EFTA00148539.pdf

From: To: Subject: - u is airs ews rie rig urs ay, c o er , 2020 Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2020 10:27:32 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ;'FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Ratcliffe, Wray Say Iran Behind Threatening Emails To Voters. PROTESTS • NYTimes Analysis: Meaning Of "Militia" Has Broadened. OPERATION LEGEND • Barr Touts Operation LeGend In Memphis. • Barr To Discuss Operation LeGend In Indianapolis Today. • US Attorney Concerned About Milwaukee Violence. • 101 Arrested In Cleveland Area Under Operation LeGend. • Under Operation LeGend, 126 People Charged In Albuquerque. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Former CIA Analyst Kristen Wood Interviewed About Al Qaeda, 9/11. • German Authorities Treating Killing Of Tourist As Possible Islamist Terror Attack. • Beheaded Teacher Honored Amid Crackdown On Islamists In France. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Fox News: Laptop Linked To Hunter Biden Connected To FBI Money Laundering Probe. • Russian Analyst Behind Dossier Claims Steele Paid Him For "Raw Intelligence." • Judge Rules Against Releasing Russia Probe Docs Despite Trump Tweet To The Contrary. • Documents: Clinton Operatives Engaged Officials With "Anti-Trump" Information After 2016 Election. • Danchenko Says Allegations He Is A "Russian Agent" Are "Slander." • Pentagon Announces $23B Budget For Military Intelligence In FY20. • US Agencies Coordinating Efforts To Thwart Russian Election Meddling. • New Facebook Report Shows How Spammers, Stammers Are Profiting Off US Election. • Senate Intelligence Committee Warns Of Threats To Election Systems. • Trump Signs Bill Making It A Federal Crime To Hack Voting Systems. • Google Report Says Foreign Hackers Are Now Using Malware. • FBI, Maryland US Attorney's Office Launch Voter Misinformation Initiative. • Experts Fear China's Disinformation Ops Pose A Threat Past Election Day. EFTA00148539 • Poll: Four-Fifths Of Americans Call Misinformation About Campaigns "Major Problem." • Navalny Ally Says Kremlin Is Intimidating Him To Discourage Return To Russia. • House Independent Throws Support Behind Resolution Clearing Snowden, Assange. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Maryland Man Faces Federal Charges For Threatening Biden And Harris. • Two South Carolina Men Charged With PPE Theft. • Prosecutors Denounce False Claim That Missing New Jersey Girl Was Found Dead. • DO): 127 Suspected MS-13 Members Were Charged This Year. • Ten Suspected Gang Members Charged In Texas. • Georgia Man Sentenced For Bank Robbery. • Michigan Man Charged With Sex Trafficking. • Law Enforcement Operation Nets Heroin, Firearms In Massachusetts. • Maryland Corrections Officers Charged With Smuggling Contraband Into Jail. • US Charges 11 In Washington Marijuana Trafficking Operation. • Florida Woman Who Managed Tennessee Pill Mill Operation Sentenced To 33 Years. • Connecticut Man Charged With Solicitation Of Minor. • FBI Raids Florida Pharmacy. • Tennessee Man Arrested For Attempted Murder. • Rhode Island Man Arrested For Child Pornography. • Florida Man Accused Of Serial Bank Robbery. • Continuing Coverage: New Jersey Man Sentenced For Child Molestation, Child Pornography. • Massachusetts Man Arrested On Charges Of Bank Robbery. • New Jersey State Police Arrest Man For Solicitation Of Minor. • Washington State Man Sentenced For Domestic Violence. • Alaska Man Sentenced For Federal Firearms Violations. • Oklahoma Pair Arrested On Sex Trafficking Charges. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • DO) Announces $8.3B Purdue Settlement Over Opioids Distribution. • Attorney Denies Former Houston Official Was Involved In Kickback Scheme. • Former Blue Bell President Charged With Wire Fraud Tied To Listeria Outbreak In 2015. • Former Pennsylvania Court Clerk Sentenced For Mail Fraud, Misappropriation Of Funds. CYBER DIVISION • Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Cyberstalking Tulsa, Oklahoma Mayor. • NSA Issues Advisory Warning Of Chinese State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks. • US-China Tensions Expected To Escalate Over Chip Manufacturing. • US, Foreign Officials Discuss Cybersecurity, Threat Of China At Atlantic Future Forum. • German Cybersecurity Consultant Outed For Moscow Ties Met Top Trump Officials. • Cyberattacks, Payment Industry At Center Of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. • TikTok Announces Policy Changes To Restrict QAnon, Hate Speech. • Critics Worry About Palantir's Use Of Personal Information. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Trump Grants Clemency To Five People. • WPost: Virginia Making Progress On Criminal Justice Reform, But Has More To Do. OTHER FBI NEWS • Wray's Future Reportedly Uncertain As Trump Considers Firing Him. • Cuomo Could Probe Judge Dispute After Reported FBI Investigation. EFTA00148540 OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Senate Judiciary Democrats To Boycott Barrett Vote. • Trump Says There Is "Not Much" He Would Change About His COVID Response. • Pelosi Optimistic About Passage Of Spending Deal After Election. • Trump Has Reportedly Said Fauci Is Seeking Job At CNN. • CDC Updates Guidance On Contact With COVID-Infected Individuals. • Human Vaccine Results Expected Soon From Pfizer And Moderna. • COVID Cases Spike Across US. • GOP Governors Seek Basic Public Health Precautions. • Adams To Be Arraigned Next Month Over Alleged Hawaii Emergency Order Violation. • Carroll's Lawyer Says DO) Did "Not Even Try To Argue The Case." • Pelosi: Trump's Chinese Bank Account Is A "National Security Issue." • Morgan Touts Administration's Border Policies. • Pham: Operation Rise Focused On "Dangerous Aliens," Local Partnerships. • Deported Parents Of 545 Migrant Children Are Unaccounted For. • Stanford Study Shows No Crime Increase In Sanctuary Cities. • Heritage Foundation Report Says Biden Would Resume Obama Immigration Policies. • Giuliani Appears In "Compromising Position In A Hotel Room" In New "Borat" Movie. • Army Leaders Focus On Military Housing Program. • Ex-Spy Recruited By Prince Had Key Role In Project Veritas Hiring. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Bolsonaro Rejects Previously Announced Purchase Of Chinese Vaccine. • Spain Is First European Country To Surpass 1M Cases. • Czech Republic To Tighten COVID Restrictions Amid Spike. • Turkey Reportedly Considering Resuming Coronavirus Restrictions. • Colombia Faces Protests Over Pandemic Response. • State Department Approves Sale Of Weapons Systems To Taiwan. • Grenell Engaged In Talks Aimed At Persuading Maduro To Step Down. • Armenian, Azerbaijani Leaders Suggest Fighting Is Likely To Persist. • Dozens Of Nigerian Protesters Hit By Security Forces' Gunfire. • Thailand's PM Will Withdraw Decree Cracking Down On Pro-Democracy Protesters. • Pompeo: US Has Not Determined What Caused Illnesses Overseas. • Administration Weighs Labeling Human Rights Groups "Anti-Semitic." • Analyses: Biden Intends To Reverse Trump's Policies On Iran, Climate Change And Turkey. • Pope Francis Voices Support For Same-Sex Civil Unions. • WSJournal Praises Administration's Diplomacy With Sudan. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Ratcliffe, Wray Say Iran Behind Threatening Emails To Voters. The AP (10/21, Bajak) reports DNI Ratcliffe and FBI Director Wray have accused Iran "of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that appeared to be aimed at intimidating them into voting" for President Trump. The announcement "at a rare, hastily called news conference just two weeks before the election underscored the EFTA00148541 concern within the U.S. government about efforts by foreign countries to spread false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine American confidence in the vote." DNI Ratcliffe said, "These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries." The New York Times (10/21, Barnes, Sanger, 18.61M) reports Ratcliffe said Iran obtained American voter registration data and used it "to send threatening, faked emails to voters. ... Intelligence agencies had collected information that Iran planned to take more steps more steps to influence the vote, prompting the unusual timing of the briefing as an effort to deter Tehran." Ratcliffe said, "This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will cause confusion, sow chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy." The New York Post (10/21, Feuerherd, 4.57M) reports that Ratcliffe added that "some voter registration information" had been obtained by both Iran and Russia. Politico (10/21, Geller, 4.29M) reports that Ratcliffe added that there "is no indication that either Russia or Iran hacked into voter registration databases to obtain the information that they used to send the emails. Voter data is publicly available in many states." The Washington Post (10/21, Stanley-Becker, Timberg, 14.2M) reports that Wray said, "We are not going to tolerate foreign interference in our elections or any criminal activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote or undermines public confidence in the outcome of the election. When we see indications of foreign interference or federal election crimes, we're going to aggressively investigate and work with our partners to quickly take appropriate action." NBC News (10/21, Collier, 6.14M) reports that Wray "said there was still no way for Iranian or Russian intelligence to change Americans' votes." USA Today (10/21, Slack, Sassoon, 10.31M) reports that CISA Director Christopher Krebs added, "These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters' confidence in our elections." The Miami Herald (10/21, Ceballos, 1.09M) reports that the FBI "was investigating the emails Wednesday. Ratcliffe said the intelligence community caught the activity `immediately." The Washington Post (10/21, Stanley-Becker, Timberg, 14.2M) reports, "The claim that Iran was behind the email operation, which became news Tuesday as Democrats in several swing states reported receiving emails demanding that they vote for President Trump, came without specific evidence, and other U.S. officials, speaking privately, stressed that Russia still remained the major threat to the 2020 election." Fox News (10/21, Dorman, 27.59M) reports the operation "apparently used email addresses obtained from state voter registration lists, which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include email addresses and phone numbers. Those addresses were then used in an apparently widespread targeted spamming operation." The Wall Street Journal (10/21, Volz, Gurman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Ratcliffe also said that Iran is disseminating a video promoting a false claim that fraudulent ballots are being cast from abroad. The Washington Times (10/21, Dinan, 492K) reports the video "suggests that the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, primarily a backup ballot for military and overseas voters, could change election outcomes. Mr. Krebs's organization said relatively few are cast, so they are not likely to be able to swing an election. And if there were a spike in their use, it `would be detected as anomalous." More broadly, NPR (10/21, Ewing, 3.12M) reports that since 2016, Ratcliffe and Wray "said American officials have worked to toughen U.S. election infrastructure and become more vigilant about election security — work they said has paid off with the awareness demonstrated Wednesday night." The FBI and CISA "have kept up a drumbeat of regular bulletins about what they call the latest intelligence about prospective election cyber-threats." CNN (10/21, Herb, Cohen, 83.16M) reports that Ratcliffe said, "We are prepared for the possibility of actions by those hostile to democracy." Business Insider (10/21, Sheth, 3.67M) reports Russia, Iran, and China "have been at the top of national security officials' radars as foreign adversaries looking to meddle in the US election. Over the summer, the US intelligence community concluded that Russia does not want Biden to win the election, while China does." EFTA00148542  