hotair--2020-08-14--GAO: Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli are ineligible to serve in their positions at DHS

GAO is Congress ’ s investigative arm , not some rando watchdog group .
This is the federal government ’ s top auditing agency claiming that the people at the top of Homeland Security were illegally appointed .
Even so , I ’ m not sure anything else needs to be said but this : What does it even matter ?
Trump ’ s been playing games with executive vacancies for years now .
I wrote about the chicanery involved in appointing Cuccinelli when it happened as well as the baroque bureaucratic reshuffling that eventually led to Wolf ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do McConnell and Senate Republicans care not the slightest whit about it , even Pelosi and Schumer haven ’ t used their leverage to try to force Trump to submit his acting appointees to Senate advice and consent .
Cuccinelli ’ s case is especially egregious because Trump knew that the Senate would reject him .
He installed Cuccinelli in a dubious , unorthodox manner because he wanted to deny the legislature its rightful constitutional prerogative .
No one cares , even Democrats who have a partisan incentive to care .
I guess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the election and so they too will soon have a chance to grossly abuse the appointments process .
It ’ ll be nice for them when McConnell speaks up to object and they throw a handful of examples of Trump doing the same thing right in his face .
Here ’ s the GAO opinion , which should be skimmed if only to appreciate the regulatory thicket a professional auditor has to hack through to answer a question as simple as , “ Who becomes acting secretary of DHS when the secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quick-and-dirty explanation here .
When Kirstjen Nielsen resigned last year , there was no deputy secretary to replace her .
Under the law , the next in line was the undersecretary of management — but Trump didn ’ t want that person in charge , he wanted Kevin McAleenan of the Border Patrol in charge .
So the undersecretary of management was pressured to resign at the same time as Nielsen .
Let ’ s pause for a moment now and reflect on the fact that the executive branch is such a shambles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were all vacant at once .
Because Trump never bothered nominating a permanent replacement for Nielsen — to a Republican Senate , mind you , which might be expected to confirm his choice — we ’ re now approaching the 500th day without a Senate-confirmed leader for the country ’ s main federal security agency .
Under federal law , acting appointees aren ’ t supposed to serve for more than seven months .
Anyway .
Before she left , Nielsen set about reorganizing the order of succession at DHS so that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is where things get confusing — enough so that we need a visual aid from GAO to help explain it .
There are two laws governing succession , Executive Order 13573 and Annex A to the Homeland Security Act .
The former governs cases where the secretary resigns , the latter governs cases where the secretary is unable to serve due to disaster or emergency .
In February 2019 , they each had the same order of succession when there ’ s a vacancy at the top .
In April 2019 , Nielsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Border Patrol chief , would become the new acting secretary , per Trump ’ s wishes .
Then she resigned .
But Annex A doesn ’ t deal with resignations , does it ?
It deals with cases where the secretary can ’ t serve due to disaster or emergency .
Executive Order 13573 is the one that covers resignations .
Nielsen forgot to amend that one , which means that Pete Gaynor , the head of FEMA , and not McAleenan was the lawful acting secretary of DHS .
Why does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge , he set about doing the same thing Nielsen had done for Trump , reordering the line of succession prior to his own resignation so that Trump ’ s handpicked favorites , Wolf and Cuccinelli , could zoom up the rankings to serve at the top .
Except , per today ’ s GAO ruling , McAleenan never had lawful authority to do that reordering .
Which means Wolf and Cuccinelli were never lawfully appointed to their positions either .
Which means the actions taken by them in office are potentially illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ U ] nder the leadership of Wolf and Cuccinelli , Homeland Security has attracted intense scrutiny for such actions as deploying federal agents to protests in Portland over the opposition of local and state leaders .
And new restrictions on asylum seekers and DACA applicants have prompted lawsuits from immigration advocates .
Some of those lawsuits seek to throw out DHS actions on the grounds that DHS leadership is not legitimately in power .
And now a government body has endorsed that legal argument , which O ’ Connell says “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As a result , some of Wolf and Cuccinelli ’ s actions could be undone in court rulings .
Everyone who ’ s suing DHS or USCIS is going to point to GAO ’ s ruling that Wolf and Cuccinelli never had the legal authority to take the actions at issue in their lawsuits .
What will courts do with that ?
How many DHS immigration actions will be overturned because Trump couldn ’ t be bothered to follow the constitutional process for appointments ?
He likes the idea of acting secretaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other lackey at a moment ’ s notice , on his whim , and because their personal/ethical foibles or lack of experience pose no obstacle to appointment .
After all , the Senate never gets a say on them .
His price for that may be watching some of his policies , as carried out by Wolf and Cuccinelli , undone in court .
I ’ ll leave you with a little more from Sanchez , who knows what DHS will say next and why it doesn ’ t matter in context .

GAO is Congress’s investigative arm, not some rando watchdog group.
This is the federal government’s top auditing agency claiming that the people at the top of Homeland Security were illegally appointed.
Even so, I’m not sure anything else needs to be said but this:
We are depressingly at a point where nobody seriously believes it will matter that senior government officials have been determined to hold their posts illegally, or that anyone will do anything about it. The law is irrelevant, and we’ve all sort of resigned ourselves to it. — Julian Sanchez (@normative) August 14, 2020
What does it even matter? Trump’s been playing games with executive vacancies for years now. I wrote about the chicanery involved in appointing Cuccinelli when it happened as well as the baroque bureaucratic reshuffling that eventually led to Wolf’s elevation to acting secretary. Not only do McConnell and Senate Republicans care not the slightest whit about it, even Pelosi and Schumer haven’t used their leverage to try to force Trump to submit his acting appointees to Senate advice and consent. Cuccinelli’s case is especially egregious because Trump knew that the Senate would reject him. He installed Cuccinelli in a dubious, unorthodox manner because he wanted to deny the legislature its rightful constitutional prerogative.
No one cares, even Democrats who have a partisan incentive to care. I guess they figure they’re likely to win the election and so they too will soon have a chance to grossly abuse the appointments process. It’ll be nice for them when McConnell speaks up to object and they throw a handful of examples of Trump doing the same thing right in his face.
Here’s the GAO opinion, which should be skimmed if only to appreciate the regulatory thicket a professional auditor has to hack through to answer a question as simple as, “Who becomes acting secretary of DHS when the secretary resigns?” Let me attempt a quick-and-dirty explanation here. When Kirstjen Nielsen resigned last year, there was no deputy secretary to replace her. Under the law, the next in line was the undersecretary of management — but Trump didn’t want that person in charge, he wanted Kevin McAleenan of the Border Patrol in charge. So the undersecretary of management was pressured to resign at the same time as Nielsen.
Let’s pause for a moment now and reflect on the fact that the executive branch is such a shambles that the top three positions in DHS were all vacant at once. Because Trump never bothered nominating a permanent replacement for Nielsen — to a Republican Senate, mind you, which might be expected to confirm his choice — we’re now approaching the 500th day without a Senate-confirmed leader for the country’s main federal security agency. Under federal law, acting appointees aren’t supposed to serve for more than seven months.
Anyway. Before she left, Nielsen set about reorganizing the order of succession at DHS so that Trump could have McAleenan in charge. Which is where things get confusing — enough so that we need a visual aid from GAO to help explain it.
There are two laws governing succession, Executive Order 13573 and Annex A to the Homeland Security Act. The former governs cases where the secretary resigns, the latter governs cases where the secretary is unable to serve due to disaster or emergency. In February 2019, they each had the same order of succession when there’s a vacancy at the top. In April 2019, Nielsen amended Annex A so that McAleenan, as Border Patrol chief, would become the new acting secretary, per Trump’s wishes. Then she resigned.
But Annex A doesn’t deal with resignations, does it? It deals with cases where the secretary can’t serve due to disaster or emergency. Executive Order 13573 is the one that covers resignations. Nielsen forgot to amend that one, which means that Pete Gaynor, the head of FEMA, and not McAleenan was the lawful acting secretary of DHS.
Why does that matter? Because once McAleenan took charge, he set about doing the same thing Nielsen had done for Trump, reordering the line of succession prior to his own resignation so that Trump’s handpicked favorites, Wolf and Cuccinelli, could zoom up the rankings to serve at the top. Except, per today’s GAO ruling, McAleenan never had lawful authority to do that reordering. Which means Wolf and Cuccinelli were never lawfully appointed to their positions either.
Which means the actions taken by them in office are potentially illegal, depending upon what a court says.
[U]nder the leadership of Wolf and Cuccinelli, Homeland Security has attracted intense scrutiny for such actions as deploying federal agents to protests in Portland over the opposition of local and state leaders. And new restrictions on asylum seekers and DACA applicants have prompted lawsuits from immigration advocates. Some of those lawsuits seek to throw out DHS actions on the grounds that DHS leadership is not legitimately in power. And now a government body has endorsed that legal argument, which O’Connell says “could be very persuasive in the courts.” As a result, some of Wolf and Cuccinelli’s actions could be undone in court rulings.
Everyone who’s suing DHS or USCIS is going to point to GAO’s ruling that Wolf and Cuccinelli never had the legal authority to take the actions at issue in their lawsuits. What will courts do with that? How many DHS immigration actions will be overturned because Trump couldn’t be bothered to follow the constitutional process for appointments? He likes the idea of acting secretaries because they can be replaced with some other lackey at a moment’s notice, on his whim, and because their personal/ethical foibles or lack of experience pose no obstacle to appointment. After all, the Senate never gets a say on them. His price for that may be watching some of his policies, as carried out by Wolf and Cuccinelli, undone in court.
I’ll leave you with a little more from Sanchez, who knows what DHS will say next and why it doesn’t matter in context.


