buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Clearview’s Facial Recognition App Has Been Used By The Justice Department, ICE, Macy’s, Walmart, An

Clearview’s Facial Recognition App Has Been Used By The Justice Department, ICE, Macy’s, Walmart, And The NBA

A BuzzFeed News review of Clearview AI documents has revealed the company is working with more than 2,200 law enforcement agencies , companies , and individuals around the world .
The United States ’ main immigration enforcement agency , the Department of Justice , retailers including Best Buy and Macy ’ s , and a sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates are among the thousands of government entities and private businesses around the world listed as clients of the controversial facial recognition startup with a database of billions of photos scraped from social media and the web .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing legal threats from Facebook , Google , and Twitter , as well as calls for regulation and scrutiny in the US .
But new documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News reveal that it has already shared or sold its technology to thousands of organizations around the world .
In its quest to create a global biometric identification system to span both public and private sectors , Clearview has signed paid contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) , the US Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the document obtained by BuzzFeed News .
The company has credentialed users at the FBI , Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) , Interpol , and hundreds of local police departments .
In doing so , Clearview has taken a flood-the-zone approach to seeking out new clients , providing access not just to organizations , but to individuals within those organizations — sometimes with little or no oversight or awareness from their own management .
Clearview ’ s software , which claims to match photos of persons of interest to online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been used by people in more than 2,200 law enforcement departments , government agencies , and companies across 27 countries , according to the documents .
This data provides the most complete picture to date of who has used the controversial technology and reveals what some observers have previously feared : Clearview AI ’ s facial recognition has been deployed at every level of American society and is making its way around the world .
The New York–based startup has claimed its controversial technology is intended as a tool for police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .
“ It ’ s strictly for law enforcement , ” Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That said on Fox Business earlier this month .
He noted in a Feb. 5 statement to BuzzFeed News that his company was “ focused on doing business in USA and Canada.
” But in reality , Clearview AI has also been aggressively pursuing clients in industries such as law , retail , banking , and gaming and pushing into international markets in Europe , South America , Asia Pacific , and the Middle East .
Got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this story at Caroline.Haskins @ buzzfeed.com or Ryan.Mac @ buzzfeed.com , or contact us here .
In reply to an extensive list of questions , Clearview attorney Tor Ekeland said , `` There are numerous inaccuracies in this illegally obtained information .
As there is an ongoing Federal investigation , we have no further comment . ''
Clearview has attracted a whirlwind of attention for claiming it had built unprecedented facial recognition trained on an ever-increasing database of more than 3 billion photos ripped from Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the New York Times , Ton-That said the company was working with 600 law enforcement agencies across the country and had provided the software , which can be used on a desktop computer or through a mobile app , to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security .
The internal documents , which were uncovered by a source who declined to be named for fear of retribution from the company or the government agencies named in them , detail just how far Clearview has been able to distribute its technology , providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security departments to attorneys general offices , and in countries from Australia to Saudi Arabia .
BuzzFeed News authenticated the logs , which list about 2,900 institutions and include details such as the number of log-ins , the number of searches , and the date of the last search .
Some organizations did not have log-ins or did not run searches , according to the documents , and BuzzFeed News is only disclosing the entities that have established at least one account and performed at least one search .
Even with that criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Clearview AI , a small startup founded three years ago , has been able to get its software to employees at some of the world ’ s most powerful organizations .
According to documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News , people associated with 2,228 law enforcement agencies , companies , and institutions have created accounts and collectively performed nearly 500,000 searches — all of them tracked and logged by the company .
While some of these entities have formal contracts with Clearview , many do not .
A majority of Clearview ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials , most of which last 30 days .
In some cases , when BuzzFeed News reached out to organizations from the documents , officials at a number of those places initially had no idea their employees were using the software or denied ever trying the facial recognition tool .
Some of those people later admitted that Clearview accounts did exist within their organizations after follow-up questions from BuzzFeed News led them to query their workers .
“ This is completely crazy , ” Clare Garvie , a senior associate at the Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School , told BuzzFeed News .
“ Here ’ s why it ’ s concerning to me : There is no clear line between who is permitted access to this incredibly powerful and incredibly risky tool and who doesn ’ t have access .
There is not a clear line between law enforcement and non-law enforcement.
” There are currently no federal laws regulating the use of facial recognition , though several elected officials have proposed bills .
States including Illinois have developed regulations on the corporate use of biometric data , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In that regulatory vacuum , Clearview has thrived , doling out free trials seemingly at will and encouraging law enforcement officers and officials to invite their colleagues and perform as many searches as possible .
On Wednesday , Clearview AI told the Daily Beast that an intruder had “ gained unauthorized access to its list ” of customers .
`` Unfortunately , data breaches are part of life in the 21st century .
Our servers were never accessed , '' Ekeland told the Daily Beast .
`` We patched the flaw , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security.
” The explanation did not sit well with some lawmakers , including Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden .
“ Shrugging and saying data breaches happen is cold comfort for Americans who could have their information spilled out to hackers without their consent or knowledge , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ Companies that scoop up and market vast troves of information , including facial recognition products , should be held accountable if they don ’ t keep that information safe.
” Clearview CEO Ton-That has been coy about his company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News suggest his startup has deeply penetrated multiple departments and agencies there .
Among them is the Department of Homeland Security , where employees at CBP , the country ’ s main border security organization , are listed in the documents as having registered nearly 280 accounts .
In total , those accounts have run almost 7,500 searches , the most of any federal agency that did not have some type of paid relationship .
A spokesperson for CBP said Clearview was not used for the agency ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Agents at ICE have also used Clearview , according to company documents , running more than 8,000 searches from about 60 different accounts associated with a Homeland Security Investigations field office in El Paso , Texas , an ICE office in Cherry Hill , New Jersey , and a Border Enforcement Security Task Force at New York ’ s John F. Kennedy Airport .
The documents also indicate employees of ICE ’ s Enforcement and Removal Operations , the body responsible for the arrest and deportation of those in the country without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson for ICE told BuzzFeed News that HSI began a paid pilot program in June 2019 through its Child Exploitation Investigations Unit and noted that a formal contract has not yet been signed .
“ ICE ’ s use of facial recognition technology is primarily used by Homeland Security Investigations ( HSI ) special agents investigating child exploitation and other cybercrime cases , ” the spokesperson said .
“ ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations ( ERO ) officers have also occasionally used the technology , as task force officers with HSI and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on human trafficking investigations.
” Jacinta González , a senior campaign director at Mijente , a Latinx advocacy group , told BuzzFeed News that ICE ’ s use of Clearview in the absence of a regulatory framework is troubling .
“ This tool goes way beyond anything that is legal , and there is literally no accountability for how they 're going to use this tool , ” she said .
“ They could walk into a supermarket , scan people , see if it matches up , and deport them immediately.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Become a BuzzFeed News member today .
The documents also show that employees at 10 fusion centers , intelligence intake facilities that are recognized by DHS , are deploying Clearview across the country and in the US Virgin Islands .
One of those fusion centers in Louisiana was listed as a paying customer .
Clearview has also been used inside the Department of Justice , where the list of government organizations trialing the company ’ s facial recognition software includes multiple offices at the US Secret Service ( some 5,600 searches ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 searches ) ; the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms , and Explosives ( more than 2,100 searches ) ; and the FBI ( 5,700 searches across at least 20 different field offices ) .
Spokespeople for all these agencies either declined comment or did not respond to a request for comment .
Two DOJ organizations — the criminal intelligence branch of the US Marshals and the US Attorney ’ s Office in the Southern District of New York — are paying to use Clearview .
A spokesperson for the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm the use of any specific , sensitive equipment and techniques that may be deployed by law enforcement , ” while the US Attorney ’ s Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
“ Government agents should not be running our faces against a shadily assembled database of billions of our photos in secret and with no safeguards against abuse , ” Nathan Freed Wessler , a staff attorney with the ACLU , said to BuzzFeed News .
“ More fundamentally , that so many law and immigration enforcement agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privacy-invading technology peddled by a company that ca n't even keep its client list secure further demonstrates why lawmakers must halt use of face recognition technology , as communities nationwide are demanding . ''
Clearview ’ s technology may have even made it to the White House .
Documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News include an entry for “ White House Tech Office ” with a single user , who logged in back in September 2019 to perform six searches .
The White House did not confirm or deny if that was the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff member attempted to access more information about this product , it was not an official inquiry and was not sanctioned by the White House , ” a senior White House official told BuzzFeed News .
Beyond the federal government , Clearview AI ’ s free trials have inspired facial recognition usage in hundreds of regional , state , county , and local law enforcement agencies .
The Miami Police Department , for example , has run over 3,000 Clearview searches , according to the documents .
The San Mateo County Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as has the Philadelphia Police Department .
The Indiana State Police , identified in the startup ’ s documents as a paying agency , has run more than 5,700 scans .
The New York State Police , which has several users who have run dozens of searches , said Clearview is one of many tools used by the agency .
The agency paid $ 15,000 for Clearview licenses , according to federal spending database GovSpend .
“ The Clearview AI facial recognition software is used to generate potential leads in criminal investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clearly identified public safety issue , ” a New York State Police representative said to BuzzFeed News .
The bulk of Clearview ’ s paying customers are local and state police departments .
The Atlanta Police Department , paid $ 6,000 for three licenses last year , according to documents obtained by BuzzFeed News .
Officers in Wyomissing , Pennsylvania , paid $ 1,000 for a license , according to federal spending database GovSpend .
Clearview AI can be a powerful tool for local police .
A representative for the Chicago Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-year Clearview log-ins for 30 people — told BuzzFeed News that it is one of two types of facial recognition software the department uses .
The first , DataWorks , uses an internal library of mugshots taken in and around the Chicago area .
Clearview , meanwhile , employs more than 3 billion pictures from social media and “ millions of websites , ” according to its CEO , creating a dragnet that could encompass the world .
Users with Chicago police , whose contract with Clearview runs through 2021 , have collectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no match [ on DataWorks ] , we try Clearview , ” a Chicago police representative said .
