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babylonsister

(171,070 posts)
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 12:22 PM Jan 2017

Blackwater boss Erik Prince helped hack the election for Trump

I think I hear the fan's engines revving up; can shit be far behind?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/01/19/1622036/-Blackwater-boss-Erik-Prince-helped-hack-the-election-for-Trump?detail=facebook


Blackwater boss Erik Prince helped hack the election for Trump
By Christian Dem in NC
Wednesday Jan 18, 2017 · 8:34 PM EST
Share this article


Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince recently got back in the news when it emerged that he’s serving as an informal adviser to Trump. That’s not the only time he’s offered his services to the Donald. He played a key role in a conspiracy by rogue FBI agents to throw the election to Trump.

Late last night, HuffPo columnist Seth Abramson discovered that Prince gave a rather interesting interview to Breitbart News Daily on November 4—less than 24 hours before Comey announced there was no there there in the new emails. Prince claimed that the FBI’s hand was forced by hopping mad NYPD detectives investigating Anthony Weiner. Supposedly, they found “State Department emails” and evidence of a trove of criminal activity involving the Clintons and other prominent Democrats. Click over to my piece at Liberal America to hear it—but be sure you’re sitting down. After all, this is Breitbart—or rather, Trumpbart—we’re talking about.

According to this narrative the NYPD gave the FBI an ultimatum—reopen the investigation, or we will hold a press conference to announce a ton of arrests. Supposedly, this “pushed the FBI off their chairs,” prompting Comey’s now-infamous letter.

Two big problems. First, we know that the warrant contained no such thing. Rather, its sole “probable cause” was a possible email exchange between Hillary and Huma Abedin. On that basis, a number of legal experts have condemned it as hackery at best and a Fourth Amendment violation at worst.

More seriously, Prince openly admitted that he knew about the emails before Comey did. For those of you keeping score, that makes THREE close confidants to Trump who knew about the emails in the three weeks between when they were found and when Comey was finally notified. The other two? Rudy Giuliani and Jim Kallstrom, both of whom were in contact with active agents during the investigation.

And all three of them knew damn well what they were doing when they made those leaks. Remember, Giuliani is a former U. S. Attorney, and before then headed the DOJ’s criminal division. Kallstrom is the former head of the FBI in New York City. Prince was a major government contractor during his tenure at Blackwater. If this isn’t evidence that this election was tainted by criminal misconduct, what is?

Abramson muses that Giuliani revealed his contacts with FBI agents on orders from Trump, while Prince did so on orders from either Steve Bannon or Trump. I haven’t seen anything to suggest--yet—that Trump was directly involved. After all, you’re talking about a couple of guys who are known to be cowboys. The fact that Prince went on Breitbart, though, makes you wonder if Bannon was in some way involved.

He also muses that Prince’s adviser role, as well as the choice of his sister, Betsy DeVos, as Education Secretary, are rewards for a job (criminally) well done. That’s a bit of a stretch. It’s very likely that DeVos is part of the massive debt Trump owes to the fundies, while Prince simply bought his post.

What is clear beyond any doubt is that, at the very least, Trump fostered an environment in which this was even remotely acceptable. Ironic, since Chris Christie lost out on the VP slot under similar circumstances. What is also clear is that Abramson wasn’t kidding when he called this potentially worse than Watergate.

