,000, to 202,000, the lowest level since last April, when claims hit 193,000. That was the lowest point in five decades.
The government will release the January jobs report on Friday. Economists are expecting it will show a solid gain of around 150,000 jobs with the unemployment rate remaining at a half-century low of 3.5%.


bonginoreport--2020-02-06--Regulatory Costs Account for 1/4th of the Average Home Price

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Too many communities across this country limit the ability of Americans to freely and fairly choose where and how they live by enacting onerous regulations that restrict housing growth and drive up costs. A 2016 study by National Association of Home Builders, for example, found that government regulations—such as construction standards or permit and impact fees—account for nearly a quarter of the price of a new single-family home. What’s more, as the work of economist Jonathan Rothwell suggests, regulations that prevent the construction of new housing in dense urban environments are a major driver of segregation. In recent testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, I made the case that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development should empower communities to reduce barriers to affordable housing choice by incentivizing concrete reforms and innovation. Read and watch the testimony.
Michael Hendrix is director of state and local policy at the Manhattan Institute.
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bonginoreport--2020-02-07--China Censors “I Want Freedom of Speech” Hashtag Following Death of Coronavirus Whistsleblower

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bonginoreport--2020-02-07--AOC Deems It “Physically Impossible” to Get Ahead in America

On Thursday , far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) , speaking literally about a common expression on hard work , said it was “ physically impossible ” for people to pull themselves up by their own “ bootstraps ” or “ shoelaces.
” “ This idea of a bootstrap , ” started AOC .
“ You know this idea , this metaphor of a bootstrap started off as a joke.
” “ Because , it ’ s a physical impossibility to lift yourself up by a bootstrap , by your shoelaces , ” she continued .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former bartender who is now a congresswoman , added : “ The whole thing is a joke.
” Ocasio-Cortez was seemingly referencing a piece from the HuffPost : “ Why The Phrase ‘ Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps ’ Is Nonsense.
” “ Long gone are the days when , say , a lower-middle class , outer-borough bartender could ascend to the commanding heights of America ’ s ruling elite , ” The Daily Beast ’ s Lachlan Markay said , clearly speaking of Ocasio-Cortez herself .
“ In other news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s tongues , nor do pots have the ability to call kettles black , ” joked Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro .
Ocasio-Cortez also made headlines on Tuesday , when she announced that she would boycott President Donald Trump ’ s annual State of the Union Address .
The Democrat wasn ’ t alone , of course .
According to reports from The Hill and Axios , the following Democrats boycotted the speech , too ( and four more Democrats walked out mid-speech ) : “ After much deliberation , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump ’ s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution , ” Ocasio-Cortez said in a Twitter thread on Tuesday .
“ None of this is normal , and I will not legitimize it .
Consequently , I will not be attending the State of the Union.
” “ This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make , and a choice I did not take lightly .
I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # SOTU , ” AOC added .
Instead of attending the speech , the congresswoman spoke to viewers via Instagram .
While responding to questions , Ocasio-Cortez mocked conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh , who announced earlier this week that he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer .
Limbaugh , who was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the SOTU , is a “ virulent racist , ” AOC claimed , The Daily Wire reported Wednesday .
Furthermore , the Democrat said Limbaugh ’ s reaction to the award was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ joke ” who “ needed an “ Oprah moment.
” “ First of all , the Presidential Medal of Freedom is an extraordinarily scared , um , award .
We ’ re talking about putting someone on the same level as Rosa Parks , you know , for example in terms of their contributions to American progress .
Rush Limbaugh is a virulent racist , um , but even just on top of that , um , to do it in the middle of a State of the Union and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it has , there ’ s all sorts of norms that are being violated , not just for people ’ s humanity , but also it truly just cheapens the value of it .
Um , also him pretending to be surprised was such a joke that this has been news all day , there have been multiple reports from multiple news outlets saying that Rush Limbaugh was going to receive the Medal of Freedom and then Trump announced it and he had to like pretend that this was some kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disingenuous and to do that and to give it to Rush Limbaugh when there were plenty of people in that audience that have contributed positively to the fabric of American society , much more frankly , than he has , um .
You know , but it ’ s red meat to his base , Trump knows what he is doing and he wants to assert that Rush Limbaugh is somehow on the same level as Rosa Parks , um , and it ’ s truly nauseating .
”

On Thursday, far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), speaking literally about a common expression on hard work, said it was “physically impossible” for people to pull themselves up by their own “bootstraps” or “shoelaces.”
“This idea of a bootstrap,” started AOC. “You know this idea, this metaphor of a bootstrap started off as a joke.”
“Because, it’s a physical impossibility to lift yourself up by a bootstrap, by your shoelaces,” she continued. “It’s physically impossible!”
Ocasio-Cortez, a former bartender who is now a congresswoman, added: “The whole thing is a joke.”
WATCH:
.@AOC on America’s rags-to-riches ideal: “It’s a physical impossibility to lift yourself up by a bootstrap, by your shoelaces? It’s physically impossible. The whole thing is a joke.” pic.twitter.com/9WNf8UE06T — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 6, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez was seemingly referencing a piece from the HuffPost: “Why The Phrase ‘Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps’ Is Nonsense.”
Here’s a bit from the post:
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” It’s a common phrase in American political discourse, particularly present in conservative rhetoric about self-reliance.
The concept is simple: To pull yourself up by your bootstraps means to succeed or elevate yourself without any outside help. But when you examine this expression and its current meaning, it doesn’t seem to make much sense.
To pull yourself up by your bootstraps is actually physically impossible. In fact, the original meaning of the phrase was more along the lines of “to try to do something completely absurd.” AOC was roundly mocked for the comments, not just for the bizarre literal take, but for the anti-American sentiment, which is disproven every day in America.
“Long gone are the days when, say, a lower-middle class, outer-borough bartender could ascend to the commanding heights of America’s ruling elite,” The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay said, clearly speaking of Ocasio-Cortez herself.
Long gone are the days when, say, a lower-middle class, outer-borough bartender could ascend to the commanding heights of America's ruling elite https://t.co/NCA8R28XkR — Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) February 6, 2020
“In other news, cats don’t actually have people’s tongues, nor do pots have the ability to call kettles black,” joked Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro.
In other news, cats don't actually have people's tongues, nor do pots have the ability to call kettles black https://t.co/XN6pA1OsNV — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 6, 2020
Blaze TV’s Lauren Chen posted:
“Not sure what’s funnier: >AOC taking metaphors literally >AOC, a former bartender who is now a congressman, dismissing the idea of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.”
Not sure what's funnier: >AOC taking metaphors literally >AOC, a former bartender who is now a congressman, dismissing the idea of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps https://t.co/VuMYnlEmtR — Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) February 6, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez also made headlines on Tuesday, when she announced that she would boycott President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union Address.
The Democrat wasn’t alone, of course. According to reports from The Hill and Axios, the following Democrats boycotted the speech, too (and four more Democrats walked out mid-speech):
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
“After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a Twitter thread on Tuesday. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”
“This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make, and a choice I did not take lightly. I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents and follow up with their questions about #SOTU,” AOC added.
Instead of attending the speech, the congresswoman spoke to viewers via Instagram. While responding to questions, Ocasio-Cortez mocked conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who announced earlier this week that he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
Limbaugh, who was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the SOTU, is a “virulent racist,” AOC claimed, The Daily Wire reported Wednesday. Furthermore, the Democrat said Limbaugh’s reaction to the award was “disingenuous,” calling the cancer-stricken host a “joke” who “needed an “Oprah moment.”
Here’s the transcript:


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--Bernie Madoff Wants Early Release From Prison

