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From To Subject: ./ - U rc airs ews ne mg urs ay, ovember 12, 2020 Importance: Normal Priority: Normal Sensitivity: None Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=2011128auth=i69ii0o3ns> . <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=2011128cauth=i69ii0o3ns> TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 6:30 AM EST TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS Leading the News • In Senate Judiciary Hearing, McCabe Defends FBI's Investigation Of Trump Campaign. Operation LeGend • New Mexico To Receive $500K Crime-Fighting Grant. Counter-Terrorism • Woman Who Joined Islamic State Is Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Prison. • Final Missouri Defendant In Terror Funding Case Sentenced To Four Years In Prison. • Senate To Review Airport Security Bill November 18. • Austrian Chancellor's Cabinet Agrees On New Anti-Terror Measures. • Attack Targets French And Other Western Diplomats In Saudi Arabia. • Islamic State Increases Attacks In Mozambique. Counter-Intelligence • Facebook Takes Down Pages Tied To Steve Bannon For Spreading Misinformation. • Texas Lt. Gov. Offering $IM For Evidence Of Voter Fraud. • Current, Former DOJ Officials Stunned By AG Barr's Memo About Voter Fraud. • Internet Rife With Misinformation, Searches For Evidence Of Voter Fraud. • State Officials, Election Experts Say Election Was Run Smoothly. • Postal Worker Admits He Fabricated Claims Of Voter Irregularities. • Social Media Companies Took More Aggressive Approach To Public Discourse During Election. • House Democrats Direct Trump Administration To Preserve Investigation-Related Records. • ODNI Says It Will Transition To President-Elect After Ascertainment. • Chinese-Canadians Advocate For Hotline To Report Intimidation By Beijing. • NGA Official Among Federal Employees Making Career Transitions. • Vatican Report Reveals Cardinal Was Targeted By KGB As Asset. • Russia Says Now Deceased Spy Stole From White House, NATO For 32 Years. • Former Marine Imprisoned In Russian Prison Camp Interviewed By ABC. Criminal Investigations • FBI Arrests New York Man Who Allegedly Threatened Schumer, FBI. • Federal Prosecutors Fear Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Could Target Informants. • White Supremacist Group Distributes Recruitment Flyers In Texas. • Man Arrested For Pointing Laser At Police Helicopter. • Air Force Charges Major General With Sexual Assault. • Three Virginia MS-13 Gang Members Charged With Violent Crimes. EFTA00137088 • FBI Searches Colorado Home In Probe Of Missing Teen. • Former California Police Officer Agrees To Plead Guilty To Illegal Gun Purchases. • FBI Offers Reward For Information On Ohio Shooting Death. • US Charges Mississippi Man With Making Threats Online. • Nebraska Man Sentenced For Sending Threats To Ex-Wife, Her Mother In Cuba. • Investigation Of Conspiracy To Rob Drug Dealers Leads To Guilty Plea For Ohio Man. • FBI Searching For Suspect In Colorado Bank Robberies. • Michigan Man Facing Murder Charge. • Authorities Uncover Illegal Marijuana Growing Operation In California. • Arizona Navajo Nation Police Involved In Fatal Shooting. • Tennessee Air National Guard Member Charged With Sexual Exploitation Of Minor. • FBI Investigating 2019 Murder In New York State. • FBI Offers Reward For Information On 2017 Disappearance Of New York Woman. • Colorado Police Arrest Utah Woman For Kidnapping Baby. • Serial Bank Robber Arrested In Utah. • Kansas Man Pleads Guilty To Robbing Bank. Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals • FBI Arrests Cincinnati Councilman On Bribery Charges. • More Charges Expected Against Chicago Political Operative In Bribery Probe. • FBI Searches Home Of Corpus Christi, Texas Schools Official. • Former Honda Employee Sentenced For Embezzlement. • US Charges Five In Alleged Texas Bank Fraud Scheme. • Texas Man Sentenced For Defrauding Investors. • Former Georgia Tax Official Sentenced For Blackmail, Bribery. • Former Louisiana Financial Adviser Sentenced For Role In Fraud Scheme. • Texas AG Faces Calls For Resignation Amid New Allegations. Cyber Division • FBI, Spokane Police Probing Gonzaga University "Zoom-Bombing." • Dark Web Illegal Markets Exploiting Pandemic To Sell Goods, Identities, Fake Drugs. • TikTok's Parent Seeks More Time To Work Out Divestiture. • Bipartisan Congressional Allies Push To Reinstall White House Cyber Czar. Laboratory • FBI, Kansas City, Missouri Police Identify Suspect In 31-Year-Old Cold Case Murder. Other FBI News • Biden's Justice Department Expected To Ramp Up White-Collar Probes. • Plaintiffs In Epstein Case Miss Deadlines For Keeping Testimony Secret. • Sen. Whitehouse Criticizes FBI For Lack Of Transparency In Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Probe. • Ailing New York Mobster Wins Compassionate Release From Prison. Other Washington News • Media Analyses Cast Trump Legal Fight As Unlikely To Succeed. • Fauci Discusses Challenge Of Working Within Trump Administration. • Adams Urges Mask Use, Continued Caution In South Dakota Visit. • White House Political Director Tests Positive For COVID. • Modema's Vaccine Trial Ready To Analyze Shot's Effectiveness. • FDA Grants Emergency Approval To Eli Lilly Antibody Treatment. • COVID Cases Rise In Every State As New Daily Infections Hit New Record. • Cuomo Orders 10PM Closure Of Restaurants, Bars, And Gyms Statewide. • DeWine Warns Of New Restrictions If Ohio COVID Cases Continue To Rise. • Latest CDC Guidelines Say Masks Protect Wearers From Infection. • CDC Recommends Precautions For Thanksgiving Gatherings. • Study Of Marine Recruits Finds Symptom, Fever Screening Missed Most COVID Cases. • Veterans Receive Thousands Of Cards Amid Pandemic Isolation. • Hopes For Stimulus Deal This Year Are Diminishing. • Expiration Of Emergency Federal Jobless Aid Looms. EFTA00137089 • Media Analyses: Supreme Court Appears Likely To Uphold ACA Without Individual Mandate. • Tech Firms Involved In Suit Against Google Seek To Extend Protective Order Deadline. • Eta Expected To Make Landfall In Western Florida On Thursday. • Trump Installing "Loyalists" As Senior Defense Officials. • Fighting Among Republicans Come To Light Over CIA's Haspel. • Official Who Questions Harm Of Global Warming To Run Climate Program. • New Yorker Fires Toobin. International News • Developers Say Russian Vaccine Is 92% Effective. • Brazil's Health Agency Authorizes Resumption Of Vaccine Clinical Trials. • India Working To Develop COVID Vaccines For Developing World. • EC Proposes "European Health Union." • UK Becomes Fifth Country To Record More Than 50K COVID Deaths. • NYTimes Analysis: Egyptian President's Military Priority Brought To Light By Coronavirus. • Iran's Uranium Stockpile Now 12 Times Nuclear Deal Maximum. • Saudi King Calls For "Decisive Stance" Against Iran. • Senate-Passed Legislation Will Allow Cashe To Receive Medal Of Honor. • Axios Analysis: Pentagon Signals Intention To Withdraw Forces From Afghanistan. • US Embassy In Pakistan Apologizes For Anti-Trump Retweet. • O'Brien Warns China Of New Sanctions Over Hong Kong. • Pompeo To Announce Process For US To Declare Groups Anti-Semitic. • CIA, German Intelligence Used Swiss Company As Platform For Espionage Operation. • US Defense Bill Includes Sanctions Tied To Russia-Germany Natural Gas Pipeline. • Turkish Government: US Statement On Religious Freedom "Extremely Inappropriate." • Armenian Parliament Fails To Hold Scheduled Debate On PM's Resignation Over Nagomo-Karabakh Deal. • UN Officials Warn Of Coming Famine In Yemen. • Sudan Anticipates As Many As 200K Refugees From Ethiopia Conflict. • Vizcarra's Removal Could Halt Peru's Anti-Corruption Drive. • Suu Kyi's Party Dominates In Burmese Elections. • Longtime Bahrain PM Dies. • Top Envoy Signals EU Is Looking Forward To Working With A Biden Administration. The Big Picture • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Washington's Schedule • Today's Events In Washington. Leading the News In Senate Judiciary Hearing, McCabe Defends FBI's Investigation Of Trump Campaign. The New York Times <https://vvwvv.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-russia-investigation- hearing.html> (11/10, Goldman, 18.61M) reports during a "contentious" hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, Republicans "rehashed unproven allegations of corruption and bias at the F.B.I." and "attack[ed] the bureau's former acting director Andrew G. McCabe." The hearing "was a recounting of perceived injustices that the president and his supporters have amplified over the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia." McCabe "repeatedly rejected Republican claims that the F.B.I.'s actions were politically motivated." He said in his opening statement, "Let me be very clear: We didn't open a case because we liked one candidate or didn't like the other one.... We didn't open a case because we intended to stage a coup or overthrow the government." The Times adds that McCabe "acknowledged serious F.B.I. mistakes in the [Carter] Page wiretap applications, one of which he signed. He said he would not have approved it knowing what he has learned since." EFTA00137090 The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/mccabe-labels-trump-security- risk/2020/11/10/5e555524-236d-Ileb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html> (11/10, Zapotosky, 14.2M) says McCabe "reiterated...that the bureau had reason to believe in early 2017 that President Trump himself was a threat to national security, forcefully defending the bureau's investigation of the commander-in-chief and his presidential campaign as Republicans...sought to highlight mistakes he and others made." McCabe said, "It became pretty clear to us that he did not want us to continue investigating what the Russians had done.... We had many reasons at that point to believe that the president might himself pose a danger to national security and that he might have engaged in obstruction of justice, if the firing of the director and those other things were geared toward eliminating or stopping our investigation of Russian activity." USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/10/we-did-our-job-ex-fbi-deputy-andrew- mccabe-defend-russia-inquiry/6231684002/> (11/10, Johnson, 10.31M) reports, "McCabe said investigators had reason to think that Trump `posed a danger to national security."' Investigators had become "'alarmed' at Trump's multiple interactions with then-Director James Comey, urging the FBI to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with a Russian ambassador." Then, when "Trump later fired Comey, citing his management of the Russia investigation, authorities feared the president was actively seeking to obstruct the inquiry." The AP <https://www.usnews.corn/news/politics/articles/2020-11-10/gop-presses-ahead-after-election-with- russia-probe-review> (11/10, Tucker, Jalonick) reports, "President Donald Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but that hasn't stopped Senate Republicans from pressing forward with their politically charged probe of the FBI's Russia investigation." Republicans have not lost the "determination to continue congressional investigations that have been cheered on by Trump, who tweeted an attack on McCabe just minutes after the hearing began." For Congressional Republicans, "the Russia probe and similar political inquiries in line with Trump's interests give them continued lines of attack if they keep control of the Senate with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House." The Hill <https://thehill.corn/homenews/administration/525358-mccabe-defends- investigating-trump-before-senate-committee-we-had> (11/10, Williams, 2.98M) reports that Trump allies "have long said that the Russia investigation was politically motivated and was used a chance to spy on the Trump campaign and his presidency." However, an "inspector general found that there was not political bias in launching the probe, but was critical of the FBI seeking surveillance of Page." The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/nov/10/andrew-mccabe-i-did-nothing- wrong-and-was-wrongly-/> (11/10, Mordock, 492K) reports that Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said, "You all had a culture of corruption and cover up. This is a sad state of affairs and I'm pleased you are no longer part of the FBI." Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said, "General Flynn has been prosecuted for lying to the FBI. You lied to the FBI and you aren't being prosecuted." McCabe responded, "I was fired as the result of a deeply flawed and unfair IG investigation." Fox News <https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lawmakers-grill-mccabe-russia-probe-fbi-carter-page-fisa> (11/10, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports that some lawmakers brought up "information that Hillary Clinton may have approved a plan to use allegations of Trump connections with Russia to distract from the investigation of her use of a private email system while in office as secretary of state." Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) "said it is not the business of the FBI to investigate campaign activities, just as the FBI did not look into President Trump's request to have Ukraine investigate Joe Biden." McCabe "defended the FBI employees by stating that he believes the information in the FISA package `reflects how they thought about the interview at the time,' but that 'they didn't think about it critically enough.'" Additional reporting and commentary is provided by the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/video/politics/mccabe-says-fbi-had-reason-to-believe-trump-might-pose-a- danger-to-national-security-in-2017/2020/11/10/e8819ac7-6462-4fdb-ac68-95887aed8f63_video.html> (11/10, I4.2M), the New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-russia- investigation-hearing.html> (11/10, Goldman, 18.61 M), the New York Post <https://nypost.corn/2020/11/10/mccabe-admits-he-wouldnt-have-signed-off-on-carter-page-warrant/> (11/10, Bowden, 4.57M), the Daily Caller <https://dailycaller.corn/2020/11/10/andrew-mccabe-fisa-carter-page/> (11/10, EFTA00137091 Ross, 716K), the Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/nov/10/andrew-mccabe- full-responsibility-fisa-warrant-errk (11/10, Mordock, 492K), Courthouse News <https://www.courthousenews.corn/former-fbi-no-2-defends-trump-russia-probe/> (11/10, Jones, 2K), and Fox News (1 <https://www.foxnews.corn/politics/brett-tolman-andrew-mccabe-disaster-senate-testimony> and 2 <https://www.foxnews.corn/opinion/russia-mccabe-fbi-senate-gregg-jarrett> ). Operation LeGend New Mexico To Receive $500K Crime-Fighting Grant. The Albuquerque (NM) Journal <https://www.abqjoumal.com/1517204/us-attorney-announces-500k-to-combat- violent-nm-crime.html> (11/11, 196K) reports, "The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $500,000 to New Mexico to fight and prevent violent crime in Bemalillo County, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson announced last week. `This funding helps to ensure that our efforts are sustainable over the long term,' Anderson said in a statement." The grant "is designed to assist continuing efforts of Operation Legend. Operation Legend, a coordinated initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work with state and local law enforcement agencies, according to a news release. This most recent grant is part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts in jurisdictions across the country." Counter-Terrorism Woman Who Joined Islamic State Is Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Prison. Voice of America <https://www.voanews.com/usa/american-mom-who-joined-sentenced-more-6-years-prison> (11/10, Seldin, 48K) reports, "The lone woman brought back to the United States and charged with supporting the Islamic State terror group will spend the next six and a half years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release." A federal judge "handed down the sentence Monday for 35-year-old Samantha ElHassani, more than five years after she took her children to join her husband and his brother in Syria. ElHassani, originally from Elkhart, Indiana, was eventually captured by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and was repatriated along with her four children in July 2018. She pleaded guilty to terrorism financing charges last year. `Today's sentence serves as a strong reminder that the FBI will never relent in ensuring those who abandon their country to support a violent terrorist organization, such as Ms. ElHassani did, will be held accountable,' FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said in a statement." Final Missouri Defendant In Terror Funding Case Sentenced To Four Years In Prison. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch <https://www.sthoday.corn/news/local/crime-and-courts/final-st-louis-defendant-in- terror-funding-case-gets-4-years-in-prison/article_lc42 fff1-2cad-569f-af61-c82 f24f61622. html> (11/10, Patrick, 685K) reports, "A St. Louis County woman was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison for helping supply money and equipment to a man who fought and died in Syria for the Islamic State." Sedina Hodzic "also will be deported back to Bosnia when she is released from prison." Hodzic "was one of five defendants from the St. Louis area and elsewhere indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in 2015. All have pleaded guilty and admitted helping Ramiz Hodzic, Sedina Hodzic's husband, send money, military uniforms, rifle scopes and other equipment to Abdullah Ramo Pazara and others overseas." Pazara, "who originally is from Bosnia like his co- defendants, lived in St. Louis County, became a U.S. citizen and then left in 2013 for Syria, where he rose to become an ISIS commander." EFTA00137092 KSDK-TV <https://vvwvv.ksdk.corn/article/news/crime/st-louis-cotmty-woman-sentenced-to-prison-for- providing-material-to-support-terrorists/63-cc1599e6-5294-4afd-a73a-534dfbdd00f6> St. Louis (11/11, Cole, 493K) reports, "According to court documents, from May 2013 to Feb. 5, 2015, Sedina Hodzic and her husband Ramiz Zijad Hodzic conspired with others to support the activities of Abdullah Ramo Pazara and others, including a conspiracy to commit outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Ramiz and Sedina Hodzic intended to and did provide support and resources to Pazara, according to court documents." KSDK-TV adds, "The support consisted of money, which was used by her co-conspirators to purchase supplies such as military uniforms, rifle scopes, combat boots, tactical gear, clothing, firearms accessories, range finders and other supplies useful to fighters engaged in combat in Syria and elsewhere." Senate To Review Airport Security Bill November 18. Bloomberg Government <https://about.bgov.comrnews/airport-security-bill-in-tsa-dhs-standoff-up-for-senate- review/> (11/10, Courtney) reports that on November 18, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will take up measure S.3730, which would "allow private Registered Traveler program companies to assume authority from TSA to screen airport passengers' identities." CLEAR is currently the sole participant in the TSA's Registered Traveler screening program. TSA Administrator David Pekoske wrote in a May letter to the Senate Commerce Committee that CLEAR's expanded role under the measure from allowing line-skipping to an airport vetting service was "a bridge too far." Austrian Chancellor's Cabinet Agrees On New Anti-Tenor Measures. The AP <https://wwvv.usnews.corrtrnews/world/articles/2020-11-11/austrian-cabinet-agrees-to-broad-new-anti- terror-measures> (11/11) reports, "Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's Cabinet on Wednesday agreed on a wide range of anti-terrorism measures meant to plug perceived security flaws identified after a deadly attack" last week. New measures include keeping "individuals convicted of terror offenses behind bars for life, [the] electronic surveillance of people convicted of terror-related offenses upon release and criminalizing religiously motivated political extremism." The measures "will be brought before parliament in December for a vote." They "take a two-pronged approach, targeting both terror suspects and also the ideology that drives them." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/europe/austria-kurz-terrorism.html> (11/11, Eddy, 18.61M) reports that Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced new proposals that "would allow courts to extend the sentences of convicted terrorists and...establish a new criminal offense for people who `create the breeding ground' for terrorism" the week after "an Islamic State sympathizer killed four people in Vienna." The package comes "a day after [Kurz] held talks with President Emmanuel Macron of France and other European Union leaders to coordinate efforts across the bloc to crack down on Islamist terrorism," and is expected to be "put before Parliament for approval before the end of the year." Attack Targets French And Other Western Diplomats In Saudi Arabia. The New York Times <https://wwvv.nytimes.corn/2020/11/11/world/middleeast/saudi-france-attack.html> (11/11, Meheut, 18.61M) reports that on Wednesday, "an explosion wounded at least three people...in an attack on a ceremony organized by the French consulate to commemorate the end of World War I in a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia." An IED "struck the ceremony, attended by representatives of France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, the French embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a statement." According to the Times, "The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between France and a number of Muslim EFTA00137093 countries, after the republication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/world/middle_east/jeddah-cemetery-blast-armistice- saudi-france/2020/11/11/2572b6c8-240f-Ileb-9c4a-0dc624204814_stoiy.html> (11/11, McAuley, Fahim, 14.2M) says while "details of the incident remain unclear, it follows a knife attack on a security guard at the French Consulate in Jiddah late last month after France doubled down on defending caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, a stance that triggered protests and boycotts across the Muslim world." Islamic State Increases Attacks In Mozambique. The New York Times <https://vvww.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/middleeast/Mozambique-ISIS- beheading.html> (11/11, Walsh, 18.6IM) reports that Islamic State militants "armed with machetes" attacked 24 de Marco, a village in northern Mozambique, and "beheaded as many as 20 boys and men" in early November. The "atrocity...was just one episode in a brutal conflict unfolding" in the region as the insurgents have stepped up territory seizures, including the capture of the port of Mocimboa de Praia in August, and "brutal attacks on civilians that often involve beheadings." The success of the campaign "is also a sign of a worrisome trend" as the group's "influence wanes in the Middle East" and surges "in pockets of Africa" beyond Mozambique's borders. Counter-Intelligence Facebook Takes Down Pages Tied To Steve Bannon For Spreading Misinformation. The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminer.corn/news/facebook-removes-bannon-tied-pages- for-spreading-misinformation-about-election> (11/10, Brest, 448K) reports, "Facebook took down a handful of pages tied to Steve Bannon because they were spreading misinformation about the election." The pages taken down "had accrued more than 2.4 million followers and pushed the 'Stop the steal' motto, which promotes unverified claims of mass voter fraud." A Facebook spokesperson said, "We've removed several clusters of activity for using inauthentic behavior tactics to artificially boost how many people saw their content." Bannon also was suspended from Twitter recently "after he said he'd like to see Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray beheaded during an episode of the podcast War Room: Pandemic." The Hill <https://thehill.com/policy/technology/525365-facebook-cracks-down-on-pages-linked-to-bannon> (11/10, Klar, 2.98M) also reports. Texas Lt. Gov. Offering $1 M For Evidence Of Voter Fraud. The Hill <https://thehill.corn/homenews/campaign/525444-republican-texas-lt-governor-offering- 1-million-for- evidence-of-voter-fraud> (11/11, Williams, 2.98M) reports that Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is "offering up to $1 million from his campaign for anyone to come forward with evidence from anywhere in the country." Patrick wants to "incentivize, encourage and reward people to come forward and report voter fraud," he said. He added in a statement, "I support President Trump's efforts to identify