“ DataWorks is a closed system , so it only looks at photos we have .
But Clearview uses open source media.
” Jason Ercole , a captain with the Senoia Police Department , which is about 40 miles south of Atlanta , said he started with a free trial of Clearview before converting to a paid license and has since made one positive identification of a suspect who was allegedly cashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have to go through any training to obtain or use the software and noted he never uses a Clearview match as the sole basis for obtaining a warrant for arrest .
“ It ’ s just like you giving a weapon to a police officer , ” Ercole said .
“ You would hope that he uses it properly and doesn ’ t use it improperly and remembers his training .
It ’ s a good tool if used appropriately and with caution.
” Clearview ’ s propensity to hand out free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government email addresses has sometimes created situations in which law enforcement agencies appear to have no idea the tool is being used by their employees .
While the nation ’ s largest police department , the NYPD , previously denied it had any formal relationship with Clearview , the document shows that officers there have run more than 11,000 searches , the most of any entity on the document .
More than 30 officers have Clearview accounts , according to the logs .
An NYPD spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that while it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearview , its “ established practices did not authorize the use of services such as Clearview AI nor did they specifically prohibit it.
” “ Technology developments are happening rapidly and law enforcement works to keep up with this technology in real time , ” the spokesperson said in a statement .
“ We are in the process of updating the NYPD ’ s policy on Facial Recognition practices to address emerging issues.
” Garvie said that these rogue uses of facial recognition are very concerning and that the public has no way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law enforcement purpose .
“ Not only are these officers operating completely outside of the established outside procedures set up by the NYPD to run these face recognition searches , but they ’ re vastly expanding the types of cases to which face recognition is actually being applied , ” Garvie said .
Even when a police department decides Clearview is not the right fit , it can be hard to prevent officers from using it .
The Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina was a paying client but later discontinued its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moratorium on its use of the app after it was unable to get the company to fully comply with an audit .
Despite the severing of that relationship , Raleigh police officers continued to use Clearview beyond the ban on Feb. 11 and signed up with free trials , according to a department spokesperson .
Clearview isn ’ t only targeting police departments at the state level .
Multiple state government agencies are working with the company , according to its logs , including the Illinois secretary of state .
Behind the NYPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ searches of any entity on the list , clocking nearly 9,000 scans .
A representative for the secretary ’ s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
Clearview ’ s client list also extends to the American education system , with more than 50 educational institutions across 24 states named in the log .
Among them are two high schools .
Those two , Central Montco Technical High School in Pennsylvania and Somerset Berkley Regional High School in Massachusetts , did not respond to a request for comment .
Somerset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list with Somerset Berkley Regional , initially denied ever using Clearview or any facial recognition software , but later stated that a detective had received a 30-day free trial .
The documents show that each school was only associated with one account .
Neither had run more than five searches .
While most universities listed on the documents showed low search counts like the University of Alabama ( about 30 searches ) or the police at Florida International University ( more than 200 searches ) , the fact that it was being used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all alarmed activists .
In some cases , school officials had no idea it was being used .
“ This is exactly why we ’ ve been calling for administrators to enact a ban , ” said Evan Greer , deputy director of Fight for the Future , a digital rights advocacy group .
“ So much of this happens in secrecy .
A security officer shouldn ’ t be able to use this to stalk students around campus.
” A spokesperson for New York ’ s Columbia University , which had one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the list and has similarly committed to not using facial recognition , told BuzzFeed News that `` Columbia ’ s Public Safety has never tested facial recognition technology and there are no plans to use it . ''
They declined to say why someone associated with the university had tried Clearview .
Southern Methodist University first said that campus police were not using the software , but after multiple follow-ups from BuzzFeed News , a representative admitted that Clearview provided an employee with a test account .
“ SMU decided not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official said , declining to answer further questions about why documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News showed multiple accounts tied to the university .
The University of Minnesota , which had previously committed to not using facial recognition , seemed to have a similar problem after documents showed that employees associated with the campus police department had used Clearview .
A university spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that its police department “ does not have a contract with Clearview AI.
” “ While some individual officers may have been offered trials of the software in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not and is not part of regular business operations , ” said the spokesperson .
More than 200 companies have Clearview accounts , according to the documents , including major stores like Kohl ’ s and Walmart and banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America .
While some of these entities have formal contracts with Clearview , the majority — as with public sector entities — appear to have only used the facial recognition software on free trials .
Greer said that if people focus conversations about facial recognition only on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ missing the bigger picture.
” “ The fact that their client list includes all these major corporations shows that private entities can also use this type of invasive technology in incredibly abusive ways , ” she said .
For a company that maintains its tools are for law enforcement , Clearview ’ s client list includes a startling number of private companies in industries like entertainment ( Madison Square Garden and Eventbrite ) , gaming ( Las Vegas Sands and Pechanga Resort Casino ) , sports ( the NBA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cryptocurrency ( Coinbase ) .
`` While we conducted a limited test as we do with an array of potential vendors , we are not and have never been a client of this company , '' an NBA spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
A representative for Madison Square Garden told BuzzFeed News after this story 's publication that the venue demoed the product last year , but did n't move forward with a trial .
Clearview 's logs show that two accounts associated with the sports and events venue ran more than 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for Coinbase said the company was testing Clearview because of its `` unique needs around security and compliance , '' but it was not using the service with customer data .
`` Our security and compliance teams tested Clearview AI to see if the service could meaningfully bolster our efforts to protect employees and offices against physical threats and investigate fraud , '' they said .
`` At this time , we have not made any commitments to use Clearview AI . ''
The logs also show the facial recognition startup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 46 financial institutions trying the tool .
A Bank of America spokesperson confirmed to BuzzFeed News that it ’ s not a paying customer , but declined to explain why Clearview ’ s logs list it as having conducted more than 1,900 searches .
“ We ’ re not a client of Clearview , ” a Bank of America spokesperson said .
“ We haven ’ t been a client , we didn ’ t stop being a client , and we never were a client.
” Employees at big-box retailers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department stores have also trialed Clearview .
Company logs reviewed by BuzzFeed News include Walmart ( nearly 300 searches ) , Best Buy ( more than 200 searches ) , grocer Albertsons ( more than 40 searches ) , and Rite Aid ( about 35 searches ) .
Kohl ’ s , which has run more than 2,000 searches across 11 different accounts , and Macy ’ s , a paying customer that has completed more than 6,000 , are among the private companies with the most searches .
Employees at mobile carriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and T-Mobile also appear in the Clearview documents .
None of these companies appear to be paying customers , but their employees are listed as having collectively run hundreds of Clearview searches .
AT & T , which searched for some 200 people , confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the company did not pay for the service , but declined further comment .
Clearview ’ s code of conduct states that individual users must be “ authorized by their employer ” to use the tool , but that seems to be more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clearview ’ s documents show that at Home Depot , five accounts ran nearly 100 searches .
“ We don ’ t use Clearview AI , ” a Home Depot representative told BuzzFeed News when asked for comment .
“ Curious why you thought we ’ re a client.
” Garvie was alarmed by Clearview ’ s application to retail settings , noting that it could lead to the profiling of customers for shoplifting or theft .
When BuzzFeed News reported earlier this month that Clearview AI had used marketing materials that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international expansion , ” the company was dismissive , noting that it was focused on the US and Canada .
The company ’ s client list suggests otherwise .
It shows that Clearview AI has expanded to at least 26 countries outside the US , engaging national law enforcement agencies , government bodies , and police forces in Australia , Belgium , Brazil , Canada , Denmark , Finland , France , Ireland , India , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Malta , the Netherlands , Norway , Portugal , Serbia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the United Kingdom .
The log also has an entry for Interpol , which ran more than 320 searches .
Reached for comment , the worldwide policing agency confirmed that “ a small number of officers ” in its Crimes Against Children unit had used Clearview ’ s facial recognition app with a 30-day free trial account .
That trial has now ended and “ there is no formal relationship between Interpol and Clearview , ” the Interpol General Secretariat said in a statement .
It ’ s unclear how Clearview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in countries with records of human rights violations or authoritarian regimes .
In an interview with PBS , Ton-That said Clearview would never sell to countries “ adverse to the US , ” including China , Iran , and North Korea .
Asked by PBS if he would sell to countries where being gay is a crime , he didn ’ t answer , stating once again that the company ’ s focus is on the US and Canada .
Clearview , however , has already provided its software to organizations in countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to its documents .
In Saudi Arabia , for example , the documents indicate that Clearview gave access to the Thakaa Center , also known as the AI Center of Advanced Studies , a Riyadh-based research center whose clients include Saudi Arabia ’ s Ministry of Investment .
Thakaa , which did not respond to a request for comment , was given access to the software earlier this month , according to the documents .
In the UAE , which criminalizes homosexuality , the company ’ s logs show that Clearview has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Mubadala Investment Company , the country ’ s sovereign wealth fund , which has run more than 100 searches .
The facial recognition software has also been used by UAE police , according to the documents , which indicate that it ’ s specifically used for the Ministry of Interior ’ s Child Protection Center in Abu Dhabi .
Outside of the US , Clearview ’ s largest market is Canada , where company logs show access to its app has been given to both public and private entities .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country with access to the software , including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , which is listed as a paying customer according to the documents , and the Toronto Police Service , which despite being on free trials have run more than 3,400 searches across about 150 accounts .
Just as in the US , some law enforcement agencies around the world seemed unaware that their officers or employees had signed up and used Clearview .
The Australian Federal Police said in a statement that it does not use it but declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records show that employees associated with the organization have run more than 100 searches — some as recently as January 2020 .
In the UK , London ’ s Metropolitan Police only told BuzzFeed News that Clearview was not being used in its recently deployed live facial recognition tool but declined to comment on the more than 170 searches noted in Clearview ’ s logs .
Some responses were more ominous .
In India , the only entity that has signed up for the software was the Vadodara City Police in the western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s records show that the department signed up last month and had only run a handful of searches .
When asked by a BuzzFeed News reporter if police in the city were still using the facial recognition technology , Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut responded with a short text and did not respond to further questions .

