EFTA00148864.pdf

From• To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, December 01, 2020 Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:25:12 +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: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 6:30 AM EST TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Former CISA Director Defends Election Integrity In "60 Minutes" Interview. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Texas Man Sentenced For Federal Reserve Bomb Threat. • Two Washington Women Charged With Train Track Interference. • Co-Conspirator In Minnesota Terrorism Case Testifies He Botched Abortion Clinic Bombing On Purpose. • AP Chronicles Long Road To Prosecution Of ISIS "Beatles." • Defeat-ISIS Task Force Leader Christopher Maier Resigns. • Gunmen Kill At Least 110 In Nigerian Village. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • DO) Says Flynn Case Should Be Dismissed In Wake Of Pardon. • Parnas, Fruman Plead Not Guilty In Federal Court In Manhattan. • Former Trump Advisor Says FBI Agent Used Alias During 2017 Interviews. • Biden, Harris Receive First Intelligence Briefings. • Analysis: Biden Presidency Could Have Implications For Data Privacy Litigation. • Report: UAE Apparently Funding Russian Mercenary Group In Libya. • Report: Czech President Calls For List Of Russian Spies, Triggering Security Concerns. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Reportedly Exchanged Encrypted Messages. • WPost Examines Case Of America's Deadliest Serial Killer. • West Virginia Man Sentenced For Methamphetamine Conspiracy. • Ohio University Employee Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography. • Louisiana Announces Arrests For Child Pornography. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Child In Montana. • FBI Offering $25K For Information On New York Murder. • Two More Defendants Sentenced In "Operation Shutdown Corner." • Nebraska Teenager Indicted For Attempted Murder. EFTA00148864 • Pennsylvania Teenager Charged In Connection To Gun Trafficking. • Texas Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors. • FBI Investigating Hate Crime In Missouri. • Continuing Coverage: Hawai'i Man Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping, Drug Conspiracy. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Federal Agencies Warn Of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams. • US Charges Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor In City Hall Corruption Probe. • US Charges San Francisco Public Utilities Official In Corruption Probe. • Cincinnati Attorney Tapped To Fill Position Of Suspended City Councilman. • Ohio Utilities Commission To Replace Regulator Who Resigned After FBI Search. • AP: Fundraiser Zuberi Exploited US Politicos For Personal Gain. • Bank Of America Executive Arrested In Bribery Probe. • FBI Reportedly Probing Members Of Alaska State Senate In Apparent Pay-For-Play Scheme. • Hawaii Woman Sentenced For Fraud Conspiracy. • Federal, State Antitrust Authorities To File New Suits Against Facebook, Google. CYBER DIVISION • North Carolina Man Who Was Member Of "Hacker Collective" Sentenced. • Baltimore County Schools Remain Closed Following Ransomware Attack. • Supreme Court Expresses Reservations Over Scope Of Computer Hacking Law. • UK To Block Carriers From Installing Huawei 5G Gear From September 2021. • Alabama School System Sends Home Students After Cybersecurity Threat. • Report: Government Should Get Serious About Supply Chain, Cyberbiosecurity. • Report: Excessive Job Requirements Suppressing Supply Of Cyber Professionals. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Reports Decline In Background Checks For Black Friday Gun Purchases. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Suspect In 2008 Washington Murder Extradited From Mexico. OTHER FBI NEWS • Judge Refuses To Dismiss Spota-McPartland Convictions. • Nxivm Leader Raniere Reportedly Fears Being Killed In Prison. • FBI Installs Automated Record Filing, Retrieval System At Virginia Records Complex. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Atlas Formally Resigns As White House Adviser. • Azar: Some Americans May Get Vaccinated Before End Of Year. • Moderna To Seek FDA Emergency Use Authorization For COVID Vaccine. • Public Health Officials "Sounding Alarms" As Virus Spreads After Thanksgiving. • Newsom Warns Of Wider California Stay-At-Home Order. • Cuomo Announces Five-Pronged "Winter Plan" For COVID Surge. • Miami-Dade Mayor Tests Positive For COVID. • Grassley Returns To Capitol After Quarantining. • Federal Officials Suggest Corrections Staff, Not Inmates, Receive Priority For Vaccine. • Some With Long-Term COVID Symptoms Diagnosed With Autonomic Nervous System Disorder. • Media Analyses: Justices "Skeptical" Of Trump's Census Count Plan. • Trump Reportedly Mulling Additional Immigration Moves. • Congress Sprints To Avoid Government Shutdown On December 11. • Lawmakers Try To Reignite Talks On Coronavirus Relief Bill. EFTA00148865 • Senate Continues To Confirm Trump Nominees. • FCC's Pai To Step Down On Inauguration Day. • NYTimes Analysis: Barrett Could Be Deciding SCOTUS Vote On Gun Rights. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Leaked Documents Show Failings Of Chinese Institutions In Combatting Virus. • European Countries Prepare To Distribute Vaccine. • France Keeps Schools Open Despite 11% Positive Test Rate. • Europe's Nursing Homes Face Resurgent Coronavirus. • Erdooan Announces Turkey's Strictest COVID Lockdown, Extends Curfews To Weeknights. • Kushner Headed To Middle East In Wake Of Fakhrizadeh Killing. • Report Calls For "Significant Changes" To NATO Policy. • Asian Pro-Democracy Activists Worry Biden Will Abandon Trump's Tough China Stance. • French Lawmakers To Overhaul Law On Sharing Images Of Police. • Retirees Rally Against Lukashenko. • Tigray Leader Calls On Ahmed To Withdraw Troops. • Farmers Block New Delhi Highways In Protest Over Agricultural Policies. • Cuban Government Refuses Dialogue With Protesters. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Former CISA Director Defends Election Integrity In "60 Minutes" Interview. The Washington Post (11/30, Marks, 14.2M) reports that in an interview, "Christopher Krebs...offered a cool, rational defense of the election's integrity in his first interview since President Trump fired him" as CISA Director. Krebs "gave '60 Minutes' interviewer Scott Pelley a point-by-point refutation of the unfounded election fraud claims made by Trump and his allies, which he called 'nonsense' and 'farcical." Krebs disputed the claims on the basis that, "as of 2020, there are paper records for 95 percent of ballots cast by American voters. And hand counts of those ballots in Georgia, Wisconsin and elsewhere show no significant difference between what was tabulated by machines." Roll Call (11/30, Ratnam, 154K) reports that Krebs said, "Paper ballots give you the ability to audit, to go back and check the tape and make sure that you got the count right," adding, "that's really one of the keys to success for a secure 2020 election; 95 percent of the ballots cast in the 2020 election had a paper record associated with it." As for whether votes were changed by voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems in Michigan and Georgia, Krebs said, "Georgia has machines that tabulate the vote. ... They then held a hand recount, and the outcome was consistent with the machine vote." Newsweek (11/30, Roche, 1.53M) reports, "International observers have also frequently rated American election security highly." For instance, "Freedom House's most recent report, published before the November election, gave the U.S. 10 out of a possible 12 points under the heading 'Political Rights: Electoral Process." Additionally, the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2019 report "concluded that the world in general had become less democratic but the U.S. remained in the green zone, coming in 25th place." The Washington Post (11/30, 14.2M) separately reports that on "Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Krebs will join Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to discuss his role in the 2020 election and the cyber threats facing the country." A link to the stream is provided. EFTA00148866  Trump, Campaign Vow To Continue Legal Fight As Arizona And Wisconsin Certify Results. President Trump and his campaign team vowed on Monday to continue their legal fight as more states certified the results of the presidential election. The AP (11/30, Bauer) reports Arizona and Wisconsin "certified their presidential election results Monday in favor of Joe Biden, even as [Trump's] legal team continued to dispute the results." The New York Times (11/30, Epstein, Thrush, 18.61M) reports the certification of Biden's 21,000-vote win in Wisconsin "came a few hours after Arizona officials formalized Mr. Biden's even narrower victory there." Biden carried Arizona "by over 10,000 votes." The Washington Post (11/30, Gardner, Brown, Helderman, 14.2M) reports the certifications "brought Biden one step closer to an official victory on Dec. 14, when the electoral college meets." On Monday, Trump addressed Arizona Republican lawmakers "via cellphone, calling the 2020 election the `greatest scam ever perpetrated against our country.' The president ripped into" Gov. Doug Ducey (R), "criticizing him for `rushing to sign' papers certifying Democratic victories." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Paul, Kesling, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Trump tweeted over the weekend that more challenges would be coming; both states allow legal challenges following certification. The AP (11/30) reports Ducey and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) "both vouched for the integrity of the election before signing off on the results." Ducey said, "We do elections well here in Arizona. The system is strong." The Arizona Republic (11/30, 869K) reports that Hobbs "touted high turnout despite the election unfolding in the midst of a pandemic and attributed much of that to the long-running popularity of voting by mail in Arizona and broader awareness of early in-person voting." In Wisconsin, the AP (11/30, Bauer) reports, "confirmation of the results by the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission started a five-day window for Trump to file a lawsuit. ... Trump's attorneys have alleged without evidence that there was widespread fraud and illegal activity." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/30, 632K) reports, "Trump has said he will bring a lawsuit in Wisconsin by Tuesday." The Wisconsin State Journal (11/30, Vetterkind, 372K) similarly writes that for Trump's campaign, "which has so far come up short in multiple efforts to overturn the election results in several states, its last resort in Wisconsin is to appeal to the courts, which Trump has said he will do." Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Navarro said on Fox Business' Evening Edit, "Having looked at hundreds and hundreds of affidavits, the election outcome is still very much in doubt. We owe it to the American people to let the process go forward." Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump said on Fox News' The Story (11/30), "I still think that the President will get four more years in office. ... We believe that Donald Trump legitimately won this election. He got 11 million more votes...in this election than he did in 2016." Trump's Charges Against Georgia GOP Officials Could Impact Senate Runoffs. Mary Bruce said on ABC World News TonightVI (11/30, 6:40 p.m. ET, story 3, Muir, 7.69M), "In Georgia, the President is still railing against the Republican governor and Secretary of State, who certified Biden's win there." Trump: "The Governor's done nothing. He's done absolutely nothing. I'm ashamed that I endorsed him." Bruce: "Trump's false claims of fraud threaten to undermine Republican efforts to win Georgia's two special Senate elections on January 5." Norah O'Donnell said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/30, 6:39 p.m. ET, story 3, 4.67M), "President Trump is launching more