Meanwhile, NBC News (10/22, Dilanian, 6.14M) reports that Trustwave, a global cybersecurity firm, "says it has found a hacker selling personally identifying information from more than 200 million Americans, including the voter registration data of 148 million." However, "much of the data" is "publicly available, and almost all of it is the kind that is regularly bought and sold by legitimate businesses." Also reporting on the announcement are Bloomberg (10/21, Strohm, 4.73M), Reuters (10/21), ABC News (10/21, Mallin, Barr, 2.97M), Courthouse News (10/21, Solis, 2K), the Daily Beast (10/21, Quinn, 1.39M), the Daily Caller (10/21, Hagstrom, 716K), The Verge (10/21, Peters, Kelly, 2.05M), and Axios (10/21, Knutson, 521K), among others. Rubio, Warner Stress Elections Are Secure. CBS News (10/21, Watson, Hymes, Quinn, 3.68M) reports that shortly before the announcement, Acting SSCI Chair Marco Rubio and Vice Chair Mark Warner "emphasized that U.S. elections are secure." They said in a joint statement, "As we enter the last weeks before the election, we urge every American - including members of the media - to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting. State and local election officials are in regular contact with federal law enforcement and cyber security professionals, and they are all working around the clock to ensure that Election 2020 is safe, secure, and free from outside interference." Democrats, Clapper Question Ratcliffe's Announcement. MSNBC (10/22, 7.86M) reports that House Intel Chair Adam Schiff "says voters should be cautious about information announced" by Ratcliffe "on election interference because of his history of providing 'campaign fodder for the president:" Schiff told "Lawrence O'Donnell the information about Russian and Iranian interference must be further investigated to determine whether it's 'Ratcliffe spin or the assessment of the analysts." MSNBC (10/21, 7.86M) reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer "points out to Rachel Maddow that even though DNI John Ratcliffe said at his press conference that Iran was trying to damage Donald Trump, that was not conveyed in the classified briefing he received, which emphasized a goal of general chaos." CNN (10/22, 83.16M) reports that in an appearance, former DNI James Clapper questioned the time of Ratcliffe's news conference. PROTESTS NYTimes Analysis: Meaning Of "Militia" Has Broadened. The New York Times (10/21, MacFarquhar, 18.61M) looks at the evolution of the term "militia," writing that "the term has taken on new meaning as makeshift vigilante groups have popped up with increasing frequency in the months leading up to a contentious election. Once limited to the far-right fringe, the term 'militia' now encompasses a far wider spectrum, representing everything from armed-to-the-teeth neighborhood watch organizations to an all-Black paramilitary group that marches to protest police violence." OPERATION LEGEND Barr Touts Operation LeGend In Memphis. The Memphis (TN) Commercial Appeal (10/21, 338K) reports that Attorney General Barr "spoke in Memphis on Wednesday, praising police officers, attacking the news media for what he called a 'false narrative' of bad cops, and saying a federal surge in Memphis has resulted in arrests of numerous homicide suspects." The MCA adds that as Barr "left the Hickory Hill police station where he spoke, escorted by the Memphis Police Department, several demonstrators swore at him and the police, who worked to clear the station's driveway. In the moments after Barr left, one activist, Hunter Demster, was detained by police." Police spokesman Louis Brownlee "confirmed two people were arrested." According to the MCA, "Barr's visit came while the nation EFTA00148543 is under the ongoing shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, severe gun violence in Memphis and a national election in which President Trump is pressuring Barr to intervene against his opponent." The Daily Memphian (TN) (10/21, Jones) reports that Barr said on Wednesday "that 5,500 arrests have been made nationwide, including 66 in Memphis, as part of Operation LeGend, an initiative designed to help curb violent crime in select cities." Barr "came to Memphis to provide an update on the operation, thanking Memphis police for doing their jobs in spite of, what Barr said, was the media painting them as bad guys. Barr told more than two dozen officers at MPD's Ridgeway police precinct that media coverage 'often distorts the work of the police and somehow has taken some very unfortunate incidents and used them to paint a false narrative or create a false narrative of our police and make them appear to be sometimes the bad guys: 'I salute all of you for standing tall during these times and continuing to perform your mission,' Barr said." Barr "also said he thinks there has been an increase in violent crime because of Covid-19 and because of 'the demonization of police officers, with the community less willing to help." WATN-TV Memphis, TN (10/21) reports that "a dozen of demonstrators waved signs and attempted to block a Memphis Police motorcade carrying U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, from MPD's Ridgeway Station. Our cameras saw two of those demonstrators detained by officers, just moments after the attorney general thanked MPD officers for their commitment in the community. 'I think it's the toughest job in the United States but today in this climate it's probably 10 times as harder as it's ever been,' Barr said. 