EFTA00161051.pdf

FBI PUBLIC AFFAIRS - DIRECTOR'S AM NEWS BRIEFING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2019 5:00 AM EDT Barr Orders Warden Of NYC Jail Temporarily Reassigned. Linsey Davis reported on ABC World News Tonight (8/13, story 6, 1:35, Muir, 6.57M) that in "the first fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein suicide," Attorney General Barr has "order[ed] the warden to be pulled from the jail and temporarily reassigned, [and] two staff members on Epstein's unit placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations. This comes after sources tell ABC News one of the workers was not a designated corrections officer. A law enforcement official says Epstein used a bed sheet to hang himself." Lester Holt reported on NBC Nightly News (8/13, lead story, 2:10, 5.75M), "The warden at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center has been transferred out for now, and two corrections officers have been sidelined after a break down in protocols left Epstein unmonitored for a number of hours before he was found dead in his cell." The New York Times (8/13, Benner, Ivory, 18.61M) reports, "The warden, Lamine N'Diaye, will be transferred to a Bureau of Prison office in Philadelphia while the F.B.I. and the Justice Department's inspector general conduct investigations' into Epstein's death. The AP (8/13, Mustian, Sisak, Balsamo) reports that "the warden of an institution in upstate New York has been named the acting warden at the jail. Eric Young, president of the union council that represents prison guards, said that such reassignments are routinely done to 'protect the integrity of investigations until any formal action, if any, is warranted." USA Today (8/13, Johnson, 10.31M) reports, "The personnel moves, announced by the Justice Department, suggest the inquiry into the financier's death is moving rapidly. Three days ago, Epstein's death set off a wave of recriminations from his accusers, lawmakers and [Barr], who referred this week to the discovery of 'serious irregularities' at the Metropolitan Correctional Center." CBS News (8/13, Lenghi, 3.68M) reports, "Corrections officers may have falsified reports saying they checked on...Epstein as required by protocol, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation into Epstein's apparent suicide." According to CBS News, "Multiple sources told CBS News that Epstein's cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center posted bail last Friday, leaving Epstein alone in his cell the day before he died," and "another source familiar with the investigation said it appears Epstein had been dead one to two hours before he was found." The Hill (8/13, Chalfant, 2.98M) reports, "Some say Barr, who oversees the Federal Bureau of Prisons as part of the Justice Department, bore some of the responsibility in ensuring Epstein was secured — particularly after he was placed on suicide watch in late July." Steve Gomez, 'a former FBI special agent, said the Justice Department must publicly air the findings of the investigation. 'The optics of what happened with Epstein will need to be addressed,' Gomez said. 'Those conspiracy theories are going to have to be addressed, and so, because of that, I believe the public will get some information on what happened as opposed to a low-profile person who is in jail and committed suicide." Newsday (NY] (8/13, Riley, 932K), Reuters (8/13, Lynch, Brice), the Washington Post (8/13, Al, Barrett, Zapotosky, 14.2M), and the Wall Street Journal (8/13, Gurman, Hong, Chapman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also cover the personnel shift. CBS: "Shouting And Shrieking" From Epstein's Cell On Morning Of Death. CBS News (8/13, 3.68M) reports on its website, "On the morning of Jeffrey Epstein's death there was shouting and shrieking from his jail cell, a source familiar with the situation told CBS News. Corrections officers attempted to revive him while saying 'breathe, Epstein, breathe." Accusers Ask Court To Invalidate Epstein's Plea Deal. ABC News (8/13, Hill, 2.97M) reports, "Accusers of...Epstein are asking a federal court in Florida to tear up the multimillionaire sex offender's 2007 non-prosecution agreement that not only shielded Epstein from further prosecution, but protected his alleged co-conspirators, who federal authorities have vowed to bring to justice." ABC News adds, "In the first court filing since Epstein's death apparently by suicide Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, two of the financier's accusers urged the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to swiftly invalidate the non-prosecution agreement that granted immunity to Epstein and his alleged recruiters and enablers. 'It would be unfair to the victims if Epstein not only managed to cheat justice through his death but also left behind some kind of legal issue preventing the victims from obtaining the ... remedy to which they are plainly entitled,' the document stated." The Hill (8/13, Wise, 2.98M) reports, "Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) on Tuesday urged Attorney General William Barr to 'rip up' a 2008 nonprosecution deal for" Epstein, "arguing that the Justice Department must bring his co-conspirators to justice in wake of his death. 