hotair--2020-08-14--There was rioting in Washington, DC Thursday night, 41 arrested

This doesn ’ t seem to be getting as much attention as the nightly activity in Portland and Seattle but protests in Washington , DC got destructive last night and 41 people were arrested : D.C. police cordoned off a large section of Adams Morgan for hours late Thursday and early Friday and arrested 41 people .
Two officers were injured .
A video shot by a protester shows Metropolitan Police Department officers pinning a man to the ground , and a man told News4 that officers used pepper spray on him .
Thirty-eight of the people arrested face felony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are accused of assaulting an officer .
DC police said they only arrested people who were “ engaged in rioting behaviors.
” The police also posted some photos of damage done in the area : Here ’ s video of one of the arrests last night along with some photos of the scene .
Townhall reporter Julio Rosas had video of protesters trying to block a police van containing people who ’ d been arrested as it attempted to leave the scene .
These people are putting their bikes ( and themselves ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screaming at the police who are pushing them back out of the way .
This appears to be another angle on the same incident : Rosas also highlighted a couple of other moments from last night .
The first involved a black man who got in an argument with protesters after he defended the police .
“ They protect us , ” the man said .
This argument is pretty interesting because the protester ( in the “ hustle ” shirt ) is arguing that police violence is the priority while the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily police who kill people .
“ People kill people , ” he said .
The protester replied , “ I understand that but we ’ ve got to take care of this first and then we can handle that.
” You can get with this or you can get with that .
The obvious problem with this argument is that crime , including murder , is already on the rise around the country as police are pulling back .
So you can ’ t defund or disband police and then deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t work that way .
It ’ s making the situation worse and the guy in the ball cap is absolutely right about that .
The second clip below involves a black resident who thinks the protests are doing more harm than good .
Update : There ’ s a small crowd cheering as those who were arrested last night are released .

This doesn’t seem to be getting as much attention as the nightly activity in Portland and Seattle but protests in Washington, DC got destructive last night and 41 people were arrested:
D.C. police cordoned off a large section of Adams Morgan for hours late Thursday and early Friday and arrested 41 people. Two officers were injured. A video shot by a protester shows Metropolitan Police Department officers pinning a man to the ground, and a man told News4 that officers used pepper spray on him. Thirty-eight of the people arrested face felony riot act charges. Another three people are accused of assaulting an officer.
DC police said they only arrested people who were “engaged in rioting behaviors.”
There is a difference between peaceful protestors & individuals destroying property or setting fires. Yes, MPD did make numerous arrests last night but only of those that were engaged in rioting behaviors. — DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) August 14, 2020
The police also posted some photos of damage done in the area:
We facilitate daily peaceful demonstrations in DC. Overnight, intentional fires were set & property destroyed. When this occurs, our members have a responsibility to take action. At this time, 41 individuals were arrested for Felony Rioting & Assault on Police Officer offenses. pic.twitter.com/GbpWxYMjXm — DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) August 14, 2020
Here’s video of one of the arrests last night along with some photos of the scene.
Here's what the scene looked like in Adams Morgan last night during protests that flared up. @DCPoliceDept say they made arrests, but we still don't know how many. MORE PHOTOS: https://t.co/HHgjrIEtX4 pic.twitter.com/b5Btec9ZVf — ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) August 14, 2020
Townhall reporter Julio Rosas had video of protesters trying to block a police van containing people who’d been arrested as it attempted to leave the scene. These people are putting their bikes (and themselves) in front of the van and then screaming at the police who are pushing them back out of the way.
Tensions have flared after protesters turned into agitators after they tried to block the DC van that was filled with people who were arrested in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. DC police had to push away the people who were blocking the road. pic.twitter.com/TRs68Cy6WS — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 14, 2020
This appears to be another angle on the same incident:
A crowd shouted and tried to block a D.C. police van and officers moved a group of demonstrators from 18th Street NW. One woman was taken into custody during the clash. pic.twitter.com/s2XSR4gjXf — Clarence Williams (@nu1wcf) August 14, 2020
Rosas also highlighted a couple of other moments from last night. The first involved a black man who got in an argument with protesters after he defended the police. “They protect us,” the man said.
“They gotta go,” a protester replied.
This argument is pretty interesting because the protester (in the “hustle” shirt) is arguing that police violence is the priority while the other man argues that it’s not primarily police who kill people. “People kill people,” he said. The protester replied, “I understand that but we’ve got to take care of this first and then we can handle that.”
You can get with this or you can get with that.
The obvious problem with this argument is that crime, including murder, is already on the rise around the country as police are pulling back. So you can’t defund or disband police and then deal with crime by everyone else later. It doesn’t work that way. It’s making the situation worse and the guy in the ball cap is absolutely right about that.
The second clip below involves a black resident who thinks the protests are doing more harm than good.
The other moment was when a black woman voiced her frustration because she was unable to get to her husband since he was in the area where police were arresting people. She said defunding the police was a bad idea, adding the protesters were doing more harm than good. pic.twitter.com/wK7WWkQp0Y — Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 14, 2020
Update: There’s a small crowd cheering as those who were arrested last night are released.


hotair--2020-08-14--Trump: We're putting New York in play

Trump: We're putting New York in play

There ’ s something familiar about this .
“ Just so you understand , we are going to play New York .
You know , we ’ re not just doing this for fun .
We ’ re going to play New York , ” Trump told the New York Conservative Party at its convention Wednesday evening .
“ We are going to play so hard and win .
We are going to win this state , ” he added as he wrapped up his speech .
“ It ’ s going to shock people , and by the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , it ’ s over .
We win , OK ?
We win.
” On the day he said that , he trailed Hillary in New York by 21 points .
He ended up losing the state by 21 points .
Today he trails Biden there by 24 points .
What do you suppose the final margin will be ?
Trump fans will insist that he ’ s just trolling by saying this .
I agree .
Ninety-five percent probability : In New York City , “ shootings are double , murders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I ’ ve heard numbers , 244 percent on some kinds of crimes .
What is it , 277 percent [ for shootings ] ?
” Trump said .
“ I ’ ll solve the crime problem .
I ’ ll solve their tax problem .
I ’ ll solve all their problems .
Who would not vote for me ?
” he said .
“ We ’ re going to look into SALT , we ’ re going to look into crime , we ’ re going to look into all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — of many problems that they have in New York.
” He continued : “ We did well last time , but to get over 50 percent is hard for a Republican .
But we ’ re putting New York in play .
We ’ re going to play it very strong and very hard .
And we are going to try to win New York.
” “ We ’ re going to invest in there , we ’ ll visit , ” he promised the New York Post , which may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience at the moment what it wants to hear .
If you ’ re talking to a New York paper , you need to signal interest in New York , right ?
He did keep his promise about visiting today — because , unfortunately , his brother is ill and in the hospital there — but I ’ m going to guess that the Trump campaign will not , in fact , be devoting resources to New York at a moment when Biden has caught up in fundraising and is threatening in red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s going to keep up the illusion a bit longer : He should abandon the state if for no other reason than that Andrew Cuomo managed to cleanse New York of a not insignificant percentage of its nursing-home population through sheer incompetence and yet he continues to enjoy gangbusters approval ratings .
There are blue states , there are deep blue states , and then there are “ still voting Democrat even if you liquidate all the senior citizens ” zombified blue states .
Not a good electoral investment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pile of skulls outside the gates of Darth Cuomo ’ s kingdom and think twice about attacking .
Plus , there ’ s this new polling from Fox .
Does this sound like an opportune moment for the “ small ( er ) government ” candidate to make inroads in an ultra-liberal state ?
That ’ s a national poll , not a poll of New York .
Voters are now 57/36 on wanting government help in our supposedly 50/50 “ center-right ” country .
If it ’ s like that across America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in NY .
Especially at a moment when Democrats in Congress are pushing $ 3 trillion in relief and the Senate Republican response is , “ Nah , time to end the freeloading.
” The GOP is playing electoral Russian roulette by rediscovering its fiscal conservative roots right now .
Trump must grasp all of that on some level .
So , yeah , 95 percent chance that he ’ s trolling by claiming he ’ s going to contest New York .
But there ’ s still that remaining five percent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a grandiose narcissist to convince himself that he ’ s more popular than he is , especially in a state where he was born , raised , made his money , and became one of its most famous citizens .
I ’ m not saying he ’ s going to convince the campaign to spend $ 10 million there .
I ’ m just saying that , in some part of his mind , he must believe “ New York still loves me.
” Nor should we underestimate the Trump White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even when there are all sorts of indicators pointing the other way .
Politico reported a few days ago that Team Trump feels increasingly confident about its handling of the pandemic and his resulting electoral prospects even though ( a ) thousands of kids are already out of school either because they ’ re infected or have been forced to isolate , ( b ) COVID is expanding in Georgia , where many schools are open , ( c ) testing is still a mess , including in hot-spot states like Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by “ excess deaths , ” we ’ re probably already over 200,000 fatalities and comparable to the death toll at this stage from the 1918 killer flu .
The head of the CDC said the other day that if Americans don ’ t continue to wear masks , social-distance , wash their hands , and stay away from crowds , this fall could be the biggest public-health disaster in the history of the United States .
If you can look past all that and still believe that the prognosis is growing brighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there ’ s a comeback brewing in New York ?