'Businesses will not be able to take root in communities if the streets are shooting galleries, so the foundation for social progress is peace,' Barr said." Barr To Discuss Operation LeGend In Indianapolis Today. WTHR-TV Indianapolis (10/21, 465K) reports that Attorney General Barr "will be in Indianapolis Thursday to discuss Operation Legend at a law enforcement roundtable." WTHR-TV adds, "At the start of October, it was announced Operation Legend's 45-day run in Indianapolis would be extended indefinitely in an effort to crackdown on gun violence." Barr "launched Operation Legend July 8 in Kansas City, Missouri. Since the launch of Operation Legend in Indianapolis, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Josh Minkler said there has been a 22 percent reduction in homicides. The effort comes as Indianapolis is on pace to set a record for yearly homicides. As the operation marked 54 days in Indianapolis, Minkler said 201 guns had been seized and 97 fugitives taken off the streets. Those fugitives were wanted for crimes including homicide, sexual assault, aggravated assault and robbery." US Attorney Concerned About Milwaukee Violence. WTMJ-TV Milwaukee (10/21, Vitrano, 142K) reports, "Milwaukee is on pace to break a horrifying record, and it could happen in just a matter of weeks. 2020 could be the worst year ever for homicides. The Federal Government is increasingly worried about violent crime problem in Milwaukee, and offering collaborative resources through Operation Legend." According to WTMJ- TV, "1991 is the worst year on record for murders in Milwaukee, with 165 people killed. As of the beginning of this week, Milwaukee Police say there have been 155 homicides, well on pace to break the record." US Attorney Matthew Krueger "points to a series of factors colliding in tragic fashion to cause the unprecedented number of murders. 'Certainly we think the pandemic, economic insecurity, reduced respect for law enforcement and the prevalence of firearms are all contributing factors,' Krueger said. 'I also point to drug trafficking." 101 Arrested In Cleveland Area Under Operation LeGend. WXYZ-TV Detroit (10/22, 236K) reports, "More than a hundred people in the Cleveland area are facing federal charges relating to crimes targeted under Operation Legend, according to an update from the U.S. Attorney's Office." WXYZ-TV adds, "A total of 101 people have been charged. Of those, 59 people have been brought up on narcotics charges, authorities said. EFTA00148544 Thirty-eight people have been charged with firearm offenses, and four individuals have been charged with violent crimes. 'Thanks to the hard work of all those involved in our collaborative law enforcement partnership, we have now charged over 100 defendants in Cleveland under Operation Legend,' said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. 'Among those charged are career criminals, heroin and fentanyl traffickers, felons with rifles and other high-powered weapons, carjackers, bank robbers and many more. We will continue to pursue these violent criminals and drug traffickers until everyone in Cleveland can live safely and peacefully." Under Operation LeGend, 126 People Charged In Albuquerque. KRQE-TV Albuquerque, NM (10/21, 35K) reports from Albuquerque, New Mexico, "The U.S. Department of Justice has given another update about the nationwide crime-fighting initiative called Operation Legend. In Albuquerque, 126 people have been charged with federal crimes, 64 of them related to guns. Another 52 have been charged with drug crimes; 10 others are charged with violent crimes. Nationwide, 5,500 have been arrested and more than 1,100 of those have been charged with federal crimes." COUNTER-TERRORISM Former CIA Analyst Kristen Wood Interviewed About Al Qaeda, 9/11. CBS News (10/21, 3.68M), in an episode of "Intelligence Matters: Declassified," interviews "Kristin Wood, a veteran of the CIA who managed the team of analysts charged with preparing the CIA director for briefings" to Congress and NSC meetings at the CIA. Wood discusses "the time she spent as briefer to Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, and being the backup briefer for Cheney." Wood is quoted saying the "Murky Paper" report was "written in the context of some of the administration using questionable intelligence reports to justify their views that Iraq was somehow complicit in the 9/11 attacks." German Authorities Treating Killing Of Tourist As Possible Islamist Terror Attack. The Wall Street Journal (10/21, Pancevski, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that German prosecutors have detained an IS supporter for the killing of a tourist, who they are now considering as a terror suspect. The Syrian asylum seeker was arrested on Tuesday after an incident on October 4 in which two tourists were stabbed in Dresden. The 20-year-old suspect arrived in 2015 as an asylum seeker, and had recently completed a three-year juvenile sentence for assaulting a police officer. Reuters (10/21) also reports. Beheaded Teacher Honored Amid Crackdown On Islamists In France. The Washington Post (10/21, McAuley, 14.2M) reports that on Wednesday in Paris, Samuel Paty, "the middle school history teacher who was beheaded for having shown his students caricatures of the prophet Muhammad during a lesson on free expression, was posthumously granted France's highest award, the Legion d'Honneur, and commemorated in a national ceremony at the Sorbonne University." The Post adds, "His gruesome killing in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine has revived the nation's horror at the 2015 attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo. And just as France stood by the satirical newspaper then, it is rallying around its teachers." According to the Post, "The killing has provided further impetus for a French government effort to rein in radicalization and - controversially - to 'reform' how Islam is practiced in France." The AP (10/21) reports that "authorities have identified the killer as Abdoullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old Moscow-born Chechen refugee who was later shot dead by police." The AP says Anzorov "paid students to help him identify the victim, France's terrorism prosecutor said Wednesday." According to the AP, "Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said a 14-year-old and a 15- year-old are among seven people who appeared before an investigating magistrate on EFTA00148545 accusations of `complicity in murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking' and 'criminal conspiracy." The AP adds, "The other suspects also include a student's father who posted