I have suggested many times that the Mueller Investigation would end with little other than a series of allegations.
So here they are in the press release out today from the Justice Department:
(Continues below)
The press release continues:
Friday, February 16, 2018
Grand Jury Indicts Thirteen Russian Individuals and Three Russian Companies for Scheme to Interfere in the United States Political System
The Department of Justice announced that a grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned an indictment presented by the Special Counsel’s Office. The indictment charges thirteen Russian nationals and three Russian companies for committing federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system, including the 2016 Presidential election. The defendants allegedly conducted what they called “information warfare against the United States,” with the stated goal of “spread[ing] distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general.”
“This indictment serves as a reminder that people are not always who they appear to be on the Internet,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. “The indictment alleges that the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed. The Department of Justice will continue to work cooperatively with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and with the Congress, to defend our nation against similar current and future schemes. I want to thank the federal agents and prosecutors working on this case for their exceptional service.”
According to the allegations in the indictment, twelve of the individual defendants worked at various times for Internet Research Agency LLC, a Russian company based in St. Petersburg, Russia. The other individual defendant, Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, funded the conspiracy through companies known as Concord Management and Consulting LLC, Concord Catering, and many subsidiaries and affiliates. The conspiracy was part of a larger operation called “Project Lakhta.” Project Lakhta included multiple components, some involving domestic audiences within the Russian Federation and others targeting foreign audiences in multiple countries.
Internet Research Agency allegedly operated through Russian shell companies. It employed hundreds of persons for its online operations, ranging from creators of fictitious personas to technical and administrative support, with an annual budget of millions of dollars. Internet Research Agency was a structured organization headed by a management group and arranged in departments, including graphics, search-engine optimization, information technology, and finance departments. In 2014, the agency established a “translator project” to focus on the U.S. population. In July 2016, more than 80 employees were assigned to the translator project.
Two of the defendants allegedly traveled to the United States in 2014 to collect intelligence for their American political influence operations.
To hide the Russian origin of their activities, the defendants allegedly purchased space on computer servers located within the United States in order to set up a virtual private network. The defendants allegedly used that infrastructure to establish hundreds of accounts on social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, making it appear that the accounts were controlled by persons within the United States. They used stolen or fictitious American identities, fraudulent bank accounts, and false identification documents. The defendants posed as politically and socially active Americans, advocating for and against particular political candidates. They established social media pages and groups to communicate with unwitting Americans. They also purchased political advertisements on social media.
The Russians also recruited and paid real Americans to engage in political activities, promote political campaigns, and stage political rallies. The defendants and their co-conspirators pretended to be grassroots activists. According to the indictment, the Americans did not know that they were communicating with Russians.
After the election, the defendants allegedly staged rallies to support the President-elect while simultaneously staging rallies to protest his election. For example, the defendants organized one rally to support the President-elect and another rally to oppose him—both in New York, on the same day.
On September 13, 2017, soon after the news media reported that the Special Counsel’s Office was investigating evidence that Russian operatives had used social media to interfere in the 2016 election, one defendant allegedly wrote, “We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity…. So, I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with my colleagues.”
The indictment includes eight criminal counts. Count One alleges a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States, by all of the defendants. The defendants allegedly conspired to defraud the United States by impairing the lawful functions of the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of State in administering federal requirements for disclosure of foreign involvement in certain domestic activities.
Count Two charges conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud by Internet Research Agency and two individual defendants.
Counts Three through Eight charge aggravated identity theft by Internet Research Agency and four individuals.
There is no allegation in the indictment that any American was a knowing participant in the alleged unlawful activity. There is no allegation in the indictment that the charged conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election.
Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. At trial, prosecutors must introduce credible evidence that is sufficient to prove each defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, to the unanimous satisfaction of a jury of twelve citizens.
The Special Counsel’s investigation is ongoing. There will be no comments from the Special Counsel at this time.