'The victims of Epstein's international sex trafficking ring deserve justice,' Sasse, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary oversight subcommittee, wrote in a letter to Barr on Tuesday. 'In order to bring Epstein's co- EFTA00161051 conspirators to justice, the Department of Justice should rip up the non-prosecution, non-investigation agreement entered into by Epstein and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida in 2008; he continued." FBI Seized Computers In Raid Of Epstein's Virgin Island Home. CNBC (8/13, Mangan, Breuninger, 3.62M) reports, "FBI agents seized computers from wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein's home in the Virgin Islands during a raid of the private island owned by the late accused sex trafficker, according to drone footage." According to CNBC, "The footage reviewed by NBC News shows that at least two computer desktops and an Apple computer were packaged and marked to be taken away from Little St. James island as part of the FBI probe." The Manhattan US attorney's office and the FBI 'also are continuing to investigate people who are suspected of having conspired to provide him with dozens of young women to be sexually abused from 2002 through 2005 at his residences on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and in Palm Beach, Florida." Trump Defends Epstein Conspiracy Retweet, Calls For "Full Investigation." USA Today (8/13, Jackson, Fritze, 10.31M) reports President Trump 'defended a re-tweet that appeared to link Jeffrey Epstein's death to former President Bill Clinton, and said Tuesday he wants a full investigation of Epstein's apparent suicide." The President told reporters, "The retweet was from somebody that is a very respected conservative pundit so I think that was fine. I want a full investigation." The Washington Post (8/13, Wagner, 14.2M) reports Trump "defended his promotion of a baseless conspiracy theory" tweeted by "conservative actor and comedian Terrence K. Williams." On the CBS Evening News (8/13, lead story, 2:10, O'Donnell, 3.93M), Mola Lenghi reported, 'One day after the FBI raided Epstein's 70-acre private estate in the Virgin Islands, the President said today he wants a full investigation, which he said included questions about former President Bill Clinton." Trump: 'We have to ask, did Bill Clinton go to the island? That's the question. If we find that out, you're going to know a lot." Lenghi: "On Saturday, President Trump retweeted a conspiracy theory that claims to link the Clintons to Epstein's death. A Clinton spokesman said the suggestion that the Clintons were involved is 'ridiculous, and of course not true, and Donald Trump knows it.'" The Washington Times (8/13, Boyer, 492K) reports Trump said he has "'no idea' if former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton were involved" in Epstein's death. The Washington Examiner (8/13, Brest, 448K) reports Trump 'said to reporters Tuesday that he is 'demanding' a kill investigation" into Epstein's death. The Hill (8/13, Samuels, 2.98M) headlines its report "Trump Defends Promoting Conspiracy Theory About Epstein's Death: 'It Was A Retweet.'" Politico (8/13, Forgey, 4.29M) also reports. NBC's Jonathan Allen tweeted, "Trump on Epstein: RTs do not equal endorsements.' NBC's Kelly O'Donnell tweeted, "Doubling down. Asked by reporters today, president defended his retweets of conspiracy theory." Annie Kami of the New York Times tweeted "Trump and Clinton both have a history with Epstein. Per [author and historian] Douglas Brinkley, 'The first thing Trump wanted to do was put Bill Clinton into the mix. Make it about Bubba, not about the Donald." Giuliani: "Probably 50 Very Important People" Would Have Motive To Kill Epstein. The Washington Examiner (8/13, Chaitin, 448K) reports Rudy Giuliani told Fox News on Monday, 'What happened here, to me, is mind-boggling. It's impossible to happen. ... This argument over whether he was on suicide watch or not is like silly because if he wasn't on suicide watch, he should have been on watch. The guy was a high-risk prisoner, wasn't he? I mean he's a guy that they're probably 50 very important people that have a motive to kill him. We don't even know who they are.' Giuliani said on Fox News' Ingraham Angle (8/13), "I don't like conspiracy theories. I don't think we should engage them. ... He could kill himself. Prisoners could kill them, because they don't like perverts, alleged perverts, and they don't like people who might cooperate. ... Finally, there could be people from the outside who would reach the people on the inside to kill him. So you have three reasons why this guy should be protected. He was virtually unprotected." Administration Officials Reportedly Suspect "Incompetence," Not "Conspiracy." The Miami Herald (8/13, Wilner, Clark, 19K) reports, "Trump administration officials suspect a portrait of incompetence, rather than conspiracy, will emerge from a series of federal investigations under way into the Bureau of Prisons' handling" of Epstein's death. One 'administration official" said, "We thought that he was on suicide watch. If I could characterize the reaction within the building, it's a desire to figure out what exactly happened here." FDNY Says 4chan Post About Epstein's Death Did Not Come From Employee. BuzzFeed News (8/13, Lytvynenko) reports the Fire Department of New York 'looked into whether an employee posted" about Epstein's death on "notorious intemet message board" 4chan before officials announced it to the public. Thirty-eight minutes before an ABC reporter broke the news of Epstein's death on Twitter, "someone posted still-unverified details on 4chan, the anonymous message board popular with far-right trolls and white nationalists. 