[Washington Examiner] The lawyers for the late Jeffrey Epstein's former executive assistant say federal prosecutors are not pursuing sex trafficking charges against her for allegedly booking flights and handling payments between the disgraced financier and his victims. The Family will be very pleased.
"After a more than two-year investigation by the Department of Justice into Jeffrey Epstein's conduct, which included lengthy interviews of witnesses and a thorough review of relevant communications, we have been informed that no criminal charges will be brought against Lesley Groff," said attorneys for Lesley Groff, who worked as a secretary for Epstein and oversaw his travel arrangements and meeting schedule. The books needed to be kept. She still keeps the books.
“We are not surprised that the case was voluntarily dropped," the statement reported Friday continued. "Our hearts truly break for any person victimized by Epstein but the truth is — Lesley had no knowledge of and no participation in any of the illegal conduct alleged in the lawsuit.”
The legal team further said Groff "never witnessed anything improper or illegal" despite accusers claiming she booked flights so Epstein could abuse them at his various residences. Groff was simply following orders.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Justice Department for comment. We're still.... 'on hold.'
A civil suit against Groff was also dropped this week.
Hat tip to both Bachner and Whitcome for their fine efforts outside their primary fields of litigation. I am certain they were well compensated by someone. Perhaps their recent successes in criminal Sex Trafficking can be added to their CV's.
It's now 2022. All of this unpleasantness took place long ago. Let's just move along, shall we ?
#1
“We are not surprised that the case was voluntarily dropped,"
Nor am I. Discreet accountants and logistics experts are in high demand. Credit Suisse Group AG is likely eyeing her to manage some of their top accounts.
Unless of course, she was actually on temporary assignment from some other position in McLean, VA.
#2
Odd that she's American, and so much older than his other associates. Was she a former victim / paramour of Epstein's?
That's the profile of the "assistant" or booking agent for monsters like him: someone whose very existence depends on him -- usually they're foreign and without a green card -- and can therefore be trusted to stay mum.
Something very strange about this Leslie Groff. Was she a liaison to ...?
[NYPOST] A 14-year-old girl was shot in the leg early Friday on the grounds of an East Harlem public housing development, cops said.The teen was in front of a building on First Avenue near Paladino Avenue, part of NYCHA’s Wagner Houses, just after 1 a.m. when she heard gunshots and felt pain, police said.
She was taken to a local hospital for a gunshot wound to her leg and is listed in stable, pH balanced condition, cops said.
It is unclear whether the teen was targeted in the shooting.
A man wearing a black mask expeditiously departed at a goodly pace after the incident, police said.
Hours earlier, a 25-year-old man was shot in the stomach on Frederick Douglass Boulevard near West 142nd Street in Harlem, authorities said.
He was taken to Harlem Hospital, also in stable, pH balanced condition.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
[ABCNEWS.GO] Two button men fired more than 65 rounds on a Philadelphia street, sending nighttime pedestrians on a busy block teeming with markets and restaurants scrambling for cover and injuring six people, at least one of them critically, police said Friday.Police responded around 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the Germantown neighborhood and found a 21-year-old woman shot multiple times in the abdomen and chest and lying near dozens of spent casings. Officers rushed her to the hospital, where she was at death's door Friday.
Five men ages 19 to 29 were taken with gunshot wounds by private vehicles to two hospitals, police said. All were expected to survive.
Officers are looking at surveillance footage, Chief Inspector Scott Small told news hounds late Thursday.
The injured woman, who suffered the most gunshot wounds, may have been the intended target, Small said. But the extensive scene of the crime — with a sea of casings on Germantown Avenue and bullets from at least two different-caliber semiautomatic weapons striking parked cars — made it difficult to be certain.
"The fact that we found over 65 spent shell casings — that’s a whole lot of shots fired — so it’s hard to even say who is the intended target and who is struck by stray gunfire," Small said.
A Philadelphia city website tracking shooting victims and homicides showed that as of Tuesday, there were 1,827 nonfatal shooting victims in 2021, an increase of more than 600 from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Philadelphia police showed 559 homicides going into the last day of 2021, the most recorded since the city began tracking in 1960.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[FOX4NEWS] Garland police are seeking help from the public to find the 14-year-old accused of opening fire inside a convenience store Sunday, killing three people and injuring another.Abel Elias Acosta is being sought by police after they said evidence was found that identified him as the gunman. He is facing charges of capital murder and a Directive to Apprehend has been issued for him.
