Thursday, September 27, 2018
THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
Richard “Ricky” Pinedo has received death threats after testifying before a grand jury and helping special counsel Robert Mueller secure an indictment against 13 Russians accused in an elaborate plot to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, his attorney, Jeremy Lessem, said in court papers.
The 28-year-old Santa Paula man pleaded guilty in February to using stolen identities to set up bank accounts that were then used by the Russians. Prosecutors have acknowledged he didn’t know that he was dealing with Russians.
Arguing that his client should only be sentenced to probation, Lessem said in court papers that Pinedo has accepted full responsibility for his actions and provided “crucial insight into internal flaws embedded in the online financial verification system.”
Pinedo, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10, has provided investigators with “significant assistance” in identity theft probes, prosecutors said. He flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with investigators, explained how he obtained the stolen account numbers and gave investigators business records that identified the buyers of the stolen accounts, prosecutors said in a separate court filing.
Federal sentencing guidelines call for Pinedo to serve between 12 and 18 months behind bars, but noting his cooperation, prosecutors did not recommend any particular sentence.
From 2014 until 2017, Pinedo purchased the bank account numbers of real people and then sold the account numbers to anonymous customers on the internet, earning between $40,000 and $95,000, according to prosecutors. Pinedo never had access to the names, Social Security numbers or addresses of any of his victims and never saw himself as a thief, Lessem said.
Pinedo first learned he was in the FBI’s crosshairs when federal agents raided his family’s home in December 2017. Without a promise of immunity, Pinedo sat down with investigators from the special counsel’s office and agreed to testify before a grand jury that was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to Lessem.
Since then, Pinedo has noticed “strange unidentified vehicles” parked outside of his home, will not travel outside of the U.S. and suffers from anxiety driving around his neighborhood, Lessem said.
“Beyond the mere fact that he is now a convicted felon, Mr. Pinedo has suffered, and will continue to suffer, in ways far beyond what anyone else convicted of a similar offense would expect – and suffers these consequences as a result of helping this Country right the wrong his unwitting and foolish criminal conduct facilitated,” he wrote.
SCOTUS & #METOO
- Americans are not going to forget this day. Especially women.
- Christine Blasey Ford: I’ll Never Forget ‘Uproarious Laughter’ During Assault
- Brett Kavanaugh’s Testimony Made It Easier Than Ever to Picture Him As an Aggressive, Entitled Teen
- Chris Wallace: My daughters disclosed incidents from their youth after Kavanaugh allegations
- Shannon Watts: After a two year break, my daughter had just returned to college when the Kavanaugh stories began to break. Things were going well, but now she’s having nightmares and her anxiety is heightened. I sent her this article on coping tips. Feel free to share.
- 6 Self-Care Tips For Sexual Assault Survivors
- ‘I felt ashamed’: Cara Delevingne adds voice to #WhyIDidntReport
- ‘Men Are Trash’ vs. ‘I Stand With Brett’: Wild scene at the Capitol for Kavanaugh drama – POLITICO
- ‘What boy hasn’t done this in high school?’ Plenty of us
- A 4th woman reportedly accuses Kavanaugh of misconduct, saying he shoved her friend in ‘98
- Anita Hill blasts Kavanaugh confirmation process
- As Ford Polygraph Made Public, Senate Judiciary Democrats Unified: Kavanaugh Should ‘Immediately Withdraw’
- Avenatti says third Kavanaugh accuser willing to undergo polygraph if he does
- Brett Kavanaugh risks destroying the Supreme Court’s legitimacy if he is confirmed
- Brett Kavanaugh’s Adolescent Tantrum Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Brett Kavanaugh’s shrill, belligerent meltdown really doesn’t help him
- Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony Was a Calamity for the Republican Party
- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Says ‘Jury Out’ on Whether Women Can Succeed in Military Combat
- Denouncing ‘Misogynistic Bullying’ and ‘Failed Leadership,’ 50+ Groups Call on Grassley to Resign Immediately as Judiciary Committee Chair
- Did Kavanaugh lie under oath about watching Ford’s testimony?
- Everything You Need to Know About Thursday’s Historic and Emotional Kavanaugh Hearing
- Fmr. Senior FBI Official: Anybody That Wants to Get to The Truth About Kavanaugh Allegations Would Want FBI Investigation
- Fox News Fires Contributor Who Called Kavanaugh Accusers ‘Lying Skanks’ – The Daily Beast
- Fox News host thinks Ford hearing is a ‘disaster’ for Republicans
- Fox News’ Chris Wallace: ‘This Is A Disaster For The Republicans’
- GOP gov: No vote on Kavanaugh without ‘independent investigation’
- GOP support for Kavanaugh and Trump is plummeting
- How To Talk To Young People About The Kavanaugh Story : NPR
- It’s Not Surprising That Beneath His Toxic Politics, Brett Kavanaugh Is A Toxic Man
- Joe Biden reacts to Kavanaugh allegation, reviving memories of Anita Hill hearing
- Judge Napolitano: GOP made ‘grave error’ in way special counsel questioned Ford
- Judge orders Holcomb to release Pence, Trump emails on Carrier Corp.
