Trump's Russian Collusion

[seacoaster]

"Ratcliffe fluffed his resume a bit. BFD."

Like an academy honor code? Standards seem way down.

[Typical Lax Dad]

"Ratcliffe fluffed his resume a bit. BFD."

Like an academy honor code? Standards seem way down.

Yep. Way down for the best and the brightest.

[CU88]

CU88 - final made all 50

Well done!!!

[MDlaxfan76]

Bill Browder's endorsement of Ratcliffe, based on his work on the Magnitsky Act.
...from Nasty Natasha Bertrand, no less :

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/ ... mp-1439536

Trump’s intel pick collaborated with a fierce Russia foe

GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe, the president’s nominee for director of national intelligence, once worked with a leading Putin critic on the Magnitsky Act — which Russians have been pushing to overturn.

...John Ratcliffe, the congressman Trump has tapped to fight the “deep state” from within, has worked closely with one of the men Russian President Vladimir Putin wants most to see in prison: Bill Browder, an American-born businessman who has been on a decade-long campaign to expose Russian corruption.

It also resurfaces one of the biggest subplots of the Russia probe: the Russians’ lobbying of Trump campaign officials to undermine Browder and undo the Magnitsky Act — a law passed in 2012 to punish those suspected of being involved in the death of Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who uncovered a $230 million tax fraud scheme in 2008 on behalf of Browder’s investment advisory firm Hermitage Capital.

“Ratcliffe was one of our lawyers at Ashcroft dealing with the fallout from Magnitsky,” Browder told POLITICO on Monday, referring to the law firm former Attorney General John Ashcroft formed with Ratcliffe and another former U.S. attorney in 2009. Browder described Ratcliffe as “a highly sophisticated guy” with “no illusions about Russia” who is “professional, capable, and deserves respect.”

While he wouldn’t delve into the legal advice Ratcliffe gave him over the years, Browder seemed confident in the congressman’s bona fides. “All I can say is that he’s a top professional, highly trained, and understands what’s going on in Russia through the Magnitsky case.”

Another former Ashcroft employee who worked on the Magnitsky case corroborated Browder’s recollections, describing Ratcliffe as active and helpful on the issue.

In July 2009, Browder hired Ashcroft Sutton & Ratcliffe, which had been formed months earlier, to represent him in New York in a case that would quickly snowball into one of the biggest corruption scandals of Putin's tenure, implicating high-level Kremlin officials and Putin allies.

Ratcliffe was one of Browder’s lawyers on the case that — with the help of Ashcroft’s lobbying firm — resulted in the passage of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act in 2012.

Overturning the Magnitsky Act — which authorizes the president to deny visas to, and freeze the assets of, Russians believed to have been complicit in Magnitsky's death and others suspected of human-rights abuses and corruption — has been one of Putin’s top foreign policy priorities.

Moscow retaliated immediately by blacklisting Americans and banning them from adopting Russian children. The campaign continued into 2016, when Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr. and other Trump campaign officials at Trump Tower to discuss changing so-called “adoption policy,” which is a veiled reference to the Magnitsky Act.

Asked about Ratcliffe’s posture toward Russia and Putin, Browder suggested that Ratcliffe should be going into his new role with eyes wide open. “Anybody who’s ever worked on the Magnitsky case,” Browder said, “understands what an evil guy Putin is.”

You should email that to Team Trump.

Perhaps someone did and that's why Trump pulled his nomination backing, not the BFD resume fluffing.

[Trinity]

Amazing to find a lawyer who shared his client’s vision. When does that happen?

[old salt]

Amazing to find a lawyer who shared his client’s vision. When does that happen?

The Magnitsky Act is our most effective set of sanctions against Russia & Putin.
The case which started it, leading to drafting the act & getting it passed & signed, was a remarkable feat of lawyering & lobbying.
If Ratcliffe was a player in accomplishing that, significant enough for Browder to call him out when he's under fire, that's a better endorsement than he can get from any of the political show horses.