53 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Blackwater boss Erik Prince helped hack the election for Trump (Original Post) babylonsister Jan 2017 OP
The only way they can "win" is by cheating MagickMuffin Jan 2017 #1
actually this would be a cash cow for the media, wouldn't it? renate Jan 2017 #15
Only if the media did its job. MagickMuffin Jan 2017 #21
the NYTIMES is back in Judith Miller mode SleeplessinSoCal Jan 2017 #25
More Lie, Cheat and Steal Doitnow Jan 2017 #20
I was just reading about this elsewhere herding cats Jan 2017 #2
this information ain't getting to the MSM without a big push from us. SleeplessinSoCal Jan 2017 #26
Do you mean to tell me Comey might not have been a willing participant? meow2u3 Jan 2017 #3
Or intimidated by NYC detectives. nt babylonsister Jan 2017 #4
I'm not buying it. Comey was part of it. brush Jan 2017 #12
These people need to be in fucking prison, the whole damn lot of 'em!!!!! Initech Jan 2017 #5
Prince and Sec. Ed. Nominee DeVos are brother and sister underpants Jan 2017 #6
You had me there for a moment. I was scanning the replies japple Jan 2017 #40
O--- underpants Jan 2017 #42
Yes, spotted that turd among the whole pile. FailureToCommunicate Jan 2017 #53
Beware of mercenaries malaise Jan 2017 #7
It Went Even Further Me. Jan 2017 #8
Right. H2O Man Jan 2017 #30
It Seems To Me Me. Jan 2017 #32
I don't know H2O Man Jan 2017 #34
Won't Know Unless You Try Me. Jan 2017 #36
Okay. H2O Man Jan 2017 #38
Good Luck To Him Me. Jan 2017 #39
I agree, but it needs to be written in a way Blue_Roses Jan 2017 #46
Hence Betsey DeVosd voteearlyvoteoften Jan 2017 #9
Erik Prince and Betsy Devos are brother and sister. YOHABLO Jan 2017 #51
How does Donald Trump THANK Erik Prince? State the Obvious Jan 2017 #10
Or worse, starts a war and hires him as a mercenary. nt babylonsister Jan 2017 #13
k n r Achilleaze Jan 2017 #11
This is what 2naSalit Jan 2017 #14
Hadn't most of us, and even the media, pieced it together. Alice11111 Jan 2017 #16
Is there a more credible source for this? Renew Deal Jan 2017 #17
Jeremy Scahill has handmade34 Jan 2017 #18
Further, I think Anthony Weiner was a patsy here and was entrapped. They knew with his illness cbdo2007 Jan 2017 #19
Mr. Erik Prince Is The Brother of Ms. Betsy DeVoss Stinky The Clown Jan 2017 #22
Prince worked in Rohrabacher's office in early 90's SleeplessinSoCal Jan 2017 #23
KnR Hekate Jan 2017 #24
K & R for exposure. SunSeeker Jan 2017 #27
I believe orangecrush Jan 2017 #28
I've been warning people of the exact same thing. Efilroft Sul Jan 2017 #47
Nobody thinks orangecrush Jan 2017 #50
Watched a good interview of the author this morning cilla4progress Jan 2017 #29
Very much recommended. H2O Man Jan 2017 #31
K&R. Please wake me from this nightmare. Dark n Stormy Knight Jan 2017 #33
I KNEW I HEARD that evil sounding name before !! Black Water and Eric Prince... from some movie uponit7771 Jan 2017 #35
Mercenaries first known to me from the Iraq conflict. They later changed babylonsister Jan 2017 #37
Whats the other end of the spectrum for drip, drip, drip? democrank Jan 2017 #41
Trump's dark advisers including Erik Prince. spike jones Jan 2017 #43
Please share this, it needs it to go viral for the inauguration... roseBudd Jan 2017 #44
K&R... spanone Jan 2017 #45
Eric Prince did his best to elect Putin's lackey Trump. keithbvadu2 Jan 2017 #48
And let's not forget who his sister is. Chicago1980 Jan 2017 #49
This is good information -- but there is a reason we're supposed to keep quotes pnwmom Jan 2017 #52

MagickMuffin

(15,943 posts)
1. The only way they can "win" is by cheating
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 12:31 PM
Jan 2017

Dark days ahead of us that is for sure. Hopefully WE the people can do something to stop this train wreck of a circus that is taking place. Of course we'll get no help from the TV media. They played a very big role in the deception that took place over the course of the campaign.

Thx for the post babylonsister!



renate

(13,776 posts)
15. actually this would be a cash cow for the media, wouldn't it?
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 01:26 PM
Jan 2017

The red meat of the election is over... now there'd be the red meat of the investigation.

MagickMuffin

(15,943 posts)
21. Only if the media did its job.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 02:22 PM
Jan 2017

I haven't seen much interest in really exposing the republicons crimes, misdeeds or scandals.