voter fraud in the presidential election and his commitment to making sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is disqualified." Current, Former DOJ Officials Stunned By AG Barr's Memo About Voter Fraud. EFTA00137094 The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/william-barr-trump-election- fraud/2020/11/10/ae2d1d5e-239d-Ileb-a688-5298ad5d580a_story.html> (11/10, Barrett, Zapotosky, 14.2M) reports that current and former DOJ officials "said Tuesday they were stunned and frustrated" by AG Barr's "move to loosen internal restrictions on how and when federal prosecutors investigate certain election-fraud cases before the results are certified." When Barr first proposed the move, "Criminal Division officials — including political leadership — had pushed back vigorously and thought they had dissuaded the attorney general from taking such a step." Richard Pilger, DOJ's head of the department's election crimes branch, "told colleagues he was stepping down from that job to a lesser position at the department, citing the new guidance, as others privately seethed." DOJ officials have "said they were unaware of any such cases amid the myriad allegations raised by the Trump campaign and the president's supporters." Opinion: Barr's Approach To Investigating Voter Fraud A "Terrible Idea." David Iglesias, former US Attorney for the District of New Mexico, writes in the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/11/david-iglesias-barr-dangerous-voter-fraud- investigation/> (11/11, 14.2M) that AG Barr's letter opening the door "for federal prosecutors to launch criminal probes of election fraud" is a "terrible idea." The author says voter fraud "is a serious violation," but his office "had not prosecuted any voter fraud cases in over 10 years; that prosecution involved only two individuals." After Iglesias worked with DOJ's Public Integrity Section's Election Crimes, he "did not have a single case" he could "prove beyond a reasonable doubt." Under DOJ policy, "federal prosecutors...wait until the election had been concluded and certified to file voter fraud cases," because, "even assuming voter fraud exists, its minuscule numbers would not affect the outcome of the election." Internet Rife With Misinformation, Searches For Evidence Of Voter Fraud. USA Today <https://www.usatoday.corn/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/11/intemet-sleuths-trying-prove- dead-people-voted-michigan/6240527002/> (11/11, Nerbovig, 10.31M) reports, "Armchair internet sleuths, amplified by Donald Trump Jr. and the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, are trying to prove dead people voted in the 2020 election" by posting lists of voters who are at least 100 years old. Of the 14,000 registered voters whose names were posted on Pastebin, "some haven't been recorded as having cast a ballot, and at least one woman is alive." Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson Tracy Wimmer said, "Lists of unknown origin circulating on various social media channels do not constitute credible evidence." The Bipartisan Policy Center's director of the Elections Project, Matthew Weil, said, "The fact that there are internet sleuths looking into this, I don't understand what data they're going to use to begin with, but I know states go to a lot of effort to make sure their elections have integrity." NBC News <https://www.nbcnews.corn/techkech-news/misinformation-thousand-cuts-varied-rigged-election- claims-circulate-n1247476> (11/11, Zadrozny, 6.14M) reports that for Trump supporters searching for it, "proof of the president's claims that the 2020 election was 'stolen' is everywhere." For instance, in one video, a Colorado man "claiming to be a poll worker, dressed in a yellow vest, rips up Trump ballots (it was a TikTok prank)." Other evidence "of a so-called Democratic plot could be found in the numbers." Meanwhile, "no evidence of significant, widespread or even small-time voter fraud has been found." Still, the "years of groundwork laid by Trump and his supporters have blossomed into a flood of misleading — and importantly, fractured — claims of a rigged election." University of Washington postdoctoral fellow Joe Bak-Coleman said, "Instead of evidence, we're assaulted with a plethora of claims seeking to undermine faith in the election, ranging from confusing to clearly fabricated.... Individually, none of these claims could stand up to a moment's scrutiny, but collectively they're deafening, urging the average citizen to give up and accept the ambiguity." State Officials, Election Experts Say Election Was Run Smoothly. NBC News <https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-11-1 I -biden-harris-transition- EFTA00137095 nI247340/ncrd1247416> (11/11, 6.14M) reports, "The 2020 election unfolded smoothly across the country and without any widespread irregularities, according to state officials and election experts." The increase "in advance voting — 107 million people voting early in person and by mail — helped take pressure off Election Day operations." Ben Hovland, who serves on the Election Assistance Commission, said, "The 2020 general election was one of the smoothest and most well-run elections that we have ever seen, and that is remarkable considering all the challenges." University of Iowa computer scientist Doug Jones said, "The practical consequence of Trump's call to vigilance to prevent fraud was increased scrutiny from both sides, and this increased scrutiny seems to have worked.... Election officials have been more careful, and election procedures have been followed more scrupulously than usual." Postal Worker Admits He Fabricated Claims Of Voter Irregularities. The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/postal-worker-fabricated-ballot- pennsylvania/2020/11/10/99269a7c-2364-11eb-8599-406466adlb8e_stoty.html> (11/10, Boburg, Bogage, I4.2M) reports, "A Pennsylvania postal worker whose claims have been cited by top Republicans as potential evidence of widespread voting irregularities admitted" to USPS investigators "that he fabricated the allegations." The man's claim "that a postmaster in Erie, Pa., instructed postal workers to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day was cited by" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in a letter to DOJ "calling for a federal investigation." AG Barr "subsequently authorized federal prosecutors to open probes into credible allegations of voting irregularities and fraud, a reversal of long-standing Justice Department policy." However, the man told USPS investigators "that the allegations were not true, and he signed an affidavit recanting his claims." Social Media Companies Took More Aggressive Approach To Public Discourse During Election. The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/social-media-companies-took-an-aggressive-stance- during-the-election-will-it-continue-11605111540> (11/11, Glazer, Schechner, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter took a more aggressive stance toward policing political discourse during the 2020 election season. Now, it is unclear whether they will continue with that approach, and whether they should. Twitter's fact-checking labels are a sharp turn from the platform's approach to discourse four years ago. Facebook, like Twitter, has labeled President Trump's tweets, and has dismantled groups spreading misinformation because it "saw worrying calls for violence from some members." House Democrats Direct Trump Administration To Preserve Investigation-Related Records. NBC News <https://www.nbcnews.corn/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-11-10-biden-harris-transition- n1247204/ncrd1247267> (11/10, Shabad, Smith, 6.14M) reports that as President-elect Joe Biden outlines "more details of his transition plan," Democrats in the House "sent letters Tuesday to the White House and federal agencies directing them to preserve documents related to congressional subpoenas and investigations." Committee chairs wrote, "You are obligated to ensure that any information previously requested by Congress — and any other information that is required by law to be preserved — is saved and appropriately archived in a manner that is easily retrievable." The request involves "official business that were sent using both official and personal accounts or devices, including communications through text messaging, phone-based message applications, or encryption software," according to a press release. Analyses: Intelligence Officials Battle Trump's Declassification Efforts. In his column for The Washington Post <https://vvwvv.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-will-leave-the-question-is-how-much-damage-hell-do-to- national-security-before-then/2020/11/10/551d31a4-239d-lleb-a688-5298ad5d580a_story.html> (11/11, 14.2M), David Ignatius writes that "President Trump's senior military and intelligence officials have been warning him EFTA00137096 strongly against declassifying information about Russia that his advisers say would compromise sensitive collection methods and anger key allies." According to a senior congressional source, CIA Director Gina Haspel "last month argued strongly...against disclosing the information," as has Cyber Command Commander and NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone. The source "said a bipartisan group" of senators, National Security Advisor O'Brien, Chief of Staff Meadows, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and AG Barr have shown support for Haspel, "though some fear that Trump may yet oust her," as former Defense Secretary Esper's support for Nakasone "may have played a role in Trump's surprise decision" to fire him. CNN <https://www.cnntotn/2020/11/11/politics/trump-russia-investigation-declassification-battle/index.html> (11/11, Cohen, Gangel, Perez, 83.I6M) reports that concerns over declassification "roared back this week in the wake of a flurry of personnel changes at the National Security Agency — and the Pentagon — as Trump installed political loyalists in key positions where they could help turn the tide in the behind-the-the scenes battle." CIA and NSA "career officials have strenuously objected to releasing certain information from the Russia interference assessment, arguing that it would seriously damage sources and methods," and citing "concerns about cherry- picking information to release and the politicization of their work." Furthermore, "current and former officials have maintained that if there were something revelatory in the documents that remain classified, it would have been included in either the unclassified House or Senate reports." Senate Republicans Prepare For More Post-Trump Investigations. CNN <https://www.cnn.corn/2020/11/10/politics/republican-congress-investigation-senate/index.html> (11/10, Herb, 83.I6M) reports that a "Republican-led Senate is poised to keep its investigative gaze on the FBI's handling of the 2016 election and Russia next year, and GOP senators are already discussing probes into the 2020 election, too." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) "said Monday that Senate Republicans should probe mail-in voting in the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claimed would be ripe with fraud for months leading up Election Day." Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) "said Monday that he expects his investigation into the FBI's Russia probe, Crossfire Hurricane, would move with him." Johnson has also "said that he would also consider investigating claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election." ODNI Says It Will Transition To President-Elect After Ascertainment. NBC News <https://www.nbcnews.corn/politics/national-security/biden-not-getting-intelligence-reports- because-trump-officials-won-t-n1247294> (11/10, Dilanian, Memoli, 6.14M) reports, "The Trump administration's unwillingness to acknowledge that former Vice President Joe Biden won the election has led to an unusual restriction on the flow of national security information to the president-elect." In a statement, ODNI "said it will not interface with the Biden transition" until GSA "decides it's clear who won, a process known as 'ascertainment.'" The statement said, "ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition," adding the agency "would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA administrator." The State Department "is not facilitating calls between Biden and foreign leaders." Chinese-Canadians Advocate For Hotline To Report Intimidation By Beijing. The Globe and Mail (CAN) <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-urged-to-set-up-hotline- for-reporting-intimidation-harassment/> (11/11, 1.04M) reports, "Chinese-Canadian groups are urging the federal government to set up a dedicated national hotline where they can report intimidation or harassment by agents of the Chinese government." According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, "Beijing is routinely using undercover state security officials and 'trusted agents,' or proxies, to target members of Canada's Chinese community." The government wants to "silence critics of President Xi Jinping and often includes threats of retribution against families back in China, CSIS said." EFTA00137097 The Globe and Mail (CAN) <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-csis-warns-chinas-operation-fox- hunt-is-targeting-canadas-chineset> (11/10, 1.04M) reports that CSIS "says Beijing routinely uses undercover state security officials and `trusted agents,' or proxies, to target members of Canada's Chinese community in an effort to silence critics of President Xi Jinping, including threats of retribution against their families back in China." The agency "says these illegal activities in Canada are part of a global campaign of intimidation that constitutes a threat to this country's sovereignty and the safety of Canadians." A high-profile effort, called Operation Fox Hunt, is "directed by Beijing's Ministry of Public Security" and "has been under way since 2014." FBI Director Wray "said in July that Operation Fox Hunt's principal aim now is to suppress dissent among the Chinese diaspora. He called Fox Hunt nothing more than a sweeping bid by Mr. Xi to `target Chinese nationals who he sees as threats and who live outside China, around the world.'" NGA Official Among Federal Employees Making Career Transitions. With an "expected huge turnover in political appointees in January," Federal News Network <https://federalnewsnetworlc.corn/reporters-notebook-jason-miller/2020/11/chilbert-to-be-cio-at-cfpb-sritapan- moves-to-dhs-cyber-shared-services-office/> (11/10, Miller, 220) highlights "some of the people on the move over the last few weeks across the federal community." The NGA's Chief Technology Officer, Mark Munsell, retired on November 9. Munsell "joined NGA's predecessor agency, the Defense Mapping Agency, in 1996, where he led the update of the agency's aeronautical production systems." Vatican Report Reveals Cardinal Was Targeted By KGB As Asset. NJ News <https://www.nj.com/news/2020/11/did-the-kgb-target-mccarrick-as-he-became-a-rising-figure-in-the- church.html> (11/10, Sherman, I.72M) reports, "long before he was made a cardinal, Theodore McCarrick was targeted by the Soviet Union as a possible intelligence asset, according to the long-awaited Vatican report released Tuesday." The report "offered unprecedented detail into the life and long-hidden allegations of sexual abuse by the now defrocked 90-year-old." However, investigators also "recounted one of the more bizarre episodes unrelated to the scandal that led to his downfall." McCarrick's rise in the church "attracted the attention of the KGB," which "led to an encounter with the Soviet Union's intelligence service." The report said the FBI "asked him to serve as a counterintelligence asset with respect to the activities of the KGB." Russia Says Now Deceased Spy Stole From White House, NATO For 32 Years. The New York Post <https://nypost.corn/2020/11/10/russia-reveals-spy-stole-from-white-house-nato-during- careed> (11/10, Moore, 4.57M) reports that the Kremlin is claiming Yuri Shevchenko "posed as an artist and stole secrets from the White House, FBI, CIA and NATO during a 32-year career that earned him the designation of `Hero of Russia."' The spy's life "as an undercover operative in Europe and the United States between 1969 and 2001, a period that included the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union." The Kremlin "announced his death at the age of 82 last Friday," and revealed details of his life. The spy "pilfered about 300 volumes of top-secret information from NATO," and was "assigned to control espionage operations in the West, involving presidential administrations, the CIA, FBI, State Department and NATO headquarters." Former Marine Imprisoned In Russian Prison Camp Interviewed By ABC. Former US Marine Paul Whelan spoke with ABC News <https://abcnews.go.corn/International/marine-paul- EFTA00137098 whelan-speaks-russian-prison-abc-news/story?id=74103250> (11/11, Reevell, 2.97M) "from prison, where he's serving a 16-year sentence on charges his family and U.S. officials say were fabricated in order to seize him as a political hostage." The interview is the "first time he's spoken extensively to a journalist since his arrest in Moscow in late December 2018." The former Marine "was detained and accused of espionage," and now "lives in a barracks at Correctional Colony-17, a crumbling former Gulag camp, originally built to hold prisoners during World War II." He said his cell mates know "that it's complete crap, and they laugh and say, `Well, yeah, this is what the FSB does. It's obviously political.' Criminal Investigations FBI Arrests New York Man Who Allegedly Threatened Schumer, FBI. The CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/812a707215e644b4b554317c1a62e326? pubid=fbi> (11/10, story 4, 0:25, O'Donnell, 4.4IM) reported 54-year-old Brian Maiorana was arrested Tuesday "in Staten Island New York, after allegedly posting extremist threats on social media. ... Maiorana is accused of threatening to throw pipe bombs at people celebrating Joe Biden's victory and blowing up the FBI building. Maiorana is charged with sending interstate threats. Investigators found a semiautomatic gun and ammunition at his home, and now he is in custody." The New York Times <https://vvww.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/nyregion/brian-maiorana-threat-fbi-schumer.html> (11/10, Feuer, 18.61 M) reports that on Sunday, Maiorana "took to social media" in a post "citing the anti- government novel `The Turner Diaries,' in which he threatened to "'blow up' an FBI building and made an anti- Semitic reference to `the Jew Senator from Jew York,' a veiled threat apparently directed at" Senate Minority Leader Schumer. The Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Maiorana "in an early morning raid Tuesday...at his house in Staten Island," and he was later charged "with making threatening interstate communications." The AP <https://www.usnews.cornMews/best-states/new-yorkfarticles/2020-11-10/ny-man-charged-for- threatening-people-celebrating-election> (11/10) reports, "Maiorana was ordered held without bail on Tuesday at a remote hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors told a judge the agents found a firearm in his Staten Island home that violated previous restrictions imposed on him as a registered sex offender. `Americans have a constitutional right to voice their opinions, but this office will not tolerate violence or threats of violence used to intimidate others with whom they disagree,' said acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said in a statement." USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/11/nyc-man-brian-maiorana-threatened- election-violence-against-democrats/6247339002/> (11/11, Miller, 10.31M) reports that Maiorana "allegedly posted threats on social media before and after the election calling for violence, made anti-Semitic threats toward" Schumer "and called to `blow up the FBI building for real."Mr. Maiorana's online posts called for violence against our entire community — protestors, politicians, and law enforcement officers alike. His alleged threats are disturbing and far outside of acceptable norms, but they also violated federal law,' FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney said in a statement." The Hill <https://thehill.corn/policy/national-security/525437-feds-charge-staten-island-man-over-threat-to- schumer-fbi> (11/10, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports, "Prosecutors said Maiorana had made threatening comments online since September, saying he would kill protesters, lawmakers and law enforcement officials, though they did not specify which social media platform he used. Among the posts was a call for people to `hit the streets while these scumbags are celebrating and start blowing them away,' referring to those cheering Biden's victory, and suggestions that the election had been `fraudulently stolen' from President Trump. In an earlier post, Maiorana hinted he would throw `pipe bombs' and `mobs,' a reference to protesters demonstrating against racial inequality." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/nation/2020/11/11/maiorana-schumer-threats- EFTA00137099 democrats-newyorkl> (11/11, Elfrink, 14.2M) reports, "On Tuesday, federal agents arrested Maiorana at his home in Staten Island on charges of making threatening interstate communications. Although he's a convicted sex offender and is banned from owning guns, federal agents say they found evidence that Maiorana had bought gun parts and a crossbow. Maiorana's arrest comes amid an upswing in violent rhetoric on the right as Trump contests the election results and makes unfounded claims of fraud. Over the weekend, a police chief in Arkansas resigned after social media posts in his name called for Democrats to be killed, and last week, Trump's former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon was banned from Twitter for calling for violence against federal officials." Federal Prosecutors Fear Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Could Target Informants. The Detroit News <https://www.detroitnews.corn/story/news/local/michigan/2020/11/10ffeds-move-protect- informants-whitmer-kidnapping-case/6240029002/> (11/10, Snell, 825K) reports, "Federal prosecutors asked a judge Tuesday to prevent men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from leaking the identities of informants and undercover agents who infiltrated the alleged conspiracy." Federal prosecutors "fear the premature identification of informants and undercover agents could lead to witness tampering or worse. On Tuesday, they asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens to issue a protective order shielding evidence from anyone outside of the defense team, court officials and potential witnesses. `Such premature identification might reasonably be expected to lead to witness tampering, intimidation and/or retaliation,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler wrote in a court filing. `If not by the defendants themselves, by individuals or groups sympathetic to their perceived aims. In addition, pretrial dissemination of unadmitted evidence could taint the jury pool and create challenges to the selection of an unbiased venire (jury pool)."' White Supremacist Group Distributes Recruitment Flyers In Texas. The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/nation/2020/11/10/white-supremacist-flyers/> (11/10, Villegas Vargas, 14.2M) reports that "some residents in the San Antonio area woke up Sunday to find a smattering of anti-Black Lives Matter and white supremacist messages on their doorsteps" believed "to have been distributed by members of 14First the Foundation, a self-described `pro white organization fighting for the white race.' According to The Post, the group appears "to have a multi-state presence," and Hollywood Park police chief Shad Prichard "acknowledged the extreme nature of the messages is a reason for concern." Prichard said, "My opinion is that they are trying to recruit and make it a larger organization." Man Arrested For Pointing Laser At Police Helicopter. The Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution <https://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett-man-accused-of-pointing-laser-at- police-helicopter/ON6HVKPU65AHJIUDHTK7O65FBY/> (11/10, 895K) reports a 47-year-old man was arrested on charges of "obstruction and laser use against an aircraft" after confessing to pointing a laser pointer at a police helicopter in Gwinnett, Georgia. The man told investigators he pointed the laser at the helicopter "for fun." His case will be "referred to the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Attorney for possible