Natasha's a MSNBC contributor, but I can find no MSM reports on the Ratcliffe - Browder - Magnitsky collaboration

[Trinity]

I didn’t say he wasn’t a good lawyer. But he got the nomination for attacking the Obstruction section of the Mueller Report. FanLax didn’t yank his nomination. Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina did. You’re not saying Burr buckled on an important national security issue, are you?

[old salt]

"Ratcliffe fluffed his resume a bit. BFD."

Like an academy honor code? Standards seem way down.

Yep. Way down for the best and the brightest.

.. ...your selective sanctimonious partisanship.
You swallow any selective reporting pablum the MSM peddles that fits your agenda.
The MSM is going to go after any DNI candidate who will not protect their leaker sources in the IC.

https://thefederalist.com/2019/07/30/fo ... tion-case/

A former federal prosecutor involved in the terrorism financing trial against the Holy Land Foundation confirmed that Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, whom President Donald Trump has said he intends to nominate as director of national intelligence, did receive a special appointment as part of the case.
“John was appointed to look into allegations of potential misconduct involving a juror and one or more of the defendants in that case,” Nathan Garrett, a formal federal prosecutor who worked on the trial team, told The Federalist Tuesday morning. “John is a stellar lawyer, experienced national security prosecutor and leader, and a man of the highest character.”

ABC News alleged in an article that Ratcliffe “misrepresented” and “embellished” his role in the case, even suggesting that he was not involved with it at all.
“ABC News could find no public court records that connect Ratcliffe to either of the two trials for the case,” the article claimed. “Former officials directly involved in the decade-long Holy Land Foundation investigation could not recall Ratcliffe having any role, and four former defense attorneys who served on the cases told ABC News on Monday they had no recollection of Ratcliffe being involved with any of the proceedings that resulted in the convictions of their clients.”

Garrett, who is listed on the federal court docket for the Holy Land Foundation case as one of the prosecutors of record representing the United States, told The Federalist that ABC News never contacted him for comment prior to publishing its article.
“No,” he responded when asked directly whether anyone from ABC News contacted him about its story.

He also noted it is not surprising that Ratcliffe’s role would not have been public at the time, given the sensitive nature of terrorism cases.
“I served as a ‘terrorism prosecutor’ before and after 9/11, and 98% of the work in that arena never saw the light of day,” Garrett said. “Folks like John were thrust into what had traditionally been an intelligence community-only environment and expected to engage and provide leadership and perspective as those matters progressed.”
“It was trial by fire, and he handled it exceedingly well, albeit outside of the public eye,” Garrett said.

The former federal prosecutor and FBI special agent also offered a personal endorsement of Ratcliffe’s nomination and confirmation as director of national intelligence.
“In my 20 years in the business, there’s no one I believe more capable of this position than John,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Ratcliffe’s congressional office also confirmed Ratcliffe’s role in the Holy Land Foundation case.
“Shortly following a declared mistrial in a terrorism financing prosecution, United States v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, et al. in the Northern District of Texas on Oct. 22, 2007, a Justice Department order appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas John Ratcliffe to investigate issues related to the outcome of the Holy Land case,” she told The Federalist.

“Department of Justice records will confirm that as both chief of anti-terrorism and national security for the Eastern District of Texas and as U.S. attorney, John Ratcliffe opened, managed, and supervised numerous domestic and international terrorism-related cases.”

[old salt]

I didn’t say he wasn’t a good lawyer. But he got the nomination for attacking the Obstruction section of the Mueller Report. FanLax didn’t yank his nomination. Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina did. You’re not saying Burr buckled on an important national security issue, are you?

Burr didn't even know Ratcliffe, but said he'd help get him confirmed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/. ... gence.html
6 days ago - “I don't know John Ratcliffe,” Mr. Burr said. “I talked to him on the phone last night — it's the first contact I've ever had with him. I look forward to ...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/29/politics ... index.html
6 days ago - But Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said Monday evening he would work to get Ratcliffe confirmed once he was formally nominated ...