SleeplessinSoCal

(9,123 posts)
26. this information ain't getting to the MSM without a big push from us.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 02:42 PM
Jan 2017

WHO do we get this news to that could penetrate the wall around Trump supporters?

meow2u3

(24,764 posts)
3. Do you mean to tell me Comey might not have been a willing participant?
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 12:32 PM
Jan 2017

I.e., he may have been blackmailed by Erik Prince and Blightbart?

brush

(53,784 posts)
12. I'm not buying it. Comey was part of it.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 01:04 PM
Jan 2017

Remember Comey was the one who stood up to Alberto Gnzalez in John Ashcrofts hospital room over authorizing illegal wire taps in 2004 during the Bush admin.

He's head of the FBI so I don't think he would be cowed by some NYP detectives.

Here's a link to the Ashcroft story:

https://eideard.com/2013/05/30/the-hospital-room-showdown-over-illicit-wiretaps-in-2004-james-comey-vs-alberto-gonzalez-george-w-bushs-flunkey/

I'm not letting Comey off the hook. Remember he went rogue in June with that first press conference on the emails. He did that without even letting Lynch know what he was about to do. He purposely poisoned the waters by chastising Hillary publicly by all but calling her a corrupt criminal.

He saw in October that she was about to win so he went public again against her.

All this coming out now that he was intimidated seems like a cover story. Nah, IMO, he was in on it.

The timing of the Oct. 28 letter, leaving no time for Hilary to recover from the damage, is too perfect not to have been calculated.

And then the Nov. 6 "oh, never mind, the emails were duplicates letter" 2 days before the election?

Come on! I was born at night but not last night.

japple

(9,828 posts)
40. You had me there for a moment. I was scanning the replies
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 07:12 PM
Jan 2017

and saw your reply title "Prince and Sec. Ed. Nominee DeVos are brother and sister," and literally spewed my beer. I was thinking the real PRINCE + that tRUMP nominee, etc, etc.????
[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

Me.

(35,454 posts)
8. It Went Even Further
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 12:40 PM
Jan 2017

The Domestic Conspiracy That Gave Trump The Election Is In Plain Sight

“While a full summary of the Prince-Giuliani-Trump conspiracy would require a longer discourse, the actions of these men, along with multiple still-anonymous actors, can be summarized in five paragraphs. It will be for journalists with more resources than this writer to follow up on these leads—and, moreover, to see how this domestic conspiracy dovetails with the Trump-Russia controversy, though this too is briefly addressed below.” Cont…

"Prince claimed he had insider knowledge of the investigation that could help explain why FBI Director James Comey had to announce he was reopening the investigation into Clinton’s email server last week....”[NYPD] found a lot of other really damning criminal information [on Weiner’s computer], including money laundering, including the fact that Hillary went to this sex island with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton went there more than twenty times. Hillary Clinton went there at least six times,” he said. “The amount of garbage that they found in these emails, of criminal activity by Hillary, by her immediate circle, and even by other Democratic members of Congress, was so disgusting they gave it to the FBI, and they said, ‘We’re going to go public with this if you don’t reopen the investigation and you don’t do the right thing with timely indictments,’” Prince explained. “I believe—I know, and this is from a very well-placed source of mine at One Police Plaza in New York—the NYPD wanted to do a press conference announcing the warrants and the additional arrests they were making in this investigation, and they’ve gotten huge pushback, to the point of coercion, from the Justice Department.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-domestic-conspiracy-that-gave-trump-the-election_us_587ed24fe4b0b110fe11dbf9?

H2O Man

(73,558 posts)
30. Right.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 03:51 PM
Jan 2017

We are witnessing conflicts within the "private" and federal intelligence agencies, at a level that has not been approached ever before in the our nation's history. It is not a good thing.

Me.

(35,454 posts)
32. It Seems To Me
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 04:48 PM
Jan 2017

That someone (not pointing fingers, mind you) could write an excellent OP about this.

