Guo Wengui Arrested
Steve Bannon’s sometime partner Guo Wengui was arrested this morning on a sweeping indictment charging a $1 billion conspiracy, four sets of wire and security fraud charges each tied to a particularly business, as well as other money laundering charges.
It will take (me at least) some time to understand the full scope of the alleged behavior.
But for now, know that SDNY started seizing some of the proceeds of this fraud last year, and will now move to seize the yacht on which Bannon was arrested for his own fraud indictment, as well as some $36K mattresses Guo bought with the proceeds of his alleged fraud.
Update: Dave Weigel reminds that Guo found $75,000 to support CPAC, in spite of his claimed bankruptcy.
And the New Federal State of China, “declared” three years ago by Steve Bannon and exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, made its first CPAC appearance with a $75,000 sponsorship, and two high-tech booths where volunteers handed out leaflets and explained why the battle to destroy the CCP had to be won in America.
That isn’t hyperbole. “The elimination of the Chinese Communist Party is essential in breaking the shackles of slavery imposed on the Chinese people,” Bannon said at the 2020 ceremony launching the NFSC, “and also, in bringing about peace to the international community and all mankind.” Guo, citing “Chinese culture,” pricked his finger and signed the declaration with his blood.
The Bannon-Wengui partnership burst into the headlines before the 2020 election, when Bannon was arrested on Guo’s yacht on charges that were later superseded by a pardon from President Trump. Guo declared bankruptcy last year, claiming that his wealth had dwindled to less than $100,000. But their flashy CPAC presentation, including some advocates who described fleeing China after the 1989 massacre at Tiananmen Square, found a receptive audience, and rhymed with what was happening on the main stage.
Marcy retweets:
https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/1636021515362750464
11:08 AM · Mar 15, 2023
This is NOT just “GUO‘s anti-CCP group”. BANNON used this group to disseminate what he called Hunter Biden’s “lap top from hell” just before the 2020 election.
6/4/20 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Federal_State_of_China]
BANNON took full credit for that here:
10/31/20 BANNON advises CHINESE [-American?] media group [GUO TV] re: election night coverage.
Here’s the Whole Transcript of That Leaked Steve Bannon Tape, Annotated Disclosing Trump’s plans to falsely claim victory was just the start. [10/31/20] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/08/full-transcript-of-leaked-steve-bannon-tape-donald-trump-2020-election/
Guo and Bannon’s NFSC looks like a blatant attempt at securing sympathy and money from right wing Republicans and ROC sources. “Overthrowing” the PRC is an old trope, a fantasy the right has been kicking around since 1949, but one with very well-heeled patrons.
Bush the elder used to threaten to “unleash Chaing” on his tennis opponents, invoking the spectre of Kuomintang rebels reclaiming China from the PRC.
OT, but the mention of CPAC above by harpie above has me speculating as to who paid Bolsonaro to make an appearance, how much he was paid (or if another entity was paid on his “behalf”), and whether any of that runs afoul of the information listed on his tourist visa application.
And what is your “speculation”? You have any facts, or “just asking questions”? You do the same garbage on this blog you whine about as to the NYT. Give it a rest, else you are trolling us, and that is not going to last.
‘And what is your “speculation”?’
It’s right there in the comment. And is labeled as such. So no, I don’t have any facts, nor am I presenting any, which is why I wrote that I was speculating.
I do have a suspicion that nobody in MAGA world does anything for free, not even former Brazilian heads of state. I also will speculate that I’m not the only reader of this blog who holds that suspicion.
And no, my comments are not remotely near the scale of reach of NYT articles, nor am I trying to launder anyone’s reputation, whether they are Thomas Massie or the Louisville Metro Police Department.
As for trolling, well, as I have stated repeatedly, that is certainly not my intention. I will “give it a rest,” however, since being repeatedly bullied by you every time I post regarding my comments, which are clear and concise and not attacks directed towards any person, is a waste of my time and yours (and everyone else’s). Have a good rest of your day, sincerely.