The United States’ main immigration enforcement agency, the Department of Justice, retailers including Best Buy and Macy’s, and a sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates are among the thousands of government entities and private businesses around the world listed as clients of the controversial facial recognition startup with a database of billions of photos scraped from social media and the web.
The startup, Clearview AI, is facing legal threats from Facebook, Google, and Twitter, as well as calls for regulation and scrutiny in the US. But new documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News reveal that it has already shared or sold its technology to thousands of organizations around the world.
In its quest to create a global biometric identification system to span both public and private sectors, Clearview has signed paid contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and Macy’s, according to the document obtained by BuzzFeed News. The company has credentialed users at the FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Interpol, and hundreds of local police departments. In doing so, Clearview has taken a flood-the-zone approach to seeking out new clients, providing access not just to organizations, but to individuals within those organizations — sometimes with little or no oversight or awareness from their own management.
Clearview’s software, which claims to match photos of persons of interest to online images culled from millions of sites, has been used by people in more than 2,200 law enforcement departments, government agencies, and companies across 27 countries, according to the documents. This data provides the most complete picture to date of who has used the controversial technology and reveals what some observers have previously feared: Clearview AI’s facial recognition has been deployed at every level of American society and is making its way around the world.
The New York–based startup has claimed its controversial technology is intended as a tool for police and that it was prioritizing business in North America. “It’s strictly for law enforcement,” Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That said on Fox Business earlier this month. He noted in a Feb. 5 statement to BuzzFeed News that his company was “focused on doing business in USA and Canada.” But in reality, Clearview AI has also been aggressively pursuing clients in industries such as law, retail, banking, and gaming and pushing into international markets in Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
Got a tip? Email one of the reporters of this story at Caroline.Haskins@buzzfeed.com or Ryan.Mac@buzzfeed.com, or contact us here.
In reply to an extensive list of questions, Clearview attorney Tor Ekeland said, "There are numerous inaccuracies in this illegally obtained information. As there is an ongoing Federal investigation, we have no further comment."
Clearview has attracted a whirlwind of attention for claiming it had built unprecedented facial recognition trained on an ever-increasing database of more than 3 billion photos ripped from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other websites. In a January interview with the New York Times, Ton-That said the company was working with 600 law enforcement agencies across the country and had provided the software, which can be used on a desktop computer or through a mobile app, to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Moderates Are Consolidating Behind Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders Insists It Changes Nothing.

SALT LAKE CITY — The news about Amy Klobuchar and Harry Reid broke in Utah just before Bernie Sanders took the stage .
“ Let me tell you something , ” he yelled into the mic , backdropped by a sweep of mountains and snow .
“ The establishment is getting very , very nervous.
” Past a crowd of more than 5,800 at an outdoor rally in Utah , in the open area set up for members of the press , his deputy campaign manager , Ari Rabin-Havt , arrived to insist that the building number of endorsements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed nothing for the 78-year-old Vermont senator ahead of Super Tuesday contests here and in 14 other states and territories .
Did Bernie know about Klobuchar and Reid ’ s support for Biden , a reporter asked .
Was he freaked out ?
“ He also knows about the Nation endorsing us and Democracy for America , ” he said , two progressive institutions that recently announced their support for Sanders .
“ We believe regardless of all this , we are still the strongest campaign coming into Super Tuesday.
” In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign has rapidly consolidated support from establishment and moderate Democrats , with two candidates dropping out to endorse his campaign and longtime party leaders jumping off the sidelines to back him before Super Tuesday .
After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada last month , Sanders looked to be on a path to gaining at least a plurality of delegates with a strong performance in states like California and Texas this week .
But Biden ’ s blowout victory in South Carolina last weekend — coupled with growing establishment fears about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s chances both against Donald Trump and in House and Senate races this fall — has altered the race .
Sanders typically celebrates any evidence of `` establishment backlash '' — framing it , in speeches and interviews , as proof his movement is working — but the news of moderates moving so quickly to halt his path could be a genuine concern for his chances this spring .
Klobuchar , the Minnesota senator who surged to best Biden in New Hampshire , ended her own presidential campaign Monday to back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leader Harry Reid , a longtime party titan in Nevada , endorsed Biden on Monday , saying he is the candidate “ best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.
” A slew of former Pete Buttigieg endorsers joined , as did former Obama-era officials like Susan Rice .
Buttigieg , who suddenly bowed out of the race Sunday night , is now also expected to endorse Biden at an event Monday night , multiple other news organizations have reported .
The remarkable turn of events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates after more than a year of a sprawling and at times unruly Democratic field .
Thousands of voters have already cast their ballots early in states that vote Tuesday , like Texas and California , where Sanders is poised to net delegates on Tuesday .
But in a two-man race against Biden , he would face tougher odds in states later this spring where voters view him less favorably , such as Florida and Georgia .
Sanders ’ campaign manager , Faiz Shakir , who previously worked for Reid , responded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision with disappointment .

SALT LAKE CITY — The news about Amy Klobuchar and Harry Reid broke in Utah just before Bernie Sanders took the stage. “Let me tell you something,” he yelled into the mic, backdropped by a sweep of mountains and snow. “The establishment is getting very, very nervous.”
Past a crowd of more than 5,800 at an outdoor rally in Utah, in the open area set up for members of the press, his deputy campaign manager, Ari Rabin-Havt, arrived to insist that the building number of endorsements for Joe Biden’s presidential bid had changed nothing for the 78-year-old Vermont senator ahead of Super Tuesday contests here and in 14 other states and territories.
Did Bernie know about Klobuchar and Reid’s support for Biden, a reporter asked.
“Yes,” said Rabin-Havt.
Was he freaked out?
“No,” said Rabin-Havt.
“He also knows about the Nation endorsing us and Democracy for America,” he said, two progressive institutions that recently announced their support for Sanders. “We believe regardless of all this, we are still the strongest campaign coming into Super Tuesday.”
In a matter of hours, Biden’s presidential campaign has rapidly consolidated support from establishment and moderate Democrats, with two candidates dropping out to endorse his campaign and longtime party leaders jumping off the sidelines to back him before Super Tuesday.
After wins in New Hampshire and Nevada last month, Sanders looked to be on a path to gaining at least a plurality of delegates with a strong performance in states like California and Texas this week. But Biden’s blowout victory in South Carolina last weekend — coupled with growing establishment fears about what a Sanders ticket would mean for the party’s chances both against Donald Trump and in House and Senate races this fall — has altered the race.
Sanders typically celebrates any evidence of "establishment backlash" — framing it, in speeches and interviews, as proof his movement is working — but the news of moderates moving so quickly to halt his path could be a genuine concern for his chances this spring.
Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator who surged to best Biden in New Hampshire, ended her own presidential campaign Monday to back the former vice president. Former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, a longtime party titan in Nevada, endorsed Biden on Monday, saying he is the candidate “best able to defeat Donald Trump and enact the policies we all care about.” A slew of former Pete Buttigieg endorsers joined, as did former Obama-era officials like Susan Rice.
Buttigieg, who suddenly bowed out of the race Sunday night, endorsed Biden just ahead of a campaign event in Dallas.
"When I ran for president, we made it clear that the whole idea was about rallying the country together to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for the values that we share, Buttigieg said with Biden at his side at a Dallas restaurant. "And that was always a goal that was much bigger than me becoming president. And it is in the name of that very same goal that I'm delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president."
Beto O'Rourke, who ran for president until late last year, is also reportedly expected to endorse Biden on Monday.
The remarkable turn of events has shrunk the presidential race to five candidates after more than a year of a sprawling and at times unruly Democratic field.
Thousands of voters have already cast their ballots early in states that vote Tuesday, like Texas and California, where Sanders is poised to net delegates on Tuesday. But in a two-man race against Biden, he would face tougher odds in states later this spring where voters view him less favorably, such as Florida and Georgia.
Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, who previously worked for Reid, responded to the wave of news after Klobuchar’s decision with disappointment.