It ’ s tempting to feel a twinge of sorrow for convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff , who is nearing the end of his life and according to court filings , now wants early release from prison to spend time with loved ones .
After all , he ’ s already served 11 years of a 150-year sentence .
He says he has just months to live , and for all his faults , he didn ’ t kill anyone , right ?
Well , like most things involving Madoff and the perverse world he created for himself , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to the truth .
First of all , Madoff ’ s loved ones are scant : He is said to be estranged from his wife , Ruth , and his grandchildren .
He may not have killed people , but several of his clients killed themselves after hearing they lost nearly all their money in his scheme .
Both his sons are dead , while his older , Mark , was one of those who took his own life in the dismal aftermath of his father ’ s fraud .
I remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was reporting for CNBC on the financial crisis and the federal government bailouts that prevented a complete meltdown of the banking system and global economy .
And then seemingly out of nowhere the Madoff scandal hit .
Madoff had been one of Wall Street ’ s most respected figures : He helped create the Nasdaq stock market and even ran an eponymous market-making operation .
Yet this same man had also committed a vast , years-long fraud that eluded regulators and cost investors countless billions in losses .
He did so through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a small office with just a few hand-picked advisers .
The firm was marketed to some of the world ’ s biggest banks and investors in addition to average people who entrusted Madoff with their life savings .
Madoff seemed legit , according to many on Wall Street , but he was running a classic Ponzi scheme : Investors would receive their returns from Madoff with money stolen from other investors .
The scam lasted years until too many panicked investors during the 2008 banking implosion demanded all their money at once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself in , telling his two sons , who idolized their master-of-the-universe father , “ it ’ s all just one big lie.
” The boys did the right thing .
They went to the FBI , cooperated with authorities , and yet , they would be tarred with endless suspicion that they were in on the action even after multiple law enforcement agencies turned over every rock to try to prove their culpability and came up with nothing .
Mark tried to remake himself but Wall Street avoided him like the plague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his lower Manhattan loft , leaving behind a wife and four children .
Andrew suffered as well in the court of public opinion .
But unlike his more reticent brother , he fought back publicly — defending his family by granting television interviews where he made it clear who was to blame for the scandal .
He described the catastrophe as “ a father-son betrayal of biblical proportions , ” according to an interview he gave to the New York Times .
I didn ’ t know Mark or Andrew , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years covering Wall Street , when he was considered one of the financial world ’ s most imposing and respected figures .
Over the years , his ability to crank out steady returns would pique the interest of many investors and occasionally securities regulators , who questioned whether it was mathematically possible to consistently pick winners the way Madoff did .
Madoff talked his way out of most of the scrutiny ; he based his success on a vague trading regimen , “ the split-strike-conversion strategy , ” he called it , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ esoteric securities to beat the market .
Yet if regulators , particularly those at the Securities and Exchange Commission , took even a casual look at his operations , they would have known there were no trades , no options buying , and no real investments .
It was just an investment illusion : Fake returns designed to keep a constant flow of money into that small office so he always had enough cash on hand to make periodic payments to those clients who wanted to cash out .
It ’ s hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could sleep at night knowing he was running what investigators believe was a decades-long super-scam that would produce some $ 65 billion in initial losses ( and plenty of human misery ) when it was exposed .
But that was Bernie Madoff .
He seemed to rationalize everything .
I witnessed Madoff ’ s dark side first hand in 2011 during a series of telephone interviews and email exchanges .
He was in jail , the federal penitentiary in Butner , North Carolina .
I reached out to him hoping for a live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and off for weeks .
In the end , he decided not to grant me the face-to-face interview , but he gave me enough material to write several pieces for FOX Business , including one where I quoted him trying to put the best possible spin on the whole sordid affair .
If he was guilt- ridden over the suicide of Mark , he didn ’ t show it in our conversations and email chats .
If he felt even a hint of remorse over the shattered life of his wife , Ruth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she once dominated , I couldn ’ t tell .
But he seemed to have his own rationalization of his actions down cold .
He told me that at bottom , the reason he did what he did was because he was `` trapped into the greed of others , '' such as his large clients who demanded high returns and looked away from obvious red flags about his claims of producing consistent year-after-year high returns , to keep the fraud going .
`` I made a terrible mistake with the help of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicit parties were complicit does not excuse me for allowing myself to be trapped into the greed of others , '' he writes in one of his emails .
`` The only reason my LARGE investors continued to give me money was they all believed that I was front running ( illegally trading ahead of customers ) like everyone else and they felt this explained my consistent performance [ sic ] . ''
Madoff adds that `` The Swiss were especially fond of this explanation and that rumor swept thru Europe for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ o.k .
because all the other firms were also doing it .
In their warped minds this practice was no worse than illegal bank accounts [ sic ] . ''
Madoff would later tell me he was unhappy with my article , which became the basis of a follow-up piece , and I haven ’ t had any contact with him since our 2011 exchanges .
He later blocked me from sending emails to his federal prison email address .
Of course , much has happened since those dark days when the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madoff ” became synonymous with a sinister brand of white-collar fraud .
But Bernie still makes news ; now the 81-year-old inmate says he ’ s terminally ill and would like to make amends with his family during his final days on earth .
BERNIE MADOFF : 6 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MAN BEHIND THE LARGEST FINANCIAL FRAUD IN US HISTORY Once again , I can ’ t help but believe Madoff is gaming the system .
The federal courts recently granted early release to another ailing fraudster , former WorldCom chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a mastermind of among the biggest accounting frauds in US history , though the collapse of WorldCom would never match the loss of money and life that Madoff ’ s scam produced .
Ebbers was released last month after serving about 15 years of a 25-year sentence and died at home with his family last week at the age of 78 .
Madoff , after serving just 11 years for a far bigger crime , is essentially asking for the same treatment .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release Bernie Ebbers just received and promptly died less than a month later , ” said Columbia law school professor John Coffee , who specializes in white-collar crime and corporate law .
But Coffee adds , “ Madoff does not seem that terminal yet and his application may be deemed premature.
” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