Nobody is “bullying” you. You have turned into a constant pain in the ass for us, day and night, which is very much not appreciated. And I apologize “sincerely” (to quote your own insincere words) if you don’t like being identified as such. Have a nice day!
My 2 cents speculation: He was already in the U.S., having fled to avoid consequences in Brazil, and while the Brazilian government is deciding whether or not to extradite him, he was twiddling his fingers in Florida with nothing else to do (except sign autographs for his U.S. enthusiasts), so…why not speak at CPAC to further the cause of making soft fascism palatable to the rest of the world? Whether he asked for money before making this appearance or whether the funds were readily available and offered, is not the most relevant factor.
These guys paid Bolsonaro, and they also paid Kushner, the LIV tour, King Juan Carlos and a slew of others. I think an honorarium at CPAC is chump change in his world
https://news.yahoo.com/bolsonaros-saudi-jewels-scandal-know-012644395.html
$75K is enough to buy access, like Guo’s CPAC contribution or Bolsonaro’s watch.
I use as a benchmark a number I was told was the amount needed to get a U.S. Senator’s attention: $5K campaign contribution.
$75K gets attention of 15 GOP senators, can put you among top donors if you can get it done without causing FEC problems.
An additional couple million in jewels and gold can reward someone for screwing the rainforest to ensure ramped up soybean production along with changes in policy about uranium mining.
Where’d the $5K come from? Not that I dispute it. Rather, it seems like an interesting measure. But also, I’m curious how out-of-date it is.
Hey now, baby…get in to my big black car… https://youtu.be/vlvA0sMvnqo
At the current rate of inflation it’ll at least be $5,500 now right?
It was at a political event circa 2006-2007, lots of alcohol involved, and an older seasoned organizer whose name I don’t recall told me $5K when I asked what it would take to get attention. I had been thinking of forming a state PAC and I found it interesting this amount coincided with what a state PAC could donate.
That amount didn’t assure action, just attention. Wasn’t long after that I was told a state-level office couldn’t get state party support without having raised 6-7 figures for the party (the lack of fundraising prevented a floor fight for a nomination). I’m not naming names but you and I both know the source who explained this to me.
Six hours after the arrest, WHILE FBI agents were still at Guo’s apartment, a fire broke out. FBI had to evacuate, and it took 2 hours to extinguish.
ABC reports the fire having been on the same floor as Guo’s apartment. I understand from another source that Guo’s apartment takes up the entire floor, but I’ve not seen confirmation of that.
https://abc7ny.com/sherry-netherland-hotel-fire-upper-east-side-ues/12957548/
yes, entire floor, if this is still the building he lives in
https://streeteasy.com/building/sherry-netherland/18fl
click ‘read full description’ half down page–first sentence after listing write up expands
i found the real estate listing last month by linking from nypost
https://nypost.com/2023/02/23/nyc-home-tied-to-chinese-exile-guo-wengui-lists-for-32-5m/
You may have missed a key point or two in the NY Post story. The reason Guo Wengui could buy that $67.5M penthouse apartment in the Sherry Netherland, is because former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair wrote the board a recommendation.
“In 2015, Blair reportedly wrote, “Miles [Guo Wengui — also known as Miles Kwok] is dependable, sincere and extremely responsible as an individual; conducting himself with dignity and intelligence … Miles is honest, forthright and has impeccable taste. I would highly recommend him to your building.” ”
The other interesting little tidbit, his real estate agent is Serena Boardman, daughter of D. Dixon Boardman, founder of Optima Funds Management, a New York and Bermuda-based finance group which specializes in hedge funds. He was the inspiration for Sherman McCoy, the protagonist of Tom Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities” .
So that fire was The Bonfire of Our Sanity?
It will be interesting to see how many rocks get overturned. I do have a few questions, though.