false charges of ballot fraud in states where he lost. But now some in his party worry the President's attacks could cost him votes in Georgia where two runoffs will decide which party controls the US Senate." CBS' Paula Reid: "With the Trump campaign recount in Wisconsin failing to reverse Biden's win in the state, the President looked to Georgia where he called on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to overrule the Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican, and help him win the state." Raffensperger: "The truth matters." Reid: "Raffensperger disputed the claim and said today that third-party groups are continuing to spread false information." EFTA00148867  Fox News (11/30, Conner, 27.59M) reports on its website that Trump called on Kemp "to override (Raffensperger) on matching signatures during the state's recount, in a tweet Monday." Trump tweeted, "Why won't Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes. It will be a 'goldmine' of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state." The New York Times (11/30, Lerer, Fausset, Haberman, 18.61M) says Trump's "sustained assault on his own party in Georgia, and his repeated claims of election fraud in the state, have intensified worries among Republicans that he could be hurting" Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) in their runoffs. Trump's "broadsides have quietly rattled some Republicans in the state, who fear that concerns about the fairness of the presidential election could depress turnout for the Senate races." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Corse, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Raffensperger said officials are investigating third-party groups trying to register people in other states to vote in Georgia in the runoffs, but said there was no widespread fraud in the general election. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/30, 895K) reports Raffensperger "said one group sent applications to people in New York City. Another tried to register a dead Alabama woman. Two other groups also sent improper applications, the secretary said. Groups that were contacted denied the accusations." The Washington Post (11/30, 14.2M) looks at the political divide within Georgia that led to the narrow Biden win. Trump "Allies" Want Federal Court To Award Michigan Electors To President. The Detroit Free Press (11/30, 1.52M) reports Trump "allies...want a federal court in Michigan to force state leaders to set aside election results and award its 16 electoral votes to the president. A separate conservative group also wants the Michigan Supreme Court to invalidate the results that show [Biden] won the state." A lawsuit "filed by Trump-affiliated attorney Sidney Powell and a cadre of other lawyers, wants a judge to force" Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) "to 'decertify' those results. They want to act before Dec. 14, when the Electoral College is set to meet." MLive (MI) (11/30, 925K) reports that Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), who "represents a staunchly pro-Trump district in Michigan's thumb region," tweeted late Sunday, "Oh my God. .@realDonaldTrump Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis. #stopthestupid". Opinion: Damage Is Done Through False Claims About Dominion Voting Systems. John Poulos, President and CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, writes in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal (11/30, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) that the allegations made recently against his company on social media are false. Poulos says the company is American, is not connected to Hugo Chavez, and is not a front for communists. He further writes there is no "vote flipping" algorithm, and the election process is regulated and certified. Poulos argues false allegations about election rigging are doing damage to US democracy and should be retracted. COUNTER-TERRORISM Texas Man Sentenced For Federal Reserve Bomb Threat. The AP (11/30) reports from Brownsville, Texas, "A South Texas man was sentenced on Monday to two years in federal prison after making online threats to bomb a Federal Reserve building, according to authorities." Joel Hayden Schrimsher "had pleaded guilty on Aug. 24 to conveying false or misleading information through the internet concerning the potential destruction of a federal building. Schrimsher, 19, was arrested after federal authorities in June 2019 traced to him threats made on Twitter in which he had said, 'I'm gonna mail a bomb to the Federal Reserve.' 'The FBI and our law enforcement partners take threats of violence very seriously,' said Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio office." EFTA00148868  The Fort Worth (U() Star-Telegram (11/30, Koop, 406K) reports that Schrimsher "pleaded guilty to conveying false or misleading information through the internet concerning the potential destruction of a federal building, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Schrimsher was accused of posting the tweet in May 2019 of a purported conversation with family members, officials say. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Schrimsher's home in Harlingen, a city in South Texas, and found `physical and documentary evidence consistent with the message Schrimsher sent regarding the Federal Reserve building.' A federal judge said Schrimsher had 'precursor chemicals' and bomb recipes in his bedroom, according to a news release. Schrimsher told the FBI he was being 'edgy' in the tweets, according to the complaint." The Rio Grande Valley (1)1) Morning Star (11/30, 45K) reports, "On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced Schrimsher to two years in prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Rodriguez also noted Schrimsher had chemicals and bomb making recipes in his bedroom at the time he made the threats. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that he considered this a very serious crime." Schrimsher "was arrested on June 6, 2019, after the Harlingen Police Department received a tip from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agents based in Washington, D.C., about a response to a tweet allegedly posted by Schrimsher." The New York Post (11/30, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M) reports, "Schrimsher admitted he posted the threat but said he wasn't serious, while his father testified at an earlier hearing that the chemicals found by cops were used to make a smoke bomb at a family cookout several years earlier, the Morning Star said. But US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced Schrimsher to 24 months in prison and he is waiting for transfer to a federal penitentiary." KWKT-TV Waco, TX (11/30, Gomez-Patino) and KTVT-TV Dallas (11/30) also report. Two Washington Women Charged With Train Track Interference. The AP (11/30, Johnson) reports from Seattle, Washington, "Federal authorities in Seattle have charged two people with a terrorist attack on train tracks, suggesting they were motivated by opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia when they interfered with the operation of a railroad in Washington state." Samantha Frances Brooks, 27, and Ellen Brennan Reiche, 23, both of Bellingham, Washington, "are accused of placing `shunts' on Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks Saturday night. Such devices consist of a wire strung across the tracks, mimicking the electrical signal of a train. The devices can cause trains to automatically brake and can disable railroad crossing guards, investigators said in a complaint filed Monday." The AP adds that "there have been 41 such cases involving the BNSF tracks since January, with a message claiming responsibility posted on an anarchist website early this year, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force said." The 111-City Herald (WA) (11/30, Rasbach, 154K) reports, "Brooks and Reiche appeared in federal court in Seattle on Monday, when they were charged with terrorist attack and other violence against a railroad carrier, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release. On Oct. 11, multiple shunts were placed in three locations in Whatcom and Skagit counties and triggered an automatic braking system on a train transporting hazardous, combustible material, the release states. The emergency braking caused a portion of the train to decouple from the engine, causing a potential derailment of tanker cars carrying flammable gas in a residential area. The FBI's Terrorism Task Force had been investigating shunts being placed on BNSF tracks in the area since Jan. 19, 2020, according to the criminal complaint." Among other news outlets reporting are KGMI-AM Bellingham, WA (11/30, 3K) and KING-7V Seattle (WA) Seattle (12/1, 225K). Co-Conspirator In Minnesota Terrorism Case Testifies He Botched Abortion Clinic Bombing On Purpose. EFTA00148869 The Minneapolis Star Tribune (11/30, Mannix, 1.04M) reports, "A key witness in the case against Michael Hari, the man on trial for bombing a Minnesota mosque, told jurors Monday he intentionally sabotaged a homemade explosive in November 2017 to foil Hari's plot to bomb an abortion clinic in Champaign, Ill." Joe Morris, "who says he was a member of Hari's militia, White Rabbits, told the court he purposely left a piece of masking tape on the homemade thermite bomb at the last moment before lighting and tossing it into Women's Health Practice. 'I didn't feel right in doing what I was about to do,' Morris said in St. Paul's federal courthouse on Monday. 'So I left it on.' A staff member for the clinic found the device intact on the floor of a surgery room the next morning." AP Chronicles Long Road To Prosecution Of ISIS "Beatles." The AP (11/30, Tucker) reports the Justice Department's "most significant terrorism prosecution in years" got underway in Virginia last month as Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh stood "accused of belonging to an IS cell dubbed 'the Beatles,' an incongruously lighthearted nickname for British citizens blamed for the jailing, torture and murder of Western hostages in Syria." While the prosecution "is a counterterrorism success in the waning weeks of the Trump administration," it "almost didn't happen." The AP cites "interviews with 11 people connected to the case," which "make clear the hurdles along the way." Defeat-ISIS Task Force Leader Christopher Maier Resigns. The Hill (11/30, Coleman, 2.98M) reports that Christopher Maier, the "Defeat-ISIS Task Force director resigned from his position at the Pentagon on Monday amid the continued post-election purge" at DOD. He "led the task force focused on examining policy and strategy creation for combating ISIS since it was formed in March 2017." Maier's position "'will be absorbed' by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict and staff from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy," DOD said. A statement read, "These changes recognize the success of the military fight to destroy the so-called physical caliphate of ISIS and reflect DoD's commitment to institutionalize efforts to counter ISIS and integrate efforts with allies and partners within our counterterrorism and regional policy offices." Offices "led by Ezra Cohen-Watnick and Anthony Tata, who are considered Trump allies who were recently promoted," will take over Maier's responsibilities. Gunmen Kill At Least 110 In Nigerian Village. The Washington Post (11/30, Paquette, 14.2M) reports, "Gunmen on motorbikes stormed the [Nigerian] village of Koshobe on Saturday, killing at least 110 people in one of the region's deadliest attacks in years," after farmers attempted to "fight back" against Boko Haram "extremists [who were) stealing their money and crops." President Muhammadu Buhari said, "The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE DO) Says Flynn Case Should Be Dismissed In Wake Of Pardon. Bloomberg (11/30, 4.73M) reports the Justice Department argued in a filing with US District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington that former national security adviser Michael Flynn's prosecution for lying to federal agents should