[Typical Lax Dad]

"Ratcliffe fluffed his resume a bit. BFD."

Like an academy honor code? Standards seem way down.

Yep. Way down for the best and the brightest.

.. ...your selective sanctimonious partisanship.
You swallow any selective reporting pablum the MSM peddles that fits your agenda.
The MSM is going to go after any DNI candidate who will not protect their leaker sources in the IC.

https://thefederalist.com/2019/07/30/fo ... tion-case/

A former federal prosecutor involved in the terrorism financing trial against the Holy Land Foundation confirmed that Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, whom President Donald Trump has said he intends to nominate as director of national intelligence, did receive a special appointment as part of the case.
“John was appointed to look into allegations of potential misconduct involving a juror and one or more of the defendants in that case,” Nathan Garrett, a formal federal prosecutor who worked on the trial team, told The Federalist Tuesday morning. “John is a stellar lawyer, experienced national security prosecutor and leader, and a man of the highest character.”

ABC News alleged in an article that Ratcliffe “misrepresented” and “embellished” his role in the case, even suggesting that he was not involved with it at all.
“ABC News could find no public court records that connect Ratcliffe to either of the two trials for the case,” the article claimed. “Former officials directly involved in the decade-long Holy Land Foundation investigation could not recall Ratcliffe having any role, and four former defense attorneys who served on the cases told ABC News on Monday they had no recollection of Ratcliffe being involved with any of the proceedings that resulted in the convictions of their clients.”

Garrett, who is listed on the federal court docket for the Holy Land Foundation case as one of the prosecutors of record representing the United States, told The Federalist that ABC News never contacted him for comment prior to publishing its article.
“No,” he responded when asked directly whether anyone from ABC News contacted him about its story.

He also noted it is not surprising that Ratcliffe’s role would not have been public at the time, given the sensitive nature of terrorism cases.
“I served as a ‘terrorism prosecutor’ before and after 9/11, and 98% of the work in that arena never saw the light of day,” Garrett said. “Folks like John were thrust into what had traditionally been an intelligence community-only environment and expected to engage and provide leadership and perspective as those matters progressed.”
“It was trial by fire, and he handled it exceedingly well, albeit outside of the public eye,” Garrett said.

The former federal prosecutor and FBI special agent also offered a personal endorsement of Ratcliffe’s nomination and confirmation as director of national intelligence.
“In my 20 years in the business, there’s no one I believe more capable of this position than John,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Ratcliffe’s congressional office also confirmed Ratcliffe’s role in the Holy Land Foundation case.
“Shortly following a declared mistrial in a terrorism financing prosecution, United States v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, et al. in the Northern District of Texas on Oct. 22, 2007, a Justice Department order appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas John Ratcliffe to investigate issues related to the outcome of the Holy Land case,” she told The Federalist.

“Department of Justice records will confirm that as both chief of anti-terrorism and national security for the Eastern District of Texas and as U.S. attorney, John Ratcliffe opened, managed, and supervised numerous domestic and international terrorism-related cases.”

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars. If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

[old salt]

Here's a 2008 CBS/AP report on the on the raid of Pilgrim's Pride poultry plants that Ratcliffe's taking heat over.
His office was 1 of 5 US Atty's offices that participated. His office may have been the lead office, given the location of Pilgrim's Pride Corp HQ.
The operation netted over 300 arrests in total, 45 of which were adjudicated by Ratcliffe's district office.
Ratcliffe must have been one of the leaders of the operation since he was quoted in the CBS /AP report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-a ... ion-raids/
Hundreds Arrested In Immigration Raids
APRIL 17, 2008 / 4:08 AM / CBS/AP

Federal agents arrested hundreds of people in raids at Pilgrim's Pride chicken plants in five states, the latest crackdown on illegal immigrant labor at the nation's poultry producers.