Was Guo involved with the multiple Chinese spies running free at M-a-L? Officially they were PRC agents but I’m curious whether that was a cover story.
Since we’re also talking about the overthrow of the PRC government (who resides in the doghouse for legitimate reasons), let’s see how long it takes the RWNM to start screaming about how Biden is ‘soft on China’ by arresting Guo, because of Hunter, etc. leaving aside how Ivanka got her documents there for her businesses.
Drink at any mention of ‘freedom fighter’.
Caveat: speculation follows.
I have a suspicion that Guo’s function is to help sow dissension within the U.S. about U.S.-PRC relations — with ultimate intent hidden — while collecting intelligence across the U.S. right-wing. If PRC had a serious problem with Guo, he’d be gone like other billionaires on the “pig slaughter list.” The one issue Guo doesn’t appear to touch in any way is Taiwan’s status which seems like it would be an issue a genuine dissident would discuss.
Defenestration can happen at sea too. And yet, it has not….
Lol! Just a few minutes ago I explained defenestration to my uncle when he showed me an article stating that over 30 Russian members of the intelligences, academia and the sciences who signed a letter to Putin last year condemning the “special operation” have met mysterious deaths or disappearances.
Russians have a knack for keeping that word in circulation rather than it being relegated to the history of the beginning of the Thirty Years War or the war of Italian Communes.
But by boat? I’m sure if it can be done the Russians will find a way.
Exactly.
Bill Browder thinks it’s “just business” as they say in the Godfather movies:
“When people die suddenly in Russia, you usually assume it’s suspicious until you rule it out,” says Bill Browder, once the largest foreign investor in the country.
“It becomes a lot more suspicious when all those people die in strange ways and all are connected in some way to the oil and gas business,” he said in an interview Wednesday
Browder, now a staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin, suspects that most of the deaths were murders, likely orchestrated by business rivals to obtain assets or other cash flows from figures in the energy industry, the main source of wealth now in a nation subject to sweeping Western sanctions.
He also believes the killings — if that is what they are — would almost certainly have been planned by the FSB, Russia’s main security-intelligence service, with the president getting a cut of the resulting proceeds.
“Putin is behind all of them, because he is the ultimate beneficiary,” charged Browder, whose late employee Sergei Magnitsky died in police custody after revealing a massive Russian tax fraud. “He is like the mafia boss.”
https://nationalpost (dot) com/news/world/assassination-or-strange-coincidence-at-least-11-high-ranking-russians-have-died-suddenly
Now that is what I would call the most hostile of hostile takeovers.
And Sergei Magnitsky was the individual after whom the Magnitsky Act was named. Natalia Veselnitskaya was the Russian lawyer lobbying in the US for repeal of said act.
She also met with Manafort, Kushner and DJT Junior in the Trump Tower NYC in Jun 2016, ostensibly about adoptions of Russian children by US citizens.
Move along, move along, nothing to see here.
Billionaires can afford more protection layers than you or I can, but if the PRC really wants someone dead you’re correct to note they are quite capable of making it so.
I think Guo’s outlook regarding Taiwan’s status draws from the Kuomintang (KMT – Chiang Kai-Shek’s party) one, which is that Taiwan is a province of China, and the mainland is currently ruled by usurpers. Strange as it may seem, that suits the CCP and PRC government just fine, since both sides want reunification but differ on who would be in charge afterward. Also, the KMT acts as a check against the current ROC government which is inching toward independence.
My opinion here is that Taiwan is already independent except in name and the demographics will only trend in that direction as the KMT old guard passes away. Economic issues remain the true tie to the mainland more than other ones.
As a side note, is Guo still bankrolling Shen Yun? This year’s tour actually highlighted the ‘China before the Communists’ angle.
Since Shen Yun is operated by Falun Gong, does that mean Guo is a member in good standing of that cult? Or just a sympathetic money guy?