There’s something familiar about this.
Ah, right. September 7, 2016:
“Just so you understand, we are going to play New York. You know, we’re not just doing this for fun. We’re going to play New York,” Trump told the New York Conservative Party at its convention Wednesday evening. “We are going to play so hard and win. We are going to win this state,” he added as he wrapped up his speech. “It’s going to shock people, and by the way, you know if we win this state, it’s over. We win, OK? We win.”
On the day he said that, he trailed Hillary in New York by 21 points. He ended up losing the state by 21 points. Today he trails Biden there by 24 points.
What do you suppose the final margin will be?
Trump fans will insist that he’s just trolling by saying this. I agree. Ninety-five percent probability:
In New York City, “shootings are double, murders, everything has doubled and tripled. And I’ve heard numbers, 244 percent on some kinds of crimes. What is it, 277 percent [for shootings]?” Trump said. “I’ll solve the crime problem. I’ll solve their tax problem. I’ll solve all their problems. Who would not vote for me?” he said. “We’re going to look into SALT, we’re going to look into crime, we’re going to look into all of the things and solve the problems — of many problems that they have in New York.” He continued: “We did well last time, but to get over 50 percent is hard for a Republican. But we’re putting New York in play. We’re going to play it very strong and very hard. And we are going to try to win New York.”
“We’re going to invest in there, we’ll visit,” he promised the New York Post, which may be a simple case of him telling his audience at the moment what it wants to hear. If you’re talking to a New York paper, you need to signal interest in New York, right? He did keep his promise about visiting today — because, unfortunately, his brother is ill and in the hospital there — but I’m going to guess that the Trump campaign will not, in fact, be devoting resources to New York at a moment when Biden has caught up in fundraising and is threatening in red strongholds like Texas and Georgia.
Still, he’s going to keep up the illusion a bit longer:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1294364456370286596
He should abandon the state if for no other reason than that Andrew Cuomo managed to cleanse New York of a not insignificant percentage of its nursing-home population through sheer incompetence and yet he continues to enjoy gangbusters approval ratings. There are blue states, there are deep blue states, and then there are “still voting Democrat even if you liquidate all the senior citizens” zombified blue states.
Not a good electoral investment for a Republican. Trump should observe the pile of skulls outside the gates of Darth Cuomo’s kingdom and think twice about attacking.
Plus, there’s this new polling from Fox. Does this sound like an opportune moment for the “small(er) government” candidate to make inroads in an ultra-liberal state?
That’s a national poll, not a poll of New York. Voters are now 57/36 on wanting government help in our supposedly 50/50 “center-right” country. If it’s like that across America, imagine what it’s like in NY. Especially at a moment when Democrats in Congress are pushing $3 trillion in relief and the Senate Republican response is, “Nah, time to end the freeloading.” The GOP is playing electoral Russian roulette by rediscovering its fiscal conservative roots right now.
Trump must grasp all of that on some level. So, yeah, 95 percent chance that he’s trolling by claiming he’s going to contest New York.
But there’s still that remaining five percent. We shouldn’t underestimate the ability of a grandiose narcissist to convince himself that he’s more popular than he is, especially in a state where he was born, raised, made his money, and became one of its most famous citizens. I’m not saying he’s going to convince the campaign to spend $10 million there. I’m just saying that, in some part of his mind, he must believe “New York still loves me.”
Nor should we underestimate the Trump White House’s ability to view situations optimistically even when there are all sorts of indicators pointing the other way. Politico reported a few days ago that Team Trump feels increasingly confident about its handling of the pandemic and his resulting electoral prospects even though (a) thousands of kids are already out of school either because they’re infected or have been forced to isolate, (b) COVID is expanding in Georgia, where many schools are open, (c) testing is still a mess, including in hot-spot states like Texas, and (d) if you go by “excess deaths,” we’re probably already over 200,000 fatalities and comparable to the death toll at this stage from the 1918 killer flu.
The head of the CDC said the other day that if Americans don’t continue to wear masks, social-distance, wash their hands, and stay away from crowds, this fall could be the biggest public-health disaster in the history of the United States. If you can look past all that and still believe that the prognosis is growing brighter, why couldn’t you believe that there’s a comeback brewing in New York?


hotair--2020-08-14--U.S. seized 1.1 million gallons of Iranian gasoline headed to Venezuela

Back in May , Iran sent five tankers full of gasoline to Venezuela which was in the midst of a gas crunch because its refining capacity has plummeted .
Iran and Venezuela attempted a second round but this time tried to deliver the gasoline covertly by using ship-to-ship transfers and four foreign-flagged tankers .
In July the DOJ filed a “ forfeiture complaint and warrant ” with a federal court on the grounds that profit from the sale of the gasoline would go the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) and be used to support terrorism .
A judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time the four tankers involved in the scheme turned off their tracking signals .
Apparently the effort to disappear didn ’ t work because this Wednesday , the U.S. seized 1.1 million barrels of gasoline from the four ships .
All of this was done without firing a shot .
Roughly 1.116 million barrels of fuel was confiscated from the foreign-flagged vessels M/T Bella , M/T Bering , M/T Pandi and M/T Luna , a Justice Department statement said , adding that the seizure took place “ with the assistance of foreign partners.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , acting on a warrant issued by a U.S. District Court over a July 2 complaint seeking the forfeiture of all petroleum products aboard the vessels .
The property is now in U.S. custody , the Justice Department said .
According to The Associated Press , quoting unnamed U.S. officials , no military force was used in the seizure of the cargo , and none of the ships was physically impounded .
Instead , U.S. officials threatened ship owners , insurers and captains with sanctions to force them to hand over their cargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still have to prove in court that the gasoline was subject to forfeit but assuming that happens , it would be sold and the profits used to benefit U.S. victims of the Iranian regime .
But it doesn ’ t sound as if Iran will be complaining about the seizure because the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela claimed they had nothing to do with the gasoline from those four ships : “ The ships are not Iranian , and neither the owner nor its flag has anything to do with Iran , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is another lie and act of psychological warfare perpetrated by the US propaganda machine , ” Soltani said .
“ The terrorist # Trump can not compensate for his humiliation and defeat by Iran using false propaganda.
” Also this week , U.S. Central Command says that Iran boarded a tanker in international waters : As for the location of the four ships from which the gasoline was seized that ’ s not exactly clear though one of them might have been sold as scrap : It is not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bering , Pandi and Luna – or their cargoes currently are , but the ship captains weeks ago turned off their tracking devices to hide their locations , said Russ Dallen , a Miami-based partner at brokerage Caracas Capital Markets , who follows ship movements .
The Bering went dark on May 11 in the Mediterranean near Greece and has not turned on its transponder since , while the Bella did the same July 2 in the Philippines , Dallen said .
The Luna and Pandi were last spotted when they were together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 when the US seizure order came .
Shipping data shows that the Pandi , which also goes by Andy , is reporting that it has been “ broken up , ” or sold as scrap , Dallen said .
Overall a pretty positive result for the U.S. and a bad one for Iran and Venezuela .
And here ’ s the cherry on top .
Code Pink ’ s Medea Benjamin is unhappy about it :