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Mueller Memos Part 6: What Witnesses Told Investigators About Trump And Russia

The Justice Department and FBI have turned over to BuzzFeed News and CNN the latest cache of highly secretive interview summaries from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the inquiry .
The documents include interview summaries from Trump adviser Jared Kushner , former campaign chair Paul Manafort , former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates , and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon .
Excerpts from some of the interview summaries , known as FBI 302s , are sprinkled throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details were omitted .
For example , interview summaries released to BuzzFeed News last month revealed that former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told investigators he had met with other officials several times after FBI director James Comey was fired to discuss `` whether there was predication to open an obstruction investigation on Trump ” and other Russia-related investigations .
The summaries also showed that senior advisers Stephen Miller and Kushner , along with former communications director Hope Hicks , sometimes drafted tweets for Trump , that Bannon didn ’ t think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal , and that former national security adviser Michael Flynn sought guidance from Obama administration officials Susan Rice and Ben Rhodes “ about how to do things.
” Since last November , the government has released about 100 interview summaries — nearly 1,400 pages — representing roughly 42 of the more than 500 witnesses who spoke to Mueller ’ s investigators .
The majority of the documents released thus far have been heavily redacted .
BuzzFeed News began a legal challenge last month to one particular category of exemption from the Freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most hotly anticipated prosecutorial document in a generation , laying out the evidence of Russia 's interference in the 2016 election and Trump ’ s attempts to obstruct the investigation .
But at 448 pages , it reflected only a tiny fraction of the primary-source documents that Mueller ’ s team had amassed over the course of its investigation .
Last May , BuzzFeed News , and later CNN , filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the FBI and Justice Department to gain access to the thousands of pages of interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to FBI agents and investigators .
Here are the highlights from this installment :

J.D. Gordon, a Trump campaign adviser during the 2016 election, unloaded on Trump and the campaign, telling Mueller’s team he was “glad the interviewing Agents were speaking with him as he believed there were a lot of shenanigans happening at the highest levels.”
Gordon, a Navy veteran and former Pentagon spokesperson, spoke in unusually vivid detail about dysfunction within the campaign’s foreign policy team and the controversial changes to the Republican platform surrounding Ukraine during the 2016 convention. Several noteworthy details from his interviews with the special counsel’s office were excluded from Mueller’s final report.
“Gordon described the Trump campaign as being disorganized and chaotic at times and stated it was important for the Agents to understand that concept when conducting this investigation,” according to an August 2017 interview summary.
Among Gordon’s complaints were that Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks had lied about contacts between the campaign and Russians.
“Gordon said he hoped the Russian investigation was very thorough,” the summary says. “Gordon thinks Trump must be guilty of something. He is constantly ripping people off. Trump lies all the time and surrounds himself with people who don't tell the truth. Gordon explained Hicks had lied about contact with Russians. Gordon thinks she probably lied to protect Trump whether she knew anything or not.”
He also complained that he didn’t get paid for his work on the campaign as promised, prompting him to quit on Aug. 10, 2016.
“Gordon was offered a position with the Presidential Transition Team but said he wouldn't show up until he got a check and he never received payment,” the summary says. “The campaign was shady and dishonest.”
Gordon said then-senator Jeff Sessions, who ran the campaign’s foreign policy team and later became Trump’s attorney general, was a “good friend” who had offered him the campaign job. But things didn’t go well, according to Gordon.
“Gordon described the foreign policy team as being run like a 6th grade student council with no real authority or power,” the summary states. Gordon also said that “the last person to speak to Trump has the most influence on his decisions,” and that Jared Kushner “had a lot of say with Trump.”
In one apparent example of campaign dysfunction, Gordon said that Walid Phares, another foreign policy adviser, “had come up with a list of ambassadors to meet with and when Kushner found out, Kushner said only he would be meeting with ambassadors.” Kushner “came up with an idea, which Gordon jokingly referred to as ‘win a call with Kushner,’ where campaign members were asked to write bios on various ambassadors and Kushner would have a phone call with whoever wrote the best ambassador bios about those particular ambassadors.” Phares quit two weeks into the gig after Rick Dearborn, another campaign official, told the advisers “they couldn't meet with ambassadors.”
Gordon and someone whose name is redacted “got stuck writing the bios,” and Kushner eventually met with ambassadors for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, according to the summary.
“At one point, [REDACTED] sent Dearborn a note about Kushner's outreaches after finding out [REDACTED] tried to setup a meeting with the Saudi prince,” the summary says. “Gordon had [REDACTED] talk to Dearborn about going through the embassies to setup meetings because back channels are always about money.”
Gordon said it was Sam Clovis, another campaign adviser, who came up with the list of who would serve on the foreign policy team. The list included Phares, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, and Keith Kellogg, among others.
“Eventually Clovis was pushed out of his role,” Gordon’s summary states. Page and Papadopoulos “were bad news for the campaign.” Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of Mueller’s probe.
In May 2016, Gordon and Phares were planning to fire Papadopoulos “after a story broke about his statements to the British press,” but Clovis wanted to give him another chance, the summary says. “They were worried that if they fired Papadopoulos he would go to the press and tell them that the foreign policy advisor team was a scam.”
Gordon spoke to investigators about two key events that Mueller scrutinized in his final report. His interview summary paints a more vivid picture of one of those events, an encounter with Sergey Kislyak at a reception following an event for ambassadors in Cleveland at the same time as the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Mueller’s report said that “Gordon ran into Kislyak as the two prepared plates of food, and they decided to sit at the same table to eat.” There, they were joined by Page and the ambassadors from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. “As they ate, Gordon and Kislyak talked for what Gordon estimated to have been three to five minutes, during which Gordon again mentioned that he meant what he said in his speech about improving U.S.-Russia relations.”
Gordon’s interview summary notes that the reception was “a networking event” that offered free food and drink, and that Gordon and Kislyak encountered one another at “the chicken satay tray.” Gordon also said that he “knew the Kazakh ambassador prior to this event.” Page, according to Gordon, “briefly spoke with Kislyak and the Azerbaijan ambassador.” Gordon said he and Kislyak not only spoke about US–Russia relations; they also “talked about Russia's attempt to warn the U.S. about the Boston bomber.”
Gordon also shed light on how the Republican platform came to present less forceful language around Ukraine and Russia than what was originally proposed.
On March 31, 2016, the foreign policy team held a two-hour meeting in Washington, DC, Gordon said. It was then that Papadopoulos proposed a Trump–Putin meeting.
“Gordon described Papadopoulos as acting on his own and wheeling and dealing,” the interview summary states. “Papadopoulos said he was working with the ambassador in the United Kingdom and Putin was interested in meeting with Trump, working through the ambassador to make it happen. Sessions said it was a bad idea and shut it down. Apparently Papadopoulos kept doing it, repeatedly going around Gordon.”
During both his August 2017 interview and a 2019 interview with Mueller’s office, Gordon recalled comments Trump made about Ukraine and Russia. “In that meeting, Trump said the Europeans should do more about the situation in Ukraine,” reads the summary of an interview with Gordon on Feb. 14, 2019. “Trump had also said he wanted better relations with Russia and he didn't want World War III over Ukraine.”
Mueller’s report detailed how months later at the RNC, delegate Diana Denman proposed an amendment to the platform that expressed support for Ukraine in the midst of Russia’s "ongoing military aggression" — support that included "providing lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine's armed forces.”
“Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trump's stated position on Ukraine, which Gordon personally heard the candidate say at the March 31 foreign policy meeting — namely, that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine, that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations, and that he did not want to start World War III over that region,” the Mueller report says. The amendment was eventually edited from “lethal assistance” to “appropriate assistance.”
In his 2017 interview summary, Gordon said Denman was “hell-bent on arming Ukraine” and that he had heard that she “had been to Ukraine and was involved in elections monitoring there. Denman was a [Ted] Cruz delegate and a protagonist.”
Gordon said Denman “was upset” by his desire to “withdraw the whole amendment.” He also said that Trump and Manafort “exacerbated the issue by lying about the platform in the news on July 31.”
“Manafort denied the campaign's involvement in changing the platform in an interview with Chuck Todd,” the summary states. “Gordon explained that the campaign was involved in legitimately changing the amendment through debate. Trump doesn't pay attention and ended up saying the same thing in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. Trump said he had heard the campaign was involved in the change but he had nothing to do with the platform change.”
Near the end of his interview that day, Gordon heaped more criticism on Trump — but stopped short of accusing him of collusion. Though the beginning of the sentence is redacted, the summary says “Trump was involved in inappropriate activity” and that “Gordon made this statement based on 3500 lawsuits Trump is involved in, business deals with Russia, not paying his policy office. The investigators could likely find something illegal Trump was involved in but Gordon is not aware of any election meddling that Trump was involved in.”
A delegate interview contradicted Mueller's finding


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Amy Klobuchar May Be Out Of The Race, But Her Wrath Will Endure

