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An investigation was assigned to Justice Department Attorneys by Special Advocate Robert Mueller earlier this year on possible criminal activities of Tony Podesta, a Washington insider linked to Clinton, and the United States. Former White House lawyer Greg Craig is warming up, according to a new report that highlights law enforcement's growing enforcement of foreign trade laws.
The inquiries center is not just about Craig and Podesta – a Democratic lobbyist and co-founder of the formerly known Podesta Group – but also about Vin Weber, a former US Congressman in Minnesota, member of the GOP.
The investigations have been silent for months, since Mueller referred them to the New York authorities because they did not fall within his mandate to determine whether the Trump campaign was coordinated with Russia.
new activities, prosecutors of the Ministry of Justice have begun in recent weeks to interview witnesses and to contact The lawyers have scheduled further interrogations on the Podesta group and Mercury public affairs, reported to the Associated Press people familiar with the investigation.
Apparent escalation occurs as numerous reports and indications suggest that Mueller's investigation into a possible collusion in 2016 the campaign between the Russian government and President Trump is drawing to a close
New York's emphasize the general effects of Mueller's investigation, which go far beyond this issue of collusion. Mueller made it clear that he would not turn away when he discovered alleged crimes not falling under his investigation; instead, he mentions them in investigations that could last even after the completion of the work of the special advocate. Other cases emanating from Mueller's Justice Department culminated in guilty pleas, including the secret payment case of Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
THE STATE DEPUT PROVIDED "CLEARLY FALSE" TO DERAIL CLINTON REQUEST FOR DOCUMENT, "The Federal Judge Shocked" DIT
The Survey Shows How Mueller, In S & # 39; 39, based on an obscure law, shed light on the costly lobbying practices that helped foreign governments find powerful allies and lawyers in Washington. It is a practice that has touched both parties and enriched countless former officials, who have leveraged their links to influence American politics.
In New York, Mueller dismissal prompted a fresh look at the lobbying companies of Podesta and Weber, facing scrutiny for their decision not to register as foreign agents for Ukrainian lobbying activities led by former Trump campaign president Paul Manafort.
Fox News reported for the first time, and court trials subsequently confirmed, that Muesta had offered immunity "immunity" this summer to testify in Washington, the trial of Manafort that was planned at the time – distinct from the Virginia case in which he had been convicted for charges of bank fraud and fraud.
Prosecutors generally offer witnesses immunity that legally prevents them from asserting their rights. Fifth Amendment: Right not to incriminate oneself to avoid testifying. "To use immunity" means that the prosecutors agreed not to use the statements that Podesta would make against him in court.
"The use of immunity" does not have the same scope as "transactional immunity" – which would have protected Podesta more broadly from being prosecuted for the subject of his even if the prosecutors could independently confirm the relevant details and did not need to cite his statements at the bar.
Manafort avoided the DC trial by pleading guilty to two charges in September and agreeing. cooperate with the Mueller probe, which means that Podesta did not have to testify at all, apparently making the agreement questionable immunity as to possible criminal proceedings involving Podesta.
A lawyer for Craig Craig claims that his client "was not required to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act".
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Since then, Mueller's team has stated that Manafort had violated this agreement and that the special attorney's office should file on Friday in Manafort's file a memorandum on the sentencing that should include the sentence recommended by the prosecutor. Podesta is a long-time Democratic agent whose brother, John Podesta, led Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign; Weber is a former Republican Congressman from Minnesota. Neither of the two men was charged with any crime. Their firms defended their decisions by claiming that they relied on the advice of outside lawyers.
Mueller's seizin also involved Craig, a former lawyer for President Barack Obama at the White House. Craig oversaw a report written on behalf of the Ukrainian government and Mueller's team said that Manafort had helped Ukraine to hide that she was paying more than $ 4 million for her work. CNN reported in September that prosecutors were laying charges against Craig.