prosecution, Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. Collin Flynn said Tuesday." Flynn said, "Pointing a laser at an aircraft is extremely dangerous as it can hinder the pilot's ability to handle the aircraft and interfere with the equipment on board." Additional coverage included Raleigh (NC) News & Observer <https://www.newsobserver.corn/news/state/south-carolina/article247101212.html> (11/12, 425K), Fox News <https://www.foxnews.corn/travel/georgia-man-indicted-shining-laser-planes> (11/11, Hollan, 27.59M), and WSAV-TV <https://vvwvv.wsay.corn/news/local-newskincon-man-accused-of-pointing-laser-at-aircraft-faces- federal-charges/> Savannah, GA (11/10). EFTA00137100 Air Force Charges Major General With Sexual Assault. USA Today <https://www.usatoday.corn/story/news/politics/2020/11/10/air-force-general-charged-sexual- assault-court-martial-possible/3760762001/> (11/10, Brook, 10.31M) reports that the Air Force has charged Maj. Gen. William Cooley with one count of sexual assault, "opening the possibility of the first court-martial for a general officer in its 73-year history." The charge relates to an August 2018 incident "in which Cooley allegedly made unwanted sexual advances by kissing and touching" a civilian. Cooley is to "face an Article 32 preliminary hearing" on January 27, "where a senior military judge will review the charge" and "could decide to send the case to a court-martial." USA Today says Cooley "is the latest among a series of senior officers across the services to be accused or sanctioned for sexual misconduct," with "at least 500 cases of serious misconduct" documented between 2013 and 2017. Three Virginia MS-13 Gang Members Charged With Violent Crimes. WUSA-TV <https://wvvw.wusa9.corn/article/news/local/virginiahirginia-ms-13-gang-violence-arrest-made- department-of-justice/65-a2707fce-f239-4fal -8ca2-0a4c6555b1c4> Washington (11/10, Boykin, 98K) reports, "Information on MS-I3 shows that the Justice Department is keeping close track of criminal activity by the gang in Virginia and has charged three associated members with crimes committed in the last few years. The three gang members charged with crimes are Andy Tovar, Roberto Cruz Moreno, 20, and Kevin Perez Sandoval, 22. All three are a part of the GCLS clique, according to the Justice Department." According to WUSA-TV, "The charges for the three members stem from a 2017 murder in Charlottesville and two 2019 attempted murders in Prince William County, according to the Justice Department. Toyer, Moreno and Sandova are all from the northern Virginia area. Two from Warrenton and another from White Post, according to documents from the Justice Department." FBI Searches Colorado Home In Probe Of Missing Teen. The Denver Post <https://wvvw.denverpost.com/2020/11/10/missing-aurora-teen-searcht> (11/10, Nicholson, 720K) reports, "Aurora police investigators and the FBI are searching a home Tuesday morning in connection to the disappearance of a then teenage girl who has been missing for four years." Lashaya Nae Stine "was last seen at 2:30 a.m. on July 15, 2016, in the area of East Montview Boulevard and Peoria Street in Aurora, according to police. At the time of her disappearance, the Aurora Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit was involved in the search. On Tuesday, police and the FBI searched a home in the 2200 block of Lansing Street, west of Peoria Street and north of East Montview Boulevard in north Aurora." KDVR-TV <https://lcdvr.com/news/localkurora-police-fbi-continue-search-related-to-teens-disappearance-for- 2nd-day/> Denver (11/11, Ruble, 290K) reports, "Stine was last seen on surveillance video walking near Peoria Street and Montview Boulevard at 2:15 in the morning on July 15, 2016. She was 16 years old at the time. The home police are searching is located just a few blocks away at 2200 Lansing." KDVR-TV adds, "Wednesday is the second day of the search. According to Aurora police, investigators are still processing the house and looking for any evidence or clues that could help them." KCNC-TV <https://denver.cbslocal.corn/2020/11/10/lashaya-stine-aurora-missing-teen-police-fbi-search-aurora- home/> Denver (11/10, 91K) reports, "The Aurora Police Department, Metro Denver Crime Stoppers and FBI are offering rewards totaling $15,000 for information that helps them find Lashaya." Former California Police Officer Agrees To Plead Guilty To Illegal Gun Purchases. EFTA00137101 The Los Angeles Times <https://vvww.latimes.coin/california/story/2020-11-10/ex-torrance-police-officer-to- plead-guilty-to-federal-charges-of-illegal-gun-dealing-as-a-straw-buyer> (11/10, Winton, 4.64M) reports, "A former Torrance police officer has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges that he acted as an illegal firearms dealer and used his police credentials to buy for others guns only cops can purchase, officials said Tuesday." Lindley Alan Hupp, 32, "was charged with being an unlicensed firearms dealer, as well as certifying he was the actual purchaser of a handgun, when, in fact, he was buying the gun for another person, federal prosecutors said. As part of a plea agreement, the Long Beach resident agreed to plead guilty to two felony offenses — engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and making a false statement in a federal firearm licensee's records during the purchase of a firearm." Hupp "sold at least 48 firearms during an 81/2 -year period while employed by the Torrance Police Department, according to court records." FBI Offers Reward For Information On Ohio Shooting Death. WEWS-TV <https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/nakia-crawford/fbi-offers-reward-for- info-that-leads-to-arrest-of-fugitive-accused-in-death-of-nakia-crawford> Cleveland (11/10, Hlavaty) reports from Akron, Ohio, "The Cleveland Division of the FBI is seeking assistance from the public to help locate an 18- year-old fugitive accused in the shooting death Na'Kia Crawford while she sat inside her vehicle at an intersection in Akron in June." Adams Macio Black, 18, "is wanted for his involvement in the death of Crawford, who was shot to death while inside her vehicle with her grandmother at the intersection of E. North and Howard Streets on June 14. 'Very brazen, very dangerous,' said Special Agent Vicki Anderson about Black. A warrant has been issued for Black's arrest. 'We know he has connections in Northeast Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and California,' said Anderson." WEWS-TV adds, "Police believe the murder was a case of mistaken identity and that Black fired multiple shots from a black Chevy Camaro into Crawford's car, hitting and killing her." WKYC-TV <https://www.wkyc.coin/article/news/locaUalcron/nakia-crawford-murder-suspect-adarus-black- akron/95-f35d512a-10ea415d-9c8f-ec3fdb78b952> Cleveland (11/10, 223K) reports, "Black, who has a state warrant for his arrest in the June 14 shooting, is described as 158-170 pounds and between 5'6" to 5'9" tall. Authorities say he also has black sleeve tattoos on both arms along with a 'distinctive, two-line tattoo' across the top of his chest that reads: 'Death Before Dishonor' and 'Loyalty Trust Respect.' He also has scars on his stomach after being shot in 2019." WZTV-TV <https://fox17.coin/news/locaUfbi-seeks-help-locating-18-year- old-with-tennessee-ties-wanted-in-ohio-womans-murder> Nashville, TN (11/11, 150K) also reports. US Charges Mississippi Man With Making Threats Online. The AP <https://www.usnews.corn/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2020-11-11/mississippi-man-indicted- for-making-threats-over-internet> (11/11) reports from Jackson, Mississippi, "An 18-year-old Mississippi man faces federal charges after posting multiple threats on the social media site Snapchat." Christian Blake Bunyard, of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, "was indicated Tuesday on two counts of making threats in interstate commerce and one count of making an interstate transmission of an extortionate communication, said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. It was unknown if he is represented by an attorney who could speak on his behalf. According to the indictment, Bunyard used Snapchat in May and July to threaten a school shooting, to kill and rape African Americans in Oxford, Mississippi, and to rape another Snapchat user if she did not provide nude photos." The Meridian (MS) Star <https://www.meridianstar.corn/newillocal_news/lauderdale-county-man-named-in- federal-indictment/article_8a8e5898-81B-575c-8adc-afl93dB1a99.html> (11/10, 27K) reports, "The indictment charges that in May and July 2020, Bunyard utilized the social media platform Snapchat to threaten a school shooting. He is also accused of threatening violence against African Americans in Oxford. Bunyard also EFTA00137102 threatened to harm another Snapchat user if she did not provide nude photos, the indictment says. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department." Nebraska Man Sentenced For Sending Threats To Ex-Wife, Her Mother In Cuba. The Lincoln (NE) Journal Star <https://starherald.corn/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/columbus-man- sentenced-for-sending-threats-to-his-ex-wife-and-her-mother-in-cuba/article_6a56358e-b4ec-5d72-9436- 6e8c7de0a6f0.html> (11/11, 399K) reports, "A 37-year-old Columbus man has been sentenced to a year and a day of imprisonment for sending threats to his ex-wife and her mother in Cuba." Darien Duran Castellon "pleaded guilty to transmitting threatening communications in interstate and foreign commerce. Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon sentenced him Tuesday in Omaha." The Journal Star adds, "In the criminal complaint filed last year, an FBI agent said the investigation began Dec. 4, in the Tampa, Florida, area, where a woman reported that her ex-husband had used Facebook to try to contract a friend to harm her mother in Cuba. She had shared a Facebook account with Duran Castellon and had recently logged in, where she saw messages he'd sent to a man in Cuba asking him to harm her mother so that she would return to Cuba to visit her in the hospital and could be hurt, too." Investigation Of Conspiracy To Rob Drug Dealers Leads To Guilty Plea For Ohio Man. The Zanesville (OH) Times Recorder <https://www.zanesvilletimesrecordencorn/story/news/2020/11/10/muskingum-county-court-man-plot-rob- murder-drug-dealers-guilty/6224929002/> (11/10, Holmes, 34K) reported that Ohio resident Michael Siegenthal, who was charged in connection with an FBI investigation of his "family's conspiracy to murder and rob" drug dealers, "pleaded guilty to several counts this week." This comes after Siegenthal's wife and her 30-year-old son also entered guilty pleas in connection with this case. FBI Searching For Suspect In Colorado Bank Robberies. The Denver Post <https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/10/bank-robber-denver-aurora/> (11/10, Nicholson, 720K) reports, "The FBI and local police are looking for a man who is suspected of robbing multiple banks in the Denver metro area. Cody Michael Giron is wanted for robbing three banks, and attempting to rob a fourth bank, since late October, according to the FBI." Giron "is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build. The robber wore a black hooded jacket, an orange Denver Broncos baseball cap, a black and white patterned face mask and a blue and orange Colorado hat, the FBI said in a news release. The robber presents a note to the teller and flees the bank. No weapons have been mentioned or seen." Michigan Man Facing Murder Charge. The Detroit News <https://www.detroitnews.corn/story/news/locaUdetroit-city/2020/11/11/detroit-man-21-back- alabama-face-murder-charge-may-gas-station-shooting/6246447002/> (11/11, 825K) reports Gary Lightfoot "faces murder and gun charges related to a May 5 shooting on Detroit's west side." Lightfoot "was arraigned Tuesday by Magistrate Malaika Ramsey-Heath at Detroit's 36th District Court. "Authorities say that he "drove up, got out of his vehicle, argued briefly with a 59-year-old man, Jeffrey Austin, then returned with a rifle and shot him." EFTA00137103 Authorities Uncover Illegal Marijuana Growing Operation In California. The Sacramento (CA) Bee <https://www.sacbee.com/community/roseville-placer/article247116602.html> (11/10, 567K) reported that court documents show a tip to the FBI "helped authorities uncover an illegal marijuana growing operation" in