1[D]ont ask me how I know, but Epstein died an hour ago from hanging, cardiac arrest. Screencap this,' read the post, which was published at 8:16 a.m. alongside an image of Pepe, the green frog that has become a mascot for right-wing intemet trolls." The New York Daily News (8113, Tracy, 2.52M) reports the post "didn't come from FDNY first responders, the department said Tuesday." A spokesperson said, "The FDNY reviewed the alleged information and determined it did not come from the Department." EFTA00161052  Epstein Donated Only To Democrats Since 2000. The Washington Times (8/13, Al, Richardson, 492K) reports, "Democrats and Hollywood may have another #MeToo problem on their hands" with Epstein — "an A-lister who hobnobbed with celebrities and gave generously to Democrats. ... Epstein donated $147,426 to Democratic candidates from 1990-2018, versus $18,250 to Republicans. His last GOP donation came in 2000, meaning that he never contributed to the 2016 Trump presidential campaign." In court documents released Friday, Giuffre "said she was directed as a teen to have sex with a host of prominent business and political leaders, including former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, both Democrats." Both have "flatly denied the allegations." WPost Draws Attention To Boies And Dershowitz's Roles In Epstein Case. The Washington Post (8/13, Jackman, Paul, Roig-Franzia, 14.2M) reports on the rivalry between attorneys David Boies and Alan Dershowitz, and how it is tied to the Epstein case. According to the Post, "Boies and his partners at Boies Schiller Flexner represent one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre: who "has alleged that Epstein demanded that she have sex with him repeatedly when she was underage and lent her for sex to his friends, including Dershowitz: The Post says Dershowitz "finds himself labeled as an alleged sex abuser in a personal affidavit by Boies, a claim he has volcanically denied," and Is also fending off a defamation suit filed by Giuffre, set for key oral arguments next month, in which Boies has become a vital player." Prince Andrew Again Denies Improper Sexual Encounters Arranged By Epstein. Bill Neely reported on NBC Nightly News (8/13, story 2, 1:30, Holt, 5.75M), Prince Andrew is being dragged deeper into the Epstein scandal, unusually cutting short his vacation today. They had been friends today and partied together for years. The Prince now denying again accusations he had sexual encounters with girls lured by Epstein. Buckingham Palace stating, 'Any suggestion of impropriety with minors is categorically untrue.' The Prince denied this before." The Washington Post (8/13, Taylor, Adam, 14.2M) reports, "Andrew, the brother of Prince Charles and eighth in line to the British throne, has denied having any sexual relations with Roberts. A federal judge struck the allegations from court records, saying they were 'immaterial and impertinent.'" New Surveillance Footage Shows Dayton Shooter Before Attack. ABC World News Tonight (8/13, lead story, 2:30, Muir, 6.57M) opened Tuesday evening with surveillance footage of Dayton shooter Connor Betts, "seen with his sister and a friend before the shooting. You see him arriving in the bar, and walking after going to his car and changing his clothes, then carrying a heavy backpack. Ducks into an alley and puts on body armor. Not long after, the shooting began." The CBS Evening News (8/13, story 3, 0:35, O'Donnell, 3.93M) reported the "new video shows the shooter lurking in a back alley of the entertainment district wearing a hoodie that covered his body armor. He killed nine people of morning of August 4, including his younger sister. Text messages show he knew his sister was in the area when he began shooting, but police said today they are divided on whether he deliberately targeted her.' The AP (8/13) reports, "Police investigating the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, say the gunman's sister was among the first people he shot, but investigators are divided on whether he intentionally killed her." Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl 'says evidence is so far inconclusive on whether 24-year-old Connor Betts targeted his 22-year-old sister Megan two hours after they arrived at the city's Oregon entertainment district together with a male companion: Biehl "says Betts was very familiar with the district and its night spots and had been there the night before," and "he says it's apparent he had a plan for the mass shooting, although why he chose that place at that time is still being investigated." The AP (8/13) reports, "Police in Dayton say the gunman in Ohio's mass shooting shot 26 people in 32 seconds before officers killed him: Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl 'says besides the nine people the gunman killed, he wounded at least 17 others: The AP adds, "Previously, police and hospital officials said at least 14 suffered gunshots: Police "say Betts arrived with his sister and a friend at 11:04 p.m., went into a bar with them, and left them after midnight to go back to the parked car to retrieve body armor, an assault-style rifle and ammunition." CNN International (8/13, Levenson) reports, 'With a weapon in his backpack, Betts walked toward an alley and began firing into Blind Bob's at 1:04 a.m., authorities said: CNN adds, *Based on a timeline pieced together from security cameras, police engaged with him after less than 20 seconds and Betts was killed 32 seconds after his first shot.' Police "said there was a 'strong possibility' that Betts visited Ned Peppers by himself to case the place, but Biehl cautioned that he knew the area well and had been there the night before, too. This was a plan well before he got to the Oregon District (that night),' Biehl said." The Wall Street Journal (8/13, Ansari, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also reports. Ohio Teen Arrested For Allegedly Plotting Attacks On Agents, Planned Parenthood, Gay Bar. ABC World News Tonight (8/13, story 4, 0:20, Muir, 6.57M) reported "an Ohio teen' has been arrested. Authorities say "18-year-old Justin Olsen threatened to shoot federal agents, a Planned Parenthood facility, and a gay bar. Inside his father's home, they found 15 rifles, 10 semiautomatic pistols, and that ammunition. The FBI says they moved in, fearing another possible mass shooting." EFTA00161053  The Daily Beast (8/13, 1.39M) reports FBI agents "found more than a dozen rifles and 10,000 rounds of ammunition." Olsen is "accused of making the threats on a meme website where he also allegedly discussed shooting Planned Parenthood locations, citing multiple mass murders involving far-right extremists." His arrest tomes as federal agencies are facing increased pressure to take action against domestic terror following a series of mass shootings." The AP (8/13) reports, "Federal prosecutors say Olsen has been under investigation since February, but they decided to act now because of recent mass shootings across the U.S." Olsen, "who lives with his father, was arrested last week,' and "he was charged Monday with threatening a federal officer." Court documents "say Olsen told the FBI during his arrest that the comments were only a joke." The Hill (8/13, Budryk, 2.98M) reports, "In the affidavit, FBI agent Themistodes Tsamas alleged Olsen posted in support of mass shootings and attacks on Planned Parenthood on iFunny, a site that allows users to upload memes, GIFs and statements." In June, Olsen "allegedly wrote in support of the Branch Davidians, many of whom were killed during a standoff with state and federal law enforcement in 1993 in Waco, Texas. En conclusion, shoot every federal agent on sight,' Olsen allegedly wrote." The affidavit 'also alleges Olsen wrote 'don't comply with gun laws, stock up on stuff they could ban. In fact, go out of your way to break these laws, they're f g stupid.' According to The Hill, "The FBI affidavit alleged that Olsen wrote 'Hell, even the Oklahoma City bombing shows that armed resistance is a viable method of political change. There is no legal solution.- Illinois Officials Knew Of December Bomb Threat Over Satanic Display At Capitol. The Springfield (IL) State Journal-Register (8/13, Finke, 146K) reports, 'Illinois officials said Tuesday they were aware of a 2018 threat to set off a bomb in the state Capitol rotunda directed at a satanic display there last Christmas season' Dave Druker, "spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office provides security at the Capitol, said federal authorities notified the office of the threat. 'We tightened up security around the building,' Druker said." According to the Journal-Register, "Nothing happened in Springfield as a result of the threat. However, a man in California was arrested in connection with the incident." An FBI intelligence bulletin from May 30 "that was published by Yahoo news last week ... listed a number of instances of potential domestic terrorism, including a California man arrested on Dec. 19 last year.' Judge Orders FBI Informant To Wear Disguise In Montana Terror Trial. The AP (8/13, Volz) reports from Helena, Montana that US District Judge Dana Christensen "has ordered an FBI informant to wear a wig or hat, false eyeglasses and fake facial hair when testifying against a man who prosecutors say wanted to avenge the death of Muslims killed in shootings at two New Zealand mosques.' According to the AP, 'The confidential informant, who helps the FBI in terrorism investigations and has family in an undisclosed location in the Middle East, also must wear loose-fitting clothing or a body suit and lifts in his shoes