[DailyCaller] A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has recused herself from a second case involving Trump dossier firm Fusion GPS.
Tanya S. Chutkan, an Obama appointee, recused herself on Monday from a case involving a dispute over subpoenas issued for Fusion GPS, the firm that commissioned the dossier.
Aleksej Gubarev, a Russian tech executive accused in the dossier of hacking Democrats’ computer systems, has sought to subpoena Fusion GPS records and to depose its employees to find out more about the research firm’s work on the dossier.
Gubarev is suing BuzzFeed for defamation for publishing the dossier earlier this year. He denies the allegations laid out in the document, which was written by former British spy Christopher Steele.
Chutkan recused herself last month from another case involving Fusion GPS. The firm had filed suit against its bank, TD Bank, to keep it from complying with a subpoena issued by the House Intelligence Committee, which sought Fusion’s bank records.
Chutkan presided over that case from Oct. 20 to Nov. 9. It was reassigned to Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee. Since taking over the case, Leon has indicated that he plans to allow more transparency into the court proceedings involving the battle over Fusion’s bank records. He has ordered several documents be unsealed and made public.
Chutkan has presided over the case involving the lawsuit against BuzzFeed since Aug. 31. Her replacement is Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee who assumed office in October.
The reasons for Chutkan’s recusals remain a mystery.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. District Court confirmed that Chutkan recused herself from the case but declined to provide an explanation, citing policy against discussing recusal decisions.
Chutkan’s past legal work could have something to do with the decision.
Prior to her appointment to the federal bench, Chutkan was a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner (BSF), an international white shoe law firm founded by David Boies.
At the firm, Chutkan represented Theranos, a medical technology company. Fusion GPS also appears to have worked for Theranos and BSF.
Chutkan represented Theranos in a 2013 malpractice lawsuit. She left BSF for the federal bench the next year.
It is unclear when Fusion GPS began working on behalf of Theranos. But The Washington Post reported on Monday that Fusion GPS co-founder Peter Fritsch intervened on behalf of the company during a 2015 investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
Fritsch, a former reporter at The Journal, reportedly asked Journal reporter John Carreyrou to soften coverage of Theranos and its inaccurate blood-testing devices.
[Jpost] A US District Court judge ordered Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Tuesday to turn over any potential evidence that could be material for when he sentences President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
Flynn pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during his interview in Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia.
Flynn has agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Moscow has denied interfering in the election and Trump has denied any collusion.
US District Judge Emmet Sullivan told the government in a filing to turn over any exculpatory evidence, known as "Brady" material, that could potentially help Flynn's defense or information that is "material either to the defendant's guilt or punishment."
The order by the judge is considered routine, and the government by law is required to turn over such information to the defense if it exists.
A sentencing date has not been set, but a status report ahead of sentencing is due by Feb 1. My bet is that they have considerably less than nothing
#1
As others have noted, the Giglio offense by not disclosing Mueller's team's bias will weigh in
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/13/2017 6:54 Comments ||
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#2
I doubt we'll ever seen any evidence. He's already plead guilty. Evidence would tip their FISA court hand and potentially reveal the Dossier's (fruit of the poisonous tree) use. Trump was right, Trump Towers was being monitored, either by the U.S. or via a partnering agreement with the Brits.
[Gateway Pundit] Nellie Ohr, the wife of demoted Department of Justice official Bruce Ohr, who worked at Fusion GPS last year when the firm was working for the Clinton presidential campaign compiling the controversial anti-Trump Russian dossier, is listed as working for the CIA’s Open Source Works department in a 2010 DOJ report.
The report lists Nellie and Bruce Ohr as expert participants along with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson. Bruce Ohr met secretly with Simpson last year, as well as dossier author Christopher Steele, according to a Fox News report last week.
Fox News’ James Rosen broke the exclusive news on Monday that Nellie Ohr worked for Fusion GPS while her husband held the surreptitious meeting with Fusion GPS last year.
A senior Justice Department official demoted last week for concealing his meetings with the men behind the anti-Trump "dossier" had even closer ties to Fusion GPS, the firm responsible for the incendiary document, than have been disclosed, Fox News has confirmed: The official’s wife worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election.
Contacted by Fox News, investigators for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) confirmed that Nellie H. Ohr, wife of the demoted official, Bruce G. Ohr, worked for the opposition research firm last year. The precise nature of Mrs. Ohr’s duties ‐ including whether she worked on the dossier ‐ remains unclear but a review of her published works available online reveals Mrs. Ohr has written extensively on Russia-related subjects. HPSCI staff confirmed to Fox News that she was paid by Fusion GPS through the summer and fall of 2016."
The Fox News report also notes Nellie Ohr "was described as a Russia expert at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank, when she worked there, briefly, a decade ago. The Center’s website said her project focused on the experiences of Russian farmers during Stalin’s collectivization program and following the invasion of Russia by Nazi forces in 1941. She has also reviewed a number of books about twentieth century Russia, including Reconstructing the State: Personal Networks and Elite Identity in Soviet Russia (2000), by Gerald Easter, a political scientist at Boston College, and Bertrand M. Patenaude’s The Big Show in Bololand: The American Relief Expedition to Soviet Russia in the Famine of 1921 (2002)."
A June 2010 report posted by the DOJ entitled, "Expert Working Group Report on InternationalOrganized Crime", lists Nellie Ohr as a participant representing "Open Source Works" Bruce Ohr is listed, right above his wife, as "Chief, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice" Glenn Simpson is listed as, "Senior Fellow International Assessment and Strategy Center". (The Daily Caller reported the think tank apparently cut ties with Simpson earlier this year.)
#1
Skid posted the initial Gateway link yesterday. Gateway ran it again this morning. Running it here again today. The facts that James Rosen and others are uncovering here will likely form the basis of follow-on revelations. To say it's all very difficult to follow is an understatement.