- Judge orders release of Trump, Pence emails on Carrier Corp.
- Judiciary to Vote on Kavanaugh Friday, His Confirmation Still Uncertain
- Kavanaugh “hopping mad” ahead of hearing
- Kavanaugh hearing: Christine Blasey Ford gives Senate testimony about sexual assault allegation
- Kavanaugh insists on his innocence, calls process ‘national disgrace’
- Kavanaugh misled senators under oath before to get confirmed
- Kavanaugh protesters put Senate on notice: ‘We will not forget when it comes to midterms’
- Kavanaugh Repeatedly Claimed That Ford’s Friend Said the Assault “Didn’t Happen.’ That’s Not True.
- Kavanaugh Repeatedly Shouts Down Feinstein in Highly Combative Exchange
- Kavanaugh says he’s victim of ‘revenge on behalf of the Clintons’
- Kavanaugh’s 1982 calendar, annotated
- Kavanaugh’s Testimony Was a Master Class in American Male Entitlement
- Lindsey Graham Stages Meltdown After Christine Blasey Ford Finishes Testimony
- Lindsey Graham Threatens to Falsify Accusations of Assault Against Democratic Supreme Court Nominees
- Lindsey Graham’s meltdown gives away the GOP game on Kavanaugh
- Mark Judge’s book validates Christine Ford’s timeline of the alleged Kavanaugh assault
- Michael Avenatti says client Julie Swetnick wants to talk to FBI about Brett Kavanaugh
- National Sexual Assault Hotline Spiked 147% During Christine Blasey Ford Hearing
- Parkland father to Kavanaugh: ‘Your life and family are not ruined’
- Poll: 48% of white evangelicals would support Kavanaugh even if the allegations against him were true
- Remember That Time Brett Kavanaugh Said Polygraphs Are Important In Making Hiring Decisions?
- Republicans Won’t Give A Straight Answer On Why Mark Judge Won’t Testify
- Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on Kavanaugh Friday
- Senate Republicans spread disinformation hours before Brett Kavanaugh hearing
- Shannon Watts: To every woman watching the #KavanaughHearings: We are the majority of America’s voting population, yet 11 men sit in judgment of #ChristineBlaseyFord. We must vote as many women into office as possible in November. We don’t have seats at the table, so we’re clearly on the menu.
- Some Republicans think Christine Blasey Ford was convincing. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham is just angry about it.
- Tesla to be examined by SEC over Elon Musk’s ‘funding secured’ tweet – report | Technology | The Guardian
- The Editors: It is time for the Kavanaugh nomination to be withdrawn
- The first time a woman tried to speak in the Kavanaugh hearing, she was interrupted
- The Real Culprit for Trump and Kavanaugh: Asshole Culture
- There’s an Entry on Kavanaugh’s 1982 Calendar That Supports Ford’s Story Better Than His Own
- This Hearing Is Stacked Against Christine Blasey Ford
- Two men say they, not Brett Kavanaugh, had alleged sexual encounter with Christine Ford
- Watching Her Speak for Us All
- Why Brett Kavanaugh’s Hearings Convinced Me That He’s Guilty
- Woman who identifies herself as a rape survivor confronts Lindsey Graham
TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET
- Trump Avoided Trudeau More Than Once at UN, Official Says
- Trump says he rejected a meeting with Canada that Canada says it never requested
- Trump postpones meeting with Rosenstein until next week
- Trump Repeats Lie That Women Who Accused Him Of Sexual Misconduct Were ‘Paid A Lot’
- D Dale: Trump Press Conference Thread
TRAITOR TOTS
- E.P.A. to Eliminate Office That Advises Agency Chief on Science
- The EPA Just Put A Top Official On Leave. She Says They’re Trying To “Disappear” A Children’s Health Program.
- ‘Leave me alone’: Mike Pence’s wife reportedly refused to kiss him after Trump won
FIGHTING BACK
COLD WAR 2.0
- Bill Browder: There’s something cooking in Brussels in terms of an EU wide Magnitsky Act. Lots of the usual opposition and ‘bureaucrat talk’, but it seems to be clearly on the agenda
- EU agrees hair-trigger sanctions on chemical weapons
- If 1MDB suspect Jho Low is China’s bargaining chip, what can Malaysia do about it? | South China Morning Post
- Putin’s ‘tourist’ accused of nerve agent attack turns out to be a highly decorated Russian intelligence officer
- China is challenging the U.S. in the Horn of Africa — and Washington is silent
#NEVERAGAIN
THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
- ‘I called out his victim blaming and he lost it,’ says Kirsten Powers after Michael Caputo’s CNN meltdown
- Trump Supporter Tells Daughters Groping ‘Is No Big Deal’ Live On MSNBC
- Facebook Confirms Giving Advertisers Access to User Phone Numbers – The Daily Beast
- QAnon Fan Arrested for Threatening Massacre at YouTube Headquarters
TRADE WAR AND ECONOMY
- Here’s how Trump’s trade tariffs could affect your investment portfolio
- S.E.C. Sues Tesla’s Elon Musk, Seeking to Bar Him From Running Any Public Company – The New York Times
- White House NAFTA Trade Talks with Mexico and Canada in Trouble
GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD
- Evan McMullin: This is the coarseness and indecency of the modern GOP. Its roots are decades old in parts of its base, but they’ve spread to others under Trump’s leadership. It’s a party now led by those who selfishly fear a changing world rather than welcome opportunity in it for all.