to alter the appearance of his weight and height," Judge Christensen 'wrote in his order Monday." Federal prosecutors 'had asked that the courtroom be sealed to the public for the witness' testimony in the upcoming trial of Fabjan Alameti for the safety of the informant and his family,' but Judge Christensen "ruled that a disguise is a reasonable way to protect the witness' identity while preserving Alameti's right to a public trial' Texas Teen Arrested For Posting Threatening Message To Snapchat. The Houston Chronicle (8/13, Jordan, 1.64M) reports Harris County Magistrate Lisa Porter "had strong words for prosecutors about a teenager charged with making a terroristic threat for a Snapchat message threatening to blow up Bush Intercontinental Airport." Hector Fonseca, 17, posted a photo of himself on a United Airlines flight to Guatemala "allegedly saying 'time to blow up the plane,' along with the same pair of emojis." The Chronicle adds, 'A Snapchat representative flagged the message and sent it to the FBI National Threat Operations Center," and upon his return, he "was arrested...and charged with third-degree felony terroristic threat." Porter asked, "I'd like to know if he has any bomb-making ability." KTRK-TV Houston (8/13, Schiller, 431K) reports Fonseca "is facing a felony charge after police say he made a terroristic threat on Snapchat." KPRC-TV Houston (8/13, McCord, Archer, 447K) reports Fonseca said, it was just a joke. It was just a stupid joke." DOJ Says House Panel Is "Judge Shopping" In McGahn Case. USA Today (8/13, Jansen, 10.31M) reports the justice Department on Tuesday accused the House Judiciary Committee of "judge shopping" in an effort to get a favorable ruling to enforce its subpoena of former White House counsel Don McGahn. McGahn defied the subpoena in May and the committee filed a lawsuit in US District Court to enforce it. When the suit was filed, the committee "argued that it belonged with the same judge who will decide whether to grant Congress access to grand-jury evidence in Mueller's report. But Chief Judge Beryl Howell, who is hearing the grand-jury case, asked for arguments about whether she should also hear the EFTA00161054 McGahn case or assign it randomly to another judge, as is customary when cases are filed." Howell "set no deadline for deciding the issue." Politico (8/13, Cheney, Desiderio, 4.29M) reports, that In a new court filing, the DOJ "dinged the House Judiciary Committee for 'attempting to game the system' by seeking to formally link its McGahn suit to a separate effort to access former special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury evidence." Democrats "say the cases are related because they are both connected to an ongoing 'impeachment investigation' that could result in an effort to recommend Trump's ouster." Justice Department lawyers — arguing on McGahn's behalf — "said the demand for McGahn to testify and the request for Mueller's grand jury evidence are based on 'completely different factual and legal issues' and have no basis for being linked." In their own filing, Democrats "argued that their authority for claiming to be in the midst of an impeachment probe stems from Jefferson's Manual — a guide to parliamentary procedure employed by the House and Senate." Halper Claims Immunity In Lokhova Lawsuit. The Daily Caller (8/13, Ross, 716K) reports that former Cambridge University professor Stefan Halper, "who allegedly met with several Trump campaign aides as an FBI informant," on Tuesday asked a federal judge 'to dismiss a defamation lawsuit that a Russian-British academic filed against him in May, saying government agents have immunity from litigation." While Halper "does not confirm he was an FBI informant in his motion to dismiss," and "does not admit to being a source for articles about Svetlana Lokhova, the Russia-born academic," he "argues that if he were an FBI informant, he would have immunity afforded to other government agents." Lokhova "sued Halper and several news outlets May 23, accusing all of defaming her over contacts she had in February 2014 with Michael Flynn, who then served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency." Gowdy: Strzok Named Wrong Person As Defendant In Lawsuit. The Washington Examiner (8/13, Chaitin, 448K) reports former South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy that Peter Strzok named the wrong defendant in his lawsuit. Gowdy said on Fox News Monday, 'Who fired him? It wasn't any of the people he sued ironically enough, it was the deputy director of the FBI, a guy named David Bowdich." Gowdy emphasized "how Bowdich was a 'career FBI guy' and 'not a political appointee' who investigated gangs." He said, "I don't think a guy who has done that for his entire career in law enforcement is going to be intimidated by a tweet or two from anybody and that's who made the decision to fire Strzok." FBI Probing Shooting Of ICE Office In San Antonio. The San Antonio Express-News (8/13, Aguirre, 762K) reports "San Antonio police said they are investigating an overnight shooting that left windows shattered at a government agency office on the city's Northeast Side." Police "reported to the scene just after 3 a.m. Tuesday at a building that housed the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division." The Galveston County (TX) Daily News (8/12, Koop) reports, "FBI officials say shootings of two offices for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Antonio early Tuesday morning were a "targeted attack" against employees, media outlets report." FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs "said an unknown number of shooters fired bullets at two neighboring ICE offices where federal employees were still at work about 3 a.m., according to KSAT." According to the Daily News, "Though the offices are located in commercial buildings with other businesses, Combs said it was obviously an attack on ICE officials, and bullets nearly hit a federal official, according to KSAT. 'I don't think there is a question that they knew which floor the ICE office is on,' Combs said at a news conference, according to KSAT. 'To fire indiscriminately into any building is not an act of a protest but an act of violence.'" CNN (8/13, Sands, 83.16M) reports, "No one was injured, though federal employees were inside at least one of the buildings. 'We had federal employees who were present, who although they were not hit by the rounds fired, by the grace of God. Had the bullets gone 2 inches in another direction, we could be here today talking about the murder of a federal official," Combs said. The FBI "has opened an investigation as an 'assault on a federal official case,' said Combs." On its website, WOAI-TV San Antonio (8/13, 72K) reported that "no one was hit, but windows were broken in the building" and "one person was injured." Said FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Combs, "This is no question a very targeted attack. It's not a secret facility, you can go online, ifs out there. So they did some research, they knew what floors ICE was on, they knew what buildings they were and they hit those." WOAI added "a person was detained shortly after the shooting, but was released after it was found out they were not connected with the shooting." Also in an online piece, KSAT-TV San Antonio (8/13, Parker, Moreno, 198K) noted "Combs said that if the bullets would have been two inches in another direction, we could be talking about the murder of a federal official.'" KSAT goes on to quote Nina Pruneda, a spokesperson with ICE, as saying, "Political rhetoric and misinformation that various politicians, media outlets and activist groups recklessly disseminate to the American people regarding the ICE mission only serve to further encourage these violent acts. ... ICE officers put their lives on the line each and every day to EFTA00161055 keep our communities safe. This disturbing public discourse shrouds our critical law enforcement function and unnecessarily puts our officers' safety at risk." The Washington Times (8/13, Dinan, 492K) refers to "the latest incident that appears to target the law enforcement agency that handles deportations," and adds "Daniel Bible, the field office director for ICE's deportation operations in San Antonio, blamed lawmakers and the press for recklessly stoking anti-ICE sentiments." Said Bible, 'This disturbing public discourse shrouds our critical law enforcement function and unnecessarily puts our officers' safety at risk." The Blaze (8/13, Madden, 831K) reports "other law enforcement officials" also "blamed the incident on the current political climate regarding federal immigration enforcement." The Washington Examiner (8/13, Giaritelli, 448K) indicates Bible "went on to blame 'politicians, media outlets and activist groups' for 'recklessly' sharing information and 'misinformation' to the public," and The Blaze (8/13, Madden, 831K) that "other law enforcement officials" also 'blamed the incident on the current political climate regarding federal immigration enforcement." KENS-TV San Antonio (8/13, 5:00 p.m. CDT, 99K) said "a search is underway for one or more suspects," and that "agents worry there could be more attacks ahead." KENS added, "The FBI special agent in charge worried that political debate is what led to these violent acts and even though ICE offices take up just a couple floors in this building he's confident that they were specifically shooting at those offices." KGNS-TV Laredo, TX (8/13, 5:01 p.m. CDT, 3K) reported that authorities "described it as a targeted attack against federal employees." Man Charged With Possessing Firearm After Firing Shots Outside Chicago VA Medical Center. The Chicago Tribune (8/13, Buckley, 2.65M) reports Bernard Harvey, 40, of Indianapolis, "who walked into a Veterans Affairs hospital on Chicago's Near West Side Monday with a semi-automatic rifle after firing shots outside the hospital has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing a firearm because of his background as a convicted felon." Jeffrey Sallet, special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago office, said, "We avoided tragedy here in the city of Chicago today." WLS-TV Chicago (8/13, Goudie, Markoff, and Tressel, 391K) reports that Harvey "and his brand new Ruger rifle both traveled from about 200 