Police said he is the son of Richard Acosta Jr., who was arrested by police after they identified him as the getaway driver of the white truck that was seen on surveillance video outside the Texaco gas station on Walnut Lane.
"[Richard] voluntarily turned himself in two days ago," Garland PD Lt. Pedro Barineau said. "And when he turned himself in, we were and to locate and recover the truck."
He is also facing a murder charge, but police will not say what role he might have had in planning the attack.
[CWBChicago] Shades of Pulp Fiction
A West Side man who tried to shoot someone in another car by firing out his rear passenger window while driving managed to shoot and kill his own backseat passenger instead, prosecutors said this week.
Quincy Cole, 27, is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his passenger, 19-year-old Roderick James, on December 6, 2020.
Cole was on bail for a pending felony arson case at the time of the killing. CPD records show that police wanted to charge him with murder in the pending case, but prosecutors only approved arson charges.
The alleged murder of James makes Cole the 45th person to be charged with killing, trying to kill, or shooting someone in Chicago during 2020 while on felony bail.
Prosecutors said Cole was driving a car with four additional passengers when another driver pulled up on their right side at a red light near Bloomington and Laramie.
The other driver, a 68-year-old man, told police that he saw the passenger window of Cole’s car roll down to reveal a man pointing a gun at his head, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said. He ducked and heard "multiple" bullets strike his car before Cole sped away, according to Murphy.
About 14 minutes later, one of Cole’s passengers called 911 to report shots fired near Belmont and Leclaire in Belmont Cragin. Witnesses, including an off-duty firefighter, saw four men running from Cole’s car at that location. Police found James dead in the back seat with four gunshot wounds to his chest.
Witnesses provided police with descriptions of the men who ran from the car, and officers arrested Cole along with two of the others nearby. Murphy did not identify the other two people or say if they were charged with any crimes.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/01/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"...It is possible that I may, in fact, not have thought my fiendish plan all the way through."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/01/2022 10:24 Comments ||
Top||
#2
The media and government (I know) feel your lack of a booster shot is a bigger threat to society than this guy.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/01/2022 10:34 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Cole was on bail for a pendingfelony arson case at the time of the killing.
Gee, would that arson case date back to the peaceful protests last year over the Blessed Martyrdom of St. George Hooper?
#5
Or it was a diversion all along and the passenger was the intended target.
Four shots to the chest and all of that. Unless Mr. Cole has a really poor situational awareness and/or bad aim, the first shot might have alerted him of his mistaken angle.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/01/2022 15:08 Comments ||
Top||
[Bus Insider] During the Vietnam War, the US military relied heavily on special-operations forces to wage what was a predominately unconventional conflict.
Individual units, such as the Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and Air Commandos, supported the war strategy, but the Pentagon also created a dedicated special-operations organization.
Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a covert special-operations unit that conducted operations in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, North Vietnam, and elsewhere.
Their highly classified missions came at a cost. The unit had a 100% casualty rate, meaning all its members were wounded at least once or killed in action. The outsize risk they faced was matched by their effectiveness. Time and again, MACV-SOG teams achieved great results.
Beverly Hills Guns has seen upscale residents from Santa Monica to the Hollywood Hills increasingly buying guns amid a rise in crime
Many are self-declared progressives, who've never even held a gun before, but who've been spooked by soaring crime in their ritzy neighborhood
Some have also discussed more elaborate security measures, such as armored cars, safe rooms and bulletproof glass
Hollywood's violent crime rate is up 25 percent over last year, with the homicide rate doubling and shootings up 54.2 percent over last year
The city has been plagued by a rash in slash-and-grab lootings that first began after Black Lives Matter protests ended with a riot on Rodeo Drive
More recently, a man taking out his garbage on Thursday was attacked by four or five suspects and his disabled son was zip-tied as they ransacked his home
Beverly Hills has now hired two private security firms to patrol neighborhoods alongside the police
Residents are also forming their own patrol groups as District Attorney George Gascon faces another recall effort for the rise in crime
#3
Congratulations! You now own a magic talisman that will protect you from crime and evil. There's a catch though - you have to learn how to use it.