Perhaps not FG acolyte, but Shen Yun is good publicity for a non-Communist China. I’d be more surprised if Guo didn’t toss some cash to Shen Yun but it’s purely speculation.
He fled China rather than take up residence in one its prisons. Sure, it’s possible that they allowed him to “flee” after working out some secret agent plan. But the simpler explanation is that he really did escape.
I think Guo’s function is to grift, and grift some more. And that comes easily when he’s got all these right-wing grifters to grift along with. They are slagging one authoritarian system in favour of establishing another. And that suits the PRC just fine (for now) because all of their complaints against it are just theatre. (That is, although they’d like to lock up Guo, they’re not threatened by him — or Bannon. And the latter’s ratfucking is A-OK.)
It’s like Russian ratfucking and sabotage: I continue to see it everywhere, but am always sure to keep reminding myself that the US has plenty of domestic ratfuckers and saboteurs. While they, in turn, are easily manipulated by the Russians to do what the latter desires, they’re also free agents. There’s a lot to ratfuck and sabotage, after all, and the Russian don’t need to be pulling every lever.
“There’s a lot to ratfuck and sabotage, after all, and the Russian don’t need to be pulling every lever.”
That, right there. Why would PRC bother with Guo so long as he’s doing what they want him to do — pull the levers for him? They’ve disappeared people, yanked into detention for far less than the grifting he’s done which suggests implicit permission.
I think you’re on to something, Rayne.
So is Guo an agent provocateur for the PRC who they will be unhappy to see arrested, an enemy of the PRC they will be happy to see arrested, or a random expat they couldn’t care less about?
What would be an excellent method to gather intelligence about the US DOJ than from inside its process? LOL
I guarantee that he’s of not of no interest because he’s a random expat.
Welp, I’m not an expert on CCP and their espionage network, but somebody who pals around with a close friend of Donald Trump wouldn’t be a random expat. After the shit they went thru with Trump anyone with a tendencious link to him who is Chinese will be someone they will be watching.
I’m not the most advanced user of FoxNews dot com, but I couldn’t find this story covered there at all today. The Guo Wengui story that is. Nor on townhall dot com (where the leading story is from an ex US Army Colonel about how DeSantis got it right on Ukraine). So in the right wing bubble, this never happened!
without even looking, my instinct says that would be Col. Doug MacGregor?
Media Matters titled “Tucker Carlson guest Douglas MacGregor claims war in Ukraine “was not started by Russia”” on 03/15/23 8:48 PM EDT.
Federal indictments are designed to make the case against the accused. They tend to make the feds look good. This indictment makes the feds look like the Keystone Kops. The GTV scam started in April 2020. By June 2020, “domestic banks that held accounts used to process the funds raised through the GTV Private Placement began to freeze and close GTV-associated bank accounts.”
And the feds … did nothing? Dudes kept on doing new scams.
When the feds finally get around to seizing bank accounts over 2 years later, they missed over $270 million held at Mercantile Bank International. It looks they only found out because MBI told them.
WTAF? Maybe there’s an explanation for this. I don’t get it.
Little obvious to the naked public eye would happen in late 2020 during the Trump admin, and little obvious would happen in 2021 for the same reasons little obvious appeared to happen in the January 6 investigation.
This isn’t an easy investigation forensically, would have taken quite a few resources to follow the trail of “money into and through more than approximately 500 accounts held in the names of at least 80 different entities or individuals,” and “5,500
investors located in the United States.” Oh, and the crazy number of aliases — Ho Wan Kwok, a.k.a. “Miles Guo,” a.k.a. “Miles Kwok,” a.k.a. “Guo Wengui,” a.k.a. “Brother Seven,” a.k.a. “The Principal” — which must have been a goddamned PITA in English let alone Chinese in at least a couple dialects. Did this investigation compete with the Jan 6 investigation for resources?
And were there any overlaps between them and other ongoing undisclosed investigations, possibly counterintelligence, which required firewalling between them? This indictment might have been the least demanding if potentially clown-iest looking investigation of the lot.