videos on social media that called for mobilization against the teacher and an Islamist activist who helped the man disseminate the virulent messages, which named Paty and gave the school's address." The New York Times (10/21, Nossiter, 18.61M) reports that as "national homage" to "the slain teacher, Samuel Paty" continued, special antiterrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard "unveiled the new findings in the inquiry on Wednesday as part of a probe into what he termed a 'terrorist murder conspiracy." The Times says, "That designation suggests officials are attempting to cast a broad net and don't view the suspect...as merely a lone-wolf killer, an approach that dovetails with the government's view that the killing reflects a menacing surge of militant Islamism." This view "has justified dozens of raids all over France, the closure of a prominent mosque, the shutting down of Muslim aid organizations and the mass expulsion of foreigners identified in government antiterrorism files." The Wall Street Journal (10/21, Bisserbe, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that French President Emmanuel Macron positioned Paty and his killing as representative of the country's fight against Islamist extremism in a national tribute to the schoolteacher. The government said it will visit and potentially dissolve over 50 of these purported extremist groups as part of a broader crackdown on Muslim associations. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Fox News: Laptop Linked To Hunter Biden Connected To FBI Money Laundering Probe. Fox News (10/21, Singman, 27.59M) reports, "The FBI's subpoena of a laptop and hard drive purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden came in connection with a money laundering investigation in late 2019, according to documents obtained by Fox News and verified by multiple federal law enforcement officials who reviewed them. It is unclear, at this point, whether the investigation is ongoing or if it was directly related to Hunter Biden." Fox News adds, "Multiple federal law enforcement officials, as well as two separate government officials, confirmed the authenticity of these documents, which were signed by FBI Special Agent Joshua Wilson," and "one of the documents, obtained by Fox News, was designated as an FBI `Receipt for Property' form, which details the bureau's interactions with John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of 'The Mac Shop' who reported the laptop's contents to authorities." The New York Post (10/21, O'Neill, 4.57M) reports, "One document was designated as an FBI 'Receipt for Property' form, which details the bureau's interactions with the owner of 'The Mac Shop' who reported the laptop's contents to authorities. The document has a `Case ID' section, which is filled in with a hand-written number: 272D-BA-3065729. According to multiple officials, and the FBI's website, '272' is the bureau's classification for money laundering, while '272D' refers to `Money Laundering, Unknown SUA [Specified Unlawful Activity]—White Collar Crime Program.' One government source said '272D' mean 'transnational or blanket,' while 'BA' means the case was opened in the FBI's Baltimore office, which covers Wilmington, Del., where the subpoena was executed. `The FBI cannot open a case without predication, so they believed there was predication for criminal activity,' a government official told Fox News. 'This means there was sufficient evidence to believe that there was criminal conduct." Giuliani Turns Over Hunter Biden Laptop To Delaware Authorities. The Delaware News Journal (10/21, Baker, 360K) reports, "Rudy Giuliani's efforts to tarnish Joe Biden's presidential campaign continued in Delaware when he visited a police station Monday to share files from what he said was Hunter Biden's laptop." A spokesman for Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings (D) said, "They've got a hard drive, or a laptop, or something to that effect. They try to turn it over to New Castle County PD. New Castle County PD calls us." TIME (10/21, 18.47M) reports on its website that "explicit photos and emails purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden were circulating in Ukraine last year at the same time that Rudy EFTA00148546 Giuliani was searching for dirt there on former Vice President Joe Biden," according to "two people approached about the material during that period. ... The emails' alleged availability, which has not been previously reported, comes to light in the wake of Giuliani's recent claims that he obtained private photos and emails of Hunter Biden from a broken laptop abandoned in Delaware." White House Senior Communications Advisor Ben Williamson said on Fox Across America (10/21), "You had Democrats over the weekend...making the sort of preliminary allegation that this was Russian disinformation as they so often like to do with anything that is inconvenient to the Democrat Party, but we're slowly starting to see more and more evidence, as we usually do, come out that that's not the case, that this is a real, legit concern." Asked about criticism of Rudy Giuliani on One America News NetworkVi (10/21, 28K), Morgenstern said, "He has uncovered information that is incredibly damaging and threatening. It shows that a major party's candidate may have been compromised by a foreign power." Joe Biden Says Son Did Not Profit Off Family Name. Fox News (10/21, Fordham, 27.59M) reports on its website that Joe Biden, in a Wisconsin interview, denied that his son profited because of his family name. Joe Biden said, "This is the same garbage [from] Rudy Giuliani, Trump's henchman. It's the last-ditch effort in this desperate campaign to smear me and my family." The Daily Caller (10/21, 716K) reports Biden was responding to claims from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) "that Hunter Biden has 'profited off the Biden name' through his foreign business dealings." Chief of Staff Meadows said on Fox News' Bill Hemmer Reports (10/21), "This is not about Hunter Biden. This is about the Biden family, this