A few weeks ago , after the very loose Las Vegas debate , Sen. Amy Klobuchar sat down with CNN ’ s Erin Burnett , who asked various questions and then teed up a clip of Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg arguing over what it meant that she had forgotten the Mexican president 's name .
When CNN returned to the live shot , Burnett and Klobuchar sat side by side in folding chairs , squinting grimly at what appeared to be a monitor located somewhere offscreen .
“ You went on to say , ” Burnett said , glancing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be as perfect as you are ' to Mayor Pete .
But what were you thinking in that moment ?
” Of course , we all know what Amy Klobuchar was thinking in that moment .
For nearly 24 hours , as soon as Buttigieg dropped out , Twitter was alight with Klobuchar ’ s name and GIFs following a narrative of satisfaction and mirth ( even if she , of course , tweeted her great respect and regard for the former mayor ) .
On Monday afternoon , Klobuchar herself dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be flying to Texas and endorsing Joe Biden in person and onstage , just hours before Minnesota ’ s not insignificant Tuesday primary .
All of this came just after Buttigieg quit but before he too could endorse Biden — a narrow gap that allowed Klobuchar just one last triumph over the perfect Pete Buttigieg .
Or , at the very least , that ’ s how a lot of people received the news : an online/group text festival of joy in spite .
Her distaste for the younger , less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the churning rage she plainly felt toward parts of the nominating process — has been one of the rare moments of collective consciousness this election cycle .
It was as though , like at the same time , our eyes finally adjusted to a dark room .
And maybe because it 's so personal , and so entirely detached from the outcome of the election , that it also became a great source of joy online .
When Biden 's campaign manager mocked the Buttigieg campaign ’ s third-place performance in Nevada on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Let 's see if she gives it the old RT.
” This aspect of Klobuchar registers differently with people : delight , ironic delight , a leery kind of recognition , a righteous kind of recognition , an outright distaste for the passive aggression on display .
Most debates , however , involved at least a few moments of the rage that suggests Klobuchar in her suit and New Balance sneakers pulling out a book of matches while “ Smells Like Teen Spirit ” cues up .
This was the candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , Biden , and Tom Steyer .
This was the candidate who enters a gym in Iowa mid-caucus and goes first to the people in Pete 's corner .
This is the candidate who remembers a criticism about Washington experience in the November debate and rebuts that line in the December debate .
“ As usual , ” she said last weekend after the Nevada caucus results , “ I think we have exceeded expectations .
A lot of people didn ’ t think I ’ d be standing at this point.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked in that two-step formulation : a ) a quip in which she has implicitly persevered over a slight , followed by b ) a practical answer or plan on policy — often crowd-pleasing , if not as ideological as progressives would like .
In this , there 's a portrait of Klobuchar : smart , formidable , dissatisfied .
There 's a National song with this kind of tone , a breakup song .
“ Besides , I barely ever see you anymore / And when I do it feels like you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ song goes .
“ Young mothers love me / Even ghosts of girlfriends call from Cleveland / They will meet me anytime and anywhere.
” People have sliced this in different ways : as part of a feminist frustration with male mediocrity or , incorporating what former staffers described as Klobuchar 's abusive behavior as a boss , into an argument about the poisonous # GirlBoss .
Because there is a darker edge at work here .
This was also the candidate who , after failing to name the Mexican president in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving so quickly that her microphone was still attached .
She returned an hour later — after telling a different interviewer the Mexican president 's name ( as she told Burnett , “ I have since , many times , said the president 's name in numerous other interviews and made it very clear that I know his name ” ) — to find the Telemundo interviewer and say : “ So you see that I know more than you think.
” That this element of Klobuchar can be alarming and a source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something simple .
Klobuchar is deeply competent and , clearly , deeply flawed ; the distance between those two things in public life is an authentic individual .

A few weeks ago, after the very loose Las Vegas debate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar sat down with CNN’s Erin Burnett, who asked various questions and then teed up a clip of Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg arguing over what it meant that she had forgotten the Mexican president's name.
When CNN returned to the live shot, Burnett and Klobuchar sat side by side in folding chairs, squinting grimly at what appeared to be a monitor located somewhere offscreen.
“You went on to say,” Burnett said, glancing down at her notebook, “'Not everyone can be as perfect as you are' to Mayor Pete. But what were you thinking in that moment?”
Of course, we all know what Amy Klobuchar was thinking in that moment. For nearly 24 hours, as soon as Buttigieg dropped out, Twitter was alight with Klobuchar’s name and GIFs following a narrative of satisfaction and mirth (even if she, of course, tweeted her great respect and regard for the former mayor).


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--A Former Member Of Congress Involved In Trump's Ukraine Saga Could Be Close To Getting His Job Back

WASHINGTON — A former powerful Republican member of Congress who emerged as a prominent player in the Ukraine saga and took thousands of dollars in donations from two of Rudy Giuliani ’ s indicted associates is poised to return to Congress if he can notch a primary win this week .
Texas Rep. Pete Sessions narrowly lost his Dallas-area seat in the 2018 midterms to a Democrat , but is now vying for the Republican nomination in a nearby district .
Whoever wins the crowded primary on Tuesday is likely to succeed in the general election as the district is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just days after Sessions announced his reelection bid , federal prosecutors alleged that two men at the center of President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment had made thousands in illegal contributions to Sessions during his last campaign .
The men , Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , had also tried to use Sessions to get the US ambassador to Ukraine fired as part of what ’ s been dubbed a political smear campaign .
It ’ s unclear whether voters in the Waco-area district where Sessions is now running care about the Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark a reversal of his political fortunes following his defeat in 2018 , and position him to rejoin the upper ranks of the House Republican caucus after being caught up in a high-profile criminal investigation .
Sessions , the former head of the House Rules Committee and son of an FBI director , announced in early October that he would run in the district of retiring GOP Rep. Bill Flores .
Sessions ’ campaign said his desire to “ reverse the nation ’ s lurch to the left ” is part of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flores ’ solidly red district , rather than trying to wrest control of his old seat back from a Democrat .
Immediately , Flores and other local Republicans criticized Sessions for jumping into the race .
But Sessions ’ headaches would worsen in the weeks ahead .
On Oct. 10 , US attorneys in New York revealed a series of campaign finance–related charges against Parnas and Fruman .
Their indictment detailed how they used hefty — and in some cases illegal — political donations to gain access to influential Republicans , including “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring of 2018 , Parnas and Fruman each donated $ 2,700 to Sessions and “ committed to raise $ 20,000 ” for him , prosecutors said .
“ These contributions were made for the purpose of gaining influence with politicians so as to advance their own personal financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian government officials , including at least one Ukrainian government official with whom they were working , ” the indictment read .
Around that time , the Soviet-born businesspeople scored a meeting with Sessions where they blasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ukraine .
Parnas and Giuliani , a lawyer working for Trump , later said that they wanted Yovanovitch out of the way as they pressured the Ukrainian government to announce investigations into former vice president Joe Biden and his son , Hunter .
The effort to remove Yovanovitch was “ conducted , at least in part , at the request of one or more Ukrainian government officials , ” prosecutors said .
In text messages belonging to Parnas , Yuriy Lutsenko , then Ukraine ’ s top prosecutor , emerged as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after she criticized Ukraine ’ s efforts to root out corruption .
After meeting with Parnas and Fruman , Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , saying he had “ received notice from close companions ” that Yovanovitch had been bad-mouthing the Trump administration and asking Pompeo to fire her , as BuzzFeed News first reported last summer .
Sessions released a statement when the indictment was made public refusing to identify himself as the unnamed member of Congress , but defending his conduct .
He said he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his meetings with Parnas and Fruman , arguing that his letter to Pompeo followed conversations with “ several congressional colleagues ” about Yovanovitch .

WASHINGTON — A former powerful Republican member of Congress who emerged as a prominent player in the Ukraine saga and took thousands of dollars in donations from two of Rudy Giuliani’s indicted associates is poised to return to Congress if he can notch a primary win this week.
Texas Rep. Pete Sessions narrowly lost his Dallas-area seat in the 2018 midterms to a Democrat, but is now vying for the Republican nomination in a nearby district. Whoever wins the crowded primary on Tuesday is likely to succeed in the general election as the district is safely Republican.
In the fall, just days after Sessions announced his reelection bid, federal prosecutors alleged that two men at the center of President Donald Trump’s impeachment had made thousands in illegal contributions to Sessions during his last campaign. The men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, had also tried to use Sessions to get the US ambassador to Ukraine fired as part of what’s been dubbed a political smear campaign.
It’s unclear whether voters in the Waco-area district where Sessions is now running care about the Ukraine affair, but a victory Tuesday would mark a reversal of his political fortunes following his defeat in 2018, and position him to rejoin the upper ranks of the House Republican caucus after being caught up in a high-profile criminal investigation.
Sessions, the former head of the House Rules Committee and son of an FBI director, announced in early October that he would run in the district of retiring GOP Rep. Bill Flores. Sessions’ campaign said his desire to “reverse the nation’s lurch to the left” is part of what prompted him to announce a run in Flores’ solidly red district, rather than trying to wrest control of his old seat back from a Democrat.
Immediately, Flores and other local Republicans criticized Sessions for jumping into the race. But Sessions’ headaches would worsen in the weeks ahead.
On Oct. 10, US attorneys in New York revealed a series of campaign finance–related charges against Parnas and Fruman. Their indictment detailed how they used hefty — and in some cases illegal — political donations to gain access to influential Republicans, including “Congressman-1,” identifiable as Sessions. In the spring of 2018, Parnas and Fruman each donated $2,700 to Sessions and “committed to raise $20,000” for him, prosecutors said.
“These contributions were made for the purpose of gaining influence with politicians so as to advance their own personal financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian government officials, including at least one Ukrainian government official with whom they were working,” the indictment read.
Around that time, the Soviet-born businesspeople scored a meeting with Sessions where they blasted Marie Yovanovitch, then the US ambassador to Ukraine. Parnas and Giuliani, a lawyer working for Trump, later said that they wanted Yovanovitch out of the way as they pressured the Ukrainian government to announce investigations into former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
The effort to remove Yovanovitch was “conducted, at least in part, at the request of one or more Ukrainian government officials,” prosecutors said. In text messages belonging to Parnas, Yuriy Lutsenko, then Ukraine’s top prosecutor, emerged as a vocal advocate for Yovanovitch’s dismissal after she criticized Ukraine’s efforts to root out corruption.
After meeting with Parnas and Fruman, Sessions wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying he had “received notice from close companions” that Yovanovitch had been bad-mouthing the Trump administration and asking Pompeo to fire her, as BuzzFeed News first reported last summer.
Sessions released a statement when the indictment was made public refusing to identify himself as the unnamed member of Congress, but defending his conduct. He said he had taken “no official action” after his meetings with Parnas and Fruman, arguing that his letter to Pompeo followed conversations with “several congressional colleagues” about Yovanovitch.