H2O Man

(73,558 posts)
34. I don't know
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 05:48 PM
Jan 2017

if a qualified person would. Suppose I could, but I don't think many here would get it.

Blue_Roses

(12,894 posts)
46. I agree, but it needs to be written in a way
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 10:26 PM
Jan 2017

that hooks the reader in ( so to speak) and has them chomping-at-the-bit to speak out and do something.

There is no doubt that we still have excellent investigative reporters who do awesome work with news that MSM never would report on, but in our short-attention world, sound-bites are what grab and stick.

I love reading articles that go into the "whys, wheres, how, and who", however, my spouse hates to read and only picks up sound-bites and headlines. However, if those "sound-bites or headlines", affect him, his pocketbook, or NFL football team (sad, but true), he is all ears. Even with his ADHD self.

After the Bush-Gore fiasco, it took forever for the MSM to pick up a needed story. Many times we would see it here on DU way before it ever broke the headlines. We've got to be the voice that changes that and I'm all in to help.

State the Obvious

(842 posts)
10. How does Donald Trump THANK Erik Prince?
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 12:52 PM
Jan 2017

...he nominates Prince's sister....Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education!

2naSalit

(86,646 posts)
14. This is what
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 01:17 PM
Jan 2017

was happening in my recurring dream of late... and today is the big day that covers the weekend. Something totally unexpected is about to take place, I hope it's a good thing for we the people and the rest of the planet.


ETA: I was wondering where the mercenary corps got off to after being allegedly dismissed from the wars of public renown. I'm not surprised about this revelation, sadly.

Alice11111

(5,730 posts)
16. Hadn't most of us, and even the media, pieced it together.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 01:57 PM
Jan 2017

Now, months later, the media is just beginning to state it outright. It will be a long time b4 it is accepted news. Trumpsters won't believe it until fox carries it. Fox will probably title the article, Hillarys emails waste more taxpayer money, and then convolute the facts.

handmade34

(22,756 posts)
18. Jeremy Scahill has
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 01:59 PM
Jan 2017

written extensively about Erik Prince... this and many other articles:

https://theintercept.com/2016/03/24/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-under-federal-investigation/

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/17/notorious-mercenary-erik-prince-is-advising-trump-from-the-shadows/

also from Rachel Tabachnick :
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/5/16/123025/506

The Prince and DeVos families are at the intersection of radical free market privatization and the Religious Right, and have made an enormous impact on the current political atmosphere.  Erik Prince played a significant role in privatizing military functions while his older sister Betsy is at the helm of a movement to privatize public schools. The billionaire brother/sister duo are also vice presidents of their parents' foundation which is one of the major funders of Focus on Family and Family Research Council and an array of missionary organizations and right-wing think tanks.


The Sunday New York Times reported that Erik Prince, founder and former owner of Blackwater (now XE), is building a "secret desert force" of 800 non-Muslim foreign mercenaries for the United Arab Emirates. Blackwater "collected billions of dollars in security contracts from the U.S. government," but Prince sold the company and moved to Abu Dhabi in wake of legal troubles.  Over the last decade, as Prince has built private armies funded with tax dollars, his older sister Betsy DeVos has been leading a campaign to privatize education but fund it with tax dollars. Her organizations have also run into legal troubles, including a $5.2 million fine in Ohio for breaking campaign finance laws.
The Prince and DeVos Families
Betsy Prince DeVos and Erik Prince are two of the four children of  Elsa Prince Broekhuizen and the late Edgar Prince.  The Prince family made their fortune in Prince Automotive, and became one of the primary supporters of numerous Religious Right organizations and right-wing causes...

cbdo2007

(9,213 posts)
19. Further, I think Anthony Weiner was a patsy here and was entrapped. They knew with his illness
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 02:01 PM
Jan 2017

that he wouldnt' be able to control himself.

Stinky The Clown

(67,807 posts)
22. Mr. Erik Prince Is The Brother of Ms. Betsy DeVoss
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 02:28 PM
Jan 2017

Extremist Right Wing Billionaires doing extremist right wing shit to benefit extremist right wingers.