miles away." Harvey "had a Chicago past and a two-decade felony record in Cook County; but "was currently living in Indianapolis." The rifle, adds WLS, "had been stolen from a federally-licensed gun shop south of Indianapolis." Yahoo! News (8/13, 12.82M) reports "shots were fired into the hospital by a man with an assault rifle — but nobody was injured." Rep. Hunter's Trial Delayed Until Next Year. The AP (8/13) reports from San Diego, "Rep. Duncan Hunter won't go on trial until next year on corruption charges that involve the spending of campaign cash on vacations, extramarital affairs and other items, a U.S. judge decided Tuesday." US District Judge Thomas Whelan "changed the trial date from Sept. 10 to Jan. 14 after defense attorneys raised questions about whether an appeals court must first consider their motion to dismiss the case against the California Republican." Whelan "considered the motion last month and refused the request." Hunter and his wife "were indicted a year ago after authorities said they used more than 5250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses ranging from groceries to golf trips and family vacations." Hunter "has pleaded not guilty to all the counts against him," and Margaret Hunter "has pleaded guilty to one corruption count and agreed to cooperate with investigators." Craig Trial Delayed After Judge Dismisses Jury Poll. The Washington Examiner (8/13, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Obama White House Counsel Greg Craig's trial "was delayed Tuesday after the jury pool was dismissed by the judge." After "the prosecution and defense took issue with the pre-selection of potential jury members and the public's being barred from Monday's proceedings." Judge Amy Berman Jackson "said the jury selection process which began Monday would be scrapped and start over Wednesday." The Washington Post (8/13, Hsu, 14.2M) reports Jackson "said that after the court broke for the evening, the office of US Attorney Jessie K. Liu alerted all parties that although no one objected at the time, the court may have violated Craig's constitutional rights and the public's access to judicial proceedings by excluding the public and news media as potential jurors were being screened by both sides and the judge." Politico (8/13, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports prosecutors "appeared to have triggered the unexpected series of events late Monday by notifying the judge and the defense that the procedure Jackson used to question potential jurors earlier in the day was legally suspect." Although courtrooms are normally open "as potential jurors are interviewed, with some private matters occasionally being discussed out of public earshot at the judge's bench, Jackson asked all 70 members of the jury pool questions as a group with the courtroom open to some members of the press, then excluded the public and press as jurors answered those questions." EFTA00161056 Indiana Man Sentenced To 12 Months In Prison After Committing Wire Fraud. The Kendallville (IN) News Sun (8/13, 23K) reports that US District Court Judge Holly Brady sentenced 36-year-old Robin Opper to 12 months in prison, after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud. FBI Special Agent Grant Mendenhall, in charge of the agency's Indianapolis Division, said, "This sentence sends a dear message that the FBI will aggressively pursue those who commit financial fraud and vigorously investigate this criminal activity.' Opper, who reportedly obtained "fraudulent reimbursement payment" from former employer BAE Systems, will also pay $566,618 in restitution. Chrisleys And Accountant Charged With Fraud, Obstruction. WTTG-TV Washington (8/13, 72K) reports, 'A federal grand jury in Atlanta has indicted reality television star Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie, on multiple counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion.' The Chrisleys 'conspired to defraud numerous banks according to charges. US Attorney Byung J. "BJay* Pak "said that the Christleys and their Roswell, Georgia-based accountant Peter Tarantino allegedly tried to obstruct the efforts of the IRS to examine their taxes by 'hiding income, lying to third parties about their tax returns, and - in Tarantino's case - lying to FBI and IRS-CI Special Agents.'" FBI Investigates Data Breach Affecting Bismarck School Employees, Students. The AP (8/13) reports the FBI is looking into a data breach "affecting about 18,500 current and former Bismarck Public Schools students and nearly 1,100 employees." According to administrators, the exposed data pertains to Pearson Clinical Assessment, a company which makes a universal screening tool. The exposed data was reportedly "isolated to first name, last name, and possibly date of birth and email addresses." Federal Ban On Chinese Telecom Equipment Goes Into Effect. NextGov (8/13) reports the interim rule that "bans federal agencies from purchasing or obtaining telecommunications and video surveillance services, systems or products from five Chinese companies — including Huawei — officially went into effect Tuesday." The publication "was published in the Federal