is about pay-for-play. This is actually about what kind of access did Hunter Biden sell to his father, the Vice President? That's what this is all about." Trump: Facebook, Twitter Are Trying To Protect Biden. President Trump was asked in a town hall hosted by Sinclair Broadcasting GroupVI (10/21, 11K) if Facebook and Twitter are biased. Trump said, "Oh, 100%. And frankly, that's turning out to be as big a story as the corruption itself. They are trying to protect [Joe Biden] because that's the way it is with the Democrats. It's a part of the Democrat Party, I guess. But they're trying to protect Biden from this corruption where they get caught." Russian Analyst Behind Dossier Claims Steele Paid Him For "Raw Intelligence." The New York Times (10/21, Savage, Goldman, Kessel, 18.61M) reports that "when the publication of a dossier of unproven rumors about Donald J. Trump and Russia rocked American politics in early 2017, one salacious claim jumped out: Russia intelligence services supposedly had a video showing Mr. Trump cavorting with prostitutes in Moscow's Ritz-Carlton hotel." The Times says "no evidence emerged supporting the existence of any tape." The claim came from Igor Danchenko, "a Russia analyst who gathered leads about possible Trump-Russia links for what turned out to be Democratic-funded opposition research." The Times reports that Danchenko "describe[s] hearing rumors from two sources about a possible sex tape involving Mr. Trump and the Ritz-Carlton, then obtaining more nebulous information from two hotel employees he took as corroborative." The Times adds that Danchenko claims he was "assigned simply to gather 'raw intelligence' for his employer, Christopher Steele." Judge Rules Against Releasing Russia Probe Docs Despite Trump Tweet To The Contrary. Politico (10/21, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports that on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Reggie Walton ruled that two tweets from President Trump that "appeared to call for the declassification of all documents related to the probe of Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election won't trigger any further release of information to the public." According to Politico, Walton "lamented the president's sweeping language, but said a clarification White House chief of staff Mark Meadows submitted to the court Tuesday amounted to a retraction of EFTA00148547 the tweets. ... `Obviously, when there's ever a reference to declassification of classified information those words spoken should be artfully spoken, so there's no ambiguity as to what the intent was and, obviously, that's not what occurred here,' Walton said during a brief telephone hearing on Freedom of Information Act lawsuits." Politico says BuzzFeed and CNN have "argued that Trump's Oct. 6 tweets constituted an unambiguous order to declassify the requested materials." The Washington Post (10/21, Hsu, 14.2M) reports, "In a teleconference hearing Wednesday," DO) trial lawyer Courtney D. Enlow "said the May 23, 2019, authorization was not an order but a delegation of discretionary authority" to AG Barr "as he conducted the review into Trump's claims that he was improperly spied on by Obama administration appointees." Enlow said, "It simply refers again to the fact that the attorney general, quote `may' declassify information - not that is directed to, not that he has to, not that he's ordered to." Documents: Clinton Operatives Engaged Officials With "Anti-Trump" Information After 2016 Election. The Washington Times (10/21, Scarborough, 492K) reports, "Hillary Clinton operatives continued to push false information against Donald Trump" to Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, according to "Repeated Clinton-funded communications in 2016 and 2017." The "Hillary Clinton operatives" engaged Ohr on with theories such as a "supposed secret trip to Prague, a Trump campaign-Kremlin liaison team and a mysterious Moscow bank server." The FBI conducted 12 interviews "with Mr. Ohr, whose wife, Nellie, worked at Fusion [GPS]." That company's "co-founder Glenn R. Simpson handled his main researcher, Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who in 2016 produced what Republicans say is a hoax dossier." According to the interview notes, "Steele was interested in working with the FBI and had additional information if the FBI was interested." Danchenko Says Allegations He Is A "Russian Agent" Are "Slander." The Hill (10/21, Castronuovo, 2.98M) reports that Igor Danchenko "said on Wednesday that he wants to clear his name, adding that the claim by Trump's allies that he is a `Russian agent' is `slander." Danchenko is a "Russia analyst who gathered intelligence on possible links between President Trump and Russia that was used in a controversial dossier." In the New York Times interview, "Danchenko said that after his identity was revealed in July, he began receiving threats and harassment, especially following Attorney General William Barr's declassification of the fact that Danchenko was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation a decade ago." Also reporting is the Daily Caller (10/21, 716K). Pentagon Announces $23B Budget For Military Intelligence In FY20. The Hill (10/21, Kheel, 2.98M) reports, "The Pentagon's classified military intelligence budget received $23.1 billion for the recently ended fiscal year," DOD announced Wednesday. A statement read, "The department has determined that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within the MIP." DOD added no other "MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they remain classified for national security reasons." The Hill writes the "$23.1 billion for fiscal 2020 includes both base budget funding and a war fund known as the Overseas Contingency Operations account." The sum is the "highest amount for the military intelligence budget since fiscal 2010." Also reporting is Defense News (10/21, Mehta, 21K). US Agencies Coordinating Efforts To Thwart Russian Election Meddling. The Washington Post (10/21, Nakashima, Timberg, 14.2M) says "the