It's not hard, but you do have to spend the time and energy learning how to shoot. Worse, you have to develop a martial mindset that will enable you to respond appropriately instead of just melting in a stressful situation. Good luck and try not to shoot yourself!
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/01/2022 13:49 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Maybe they can get a "Protected by Smith & Wesson" sign for their front yard.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/01/2022 16:45 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Seems to me, with a Roomba, a Glock, and some duct tape, you are on your way to Red-Greening yourself a robotic home security system. "Alexa, shoot the intruders"
[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] On Thursday, thousands of people in Colorado received messages to evacuate immediately, as wildfires propelled by strong winds destroyed the Boulder suburbs of Louisville and Superior.
The first fire, the Middle Fork Fire, popped up in the area around 10:30am, but was "attacked pretty quickly and laid down later in the day" with no structures lost, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named.
A second fire, the Marshall Fire, was reported around 11am, which quickly ballooned in size, covering at least 2.5 square miles.
Authorities say several of the fires may have been started by downed power lines, with winds gusting as high as 105 mph.
"This is the kind of fire we can't fight head-on," Pelle said. "We actually had deputy sheriffs and firefighters in areas that had to pull out because they just got overrun."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
So far no deaths reported, but at least one elder has gone missing. I have a relative who lives within 5 miles of the burn zone, the only effect she noticed was smoke everywhere. She is about ready to sell out and leave Colorado just to get away from the very regular wildfires that seem to have become a "normal" part of life there.
I scanned the internet & found many references to homeowners waiting for over a year after their insured CO homes were destroyed and they still haven't been able to start rebuilding. Can't imagine things will get better in CO for those displaced by this fire.
Posted by: Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 ||
01/01/2022 1:07 Comments ||
Top||
#2
But all that deadfall was left untouched to make the green crowd feel good. Getting what they voted for...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/01/2022 7:01 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Fire was stopped a mile away from my nephew's family's home in Louisville. Phew!
The deadfall problem is in Cali for the most part. Due to some of Colorado's development policies there's a lot of intermingling of ex/suburban development and agricultural/vacant land. Very pretty until...
[Home Depot] As of December 2021, YES you can use your discount online and in-store.
Because of this, you need to create a Home Depot account and then GO HERE to get your military status in their system.
Scroll down this page until you see "SERVING MEANS SAVINGS" and click on Learn More. See screenshot above.
You’ll then be guided through the process of registering for the military discount.
The good news is you only need to register ONCE and then you can use the discount online and in-store forever.
The 10% discount will be tied directly to your online account, so when you shop the Home Depot website, the discount will automatically be applied to your purchase.
#8
When the friendly orange apron clad life form told me of the upcoming changes, i replied,” Oh just like Lowes has done for over 2 years now.” She tried to shush me lest those in line behind heard me; too late, they’d already been mooned(thanks Ray Stevens).
No intention of registering until i have to.
#9
Very large corporations that are going to do things as they will. Silly for any individual to grumble "I'm a (good customer, veteran, etc.)" and expect that to mean anything.
Not saying at all I agree with that behavior, but there it is.
Save your outrage for someone who cares. The big stores sure don't.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/01/2022 9:34 Comments ||
Top||
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
01/01/2022 16:34 Comments ||
Top||
#14
Lemme guess where you shop?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/01/2022 20:28 Comments ||
Top||
#15
The call of the mall! But which mall wart?
What hell rings your bell? Target? Walmart?
You're totally rich?
Well, try scratching that itch,
All you kooky kulaki, at Ballmart!
Just don't get your noses stuck.
Posted by: Clolet Lover of the Chinese4601 ||
01/01/2022 22:02 Comments ||
Top||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Today, January 1, the law on the federal budget for 2022-2024 entered into force in Russia, REGNUM news agency reported .
According to the document, budget revenues in 2022 will amount to 25.021 trillion rubles.
In 2023: 25.540 trillion rubles,
In 2024: 25.831 trillion rubles.
Expenditures are planned in 2022 at 23.694 trillion rubles.
In 2023: 25.241 trillion rubles.