What Troubles Us
Having taken the time to actually read the indictment I am struck by a date inconsistency.
Specifically, the Russian entity was formed in 2014.
Donald Trump didn’t announce for the White House until mid 2015 (July).
So, to our simplistic minds, it would appear that either the Russians were prescient OR this was purely an operation aimed at a “payback” on the US party then in power.
But, with the named being foreign persons, and not believed to even be in the United States, if this is the best Mueller can do (since it’s widely reported the Russians have attempted to interfere before, with think this is a very small return on a huge investment in manipulating the public into a Trump hating hysteria.
On the School Shooting Story:
Meantime, we find the timing of the Mueller indictments and how they have pushed the Florida school story off the front page.
And now the plan to tear down the building?
Damn strange.
It’s not whether the Russians thought Trump would run. It’s whether they knew Clinton was going to have a go. Trump was a happy coincidence.
Or maybe, given his long and detailed history of business dealings with various oligarchs (some tied directly to Putin), they suggested he give it a try.
everything is a conspiracy learn to love it
Correct me if I’m wrong but that is considered an act of war and attrition.
It could be so-construed, but if it were, half the sovereign Nations on the planet would be in a technical State of War with the United States.
We don’t give billions of dollars away every year as “foreign aid” because we’re nice. We do it as a bribe, so our Department of State can have its nose in the affairs of other nations…
Well said!
Good point!
In military terms, Russia ran a classic ‘shaping operation.’ They bent the American political propaganda data pipe to serve their own national purposes. If Lindsey Graham had won the GOP nomination, Russia would have wanted him elected instead of Hillary. Why the payback against HRC. Primarily, it was for her leading the negative campaigning against Putin in 2011 Russian election. Putin, who came close to losing, blamed HRC for insidiously directing the opposition’s movements inside Russia in what could be called Clinton’s own Secretary of State led shaping operation. Putin felt Clinton meddled in internal Russian affairs, a dirty trick, so to speak. Simply put, he set out to get payback, and payback is a bitch. One might choose to rearrange those words just for grins, but the bottom line is Putin wanted Clinton to feel the pain for interfering in his own election. HRC didn’t help her own cause with her unsecured official/private classified/unclassified email server. I honestly feel badly for all the women who hoped to have their first woman U.S. president. That day will come. I never thought I’d have anything in common with former KGB officer Putin, but I am sure happy Hillary’s campaign unceremoniously went down in flames.
Fundamentally, HRC was a horrendously bad candidate and ran a lackluster campaign. (although the things you mention did not help, not one bit)
Anyone with charisma who would brawl had a decent chance against her. Which means none of the other GOP candidates could have beaten her.
Do you honestly think it’s that simple. I mean no disrespect. With the U one deal and #release the memo stuff. Seems a larger play is being made. And the pipe line in Syria etc.
Hmmm.
Out of All the 13 Russians named, I wonder how many of them have their digits in Gazprom? These are business men. They care about 2 things, Money and power.
In mid-2016 Putin reportedly said “If it’s Hillary, its war!”
The Russki Troll Farm was for real:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-russia-indictment-20180216-story.html
p.s. When your habitat,food, shelter, fuel,and clothing source is decimated from 30 million to 1100 by 1889, most tribes WERE left to fight over the scraps (when there was abundance amongst the Native American tribes, there were few wars:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2014/05/19/map_bison_distribution_in_north_america.html
America’s genocide was Hitler’s inspiration:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fascism/2017/03/nazi_germany_s_american_dream_hitler_modeled_his_concept_of_racial_struggle.html
The native mass killings were long before ChrisColumbus et al
Didn’t the Aztecs base their religion on it?
In 2004 I wandered through the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. I asked our guide, a dr. level archeologist out of UCLA – “What are those grooves cut in the rock for?”
“Oh…yes…well, that’s where the blood runs from the alter down to the area below where the initiates drink the blood of the sacrifice.”
That was my turning point on the “noble, gentle” savage crap.