All spawned from Amway Founder, pyramid schemer, and right wing billionaire Rich DeVoss.

SleeplessinSoCal

(9,123 posts)
23. Prince worked in Rohrabacher's office in early 90's
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 02:28 PM
Jan 2017

Then Trump actually considered Rohrabacher for secy of state. The Breitbart connection needs more investigation beyond White Supremacists and fake news.

There is a cabal of Putin people in Amerika.

orangecrush

(19,571 posts)
28. I believe
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 03:17 PM
Jan 2017

It is entirely possible Prince dreams of initiating a Vietnam era "Phoenix" style program right here in the United States to deal with Trump opposition.

In the article he discussed doing exactly that in the Middle East.

"In July, Prince told Trump’s senior adviser and white supremacist Steve Bannon, at the time head of Breitbart News, that the Trump administration should recreate a version of the Phoenix Program, the CIA assassination ring that operated during the Vietnam War, to fight ISIS. Such a program, Prince said, could kill or capture “the funders of Islamic terror and that would even be the wealthy radical Islamist billionaires funding it from the Middle East, and any of the other illicit activities they’re in.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/static.theintercept.com/amp/notorious-mercenary-erik-prince-is-advising-trump-from-the-shadows.html?client=ms-android-boost-us

Efilroft Sul

(3,579 posts)
47. I've been warning people of the exact same thing.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 10:35 PM
Jan 2017

Trump's private security force is ostensibly for protection, for defense. But with Prince in the picture, that security force can very easily be turned to an offensive attack force against Trump's political enemies.

orangecrush

(19,571 posts)
50. Nobody thinks
Fri Jan 20, 2017, 12:41 AM
Jan 2017

It can happen here.

They need to read some accounts of survivors of thr Phoenix program.

cilla4progress

(24,736 posts)
29. Watched a good interview of the author this morning
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 03:27 PM
Jan 2017

on Thom Hartmann's show. Wow. DISCLOSE AND DISSEMINATE!!

uponit7771

(90,346 posts)
35. I KNEW I HEARD that evil sounding name before !! Black Water and Eric Prince... from some movie
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 06:03 PM
Jan 2017

... or some shit !!!

babylonsister

(171,070 posts)
37. Mercenaries first known to me from the Iraq conflict. They later changed
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 06:32 PM
Jan 2017

the company name to Xe. A search on DU should provide plenty of history.

democrank

(11,096 posts)
41. Whats the other end of the spectrum for drip, drip, drip?
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 07:16 PM
Jan 2017

Whatever the word is, fill in these blanks.

_________, ________, __________.



spike jones

(1,680 posts)
43. Trump's dark advisers including Erik Prince.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 09:41 PM
Jan 2017

What could go wrong with a guy like this advising Trump.
Xe is a christian symbol.

http://www.truthistreason.net/erik-prince-blackwater-xe-the-new-christian-crusade

Erik Prince’s personal Crusade
Among his personnel at Xe, Prince is known to be a high-profile Islamophobe who believes his personal mission in life is to bring about the total extinction of the Muslim population of this planet in what he has described as a global campaign of genocide or a, “Crusade.”
Here is an excerpt of an article about Prince that appeared in The Economist: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2009/08/erik_prince_and_the_last_crusa

Trump could use the employees of Prince as his personal security. The Nazi SS started out as Hitler's private security.The very rich can now afford private armies of the likes of old Blackwater.

the Schutzstaffel (SS), Adolf Hitler’s private army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzstaffel

keithbvadu2

(36,819 posts)
48. Eric Prince did his best to elect Putin's lackey Trump.
Thu Jan 19, 2017, 10:53 PM
Jan 2017

Eric Prince did his best to elect Putin's lackey Trump.

But he did his least to send four men to their deaths at the Fallujah Bridge with inadequate equipment.

pnwmom

(108,980 posts)
52. This is good information -- but there is a reason we're supposed to keep quotes
Fri Jan 20, 2017, 06:36 AM
Jan 2017

to about four paragraphs, if we can -- copyright laws. Remember the DU lawsuit?

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