In 2024: 26.354 trillion rubles.
In the next two years, the budget will be in surplus.
Of the planned expenditures for the implementation of national projects in 2022, 2.74 trillion rubles are provided.
In 2023: 2.88 trillion rubles
In 2024: 2.98 trillion rubles.
In 2022, it is planned to provide the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with interbudgetary transfers totaling 3.201 trillion rubles, which is 295.6 billion rubles (or 8.5%) less than the indicator of the consolidated budget list as of September 1, 2021.
In 2023 the volume of interbudgetary transfers will amount to 3.337 trillion rubles, which is 136.3 billion rubles (or 4.3%) more than in 2022.
For 2024:3.387 trillion rubles, which is 49.9 billion rubles (or 1.5%) more than the indicator for 2023.
Subventions to regional budgets are also envisaged.
The budget was formed based on the forecast of Russia's GDP growth in 2022 compared to the expected level of 2021 by 3 percent - up to 133.328 trillion rubles, an increase in the total volume of investments by 5.9 percent - up to 24.407 trillion rubles, an inflation rate of four percent compared to with 5.8 percent expected in 2021 (in the basic version of the forecast presented by the Ministry of Economic Development).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [REGNUM] Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens live in Donbass, and therefore Russia will take all necessary measures to protect them. This was announced on December 31 by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
As the Russian Foreign Minister pointed out in an interview with RIA Novosti, Western countries support Kiev's militaristic aspirations, and the Ukrainian authorities "perceive this support as carte blanche for a military operation."
"As for the residents of Donbass, where hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens live, Russia will take all necessary measures to protect them. ... The uncontested basis for this remains the Minsk complex of measures approved by UNSCR 2202," he said.
At the same time, Lavrov stressed that any possible provocations from Ukraine "will be given an adequate response."
As reported by IA REGNUM , earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that in order to "bargain" for themselves unilateral concessions, the US authorities artificially restrict the issuance of nonimmigrant visas for residents of Russia.
#4
This is a well orchestrated and secretive collaboration between China and Russia to split U.S. might at a time for mutual gain for both countries. China will move on Taiwan when
"green lighted" by Russia's advance into the eastern half of Ukraine. I hope the U.S. won't be caught with blinders on when China flips the switch.
Posted by: Bertie Spawn of the Trolls9333 ||
01/01/2022 9:22 Comments ||
Top||
[DW] The shutdowns of three plants take place as Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... faces one of its worst-ever energy crises and as support for nuclear as a low carbon energy is, once again, on the rise.
The decommissioning process will take two decades and cost €1.1 billion ($1.25 billion) per plant.
This means that in 2022, Germany will have just three nuclear power plants — in the states of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and Lower Saxony.
They are due to cease production in exactly a year's time, cutting nuclear energy output by around four gigawatts — equivalent to the power produced by 1,000 wind turbines.
However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... two plants that produce fuel and fuel elements for export may continue to operate.
The closures will officially end the nuclear phase-out for domestic energy production started under former German Chancellor Angela Merkel ...chancellor of Germany and the impetus behind Germany's remarkably ill-starred immigration program. Merkel used to be referred to by Germans as Mom. Now they make faces at her for inundating the country with Moslem colonists... Merkel's government made the decision in 2011 after the accident at the Fukushima atomic power plant in Japan.
An earthquake and tsunami destroyed the coastal plant in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier.
Q: What’s the opposite of resilience?
A: Bad luck.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[NYPOST] A 14-year-old girl was shot in the leg early Friday on the grounds of an East Harlem public housing development, cops said.The teen was in front of a building on First Avenue near Paladino Avenue, part of NYCHA’s Wagner Houses, just after 1 a.m. when she heard gunshots and felt pain, police said. 
[ABCNEWS.GO] Two 
[FOX4NEWS] Garland police are seeking help from the public to find the 14-year-old accused of opening fire inside a convenience store Sunday, killing three people and injuring another.
[CWBChicago] 
[Bus Insider] During the Vietnam War, the US military relied heavily on special-operations forces to wage what was a predominately unconventional conflict.
[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] On Thursday, thousands of people in Colorado received messages to evacuate immediately, as wildfires propelled by strong winds 
[REGNUM] Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens live in 
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