My first thought: A graceful means for Mueller to end the special council, and all the imbeds at Justice to keep their jobs.
My second thought: Barring a nuke in SeaTac, this and the shooting are going to occupy 100% of the news cycle for the next four days, so what else is going on…?
The Storm
https://youtu.be/hhhPyz8K6vc
Who has know trump for 40 years.
Talks about the clintons Obama the bushes and how it all ties in together and what Trump is doing to fix it
Dr jerome corsi and his group DECODE Q annon’s post.
https://youtu.be/KDAZvA–qxA
So Mueller is a conspiracy theorist. Who Knew!
I do wish that members of a grand jury would have to demonstrate that they are at least conscious before agreeing to accuse a nuclear power that they committed an act of war against the US.
When the US descends into the abyss we won’t be able to say that we don’t deserve it.
I can only pray that a God fearing, patriotic remnant survives to rebuild the nation.
Furthermore, the Deep State must be completely destroyed.
The Russians helped set up the Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960s. Other groups in 1920s, 30s, 50s, So this is what Competing individuals, groups, Nations do. Everything is Competition and a Business Model. Now what are the Chinese, Indians, Pakistan, Israel, Great Britin and Japan, Germany and Mexico doing to influence our National policies, Trade ect..
And let’s not leave out the communist party members and symps in the teacher unions that tore down curriculum and put in revisionist bullshit, as well, my friend
Do you guys really think 13 helpers changed the election?
three words besides NO at all.. Smoke and Mirrors..
Time for Mueller to back off Trump and a new special council to go after Obama and Clinton foundation election interference since 2008.
“the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy.”
WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN…. And Here I thought the whole poliitical system in the USA WAS INFLUENCED BY THE LOBBYISTS AND SUCKED all on my own and wanted to see someone refreshing get in that truly loves america and would like to see it great once again.
WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN…
Has anybody seen any photos or names of these Russians who supposedly meddled in our 2016 election? They also supposedly held a march in NYC, and on the same day, marched both for Trump and against Trump (at least that’s the msm is saying). You’d think, if they were Russian nationals, the FBI and maybe even the CIA (they’re not suppose to be involved in domestic issues but I don’t believe it), would have clandestine photos of such things.
Do you really think deep state (turds) would do that? Release knowledge like that?
Mueller took an option that allows him to say anything but never have to prove it in court. I wish Putin would send over a couple of the perps so that Mueller would have to prove it all in court.
It is also clear that every action described by Mueller could have been performed by Strzok and Page et al from within the FBI building. Nothing can be known given how he did this. Was there not one American culpable to be accused so we could have a real trial with real evidence. And, why was Christopher Steele not included?
Let’s not forget that this entire narrative initially began in 2106 as the Russians “hacked” the election. And the best they came up with (after undoubtedly tens of millions were spent) was a dozen people had some fake online profiles.
The irony here is Mueller is charging them with “sowing discord in social media” while he sows discord with the actual media. With the end game being to affect the election. My head is spinning.
Has anyone vetted the online profile of those claiming to be reporters? Could be fake you know.
I’ve read a good deal of US Code and don’t remembrer “sowing seeds of discord in social” as being a crime…Yet another mind-screw
Mule ass stuck to script…RUSSIA did it…..while OMITTING any involvement by America DOJ FBI NSA persons that WAS found by the congress committees….Uranium One will bring down this house of fraud…IF…..imho
What I want to know why they are wasting time and money on absolute horse s—- No one goes to jail
Mueller is not finished with his investigation . . . Native American civilization was crushed by the introduction of disease common to Europeans, some of it was ‘on purpose’ though the method was not yet fully understood.
Common theme – you don’t need to fully understand something for it to have an effect.
I just can’t seem to remember what happened to the Russian spy ring led by that beautiful “Redheaded Maithari” the feds rounded up in NYC and Wash D.C. fifteen years ago. Ruskis doing what they do…………..