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Amy Klobuchar Is Dropping Out And Endorsing Joe Biden

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is ending her presidential campaign and endorsing Joe Biden .
The Minnesota senator will fly to Texas on Monday and appear with the former vice president to deliver the endorsement in person .
Her exit from the race comes on the heels of Pete Buttigieg 's and just ahead of her home state of Minnesota voting on Tuesday .
In recent weeks after her surprise third-place finish in New Hampshire , Klobuchar gained a blast of momentum — but the costs of continuing , and her lack of political relationships with voters beyond the white Midwest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proved to be too much .
She performed poorly in the significantly more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina .
From the beginning , Klobuchar had positioned herself as the center-left alternative to more left-leaning populists like Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders .
Focused in particular on prescription drug prices and mental health coverage , Klobuchar proposed more modest plans on liberal policy priorities with an eye toward cost .
She also emphasized her own electoral success in Minnesota , an increasingly competitive state that President Donald Trump hopes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never quite took off in the way of Buttigieg 's campaign — something she was plainly frustrated by , arguing there was a double standard when it came to his inexperience and gender .
But in polling , she also struggled with voters who were n't suburban white Midwesterners , something that became a major issue as the campaign continued .
Positioned in a visible Senate seat in a key state , Klobuchar , 59 , remains positioned for a vice presidential nomination or even a second presidential run in four years if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House this year .

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is ending her presidential campaign and endorsing Joe Biden.
The Minnesota senator will fly to Texas on Monday and appear with the former vice president to deliver the endorsement in person.
Her exit from the race comes on the heels of Pete Buttigieg's and just ahead of her home state of Minnesota voting on Tuesday.
In recent weeks after her surprise third-place finish in New Hampshire, Klobuchar gained a blast of momentum — but the costs of continuing, and her lack of political relationships with voters beyond the white Midwest and northeastern states where she performed well, proved to be too much. She performed poorly in the significantly more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina.
From the beginning, Klobuchar had positioned herself as the center-left alternative to more left-leaning populists like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Focused in particular on prescription drug prices and mental health coverage, Klobuchar proposed more modest plans on liberal policy priorities with an eye toward cost. She also emphasized her own electoral success in Minnesota, an increasingly competitive state that President Donald Trump hopes to win this year.
Klobuchar's candidacy never quite took off in the way of Buttigieg's campaign — something she was plainly frustrated by, arguing there was a double standard when it came to his inexperience and gender. But in polling, she also struggled with voters who weren't suburban white Midwesterners, something that became a major issue as the campaign continued.
Positioned in a visible Senate seat in a key state, Klobuchar, 59, remains positioned for a vice presidential nomination or even a second presidential run in four years if Democrats do not take back the White House this year.


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Democracy For America Members Overwhelmingly Voted To Endorse Bernie Sanders

Democracy for America , one of the final major progressive organizations to offer an endorsement to a presidential candidate , has voted to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ campaign .
“ With today ’ s endorsement , DFA members are joining Bernie ’ s ‘ political revolution ’ and working to take it both to the White House and up-and-down the ballot , in races coast to coast , ” DFA ’ s executive director Charles Chamberlain said in a statement .
Of the 38,383 people who voted in the organization ’ s endorsement poll , 79.3 % voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support Warren .
Turnout for the poll dropped significantly from the over 271,000 votes that were cast during the 2015 endorsement process .
“ I ’ m proud to have the support of Democracy for America and its grassroots members who know that real change never comes from the top on down but from the bottom on up , ” Sanders said in a statement .
“ They ’ ve led the fight to guarantee health care as a human right , protect and expand Social Security , and end our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement poll to members on Feb. 20 , just a day after Warren ’ s sharp performance at the Nevada debate .
Members had the opportunity to vote for one candidate or “ no endorsement.
” The poll ran through March 1 and to receive the group ’ s endorsement , a supermajority of at least 66.67 % of members had to support a particular candidate .
This is only the second time the group has endorsed a presidential candidate after its 87.9 % of its members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Sanders over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after its failed attempt to draft Warren to run that year .
During the 2016 primary , DFA raised over $ 2 million for Sanders and deployed volunteers across the country for 119,000 volunteer shifts and knocked on over 5 million doors .
The endorsement comes during a critical moment for progressives as an earlier rift between Sanders and Warren polarized their supporters and as Warren ’ s campaign has sharpened its criticism of Sanders after receiving only eight delegates in the first four presidential primaries .
DFA added that while it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary , it is committed to the Progressives Unite pledge that it helped launch in January and will specifically be “ focusing its fire in the fight for the Democratic nomination on ‘ candidates supported by the corporate wing .
’ ”

Democracy for America, one of the final major progressive organizations to offer an endorsement to a presidential candidate, has voted to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign.
“With today’s endorsement, DFA members are joining Bernie’s ‘political revolution’ and working to take it both to the White House and up-and-down the ballot, in races coast to coast,” DFA’s executive director Charles Chamberlain said in a statement.
Of the 38,383 people who voted in the organization’s endorsement poll, 79.3% voted to support Sanders while 13.2% voted to support Warren. Turnout for the poll dropped significantly from the over 271,000 votes that were cast during the 2015 endorsement process.
“I’m proud to have the support of Democracy for America and its grassroots members who know that real change never comes from the top on down but from the bottom on up,” Sanders said in a statement. “They’ve led the fight to guarantee health care as a human right, protect and expand Social Security, and end our nation’s endless wars.”
DFA launched its endorsement poll to members on Feb. 20, just a day after Warren’s sharp performance at the Nevada debate. Members had the opportunity to vote for one candidate or “no endorsement.” The poll ran through March 1 and to receive the group’s endorsement, a supermajority of at least 66.67% of members had to support a particular candidate.
This is only the second time the group has endorsed a presidential candidate after its 87.9% of its members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Sanders over Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primary after its failed attempt to draft Warren to run that year.
During the 2016 primary, DFA raised over $2 million for Sanders and deployed volunteers across the country for 119,000 volunteer shifts and knocked on over 5 million doors.
The endorsement comes during a critical moment for progressives as an earlier rift between Sanders and Warren polarized their supporters and as Warren’s campaign has sharpened its criticism of Sanders after receiving only eight delegates in the first four presidential primaries.
DFA added that while it's supporting Sanders for the remainder of the primary, it is committed to the Progressives Unite pledge that it helped launch in January and will specifically be “focusing its fire in the fight for the Democratic nomination on ‘candidates supported by the corporate wing.’”


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--Super Tuesday Is When We Find Out If Michael Bloomberg Can Win His $500 Million Bet