be dismissed because Flynn accepted a full pardon from President Trump. The Department wrote in its filing, "The president's pardon, which General Flynn has accepted, moots this case. ... No further proceedings are necessary or appropriate, as the court must immediately dismiss the case." The New York Times (11/30, Savage, 18.61M) says DOD's filing "was accompanied by the text of the pardon itself, which had not previously been released." The Times says the pardon "was written broadly not only to cover lying to the F.B.I., but to foreclose any legal jeopardy Mr. EFTA00148870 Flynn might face from a future Justice Department arising" from his work as an unregistered foreign agent of Turkey in 2016, "his inconsistent statements under oath to Judge Sullivan and any potential perjury or false statements to (special counsel Robert] Mueller's team or to the grand juries it used." The CNN (11/30, Polantz, 83.16M) website, Politico (11/30, Cheney, Gerstein, 4.29M), The Hill (11/30, Neidig, 2.98M), the New York Post (11/30, Nelson, 4.57M), and Courthouse News (11/30, Mineiro, 2K) provide similar coverage. Parnas, Fruman Plead Not Guilty In Federal Court In Manhattan. Reuters (11/30, Stempel, Freifeld) reports Ukraine-born businessman Lev Parnas, "who once helped Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani gather information" about Joe Biden, "pleaded not guilty to cheating investors in a fraud-insurance company, even after his former partner in the venture pleaded guilty." During a hearing Monday before US District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan, Parnas "and another former Giuliani associate, Belarus-born Igor Fruman, also pleaded not guilty to violating campaign finance laws and other charges in an amended indictment." The Washington Post (11/30, Jacobs, 14.2M) reports Parnas, Fruman, and a third man, Andrey Kukushkin, "are set to stand trial together. All are free on bail, though lawyers for each argued Monday that their ability to prepare a defense has been inhibited by the pandemic." Former Trump Advisor Says FBI Agent Used Alias During 2017 Interviews. The Daily Caller (11/30, Ross, 716K) reports, "Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page alleges that an FBI counterintelligence agent used an alias during multiple interviews with him in 2017." Page is suing the FBI, DOJ, "and multiple current and former FBI officials over what he says was 'unlawful spying' against him as part of the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign." Page alleges "veteran FBI counterintelligence agent Stephen Somma introduced himself as Steve Holt during five interviews conducted as part of Crossfire Hurricane, the code name for the FBI probe." According to a retired FBI official, "an agent using an alias in that situation would be highly unusual." Biden, Harris Receive First Intelligence Briefings. The New York Times (11/30, Barnes, 18.61M) reports that President-elect Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) both received their first full intelligence briefings on Monday, receiving the President's Daily Brief for the first time. Mary Bruce said on ABC World News TonightVI (11/30, 6:40 p.m. ET, story 3, Muir, 7.69M) that "after weeks of stonewalling by President Trump...Biden today finally received his first Presidential Daily Briefing of classified national security information." Newsweek (11/30, Crisp, 1.53M) reports that it is "unclear what format Biden received his brief in on Monday. The transition revealed only the location where Harris received it but no details on format. Biden was at his home in Delaware on Monday." In a preview of Biden's receipt of the PDB, CNN (11/30, Gaouette, Marquardt, Salama, 83.16M) reported that the briefing "could give Biden and Harris their first deep insight into urgent questions - including how Iran is planning to respond to the assassination of its premier nuclear scientist and what is known about that killing - and on longer term strategic concerns. How is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health? Is a fringe terror group showing signs of developing larger ambitions?" The AP (11/30, Riechmann, Miller) reports that previously, Biden "was given some intelligence background briefings as a candidate. But they were more general and did not include the nation's top secrets." Analysis: Biden Presidency Could Have Implications For Data Privacy Litigation. Law360 (11/30, de la Torre, Brown, Bryan, Subscription Publication, 8K) reports, "Assuming that President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as president on Jan. 20, the area of data privacy will likely be of particular focus under the Biden administration, with consequences for data privacy EFTA00148871 litigation." The analysis addresses some "top-of-mind questions regarding the anticipated impact a Biden presidency may have in this area." For instance, "a Biden administration will likely focus on the passage of federal data privacy legislation, renegotiate conditions for EU data transfers to the U.S., reintroduce a cybersecurity coordinator to the White House and increase Federal Trade Commission enforcement activity." Additionally, the "legal issues involved include U.S. surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" and other directives. The next administration "opens the door to potential reconsideration of, or modifications to," some of these, "which could pave the way for agreement on a new transatlantic framework for the transfer of EU personal data to the U.S." Report: UAE Apparently Funding Russian Mercenary Group In Libya. Foreign Policy (11/30, Mackinnon, Detsch, 340K) reports that the UAE "is apparently helping to finance the Russian mercenary group Wagner in Libya," according to a Pentagon IG report last week. The report's findings, which discussed "counterterrorism operations in Africa," are "likely to complicate the United States' close relationship with the Gulf state." This marks the "first public, official assessment of the arrangement" in which "the UAE may be using Russian private military contractors to help