Russia is attacking former Ambassador Michael McFaul, and I know exactly why.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-news-russia-mcfaul-07182018-story.html

Russia wants to interrogate ex-U.S. ambassador McFaul, other Americans in criminal case

By Christopher Brennan
Jul 18, 2018 | 3:55 AM

Russian prosecutors want to interrogate American officials including former ambassador Michael McFaul over alleged involvement in money crimes in the aftermath of President Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin.

Putin had mentioned the alleged crimes of American-British financier Bill Browder when responding to questions about the 12 Russian military intelligence officers indicted in the U.S. in the hacking of Democratic emails during the 2016 election.

Browder, who became rich in Moscow during the relatively lawless days of the 1990s post-Soviet Union, is a common bête noire for the Putin government, though prosecutors claimed Wednesday that American intelligence services may have also been involved in an illegal scheme.

A list of U.S. officials announced by Russia’s Prosecutor General's office on Tuesday included members of the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and CIA, as well as McFaul.

So why McFaul?

Besides the fact he's not shy on his opinions on the Putin government's abuses and corruption, and he's extremely vocal over social media, McFaul possesses firsthand knowledge that could corroborate allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign within the Steele Dossier.

McFaul was placed in this position because the Russian online troll community is absolutely obsessed with him and routinely pesters and harasses him for what they see as overreaching US influence in Europe during the Obama administration years.

Most obsessed of all, however, was Konstantin Rykov, a former member of the Russian Duma for Putin's United Russia party and one of the most prominent figures in spreading Russian propaganda online.

On numerous occasions, Rykov would spar with McFaul online, and when Rykov's attempt to influence a 2015 referendum on Scottish independence failed, McFaul actually sarcastically mocked his efforts.

Rykov seemed determined to get his revenge against McFaul, and did so by brazenly broadcasting his new efforts directly to McFaul, that being the interference by Russia into the 2016 US election and its support of Donald Trump's campaign.

At least two times on Facebook Rykov voluntarily chose to tag McFaul into posts containing absolutely stunning claims.

Once was on November 12, 2016, just days after the election, where Rykov openly confessed and boasted of running an online influence campaign from Russia to target US voters to support Donald Trump, using information mined via Cambridge Analytica. Rykov tagged McFaul into the first of the two parts of the confession. A screen cap of the English translated post is here:



The other time took place not after the election, but actually during it, meaning the efforts to influence the US election were playing out in real time. On July 7, 2016, while Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page was in Moscow supposedly to give an address to the New Economic School, Rykov decided to tag McFaul into a post where Rykov let it be known that the speech was merely a cover, and that Page was actually in Russia to meet with Russian intelligence officers. McFaul himself acknowledges his inclusion in the comment section:




So we know McFaul knew about Carter Page's activities in Moscow as they actually took place. It's quite possible McFaul alerted US intel to the information Rykov was blabbing about. We know the Steele Dossier alleges Page meet with Russian intel while in Moscow.

McFaul can personally substantiate the Steele Dossier and direct collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia.

I'll say that again.

McFaul can personally substantiate the Steele Dossier and direct collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia.

As such, the Russian government needs to do something, anything to destroy McFaul's credibility.

And this is what they are doing.

And we could see Trump willfully play along for his own benefit.



[Iliyah]

1. Shithole probably made a deal with Putin to turn over

Americans, such as McFaul.

Shithole hates the USA and is willing to destroy it with the blessings of the GOP.

[eleny]

2. Browder and McFaul - two thorns in Putin's side

Thanks, Tommy! K&R

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. You're welcome! nt

[mitch96]

10. "two thorns in Putin's side"

It's about the sanctions... Putin hates Browder as much as he hates Clinton... Who found a bunch of dirt on Putin??? SERGI MAGNITSKY who worked for Browder. He died in prison by Putins hands and Browder blew the whistle... This was the guy that the sanctions were named after, the MAGNITSKY act. This is costing Putin lots of money and prestige in mother Rüss. Anything to discredit Browder and his association with the sanctions Putins sees as a plus. Maybe ammo for tRump to get rid of the sanctions?
Just like the meeting at tRump tower was about " child adoptions from Russia" was Russias rebuttal to the Magnitsky act... Adoptions my ass. It was about the sanctions, it is about the sanctions and will always be about the sanctions....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Browder

"After having business in Russia for ten years, Browder was refused entry to Russia in 2005 as a threat to national security; he has said it was because he exposed corruption.
After the death in prison in 2009 of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and auditor who had represented his company and conducted an investigation into massive tax fraud related to it, Browder lobbied for Congress to pass the "Magnitsky Act"

m

[eleny]

15. Browder has taken a beating from Putin and I also think from America

I've read about some tax evasion issue but wondered if that was all bunk and took it with a grain of salt. He's been looking over his shoulder for a long time.

The Browder/Magnitsky story is hair raising. I know it well. It's good that you posted about it here for people to be educated in case it's new to them. It needs to be told and told again!

All the best to you, mitch.

[mitch96]

37. More info on Browder, PUtin and Magnitsky

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210892960

m

[oasis]

3. McFaul telling us all about Russia on MSNBC for many months.

Hope he doesn't travel to London until Putin is overthrown.

[Iliyah]

4. Putin can get to McFaul here in the USA with

t-rump's blessing.