I’m going to disagree here. If you look closely at all the evidence mentioned with regard to the initial fraud (the GTV Private Placement), it consists of public statements and bank records. The banks who froze the GTV related accounts in June 2020 must have alerted the feds. They have to report that stuff to the Treasury Department. From there, it’s tracking the banking activity and that’s not that hard when it’s big dollar deposits and withdrawals.
In the summer of 2020, some banks handed the feds a pretty straightforward fraud case. It was a clear cut violation of the rules around unregistered security offerings. There’s no sign in the indictment that they even developed any more evidence in that first fraud after that.
The complicated trail you mention appears to be connected to the crimes committed after that. Why let those two guys start up a much larger and more complex fraud like the bogus cryptocurrency scam?
The indictment doesn’t mention which federal agencies were involved in the investigation. I’m starting to think this may end up being more evidence for my theory that the US Postal Inspection Service is the only competent federal law enforcement agency. And they were busy with the Bannon case.
And you don’t think doing counterintelligence work on all those transactions — and possibly transactions *before* these in the indictment — didn’t add to the pace?
There’s a lot of political overlap between the Jho Low/1MDB investigation in which former RNC finance chair Elliott Broidy was involved, charged, and pardoned by Trump, and that surely had some counterintelligence going on.
You might want to read the New Yorker article that Epicurus cites in his comment below. I think it mentions Elliott Broidy. And I think it has other info to support what you are saying. Plus, it has some info about the Hunter Biden laptop which suggests that people tampered with it.
A counterintelligence angle would explain the delay and the lack of detail. I still think it’s appalling that they let these guys scam hundreds of millions of dollars after that first stock scam.
Think about it. As far as I can tell from the indictment, any other person or organization who had the information that the feds had in August 2020 who didn’t act on it would have been considered a co-conspirator. I don’t think there’s evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the investigating agencies. I do think there’s a serious issue of moral and ethical complicity on the part of someone in 2020. I’d like to know whether that’s Trump administration political corruption or institutional rot in federal law enforcement. Or both.
Would it surprise you at all there could have been a quid pro quo involved in which somebody/ies agreed to continue to let this run unimpeded if it didn’t interfere with the Trump 2020 campaign grift?
Given what Broidy was involved with re Jho Low and 1MDB, what’s it say that he and not Roger Stone received a last-minute pardon? Or that Bannon was arrested by USPIS and not Guo Wengui?
Looking at this snapshot of the Nickie Lum Davis investigation and indictment, it feels like there are missing relationships/flows.
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Portals/0/images/2020%20Images/LUM-Guo%20court-case-people-diagram.png
One more thing. Think about that timeline. In April 2020, Guo Wengui starts a scam stock sale that’s so obviously illegal that by June, his banks are freezing some of his accounts. Then, in August, 2020, the feds raid his yacht and … arrest Steve Bannon for fraud.
Isn’t that the plan? Distraction. Too many schemes, criminals, grift and red arachnids crawling-out from under rocks for Team DOJ to pay enough attention to?
[Moderator’s note: Please advise if your email address has changed since 13-MAR-2023 as the address on this comment does not match. Advise by reply to this comment with your current correct email address. Please also note we are moving to an 8-letter minimum unique username standard for security purposes. “GSH” does not meet that standard; you’ve also used at least 3 different usernames since August 2022. Please pick a compliant username and stick with it. Thanks. /~Rayne]
Sorry Rayne.
Hope my new UN is sufficient and unique enough. I’ll try to stick with it as per EW rules.
I’ve never used another email address so please know this is me.
Thanks.
[Pretty sure what happened was a typo in your email address, but it made you appear like a new user under an established user’s name. Good to know it wasn’t a troll spoofing a commenter. Thanks for updating your username to meet the 8 letter minimum. /~Rayne]
You’re good, and thanks!