Nel Ohr is a Russian expert and writer. She undoubtedly has many Russian contacts. It will be interesting to see if there is a Natalia Veselnitskaya (beltway insider) connection. The Christopher Steele connection should also be very interesting.
Lastly, perhaps someone should ask 'if Fusion GPS is just a 'front' for another three letter agency?'
#6
They have a Russian connection and collusion with the phony dossier. They should be hanging Democrats for the phony dossier which is essentially a "October Surprise" by the Dems, courtesy the Russians.
#9
#8 p.s. I've another bet: Al Franken is not going to resign.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-12-13 06:29
g(r)om,
The version a lot of folks were hearing was that if Moore had won last night, Franken was going to un-resign and say that if the voters of Alabama could elect him, then he deserved the chance to take his case to the voters too. Fox is saying as of two hours ago that MN Governor Dayton is going to announce Franken's replacement this morning, so we'll see.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/13/2017 6:39 Comments ||
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#10
Makes one wonder how the Democrat ballot stuffing was accomplished.
#11
More likely that a good number of typical 'R' folks stayed home, Seeking.
The Dems rallied their forces rather well, especially the young ones.
Remember, this is just a one-year 'special' term for Jones (unless the Al pubs do something stupid again).
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/13/2017 7:49 Comments ||
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#12
I believe the accusations were a partisan attack and they went all out to put Alabama in the position of supporting a possible creepy pedophile. I suspect the Dems will pull the tactic again and again until the people are so numb with this nonsense that it no longer resonates (the way cries of racism no longer resonate).
#14
Moore would be wise to kick the dust from his boots, take it to the barn and continue to work quietly behind the scenes. The numbers illustrate Bamians do not want, nor do they deserve such a man.
#18
GOP already has a non-swamp candidate ready for 2018. Mo Brooks. Start the campaign now, and cripple the liberal so he cannot do much harm in office. As sad as it is to say this, one hope is that McCain will hurry up and become too incapacitated to work, so we can get a real conservative appointed in there instead of a squish. that would solidify things, because if it weren't for the traitorous actions of McCain and his pet from SC, the majority would be far more solid.
[DailyCaller] The co-founder of Trump dossier firm Fusion GPS confirmed in court filings on Tuesday that he met last year with Justice Department official Bruce Ohr and hired Ohr’s wife to help with the opposition research firm’s investigation of Donald Trump.
Glenn Simpson said in a declaration filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. that he met "at [Ohr’s] request" weeks after the presidential election. Simpson stated that Ohr, who recently held the position of deputy assistant attorney general, sought the meeting "to discuss our findings regarding Russia and the election."
Simpson also disclosed that Fusion GPS hired Ohr’s wife, Nellie, to serve as a subcontractor on Trump-related work.
Trump defenders have seized on the Ohr’s relationship with Fusion GPS. Trump attorney Jay Sekulow cited the revelations to call for a second special counsel.
In his declaration, Simpson referred to Nellie Ohr as "a former government official expert in Russian matters" who Fusion GPS hired "to help our company with its research and analysis of Mr. Trump."
It is not clear what government position Simpson was referring to in the declaration. But a 2010 Justice Department report shows that Ohr worked at that time as a researcher for Open Source Works, the CIA’s in-house open source research shop.
The Ohrs and Simpson were part of a Justice Department working group put together in 2010 to investigate organized crime.
In addition to his meeting with Simpson, Bruce Ohr also met last year with dossier author Christopher Steele. Fox News reported last week that Ohr’s meetings with Steele occurred before the election.
Ohr still works at the Justice Department, but he was stripped of one of his positions last Wednesday after Fox News inquired about his meetings with Simpson and Steele. He remains as director of Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Nellie Ohr’s work for Fusion GPS ‐ which Simpson referred to as "confidential" ‐ was revealed Monday night. Fox News reported that she worked for the oppo firm during the presidential campaign. It was unclear until Simpson’s disclosure whether she worked directly on Trump-related matters.
Simpson says in his court filing that he acknowledged during his Nov. 14 interview with the House Intelligence Committee that he met with Bruce Ohr. Fusion’s attorneys pointed to the apparent leak of his testimony to argue in favor of a temporary restraining order to block the release of the firm’s bank records.
The committee and Fusion have been locked in a battle since October over the bank documents.
Republicans on the House panel have issued a subpoena for the records in hopes of identifying some of Fusion’s clients and contractors. Fusion’s lawyers have argued that the subpoena violates Fusion’s confidentiality and First Amendment rights.
The issuance of the subpoena has already had some results. Perkins Coie, the law firm that represented the Clinton campaign and DNC, came forward in October to disclose that it hired Fusion for the project that produced the dossier.
The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website funded by anti-Trump Republican Paul Singer, revealed that it had hired Fusion GPS in Oct. 2015 to investigate Trump. The Free Beacon insists that the research Fusion gathered for the site was not included in the dossier.
Simpson suggested in his court filing that the House panel learned the identity of Fusion’s bank through staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was interviewed by that panel on Aug. 22. In his declaration he said that he was asked about Fusion’s bank by name and confirmed it.
Fusion was caught off guard by a subpoena issued to the bank ‐ TD Bank ‐ by Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence panel.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/13/2017 00:00 ||
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[DailyCaller] The co-founder of Trump dossier firm Fusion GPS confirmed in court filings on Tuesday that he met last year with Justice Department official Bruce Ohr and hired Ohr’s wife to help with the opposition research firm’s investigation of Donald Trump.
The issuance of the subpoena has already had some results. Perkins Coie, the law firm that represented the Clinton campaign and DNC, came forward in October to disclose that it hired Fusion for the project that produced the dossier.
