The Potomac Two-Step: Imran Awan Allowed To Escape any Charges That Would Implicate Congress….

[livingston]

The Potomac Two-Step: Imran Awan Allowed To Escape any Charges That Would Implicate Congress…
.
Imran Awan pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud. However, all of the more serious charges; that were based on intelligence compromises and national security; and that naturally would implicate members of congress; were dropped and dispatched by federal prosecutors.

Add in the date of the announcement today, when everyone is headed to a long July 4th holiday weekend, and voilà we see the all-too-familiar Potomac Two-Step:
(Via Daily Caller) An assistant US attorney said Tuesday he would not prosecute Imran Awan, a former systems administrator for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats, for any crimes on Capitol Hill in a plea agreement that had him plead guilty to one count of bank fraud.

Only one person sat at the prosecutors’ table: J.P. Coomey, who unsuccessfully prosecuted New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez for corruption and was only added to the case Monday. There was no sign of Michael Marando, who had previously led the prosecution.

Coomey did not object to the removal of Awan’s GPS monitor, said he would not oppose a sentence of probation, and agreed to drop charges against his wife, fellow former systems administrative Hina Alvi. (continue reading)
Reminder Here

 

[livingston]

Lee Stranahan‏Verified account @stranahan 8h8 hours ago




BREAKING: I’m at the federal courthouse, and it seems that Imran Awan’s Plea deal says that he cannot be charged with any previous non-violent crime.

7:57 AM - 3 Jul 2018

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230 replies 552 retweets 448 likes

1. 1. 
      New conversation
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        #StaleCrumbs‏ @tobeycakes 8h8 hours ago
        
        
        Replying to @stranahan
        Debbie Wassermann Schultz's brother has done his job well...
        
        5 replies 24 retweets 81 likes
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        #SaveTheKids‏ @PleaseUnRedact 8h8 hours ago
        
        
        Replying to @tobeycakes @cindyannga @stranahan
        No conflict of interest there, right?

 

[livingston]

A bit of background folks ...
Democrat IT Staffers on Intel Committee May Have Sold Classified Intel To Pakistan and Russia…
Posted on August 22, 2017 by sundance
The New York Post is reporting an evolution into the investigation of the indicted Awan family and colleagues who worked as Democrat staffers within the House Intelligence Committee and aides within the Super-Classified Congressional Intelligence Gang-of-Eight. It’s jaw-dropping how much intelligence this crew would have access to.

In an alarming development the Post writes: “Investigators now suspect that sensitive US government data — possibly including classified information — could have been compromised and may have been sold to hostile foreign governments that could use it to blackmail members of Congress or even put their lives at risk.”


(Via New York Post) […] Alarm bells went off in April 2016 when computer security officials in the House reported “irregularities” in computer equipment purchasing. An internal investigation revealed the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in government property, and evidence pointed to five IT staffers and the Democratic Congress members’ offices that employed them.


The evidence was turned over to the House inspector general, who found so much “smoke” that she recommended a criminal probe, sources say. The case was turned over to Capitol Police in October.

When the suspected IT workers couldn’t produce the missing invoiced equipment, sources say, they were removed from working on the computer network in early February.

During the probe, investigators found valuable government data that is believed to have been taken from the network and placed on offsite servers, setting off more alarms. Some 80 offices were potentially compromised.

Most lawmakers fired the alleged “ringleader” — longtime IT staffer Imran Awan — in February. But Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former Democratic National Committee chief, kept Awan on her payroll until his arrest last month on seemingly unrelated charges of defrauding the congressional credit union.

For more than a decade, Awan, his wife, two relatives and a friend worked for 30 House Democrats. They included New York City pols Gregory Meeks, Joseph Crowley and Yvette Clarke and members of the sensitive Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees. (read more)

 

[tirwin1]

This stinks. Apparently blackmail works.

 

[GTN]

He will commit suicide in under 48hrs

 

[Phauxtoe]

Big government Failure
Term limits are a must these Dirty bastards wheel and deal and never get the jail time they deserve

 

[livingston]

In an incredible sweetheart plea deal, Imran Awan – a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and other congressional Democrats – pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of making a false statement on a home equity loan
I sat flabbergasted in the courtroom in Washington as the plea agreement was entered.