It’s tempting to feel a twinge of sorrow for convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, who is nearing the end of his life and according to court filings, now wants early release from prison to spend time with loved ones. After all, he’s already served 11 years of a 150-year sentence. He says he has just months to live, and for all his faults, he didn’t kill anyone, right?
Well, like most things involving Madoff and the perverse world he created for himself, you need to scratch beyond the surface to get to the truth. First of all, Madoff’s loved ones are scant: He is said to be estranged from his wife, Ruth, and his grandchildren. He may not have killed people, but several of his clients killed themselves after hearing they lost nearly all their money in his scheme. Both his sons are dead, while his older, Mark, was one of those who took his own life in the dismal aftermath of his father’s fraud.
I remember that day well in December 2008: I was reporting for CNBC on the financial crisis and the federal government bailouts that prevented a complete meltdown of the banking system and global economy. And then seemingly out of nowhere the Madoff scandal hit. Madoff had been one of Wall Street’s most respected figures: He helped create the Nasdaq stock market and even ran an eponymous market-making operation. Yet this same man had also committed a vast, years-long fraud that eluded regulators and cost investors countless billions in losses.
MADOFF: I'M A VICTIM, TOO
He did so through a boutique asset management company run out of a small office with just a few hand-picked advisers. The firm was marketed to some of the world’s biggest banks and investors in addition to average people who entrusted Madoff with their life savings. Madoff seemed legit, according to many on Wall Street, but he was running a classic Ponzi scheme: Investors would receive their returns from Madoff with money stolen from other investors. The scam lasted years until too many panicked investors during the 2008 banking implosion demanded all their money at once.
That’s when Bernie turned himself in, telling his two sons, who idolized their master-of-the-universe father, “it’s all just one big lie.”
The boys did the right thing. They went to the FBI, cooperated with authorities, and yet, they would be tarred with endless suspicion that they were in on the action even after multiple law enforcement agencies turned over every rock to try to prove their culpability and came up with nothing. Mark tried to remake himself but Wall Street avoided him like the plague; he hung himself two years later in his lower Manhattan loft, leaving behind a wife and four children.
Andrew suffered as well in the court of public opinion. But unlike his more reticent brother, he fought back publicly — defending his family by granting television interviews where he made it clear who was to blame for the scandal. He described the catastrophe as “a father-son betrayal of biblical proportions,” according to an interview he gave to the New York Times.
I didn’t know Mark or Andrew, but I knew Bernie Madoff during my long years covering Wall Street, when he was considered one of the financial world’s most imposing and respected figures. Over the years, his ability to crank out steady returns would pique the interest of many investors and occasionally securities regulators, who questioned whether it was mathematically possible to consistently pick winners the way Madoff did. Madoff talked his way out of most of the scrutiny; he based his success on a vague trading regimen, “the split-strike-conversion strategy,” he called it, which entailed the trading of options and other esoteric securities to beat the market.
MADOFF TO GASPARINO: YOU'RE A 'HATCHET MAN'
Yet if regulators, particularly those at the Securities and Exchange Commission, took even a casual look at his operations, they would have known there were no trades, no options buying, and no real investments. It was just an investment illusion: Fake returns designed to keep a constant flow of money into that small office so he always had enough cash on hand to make periodic payments to those clients who wanted to cash out.
It’s hard to believe that someone with a conscience could sleep at night knowing he was running what investigators believe was a decades-long super-scam that would produce some $65 billion in initial losses (and plenty of human misery) when it was exposed. But that was Bernie Madoff. He seemed to rationalize everything.
I witnessed Madoff’s dark side first hand in 2011 during a series of telephone interviews and email exchanges. He was in jail, the federal penitentiary in Butner, North Carolina. I reached out to him hoping for a live interview, and we began chatting on and off for weeks.
In the end, he decided not to grant me the face-to-face interview, but he gave me enough material to write several pieces for FOX Business, including one where I quoted him trying to put the best possible spin on the whole sordid affair. If he was guilt- ridden over the suicide of Mark, he didn’t show it in our conversations and email chats. If he felt even a hint of remorse over the shattered life of his wife, Ruth, now ostracized from the social circles she once dominated, I couldn’t tell.
But he seemed to have his own rationalization of his actions down cold. He told me that at bottom, the reason he did what he did was because he was "trapped into the greed of others," such as his large clients who demanded high returns and looked away from obvious red flags about his claims of producing consistent year-after-year high returns, to keep the fraud going.
"I made a terrible mistake with the help of others but the fact that these other complicit parties were complicit does not excuse me for allowing myself to be trapped into the greed of others," he writes in one of his emails. "The only reason my LARGE investors continued to give me money was they all believed that I was front running (illegally trading ahead of customers) like everyone else and they felt this explained my consistent performance [sic]."
BERNIE MADOFF TERMINALLY ILL, SEEKS EARLY PRISON RELEASE
Madoff adds that "The Swiss were especially fond of this explanation and that rumor swept thru Europe for years. They were sure that it was o.k. because all the other firms were also doing it. In their warped minds this practice was no worse than illegal bank accounts [sic]."
Madoff would later tell me he was unhappy with my article, which became the basis of a follow-up piece, and I haven’t had any contact with him since our 2011 exchanges. He later blocked me from sending emails to his federal prison email address.
Of course, much has happened since those dark days when the financial system was collapsing and the name “Madoff” became synonymous with a sinister brand of white-collar fraud. But Bernie still makes news; now the 81-year-old inmate says he’s terminally ill and would like to make amends with his family during his final days on earth.
BERNIE MADOFF: 6 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MAN BEHIND THE LARGEST FINANCIAL FRAUD IN US HISTORY
Once again, I can’t help but believe Madoff is gaming the system. The federal courts recently granted early release to another ailing fraudster, former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers, convicted in 2005 of being a mastermind of among the biggest accounting frauds in US history, though the collapse of WorldCom would never match the loss of money and life that Madoff’s scam produced.
Ebbers was released last month after serving about 15 years of a 25-year sentence and died at home with his family last week at the age of 78. Madoff, after serving just 11 years for a far bigger crime, is essentially asking for the same treatment.
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“(Madoff) may be attempting such release Bernie Ebbers just received and promptly died less than a month later,” said Columbia law school professor John Coffee, who specializes in white-collar crime and corporate law. But Coffee adds, “Madoff does not seem that terminal yet and his application may be deemed premature.”
Let’s hope so.
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bonginoreport--2020-02-08--Another One Bites the Dust: Trump Fires Gordon Sondland

President Trump recalled U.S .
Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland , who was an impeachment witness , on Friday evening .
Sondland , a Trump donor who became a top envoy , made the announcement that he has been recalled `` effective immediately . ''
“ I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve , to Secretary Pompeo for his consistent support , and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union , ” Sondland said in a statement , according to ABC News .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our work here has been the highlight of my career.
” During his testimony , Sondland initially said there was no quid pro quo agreement between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about allowing preapproved aid to transfer to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden .
However , he later clarified the record , saying he “ presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement.
” It was the second significant move of the evening by the Trump administration days after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment .
Hours earlier , the White House ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , another government official who testified in the House 's impeachment investigation , from the National Security Council along with his identical twin brother Yevgeny .
Vindman played a prominent role in the investigation into the president over Trump 's July 25 phone call with Zelensky .

President Trump recalled U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who was an impeachment witness, on Friday evening.
Sondland, a Trump donor who became a top envoy, made the announcement that he has been recalled "effective immediately."
“I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve, to Secretary Pompeo for his consistent support, and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union,” Sondland said in a statement, according to ABC News. “I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight of my career.”
During his testimony, Sondland initially said there was no quid pro quo agreement between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about allowing preapproved aid to transfer to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden. However, he later clarified the record, saying he “presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement.”
It was the second significant move of the evening by the Trump administration days after Trump was acquitted of two Ukraine-related articles of impeachment.
Hours earlier, the White House ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, another government official who testified in the House's impeachment investigation, from the National Security Council along with his identical twin brother Yevgeny.
Vindman played a prominent role in the investigation into the president over Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelensky.


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--Why Not: Ilhan Omar Blames U.S. for Floods in Other Countries

Rep. Ilhan Omar suggested Friday that the United States is to blame for catastrophic floods in other countries around the world .
`` When you see flooding happening in a country abroad and you are urgently raising money for these lives to be saved , you do n't think about , ‘ How have I contributed to the climate warming that has led to these floodings and these catastrophes that are taking place abroad ? '
'' Omar said at a Democracy Now !
and Rising Majority event .
Earlier this month , Omar expressed a similar concern when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the elimination of human existence .
“ Inaction on climate change , ” Omar tweeted , “ won ’ t just be costly in dollars — it will cost us our planet , ” she said on Twitter .
In her Friday remarks , Omar also blamed the U.S. for causing the problems that caused refugees to flee to America from other countries .
`` When you see a Somali refugee or an Iraqi refugee or a Libyan refugee , we often are like , ‘ this is my neighbor — they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We do n't ever pause to think , ‘ What American policy made them come over here ? '
'' she added .
Omar has been a consistent critic of America ’ s actions abroad .
The Somalia-born congresswoman has called for a complete overhaul of American foreign policy .
“ When I think about foreign policy , we need something equivalent to the 'Green New Deal , ' ” Omar last year .
“ It ’ s important for me to think about what an overhaul of our foreign policy should look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it impacts those around the world and where our values intersect with what ’ s happening .
”

Rep. Ilhan Omar suggested Friday that the United States is to blame for catastrophic floods in other countries around the world.
"When you see flooding happening in a country abroad and you are urgently raising money for these lives to be saved, you don't think about, ‘How have I contributed to the climate warming that has led to these floodings and these catastrophes that are taking place abroad?'" Omar said at a Democracy Now! and Rising Majority event.
Earlier this month, Omar expressed a similar concern when she warned that climate change inaction will lead to the elimination of human existence.
“Inaction on climate change,” Omar tweeted, “won’t just be costly in dollars — it will cost us our planet,” she said on Twitter.
Inaction on climate change won’t just be costly in dollars — it will cost us our planet.
This is not a drill. We’ve got to pass a #GreenNewDeal. https://t.co/CIxAk4oKlb — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 11, 2020
In her Friday remarks, Omar also blamed the U.S. for causing the problems that caused refugees to flee to America from other countries.
"When you see a Somali refugee or an Iraqi refugee or a Libyan refugee, we often are like, ‘this is my neighbor — they must have survived some struggle.' We don't ever pause to think, ‘What American policy made them come over here?'" she added.
Omar has been a consistent critic of America’s actions abroad. The Somalia-born congresswoman has called for a complete overhaul of American foreign policy.
“When I think about foreign policy, we need something equivalent to the 'Green New Deal,'” Omar said last year.
“It’s important for me to think about what an overhaul of our foreign policy should look like from the standpoint of really thinking how it impacts those around the world and where our values intersect with what’s happening.”