- Countercheckist: History will remember the tRUmp @GOP for: – Refusing to protect our elections – Sucking up to the foreign power violating our sovereignty – Excusing away the actions of rapists – Helping a treasonous POTUS obstruct justice – Corruption – Being utterly clueless and tone deaf.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
- Bill Cosby Falls Down Prison Steps After Getting Hit by Hot Dog Bun
- If 1MDB suspect Jho Low is China’s bargaining chip, what can Malaysia do about it? | South China Morning Post
- QAnon Fan Arrested for Threatening Massacre at YouTube Headquarters
ENVIRONMENT
ELECTION 2018
- Beto O’Rourke committed to serving out his six-year Senate term if elected. Ted Cruz? Not so much.
- Gov. Rick Scott’s Pants on Fire statement that Sen. Bill Nelson is a socialist
- Michael Bloomberg to donate $100 million to House Democrats for midterms
- Texas Democrats hoping to flip 11 GOP-held legislative seats in ‘unprecedented year’
RUMOR MILL
- Countercheckist: It’s an important day, patriots. Remember that your adversary has become quite adept at provoking negative responses from you to rally their base. Remain calm & collected. Make your point factually, not emotionally. Allow your enemy to spring the trap they set for you…
- This Kavanaugh mess is a rohrschach test for where we are as a nation. Half the country are open minded, progressive, willing participants in democracy, and the other half are repressed, dim-witted troglodytes. The only solution is to jettison the second group & restart.
- Aaron Rupar: Fox News’ CHRIS WALLACE says in wake of Kavanaugh allegations “two of my daughters have told me stories that I have never heard before about things that happened in high school & hadn’t told their parents… I don’t this we can disregard Ford and the seriousness of this.”
- Eric Garland: <THREAD> This one’s for the ladies as we deal with this Kavanaugh horseshit. YOU’RE BEING PSYOP’ED, IT’S ALL BULLSHIT, AND YOU RUN THE WORLD. DON’T FORGET THAT. Now let me mansplainthread you a theory.
- Countercheckist: History will remember the tRUmp @GOP for: – Refusing to protect our elections – Sucking up to the foreign power violating our sovereignty – Excusing away the actions of rapists – Helping a treasonous POTUS obstruct justice – Corruption – Being utterly clueless and tone deaf.
- 18 USC §1621(2) makes it a federal crime to submit a written declaration, certificate, verification, or statement under penalty of perjury in a federal proceeding if you don’t believe it’s true.
- Spicy Mic: I WANT to KNOW WHY the MSM continues to ignore this, especially in light of numerous credible allegations in to Kavanaugh’s conduct. No really 🔻WHY ISN’T THE MEDIA REPORTING ON THIS
- Tea pain: The average age of the Republican males on the Senate Juduciary Committee is over 70, but their ideas about women are easily twice that.
- Postimusmaximus: I had a lot of people tell me it would never happen last week but I’m going to say it again. If Kavanaugh is confirmed and Dems get power to do so in November he should be impeached. At minimum do the proper investigation which was denied to Ford this time.
- Qasim Rashid, Esq: •We learned of Catholic sex abuse after 70 yrs •We learned of Cosby’s sex abuse after 40 yrs •We learned of Penn State sex abuse after 30 yrs •We learned of Weinstein’s sex abuse after 30 yrs US culture enables abusers & shames survivors—Dont act so shocked #BelieveSurvivors
That’s it for Thursday. I didn’t go into any editorial comments about today. I’m too pissed off, hurt, frustrated, and angry to type. That might sound unusual, but years ago I made a deal with myself to not publish anything when I’m too angry to type. If I’m still angry after the second or third revision, then post it, but as a rule I do not write angry.
“But wait, I’ve seen you get downright mean at times?” Yes. And even then I still stepped away, calmed down, then unleashed my fury after several revisions.
There’s a post I’ve had in the back burner for a while. After Friday’s Check-In, I’m finishing it up and releasing it. It’s about how the two parties are not the same, on so many levels, but especially on sexual assault. I was talked out of my original title, calling the GOP the “Pro-Rape Party”, but there’s still room in the sub-heading for that.
Whatever happens Friday, happens. Either we’ll see someone stand up and do what’s right, or we’ll witness the Death Knell of the GOP.
Thank you, and have a good one.
“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”
– Katy Tur
None of this is Normal 
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