Sharyl Attkisson

Untouchable Subjects. Fearless, Nonpartisan Reporting.

US

The Jussie Smollett Case: Cops Demand Federal Probe of Obama Aide

The following is an excerpt from “Cops Demand Federal Probe of Obama Aide in Jussie Smollett Case” by Kyle S. Reyes in Law Enforcement Today

The Jussie Smollett investigation has taken an interesting turn as Chicago’s police union is now calling for a federal investigation into the county’s top prosecutor for allegedly interfering in the case.

This, after that the prosecutor was allegedly contacted by Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff.

The Fraternal Order of Police represents the department’s rank-and-file.  Earlier this week, they sent a letter asking the Department of Justice to probe Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

Foxx attempted to convince Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to turn Smollett’s case over to the FBI.  It happened after Tina Tchen, the former senior Obama aide, reached out to her and the “Empire” star’s family had “concerns.”

“That recusal is wholly insufficient,” FOP president Kevin Graham said in a statement. “In order for Ms. Foxx to properly charge and try this case, her entire office should have recused itself and a special prosecutor been appointed.”

Tchen sent Foxx a text just three days after Smollett reported the attack and when he was still considered a victim.

“I wanted to give you a call on behalf of Jussie Smollett and family who I know. They have concerns about the investigation,” Tchen wrote.

Foxx then emailed Tchen later that day.  Tchen is a close pal of Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s wife. 

“Spoke to the Superintendent Johnson. I convinced him to Reach out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation. He is reaching out now and will get to me shortly.”

You can read the rest of the story here: https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/cops-demand-federal-probe-obama-aide/

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Herpes Vaccine and Short on Time

Herpes vaccine test subject Richard Mancuso shown on a foreign trip for the research

There's more than one side to this story about the scientist who violated nearly every ethics rule governing human research in developing a herpes vaccine. He even gave patients shots at the Holiday Inn Express.

Watch the Full Measure investigation by clicking the image below or, if the image doesn't show up, just click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atMLbcRyB7k&t=16s

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"Border Patrol Overwhelmed"

This is a picture taken recently at the El Paso, Texas Point of Entry at the southern U.S. Border with Mexico.

Border Patrol agents report 2,600 people in one 24 hour period there.

Agents were said to be brought in from the field to handle the influx.

"Border Patrol was overwhelmed"

on site at El Paso Port of Entry
El Paso Port of Entry, March 2019

According to the Los Angles Times, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said this week that many migrants are ill when they arrive.

“We are doing everything we can to simply avoid a tragedy in a CBP facility,” said McAleenan.

Read more here.

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Being Carter Page

Image: Former Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page

After two years of rumors and allegations, the Special Counsel’s Russia investigation found no Americans colluded, after all.

This week on Full Measure, a fascinating interview that could make you question much of what you've been told.

In secret court documents, the FBI said Carter Page was the nexus of Donald Trump's Russia collusion scheme. As such, the FBI wiretapped Page four times.

In the end, Page was never charged with anything, let alone being a Russia spy. And believe it or not, Page says to this day, he’s never met nor spoken to Trump. But the way wiretaps work, the FBI could have captured Trump in the Page wiretap dragnet, anyway.

And wait until you hear about the relationship Page says he did have with our intelligence agencies over the past two decades.

Media Mistakes

Also this week, we'll look back at the media coverage during the Russia probe. After getting the 2016 election so wrong, we promised some self-reflection to avoid another debacle. But it seems many of us went down the exact same road with the Russia collusion story.

Follow the Money

And we'll have a Follow the Money report called "A Streetcar Named Waste."

We won't waste your time rehashing news you've already heard all week. Watch on TV, online or on demand. See options below.


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70+ Examples of the Violent Legacy of Fast and Furious

(Image above: 42 weapons recovered by Mexican military in Naco, Sonora, Mexico, 20 Nov 2009. Operation Fast and Furious suspect Uriel Patino bought 19 of the weapons one to two weeks earlier. From: Justice Dept. Inspector General)

Updated Sept. 21, 2019 

Since 2011, the Justice Department has refused repeated requests from Congress and the news media to fully disclose details of incidents involving guns that had been illegally trafficked to Mexican drug cartels under the watch of U.S. agents in Operation Fast and Furious. The partial list below was compiled using available information.