Bloomberg ’ s whole plan rides on Super Tuesday .
“ I 'm going to do very well .
I 'm not worried about that , ” he said in an interview .
CLARKSVILLE , Tennessee — Michael Bloomberg grasped a wooden mallet , standing next to a barrel of bourbon with his name stamped on the front .
He paused , waiting for the assembled press who had been summoned for a photo spray to watch him seal this barrel at the Old Glory Distillery , where it will take four years to ripen into full-fledged bourbon .
Wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jacket , Bloomberg asked if the cameras were ready .
With a choppy , deliberate motion , Bloomberg banged the mallet on the barrel twice and handed it back to the distillery owner , who told him , “ great job.
” “ Thank you , ” Bloomberg said .
“ Come back in four years , I ’ ll be around here campaigning for my second term in the White House .
I thought that was funnier than it was.
” Everyone laughed politely .
“ The press never laughs , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand .
The truth is , neither does Bloomberg — or at least hardly ever in public , his face usually impassive .
And he ’ s had less reason to laugh lately than he did before his appearances in two presidential debates , the first of which was rocky enough that some observers questioned whether it would sink his campaign , and before Joe Biden ’ s decisive win in the South Carolina primary .
The first , and by far most important , test of Bloomberg ’ s viability is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots for the first time in the states that vote on Super Tuesday .
After skipping the first four states , Bloomberg is banking everything on 16 contests that will award about a third of all delegates .
And he ’ s facing increasing pressure from some Democratic grandees , particularly ones connected to former president Barack Obama , to get out of the race and clear the way for Biden to take on Bernie Sanders — ironic in light of the Bloomberg campaign ’ s earlier calls for Bloomberg ’ s moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is riding on Super Tuesday for Bloomberg .
He ’ s poured more than $ 500 million into his campaign , and to some extent the strategy has worked .
For a while , as Biden faded after disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire and the entire field was thrown into chaos after the Iowa caucuses debacle , Bloomberg seemed to be growing stronger , his poll numbers rising and endorsements flowing in .
Then the first debate happened , and Bloomberg ’ s performance was so lacking that one poll saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
But dynamics in a presidential race can change fast , and reality is about to collide with the Bloomberg campaign .
Bloomberg says he ’ ll continue on even if he doesn ’ t do as well as he hopes on Super Tuesday .
“ I 'm going to do very well .
I 'm not worried about that , ” Bloomberg said in an interview in McLean , Virginia , on Saturday morning after a rally and before results were announced in South Carolina .
“ You 'll never do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless you get 100 % of the votes .
You 're not going to do that , obviously .
But , you know , I came to become president of the United States , I think I can make a big difference in this country .
I think I can beat Donald Trump in the general election , and I plan to be in that general election.
” If Sanders dominates , Bloomberg said he isn ’ t concerned .
“ You ’ ve got another election seven days later and another election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the night of Super Tuesday , Bloomberg will hold an event in West Palm Beach , Florida , a state where his campaign expects him to do well but which does not hold its primary until March 17 .
In the final days before Tuesday ’ s vote , Bloomberg has crisscrossed states including Texas , Oklahoma , North Carolina , and Tennessee , giving his typically efficient rally speeches with ( sometimes awkward ) jokes tailored to each location .
Unlike in previous campaign swings , Bloomberg has done more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 Minutes partially taped inside his late mother ’ s home in Medford , Massachusetts .
The day after his second debate , in South Carolina , Bloomberg appeared in a CNN town hall , a format that suited him much more than the debates have ; Bloomberg appeared unruffled as he took questions from voters and seemed better prepared for questions about his record on stop-and-frisk and women who have alleged sexism by him or at his company , issues that appeared to blindside him during the first debate .
The campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months , appears to have seen the value in letting him answer questions .
Bloomberg did improve in his second debate last week , inserting himself into the back-and-forth more , effectively changing the subject at times , and delivering more forceful responses to attacks from candidates including Elizabeth Warren .
Bloomberg senior adviser Howard Wolfson quipped to reporters after the debate that their debate prep strategy that time had been to watch the Seinfeld episode “ The Opposite , ” and follow George Costanza ’ s lead in doing the reverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before .
“ You know , when you do well you got ta smile on the inside , and when you do n't you say , ‘ Oh , why did I do that ?
’ ” Bloomberg said in Virginia when I asked him how he felt — emotionally , personally — about his debate performances .
Repeating a line he ’ s used several times on the trail , Bloomberg said , “ I am not trying to be college debater-in-chief.
” But does it dent his argument that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who as the nominee , he would have to face on the debate stage ?
“ I think Donald Trump is such a buffoon all you got to do is look like an adult , ” Bloomberg said .
( Hillary Clinton , for what it ’ s worth , tried this . )
Most , though not all , of the voters I spoke to during Bloomberg ’ s swing through Super Tuesday states last week said they ’ d seen Bloomberg ’ s debates , and all of those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done well in the first one .
“ It was pretty bad , ” said Al White , 73 , a voter from Maryland who attended Bloomberg ’ s rally in McLean on Saturday morning and is encouraging his family members to support Bloomberg .
“ It gave you a feeling that because of the money and a little arrogance , he didn ’ t feel he had to answer the questions.
” But even those who were critical of his performance said it wouldn ’ t impact their vote , and several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way Warren went after him .
“ He needs a joke writer , ” said Kate Reynolds , 62 , who attended Bloomberg ’ s rally in Johnson City , Tennessee , with her husband Pete , 69 .
( Katie Couric said on television last month that a Bloomberg staffer had told her the campaign was hiring a comedy writer . )
“ He doesn ’ t have a lot of practice on the stump , and he looked a little flat , ” said Pete Reynolds .
“ But that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As for Warren ’ s taking Bloomberg to task , “ she is just flat annoying , ” Kate Reynolds said .
“ Just shut up and go away , Liz.
” On Saturday evening , after news outlets had already called the South Carolina race for Biden , Bloomberg gave his usual stump speech at a Democratic Party dinner in Charlotte , North Carolina .
He made no mention of the evening ’ s results .
That night , his campaign manager Kevin Sheekey sent out a statement projecting calm .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot yet , ” Sheekey said .
“ Our campaign is focused on organizing Democrats and building infrastructure in states all around the country .
Mike is the only candidate to campaign in all fourteen Super Tuesday states over the last two months and we look forward to Tuesday.
” To reinforce the point , Bloomberg ’ s campaign put the word around to reporters on background that their internal data showed it would only boost Sanders ’ delegate lead if Bloomberg drops out , though they didn ’ t share the details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all clear .
Bloomberg could still do well on Super Tuesday , but he can no longer make the argument that he ’ s the only moderate who can stay viable in the race , with Biden going into the week with nearly as many delegates as Sanders .
I asked him on Saturday whether it wasn ’ t in fact his entry into the race that was splintering the moderate vote and arguably helping Sanders .
“ Was Mike in any of the last three elections ?
” his spokesperson Marc La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t in any of them , and they splintered , ” Bloomberg said .
“ You can ’ t have it both ways .
You can ’ t complain I wasn ’ t in the elections and then say , ‘ Oh , you caused the splintering.
’ Take a look .
Elizabeth Warren 's polls keep going down .
I do n't think you can blame me for causing it — she 's the one that kept yelling at me all the time.
” For Bloomberg , “ the question is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ?
’ ” and everything else is secondary .
He believes that if Sanders isn ’ t stopped , Democrats will not only lose the White House but also lose the House of Representatives and fail to capture the Senate .
Many voters share this concern , are hyper-focused on beating Trump , and are worried a Sanders nomination is too risky .
While Bloomberg is drawing significant numbers of them , it ’ s difficult to say how many of these voters are actively Bloomberg fans and how many are simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to beat Trump and could end up with another candidate .
“ I think the two candidates we have that can make it are Biden and Bloomberg , ” said Jyni Holland , 60 , who attended Bloomberg ’ s rally in Clarksville .
Holland lived in New York for years before moving back to Tennessee and retains fond memories of Bloomberg as mayor .
“ What I would like to see is for both of them to drop their ego .
Whoever is the most ahead , they need to drop out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other ones , there is no pathway for the rest of them .
”

Everything is riding on Super Tuesday for Bloomberg. He’s poured more than $500 million into his campaign, and to some extent the strategy has worked. For a while, as Biden faded after disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire and the entire field was thrown into chaos after the Iowa caucuses debacle, Bloomberg seemed to be growing stronger, his poll numbers rising and endorsements flowing in. Then the first debate happened, and Bloomberg’s performance was so lacking that one poll saw a 20% favorability drop the next day.
But dynamics in a presidential race can change fast, and reality is about to collide with the Bloomberg campaign.
Bloomberg says he’ll continue on even if he doesn’t do as well as he hopes on Super Tuesday.
“I'm going to do very well. I'm not worried about that,” Bloomberg said in an interview in McLean, Virginia, on Saturday morning after a rally and before results were announced in South Carolina. “You'll never do as well as you'd like, unless you get 100% of the votes. You're not going to do that, obviously. But, you know, I came to become president of the United States, I think I can make a big difference in this country. I think I can beat Donald Trump in the general election, and I plan to be in that general election.”
If Sanders dominates, Bloomberg said he isn’t concerned. “You’ve got another election seven days later and another election 14 days later,” he said. On the night of Super Tuesday, Bloomberg will hold an event in West Palm Beach, Florida, a state where his campaign expects him to do well but which does not hold its primary until March 17.
In the final days before Tuesday’s vote, Bloomberg has crisscrossed states including Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee, giving his typically efficient rally speeches with (sometimes awkward) jokes tailored to each location. Unlike in previous campaign swings, Bloomberg has done more television interviews, including a segment with 60 Minutes partially taped inside his late mother’s home in Medford, Massachusetts. The day after his second debate, in South Carolina, Bloomberg appeared in a CNN town hall, a format that suited him much more than the debates have; Bloomberg appeared unruffled as he took questions from voters and seemed better prepared for questions about his record on stop-and-frisk and women who have alleged sexism by him or at his company, issues that appeared to blindside him during the first debate. The campaign, after keeping him at a distance for months, appears to have seen the value in letting him answer questions.
Bloomberg did improve in his second debate last week, inserting himself into the back-and-forth more, effectively changing the subject at times, and delivering more forceful responses to attacks from candidates including Elizabeth Warren. Bloomberg senior adviser Howard Wolfson quipped to reporters after the debate that their debate prep strategy that time had been to watch the Seinfeld episode “The Opposite,” and follow George Costanza’s lead in doing the reverse of everything he’d done the before.
“You know, when you do well you gotta smile on the inside, and when you don't you say, ‘Oh, why did I do that?’” Bloomberg said in Virginia when I asked him how he felt — emotionally, personally — about his debate performances. Repeating a line he’s used several times on the trail, Bloomberg said, “I am not trying to be college debater-in-chief.”
But does it dent his argument that he’s best prepared to take on Trump, who as the nominee, he would have to face on the debate stage? “I think Donald Trump is such a buffoon all you got to do is look like an adult,” Bloomberg said. (Hillary Clinton, for what it’s worth, tried this.)


buzzfeed--2020-03-02--She Used To Be His Intern. Now She’s Trying To Kick Him Out Of Office.