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--In NYC, Self-Defense Against Antifa Earns You Jail Time

This story begins in October of 2018 , when a handful of conservatives gathered at an event hosting at Manhattan ’ s Metropolitan Republican Club .
The day before the event , antifa vandals damaged the club , spray painting the doors , gluing the locks shut , breaking windows , and leaving a threatening note .
The note read , in part “ Our attack is merely a beginning .
We are not passive , we are not civil , and we will not apologize.
” What they were protesting was essentially a comedy show put on by shock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , antifa did show up .
They attacked a journalist and stole his equipment ( and got away with it ) as people left the event .
A group of antifa members who had been dispersed then circled the block and ambushed a group of members of the “ Proud Boys ” ( a men ’ s club founded by McInnes ) who were being escorted to the subway by the police .
Antifa had just ran into one problem – their targets fought back , and won .
Following a bizarre trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has worked with witches to cast hexes on Trump , two of the men acting in self-defense were sentenced to four years in prison as a result of the brief brawl .
The two , Maxwell Hare and John Kinsman , were charged with “ assault with a deadly weapon ” – the weapons being a boot , and a utility knife that was in one ’ s pockets but was never used .
It ’ s ridiculous in light of the context – but judge Mark Dwyer saw that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the men were “ soldiers doing McInnes bidding , ” and said that the political fighting reminded him of 1930s Europe .
All over a comedy show .
It ’ s hardly the only controversial sentence Dwyer has given in his career .
In July of 2014 , Judge Dwyer imposed a two-year sentence on a man who pled guilty to eight counts of sexual abuse with children .
The man ended up being released eight months early .
While not at the hands of the same judge , a NYC pimp who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a freezer was sentenced for four years .
This is Bill de Blasio and Chris Cuomo ’ s New York – violent criminals get a pass while Trump supporters get the book thrown at them .
Another case for worth highlighting is one that shows what occurs when the reverse happens .
On the anniversary of Trump ’ s inauguration in 2018 , a 56-year-old Jewish man leaving a pro-Trump party held by internet personality Mike Cernovich was randomly assaulted by an antifa member and beaten into suffering cardiac arrest .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The assailant then attacked police while they attempted to stop him .
That thug got only an eighteen month sentence .
The aforementioned dual four-year sentences were handed down in October of 2019 , but the story isn ’ t over yet , and another miscarriage of justice is in the works .
Now , a third man who acted in self-defense that night is set to go on trial , and it ’ s looking like it ’ ll be another witch hunt .
As McInnes writes : David Kuriakose is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe his trial was separated from Max and John ’ s because he is brown and that hurts the “ white supremacist ” narrative .
We also believe the courts and the media hid the fact that John ’ s family is black because that too hurts their story .
None of these men are Nazis .
They are Trump supporters and that is their crime .
In shaping their narrative during the initial trial , the media neglected to report that John Kinsman is married to an African-American woman ( and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to portray him as a violent racist .
And all of this is political .
Following the initial scuffle , the losing-antifa members told police to get lost , and the Proud Boys went on their way .
It wasn ’ t until the following day when Chris Cuomo decided he could politicize the entire matter by making a public case out of the ordeal .
Meanwhile , in the age of New York ’ s bail reform , actual criminals are set free without any concern for the consequences .

For as much as Antifa may hate America’s criminal justice system, they’re getting a pass from it.
This story begins in October of 2018, when a handful of conservatives gathered at an event hosting at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Republican Club. The day before the event, antifa vandals damaged the club, spray painting the doors, gluing the locks shut, breaking windows, and leaving a threatening note. The note read, in part “Our attack is merely a beginning. We are not passive, we are not civil, and we will not apologize.” What they were protesting was essentially a comedy show put on by shock jock conservative Gavin McInnes.
As promised, antifa did show up. They attacked a journalist and stole his equipment (and got away with it) as people left the event. A group of antifa members who had been dispersed then circled the block and ambushed a group of members of the “Proud Boys” (a men’s club founded by McInnes) who were being escorted to the subway by the police. Antifa had just ran into one problem – their targets fought back, and won.
Following a bizarre trial that included testimony from activist Sandi Bachom, who has worked with witches to cast hexes on Trump, two of the men acting in self-defense were sentenced to four years in prison as a result of the brief brawl. The two, Maxwell Hare and John Kinsman, were charged with “assault with a deadly weapon” – the weapons being a boot, and a utility knife that was in one’s pockets but was never used. It’s ridiculous in light of the context – but judge Mark Dwyer saw that as a fitting sentence. He proclaimed that the men were “soldiers doing McInnes’ bidding,” and said that the political fighting reminded him of 1930s Europe. All over a comedy show.
It’s hardly the only controversial sentence Dwyer has given in his career. In July of 2014, Judge Dwyer imposed a two-year sentence on a man who pled guilty to eight counts of sexual abuse with children. The man ended up being released eight months early.
While not at the hands of the same judge, a NYC pimp who kept the head of his girlfriend in a freezer was sentenced for four years. This is Bill de Blasio and Chris Cuomo’s New York – violent criminals get a pass while Trump supporters get the book thrown at them.
Another case for worth highlighting is one that shows what occurs when the reverse happens. On the anniversary of Trump’s inauguration in 2018, a 56-year-old Jewish man leaving a pro-Trump party held by internet personality Mike Cernovich was randomly assaulted by an antifa member and beaten into suffering cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital and nearly died. The assailant then attacked police while they attempted to stop him. That thug got only an eighteen month sentence.
The aforementioned dual four-year sentences were handed down in October of 2019, but the story isn’t over yet, and another miscarriage of justice is in the works.
Now, a third man who acted in self-defense that night is set to go on trial, and it’s looking like it’ll be another witch hunt. As McInnes writes: David Kuriakose is about to go on trial. We believe his trial was separated from Max and John’s because he is brown and that hurts the “white supremacist” narrative. We also believe the courts and the media hid the fact that John’s family is black because that too hurts their story. None of these men are Nazis. They are Trump supporters and that is their crime.
In shaping their narrative during the initial trial, the media neglected to report that John Kinsman is married to an African-American woman (and has a mixed race child) as they attempted to portray him as a violent racist.
And all of this is political. Following the initial scuffle, the losing-antifa members told police to get lost, and the Proud Boys went on their way. It wasn’t until the following day when Chris Cuomo decided he could politicize the entire matter by making a public case out of the ordeal.
Meanwhile, in the age of New York’s bail reform, actual criminals are set free without any concern for the consequences.