U.S. government is mounting a major effort to prevent a repeat of 2016 - when federal agencies were slow to address Russia's attempts to manipulate the presidential election - and is taking a range of actions despite the disinterest of President Trump, who questions intelligence that the Kremlin EFTA00148548 is intent on undermining American democracy." According to the Post, "Top security agencies are coordinating actions to thwart foreign hackers, prevent Russia-linked individuals from entering the United States and freeze any of their assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction. They are also passing intelligence to social media firms, and helping state and local election officials shore up their defenses." FBI, CISA, and ODNI have "briefed candidates, parties and the congressional intelligence committees on foreign threats to the election and their systems," and the "last briefings for the campaigns are expected this week." Meanwhile, "CyberCom and the NSA are undertaking broader and more sophisticated actions, including against the Russian military spy agency, the GRU, and a botnet run by Russian-speaking criminals, U.S. officials said." New Facebook Report Shows How Spammers, Stammers Are Profiting Off US Election. Reuters (10/21) writes that in a report about "'inauthentic behaviour' on its platform, Facebook said the Nov. 3 election had become a common lure to trick users into visiting online stores or websites laden with pay-per-view adverts." Fraudsters are "posting about U.S. politics and the upcoming presidential election to build fake audiences, maximise clicks and make money online." On Wednesday, Nathaniel Gleicher, head of head of cybersecurity policy for Facebook, said, "If you are a financially motivated actor who's trying to make money based on clicks, you are going to use whatever content is going to get you eyeballs." Gleicher added Facebook wants "people to be aware of the full range of deception that is happening out there." Senate Intelligence Committee Warns Of Threats To Election Systems. The Hill (10/21, Budryk, 2.98M) reports, "Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) warned in a joint statement Wednesday that foreign actors may seek to attack U.S. election infrastructure or create the impression they have." The Senators wrote, "Our adversaries abroad seek to sow chaos and undermine voters' belief in our democratic institutions, including the election systems and infrastructure that we rely on to record and properly report expressions of the voters' will." Rubio and Warner added, "They may seek to target those systems, or simply leave the impression that they have altered or manipulated those systems, in order to undermine their credibility and our confidence in them." Trump Signs Bill Making It A Federal Crime To Hack Voting Systems. The Hill (10/21, 2.98M) reports that on Tuesday, President Trump signed the Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act, which makes it a "federal crime to attempt to hack federal voting systems." The legislation was approved by the Senate last year and the House last month. The Act empowers DOJ "to pursue charges against anyone who attempts to hack a voting system under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, commonly used by the agency to pursue charges against malicious hackers." The original bill was the "result of a 2018 report compiled by the DOJ's Cyber Digital Task Force, which evaluated ways the federal government could improve its response to cyber threats." DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs said on Tuesday, "We remain confident that no foreign cyber actor can change your vote, and we still believe that it would be incredibly difficult for them to change the outcome of an election at the national level." Google Report Says Foreign Hackers Are Now Using Malware. Fox News (10/21, Crothers, 27.59M) reports, "Foreign hackers who have been trying to hack the Biden and Trump campaigns are now using fake McAfee and YouTube videos and Dropbox- based malware, Google said in a report." The tech company also "outlined other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), a term usually reserved for nation-state actors." The report said, "As part of our wider tracking of APT31 activity, we've also seen them deploy targeted malware campaigns." Digital Shadows cyber threat intelligence analyst Austin Merritt told Fox News, "By EFTA00148549 hosting malware on legitimate websites, threat actors can bypass automated defenses by abusing the many genuine websites that often won't be blocked for business reasons, thus offering a window of opportunity to evade early detection." FBI, Maryland US Attorney's Office Launch Voter Misinformation Initiative. WJZ-TV Baltimore (10/21, 74K) reports, "The Maryland US Attorney's office is teaming up with the FBI to fight against election misinformation." They have "launched a national voter misinformation initiative to find potential voter suppression schemes." Voters are urged to "check [their] sources and report misinformation on social media or to the FBI." Experts Fear China's Disinformation Ops Pose A Threat Past Election Day. NBC News (10/21, 6.14M) reports that security experts "fear that the Chinese government's disinformation operations pose a far more insidious menace to democracy that will continue well past Election Day." Meanwhile, "U.S. intelligence experts generally agree that Russia is better than any other country at spreading disinformation to undermine voter confidence leading up to the election." Scholars "say the Chinese are growing bolder and more brazen, often taking pages from what used to be seen as Russia's playbook in discrediting the United States." DNI Director Ratcliffe has "said dozens of lawmakers had been more broadly targeted by Chinese influence campaigns, a fact first reported by The Hill newspaper." An unnamed congressional official said, "The Chinese can't afford to see us in chaos, because we are their biggest market. They are trying to accelerate the relative decline of the United States and