Back in May, Iran sent five tankers full of gasoline to Venezuela which was in the midst of a gas crunch because its refining capacity has plummeted. Iran and Venezuela attempted a second round but this time tried to deliver the gasoline covertly by using ship-to-ship transfers and four foreign-flagged tankers. In July the DOJ filed a “forfeiture complaint and warrant” with a federal court on the grounds that profit from the sale of the gasoline would go the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and be used to support terrorism. A judge issued a warrant and right around that time the four tankers involved in the scheme turned off their tracking signals.
Apparently the effort to disappear didn’t work because this Wednesday, the U.S. seized 1.1 million barrels of gasoline from the four ships. All of this was done without firing a shot.
Roughly 1.116 million barrels of fuel was confiscated from the foreign-flagged vessels M/T Bella, M/T Bering, M/T Pandi and M/T Luna, a Justice Department statement said, adding that the seizure took place “with the assistance of foreign partners.” The cargo was intercepted on Wednesday, acting on a warrant issued by a U.S. District Court over a July 2 complaint seeking the forfeiture of all petroleum products aboard the vessels. The property is now in U.S. custody, the Justice Department said. According to The Associated Press, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, no military force was used in the seizure of the cargo, and none of the ships was physically impounded. Instead, U.S. officials threatened ship owners, insurers and captains with sanctions to force them to hand over their cargo, the AP reported.
The government will still have to prove in court that the gasoline was subject to forfeit but assuming that happens, it would be sold and the profits used to benefit U.S. victims of the Iranian regime. But it doesn’t sound as if Iran will be complaining about the seizure because the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela claimed they had nothing to do with the gasoline from those four ships:
“The ships are not Iranian, and neither the owner nor its flag has anything to do with Iran,” Hojat Soltani said on Twitter in Spanish. “This is another lie and act of psychological warfare perpetrated by the US propaganda machine,” Soltani said. “The terrorist #Trump cannot compensate for his humiliation and defeat by Iran using false propaganda.”
Also this week, U.S. Central Command says that Iran boarded a tanker in international waters:
(1/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "@IMSC_Sentinel monitored an incident involving Iranian forces who boarded a tanker in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, Aug 12." pic.twitter.com/Pe7gfo3xy1 — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(2/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "Iran's use of its military forces to conduct an armed boarding of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce." pic.twitter.com/MrhFMRwqiV — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(3/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions. This type of reckless, aggressive behavior by Iran destabilizes the region and threatens the rules based international order." pic.twitter.com/w7dlzDXuoX — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(4/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "A @IMSC_Sentinel coalition ship was providing overwatch in the immediate area and monitored the incident. There were no calls for help issued by Wila. Sentinel's mission is to deter & expose malign activity, reassure the maritime community in the region." pic.twitter.com/9GZwfIQXz7 — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
As for the location of the four ships from which the gasoline was seized that’s not exactly clear though one of them might have been sold as scrap:
It is not clear where the vessels – the Bella, Bering, Pandi and Luna – or their cargoes currently are, but the ship captains weeks ago turned off their tracking devices to hide their locations, said Russ Dallen, a Miami-based partner at brokerage Caracas Capital Markets, who follows ship movements. The Bering went dark on May 11 in the Mediterranean near Greece and has not turned on its transponder since, while the Bella did the same July 2 in the Philippines, Dallen said. The Luna and Pandi were last spotted when they were together in the Gulf of Oman on July 10 when the US seizure order came. Shipping data shows that the Pandi, which also goes by Andy, is reporting that it has been “broken up,” or sold as scrap, Dallen said.
Overall a pretty positive result for the U.S. and a bad one for Iran and Venezuela. And here’s the cherry on top. Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin is unhappy about it:
So disgusting that the US government seizes ships with oil destined for Venezuela, and then blames the Venezuelan government for a crisis where people wait for days to get gasoline. Pirates. Thieves. https://t.co/AGKrsyldab — Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) August 14, 2020
Correction: I accidentally wrote 1.1 million “gallons” of gasoline in the headline but it should have been 1.1 million “barrels.” Sorry for the error.


hotair--2020-08-14--Fauci: If we can safely shop at the grocery store, we can safely vote in person

It ’ s not the first time that Dr. Anthony Fauci has made this argument , but maybe it will be the first time it will break through the political/media noise over mail-in voting .
The head of the NIAID said a week ago that healthy people who stick to mask and social-distancing protocols could safely cast their ballots at their local precincts , although that remark got understandably overshadowed by his cautious endorsement of reopening schools .
This time , ABC ’ s Deborah Roberts asked specifically about voting as part of a NatGeo panel she moderated yesterday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting is no more fraught than grocery shopping for healthy voters , although high-risk voters might want to use mailed ballots “ the way we have done so for years ” ( via Katie Pavlich ) : “ What about voting ?
So many people are concerned .
We are in an election year .
Some people are going to be heading to the polls in the next few weeks , can people go out and vote in person given there is so much concern about the vote ?
” ABC News ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview .
“ I think if carefully done according to the guidelines , there ’ s new reason I can see that not being the case .
For example , when you look at going to a grocery stores now in regions and counties and cities that are doing it correctly , they have x ’ s every six or more feet and it says don ’ t leave this spot until the person in front of you left their spot , and you an do that .
If you go and wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical distancing and don ’ t have a crowded situation , there ’ s no reason why you shouldn ’ t be able to do that , ” Fauci said .
“ There ’ s no reason we shouldn ’ t be able to vote in person.
” This confirms what Fauci said previously , and what I have argued for weeks .
A handful of states have mature vote-by-mail systems that should be able to handle the presidential election demand this year , but those voters are used to those systems as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including all of the presumed battleground states , and most of the high-population states too — do not .
Two of them , California and New York , held primaries with mass mail-in voting and ended up with high failure rates .
New York took weeks just to unwind its primaries , and the Big Apple ’ s ballot failure rate exceeded twenty percent .
Forget the fraud argument , which is marginal at worst and mostly a distraction .
Why would we deliberately choose a system that risks disenfranchising one out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not necessary to do so ?
Even if we ’ re disenfranchising one out of every twenty American voters , that ’ s a failure rate of 5 % , and that would exceed the margins of victory in enough battleground states to undermine the outcome ’ s credibility .
And that outcome might not be known for weeks after the election , as we saw in New York in its primary .
The answer to this is to commit resources to ensure proper safety at in-person voting precincts , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demand more fully , rather than sink money into mass mail-in balloting .
If we can figure out how to shop safely at the grocery store , we can surely cast ballots in person , where the voting can be done reliably and counted quickly , and where voters at least have the opportunity to correct any mistakes and make sure their votes count .

It’s not the first time that Dr. Anthony Fauci has made this argument, but maybe it will be the first time it will break through the political/media noise over mail-in voting. The head of the NIAID said a week ago that healthy people who stick to mask and social-distancing protocols could safely cast their ballots at their local precincts, although that remark got understandably overshadowed by his cautious endorsement of reopening schools.
This time, ABC’s Deborah Roberts asked specifically about voting as part of a NatGeo panel she moderated yesterday. Fauci insists that the issue of in-person voting is no more fraught than grocery shopping for healthy voters, although high-risk voters might want to use mailed ballots “the way we have done so for years” (via Katie Pavlich):
Can people safely go out and vote in person this year? Dr. Fauci answers this and more in a @NatGeo virtual panel moderated by @DebRobertsABC. https://t.co/MPZzrQrKLS pic.twitter.com/6mYkTpOGOH — ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2020
“What about voting? So many people are concerned. We are in an election year. Some people are going to be heading to the polls in the next few weeks, can people go out and vote in person given there is so much concern about the vote?” ABC News’ Deborah Roberts asked Fauci during a recent interview. “I think if carefully done according to the guidelines, there’s new reason I can see that not being the case. For example, when you look at going to a grocery stores now in regions and counties and cities that are doing it correctly, they have x’s every six or more feet and it says don’t leave this spot until the person in front of you left their spot, and you an do that. If you go and wear a mask, if you observe the physical distancing and don’t have a crowded situation, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do that,” Fauci said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to vote in person.”
This confirms what Fauci said previously, and what I have argued for weeks. A handful of states have mature vote-by-mail systems that should be able to handle the presidential election demand this year, but those voters are used to those systems as well. The rest of the states — including all of the presumed battleground states, and most of the high-population states too — do not. Two of them, California and New York, held primaries with mass mail-in voting and ended up with high failure rates. New York took weeks just to unwind its primaries, and the Big Apple’s ballot failure rate exceeded twenty percent.
Forget the fraud argument, which is marginal at worst and mostly a distraction. Why would we deliberately choose a system that risks disenfranchising one out of every five American voters when it’s not necessary to do so? Even if we’re disenfranchising one out of every twenty American voters, that’s a failure rate of 5%, and that would exceed the margins of victory in enough battleground states to undermine the outcome’s credibility. And that outcome might not be known for weeks after the election, as we saw in New York in its primary.
The answer to this is to commit resources to ensure proper safety at in-person voting precincts, and perhaps even open new ones to distribute the demand more fully, rather than sink money into mass mail-in balloting. If we can figure out how to shop safely at the grocery store, we can surely cast ballots in person, where the voting can be done reliably and counted quickly, and where voters at least have the opportunity to correct any mistakes and make sure their votes count.


hotair--2020-08-14--Townhall Media's "War for the White House" Podcast Premiere

Introducing “ War for the White House ” - a twice a week podcast that gives you in-depth analysis of @ @ @ @ @ left-wing media doesn ’ t want you to hear .
Hosted by a rotating cast @ @ @ @ @ across the Townhall Media family , which includes Townhall , HotAir , RedState , PJ @ @ @ @ @ Bearing Arms .
The first episode is hosted by Ed Morrissey , Senior Editor of @ @ @ @ @ Editor of Townhall.com , and Storm Paglia , co-host of the Triggered Podcast .
In @ @ @ @ @ examine the overall state of the 2020 election , Kamala Harris ’ interesting relationship with @ @ @ @ @ Middle East peace deal announced yesterday , the possible effect of ‘ Law and Order @ @ @ @ @ and where this wild election goes with 80 days until November 3rd .
Tune in @ @ @ @ @ !
Also soon to be available on the Apple and Google Podcast apps , and @ @