“ Primary challengers rarely win , so it ’ s always a long shot , ” Justice Democrats spokesperson Waleed Shahid said in a recent interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ That ’ s why AOC and Ayanna winning was a big deal .
But I think we ’ ve run a really great campaign and I think [ Cisneros ] can win .
The world completely changed after AOC ’ s victory.
” Cisneros was the first candidate Justice Democrats recruited and endorsed this cycle , and if she pulls off a victory this week , it will cement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electoral landscape — or , if she loses , give fodder to the organization ’ s critics , who argue Ocasio-Cortez ’ s win was a fluke .
Tuesday ’ s election represents not only a test for Cisneros and her progressive agenda , but also for Justice Democrats , the progressive group that helped skyrocket Ocasio-Cortez to her upset victory two years ago .
In 2018 , the group endorsed 79 candidates , seven of whom ultimately won their general elections .
Of that group , just two ( Ocasio-Cortez and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( former Reps. Joe Crowley and Mike Capuano , respectively ) in primaries .
“ It took me having to go to Washington to figure out how conservative he was , ” Cisneros said during a recent interview with BuzzFeed News .
“ I think about that experience a lot , because I get it when we go up to people 's doors and all of a sudden we , you know , hit them with the facts and what the congressman 's been up to , [ and ] many , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rare Democrat with a failing grade from Planned Parenthood and an A rating from the National Rifle Association .
He endorsed George W. Bush and voted with President Donald Trump nearly 70 % of the time during the first two years Trump was in office , leading progressive activists to dub him “ Trump ’ s favorite Democrat.
” Cisneros , now 26 , is an immigration and human rights attorney .
She ’ s running for Congress on a progressive platform including Medicare for All , the Green New Deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , both of whom are currently running for president .
WASHINGTON — In 2014 , Jessica Cisneros worked as an intern for Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar , answering phones and handling constituent requests .
This week , when Texans go to the polls on Super Tuesday , she ’ ll be on the ballot trying to unseat him .
Cisneros ’ s endorsements from top progressive politicians and groups have forced her campaign to perform a delicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on local issues .
But it ’ s also been an opportunity to talk about South Texas in a different way than it often has been during the Trump administration — which has focused largely on the president ’ s immigration policies , Cisneros said .
“ You hear a lot about border communities , but you do n't really hear from us , ” she said .
“ This was an opportunity to actually portray South Texas in a positive light and an accurate light , right ?
And it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an endorsement of that magnitude would resonate with [ voters ] here , because really their concerns are more about , ‘ So what are you gon na do to help me and my family have health care ?
What are you going to do to help me and my family make ends meet ?
’ ” The Cuellar campaign originally agreed to an interview for this story , but a spokesperson for the campaign said they wouldn ’ t answer any questions framed as responding to arguments the Cisneros campaign makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not allowing a 26-year-old young lady who ’ s never done anything question the character of a dedicated public servant , ” Colin Strother , a spokesperson for the campaign , said in a phone call with BuzzFeed News , apparently referring to Cisneros .
The campaign later canceled the interview within the hour it was set to happen “ due to scheduling conflicts.
” Over the years , Cuellar has argued his moderate votes reflect the fact that he represents a more conservative district than many of his Democratic colleagues .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy positions that have attracted the ire of more liberal groups .
Notably , a former Cuellar staffer alleges she was fired from his office because she was pregnant .
Cuellar denies the allegation and his staff has said they won ’ t discuss internal personnel matters . )
“ If you look at my record here since I started here back in 2005 , I ’ ve always been a centrist , ” Cuellar told FiveThirtyEight in a 2017 interview .
“ If you want to use voting with the Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to be off completely because I was not sent to Washington to vote with the Democratic Party .
I am a Democrat , but I don ’ t see my job as to vote with the Democratic Party .
And I think any Democrat or Republican that votes [ with ] their party , then I think they ’ re doing a disservice to their constituents.
” Progressive pollster Sean McElwee said in an interview that Cuellar isn ’ t wrong : His district is a more moderate one .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituents are not nearly as moderate as the Democrat himself .
“ You have people like [ Illinois Rep. ] Lauren Underwood , people like [ Virginia Rep. ] Abigail Spanberger , who are taking much more consistently liberal views than Cuellar , despite the fact that they 're in districts that are 20 points more favorable to Republicans than him , ” he said .
“ So I think it 's very hard for him to claim that his district can ’ t handle a sort of mainstream progressive member.
” Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headlined a fundraiser in the district for Cuellar , where she said she wanted to see a “ resounding victory ” for him .
Just one day earlier , HuffPost reported that a super PAC founded and funded by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch had spent $ 34,000 in support of Cuellar .
“ This is probably , you know , of the sort of early primaries , the top two or three chances … progressives have to unseat an incumbent , ” McElwee told BuzzFeed News last week .
“ The extent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more mainstream , even establishment organizations with his rampant misogyny , his fundamentally anti-science views of climate , and his Koch brothers–style economic policies is , I mean , almost genuinely impressive.
” And Cisneros has indeed attracted significant endorsements from more mainstream Democratic organizations that rarely endorse against sitting Democrats , including Planned Parenthood and EMILY ’ s List .
Notably , she ’ s racked up those endorsements despite a blacklist imposed last year by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , which announced it would no longer work with any group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of last month , Cisneros had also raised nearly $ 1 million , a significant chunk of change for any primary challenger .
Cuellar , for his part , has raised about $ 1.7 million .
“ Henry Cuellar is also raising and spending way more money than Joe Crowley or Mike Capuano ever did , so it 's definitely a much tougher battle , because there 's no element of surprise anymore , ” Shahid , of Justice Democrats , said .
“ I think Jessica has a really good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ na win .
[ But ] the other side is also spending … Chamber of Commerce , the Koch family , you know , the private prison lobbyists dumping tons of money into this race to protect Trump ’ s favorite Democrat — more of a Republican if you look at his donors.
” But Cisneros said she isn ’ t really feeling the pressure .
“ I do n't really see it as pressure , ” she said .
“ I 'm actually having fun while doing all of this .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade that we have another choice on the ballot .
It 's not stressful , because at the end of the day , if anybody needs to be afraid of what the results are going to look like , it 's not us , it 's Congressman Cuellar .
”

Cisneros’s endorsements from top progressive politicians and groups have forced her campaign to perform a delicate balancing act between national attention and focusing on local issues. But it’s also been an opportunity to talk about South Texas in a different way than it often has been during the Trump administration — which has focused largely on the president’s immigration policies, Cisneros said.
“You hear a lot about border communities, but you don't really hear from us,” she said. “This was an opportunity to actually portray South Texas in a positive light and an accurate light, right? And it's not so much that like, you know, an endorsement of that magnitude would resonate with [voters] here, because really their concerns are more about, ‘So what are you gonna do to help me and my family have health care? What are you going to do to help me and my family make ends meet?’”
The Cuellar campaign originally agreed to an interview for this story, but a spokesperson for the campaign said they wouldn’t answer any questions framed as responding to arguments the Cisneros campaign makes about Cuellar.
“We’re not allowing a 26-year-old young lady who’s never done anything question the character of a dedicated public servant,” Colin Strother, a spokesperson for the campaign, said in a phone call with BuzzFeed News, apparently referring to Cisneros. The campaign later canceled the interview within the hour it was set to happen “due to scheduling conflicts.”
Over the years, Cuellar has argued his moderate votes reflect the fact that he represents a more conservative district than many of his Democratic colleagues. (Though it’s not just his policy positions that have attracted the ire of more liberal groups. Notably, a former Cuellar staffer alleges she was fired from his office because she was pregnant. Cuellar denies the allegation and his staff has said they won’t discuss internal personnel matters.)
“If you look at my record here since I started here back in 2005, I’ve always been a centrist,” Cuellar told FiveThirtyEight in a 2017 interview. “If you want to use voting with the Democratic Party as a measure, you and I are going to be off completely because I was not sent to Washington to vote with the Democratic Party. I am a Democrat, but I don’t see my job as to vote with the Democratic Party. And I think any Democrat or Republican that votes [with] their party, then I think they’re doing a disservice to their constituents.”
Progressive pollster Sean McElwee said in an interview that Cuellar isn’t wrong: His district is a more moderate one. But, he argued, Cuellar’s constituents are not nearly as moderate as the Democrat himself.
“You have people like [Illinois Rep.] Lauren Underwood, people like [Virginia Rep.] Abigail Spanberger, who are taking much more consistently liberal views than Cuellar, despite the fact that they're in districts that are 20 points more favorable to Republicans than him,” he said. “So I think it's very hard for him to claim that his district can’t handle a sort of mainstream progressive member.”
Earlier this month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi headlined a fundraiser in the district for Cuellar, where she said she wanted to see a “resounding victory” for him. Just one day earlier, HuffPost reported that a super PAC founded and funded by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch had spent $34,000 in support of Cuellar.
“This is probably, you know, of the sort of early primaries, the top two or three chances … progressives have to unseat an incumbent,” McElwee told BuzzFeed News last week. “The extent to which Cuellar has angered even sort of more mainstream, even establishment organizations with his rampant misogyny, his fundamentally anti-science views of climate, and his Koch brothers–style economic policies is, I mean, almost genuinely impressive.”
And Cisneros has indeed attracted significant endorsements from more mainstream Democratic organizations that rarely endorse against sitting Democrats, including Planned Parenthood and EMILY’s List. Notably, she’s racked up those endorsements despite a blacklist imposed last year by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which announced it would no longer work with any group that works with candidates challenging Democratic incumbents.
As of last month, Cisneros had also raised nearly $1 million, a significant chunk of change for any primary challenger. Cuellar, for his part, has raised about $1.7 million.
“Henry Cuellar is also raising and spending way more money than Joe Crowley or Mike Capuano ever did, so it's definitely a much tougher battle, because there's no element of surprise anymore,” Shahid, of Justice Democrats, said. “I think Jessica has a really good shot and I think she's gonna win. [But] the other side is also spending … Chamber of Commerce, the Koch family, you know, the private prison lobbyists dumping tons of money into this race to protect Trump’s favorite Democrat — more of a Republican if you look at his donors.”
But Cisneros said she isn’t really feeling the pressure.
“I don't really see it as pressure,” she said. “I'm actually having fun while doing all of this. This has been the first time in over a decade that we have another choice on the ballot. It's not stressful, because at the end of the day, if anybody needs to be afraid of what the results are going to look like, it's not us, it's Congressman Cuellar.”