I spent the last year interviewing hundreds of people and chasing leads for my upcoming book –titled “Spies in Congress” – about the alleged spy ring believed led by Awan that may have operated in the offices of more than 40 Democratic members of Congress.

If not for my extensive research on this case, I might have assumed the government just couldn’t find enough evidence to make a solid case against Awan on more serious charges than bank fraud.

When I asked Justice Department prosecutor J.P. Cooney why the government made this odd plea deal he just smiled and waved me away as he told me to ask the Justice Department Office of Public Affairs. The office declined to answer my questions.

Shockingly, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a news release about Awan’s plea agreement that made no mention of his IT work for Democrats in Congress, no mention of Wasserman Schultz, and made his case sound like a minor local criminal matter of little interest to anyone. It was headlined: “Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement on Application for Home Equity Loan.”


Ho-hum, right? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

Awan is due to be sentenced Aug. 21 and could get off with no jail sentence, according the plea agreement. Prosecutors said they would not recommend jail time – in effect, giving Awan a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Just like that, the Department of Justice is making an important case go away as if nothing much happened.

Awan’s wife, Hina Alvi, is having all charges against her dismissed as part of the agreement.

Awan, as a part of this plea agreement, also “will not be charged” for any other nonviolent crimes he may have committed in Washington prior to the agreement, according to this deal.

The plea deal agreement even exonerates Awan by saying in part that “the Government agrees that the public allegations that your client (Imran Awan) stole U.S. House of Representatives (‘House’) equipment and engaged in unauthorized or illegal conduct involving House computer systems do not form the basis of any conduct relevant to the determination of the sentence in this case.”

But there is so much more to this case. Even on the simple theft of government equipment there is a lot there for prosecutors. One of Awan’s former tenants, a retired U.S. Marine, even found and turned over to authorities several computers and smart phones with government markings on them that he found in Awan’s rental property.

There is also internal U.S. House of Representatives’ paperwork detailing some of what went on in the offices Awan and his associates who did contract IT work for congressional Democrats.

Internal House Inspector General findings have also determined that Awan copied the emails of up to 44 Democratic House members and other personal data and backed them up to a server that reportedly went missing and to a Dropbox account.

Awan, his wife and other relatives and friends were also all paid exorbitant salaries for working as IT contractors for members of Congress for years – even though many of them didn’t have any expertise in IT and even though they didn’t undergo background checks.

It is also likely that a few of Awan’s associates didn’t even show up to earn all the money they were paid. Still, no charges have been filed against Awan or his brothers relating to alleged thefts, possible espionage and for providing false information (an image of the Democratic House Caucus computer server) to Capitol Police.

It is actually very hard to sum-up all that this group of IT aides (who are almost all from Pakistan) did and the crimes they might have committed.

Writing a book on the topic was like piecing together an international spy thriller filled with anonymous sources, encrypted conversations, off-the-record meetings, foreign documents and hard facts from various court filings and from internal investigations in the House.

What is clear to me, after interviewing so many people, is there is a lot of evidence here for investigators, but also a lot of political reasons why they might want this case to go away.

Awan was even Wasserman Schultz’s IT aide when she headed the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which incidentally was when the DNC was hacked and the information given to Wikileaks.

I have no evidence that Awan was in any way responsible for the leak. Still, it is incredible how much of all this interconnects circumstantially.

Real court scenes (when Awan pleaded guilty and waved his right to a trial by jury), possible depositions of House staffers and members of Congress, and the investigations that would take place if the Justice Department pursued additional charges would have necessarily dug into a lot of things the Washington establishment would rather not deal with publicly. It also would have forced investigators to follow the trail to Pakistan.

Still, I didn’t think these investigating agencies would be brazen enough to agree to this kind of a sweetheart deal for Imran Awan and Hina Alvi.

Now Awan will not face prosecution where the more serious allegations against him can be judged.

Frank Miniter is author of "The Future of the Gun" & "The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide". His latest book is, is "Kill Big Brother", a cyber-thriller that shows how to balance freedom with security without diminishing the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Justice Department covers up possible spy ring scandal in Democratic congressional offices

 

[Grimscale]

Well that's all a serious kick in the nads to read on the 4th of July.
I'm thinking draining the swamp is no longer enough. We need to see trials and public executions for treason.