Introducing “War for the White House”- a twice a week podcast that gives you in-depth analysis of the 2020 Election that the left-wing media doesn’t want you to hear. Hosted by a rotating cast of your favorite conservative writers across the Townhall Media family, which includes Townhall, HotAir, RedState, PJ Media, Twitchy, and Bearing Arms.
The first episode is hosted by Ed Morrissey, Senior Editor of HotAir.com, Katie Pavlich, Editor of Townhall.com, and Storm Paglia, co-host of the Triggered Podcast.
In this first episode, they examine the overall state of the 2020 election, Kamala Harris’ interesting relationship with the truth, the historic Middle East peace deal announced yesterday, the possible effect of ‘Law and Order’ on suburban voters, and where this wild election goes with 80 days until November 3rd.
Tune in every Tuesday and Friday here! Also soon to be available on the Apple and Google Podcast apps, and Spotify.


hotair--2020-08-14--Republican Georgia Senate candidates fight over ... who hates Mitt Romney more

Let me remind you up front that these same two creatures scrambled to congratulate the QAnon crank who won the primary in their state ’ s 14th District a few days ago , and not without reason .
A source told the Dispatch that “ around a quarter of the 76,000 voters that turned out for the runoff in northwestern Georgia were QAnon-adjacent , and insinuated Republican leadership is afraid of alienating this growing base of support.
” Kelly Loeffler and Doug Collins are battling for the pro-Trump populist vote in Georgia ’ s special election over Loeffler ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful , potentially decisive percentage of that vote is also pro- “ Q.
” So they pandered to whom they needed to pander to , even though in this case that particular pander makes them both unfit for office .
As we get closer to the election , we ’ ll start taking bets on which of them is the first to say “ where we go one , we go all ” at a Senate debate .
In the meantime , any politician who ’ s frantic enough to earn populist cred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Q-bot is certainly eager enough to earn it by dumping on Romney , the one Republican who voted to remove Trump at his Senate impeachment trial .
Loeffler and Collins have been at that for months , in fact , with Collins reminding Georgia voters in February that Loeffler and her husband donated big bucks to Romney ’ s 2012 campaign .
A desperate Loeffler responded to that by attacking Romney noisily for his impeachment vote , notwithstanding her prior support and the fact that she ’ s every inch the same sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Collins was back at it last night .
He ’ s not faulting her for supporting Romney in 2012 , he ’ s faulting her for supporting Romney in 2012 and not supporting Trump in 2016 .
The answer to “ Why Romney but not Trump ?
” is “ Because Trump is grossly unfit for office and Romney isn ’ t , ” but Loeffler can ’ t give that answer — in public , anyway .
So she was left to resort to this , which had the entirety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Click the images and you ’ ll find old tweets from Collins touting his support for Romney in 2012 , which makes him … like nearly every other Republican in America .
Fun fact : Romney 2012 earned a higher share of the Republican vote , 93 percent , than Trump 2016 did with 88 percent .
Donald Trump endorsed him too , if memory serves .
And of course , virtually all of the Republican voters in Georgia who ’ ll be casting ballots for Senate this fall also cast their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Collins ’ s critique is that Loeffler supported Romney but not Trump , not that she supported Romney .
Rather than just take that hit and move on , she walked right into this : I ’ m guessing she didn ’ t vote for Obama after cutting checks worth $ 1.5 million for Romney , but one would be forgiven for drawing that conclusion given her weird criticism of Collins .
We can laugh at her for being an awkward phony populist all we like , but don ’ t laugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s working for her : That ’ s the second poll in a row in which she ’ s led Georgia ’ s jungle primary .
( That ’ s where candidates from all parties compete and the two highest vote-getters proceed to a runoff , unless someone clears 50 percent . )
Not only is Collins nine points behind now , he ’ s tied with the top Democrat and thus would be at risk of missing the runoff if the election were held today .
Peek through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffer leads with all of the groups whom you might guess would support Collins : Among Trump voters , it ’ s 55/30 , among “ very conservative ” voters it ’ s 50/30 , among rural voters it ’ s 37/23 , among voters making less than $ 40,000 per year it ’ s 26/11 .
Whether she owes her lead to pure name recognition by dint of her bottomless advertising budget or to her crafty yet cynical attempt to pick a fight with the WNBA over “ Black Lives Matter ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she ’ s done better than I would have guessed so far in holding off Collins ’ s populist charge , partly by being a not very convincing but apparently convincing enough pretend-populist herself .
The X factor will be whether Trump blows her up by endorsing Collins down the stretch — remember that he favored appointing Collins to Georgia ’ s vacant Senate seat before Gov .
Brian Kemp went with Loeffler — or whether he holds his fire due to McConnell begging him to or because Trump himself concludes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough organic support to make him a safe bet .
I ’ ll leave you with this .

Let me remind you up front that these same two creatures scrambled to congratulate the QAnon crank who won the primary in their state’s 14th District a few days ago, and not without reason. A source told the Dispatch that “around a quarter of the 76,000 voters that turned out for the runoff in northwestern Georgia were QAnon-adjacent, and insinuated Republican leadership is afraid of alienating this growing base of support.”
Kelly Loeffler and Doug Collins are battling for the pro-Trump populist vote in Georgia’s special election over Loeffler’s Senate seat and they realize that a meaningful, potentially decisive percentage of that vote is also pro-“Q.” So they pandered to whom they needed to pander to, even though in this case that particular pander makes them both unfit for office.
As we get closer to the election, we’ll start taking bets on which of them is the first to say “where we go one, we go all” at a Senate debate.
In the meantime, any politician who’s frantic enough to earn populist cred that they’ll slobber over a Q-bot is certainly eager enough to earn it by dumping on Romney, the one Republican who voted to remove Trump at his Senate impeachment trial. Loeffler and Collins have been at that for months, in fact, with Collins reminding Georgia voters in February that Loeffler and her husband donated big bucks to Romney’s 2012 campaign. A desperate Loeffler responded to that by attacking Romney noisily for his impeachment vote, notwithstanding her prior support and the fact that she’s every inch the same sort of filthy-rich business-class Republican that Romney is.
Collins was back at it last night. He’s not faulting her for supporting Romney in 2012, he’s faulting her for supporting Romney in 2012 and not supporting Trump in 2016.
.@MittRomney is blocking former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan from answering for their illegal surveillance of then-candidate Trump and the Trump Campaign under the Obama administration.https://t.co/sqRhEFf8Dh — Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) August 13, 2020
.@MittRomney was the original Never Trumper in 2016, he voted to impeach President Trump earlier this year, and now he's actively working to coverup the Obama administration's corrupt efforts to take down @realDonaldTrump before he ever stepped foot in the White House. — Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) August 13, 2020
Kelly won’t answer the question because she doesn't want Georgians to know the truth: @KLoeffler and @MittRomney are cut from the same Never Trump cloth – two self-funders putting self before country. — Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) August 13, 2020
The answer to “Why Romney but not Trump?” is “Because Trump is grossly unfit for office and Romney isn’t,” but Loeffler can’t give that answer — in public, anyway. So she was left to resort to this, which had the entirety of political Twitter scratching its collective head:
Click the images and you’ll find old tweets from Collins touting his support for Romney in 2012, which makes him … like nearly every other Republican in America. Fun fact: Romney 2012 earned a higher share of the Republican vote, 93 percent, than Trump 2016 did with 88 percent. Donald Trump endorsed him too, if memory serves. And of course, virtually all of the Republican voters in Georgia who’ll be casting ballots for Senate this fall also cast their ballots for Romney. Again, the point of Collins’s critique is that Loeffler supported Romney but not Trump, not that she supported Romney.
Rather than just take that hit and move on, she walked right into this:
Is Kelly Loeffler attacking @CollinsforGA because he supported Mitt Romney over Barack Obama? *checks notes* Yes. Yes, she is. https://t.co/400Q1sdqqQ — Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) August 14, 2020
I’m guessing she didn’t vote for Obama after cutting checks worth $1.5 million for Romney, but one would be forgiven for drawing that conclusion given her weird criticism of Collins.
We can laugh at her for being an awkward phony populist all we like, but don’t laugh too hard. Per the latest polls, it’s working for her:
That’s the second poll in a row in which she’s led Georgia’s jungle primary. (That’s where candidates from all parties compete and the two highest vote-getters proceed to a runoff, unless someone clears 50 percent.) Not only is Collins nine points behind now, he’s tied with the top Democrat and thus would be at risk of missing the runoff if the election were held today. Peek through the crosstabs and you’ll find that Loeffer leads with all of the groups whom you might guess would support Collins: Among Trump voters, it’s 55/30, among “very conservative” voters it’s 50/30, among rural voters it’s 37/23, among voters making less than $40,000 per year it’s 26/11. Whether she owes her lead to pure name recognition by dint of her bottomless advertising budget or to her crafty yet cynical attempt to pick a fight with the WNBA over “Black Lives Matter” slogans, I don’t know. But she’s done better than I would have guessed so far in holding off Collins’s populist charge, partly by being a not very convincing but apparently convincing enough pretend-populist herself.
The X factor will be whether Trump blows her up by endorsing Collins down the stretch — remember that he favored appointing Collins to Georgia’s vacant Senate seat before Gov. Brian Kemp went with Loeffler — or whether he holds his fire due to McConnell begging him to or because Trump himself concludes that Collins just doesn’t have enough organic support to make him a safe bet.
I’ll leave you with this.


hotair--2020-08-14--FBI lawyer to plead guilty to doctoring email used to justify surveillance of Carter Page