a home in Rocklin, California. Federal agents who "served a search warrant at the home...found more than 800 marijuana plants, marijuana ballasts and evidence linking the grow to certain residents of Sacramento." The KCRA-TV <https://www.kcra.com/article/rocklin-house-fire-leads-to-marijuana- bust-in-sacramento/34631443> Sacramento, CA (11/10, 287K) website published a similar article. Arizona Navajo Nation Police Involved In Fatal Shooting. The Arizona Republic <https://www.azcentral.corn/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2020/11/11/navajo-police- department-officers-shoot-and-kill-man-fort-deflance/6259001002/> (11/11, 869K) reports that Arizona-based Navajo Nation police "say a man threw a rock at a unit and was believed to have threatened officers with a weapon before officers shot and killed him in Fort Defiance on Tuesday." The FBI is investigating the case. Tennessee Air National Guard Member Charged With Sexual Exploitation Of Minor. The Maryville (TN) Daily Times <https://r.bulletinintelligence.corn/30e781b2ed6846fb93eelal9ab754720> (11/10, Wombles, 62K) reports Tennessee Air National Guard member Timothy Robert Byrd "was arrested by Maryville Police officers at 6:08 p.m. Nov. 8 and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor." He "was taken into custody after more than 100 child pornography images were allegedly downloaded to online accounts associated with him." The investigation began after Yahoo notified the FBI about a series of illegal photos were uploaded to an email account associated to Byrd. FBI Investigating 2019 Murder In New York State. Spectrum News Southern Tier (NY) <https://spectrumlocalnews.corn/nys/binghamton/news/2020/11/10/fbi- offers-reward-for-information-on-2019-johnson-city-murder> (11/10) reports that the FBI is investigating the murder of Shakeel Khan, who "was closing his restaurant, Halal Bites, in March on 2019 when he was shot and killed." The agency is offering $50,000 for information "leading to the conviction and arrest of Khan's murderer." FBI Offers Reward For Information On 2017 Disappearance Of New York Woman. The Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record <https://recordonline.corn/story/news/2020/11/10/fbi-offers- reward-missing-rock-hill-woman-shaniece-harris/6232450002/> (11/10, 147K) reports that the FBI and local police officers "are looking for information that will help solve the 2017 disappearance of Shaniece Harris of Rock Hill, and the FBI is now offering a reward in the case." She was last seen on May 29, 2017, and no one "has heard from her since then." Colorado Police Arrest Utah Woman For Kidnapping Baby. EFTA00137104 KCNC-TV <https://denvencbslocal.corn/2020/11/10/babysitter-denver-airport-kidnapping/> Denver (11/10, 91 K) reports Emily Marissa Luciano "was arrested at Denver International Airport last weekend after police in Utah say she kidnapped a 4-month-old child." Utah police "say the children's mother allowed them to stay with Luciano overnight, but expected them home the next morning." They add that Luciano "dropped off the two older children, ages 5 and 1, with an undisclosed third party" before flying to Denver with the baby. Serial Bank Robber Arrested In Utah. KSTU-TV <https://www.foxl3now.corn/news/local-news/serial-bank-robber-arrested-suspected-in-half-a-dozen- salt-lake-valley-robberies> Salt Lake City (11/11, 207K) reports suspected serial bank robber Conrad Andrew Trujillo has been arrested by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. He "was booked into the Salt Lake County jail without incident on a federal hold for bank robbery." Kansas Man Pleads Guilty To Robbing Bank. The Topeka (KS) Capital-Journal <https://www.cjonline.cotn/news/20201110/man-pleads-guilty-to-robbing- south-topeka-bank> (11/10, Hrenchir, 129K) reports Clinton Adam Richards "pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court here to one count of bank robbery." The plea deal "was linked to an October 2019 robbery at U.S. Bank, 3600 S.W. Topeka Blvd., where the robber fled with cash and boarded a bus at a nearby bus stop." Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals FBI Arrests Cincinnati Councilman On Bribery Charges. The Cincinnati Enquirer <https://www.usatoday.corn/story/news/nation/2020/11/10/cincinnati-city-council-jeff- pastor-federal-bribety-case/6239229002/> (11/10, Horn, 223K) reports that "FBI agents arrested Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor early Tuesday in what authorities describe as a brazen bribery scheme involving payoffs for help with city development projects." Tyran Marshall, "a friend of Pastor's" and "middleman," also faces charges for arranging payments through "a charitable nonprofit." FBI agents "posing as developers used electronic surveillance and at least two whistleblowers to unravel the pay-to-play scheme." US Attorney David DeVillers "said the investigation that resulted in the charges...are ongoing and are part of a broader campaign to uproot public corruption in Cincinnati and other Ohio communities." Cincinnati CityBeat <http://wvvw.citybeat.corn/news/blog/21146240/cincinnati-city-councilman-jeff-pastor- charged-by-feds-with-accepting-55000-in-bribes> (11/10, 59K) reports, "The FBI investigation into Pastor and Marshall took place from August 2018 to February 2019 (Pastor joined Cincinnati City Council at the start of 2018) and, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David M. DeVillers, during that time, Pastor accepted $55,000 in bribes — $45,000 of which were made in cash payments. `The bribes were in turn for votes and influence over the city council on two developments,' DeVillers said during a press briefing today." CityBeat adds, "The city developments aren't named in the federal indictment, but DeVillers said the investigation involved an undercover FBI agent and two confidential witnesses — one of which was former Bengals player and now developer Chinedum Ndukwe. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Ndukwe's potential development at the former Convention Place Mall downtown, across from Duke Energy Convention Center, is one of the two projects listed." WVXU-FM <https://www.wvxu.org/post/feds-cincinnati-council-member-jeff-pastor-took-55k-bribes> Cincinnati (11/10, 4K) reports that DeVillers "announced the indictment on Tuesday afternoon. `This indictment EFTA00137105 is indicative of culture of corruption, a culture of extortion, a culture of pay-to-play,' DeVillers said." WVXU- FM adds, "An FBI squad arrested Pastor at his home early Tuesday morning. Pastor, a Republican, is a member of city council's Law and Public Safety Committee. The committee met at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Pastor was not in attendance because he had already been arrested. Federal officials announced charges against Pastor at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Cincinnati." WXIX-TV <https://www.fox19.corn/2020/11/10/cincinnati-city-councilman-jeff-pastor-arrested-federal-bribery- charge-source-says> Cincinnati (11/10, Baker, Goffinet, Riva, 42K) reports, "The charges against Pastor involve the potential development of the former Convention Place Mall at 435 Elm St., across from Duke Energy Convention Center downtown, according to our media partner the Cincinnati Enquirer. The mall closed years ago and the structure is mostly empty, the Enquirer reports, but city officials have recently discussed options to develop what many consider prime downtown real estate in the heart of Cincinnati's business district. The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority currently owns the property." WXIX-TV adds, "This is the second time this year that a Cincinnati City Council member has been accused of corruption related to city development projects. Tamaya Dennard resigned from council after her arrest in February on fraud and bribery charges." Dennard pleaded guilty in September "to a charge of wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month." The Cincinnati Enquirer <https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/10/how-fbi-agents-posed- cincinnati-hotel-developers-catch-ohio-bribery-suspects/6233463002/> (11/10, Balmert, 223K) reports, "Columbus lobbyist Neil Clark didn't realize — while chatting with hotel developer clients after a Reds game — that he was talking with undercover FBI agents working to uncover two bribery schemes. The first was against Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor, a Republican, who was arrested Tuesday. He is accused of accepting $55,000 in bribes in exchange for his vote on development projects. Pastor pleaded not guilty to charges Tuesday afternoon. The second was against Clark, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican, and three others. They are accused of orchestrating a nearly $61 million bribery scheme to seize control of the Ohio House, pass a more than $1 billion bailout for nuclear plants and defend those subsidies against a ballot initiative. Those two apparently unconnected, widespread bribery investigations converged in Cincinnati." WCPO-TV <https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/sources-cincinnati-city-councilman-jeff-pastor-involved-in- public-corruption-case> Cincinnati (11/10, Swilley, 139K) reports, "A federal grand jury charged Pastor, 36, with conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud, with honest services wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion by a government official and money laundering, officials said on Tuesday. Although the indictment doesn't identify which developers were involved in the case, DeVillers said former Cincinnati Bengal Chinedum Ndukwe is one of them. `My client was asked to assist in an FBI investigation involving political corruption in the city of Cincinnati. He voluntarily agreed to do so,' said Scott Croswell, Ndukwe's defense attorney. `He believes political corruption hurts everyone in the community and that it's something that should not be tolerated.'" Among news outlets also reporting are the Cleveland Plain Dealer <https://www.cleveland.corn/open/2020/11/fbi-arrests-cincinnati-city-councilman.html> (11/10, Tobias, 895K), the Cincinnati Enquirer <https://www.cincinnati.corn/story/news/politics/2020/11/10/jeff-pastor-arrest-reaction- cincinnati-city-council-corruption-charge/6232443002/> (11/10, Weiser, 223K), the Cincinnati Business Courier <https://www.bizjoumals.com/cincinnati/news/2 02 0/1 111 0/another-cincinnati-council-member-arrested.html> (11/10, Subscription Publication, 840K), and the Cincinnati Enquirer <https://r.bulletinintelligence.corn/52de57c03f804268ade8c36c65819717> (11/10, Coolidge, 223K). More Charges Expected Against Chicago Political Operative In Bribery Probe. The Chicago Tribune <https://www.chicagotribune.corn/news/criminal-justice/ct-federal-bribery-probe-patrick- doherty-additional-charges-20201110-asuchlocq5co3e4zbenit7qfxq-story.html> (11/10, Meisner, 2.65M) reports, "Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that new charges are expected to be brought against a longtime Democratic operative accused of conspiring to pay bribes to a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee to get lucrative red-light EFTA00137106 cameras installed there." Patrick Doherty, 64, "the former chief of staff to ex-Cook County Commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski, was charged in February in a three-count indictment with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors alleged Doherty conspired with Omar Maani, a co-owner of SafeSpeed LLC, as well as another sales agent for the company to pay $4,000 in bribes in exchange for the official support of an Oak Lawn trustee to add cameras at additional intersections." The Tribune adds, "During a brief status hearing Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Stetler said prosecutors expect to file `additional charges' against Doherty within the next several months." FBI Searches Home Of Corpus Christi, Texas Schools Official. The Corpus Christi (TX) Caller-Times <https://www.caller.com/story/news/loca1/2020/11/10/fbi-searches- corpus-christi-isd-board-members-home/6235620002/> (11/10, Camarillo, 153K) reports, "The FBI conducted searches Tuesday morning of a Corpus Christi ISD board member's home and a construction business." The FBI "said it was conducting an investigation at Fulton Construction on 2nd Second Street and a home in the 2800 block of Denver Avenue. Public records show the home belongs to CCISD board member John Longoria." KRIS-TV <https://www.kristv.corn/newillocal-news/fbi-conducting-local-court-authorized-law-enforcement- procedures> Corpus Christi, TX (11/10, 1K) reports, "FBI agents raided the home of a longtime Corpus Christi Independent School District trustee and a large local construction company Tuesday morning. The property at 2800 Denver Ave. is owned by CCISD board member John Longoria, according to Nueces County Appraisal District records. Longoria has been a trustee since 2006. The FBI also went to Fulton Construction Co. at 1102 Second St." Longoria "is a longtime CCISD trustee who also works as the manager of economic and business development for AEP. Previously, he was a Corpus Christi City Council member from 1995-2003. No reason was provided for why the FBI was at the scene. Two other Corpus Christi Police Department officers also were at the scene when the FBI agents were present." KIII-TV <https://www.kiiitv.com/articlelnews/local/tuesdays-fbi-raids-were-done-under-a-federally-sealed- indictment/503-049f3891-d63a-40a5-a7e8-b691706bac0a> Corpus Christi, TX (11/11, Gibson) reports, "The FBI raids of the Fulton construction office and the home of Corpus Christi ISD school board member John Longoria's home were done under a federally sealed indictment. That means no information has been released about why the raids were conducted in the first place. This has left everyone with many questions and there's a good reason for that and it's all about how the legal system works in these cases. 