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--Buttigieg Campaign May Have Edited CNN Town Hall Footage To Include More Applause

Pete Buttigieg ’ s presidential campaign appears to have edited a video from a CNN town hall to add audience applause in a version it posted online .
The Buttigieg campaign posted a clip from a May 2019 CNN town hall ahead of another town hall Thursday night .
The Center for Popular Democracy Action , a left-wing political group , posted a side-by-side of the original video next to the apparently edited version , showing that the loud audience applause in the edited version was absent from the original version .
“ Statistically , we run the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to actually be worse off economically than our parents if nothing is done to change the trajectory of this economy , ” Buttigieg said in the video .
“ To me , that is not just a concern for our generation , it ’ s a concern that calls on us to build an alliance among generations to try to make sure that the future is better than the past , ” he continued .
( RELATED : Pete Buttigieg Was Asked If Third-Trimester Abortions Should Be Legal .
Here ’ s What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the edited video , the audience appeared to have broken out into thunderous applause , but in the unedited version , Buttigieg actually continued talking .
The Buttigieg campaign didn ’ t return a request for comment on the edited video .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign appears to have edited a video from a CNN town hall to add audience applause in a version it posted online.
The Buttigieg campaign posted a clip from a May 2019 CNN town hall ahead of another town hall Thursday night.
The Center for Popular Democracy Action, a left-wing political group, posted a side-by-side of the original video next to the apparently edited version, showing that the loud audience applause in the edited version was absent from the original version.
“Statistically, we run the risk of being the first generation in American history to actually be worse off economically than our parents if nothing is done to change the trajectory of this economy,” Buttigieg said in the video.
“To me, that is not just a concern for our generation, it’s a concern that calls on us to build an alliance among generations to try to make sure that the future is better than the past,” he continued. (RELATED: Pete Buttigieg Was Asked If Third-Trimester Abortions Should Be Legal. Here’s What He Said)
At that point in the edited video, the audience appeared to have broken out into thunderous applause, but in the unedited version, Buttigieg actually continued talking.
WATCH:
The Buttigieg campaign didn’t return a request for comment on the edited video.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--Key Witness Told Mueller Team That Manafort “Black Ledger” Evidence Was Fabricated

Key witness told Team Mueller that Russia collusion evidence found in Ukraine was fabricated .
Editors Note : Just The News officially launches later this month but we are offering you a sneak peek with this story of the sort of reporting we will be doing .
One of Robert Mueller ’ s pivotal trial witnesses told the special prosecutor ’ s team in spring 2018 that a key piece of Russia collusion evidence found in Ukraine known as the “ black ledger ” was fabricated , according to interviews and testimony .
The ledger document , which suddenly appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , showed alleged cash payments from Russian-backed politicians in Ukraine to ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort .
“ The ledger was completely made up , ” cooperating witness and Manafort business partner Rick Gates told prosecutors and FBI agents , according to a written summary of an April 2018 special counsel ’ s interview .
In a brief interview with Just the News , Gates confirmed the information in the summary .
“ The black ledger was a fabrication , ” Gates said .
“ It was never real , and this fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ account is backed by several Ukrainian officials who stated in interviews dating to 2018 that the ledger was of suspicious origins and could not be corroborated .
If true , Gates ’ account means the two key pieces of documentary evidence used by the media and FBI to drive the now-debunked Russia collusion narrative — the Steele dossier and the black ledger — were at best uncorroborated and at worst disinformation .
His account also raises the possibility that someone fabricated the document in Ukraine in an effort to restart investigative efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meddle in the U.S. presidential election .
Much mystery has surrounded the black ledger , which was publicized by the New York Times and other U.S. news outlets in the summer of 2016 and forced Manafort out as one of Trump ’ s top campaign officials .
After gaining wide attention as purported evidence of Russian ties to the Trump campaign , the ledger was never introduced as evidence at Manafort ’ s 2018 trial or significantly analyzed in Mueller ’ s final 2019 report , which concluded that Trump did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
No FBI 302 interview reports have been released either showing what the FBI concluded about the ledger .
Gates ’ interview with the Mueller team now provides a potential clue as to why .
By April 2018 , Gates had reached a plea deal to testify against Manafort in a criminal case that ultimately resulted in Manafort ’ s conviction on tax and illegal lobbying charges .
As the day-to-day manager of Manafort ’ s political consulting and lobbying efforts for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych , Gates handled Manafort ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when and how payments were made and from whom .
During a debriefing with Mueller ’ s team on April 10 , 2018 , Gates was asked about the August 2016 New York Times article that first alerted the public to the existence of the black ledger and eventually led to Manafort ’ s downfall .
“ The article was completely false , ” Gates is quoted as telling Mueller ’ s team in a written summary of the interview created by some of the attendees .
“ As you now know there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wired .
The ledger was completely made up.
” When pressed as to why he was so certain , Gates explained the ledger did not match the way Yanukovych ’ s Party of Regions made payments to consultants like Manafort .
“ It was not how the PoR [ Party of Regions ] did their record keeping , ” Gates told the prosecution team , according to the written summary .
Furthermore , Gates revealed that Manafort ’ s team had confirmed with the party ’ s former accountant that the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the party ’ s official accounting books burned in a 2014 fire during Ukraine ’ s Maidan uprising .
“ All the real records were burned when the party headquarters was set on fire when Yanukovych fled the country , ” Gates told the investigators , according to the interview summary .
The Party of Regions accountant reached by Manafort ’ s team told them that the black ledger was a “ copy of a document that did not exist ” and it “ was not even [ the accountant ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutors .
Gates ’ account to prosecutors closely matches what several Ukrainian officials have said for more than a year .
Ukraine ’ s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyy told me last spring that he believed the black ledger was not a contemporaneous document , and likely manufactured after the fact .
“ It was not to be considered a document of Manafort , ” Kholodnytskyy said in an interview .
“ It was not authenticated .
And at that time it should not be used in any way to bring accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates ’ and Manafort ’ s Ukrainian business partners , Konstantin Kilimnik , who is now indicted in the same case as Manafort but remain at large , wrote a senior U.S. State Department official in summer 2016 that the black ledger did not match actual payments made to Manafort ’ s firm .
“ I have some questions about this black cash stuff because those published records do not make sense , ” Kilimnik wrote the State official in August 2016 .
“ The time frame doesn ’ t match anything related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It does not match my records .
All fees Manafort got were wires , not cash.
” In December 2018 , a Ukrainian court ruled that two of that country ’ s government officials — member of parliament Sergey Leschenko and Artem Sytnyk , the head of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine — illegally interfered in the 2016 U.S. election by publicizing the black ledger evidence .
While that ruling has been overturned on a technicality , the role of Sytnyk and Leschenko in pushing the black ledger story remains true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he first received part of the black ledger when it was sent to him anonymously in February 2016 , but it made no mention of Manafort .
Months later , in August 2016 , more of the ledger became public , including the alleged Manafort payments .
Leschenko said he decided to publicize the information after confirming a few of the transactions likely occurred or matched known payments .
But Leschenko told me he never believed the black ledger could be used as court evidence because it couldn ’ t be proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authentic , given its mysterious appearance during the 2016 election .
“ The black ledger is an unofficial document , ” Leschenko told me .
“ And the black ledger was not used as official evidence in criminal investigations because you know in criminal investigations all proof has to be beyond a reasonable doubt .
And the black ledger is not a sample of such proof because we don ’ t know the nature of such document.
” In the end , the black ledger did prompt the discovery of real financial transactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately led to his conviction .
But its uncertain origins raise troubling questions about election meddling and what constitutes real evidence worthy of starting an American investigation .