Earlier today Ed wrote about AG Barr ’ s statement last night that something significant would be happening with the Durham probe today .
It looks like this is it .
A former FBI lawyer who doctored an email which was used to justify surveillance of Carter Page has agree to plead guilty according to the NY Times : The lawyer , Kevin Clinesmith , 38 , who was assigned to the Russia investigation , plans to admit that he altered an email from the C.I.A .
that investigators relied on to seek renewed court permission in 2017 for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser Carter Page , who had at times provided information to the spy agency .
Mr. Clinesmith ’ s lawyer said he made a mistake while trying to clarify facts for a colleague… “ Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email , ” Mr. Clinesmith ’ s lawyer , Justin Shur , said in a statement .
“ It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate .
But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility .
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intend to do anything wrong is hard to square with the Washington Post ’ s account of what he did .
A criminal information — a court document filed Friday with the defendant ’ s consent — describes in detail the exchanges that led to Clinesmith ’ s planned plea .
In a series of instant messages with the FBI agent , Clinesmith wrote the CIA liaison “ confirmed explicitly ” that Page was never a source of theirs , according to the information .
When the agent asked if they had that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forwarded him the email with the altered phrase .
We ’ re also supposed to believe this had nothing to do with his personal animus toward President Trump .
But the Times notes he was removed from Mueller ’ s investigation because of his texts about Trump .
Mr. Clinesmith was among the F.B.I .
officials whom Mr. Mueller removed from the Russia investigation after Mr. Horowitz found messages they had exchanged expressing political animus against Mr. Trump .
Shortly after Mr. Trump ’ s election victory , Mr. Clinesmith texted another official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to be a lot more gun issues , too , the crazies won finally .
This is the tea party on steroids .
And the GOP is going to be lost.
” In another text , he wrote , “ viva le resistance.
” So that ’ s the development today from Durham .
The question that remains is when the next shoe will drop .

Earlier today Ed wrote about AG Barr’s statement last night that something significant would be happening with the Durham probe today. It looks like this is it. A former FBI lawyer who doctored an email which was used to justify surveillance of Carter Page has agree to plead guilty according to the NY Times:
The lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, 38, who was assigned to the Russia investigation, plans to admit that he altered an email from the C.I.A. that investigators relied on to seek renewed court permission in 2017 for a secret wiretap on the former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, who had at times provided information to the spy agency. Mr. Clinesmith’s lawyer said he made a mistake while trying to clarify facts for a colleague… “Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email,” Mr. Clinesmith’s lawyer, Justin Shur, said in a statement. “It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate. But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility. ”
The claim that Clinesmith didn’t intend to do anything wrong is hard to square with the Washington Post’s account of what he did.
A criminal information — a court document filed Friday with the defendant’s consent — describes in detail the exchanges that led to Clinesmith’s planned plea. In a series of instant messages with the FBI agent, Clinesmith wrote the CIA liaison “confirmed explicitly” that Page was never a source of theirs, according to the information. When the agent asked if they had that in writing, Clinesmith said yes and forwarded him the email with the altered phrase.
We’re also supposed to believe this had nothing to do with his personal animus toward President Trump. But the Times notes he was removed from Mueller’s investigation because of his texts about Trump.
Mr. Clinesmith was among the F.B.I. officials whom Mr. Mueller removed from the Russia investigation after Mr. Horowitz found messages they had exchanged expressing political animus against Mr. Trump. Shortly after Mr. Trump’s election victory, Mr. Clinesmith texted another official: “I honestly feel like there is going to be a lot more gun issues, too, the crazies won finally. This is the tea party on steroids. And the GOP is going to be lost.” In another text, he wrote, “viva le resistance.”
So that’s the development today from Durham. The question that remains is when the next shoe will drop.


hotair--2020-08-14--Pennsylvania asks court to allow ballots to be received three days after Election Day due to Postal

Pennsylvania asks court to allow ballots to be received three days after Election Day due to Postal Service delays; Update: 46 states

To be clear , the request here isn ’ t to let Pennsylvania voters mail ballots after polls close .
They need to be postmarked before then .
The request is to have the court extend the deadline for when ballots need to be received in order to be counted , which by law is 8 p.m. on Election Day .
Right now , the Postal Service recommends that ballots be mailed a full week before Election Day , i.e .
October 27 , in order to ensure that they ’ re received on time .
But Pennsylvania law allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until October 27 .
That means many voters won ’ t even have ballots in hand until after the USPS ’ s recommended deadline .
Ah well .
It ’ s not like Pennsylvania ’ s an important swing state .
The U.S .
Postal Service has warned Pennsylvania that some mail ballots might not be delivered on time because the state ’ s deadlines are too tight for its “ delivery standards , ” prompting election officials to ask the state Supreme Court to extend the deadlines to avoid disenfranchising voters… [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s letter represented “ a significant change to the outlook for voting by mail in the general election , ” the Department of State told the court in its filing .
Before the July 29 warning , the department said , “ the Postal Service had not indicated the likelihood of widespread , continuing , multiple-day mail-delivery delays presenting an overwhelming , statewide risk of disenfranchisement for significant numbers of voters utilizing mail-in ballots.
” … Some counties set up drop boxes in the primary election so voters could hand-deliver their ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee have sued the state to block drop boxes from being used in November .
Looming behind the Postal Service ’ s admission that it might not be able to deliver ballots on schedule is Trump ’ s admission that he opposes new funding for the USPS in the next round of stimulus relief because it ’ ll encourage universal mail-in voting .
Every logistical problem encountered by the Postal Service will be viewed through that prism going forward .
Is the USPS making an earnest effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mailed ballots ?
Or is there a deliberate slowdown being engineered by new postmaster general Louis DeJoy to serve Trump ’ s agenda , either by discouraging people from voting by mail or disenfranchising people who do so by increasing the risk that their ballots will arrive late ?
The suspicions have produced media reports like this one from Vice , which is long on dark possibilities but short on actual evidence of chicanery .
Aha !
Trump and DeJoy are starting to deliberately hobble mail processing facilities so that they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly likely to lean Democratic since most Dems say they intend to vote by mail this year .
Except that … even Vice isn ’ t sure there ’ s anything nefarious to this .
The site identified 19 sorting machines across five facilities that have been removed , but “ the Postal Service operates hundreds of distribution facilities around the country , so it is not clear precisely how many machines are getting removed and for what purpose.
” It ’ s “ nothing new ” for machines to be moved around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time it seems to be more widespread.
” Seems ?
Some of the USPS workers they interviewed even admitted that , logistically , it sometimes make sense to move machines from one facility to another .
In this case , the reason for removal may be as simple as the fact that there ’ s less mail to process during the pandemic than normal .
But wait .
Even if they don ’ t have a lot of mail now , they will in two months when the ballots start flowing in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An election is peanuts for the Postal Service relative to the crush of Christmas season , when Christmas cards by the billions are circulating .
This Atlantic piece is worth your time as a sober view of just how much of a crisis the Postal Service is and isn ’ t facing on Election Day — er , Week : The president ’ s claims about the Postal Service ’ s existing capabilities are off base , according both to the agency itself and to outside analysts and voting experts .
The Postal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months , before the coronavirus pandemic cast doubt on the safety of in-person voting and long before DeJoy took office as the nation ’ s 75th postmaster general in June .
The agency began its outreach to 11,500 election administrators in March , and hundreds of regional election-mail coordinators regularly consult with state and county officials on everything from the dates they plan to send out ballots to the design of the envelopes themselves… From a sheer numbers perspective , none of the experts I spoke with doubted that the Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if every one of the nation ’ s more than 150 million registered voters stuck their ballot in a mailbox .
As one noted to me , a presidential election might be a big deal , but in postal terms , it ’ s no Christmas .
The Postal Service processes nearly 500 million pieces of mail every day , and it annually handles more than 3 billion pieces in the week before Christmas alone .
“ I don ’ t worry about their capacity , ” Amber McReynolds , the former director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs the National Vote at Home Institute , a mail-balloting advocacy group , told me .
They have the money to do it too , as they ’ re not expected to run out until next year .
What has workers worried , reportedly , is that some of the guidance they ’ ve been given lately on how to carry out their duties has changed .
Instead of waiting around to make sure all of the day ’ s mail is picked up , processed , and shipped out , they claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever ’ s left to do at the end of their shift for the following day , which could produce key delays in processing ballots that are sent shortly before the deadline .
Trump ’ s comments yesterday tying USPS performance to the election were so alarming , though , that any type of slowdown in service will now be viewed as potential political interference in the vote .
The Oregonian reported yesterday that some mailboxes around the city had been removed by the Postal Service .
Was that because Trump and DeJoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote ?
Given that Oregon isn ’ t in play this fall , I ’ m guessing … no .
We removed them because some boxes have become redundant in their neighborhoods now that there ’ s less mail to deliver , said the USPS .
Even so , Democrats are ready for war over mail delays : Trump backed off his comments to some degree last night , telling reporters that he wouldn ’ t veto a relief bill that included more money for the Postal Service , but nothing ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s afoot at the USPS after he linked his opposition to funding to mail-in ballots .
Which , I think , means Democrats are going to shift their strategy on mail-in voting in one or more ways .
One possibility is that they ’ ll simply start encouraging people to vote in person instead .
NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie has already made that case , reasoning that the only way to stop Trump from crying that he ’ s been cheated by mail ballots is to have Dems show up and vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s probably less risky from a health standpoint than everyone assumes .
Relatedly , Dems are going to go all out on getting people to vote early , whether by mail or in person .
Obama ’ s already beating the drum : It wouldn ’ t surprise me to find top Dems from O and Biden on down soon warning people that the “ real ” Election Day this year is October 23 .
That ’ s the day after the final presidential debate ; most voters will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they prefer .
If Biden still leads in the polls at that point , as Democrats expect , it ’ s actually to their advantage to spook people into believing that their ballot won ’ t be counted unless it ’ s sent waaaaaay earlier than they ’ d normally send it .
The more they can bank votes for Biden while he ’ s leading nationally , the more they hedge against any gamechanging last-minute surprises in Trump ’ s favor , like Comey ’ s Emailgate letter in 2016 .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reluctance to fund the Postal Service could backfire on him : If the electorate writ large becomes convinced that their vote won ’ t count unless it ’ s cast by , say , mid-October , then Trump doesn ’ t have two and a half months to erase Biden ’ s lead .
He has two months .
Those last few weeks will be lost because too many people are worried about the USPS to allow themselves to make their presidential choice in the election ’ s final days .
Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics to be let oneself be seen as reluctant to fund the post office because you personally might be “ cheated ” somehow by it , particularly when most of the public supports the form of voting which the president opposes .
“ Trump won ’ t fund the Postal Service because he ’ s afraid he ’ ll lose !
” is a potentially potent message for Dems in more than one way : You don ’ t want senior citizens pissed off that their medicine has been delayed because they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or wrongly , that Trump cares more about stopping Democrats from voting than he does about them getting their mail on time .
I ’ ll leave you with this outside-the-box idea , suggested by various people on social media : What if Amazon ( and FedEx and UPS ) volunteered to help out by delivering ballots ?
If Bezos wants revenge on Trump for all of his anti-Amazon , anti-WaPo comments ( and not just comments ) , that ’ s one way to get it and earn some good PR for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not just Pennsylvania and a few others that received letters from Marshall about missing ballot deadlines .
Nearly every state in the country has received one , WaPo reports .
We ’ re about to witness a massive push for early voting .
If there ’ s a Trump comeback in the cards , it had better start soon .