'I don't want to opine at all on what anyone has or who is involved or who is even potentially indicted because none of those things are known to me or to you and with it being sealed I have no way of assuming what that information is,' said Legal Analyst Matt Manning." KIII-TV <hftp://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/locaUcorpus-christi-teachers-union-asks-for-ccisd-trustee-to- resign/503-7fc99f5d-dfd3-4d0a-ba45-3e89725ea847> Corpus Christi, TX (11/11, Churchwell) reports, "There are still a lot of unanswered questions in the wake of two FBI raids in Corpus Christi. Agents raided the headquarters of Fulton Construction in the downtown area and they also searched an upscale home just off Ocean Drive. At this point no one has been accused of any wrongdoing, but already Longoria is facing calls from the local head of the American Federation of Teachers to resign from the school board. 'We were saddened by it, but at the same time we weren't surprised,' said Dr. Nancy Vera who is the president of the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers." Former Honda Employee Sentenced For Embezzlement. The Bellefontaine (OH) Examiner <https://www.examiner.org/former-employee-sentenced-to-prison-for- embezzling-from-honda/> (11/10, 23K) reports from Columbus, Ohio, "Charles Michael Stratton, 63, of Fairborn, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court to 42 months in prison for wire fraud and money EFTA00137107 laundering. He was also ordered to pay more than $750,000 in restitution to his former employer, Honda, and $10,000 to Scioto Industrial Services. 'Stratton devised not just one, but multiple methods for defrauding Honda of more than three-quarters of a million dollars,' U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers said. 'The defendant skimmed from overages, arranged for double billing, and approved false invoices. Now, he will spend time in federal prison.' Stratton "served as the facilities manager for Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. in Marysville from 2008 until March 2015. Stratton executed a scheme to defraud Honda using Acnix and Surmount by creating multiple purchase orders for payments in amounts just under $100,000, a threshold in which additional oversight and approval is required." US Charges Five In Alleged Texas Bank Fraud Scheme. The San Antonio Express-News <https://www.expressnews.cotn/business/locallarticle/5-indicted-in-alleged- scheme-that-defrauded-San-15719495.php> (11/11, Danner, 762K) reports, "Five people allegedly involved in a scheme that defrauded a San Antonio bank of millions of dollars have been indicted by a federal grand July, the U.S. attorney's office said." According to the Express-News, "The indictment, filed last week, charged Ronald 'Wayne' Schroeder, 48, the former president of a Bank of San Antonio subsidiary, with three counts of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering." Schroeder "is accused of using the proceeds to buy automobiles, recreational vehicles, an airplane, a boat and a beach house." The Express-News adds, "Also named in the indictment are Jill Martin Alvarado, 58; her husband, Rigo Alvarado, 55; Phyllis Joe Martinez, 78, and her son Ryan Martinez, 56. All of them face a single count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Jill Alvarado and the Martinezes also were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering." Texas Man Sentenced For Defrauding Investors. KENS-TV <https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/sa-businessman-sentenced/273-lea29678-6d15-474c- a7aa-551bd3459aa0> San Antonio (11/11, Lynch, 72K) reports from San Antonio, Texas, "A San Antonio businessman has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars and ordered to pay up more than $9 million in restitution after he was convicted tricking investors into giving him money for company prospects that instead supplied an `extravagant lifestyle' of VIP Spurs seats and high-end sports vehicles." Federal prosecutors said Brian Alfaro, "who owns the San Antonio-based company Primera Energy, was found guilty of mail fraud by a federal jury earlier this year. A release states prosecutors presented evidence showing Alfaro lied to victims over the course of three years about where their supposed investment money was going; one of those victims, the release states, had their retirement money wiped out by the scheme. Others had to rethink strategies of financing college for their children." McClatchy <https://www.miamiherald.corn/news/nation-world/national/article247137446.html> (11/10, Koop, 19K) reports, "Alfaro's purchases included VIP season tickets for the San Antonio Spurs that cost $100,000; a Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz and Porsche; and a "high-end" Rolex watch, prosecutors say. `Today's 10-year prison sentence guarantees that Mr. Alfaro will not be driving his Lamborghini to his $100,000 VIP seats at the AT&T Center. Instead, he must work to pay back almost $10 million to the victims of his criminal scheme, while serving time in prison,' U.S. Attorney Gregg Sofer said in a news release. Alfaro was fined $9,922,42 in addition to the prison sentence. 'Alfaro convinced his victims to invest their hard earned money in profitable oil and gas ventures, but he stole their money and used it to finance an extravagant lifestyle,' FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs said." Former Georgia Tax Official Sentenced For Blackmail, Bribery. EFTA00137108 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution <https://www.ajc.com/news/former-dekalb-tax-official-gets-2-year-prison- sentence-for-blackmail-bribery/Y6YA7FEVW5E3NHY23HDXSS2VCAk (11/11, 895K) reports former DeKalb County tax official Gerald D. Harris was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison after "admitting that he accepted more than $35,000 in bribes to illegally register vehicles, as well as threatened to blackmail a person who attempted to bribe him." U.S. Attorney Way Pak said of the sentence, "By accepting bribe payments, Harris sold his integrity for money — and, in doing so, betrayed the trust of the citizens of DeKalb County." Former Louisiana Financial Adviser Sentenced For Role In Fraud Scheme. The Shreveport (LA) Times <https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/crime/2020/11/10/ex-financial- advisor-sentenced-6-years-federal-prison/6241536002/> (11/10, 128K) reports, "Gregory Alan Smith, 58, of Shreveport was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 72 months (6 years) in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said. Smith was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,588,500, as well as a fine of $100,000." Smith, "formerly a financial investment advisor in Shreveport, persuaded multiple victims to invest approximately $3.5 million with his co-defendant, Kirbyjon H. Caldwell. According to evidence presented to the court, Smith began approaching existing clients, friends, and acquaintances in the spring of 2013 about an investment opportunity in historical Chinese bonds. Smith told these potential investors that they would be obtaining a partial ownership interest in the bonds and that they would receive exponential returns on their investments in a short period of time." WVLA-TV <https://www.brproud.corn/news/former-financial-advisor-in-louisiana-sentenced-to-six-years-in-3- 5m-chinese-bond-scam/> Baton Rouge, LA (11/11, Nadrich) reports, "Court documents reveal Smith received $1.08 million of the total $3.5 million and used it to pay down loans, purchase two luxury sport utility vehicles, place a down payment on a vacation property, and maintain his lifestyle. According to court documents, Smith persuaded multiple victims to invest the approximately $3.5 million with his co-defendant, Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, pastor of a Houston megachurch. In evidence presented to the court, Smith began approaching existing clients, friends, and acquaintances in the spring of 2013 about an investment opportunity in historical Chinese bonds. Smith told these potential investors that they would be obtaining a partial ownership interest in the bonds and that they would receive exponential returns on their investments in a short period of time." The FBI conducted the investigation. Texas AG Faces Calls For Resignation Amid New Allegations. The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/us/ken-paxton-texas.html> (11/11, Fernandez, 18.61M) reports that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is accused of intervening in an FBI case on behalf of "longtime friend" and real estate investor Nate Paul in "a newly released deposition in a court case." The Times says Paxton "has been the attack dog of Texas Republicans' aggressive conservative agenda, taking on high-profile legal battles that made him popular with the Trump Administration," but "the latest revelations...have put him in new political peril, and under new legal scrutiny" as "Republican allies have distanced themselves, and some have publicly questioned whether he should resign." Cyber Division FBI, Spokane Police Probing Gonzaga University "Zoom-Bombing." KXLY-TV <https://www.laly.com/spokane-police-fbi-now-investigating-gonzaga-university-zoom-bombingt> EFTA00137109 Spokane, WA (11/11, Sarles, 7K) reports from Spokane, Washington, "Spokane Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are now investigating the `Zoom-bombing' of a Gonzaga University Black Student Union (BSU) virtual call." On Sunday, "students of the BSU held a Zoom call to talk about the election, when several people joined the call with offensive screen names and began yelling racial and homophobic slurs and sharing pornography on their screens. A joint letter from Gonz_aga's leadership says their IT department were able to capture data of the Zoom-bombing, identifying IP addresses from the people who hijacked the call — they found the sources of the IP addresses were both domestic and international. They also noted that other universities around the U.S. have also had similar Zoom-bombings." 1OCLY-TV adds, "According to the university, the Spokane Police Department's criminal investigation unit and the FBI are now involved in the investigation." Dark Web Illegal Markets Exploiting Pandemic To Sell Goods, Identities, Fake Drugs. Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-11/dark-web-has-become-a-marketplace-for- vaccines-and-other-pandemic-scams?smd=premium> (11/11, Mehrotra, 4.73M) reports that illegal markets on the dark web are profiteering off panic buying in response to the pandemic. An investigation by Bloomberg reveals that "in the first months of the pandemic, vendors mostly specialized in hard-to-find Covid commodities, including medical equipment and test kits." However, "by late summer, stolen digital identities were being sold specifically with the purpose of defrauding government programs meant to help small businesses and the unemployed." Now, "dark web profiteers have offered so-called vaccines for those unwilling to wait for final government approvals." All together, "almost $100 million worth of Covid-related goods have been listed for sale on the dark web, according to a forthcoming report by the CTI League, a coalition of cybersecurity researchers investigating the intersection of Covid-19 and the intemet." TikTok's Parent Seeks More Time To Work Out Divestiture. The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/tiktok-continues-to-seek-delay-in-sale-deadline- 11605117079> (11/11, McKinnon, Wells, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. are asking the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit for more time to work out a divestiture for the video sharing app. The Journal says the petition is the latest legal challenge by TikTok in an effort to undermine the Trump Administration's effort to force a divestiture. The AP <https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-courts-united-states- 2bc81b6af540d493f287e86752a46b6a> (11/11, O'Brien) says ByteDance "has until Thursday to sell off its U.S. operations under an executive order that Trump signed in August." In September, President Trump "gave his tentative blessing to a ByteDance proposal meant to resolve U.S. national security concerns by placing TikTok under the oversight of American companies Oracle and Walmart, each of which would also have a financial stake in the company. But TikTok said this week it's received `no clarity' from the U.S. government about whether its proposals have been accepted." On its website, CNN <https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/tech/tiktok-deadline-trump-november/index.html> (11/11, Fung, 83.16M) says Trump's executive order imposing the Nov. 12 deadline "doesn't specify any penalties or consequences if the deadline is breached," which has "created fresh questions about the government's intentions toward TikTok." Treasury Department Says It Wants "Resolution" Of National Security Concerns With ByteDance. Reuters <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tiktok/u-s-treasury-seeks-resolution-with-bytedance-on-security- concerns-idUSKBN27R35A> (11/11, Shepardson) reports the Treasury Department "said on Wednesday it wants a resolution of national security risks it has raised over ByteDance's 2017 acquisition on Musical.ly, which it then merged into the TikTok video-sharing app." Treasury spokeswoman Monica Crowley said, "The Treasury Department remains focused on reaching a resolution of the national security risks arising from ByteDance's EFTA00137110 acquisition of Musical.ly.... We have been clear with ByteDance regarding the steps necessary to achieve that resolution." Also reporting is The Hill <https://thehill.corn/policy/technology/525472-tiktok-asks-court-to-delay-divestiture- deadline-from-trump-order> (11/11, Klar, 2.98M). Bipartisan Congressional Allies Push To Reinstall White House Cyber Czar. The Hill <https://thehill.corn/policy/cybersecurity/525432-pressure-grows-to-reinstall-white-house-cyber-czar> (11/11, Miller, 2.98M) reports, "Pressure to reinstate a cyber czar within the White House is growing." Earlier this year, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission "submitted a recommendation to establish a national cyber director at the White House, which would have greater authority than the eliminated position and would be Senate-confirmed." Now, bipartisan allies are "lining up on Capitol Hill to push such a proposal while the incoming administration zeroes in on addressing cybersecurity challenges." Sen. Angus King (I-ME) said, "I think the coordination needs to be improved, and the way to do that is to have somebody at the center whose job it is to provide that coordination and direction." Laboratory FBI, Kansas City, Missouri Police Identify Suspect In 31-Year-Old Cold Case Murder. KSHB-TV <https://www.wxyz.com/news/crime/family-of-teen-murdered-in-1989-gets-closure-as-police-id- suspect-in-cold-case> Kansas City, MO (11/10, 90K) reports from Kansas City, Missouri, "A Missouri family finally knows the answer to a 31-year mystery: Who murdered Fawn Cox?" The Kansas City Police Department "says Cox was 16 years old when she was killed in her home in July 1989, as the rest of her family slept. She was found dead in her second-floor bedroom. Monday, the department announced that it has identified the suspect in the violent murder of Cox." KSHB-TV adds, "Detectives worked with the FBI on an investigative analysis of the evidence, which revealed the killer's identity, according to a police department spokesman. Police say the suspect died in 2006, but because he was never charged, the department isn't releasing his name." Other FBI News Biden's Justice Department Expected To Ramp Up White-Collar Probes. Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-11/white-collar-crime-probes-likely-to- intensify-under-biden-s-doj> (11/11, Hurtado, Yasiejko, 4.73M) reports, "President-elect Joe Biden's Justice Department is likely to ramp up white-collar crime enforcement, putting Wall Street firms and corporate executives under greater scrutiny." Bloomberg adds, "Fines and prosecutions of white-collar crimes fell during the Donald Trump administration, but lawyers are anticipating a ramp up that would return the government to its past practice of scrutinizing corporate wrongdoing. Robert Anello, a defense lawyer in New York, said his white- collar practice like many others in Manhattan, ground to a halt during the Trump administration. High on the agenda for federal prosecutors are likely to be tax cheats and foreign-bribery cases, Anello and other lawyers said. In addition, there will be lots of potential charges to come out of the rush of government funding disbursed to offset effects of the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program, which grew to $525 billion and used thousands of banks, lawyers said." EFTA00137111 Plaintiffs In Epstein Case Miss Deadlines For Keeping Testimony Secret. McClatchy <https://www.miamiherald.corn/news/state/florida/article246965352.html> (11/11, Hall, Wieder, 19K) reports, "A deadline has passed without opposition from two parties whose depositions in the bitter lawsuit between disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's accused co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, and an Epstein accuser are set to be made public." According to McClatchy, "The two non-parties in the now-settled civil dispute between Maxwell and accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre had until Nov. 5 to oppose the way their names would be redacted as well as references that might identify them," but "in a filing late Tuesday in New York by Giuffies lawyers to U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska, they said no opposition came in against the release of documents as proposed. A one-week period was to allow Maxwell lawyers to respond had there been opposition, ending Thursday. Giuffre's attorneys would then have had until Nov. 19 to respond. Instead, it appears the release of more documents is imminent." Sen. Whitehouse Criticizes FBI For Lack Of Transparency In Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Probe. National Review <https://www.nationalreview.corn/news/senator-whitehouse-slams-fbi-for-lack-of- transparency-around-tanked-kavanaugh-sex-assault-probe/> (11/10, Evans, 731K) reports, "Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) slammed the FBI for not investigating sexual assault allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday." National Review adds, "The hearing itself was organized by Committee head Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) to interview former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe regarding the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. However, Whitehouse criticized the Republicans on the committee for not looking into other allegations of wrongdoing involving the FBI and Justice Department. 'We have what appears to have been a tanked FBI investigation into the Kavanaugh hearings, and I've asked questions about that, to which I've had no answer whatsoever,' Whitehouse said. `We're highly selective in what we choose to look into, and we've been extremely solicitous of the stonewalling and non-responsiveness of this Department of Justice.' Ailing New York Mobster Wins Compassionate Release From Prison. The New York Daily News <https://www.nydailynews.corn/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-mobster-brooklyn-murders- colombo-crime-family-gregory-scarpa-20201111-zfn2lpg2zzc6log5zj6iffimie-story.html> (11/11, Goldberg, 2.52M) reports, "Ailing Brooklyn mobster Gregory Scarpa Jr. caught a break Wednesday when a judge ended his 32-year prison stretch on racketeering murder charges by ordering his compassionate release." Scarpa, 69, "a former Colombo crime family boss turned prison snitch — he helped the government probes of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — is currently at a federal Bureau of Prisons halfway house in Kansas City, Kan., records show. 'I do not minimize the evil acts Mr. Scarpa committed over the course of his criminal career,' wrote Brooklyn Federal Judge Edward Korman in ordering Scarpa's release. 'The reality, however, is that Mr. Scarpa is a seriously ill man who is unable to care for himself and has little prospect of recidivating.'" Other Washington News Media Analyses Cast Trump Legal Fight As Unlikely To Succeed. Coverage of efforts by President Trump and his campaign team in pursuing legal recourse in last week's election EFTA00137112 portrays the push as an uphill fight. On the CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/c9314e8f6e074481834b9fb973de2674?pubid=fbi> (11/11, story 5, 1:45, O'Donnell, 4.25M), Ben Tracy reported, "The President continues to falsely claim the election was rigged and that he won, today attacking on Twitter the Republican City Commissioner of Philadelphia who has said there is no evidence of election fraud. Al Schmidt says he and his election staff are now getting death threats and require police protection." Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/bbbac739f8ab4320926968ba5e6989e2?pubid=fbi> (11/11, story 4, 2:00, 5.8M), "As the pandemic worsens, the White House remains focused on the election tonight, winning a hand recount in Georgia as it pushes other legal challenge that will likely have little bearing on the results." David Muir said on ABC World News Tonight <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/adca53377d9d427d8517f8709091d2b57pubid=fbi> (11/11, story 4, 0:25, 6.94M) that "a number of judges [are] now dismissing President Trump's legal challenges to this election," and ABC's Jonathan Karl said, "Let me be blunt about this: None of this is going anywhere. For Donald Trump to win, they would either have to disqualify or change tens of thousands of votes and overturn the results in at least three different states." The AP <https://apnews.comlarticleljoe-biden-donald-trump-politics-virus-outbreak-campaigns- 22665ea3884c47f883b416e4bd03bf54> (11/11, Dale, Richer) reports Trump "took aim at" Schmidt, tweeting <https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1326525851752656898> Wednesday morning, "A guy named Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia Commissioner and so-called Republican (RINO), is being used big time by the Fake News Media to explain how honest things were with respect to the Election in Philadelphia. He refuses to look at a mountain of corruption & dishonesty. We win!" The AP says "Trump loyalists have filed at least 15 legal challenges in Pennsylvania alone.... There is action, too, in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republican-pressure-states- election/2020/11/11/edd054fe-2441-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.html> (11/11, Viebeck, Hamburger, Swaine, Brown, 14.2M) reports pressure has "mounted on state and local officials in battleground states to accept claims of ballot-counting irregularities and voter fraud in the election despite a lack of evidence, as Republicans sought new ways to block certification" of Joe Biden's election. However, the AP <https://apnews.corn/article/election- 2020-donald-trump-virus-outbr