So, it’s Guo Wengui
aka
Guo Haoyun
Miles Guo
Miles Kwok
Ho Wan Kwok
Any more aliases?
Anthony Devolder
George Santos
Anthony Devolder.
Add two more according to the indictment: “HO WAN KWOK, a/k/a “Miles Guo,” a/k/a “Miles Kwok,” a/k/a “Guo Wengui,” a/k/a “Brother Seven,” a/k/a “The Principal.”
I don’t recall seeing “Guo Haoyun” in the indictment, though.
Guo Haoyun is listed in his wiki bio as well as in the New Yorker article Epicurus shares in his comment below. Also from that article:
“He acknowledged that he had been a longtime “affiliate” of China’s all-pervasive Ministry of State Security. The agency, he said, had tasked him with “handling things for them” and connecting with “sensitive figures” abroad, travelling on eleven different passports and employing the code name Wu Nan.”
So, we can add Wu Nan to the list.
Some of that is variation between Chinese dialects. (Guo in Mandarin, Kwok in Cantonese or whatever his brith dialect is).
Yes. Also worth noting that Guo is one of the top 20 names in PRC, shared by ~16 million persons. Besides Kwok there are other variations of Guo in other Asian languages, ex. Gwak (곽) in Korean, Quách in Vietnamese, Que in Tagalog.
I apologize if someone has already posted this.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/10/24/how-a-tycoon-linked-to-chinese-intelligence-became-a-darling-of-trump-republicans
I think this is where I should have posted this. I found this article about Signature Bank and a long history with the Trumps and Kushners, which is worth reading. In addition to real estate, there is a lot of golf course discussion.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/business/signature-bank-trump-kushner.html
Along these lines, Bloomberg had an article “What Led to the Collapse of Signature Bank?” by Tom Schoenberg, Ava Benny-Morrison and Austin Weinstein, March 14, 2023 saying that there was a long running criminal investigation of Signature. I do not think it was entirely regarding crypto, as has been suggested elsewhere.
“Justice Department investigators in Washington and Manhattan were examining whether the New York bank took sufficient steps to detect potential money laundering by clients — such as scrutinizing people opening accounts and monitoring transactions for signs of criminality, the people said. The Securities and Exchange Commission also was taking a look, two people said, asking not to be named because the inquiries are confidential.”
What is the likelihood of a connection between these two stories ? I have hope.
It is beginning to look as though DoJ has been quietly rolling up several Trump-adjacent schemes even as they work on the Jan. 6 insurrection and stolen documents. (And the fake electors, etc. And …)
Suddenly, there’s Guo; Bannon & Epshteyn; Signature. And SDNY’s grand jury supposedly looking into the Stormy Daniels payment again, but with several hints that it goes way beyond that.
I sure do hope that the latter is much more than covering up a payment to his hooker because, despite the fact that Cohen went to prison for it, this is the most podunk thing that they could be chasing after him for.
And Trump Media is being investigated for Russian money laundering.
Yesterday’s Guardian headline: “Federal investigators examined Trump Media for possible money laundering, sources say”
“ Federal prosecutors in New York involved in the criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s social media company last year started examining whether it violated money laundering statutes in connection with the acceptance of $8m with suspected Russian ties, according to sources familiar with the matter.”
“Towards the end of last year, federal prosecutors started examining two loans totaling $8m wired to Trump Media, through the Caribbean, from two obscure entities that both appear to be controlled in part by the relation of an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the sources said.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/15/trump-media-investigated-possible-money-laundering
It is podunk, and keep in mind that the best they can really charge is a fairly nothing misdemeanor unless they bootstrap it around the statute of limitations with a novel theory they appear to be trying to cook up. I’d laugh them out of court with that nonsense, but who knows?
When Bragg declined to prosecute the insurance/tax fraud case i was pissed off and suspicious. It does, after all, go to the root criming that TFG has been engaging in for decades. But then i decided that there was perhaps something else afoot; maybe Bragg was being tactical.
