[BellingCat] Summary:“Senior Pentagon Russia Analyst LTC David Jewberg”
| What an ...evocative name, to be sure. |
A number of well-known Russian opposition figures frequently cited David Jewberg as a respected analyst and real-life contact.
David Jewberg is actually an imagined persona connected to a group of individuals inside the U.S. revolving around well-connected American financier Dan K. Rapoport, who was named as the person who wrote under this persona by well-known Russia expert David Satter and other sources in Washington who spoke to Bellingcat. A number of personal friends and professional connections connected to Rapoport helped to prop up this fake persona; for example, photographs from Rapoport’s college friend were used to represent Jewberg and a number of Washington-area friends of Rapoport wrote about Jewberg as if he were a real person.
Dan K. Rapoport is the former owner of the house rented to Ivanka Trump in January 2017. He worked as a financial executive in Russia in the 2000’s, after which he reportedly became active in supporting Russian opposition figures. He moved to Kyiv in late 2016 and most recent reports indicate that he works as a financial executive in Ukraine.
Per legal experts consulted during this investigation, the person(s) who maintained the “David Jewberg” persona created false identification documents, impersonating a federal official with a Pentagon identification card.
The U.S. Department of Defense and State Department have disavowed the existence of David Jewberg, stating that they have never employed a person by this name.
Rapoport has repeatedly denied being the author behind David Jewberg and not acknowledged that “Jewberg” is an imagined persona.
SECTION ONE: Who is David Jewberg?
| More interesting Who is Dan K. Rapoport? Wikipedia on him is a wild tale. Russia, Ukraine, Oil, Stocks, SEC, Romney Advisor and on and on. |
Wikipedia on Dan Rapoport
Career in the United States
In June 2012, Rapoport returned to the US. It was reported that he left Russia in large part due to his support for Russia's democratic opposition, particularly his support for Alexei Navalny, an outspoken yet tacitly tolerated campaigner against Russian corporate and government corruption and the most vocal critic of Putin's regime. It was also reported that as a consequence of his support for opposition figures the Russian authorities concluded that Rapoport posed a threat to the Putin regime. However, he keeps some investment interests in Russia, making these reports about his conflict with Kremlin dubious.
Until 2016, Rapoport resided in Washington, DC, and managed Rapoport Capital LLP. In October 2016, he relocated to Kiev, Ukraine, after Rapoport Capital received a mandate from a US private equity group to invest more than $100 million in Ukraine.
Rapoport is currently a partner in the Moscow bar/restaurant/club, Soho Rooms, and Rush Pictures Production (formerly RAMCO, which co-produced Captivity (2007), and You and I (2011). He is also a Board Member of Share Care, (Благотворительный Фонд Поделись Теплом),a Moscow-based charity that provides assistance to orphans and sick children, and a 32nd Degree Freemason.
Political activity
During the 2012 US Presidential election, Rapoport advised the Mitt Romney for President Campaign on Russia-related issues. Rapoport's views were best voiced by Romney during the October 22, 2012, televised debate with Barack Obama: "I’m not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia or Mr. Putin."
In 2015 - 2016, he served as a foreign policy adviser to the Jeb Bush 2016 Presidential Campaign.
In January 2017, the New York Times reported that Rapoport recently sold his Washington, DC home, which will further serve as the residence of Ivanka Trump and family.
Ivanka should have the Secret Service and the DIA sweep that home before living in it.