One of Robert Mueller’s pivotal trial witnesses told the special prosecutor’s team in spring 2018 that a key piece of Russia collusion evidence found in Ukraine known as the “black ledger” was fabricated, according to interviews and testimony.
The ledger document, which suddenly appeared in Kiev during the 2016 U.S. election, showed alleged cash payments from Russian-backed politicians in Ukraine to ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
“The ledger was completely made up,” cooperating witness and Manafort business partner Rick Gates told prosecutors and FBI agents, according to a written summary of an April 2018 special counsel’s interview.
In a brief interview with Just the News, Gates confirmed the information in the summary. “The black ledger was a fabrication,” Gates said. “It was never real, and this fact has since been proven true.”
Gates’ account is backed by several Ukrainian officials who stated in interviews dating to 2018 that the ledger was of suspicious origins and could not be corroborated.
If true, Gates’ account means the two key pieces of documentary evidence used by the media and FBI to drive the now-debunked Russia collusion narrative — the Steele dossier and the black ledger — were at best uncorroborated and at worst disinformation. His account also raises the possibility that someone fabricated the document in Ukraine in an effort to restart investigative efforts on Manafort’s consulting work or to meddle in the U.S. presidential election.
Much mystery has surrounded the black ledger, which was publicized by the New York Times and other U.S. news outlets in the summer of 2016 and forced Manafort out as one of Trump’s top campaign officials.
After gaining wide attention as purported evidence of Russian ties to the Trump campaign, the ledger was never introduced as evidence at Manafort’s 2018 trial or significantly analyzed in Mueller’s final 2019 report, which concluded that Trump did not collude with Russia to influence the 2016 election. No FBI 302 interview reports have been released either showing what the FBI concluded about the ledger.
Gates’ interview with the Mueller team now provides a potential clue as to why.
By April 2018, Gates had reached a plea deal to testify against Manafort in a criminal case that ultimately resulted in Manafort’s conviction on tax and illegal lobbying charges. As the day-to-day manager of Manafort’s political consulting and lobbying efforts for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Gates handled Manafort’s operations and was deeply familiar with when and how payments were made and from whom.
During a debriefing with Mueller’s team on April 10, 2018, Gates was asked about the August 2016 New York Times article that first alerted the public to the existence of the black ledger and eventually led to Manafort’s downfall.
“The article was completely false,” Gates is quoted as telling Mueller’s team in a written summary of the interview created by some of the attendees. “As you now know there were no cash payments. The payments were wired. The ledger was completely made up.”
When pressed as to why he was so certain, Gates explained the ledger did not match the way Yanukovych’s Party of Regions made payments to consultants like Manafort.
“It was not how the PoR [Party of Regions] did their record keeping,” Gates told the prosecution team, according to the written summary.
Furthermore, Gates revealed that Manafort’s team had confirmed with the party’s former accountant that the black ledger could not be a contemporaneous document because the party’s official accounting books burned in a 2014 fire during Ukraine’s Maidan uprising.
“All the real records were burned when the party headquarters was set on fire when Yanukovych fled the country,” Gates told the investigators, according to the interview summary.
The Party of Regions accountant reached by Manafort’s team told them that the black ledger was a “copy of a document that did not exist” and it “was not even [the accountant’s own] handwriting,” Gates told the prosecutors.
Gates’ account to prosecutors closely matches what several Ukrainian officials have said for more than a year.
Ukraine’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyy told me last spring that he believed the black ledger was not a contemporaneous document, and likely manufactured after the fact.
“It was not to be considered a document of Manafort,” Kholodnytskyy said in an interview. “It was not authenticated. And at that time it should not be used in any way to bring accusations against anybody.”
Likewise, one of Gates’ and Manafort’s Ukrainian business partners, Konstantin Kilimnik, who is now indicted in the same case as Manafort but remain at large, wrote a senior U.S. State Department official in summer 2016 that the black ledger did not match actual payments made to Manafort’s firm.
“I have some questions about this black cash stuff because those published records do not make sense,” Kilimnik wrote the State official in August 2016. “The time frame doesn’t match anything related to payments made to Manafort. … It does not match my records. All fees Manafort got were wires, not cash.”
In December 2018, a Ukrainian court ruled that two of that country’s government officials — member of parliament Sergey Leschenko and Artem Sytnyk, the head of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine — illegally interfered in the 2016 U.S. election by publicizing the black ledger evidence.
While that ruling has been overturned on a technicality, the role of Sytnyk and Leschenko in pushing the black ledger story remains true.
In an interview last summer, Leschenko said he first received part of the black ledger when it was sent to him anonymously in February 2016, but it made no mention of Manafort. Months later, in August 2016, more of the ledger became public, including the alleged Manafort payments.
Leschenko said he decided to publicize the information after confirming a few of the transactions likely occurred or matched known payments.
But Leschenko told me he never believed the black ledger could be used as court evidence because it couldn’t be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that it was authentic, given its mysterious appearance during the 2016 election.
“The black ledger is an unofficial document,” Leschenko told me. “And the black ledger was not used as official evidence in criminal investigations because you know in criminal investigations all proof has to be beyond a reasonable doubt. And the black ledger is not a sample of such proof because we don’t know the nature of such document.”
In the end, the black ledger did prompt the discovery of real financial transactions and real crimes by Manafort, which ultimately led to his conviction.
But its uncertain origins raise troubling questions about election meddling and what constitutes real evidence worthy of starting an American investigation.


bonginoreport--2020-02-07--Four GOP Senators Ask Twitter to Ban Top Iranian Officials From Platform

Four Republican senators , led by Ted Cruz , sent a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey urging him to ban the accounts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif .
In addition to the Texas senator , the letter was signed by Sens .
Marco Rubio of Florida , Tom Cotton of Arkansas , and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee .
The four argue in the letter , a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Examiner , that banning Khamenei , Zarif , and other regime accounts would be in compliance with an executive order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposes sanctions on Khamenei and those acting on his behalf .
“ All Americans — including you and Twitter are prohibited from ‘ the making of any contribution or provision of ... goods or services ’ to them , ” the senators wrote .
“ While the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of Americans — and Twitter should not be censoring the political speech of Americans — the Ayatollah enjoys zero protection from the United States Bill of Rights , ” they continued .
“ And , as the leader of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorism — directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of US citizens — the Ayatollah and any American companies providing him assistance are entirely subject to US sanctions laws , ” the group said .
The senators said that while President Barack Obama ’ s administration “ created an exception for services and software incident to Internet-based communications , ” it doesn ’ t apply to Iranian government officials “ designated as a Specially Designated National ( SDN ) by the Department of the Treasury 's Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian government official.
” The move comes during increased tensions between the United States and Iran .
Last month , a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani , who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops during the Iraq War .
Iran retaliated for the strike by firing more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops .
The Washington Examiner reached out to the group of senators for comment .
A spokesman for Rubio said that the senator is letting the letter @ @ @ @ @ @

Four Republican senators, led by Ted Cruz, sent a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey urging him to ban the accounts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
In addition to the Texas senator, the letter was signed by Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
The four argue in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, that banning Khamenei, Zarif, and other regime accounts would be in compliance with an executive order that President Trump signed last year that imposes sanctions on Khamenei and those acting on his behalf.
“All Americans — including you and Twitter are prohibited from ‘the making of any contribution or provision of ... goods or services’ to them,” the senators wrote.
“While the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of Americans — and Twitter should not be censoring the political speech of Americans — the Ayatollah enjoys zero protection from the United States Bill of Rights,” they continued.
“And, as the leader of the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism — directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of US citizens — the Ayatollah and any American companies providing him assistance are entirely subject to US sanctions laws,” the group said.
“This letter is just one example of Senator Cruz’s fight in the Senate to hold technology companies like Twitter accountable," a spokesperson for Cruz told the Washington Examiner. "Companies that exploit special protections from liability under U.S. law to censor the political speech of those with whom they disagree while at the same time allowing the Ayatollah to propagandize an anti-American agenda on their platforms. As Sens. Cruz, Cotton, Blackburn, and Rubio make clear in the letter, for far too long, brutal regimes like the Ayatollah Khamenei have been empowered and strengthened at the expense of the Iranian people. Twitter is at risk of violating U.S. sanctions and should immediately cut off the Twitter accounts for members of the Iranian regime.”
The senators said that while President Barack Obama’s administration “created an exception for services and software incident to Internet-based communications,” it doesn’t apply to Iranian government officials “designated as a Specially Designated National (SDN) by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for reasons other than being an Iranian government official.”
The move comes during increased tensions between the United States and Iran. Last month, a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops during the Iraq War.
Iran retaliated for the strike by firing more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the group of senators for comment. A spokesman for Rubio said that the senator is letting the letter speak for itself for now.
Twitter declined to comment when contacted.


bonginoreport--2020-02-09--Man Accused of Driving Van Into GOP Registration Tent  Charged With Aggregated Assault