 

[Robin]

The deep state is winning.
Robin

 

[tirwin1]

In my opinion this story is bigger than spygate because it affects the entire legislative branch of the government. Notice how both republicans and democrats have closed ranks on this. Nothing to see hear, move along. We get to focus on the bogus meuller investigation and the breadcrumbs of the spygate investigation. The entire legislative branch is being held for blackmail and pakistan probably knows all kinds of secrets (both military and political). Yet every member of congress wants this to go away. Sad.

 

[96coal449]

The deep state is winning.
Robin

Where do we go now?
I'm tired of this BS manipulation.
As your signature shows ..... we are the rightful masters.

 

[livingston]

I ran across this little gem folks ...

1. Everyone, calm down about the #Awan case.

Imran & Co remain in VERY hot water. As do MANY Democrats in Congress.

No one appears to have read the Plea Agreement in its entirety. Here it is:

assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4572…

QUOTE:

'Your client further understands that this Agreement is binding only upon the Criminal and Superior Court Divisions of the United States Attomey's Office for the District of Columbia./...
3. /.(It) does not bind the Civil Division of this Office or any other United States Attomey's Office,..(or) any other state, local, or federal prosecutor. It also does not bar or compromise any civil, tax,or administrative claim pending or that may be made against your client.
4. In other words, it means that Imran won't be tried in a criminal or civil action.

In the District of Columbia ONLY
Thread by @_ImperatorRex_: "1. Everyone, calm down about the Awan case. Imran & Co remain in VERY hot water. As do MANY Democrats in Congress. No one appears to hav […]" #Awan #MAGA

The best bit of news I have read today .. Happy 4th folks .....

 

[livingston]

4. Sessions knew that there was NO WAY that a scandal the enormity of Awan/DWS would EVER get a fair trial in DC. The place is an amoral, corrupt MESS.

So he's using the IG system, to by-pass a corrupt judiciary.
5. Judge Tanya Chutkan is a partisan, Obama ideologue. Any Awan hearing in front of her would have been delayed, choked, throttled - or rigged.

She'd make sure of that.

So Sessions made sure she never got the chance. This plea deal is a masterstroke.
6. The deal is binding ONLY in DC. Nowhere else in the USA.

It allows ANY DOJ Attorney with Federal jurisdiction to take action against the Awans, or DWS, if evidence exists that a Federal crime(s) has occurred.

NOTHING Judge Chutkan can do about it.
7. The evidence can come from pretty much anyone. It can certainly come from the Inspector General of the House of Reps, for example:


House Report Concluded Pakistanis Made ‘Unauthorized Access’ To Congressional Servers 'Classic method for insiders to exfiltrate data' http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/16/house-report-concluded-pakistanis-made-unauthorized-access-to-congressional-servers/
dailycaller.com/2018/01/16/hou…
8. The IG, Mike Ptasienski, has been clear that he's convinced something seriously bad was happening with the Awans.

He's testified to Congress that data was siphoned off the House network by the Awans, two months before the US presidential election:


‘Pakistani Mystery Man’: Awans’ Father Transferred Data To Pakistani Government, Ex-Partner Claims Suspect claimed power to 'change the US president' http://dailycaller.com/2018/04/18/imran-awan-usb-drive-pakistan/
dailycaller.com/2018/04/18/imr…
9. Now we don't know if this is being funnelled through US Attorney Huber in Utah, or if Sessions has appointed other US Attorneys, elsewhere in the US.

My instincts suggest the latter.
Thread by @_ImperatorRex_: "1. OK, I think this is a genius move by Jeff Sessions. The supposed DOJ Awan case 'cover up' has upset many. But when you read the fine prin […]" #Happy4th #MAGA

 

[livingston]

Something from Q if anyone follows this ...

 

[BDinPutnam]

Not only that but I beleve I read somewhere there is reason to suspect he was working hand in glove with DWS to intercept emails of her own colleagues in the Democratic machine?

I am not a conspiracy-oriented guy but yeah this whole thing stinks to high heaven.

 

[tirwin1]

I'll believe it when I see something concrete happening.

 

[96coal449]

I'm still waiting to enjoy the show ......

Hopefully something favoring the patriots and this nation happens soon.
We the patriots need to see something soon. We need some renewed hope from positive results.

When do the gallows open?