Then things began to move in Manhattan again — whispers and rumors about a grand jury. Maybe it’s true?
Alas, the whispers have grown into stories of Michael Cohen and others testifying about this podunk hooker payoff once again! It’s maddening. This is the stupidest thing that they could be spending time on.
But then i began to think that, perhaps, there was something more to this; an angle i wasn’t seeing. Rinse; repeat. It’s difficult to keep from being cynical about TFG ever being prosecuted in NYC.
Bragg pissed a lot of people off and needed the cheap political points. It is kind of embarrassing.
Via Marcy:
https://twitter.com/dfriedman33/status/1636699261873127424
8:01 AM · Mar 17, 2023
Steve Bannon Is Neck-Deep in Guo Wengui’s Allegedly Fraudulent Business Empire Federal investigators have asked witnesses about Bannon’s connections to the far-right mogul.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/03/steve-bannon-is-neck-deep-in-guo-wenguis-allegedly-fraudulent-business-empire/ Dan Friedman [“2 hours ago”]
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy! [/ snark]
See EUREKA and my conversation here:
[I MISS you, Eureka <3]
https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/06/27/jeffrey-clark-physics-takes-over-the-investigation-now/#comment-944366
Also:
9/29/20 TRUMP to PROUD BOYS:
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by”.
This morning on Twitter Marcy refers back to this post:
AFTER WAILING THAT NO ONE WAS REPORTING ON THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP, GLENN GREENWALD IS NOW WAILING BECAUSE BEN COLLINS DID https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/11/17/after-wailing-that-no-one-was-reporting-on-the-hunter-biden-laptop-glenn-greenwald-is-now-wailing-because-ben-collins-did/ November 17, 2020
And this article:
How a fake persona laid the groundwork for a Hunter Biden conspiracy deluge A 64-page document that was later disseminated by close associates of President Donald Trump appears to be the work of a fake “intelligence firm.” https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/how-fake-persona-laid-groundwork-hunter-biden-conspiracy-deluge-n1245387 Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny Oct. 29, 2020 Updated Oct. 30, 2020
From the article:
Is this Dinggang Wang the same as Lude?
BANNON worked with LUDE:
Here’s the Whole Transcript of That Leaked Steve Bannon Tape, Annotated Disclosing Trump’s plans to falsely claim victory was just the start. [10/31/20] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/08/full-transcript-of-leaked-steve-bannon-tape-donald-trump-2020-election/
Marcy just linked to this piece from a year ago which answers my question [I just can’t keep up!]:
Exclusive: Leaked Messages Reveal the Origins of the Most Vile Hunter Biden Smear Fugitive Chinese tycoon and Steve Bannon ally Guo Wengui pushed out explicit material—and lies—on the eve of the 2020 election. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/04/hunter-biden-laptop-guo-wengui-bannon-giuliani/ APRIL 7, 2022
Amazing coincidence that idiot Comer was blathering yesterday about Hunter Biden and family receiving money linked to China:
Hunter Biden has also coincidentally filed suit today against the PC repair shop.
*buying all the popcorn futures*
[I’m so sorry to the mods today…I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. :-( ]
Yesterday, Marcy linked to Hunter BIDEN’s counterclaim against MAC ISAAC saying: “which includes a useful timeline.”