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. – Hours after a van plowed through a Republican Party tent where volunteers were registering voters , Jacksonville police arrested a 27-year-old man on two counts of aggravated assault on a person over 65 years old , criminal mischief and driving without a license .
The Jacksonville Sheriff ’ s Office identified Gregory William Loel Timm as the person behind the wheel of the van that struck the tent set up the parking lot of a Walmart Superstore at the corner of Atlantic and Kernan boulevards about 3:50 p.m. Saturday .
Timm is accused of pulling up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their tables .
“ It happened so quickly , ” said Nina Williams , a volunteer .
“ I just barely got out of the way.
” Lt. Larry Gayle said after driving through the tent , the driver , now identified as Timm , stopped , took a video and “ flipped off ” the people who were inside the tent before driving away .
Investigators have been monitoring social media to see if the video shows up .
No injuries were reported .
One of the volunteers provided photos of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t know if this is politically motivated , ” Gayle said .
While police weren ’ t ready to make that connection , the incident was quickly condemned as a political attack by both Republican and Democratic leaders in Jacksonville , Florida ’ s two U.S .
Senators , and even President Donald Trump .
Sens .
Marco Rubio and Rick Scott both called the attack “ politically motivated , '' with Rubio tweeting , “ Thanking God that no one was injured.
” Scott echoed that in his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be silenced or intimidated .
They will redouble their efforts to support strong Republicans in NE Florida and around the state ! ''
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry ’ s tweet emphasized that while thankfully no one was hurt , “ the hate is toxic and dangerous.
” The Duval County Executive Committee also condemned , “ this cowardly act of violence .
No one ’ s life should be placed in danger for exercising their first amendment rights , ” @ DuvalDEC tweeted .
“ We look forward to @ JSOPIO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also released a statement , which reads : `` As law enforcement continues to investigate this senseless and politically motivated attack , we are incredibly grateful that our volunteers were not hurt .
This act of cowardice will not silence us and we remain resilient.
” On Sunday , Timm made his first appearance before a judge on the charges and was ordered held on $ 530,000 bond .
His next court date was set for March 3 .
Trump Victory and the Republican Party of Duval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 a.m. Monday about the incident .

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hours after a van plowed through a Republican Party tent where volunteers were registering voters, Jacksonville police arrested a 27-year-old man on two counts of aggravated assault on a person over 65 years old, criminal mischief and driving without a license.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identified Gregory William Loel Timm as the person behind the wheel of the van that struck the tent set up the parking lot of a Walmart Superstore at the corner of Atlantic and Kernan boulevards about 3:50 p.m. Saturday.
Timm is accused of pulling up, driving through the tent and striking their tables.
“It happened so quickly,” said Nina Williams, a volunteer. “I just barely got out of the way.”
Lt. Larry Gayle said after driving through the tent, the driver, now identified as Timm, stopped, took a video and “flipped off” the people who were inside the tent before driving away. Investigators have been monitoring social media to see if the video shows up.
No injuries were reported. One of the volunteers provided photos of the older brown Chevrolet driving away.
UNCUT: Police briefing on vehicle assault
Police are looking for an older brown Chevrolet van the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said drove through a tent in a Walmart parking lot where Republican volunteers were registering people to vote.
“We don’t know if this is politically motivated,” Gayle said.
While police weren’t ready to make that connection, the incident was quickly condemned as a political attack by both Republican and Democratic leaders in Jacksonville, Florida’s two U.S. Senators, and even President Donald Trump.
Law Enforcement has been notified. Be careful tough guys who you play with! https://t.co/1Pq0hOrzy2 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2020
Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott both called the attack “politically motivated," with Rubio tweeting, “Thanking God that no one was injured.” Scott echoed that in his own tweet, adding, " @DuvalGOP will not be silenced or intimidated. They will redouble their efforts to support strong Republicans in NE Florida and around the state!"
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s tweet emphasized that while thankfully no one was hurt, “the hate is toxic and dangerous.”
Sadly, this happened. I spoke to the GOP chair. This is outrageous. The hate is toxic and dangerous. Thankfully no one was injured but certainly they are shaken after being targeted because they were registering voters. I’ve spoken to the Sheriff & of course his team is on this https://t.co/dRENZi0Bxq — Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) February 8, 2020
The Duval County Executive Committee also condemned, “this cowardly act of violence. No one’s life should be placed in danger for exercising their first amendment rights,” @DuvalDEC tweeted. “We look forward to @JSOPIO’s arrest of the perpetrator.”
Today in Jacksonville, Florida six Trump Campaign volunteers were intentionally targeted while registering voters. pic.twitter.com/0wzaCYh5ut — Duval County GOP (@DuvalGOP) February 8, 2020
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also released a statement, which reads: "As law enforcement continues to investigate this senseless and politically motivated attack, we are incredibly grateful that our volunteers were not hurt. This act of cowardice will not silence us and we remain resilient.”
On Sunday, Timm made his first appearance before a judge on the charges and was ordered held on $530,000 bond. His next court date was set for March 3.
Gregory Timm appears in court Sunday. (WJXT)
The International Stage Employees Alliance Local Union 115 said Timm was not an employee of but was referred for job placement through the local union.
“IATSE Local Union 115 has learned that one of our referrals, Gregory William Timm, was involved in an incident on February 8, 2020 at a GOP voter registration event. First and foremost, we are glad that no one was injured in that incident. IATSE Local Union 115 never condones violence against persons or property for any reason whatsoever. Timm is not an employee of this Local but is referred for job placement thru the Local’s hiring hall and has been since March 2019. IATSE Local 115 represents over 650 stage technicians throughout the North Florida area. Of these 650 workers, approximately 175 are IATSE Union Members. Timm does not hold membership in IATSE Local 115 but is referred for work through the Collective Bargaining Agreements the Local has with over 100 employers. The membership of IATSE Local 115 is a diverse group of workers with varying political beliefs and is outraged at the actions of Gregory William Timm.” IATSE Local 115
Trump Victory and the Republican Party of Duval County will host a news conference at 11 a.m. Monday about the incident.


bonginoreport--2020-02-09--NYT’s David Brooks: Trump’s Approval Has Jumped 10 Points Since Impeachment Inquiry Began

On Friday ’ s “ PBS NewsHour , ” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that Democrats “ paid @ @ @ @ @ pursuing impeachment .
Brooks said , “ I do think they paid a political price.
@ @ @ @ @ When this started … Gallup had Trump approval at 39 % .
The latest Gallup @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s a gigantic leap .
The Republican Party is more popular now than @ @ @ @ @ .
More Americans identify with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party now .
And @ @ @ @ @ , when they announced these numbers , they said , this is sort of what @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s something about this process that the American people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ of the American people .
So , I think there was a political cost .
@

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that Democrats “paid a political price” for pursuing impeachment.
Brooks said, “I do think they paid a political price.”
He added, “When this started … Gallup had Trump approval at 39%. The latest Gallup number is 49%. That’s a gigantic leap. The Republican Party is more popular now than at any time since 2005. More Americans identify with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party now. And as Gallup — the Gallup, when they announced these numbers, they said, this is sort of what happened when Clinton was impeached. There’s something about this process that the American people don’t like, or some percentage of the American people. So, I think there was a political cost.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett


bonginoreport--2020-02-09--Lindsey Graham Calls for Questioning Vindman About Connections to Alleged Whistleblower

Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman ’ s ouster from the National Security Council ( NSC ) was “ justified ” and that the officer needs to be asked about his relationship with the whistleblower who provoked an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump .
“ I think he reassignment was justified , I don ’ t think he could be effective at the NSC , ” Graham told CBS News ’ “ Face the Nation.
” “ What have I learned in the last two years ?
CIA agents , Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers , FBI agents have a political agenda and they acted on it … Colonel Vindman was not allowed to be asked questions about his connection to the alleged whistleblower.
” Trump fired Vindman on Friday from his position as director of European Affairs for the NSC .
On Saturday , the president explained in a tweet that Vindman was “ insubordinate ” and “ had problems with judgment.
” Vindman was a star witness who testified for the House Democrats during the impeachment inquiry .
( RELATED : Lt. Col. Vindman Says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tweets ) Graham , who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , says Vindman needs to be asked point blank : “ Did you leak to the whistleblower ?
” The senator told CBS News that “ People in his chain of command have been suspicious of him regarding his political point of view.
” When told that National Security Advisor Robert O ’ Brien said he “ was confident that there were no leaks ” coming from his agency , Graham replied , “ Well , I am not.
” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The judiciary committee chairman continued , “ I want [ Vindman ] to be asked about what he did with the information .
I appreciate his service but there are FBI agents who took the law in their own ands , there are CIA agents who took the law in their own hands .
There are DOJ lawyers who lied to the court .
There has been a movement since President Trump has been elected by people to take him down.
” “ We ’ re not going to be intimated against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what role he played with the whistleblower but we ’ re gon na look.
” Last November Trump suggested the Army officer could be a “ Never Trumper ” working against the administration .

Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s ouster from the National Security Council (NSC) was “justified” and that the officer needs to be asked about his relationship with the whistleblower who provoked an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
“I think he reassignment was justified, I don’t think he could be effective at the NSC,” Graham told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “What have I learned in the last two years? CIA agents, Department of State [and] Department of Justice lawyers, FBI agents have a political agenda and they acted on it … Colonel Vindman was not allowed to be asked questions about his connection to the alleged whistleblower.”
Trump fired Vindman on Friday from his position as director of European Affairs for the NSC. On Saturday, the president explained in a tweet that Vindman was “insubordinate” and “had problems with judgment.” Vindman was a star witness who testified for the House Democrats during the impeachment inquiry. (RELATED: Lt. Col. Vindman Says He Feels ‘Marginalized’ By Mean Tweets)
Graham, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says Vindman needs to be asked point blank: “Did you leak to the whistleblower?”
The senator told CBS News that “People in his chain of command have been suspicious of him regarding his political point of view.”
When told that National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said he “was confident that there were no leaks” coming from his agency, Graham replied, “Well, I am not.” (RELATED: Trump Fires Ambassador Gordon Sondland)
The judiciary committee chairman continued, “I want [Vindman] to be asked about what he did with the information. I appreciate his service but there are FBI agents who took the law in their own ands, there are CIA agents who took the law in their own hands. There are DOJ lawyers who lied to the court. There has been a movement since President Trump has been elected by people to take him down.”
“We’re not going to be intimated against asking questions. I don’t know what role he played with the whistleblower but we’re gonna look.”
Last November Trump suggested the Army officer could be a “Never Trumper” working against the administration.


bonginoreport--2020-02-09--Illegal Alien Who Avoided Deportation is Allegedly One of Texas’ Worst Serial Killers

An illegal alien who used a loophole to obtain a green card is now suspected of smothering 22 elderly people in Texas , most of whom were women .
Billy Chemirmir had posed as a maintenance worker at various senior living facilities throughout the Dallas-Forth Worth metro area between 2016 and 2018 .
In May 2019 he was finally arrested and charged with the deaths of at least a dozen elderly women , making him one of Texas ’ most prolific serial killers .
Now Chemirmir is suspected of killing up to 22 elderly residents of Texas , mostly women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two lawsuits were filed in the 4th County Court at Law in Dallas by three families alleging their loved ones were killed by Chemirmir and the retirement community where they lived , Preston Place Retirement Community , didn ’ t do enough to protect them .
One of the victims mentioned in the lawsuits is Miriam Nelson , who told staff at Preston Place that a man she did not recognize had entered her apartment .
Two days later , she would be dead .
Her son-in-law , former Dallas Cowboys safety Cliff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Preston Place .
“ We made an assumption that it was safe , ” Harris told the Morning News .
“ These ladies , these widows are the most vulnerable part of society .
I feel like they were sitting ducks .
Nelson had told her family that a man believed to be Chemirmir entered her apartment claiming he needed to check for leaks .
Nelson did not recognize him as one of the regular maintenance men , so she called the front office .
It was the middle of a weekday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next morning her grandson complained to the management office .
At the time , five women had already died under mysterious circumstances .
The day after her grandson complained , Nelson was murdered .
“ By the end of the month , Miriam ’ s family would discover the horrific and preventable reality about what happened on the last day of their mom ’ s life .
They would discover that the same man who had accessed and robbed Miriam ’ s apartment on March 7 , 2018 had returned two days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he forced his way into Miriam ’ s apartment and forced Miriam into her bed .
They would learn that he then placed a pillow over their mother ’ s face and held it down as Miriam struggled helplessly to breathe .
They learned that , after he had killed Miriam , Chemirmir had scavenged her apartment to steal the fine jewelry he must have identified during his first visit , ” the lawsuit stated .
Two other women – Mamie Dell Miya and another unnamed woman – were mentioned in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their deaths , but the Morning News reported that police reports included in the lawsuit show that authorities suspected Miya ’ s death may have been a capital murder case .
If Chemirmir did indeed kill the 22 people that have been publicly linked to him , it would make him a more prolific serial killer than even Jeffrey Dahmer , who was proven to have killed 16 people .
( For reference , John Wayne Gacy was proven to have killed 33 people ) .
Chemirmir has only been charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Preston Place .
Chemirmir is alleged to have overstayed his tourist visa and then marrying an American woman as part of a sham marriage that allowed him to stay in the country .
He had already been arrested for driving while under the influence and aggravated assault , which should have gotten him deported .
As for the retirement community where many of the murders took place , CBSDFW reported that the lawsuit against Preston Place accused the retirement community of being “ geared only toward in luring elderly residents to maximize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners and investors .
”

An illegal alien who used a loophole to obtain a green card is now suspected of smothering 22 elderly people in Texas, most of whom were women.
Billy Chemirmir had posed as a maintenance worker at various senior living facilities throughout the Dallas-Forth Worth metro area between 2016 and 2018. In May 2019 he was finally arrested and charged with the deaths of at least a dozen elderly women, making him one of Texas’ most prolific serial killers.
Now Chemirmir is suspected of killing up to 22 elderly residents of Texas, mostly women, The Dallas Morning News reported. Two lawsuits were filed in the 4th County Court at Law in Dallas by three families alleging their loved ones were killed by Chemirmir and the retirement community where they lived, Preston Place Retirement Community, didn’t do enough to protect them.
One of the victims mentioned in the lawsuits is Miriam Nelson, who told staff at Preston Place that a man she did not recognize had entered her apartment. Two days later, she would be dead. Her son-in-law, former Dallas Cowboys safety Cliff Harris has since called for improved security at Preston Place.
“We made an assumption that it was safe,” Harris told the Morning News. “These ladies, these widows are the most vulnerable part of society. I feel like they were sitting ducks.
Nelson had told her family that a man believed to be Chemirmir entered her apartment claiming he needed to check for leaks. Nelson did not recognize him as one of the regular maintenance men, so she called the front office. It was the middle of a weekday, yet no one answered. The next morning her grandson complained to the management office. At the time, five women had already died under mysterious circumstances. The day after her grandson complained, Nelson was murdered.
“By the end of the month, Miriam’s family would discover the horrific and preventable reality about what happened on the last day of their mom’s life. They would discover that the same man who had accessed and robbed Miriam’s apartment on March 7, 2018 had returned two days later on March 9th. They would learn that he forced his way into Miriam’s apartment and forced Miriam into her bed. They would learn that he then placed a pillow over their mother’s face and held it down as Miriam struggled helplessly to breathe. They learned that, after he had killed Miriam, Chemirmir had scavenged her apartment to steal the fine jewelry he must have identified during his first visit,” the lawsuit stated.
Two other women – Mamie Dell Miya and another unnamed woman – were mentioned in the lawsuits. Chemirmir has not been charged with their deaths, but the Morning News reported that police reports included in the lawsuit show that authorities suspected Miya’s death may have been a capital murder case. If Chemirmir did indeed kill the 22 people that have been publicly linked to him, it would make him a more prolific serial killer than even Jeffrey Dahmer, who was proven to have killed 16 people. (For reference, John Wayne Gacy was proven to have killed 33 people).
Chemirmir has only been charged with 12 deaths so far, including seven from Preston Place. Chemirmir is alleged to have overstayed his tourist visa and then marrying an American woman as part of a sham marriage that allowed him to stay in the country. He had already been arrested for driving while under the influence and aggravated assault, which should have gotten him deported.
As for the retirement community where many of the murders took place, CBSDFW reported that the lawsuit against Preston Place accused the retirement community of being “geared only toward in luring elderly residents to maximize occupancy and profits for their private equity owners and investors.”