their ascension to primacy." Poll: Four-Fifths Of Americans Call Misinformation About Campaigns "Major Problem." The AP (10/21) reports, "A new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research and USAFacts finds that" voters have a hard time "knowing whether there's any factual basis for the information they're getting from and about the candidates." The poll found "More than 8 in 10 rated the spread of misinformation about government a 'major problem." Some 35% of those polled "turn to the web to see if news about the contest is true," while "13% said they turn to cable news networks, 8% said national news networks and only 3% went with newspapers or online news sites, reflecting a broader loss of trust in news organizations." A former CIA officer and the current vice president of analysis at Alethea Group, Cindy Otis, said, "We are living today in the biggest period of false information in history." She added, "Americans are losing trust in what they read and see online." Meanwhile, the poll shows, at least 6 in 10 "say it's easy to find factual information about registering to vote and casting their ballot." Navalny Ally Says Kremlin Is Intimidating Him To Discourage Return To Russia. Reuters (10/21, Zverev, Nikolskaya) reports, "The Kremlin is trying to intimidate opposition politician Alexei Navalny to discourage him from returning to Russia to campaign once he recovers from his poisoning," according to Leonid Volkov, a member of his team. Since his poisoning, Russia has "accused Navalny of working with" the CIA, "prompting the pro- government Federal News Agency to report that Navalny could be guilty of treason." Volkov said, "We see all kinds of intimidation by them: 'let's arrest his apartment ... let's open cases into state treason," adding it is "clear these are all just fakes designed to intimidate." House Independent Throws Support Behind Resolution Clearing Snowden, Assange. The Washington Times (10/21, Blake, 492K) reports that Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) on Wednesday supported "congressional resolutions calling for the U.S. government to abandon its cases against wanted leakers Edward 3. Snowden and Julian Assange." Amash announced "he signed on to become a co-sponsor of separate, similar resolutions urging the government to drop the charges facing the two secret-spillers." The resolutions were introduced by Rep. Tulsi EFTA00148550 Gabbard (D-HI) "and had already gained slight bipartisan support before Mr. Amash...joined in." Snowden is "wanted in the U.S. to face charges related to admittedly leaking classified material to members of the media in 2013." Assange "was charged last year under the Espionage Act with crimes stemming from his longtime role as founder and publisher of the WikiLeaks anti- secrecy website." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Maryland Man Faces Federal Charges For Threatening Biden And Harris. The CBS Evening NewsVi (10/21, story 3, 1:45, O'Donnell, 4.55M) reported, "A Maryland man is facing three federal charges after threatening to kill Joe Biden and Kamala Harris." CBS' Jeff Pegues added, "Federal prosecutors say this is James Reed, captured on a door camera, leaving his threatening handwritten note at the Maryland home of a Biden supporter. The note says, `We're the ones with those scary guns. When we capture grandpa Biden, we will all severely beat him to the point of death and would execute both Biden and Kamala Harris on national television." The Baltimore Sun (10/21, Prudente, 1.33M) reports Reed "was arrested last week by Frederick Police and remains held without bail. After agents asked for his fingerprints and a handwriting sample, he confessed to writing the letter because he was upset at the political situation, they wrote in charging documents." The New York Times (10/21, Dewan, 18.61M) reports Reed "provided a palm print and handwriting sample and acknowledged having written the letter, according to the complaint. He is charged with the federal offense of threatening a major candidate, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, and two violations of state law: threatening mass violence and voter intimidation." USA Today (10/21, Peter, 10.31M), the Wall Street Journal (10/21, Viswanatha, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the New York Daily News (10/21, Goldiner, 2.52M), the New York Post (10/21, Moore, 4.57M), the Washington Times (10/21, Mordock, 492K), and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10/21, 895K) also have brief reports on the arrest. Two South Carolina Men Charged With PPE Theft. The Charlotte (NC) Observer (10/21, Monk, 470K) reports from Charleston, South Carolina, "Two Charleston area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of stealing a large stash of coronavirus Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from a major law enforcement training facility." According to the Observer, "The PPE included high quality respirator masks, other kinds of masks and goggles that help protect people from catching the highly contagious, sometimes fatal COVID-19 virus that has killed more than 220,000 Americans. The men, Frank Smail, Jr., 49, of Round O, and Mike Pellegrini, 58, of North Charleston, were charged in a multi-count federal indictment alleging conspiracy to steal the protective gear from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston." Smail "was also charged with PPE theft, obstruction of justice, and lying to federal agents." Prosecutors Denounce False Claim That Missing New Jersey Girl Was Found Dead. The Cumberland County (NJ) News (10/21, Gray, 1.75M) reports, "Authorities say a post circulating on social media suggesting a child who vanished from a Bridgeton park more than a year ago has been found dead is false." Dulce Maria Alavez "was 5 years old when she disappeared from Bridgeton City Park on Sept. 16, 2019, and her whereabouts remain unknown. The fraudulent post is made to look like an official announcement from law enforcement." Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae "issued an a