Known crimes linked to "walked" weapons:

On May 25, 2016, Judicial Watch released a summary of Justice Department records that shows "a total of 94 Fast and Furious firearms have been recovered in Mexico City and 12 Mexican states, with the majority being seized in Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa. Of the weapons recovered, 82 were rifles and 12 were pistols identified as having been part of the Fast and Furious program. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings."

Deaths: at least 43 (update: on May 25, 2016 according to Judicial Watch, "at least 69") including:

  • 2 U.S. federal agents
  • 3 Mexican police
  • 1 terrorist torture/kidnaping/murder in Mexico

Attempted murders or injuries: 3

  • 1 in Mexico; 2 in U.S.

Kidnapings: 4 (all in Mexico)

Assaults/Shootouts: 6 incidents including:

  • 2 in Mexico against military; 2 in U.S. against Phoenix law enforcement

1. Nov. 14, 2009 Mexican Kidnaping Crime Scene

One AK-47 type assault rifle purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect was recovered in Atoyac de Alvarez, Mexico after the Mexican military rescued a kidnap victim.

2. Dec. 9, 2009 Cartel Crime Scene Seizure in Mexico
Mexican Army recovered 900 pounds of cocaine, 132 pounds of methamphetamine, $2 million U.S. dollars and 48 firearms in Mexicali, Mexico.  Twenty of the weapons had been purchased by Fast and Furious suspects.

3. Dec. 18, 2009 Crime Scene in Mexico
Mexican law enforcement agents recovered five firearms in Tijuana, Mexico, four of which had been originally purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect.

4. Date unknown, 2010 Mexican Men Assault Phoenix Detectives
Arizona state police revealed that two guns from Fast and Furious were found in an arrest involving two Mexican men who assaulted detectives outside Phoenix in 2010. Nobody was seriously hurt.

5. Jan. 8, 2010 Mexican Army Seizure
Two weapons purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect were recovered as part of a 14-gun seizure by the Mexican Army in Tijuana, Mexico.

Indian
Seizure of Fast and Furious Weapons at Tohono O'odham Indian reservation, Arizona, Feb. 20, 2010. Photo: Dept. of Justice Inspector General

6. Feb. 20, 2010 U.S. Crime Scene Seizure
Agents in Arizona at the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation seized 37 AK-47 style weapons purchased ten days earlier by a Fast and Furious suspect.

7. Feb. 26 and 27, 2010 Cartel Weapons Seizures in Mexico
ATF notified U.S. Attorney's office of two large recovery incidents in Mexico that believed to include Fast and Furious weapons. An email on the Feb. 26 incident stated: "big Mexican Army seizure last night in Sinaloa from ‘Chapo’ Guzman’s guys."

8. July 1, 2010 Two Murders in Mexico
Two AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by Fast and Furious suspects were recovered in Sonora, Mexico after a shootout between Mexican cartels. Two murders involving the weapons were reported in the incident.

9. July 26, 2010 Firing of Rifle in Mexico
A giant .50 caliber Barrett rifle purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect was recovered in Durango, Mexico after apparently having been fired. No further details were given.

10. Aug. 13, 2010 Mexican Military vs. Armed Group
Two AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by a Fast and Furious target were recovered in Durango, Mexico after a confrontation between the Mexican military and an "armed group."

11. Nov. 14, 2010 Terrorist Torture Murder of Mexican Official’s Brother
Two Fast and Furious "walked" AK-47 variant rifles were found at the scene of a shoot-out with suspects in the Oct. 2010 terrorist torture, kidnap and murder of the brother of a Mexican state attorney general, Patricia Gonzalez Rodriguez.