obfuscate its role in the conflict," as suspected by experts. The revelation that "Russian mercenaries may have been bankrolled by one of America's closest military allies in the Middle East further complicates the calculus for Washington, and comes as Democrats in Congress have been mounting a campaign to oppose the Trump administration's proposed $23 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Abu Dhabi." Report: Czech President Calls For List Of Russian Spies, Triggering Security Concerns. Radio Free Europe (11/30, 9K) reports, "Czech President Milos Zeman has reportedly demanded a list of all Russian spies active in the Czech Republic, which security experts say could endanger secret sources of the Czech counterintelligence service." The president "made the request to Michal Koudelka, director of the Security Intelligence Service (BIS)." A Cesky Rozhlas report "said Zeman also called on the BIS to provide him with documentation about all known Russian intelligence operations in the Czech Republic." Lawmakers in the country "said on November 30 that committees from both chambers of parliament would discuss the matter." Senate Security Committee Chairman Pavel Fischer "said Zeman's requests could threaten the security of the state." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Reportedly Exchanged Encrypted Messages. WDIV-TV Detroit (11/30, Ley, Hutchinson, 460K) reports, "The Local 4 Defenders have obtained secret encrypted messages that were exchanged between some of the men involved in the alleged domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Those messages played a key role in the government's case against the 14 men allegedly involved in the plot." According to WDIV-TV, "Three of the men were from Metro Detroit, and federal officials said the group planned and trained to kidnap and kill the governor. New video shows Ty Garbin, of Brighton, showing off the weapons and suppressors he collected. Government officials said much of the evidence against the group is in the form of encrypted messages exchanged over apps. In those messages, the men accused Whitmer of making up stories about people dying from COVID-19." WPost Examines Case Of America's Deadliest Serial Killer. The Washington Post (11/30, Lowery, Knowles, Berman, 14.2M) reports, "By New Year's Day 1971, Mary Brosley, 33, had become the first known victim of" Samuel Little, who is "since recognized as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Over more than 700 hours of EFTA00148872 videotaped interviews with police that began in May 2018, Little, now 80, has confessed to killing 93 people, virtually all of them women, in a murderous rampage that spanned 19 states and more than 30 years." The Post adds that the FBI "has pleaded with the public for assistance but has declined to release Little's case file, saying each murder investigation is being led by local authorities. To fill in the gaps, The Washington Post obtained and analyzed thousands of pages of law enforcement and court records - including a complete criminal history assembled in the early 2000s - and conducted interviews with dozens of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and relatives of Little's victims." West Virginia Man Sentenced For Methamphetamine Conspiracy. The Huntington News Network (11/30) reports Lennie T. Whisenant "was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine." He had "pled guilty and admitted that during the months of April and May of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia." The FBI investigated the case. Ohio University Employee Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography. The Canton (OH) Repository (11/30, 178K) reports former Malone University Sports Information Director William A. Doty Jr "pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to child pornography charges," and he "admitted in U.S. District Court to felonies involving the sexual exploitation of children and the receipt and distribution of sexual images of minors." The FBI "said it had received a tip in June alleging a person using the username `d.beas221 on Instagram was communicating with at least four children under 12 and made sexually explicit statements and requested to engage in sexual activities." Louisiana Announces Arrests For Child Pornography. KATC-TV Lafayette, LA (11/30, 9K) reports that the Louisiana Attorney General's Office has "announced five arrests in Louisiana regarding Internet Crimes Against Children." The suspects "were arrested with the help of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations and local law enforcement." Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Child In Montana. KVOA-TV Tucson, AZ (11/30, 17K) reports that the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are searching for eight-year-old Mildred Alexis Old Crow, who "was last seen in March of 2019 on the Crow Indian Reservation." FBI Offering $25K For Information On New York Murder. WIVB-TV Buffalo, NY (11/30, 114K) reports that the FBI "continues to offer up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the shooting death of 12-year-old Badraldeen Elwaseem," who "was killed in April 2019 when he was hit by a stray bullet in his apartment on Williams Street in Buffalo." Two More Defendants Sentenced In "Operation Shutdown Corner." WOAY-TV Bluefield, WV (11/30, Rodriguez) reports that US Attorney Mike Stuart has "announced that two more defendants were sentenced for their participation in an extensive drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia." WOAY says "Victoria Hamilton, 35, of Beckley, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin." Meanwhile, "Terrion Borja, 28, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine." Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and others. EFTA00148873  WVNS-TV Bluefield, WV (11/30) also reports. Nebraska Teenager Indicted For Attempted Murder. The Lincoln (NE) Journal Star (11/30, Pilger, 399K) reports Edward Williams "stands charged with attempted murder and attempted assault with a deadly weapon, both in aid of racketeering, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence." The indictment says Williams, Antonio Shannon, and Emmanuel Kuot "used intimidation, violence and threats of violence to enhance the (Day One Brothers) reputation and promote a climate of fear." Pennsylvania Teenager Charged In Connection To Gun Trafficking. The Bucks County (PA) Courier Times (11/30, 69K) reports that the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office "said in a news release Monday that Rahajahi Taylor Batchelor is being charged as an adult for his role in the organization that operated out of Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties over the summer." Batchelor "is charged with 166 felony counts of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to commit that offense, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, illegal sale or transfer of firearms and criminal use of a communications facility, as well as 21 misdemeanor counts of possession of a firearm by a minor." Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer (11/30) also reports. Texas Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors. The Houston Chronicle (11/30, 730K) reports Romello Lee "was sentenced Monday to 40 years in federal prison for forcing two minors into sex trafficking." He was "ordered by U.S. District Judge David Hittner to pay restitution to the victims and serve the rest of his life on supervised release following his prison term." He "was arrested in a sting operation at a northwest Houston hotel, where he was found with one of the victims." The FBI supported the investigation. FBI Investigating Hate Crime In Missouri. KOMU-TV Columbia, MO (11/30) reports that the FBI is investigating the vandalization of the Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist in Missouri. The church suffered bullet damage. Continuing Coverage: Hawai'i Man Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping, Drug Conspiracy. Honolulu Civil Beat (HI) (11/30) reports Jonah Ortiz "has pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping and drug conspiracy charges linked to the case of Honolulu businessman Micheal J. Miske Jr," who "is at the center of an FBI investigation into murder, kidnapping and other crimes." Ortiz has "admitted to taking part in an October 2017 kidnapping of a Honolulu businessman with a co-defendant, Wayne Miller, and agreed to cooperate fully and testify against Miller as well as others if requested by prosecutors." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Federal Agencies Warn Of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams. The AP (11/30, Long) reports, "The coronavirus vaccine inching toward approval in the U.S. is desperately anticipated by weary Americans longing for a path back to normal life," but "criminals are waiting, too, ready to use that desperation to their advantage, federal investigators say." The AP adds, "Homeland Security investigators are working with Pfizer, Moderna and dozens of other drug companies racing to complete and distribute the vaccine and treatments for the virus. The goal: to prepare for the scams that are coming, especially after the mess of criminal activity this year with phony personal protective equipment, false cures and extortion schemes." According to the AP, "Homeland Security Investigations started using its 7,000 agents in tandem with border, FDA and FBI officials to investigate scams, seize phony products and arrest hundreds of people. The effort is headquartered at the National Intellectual EFTA00148874 Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcement of its international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft." The Columbia (SC) State (11/30, Willetts, 390K) reports, "As a COVID-19 vaccine nears, bringing hope for an end to the pandemic, criminal organizations big and small will be looking to take advantage by peddling fake and potentially dangerous vaccines of their own, federal authorities warn. Scammers have been selling fake cures, treatments and protective equipment since the coronavirus pandemic began eight months ago, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement is "preparing for a surge in anticipated fraud" as drug companies approach approval from the Federal Drug Administration and prepare to distribute their vaccines, ICE announced Monday." The State adds, "The FBI and Federal Drug Administration have been working with major drug manufacturers, including Pfizer and Moderna, to prepare for distribution, and put protections in place to combat fraud, outlets report." US Charges Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor In City Hall Corruption Probe. The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Rubin, 4.64M) reports, "A former senior aide to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, bribery and other crimes in the ongoing federal probe into corruption at City Hall, according to court records made public Monday." Raymond Chan, "a deputy mayor who oversaw economic development for Garcetti in 2016 and 2017, is the latest figure to be accused of playing a role in a sprawling scheme allegedly run by ousted Councilman Jose Huizar. Prosecutors say both men were involved in shaking down developers seeking help pushing downtown real estate projects through the city's approval process." The Times adds, "In a statement, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said Huizar, Chan and their network of associates `repeatedly violated the public trust by soliciting and accepting numerous cash bribes and other financial benefits, turning Huizar's City Council seat into a money-making criminal enterprise." The Los Angeles Daily News (11/30, 232K) reports, "Huizar, 52, of Boyle Heights, was charged in July in a 34-count indictment that alleged a conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in which Huizar agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits. The racketeering charge alleges 402 overt acts that Huizar and his co-conspirators committed to further their criminal enterprise, including bribery, honest services