The arrests at Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp., the nation's largest chicken producer, included charges of identity theft, document fraud and immigration violations. The company worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ahead of the raid, said Ray Atkinson, a company spokesman.
"We knew in advance and cooperated fully," Atkinson said.
No criminal or civil charges have been filed against Pilgrim's Pride, which has about 55,000 employees and operates dozens of facilities mostly in the South, Mexico and Puerto Rico, supplying the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain and other customers.

ICE said nearly 300 were arrested, but Pilgrim's Pride officials said about 400 hourly, non-management employees were arrested.

Forty-five people, all illegal immigrants, were arrested in Mount Pleasant on charges of false use of Social Security numbers, ICE said.

Wednesday's coordinated raids began at 5:30 a.m., said John Ratcliffe, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. He said agents went to homes as well as the plants.

Ratcliffe said authorities were working to ensure that any children of detained workers were getting proper care. Texas Child Protective Services spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said the agency was notified about the raid but has not had to take custody of any children.

"I hope that the message from today's operation is clear," Ratcliffe said. "We are intent on stopping immigration fraud and identity theft and we will aggressively prosecute anyone who uses another person's name or Social Security number for the purpose of working illegally in this country."

Selective biased MSM reporting. The most detailed & balanced article I found was in Stars & Stripes.
At least our troops overseas are still getting accurate & balanced news reports.
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/spy-chi ... s-1.592882

[old salt]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

[MDlaxfan76]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

Thanks for posting the Stars and Stripes article. Good summary.
But I'm puzzled, the article appears to be saying very much the same thing that the MSM articles reported.
Ratcliffe is a liar.

Am I missing something?

You call TLD 'sanctimonious' because he thinks lying about one's experience, which is minimal at best, should be disqualifying for this role?

And your comeback is to call TLD a "lazy biased idiot"?
Because he hadn't read Stars and Stripes???

Doesn't track.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

You said yesterday lying is no BFD....Did I miss something? Ratcliffe got dropped. Don’t take it up with me. Talk to Trump.

[old salt]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

You said yesterday lying is no BFD....Did I miss something? Ratcliffe got dropped. Don’t take it up with me. Talk to Trump.

He didn't lie. I said he fluffed his resume. Everything he claimed is based on his record. He spun it an a favorable way.

[old salt]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

Thanks for posting the Stars and Stripes article. Good summary.
But I'm puzzled, the article appears to be saying very much the same thing that the MSM articles reported.
Ratcliffe is a liar.

Am I missing something?

You call TLD 'sanctimonious' because he thinks lying about one's experience, which is minimal at best, should be disqualifying for this role?

And your comeback is to call TLD a "lazy biased idiot"?
Because he hadn't read Stars and Stripes???

Doesn't track.

You call people liar as casually as you label them as racists or Russian agents.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

You said yesterday lying is no BFD....Did I miss something? Ratcliffe got dropped. Don’t take it up with me. Talk to Trump.

He didn't lie. I said he fluffed his resume. Everything he claimed is based on his record. He spun it an a favorable way.

Pathetic

[old salt]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

You said yesterday lying is no BFD....Did I miss something? Ratcliffe got dropped. Don’t take it up with me. Talk to Trump.

He didn't lie. I said he fluffed his resume. Everything he claimed is based on his record. He spun it an a favorable way.

Pathetic

Right. Politicians don't hype their accomplishments or take credit for what their organizations do.
Nobody in business does either. ..

[seacoaster]

As I say, exaggeration is a nice quality in a trusted truth to power intelligence chief. Again, blather all you want, standards are slipping.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I don’t care about the MSM. I was taught right from wrong. I don’t provide cover for liars.
If that’s what you call sanctimonious, times have changed.

You're an lazy biased idiot. Do some research before attacking those you disagree with.

You said yesterday lying is no BFD....Did I miss something? Ratcliffe got dropped. Don’t take it up with me. Talk to Trump.

He didn't lie. I said he fluffed his resume. Everything he claimed is based on his record. He spun it an a favorable way.

Pathetic

Right. Politicians don't hype their accomplishments or take credit for what their organizations do.
Nobody in business does either. ..

Stop. It’s sad.