MUELLER MEMO SAYS THAT THE EX-NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR PROVIDED "SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE" TO INVESTIGATORS INVOLVING MULTIPLE PROBES
It is unclear if renewed interest will produce charges or if prosecutors only follow Mueller's dismissal.
Weber and Craig's lawyers and a spokesperson for Podesta declined to comment.
Mercury spokesman Michael McKeon said the firm had "always welcomed any investigation because we had acted appropriately at every stage of the process, including the hiring of a lawyer from forefront in Washington. " We will continue to cooperate as we have done before. "
Lobbying work overseas was at the center of Mueller's case against Manafort and long-time partner Rick Gates, two senior Trump campaigners who pleaded guilty earlier this year. were extensively questioned by prosecutors
The Podestas were frequently attacked by Trump and his associates, who repeatedly asked why Tony Podesta had not been arrested or charged. "Trump's confidant, Roger Stone, for example, insisted on a tweet of 2016 that seemed to announce the publication by WikiLeaks emails of John Podesta – "Believe me, it will soon be time for Podesta in the barrel" – was rather a reference to the foreign relations brothers placing them on the harness.
ROGER STONE WANTS TO PLEASE FIFTH TO AVOID TESTIFYING AND PROVIDING TO THE DOCTORS THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF SENATE
The Pro Stone's curse announced in a letter Tuesday that Stone would assert his. The Fifth Amendment has the right not to testify or to provide documents to a Senate committee charged with investigating a possible collusion between the President's team and Russia.
"Mr. Stone's invocation of his fifth amendment privilege must be understood by all as the affirmation of a constitutional right by an innocent citizen who denounces the secret," said Stone's lawyer. , Grant Smith, in the statement. He also called the Senate Judiciary Committee's demands of a "fishing expedition" too "exaggerated", "too long, too large and too vast".
In September, Manafort admitted to having ordered Mercury and the Podesta Group to pressure USA on behalf of a Ukrainian political party and the Ukrainian government, then headed by President Viktor Yanukovych, long-time political boss. date of Manafort.
The firm Tony Podesta faces a meticulous investigation of the Sonde Robert Mueller.
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During lobbying, neither the Podesta Group nor Mercury are registered as foreign agents under a US law known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act. or FARA, which requires lobbyists to publicly declare that they represent foreign leaders. governments or their political parties.
A LAWYER WITH OBAMA, CLINTON TIES MAY BE CONDEMNED WITH FEDERAL CHARGES
The Department of Justice has rarely prosecuted such cases, which lasted for up to five years. prison, but
In order to secretly finance lobbying and to avoid any registration with the Ministry of Justice, Manafort indicated that, along with other unidentified "others", he had arranged for companies to be hired by a non-profit organization based in Brussels, the European Center for a modern Ukraine, rather than Ukrainian political interests directly.
Mercury and Podesta, which received a combined $ 2 million for the project, were then registered under a less restrictive lobbying law. FARA does not require as much public disclosure.
The two companies declared to have registered under the Lobbying Disclosure Act rather than FARA, on the counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the former Craig.
Gates admitted in his plea agreement that he had lied to Mercury's lawyers about the project, a fact that the lobbying company has publicly highlighted. The Podesta group claimed to have been misled by the European Center for a Modern Ukraine, citing a written statement from the non-profit organization, stating that it was neither headed nor controlled by the Ukrainian Party regions, one of Manafort's customers.
since registered under FARA. In court documents filed in parallel with Manafort's plea agreement, Mueller's attorneys hinted that the companies knew they were working on behalf of Ukraine.
Prosecutors claim that employees of both companies "referred to their client in a way that made it clear that they knew Ukraine". A Mercury employee stated that the non-profit organization was the "only in the name" customer, comparing the situation to "Alice in Wonderland". An employee of Podesta referred to the association's certification that he was not related to the Ukrainian political party as a "leaf of vine on a fig leaf".
The Mueller team also noted that "the leader of" Podesta group, an apparent reference Tony Podesta told his team to think that the customer was the president of Ukraine.
Bill Mears of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to the writing of this report.
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