Read about Fast and Furious rifles in the terrorist-torture case

Watch the video report on Fast and Furious rifles in the terrorist-torture case

12. Dec. 14, 2010 Border Patrol Agent Murder
Two or three AK-47 style rifles found at the murder scene of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was killed in Arizona by illegal immigrant bandits, had been sold to Mexican drug cartels by Fast and Furious weapons trafficking suspects under ATF’s watch.

Find links to all Fast and Furious reports here

13. Feb. 15, 2011 U.S. Immigration and Customs Agent Murdered in Mexico, Partner Injured.
Immigration and Customs (ICE) Agent Jaime Zapata was murdered and his partner injured in a suspected cartel ambush in Mexico. Two weapons linked to suspects who were under ATF surveillance were used in the murder.

Watch the video of the second "walked" weapons linked to Agent Zapata murder

14. May 27, 2011 Mexican Military Helicopter Downed, 29 Cartel Members Killed
A Mexican military helicopter was forced to land after drug cartel suspects fired upon it near Jalisco, western Mexico. Authorities seized more than 70 assault rifles and other weapons from the suspects including three AK-47 type assault rifles sold to Fast and Furious suspects.

View the report on the downed Mexican military helicopter involving Fast and Furious weapons

15. Aug 17, 2011 11 Violent Crimes in U.S.
The Justice Department reported that Fast and Furious guns had been recovered, so far, at 11 violent crime scenes in the U.S. but refused to provide details requested by Congress. Later, the Justice Department revised the number and said there were only two violent crime scenes.

Read the story on Fast and Furious guns being recovered at 11 violent crime scenes in U.S.

16. Sept. 14, 2011 8 Violent Crimes in Mexico: 3 Murders, 4 Kidnappings, 1 Attempted Homicide
Fast and Furious weapons were reported to be tied to at least eight violent crimes in Mexico including three murders, four kidnappings and an attempted homicide.

Read the story on Fast and Furious weapons tied to three more murders in Mexico

17. Nov. 23, 2012 Five Killed, Including Beauty Queen, in Mexico
A weapon purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect under ATF’s watch was recovered scene of a shootout between Sinaloa drug cartel members and Mexican military in Ciudad Guamuchil, Sinaloa, Mexico. Sinaloa beauty queen Maria Susana Flores Gamez and four others were killed.

Watch the video of the story on a Fast and Furious weapon found at shootout in Mexico that killed five

19. July 29, 2013 Gang-style Assault in Phoenix
An AK-47 rifle that was part of Fast and Furious was used in the gang-style assault on an apartment building in Phoenix that left two people wounded.

Read the story about a Fast and Furious rifle used in gang-style assault in Phoenix

19. Aug. 14, 2013 Three Weapons Recovered at Mexican Crime Scenes
Three WASR-10 762-calibur Romanian rifles sold to Fast and Furious suspects under ATF’s watch turned up at crime scenes in Mexico.

Read the report about three Fast and Furious rifles recovered at Mexican crime scenes

20. Oct. 10, 2013 Three Mexican Police Murdered
A grenade linked to Jean Baptiste Kingery, whom federal officials allowed to traffic unimpeded, was linked to a drug cartel shootout in Tepatitlin, Jalisco, Mexico in which three Jalisco State police officers were murdered and four cartel members were killed.

Watch the video about the grenade-walking case of Jean Baptiste Kingery

21. May 4, 2015 "Draw Mohammed" Shooting
One of two Islamic extremist terrorists who opened gunfire at a "Draw Muhammad” cartoon contest in Texas Nadir Soofi, had reportedly acquired one of his guns he owned as a result of Fast and Furious. The terrorists shot and injured a security guard.

22. Jan. 8, 2016 El Chapo Raid
A .50-caliber rifle found after the Jan. 8 raid Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s hideout in Mexico was funneled through the gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious, according to reports.

Read the story about El Chapo's Fast and Furious weapon.

23. June 20, 2019 Mexican Army Seizure

After a gunfight between two armed groups, the Mexican army seized 10 weapons from nine suspect. One of the weapons, a WASR 10/63 rifle, had been purchased as part of Fast and Furious ten years before.