Election Week, not Election Day.
To be clear, the request here isn’t to let Pennsylvania voters mail ballots after polls close. They need to be postmarked before then. The request is to have the court extend the deadline for when ballots need to be received in order to be counted, which by law is 8 p.m. on Election Day. Right now, the Postal Service recommends that ballots be mailed a full week before Election Day, i.e. October 27, in order to ensure that they’re received on time. But Pennsylvania law allows voters to *apply* for a ballot up until October 27. That means many voters won’t even have ballots in hand until after the USPS’s recommended deadline.
Ah well. It’s not like Pennsylvania’s an important swing state.
The U.S. Postal Service has warned Pennsylvania that some mail ballots might not be delivered on time because the state’s deadlines are too tight for its “delivery standards,” prompting election officials to ask the state Supreme Court to extend the deadlines to avoid disenfranchising voters… [Postal Service general counsel Thomas] Marshall’s letter represented “a significant change to the outlook for voting by mail in the general election,” the Department of State told the court in its filing. Before the July 29 warning, the department said, “the Postal Service had not indicated the likelihood of widespread, continuing, multiple-day mail-delivery delays presenting an overwhelming, statewide risk of disenfranchisement for significant numbers of voters utilizing mail-in ballots.”… Some counties set up drop boxes in the primary election so voters could hand-deliver their ballots without relying on the mail. But the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee have sued the state to block drop boxes from being used in November.
It’s not just Pennsylvania:
The @USPS is sending letters to some states warning mail-in ballots may not be delivered in time to be counted in the Presidential election because their deadlines are too tight. So far @CBSNews has confirmed Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Michigan—all critical swing states. — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) August 14, 2020
Looming behind the Postal Service’s admission that it might not be able to deliver ballots on schedule is Trump’s admission that he opposes new funding for the USPS in the next round of stimulus relief because it’ll encourage universal mail-in voting. Every logistical problem encountered by the Postal Service will be viewed through that prism going forward. Is the USPS making an earnest effort to cope with the logistics of millions of mailed ballots? Or is there a deliberate slowdown being engineered by new postmaster general Louis DeJoy to serve Trump’s agenda, either by discouraging people from voting by mail or disenfranchising people who do so by increasing the risk that their ballots will arrive late?
The suspicions have produced media reports like this one from Vice, which is long on dark possibilities but short on actual evidence of chicanery.
The United States Postal Service is removing mail sorting machines from facilities around the country without any official explanation or reason given, Motherboard has learned through interviews with postal workers and union officials. In many cases, these are the same machines that would be tasked with sorting ballots, calling into question promises made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that the USPS has “ample capacity” to handle the predicted surge in mail-in ballots… “I’m not sure you’re going to find an answer for why [the machines being removed] makes sense,” said Iowa Postal Workers Union President Kimberly Karol, “because we haven’t figured that out either.”
Aha! Trump and DeJoy are starting to deliberately hobble mail processing facilities so that they can’t process ballots, which are highly likely to lean Democratic since most Dems say they intend to vote by mail this year. Except that … even Vice isn’t sure there’s anything nefarious to this. The site identified 19 sorting machines across five facilities that have been removed, but “the Postal Service operates hundreds of distribution facilities around the country, so it is not clear precisely how many machines are getting removed and for what purpose.” It’s “nothing new” for machines to be moved around, Vice notes, “but this time it seems to be more widespread.” Seems? Some of the USPS workers they interviewed even admitted that, logistically, it sometimes make sense to move machines from one facility to another. In this case, the reason for removal may be as simple as the fact that there’s less mail to process during the pandemic than normal.
But wait. Even if they don’t have a lot of mail now, they will in two months when the ballots start flowing in, right? Eh, not really. An election is peanuts for the Postal Service relative to the crush of Christmas season, when Christmas cards by the billions are circulating. This Atlantic piece is worth your time as a sober view of just how much of a crisis the Postal Service is and isn’t facing on Election Day — er, Week:
The president’s claims about the Postal Service’s existing capabilities are off base, according both to the agency itself and to outside analysts and voting experts. The Postal Service has been preparing for expanded vote-by-mail for months, before the coronavirus pandemic cast doubt on the safety of in-person voting and long before DeJoy took office as the nation’s 75th postmaster general in June. The agency began its outreach to 11,500 election administrators in March, and hundreds of regional election-mail coordinators regularly consult with state and county officials on everything from the dates they plan to send out ballots to the design of the envelopes themselves… From a sheer numbers perspective, none of the experts I spoke with doubted that the Postal Service could handle a vote-by-mail election, even if every one of the nation’s more than 150 million registered voters stuck their ballot in a mailbox. As one noted to me, a presidential election might be a big deal, but in postal terms, it’s no Christmas. The Postal Service processes nearly 500 million pieces of mail every day, and it annually handles more than 3 billion pieces in the week before Christmas alone. “I don’t worry about their capacity,” Amber McReynolds, the former director of elections in Denver, who now runs the National Vote at Home Institute, a mail-balloting advocacy group, told me.
They have the money to do it too, as they’re not expected to run out until next year. What has workers worried, reportedly, is that some of the guidance they’ve been given lately on how to carry out their duties has changed. Instead of waiting around to make sure all of the day’s mail is picked up, processed, and shipped out, they claim they’re being told to leave whatever’s left to do at the end of their shift for the following day, which could produce key delays in processing ballots that are sent shortly before the deadline.
Trump’s comments yesterday tying USPS performance to the election were so alarming, though, that any type of slowdown in service will now be viewed as potential political interference in the vote. The Oregonian reported yesterday that some mailboxes around the city had been removed by the Postal Service. Was that because Trump and DeJoy are trying to make it harder to vote? Given that Oregon isn’t in play this fall, I’m guessing … no. We removed them because some boxes have become redundant in their neighborhoods now that there’s less mail to deliver, said the USPS. Even so, Democrats are ready for war over mail delays:
1) Prime time hearings, now.
2) Subpoenas to Trump WH and camp officials. This is a RICO case
3) Visit local post offices with cameras – show people what is happening.
4) Events with those getting Rx late
5) Involve governors
5) No rest, no vacation. Go to war for our country. — David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) August 14, 2020
Trump backed off his comments to some degree last night, telling reporters that he wouldn’t veto a relief bill that included more money for the Postal Service, but nothing’s going to ease the paranoia that chicanery’s afoot at the USPS after he linked his opposition to funding to mail-in ballots. Which, I think, means Democrats are going to shift their strategy on mail-in voting in one or more ways. One possibility is that they’ll simply start encouraging people to vote in person instead. NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie has already made that case, reasoning that the only way to stop Trump from crying that he’s been cheated by mail ballots is to have Dems show up and vote the old-fashioned way on November 3 instead. It’s probably less risky from a health standpoint than everyone assumes.
Relatedly, Dems are going to go all out on getting people to vote early, whether by mail or in person. Obama’s already beating the drum:
O: "If you are in a state where you have the option to vote early, you need to do that now. The more votes that are in early, the less likely you're going to see a last-minute crunch both at polling places and in those states where mail-in ballots are permitted." — Dave Catanese (@davecatanese) August 14, 2020
It wouldn’t surprise me to find top Dems from O and Biden on down soon warning people that the “real” Election Day this year is October 23. That’s the day after the final presidential debate; most voters will have a solid sense by then of whom they prefer. If Biden still leads in the polls at that point, as Democrats expect, it’s actually to their advantage to spook people into believing that their ballot won’t be counted unless it’s sent waaaaaay earlier than they’d normally send it. The more they can bank votes for Biden while he’s leading nationally, the more they hedge against any gamechanging last-minute surprises in Trump’s favor, like Comey’s Emailgate letter in 2016. That’s an obvious way Trump’s reluctance to fund the Postal Service could backfire on him: If the electorate writ large becomes convinced that their vote won’t count unless it’s cast by, say, mid-October, then Trump doesn’t have two and a half months to erase Biden’s lead. He has two months. Those last few weeks will be lost because too many people are worried about the USPS to allow themselves to make their presidential choice in the election’s final days.
Beyond that, it’s just terrible politics to be let oneself be seen as reluctant to fund the post office because you personally might be “cheated” somehow by it, particularly when most of the public supports the form of voting which the president opposes. “Trump won’t fund the Postal Service because he’s afraid he’ll lose!” is a potentially potent message for Dems in more than one way:
USPS defends capacity to deliver mail-in ballots, noting it estimates election mail will account for 2% of mail volume for Sept to November. By not funding USPS, all of that other 98% – medicine, bills, checks, etc – is affected https://t.co/EfjfqylPe1 — Sam Levine (@srl) August 14, 2020
You don’t want senior citizens pissed off that their medicine has been delayed because they’ve been led to believe, rightly or wrongly, that Trump cares more about stopping Democrats from voting than he does about them getting their mail on time.
I’ll leave you with this outside-the-box idea, suggested by various people on social media: What if Amazon (and FedEx and UPS) volunteered to help out by delivering ballots? If Bezos wants revenge on Trump for all of his anti-Amazon, anti-WaPo comments (and not just comments), that’s one way to get it and earn some good PR for the company too.
Update: Yeah, well.
JUST IN: National Association of Letter Carriers, a union that boasts nearly 300,000 active and retired postal workers, endorses Joe Biden, warning that the “survival” of USPS is at stake. https://t.co/3BditcQaBa — NBC News (@NBCNews) August 14, 2020
Update: It’s not just Pennsylvania and a few others that received letters from Marshall about missing ballot deadlines. Nearly every state in the country has received one, WaPo reports. We’re about to witness a massive push for early voting. If there’s a Trump comeback in the cards, it had better start soon.


