John Durham Unveils His Post-Putin Puppet Strategy - emptywheel I first complained publicly about the Alfa Bank allegations on November 1, 2016. I raised questions about the provenance of the Steele dossier the day after it was released, on January 11, 2017. I sta...

I wrote an article--well, several--arguing that the Sussmann case might have worked out differently had Alfa Bank not been sanctioned and therefore permitted to rip the shit out of the DNS research community.

That's pretty interesting given recent developments.

www.emptywheel.net/2022/04/07/j...

On left:

ABC: Ghislaine Maxwell told "Blanche that Trump had never done anything in her presence that would have caused concern."

On right:

Maxwell said same about Epstein, under oath.

DOJ 2022: "Simply put, the defendant lies when it suits her."

Whatever is the truth, she's no source for it.

Here's his statement of offense and plea.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

United States v. Bendler, 1:25-cr-00109 - CourtListener.com Docket for United States v. Bendler, 1:25-cr-00109 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.

There should be far more attention to this CIA guy, Dale Bendler, who pled to taking Secret Docs from CIA and sharing them w/2 different foreign principals, had JESSE BINNALL rep him, and hopes to get just 2 years in prison.

www.courtlistener.com/docket/69919...

They are above the law. Look at Trump. It's been over 16 yrs. since Epstein was convicted w/that sweetheart deal. Maxwell is the only one. Why was she convicted. That deal included all co-conspirators. She should not of been convicted. The powerful protect the powerful. All of its criminal all BS

Note this is based on a report that @ossoff.bsky.social did.

Newly unsealed docs in POLITICO's effort to access Kash Patel's grand jury materials show that Judge Howell said his behavior "borders on the contemptuous" as he sought to repeatedly postpone his testimony to Jack Smith investigators. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

There Is an Information Blackout at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Detention Camp Public records related to Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention camp have...

Over 90 pages of "Alligator Alcatraz" files disappeared as I was looking at them and reporting on the situation. Our public records requests are getting stonewalled. A slew of experts told me this all seems to be illegal. talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/th...

Once again, the way you know these tariffs are illegal under the very laws being used to justify them is that there is no such thing as a "national emergency" that magically flares up & then disappears & then flares up again & then disappears every 90 days.

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

In reviewing denials of asylum applications, the circuit courts have held that the State Department human rights reports are highly probative evidence and a reliable source of information on conditions in foreign nations.

I expect those precedents will be discarded eventually.

VA Just Terminated Most Federal Union Contracts, National Nurses United Included The VA has terminated union contracts for over 360,000 healthcare workers, including nurses—raising urgent concerns about staffing, patient safety, and veteran care nationwide.

NEW: The Department of Veterans Affairs just terminated union contracts including AFL-CIO (AFGE), NAGE, NFFE, SEIU, and nursing unions NNOC and NNU. nurse.org/news/va-term...

Stephen Miller Is Getting $170 Billion To Build His Own Army To Target Our Immigrant Neighbors. Here’s What That Funding Could Do Instead This unprecedented allocation of taxpayer money could go to helping working families all across America, on everything from education, hunger, housing, healthcare, and the environment.

$170 billion could end homelessness. It could fund Head Start or pay for nutritious school meals for our kids for well over a decade. But it’s instead going to Stephen Miller so he can build his mass deportation army to target our immigrant neighbors: americasvoicecnn.substack.com/p/stephen-mi...

A table showing claims made to get loans that--the complaint alleges--were based on made-up numbers.

Here's the complaint, which charged her with fraudulently getting a bunch of COVID loans.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

A request to dismiss a complaint against Carolina Amesty signed by AUSA Michael Flicetta.

Magistrate Judge has now approved Pam Bondi's DOJ request to dismiss the COVID corruption case of Republican operative Carolina Amesety, represented by her brother.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Clearly accurate analysis. Grassley was also a focal part of the Jan 6 scheme. The plotters aimed to kidnap Vice President Pence and then instal him in Pence's place as president pro temper of the Senate. Barbara Ledeen, on his staff, coordinated the plot. bsky.app/profile/empt...

How Chuck Grassley's Politicized Redactions Gave Putin Leverage over Trump - emptywheel Days before Trump sent his golfing buddy Steve Witkoff to pretend he's going to get stern with Vladimir Putin, all Trump's top spies renewed a secret they share with Putin's own spies. And that likely...

Here's the post explaining that.

www.emptywheel.net/2025/08/06/h...

Exclusive: US Air Force denies early retirement for group of transgender service members The U.S. Air Force is denying early retirement to all transgender service members with between 15 and 18 years of military service, opting instead to force them out with no retirement benefits, according to a memo seen by Reuters.

Air Force service members with 15-18 years of service can be eligible for early retirement. The Trump admin just blocked early retirement for all trans folks in the Air Force leaving them without the lifelong pensions or healthcare they're owed for their service.

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

Some brilliance from @emptywheel.bsky.social to hold you over until our show together tomorrow! The shit just doesn't stop....

This thing I keep saying about the appeal of misogyny — yeah. Just, yeah.

I will say again — regulation is a good thing, and every rollback of anti-toxin regulations hidden in every bill is killing Americans.

Trump is Deep State and the Swamp!

odd

USAID cuts can be seen in a 'graphic and upsetting' way in Sudan: Anne Applebaum The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario join Morning Joe to discuss Applebaum's latest reporting from Sudan as it struggles with civil war and the retre...

On @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social with @lynseyaddario.bsky.social, talking about the impact of USAID cuts in Sudan

www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/...

Please read this excellent, point by point refutation of the claim that there was a "Russia hoax"
From @noupside.bsky.social
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/from...

Trey Parker and Matt Stone really, really, really fucking hate Kristi Noem. My god, what an episode.

The government can’t deny you the right to vote based on your race or zip code.

Cory Mills is at it again

"So the tariff is paid in this country by the importer, is that right?" -- Eugene Robinson guides Scott Bessent into acknowledging that tariffs are in fact paid in the United States, not by foreign governments

We need a name for drawing new maps in blue states to counter what Republicans are doing in red states. THEY are gerrymandering. We are responding. Know what I mean? Like how self defense isn't assault.

A woman accused of fraud hired the AG's brother as her lawyer. Months later, DOJ dropped charges Prosecutors have moved to dismiss charges against a woman accused of fraud who was being represented in court by the brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Fed’l prosecutors dismissed charges against a Florida woman whose lawyer is Brad Bondi, the AG’s brother. The client is a former GOP lawmaker accused of Covid relief fraud. abcnews.go.com/US/woman-acc...