[oasis]

6. I've a feeling Traitor🇷🇺Trump will green light any covert activity

under Putin's direction.

[octoberlib]

7. Great post! Thanks.

Btw, starik means old man in Russian. I googled it, lol.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. Yep.

I doubt they're actually friendly, but McFaul is extremely accessible over social media and provides a platform for dialogue.

And Rykov is, well, a troll.

[bdamomma]

9. so much information out there.

this was planned for many years. We have a conspirators and agents in our midst. Our national security is at risk.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Yes, that is why Mueller's team is working so hard and why it takes so much time. Numbered companies

There is a complex tangled web of numbered companies, email addresses, servers, bank accounts, drop boxes, text messaging, phone numbers, social media connections (FB, Twitter, InstaGram, SnapChat, Tinder, ..., even old ones like mySpace & AOL!) that are used to communicate and move data and money.

Tricky stuff like editing drafts on shared accounts and other party deleting them when read so that no email transits (Manafort used this).

[triron]

11. Hope McFaul has some protection from Russian thugs.

[Roland99]

12. I commend you on your steadfastness on this topic

Been following your posts on Rykov since the beginning

Another thought on McFaul (and muellers team too that Russia wants to question):

Are they (Russia) setting up a tit-for-tat on subjects of investigation? Meaning, they’ll deny sending their indicted persons if we don’t send over who they want to poison...er...question?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. Looks that way, perhaps.

Although I doubt they'd ever seriously consider sending us their guys, and with Trump already in the White House feel they are allowed such leeway.

[triron]

13. We should be very thankful for the FBI and CIA right now, It appears only

they can save our republic.

[eleny]

17. What a heck of a turn of events

I remember feeling threatened by them years ago. The Vietnam War era, the Iranian government take down, interference in Central America and the horrors that happened in Chile because of our "meddling". Now with Malcolm Nance's change of heart about the Republican Party and using his historic knowledge to suss things out and educate us, our foes in government are now our allies to get us through this awful era.

[Hekate]

16. Hell's bells

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. JFC.....SHS punts McFaul question at White House Briefing

Said Trump will "meet with his team" about the possibility of Putin being allowed to interrogate the former US Ambassador to Russia.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

20. Unfuckingbelievable.

Link to tweet

Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1

Sarah Sanders says that "there was conversation" between Putin and Trump about Russian authorities questioning Bill Browder and Michael McFaul; Sanders said there wasn't a commitment made, but that Trump would "work with his team." (via CBS)

[Duppers]

21. Wow! Impressive.

Thanks, Tommy.

I've been following Bill Browder but knew little about McFaul except for seeing him interviewed on news programming. You've filled in the blanks here very well.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

22. It's almost too crazy to be real.

But it is.

[Marthe48]

23. Isn't it illegal to make a U.S. citizen

who hasn't committed a crime go to a hostile country? Between poison and falling off balconies, I'm worried Ambassdor McFaul wouldn't make it home.


I hate these criminals.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

24. I would believe so.

But the law doesn't really apply to these bastards.

[Marthe48]

36. they are hoods and no one is stopping them

It's like the T's (formerly R's) in House and Senate are the mild-mannered storekeeper in an old Western who stands by while the bad guys take over his town

[lagomorph777]

25. Wow, does Mueller have that stuff?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

26. Most likely he does.

Whether or not there was any actual significance to it or whether it was simply a case of Rykov bullshitting around, only Mueller and the intelligence community would know for sure.

However, I have a hard time believing that in the middle of the Presidential campaign, in July 2016, Rykov would simply make up out of the blue a claim that Carter Page was meeting with Russian intelligence officials. It's not like Carter Page was really a household name at that point in time. It's an oddly specific and random statement for it to be a wild fabrication.

[Garrett78]

31. That's what I was wondering. Has Mueller met with McFaul?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

34. Haven't heard.

But I doubt he would need to be subpoenaed.

It’s possible intel was already monitoring Rykov’s postings. He’s long had a reputation for online meddling in other countries’ affairs.

[AlexSFCA]

27. thanks god browder is a british citizen

We can no longer trust US government to protect its citizens.

[Scurrilous]

28. Good info.

Thanks.

[Gothmog]

29. Ex-Ambassador @McFaul -- targeted by Putin -- has no confidence in Trump protecting him

Link to tweet

[Sugarcoated]

30. What??

No fucking way...omg...fucking Fascist pigs

[Tommy_Carcetti]

33. Yep. Nt

[superpatriotman]

32. K&R

!!

[mountain grammy]

35. Thank you. This is incredible.

I too hope McFaul has protection.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

38. I hope so too. Nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

39. Kick. Nt

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

40. Kick to keep this up there...

Thanks Tommy-C.

This is very important stuff.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

44. Thanks. nt

[PearliePoo2]

41. Morning kick for a great post. Good job.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

42. Thanks. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

43. **UPDATE** Well, what do you know? Right from the ass's mouth.

Link to tweet

Carter Page, Ph.D.‏ @carterwpage

Moscow agreed to a 1986 spy swap while @AmbJohnBolton was at DOJ.

Is any swap possible now, trading:

-12 Indictees
for
- Intel assets who damaged democracy by injecting @DNC / DOJ Dodgy Dossier lies that led to illegal hacking?

Or at least an info swap?

10:20 AM - 14 Jul 2018