[Accck!] [OK…once more into the breach, lol!]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.81708/gov.uscourts.ded.81708.11.0_1.pdf
[LOL that title…] Rummaging around the J6TL for April 2019, I found this, which might be of interest:
4/XX/19 TRUMP campaign has paid PASSANTINO [> ELECTIONS, LLC] $60,000 since April for legal consulting [< Politico wrote on 8/15/19]
Then, there’s this: The FIRST mention of Hunter Biden in TRUMP’s Twitter feed:
8/27/19 12:28 PM TRUMP RT: @KellyannePolls: [> 11:34 AM · Aug 27, 2019] Messy. John Kerry’s son cut business ties with Hunter Biden over Ukrainian oil deal [link][]
8/XX/18 Deputy White House counsel Stefan [“we really want to work to protect Eric Herschmann”] PASSANTINO leaves TRUMP administration, goes to PRIEBUS firm Michael Best & Friedrich
1/XX/19 TRUMP ORG hires former White House deputy counsel [“we really want to work to protect Eric Herschmann”] PASSANTINO at [PRIEBUS firm Michael Best & Friedrich] to help the Trump Organization handle subpoenas and other requests from House Democrats.
XX/XX/19 – 3/30/20 Cassidy HUTCHINSON works in WH Legislative Affairs Office
4/XX/19 TRUMP CAMPAIGN has paid [“we really want to work to protect Eric Herschmann”] PASSANTINO [ELECTIONS, LLC] $60,000 since April for legal consulting
For some info on what [“we really want to work to protect Eric Herschmann”] PASSANTINO, et al., were doing in 2020, see:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2023/02/02/james-comers-dick-pics-hearing-just-became-an-alleged-stolen-laptop-hearing/#comment-980756
Paul TELLER, list serve buddy of Ginni [SCOTUS Spouse] THOMAS, also worked in WH Office of Legislative Affairs, starting in 2017 AFTER he had been CRUZ Chief of Staff since 2014:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/12/31/ali-alexander-asked-for-5-minute-updates-on-trumps-actions-on-january-6/#comment-976743
Marcy to journalists:
https://twitter.com/emptywheel/status/1637073466024132608
8:48 AM · Mar 18, 2023
4/14/20 SHROYER on JONES’ InfoWars calls on supporters to gather on the steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin on April 18 for his “You Can’t Close America”
And here’s STONE with the anti-Semitism on 12/31/20 or 1/1/21:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/06/02/must-see-tv-house-january-6-committee-hearings-begin-june-9-at-800-pm/#comment-939822
Heeding Steve Bannon’s Call, Election Deniers Organize to Seize Control of the GOP — and Reshape America’s Elections The stolen election myth inspired thousands of Trump supporters to take over the Republican Party at the local level, exerting more partisan influence on how elections are run. https://www.propublica.org/article/heeding-steve-bannons-call-election-deniers-organize-to-seize-control-of-the-gop-and-reshape-americas-elections Sept. 2, 2021
Trump predicts imminent arrest, calls for protests The former president and 2024 GOP candidate urged his supporters to “take our nation back” over unprecedented potential criminal charge.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/18/trump-protest-arrest-tuesday-00087738 03/18/2023 08:44 AM
Trump holding ‘Make America Great Again’ rally in Waco https://www.kwtx.com/2023/03/17/trump-holding-make-america-great-again-rally-waco/ March 25, 2023.
TRUMP quote from Politico:
Sounds like a REPLAY, again, of that inaugural address, dubbed “American Carnage”, just like SHROYER said April 2020 [above]:
“It’s time for citizens to stand up and take our country back, just like President Trump promised during his inaugural address.”
Ugh. Far too close to so-called Patriots’ Day on April 15. The siege at Waco was 30 years ago, February 28 to April 19.
If he plans a rally for Oklahoma City on April 19, it will be damned hard to argue he’s not already trying to incite another insurrection.
Yes.
Calling for protests is something else. That’s part of what got him into this mess.
BANNON quote from ProPublica re: the “take over the election precincts” plan:
[^^^ Sounds like RHODES]
Here’s JJMacNab’s thread on this [at CounterSocial]
https://counter.social/@jjmacnab/110045299832686546
March 18, 2023 at 12:46 PM
Susan Glasser [via Laura Rozen]:
https://web.archive.org/web/20230318194708/https://twitter.com/sbg1/status/1637174606590083073
3:30 PM · Mar 18, 2023