hotair--2020-08-14--Protesters arrested in Belarus say they were beaten and tortured by police

After a rigged election in Belarus Sunday , protesters turned out in the streets and faced off with police for several nights .
Nearly 7,000 people were arrested and now , under international pressure , many of those people are being released .
They describe beatings and torture while they were detained and many have the bruises to prove it : Released prisoners shared pictures showing their bruised and swollen bodies , including injuries to backs and buttocks that they alleged were caused by police .
Amnesty International said detainees described being stripped naked , beaten and threatened with rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention centres have become torture chambers , where protesters are forced to lie in the dirt while police kick and beat them with truncheons , ” said Marie Struthers , Amnesty International ’ s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia .
A 16-year-old who was arrested during the protests while crossing a street said his family figured out where he was being held and came to demand his release .
Instead , the police arrested them as well : “ The police said if they were given an order to kill us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any hesitation , ” Vitushka told BuzzFeed News .
“ They were shouting , ‘ Oh yeah , do you need your democracy now ?
’ ” “ They were trying to scare people so they wouldn ’ t take part in any protests , ” he added .
A Russian journalist who was arrested during the sweep wrote a long account of his detention and what he saw : The guy in front of me had his head slammed into the door frame of the police building on purpose .
He screamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started beating him on the head and screaming : “ Shut up , bitch !
” The first time they hit me was when they were taking me out of the van .
I hadn ’ t bent down low enough and got a punch to the head , then a knee to the face .
In the station , they first took us into a room on the fourth floor .
It was full of people lying on the floor like a living carpet , and we had to walk right over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I stepped on someone ’ s hand , but I couldn ’ t see where I was going at all , because my head was bent towards the floor .
“ Everyone on the floor , face down , ” they yelled .
There was nowhere to lie , because everywhere people were lying in pools of blood .
I was able to find a place and lie down , not on top of people , but nearby .
I could only lie on my stomach , with my face down .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask , which protected me from the dirty floor into which I had to bury my nose .
The guy next to me was trying to make himself more comfortable and accidentally turned his head to the side , immediately getting a kick in the face with an army boot .
Around us were horrific beatings .
Everywhere we heard blows , shouts , and screams .
I thought that some of the detainees might have broken arms , legs , or spines , because they screamed in pain at the slightest movement… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were brought .
And this is where the real brutality began .
The officers forced the detainees to pray , to read the Lord ’ s Prayer .
Those who refused were beaten with all available means .
We heard people being beaten on the floors above and below us .
The feeling was that people were being practically trampled into the concrete .
There ’ s no need to even take anyone ’ s word for it .
Several videos on social media recorded the sounds of people being beaten in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough that you could hear them from outside : Here ’ s another video put together by the BBC : In reaction , the US and the EU have threatened sanctions against Belarus .
Also today former opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya released a new video from exile in Lithuania .
“ The majority do not believe in his victory , ” she said .
She also called on authorities to stop the “ bloody slaughter ” of protesters and agree to a dialogue .
“ I ask the mayors of all cities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Aug. 15 and 16 , ” she added .
Here ’ s the video .
You can turn on auto-translate to get a sense of what she ’ s saying .

After a rigged election in Belarus Sunday, protesters turned out in the streets and faced off with police for several nights. Nearly 7,000 people were arrested and now, under international pressure, many of those people are being released. They describe beatings and torture while they were detained and many have the bruises to prove it:
Released prisoners shared pictures showing their bruised and swollen bodies, including injuries to backs and buttocks that they alleged were caused by police. Amnesty International said detainees described being stripped naked, beaten and threatened with rape. “Former detainees told us that detention centres have become torture chambers, where protesters are forced to lie in the dirt while police kick and beat them with truncheons,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
A 16-year-old who was arrested during the protests while crossing a street said his family figured out where he was being held and came to demand his release. Instead, the police arrested them as well:
“The police said if they were given an order to kill us, they would kill us all without any hesitation,” Vitushka told BuzzFeed News. “They were shouting, ‘Oh yeah, do you need your democracy now?’” “They were trying to scare people so they wouldn’t take part in any protests,” he added.
A Russian journalist who was arrested during the sweep wrote a long account of his detention and what he saw:
The guy in front of me had his head slammed into the door frame of the police building on purpose. He screamed in pain. In response, they started beating him on the head and screaming: “Shut up, bitch!” The first time they hit me was when they were taking me out of the van. I hadn’t bent down low enough and got a punch to the head, then a knee to the face. In the station, they first took us into a room on the fourth floor. It was full of people lying on the floor like a living carpet, and we had to walk right over them. I felt very uncomfortable that I stepped on someone’s hand, but I couldn’t see where I was going at all, because my head was bent towards the floor. “Everyone on the floor, face down,” they yelled. There was nowhere to lie, because everywhere people were lying in pools of blood. I was able to find a place and lie down, not on top of people, but nearby. I could only lie on my stomach, with my face down. I was lucky to be wearing a medical mask, which protected me from the dirty floor into which I had to bury my nose. The guy next to me was trying to make himself more comfortable and accidentally turned his head to the side, immediately getting a kick in the face with an army boot. Around us were horrific beatings. Everywhere we heard blows, shouts, and screams. I thought that some of the detainees might have broken arms, legs, or spines, because they screamed in pain at the slightest movement… At about 2 a.m., new detainees were brought. And this is where the real brutality began. The officers forced the detainees to pray, to read the Lord’s Prayer. Those who refused were beaten with all available means. We heard people being beaten on the floors above and below us. The feeling was that people were being practically trampled into the concrete.
There’s no need to even take anyone’s word for it. Several videos on social media recorded the sounds of people being beaten in the detention centers. The screams were loud enough that you could hear them from outside:
[SOUND ON] "It feels like we live in Middle Ages." Here is audio recorded last night near the Minsk detention center where hundreds/thousands are being kept, indoor and outdoor. You can hear screams and moans from beatings. pic.twitter.com/flb4CjdyDY — Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) August 13, 2020
Here’s another video put together by the BBC:
In reaction, the US and the EU have threatened sanctions against Belarus. Also today former opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya released a new video from exile in Lithuania.
“The majority do not believe in his victory,” she said. She also called on authorities to stop the “bloody slaughter” of protesters and agree to a dialogue. “I ask the mayors of all cities to organize peaceful mass assemblies in every city on Aug. 15 and 16,” she added.
Here’s the video. You can turn on auto-translate to get a sense of what she’s saying.