fraud and money laundering. The 41-count superseding indictment unsealed Monday adds 50 overt acts to the RICO conspiracy count. The racketeering count now also charges Chan, who formerly was the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and, more recently, was the city's deputy mayor of economic development." US Charges San Francisco Public Utilities Official In Corruption Probe. The AP (11/30) reports from San Francisco, "The head of San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission, which oversees millions of dollars in city contracts, was charged with bribery Monday in an ongoing federal probe of corruption." According to the AP, "General Manager Harlan Kelly was indicted for honest services wire fraud for allegedly accepting meals, cash and other gifts from a San Francisco construction company in exchange for providing insider information on public contracts. Kelly, who isn't in custody, denied wrongdoing but resigned his position on Monday." Kelly "is accused of having a long-running bribery scheme and corrupt partnership' with construction company executive and permit expediter Walter Wong. Wong gave Kelly money and paid for meals and international trips including a family vacation to China as he sought a streetlight contract, prosecutors said." The San Francisco Chronicle (11/30, Cassidy, 2.67M) reports, "The U.S. attorney's office announced the criminal complaint against Kelly Monday, shortly after the FBI served a search warrant and removed boxes from his San Francisco home. Kelly resigned as general manager Monday, according to a statement issued by Mayor London Breed." The Chronicle adds, "The charge is the latest development in a still-expanding corruption scandal at City Hall that began with the arrest of former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru in January. The U.S. attorney's EFTA00148875 office charged Nuru with fraud and with lying to the FBI. Since his arrest, a slew of others, including city contractors, have also faced criminal charges for allegedly participating in schemes to get favorable treatment on contracts. Multiple city department heads have been forced to resign." The San Francisco Examiner (11/30, Barba, 438K) reports, "The March 2016 trip to China is just one of the bribes Kelly is alleged to have accepted from permit expediter Walter Wong, who agreed to cooperate with the FBI investigation into City Hall corruption when the U.S. Attorney's Office charged him in June. Kelly is also alleged to have underpaid for repair work done by Wong's construction company on his Inner Sunset home, according to the newly filed complaint against him." The Examiner adds, "In a statement, Kelly disputed the allegations but said he would immediately vacate his position instead of retiring in the next 18 months as previously planned 'in order to defend myself, my legacy and my family."I am not guilty of these allegations,' Kelly said." The SFist (11/30, Kukura) reports, "The raid of Kelly's home is significant, because he is married to City Administrator Naomi Kelly, and we already knew that the FBI was probing for sweetheart deals that benefited their personal finances. Naomi Kelly is not named in the latest FBI criminal complaint, though there are references to 'his wife,' and she is quite likely in some trouble here. Among the illegal gifts Harlan Kelly is accused of accepting is a lavish trip for his family, and the FBI has WeChat messages from Harlan Kelly saying 'Thank you for the best family vacation ever! A little something for everyone!" KPIX-TV San Francisco (11/30, 110K) reports, "The complaint against Kelly alleges that Wong provided Kelly with bribes in exchange for official acts by Kelly that benefited or attempted to benefit Wong's business ventures. 'The allegations against Harlan Kelly and the nine other individuals charged in this case are extremely troubling. The citizens of San Francisco deserve nothing less than transparency, honesty, and integrity from their city officials. However, through the course of this ongoing investigation, the FBI has uncovered a pattern of criminal activity committed by those in positions of trust,' said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair in a prepared statement." KGO-TV San Francisco (11/30, 144K), KTVU-TV San Francisco (11/30, McLaughlin, 19K), the Mission Local (11/30, Eskenazi), and Courthouse News (11/30, Iovino, 2K) also report. Cincinnati Attorney Tapped To Fill Position Of Suspended City Councilman. The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/30, Coolidge, 223K) reports, "Cincinnati attorney Steve Goodin has been tapped to temporarily replace Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor, who was suspended from City Council last week after being arrested on bribery charges. Hamilton County Probate Court Judge Ralph 'Ted' Winkler made the decision. The selection process was unusual, but then there is nothing usual in a year where three sitting Cincinnati City Council members are accused in pay-to-play schemes. The Cincinnati Charter does not have provisions for removal if a member is accused or convicted in corruption cases, so the process has played out in the courts." Pastor "accepted a suspension, initiated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost." Ohio Utilities Commission To Replace Regulator Who Resigned After FBI Search. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/30, Tobias, 895K) reports, "The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has begun the process of replacing its former chairman who resigned earlier this month after his home was searched by the FBI." The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Nominating Council "announced Monday it is seeking applications for the empty commission spot, vacant since former PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo resigned on Nov. 20. The term, one of five on the PUCO, will expire on April 10, 2024. Randazzo resigned the same week the FBI searched his Columbus home, and a day after FirstEnergy Corp. revealed in a filing that it fired CEO Chuck Jone