Register website by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, comprised of officials from the Defense Department, the General Services Administration and NASA' The ban implements "the provisions of the 2019 National Defense Administration Act, which restricts federal funds from being used to do business with Chinese telecom firms and also prohibits government contractors and grant recipients from working directly with Chinese companies, or any other entities that institute their tech." Huawei Expands Lobbying Team Amid Trump Crackdown. The Hill (8/13, Gangitano, 2.98M) reports Huawei "is bringing on new lobbying help amid a Trump Administration ban on sales to federal agencies." The firm has already "spent $125,000 on lobbying in the first two quarters of this year, a pace that will lead it to top the $165,000 it spent in 2018.' Last year, the company only had "two firms on retainer, APCO Worldwide and Strategic Public Affairs." Now, in addition to a $10,000 contract for APCO Worldwide, the firm has also 'engaged Steptoe & Johnson with a $100,000 contract and Jones Day, with a $20,000 contract: Only four lobbyists total were lobbying domestically for Huawei until the company nearly doubled its lobbying manpower this summer." Asurion Paid "At Least $300,000" To Extortionist Over Data Breach. The Tennessean (8/13, Kelman, 458K) reports, "The FBI is investigating an extortion scheme targeting Nashville-based Asurion, a global phone insurance company." Asurion "paid at least $300,000 in ransom to an extortionist who claimed he stole private info of thousands of employees and more than a million customers, according to new court records from an ongoing FBI investigation: According to the FBI, the suspect is "Nicholas Burks, of Antioch, a former Asurion employee who was fired in March' The Tennessean adds, The Asurion breach was revealed late last week by an FBI search warrant application that was publicly filed in federal court." FBI To Assist Portland, Oregon Police As City Braces For Dueling Protests. Fox News (8/13, Miles, 27.59M) reports, "Portland, Ore., is gearing up for a set of dueling rallies this weekend that is expected to bring an informal coalition of right-wing groups - some of which have been decried as white nationalists and white supremacists-- and so- called anti-fascists, who have violently opposed these right-wing demonstrators." According to Fox News, "Portland's so-called 'Antifa' members have issued an online call to followers to turn out to 'defend Portland from a far-Right attack." Fox News adds, "Portland leaders are planning a major law enforcement presence on the heels of similar rallies in June and last summer that turned violent, and the recent hate-driven shooting in El Paso, Texas." Fox News notes, "None of the city's nearly 1,000 police officers will have the day off, and Portland will get help from the Oregon State Police and the FBI." EFTA00161057 Former FBI Agent Testifies In Wrongful Termination Suit. WDAM-TV Hattiesburg, MS (8/13, Robertson, 13K) reports that former FBI agent Warren Flowers testified on Tuesday, in a lawsuit alleging that he was wrongfully terminated by the agency. Flowers "asserts one of the reasons for which he was fired was as a result of a hostile work environment,' and that mistakes he made were due to "the lack of training from the Hattiesburg Field Office." Attorneys for the FBI presented documents showing Flowers 'admitted that he did indeed falsify documents and misled his supervisor on more than one occasion" during cross-examination. Reported Hate Crimes Rise, But Federal Prosecutions Fall, Says Analysis. Courthouse News (8/13, Bubenik, 2K) reports on "an analysis released Monday by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse,' which found that while "hate crime cases were referred to the federal government for prosecution almost 2,000 times over the past decade, ...only 15% of those referrals actually led to prosecutions." The FBI "said last November that hate crime reports were up 17% in 2017 from the year before, marking the third consecutive year of increases' Trump "Convinced" McConnell Wants Action On Guns. The Washington Times (8/13, Dinan, 492K) reports President Trump "renewed his call for 'meaningful background checks' for gun purchases on Tuesday, but suggested Democrats could be the hurdle to getting any bill done." The President also said Senate Majority Leader McConnell "is in favor of expanding background checks." Reuters (8/13, Mason) reports Trump told reporters, I am convinced that Mitch wants to do something.' The New York Times (8/13, Stolberg, Edmondson, 18.61M) reports, "While Mr. Trump has said repeatedly that Mr. McConnell favors expanding background checks, the leader has not committed to taking up the bill, and he has said he has no intention of bringing the Senate back early to consider ft." Politico (8/13, Caygle, 4.29M) reports McConnell "has already ruled out ending the recess early and said the Senate will address the issue when the chamber returns in September. President Donald Trump, who has spoken positively about new gun safety efforts, has also declined to ask Congress to reconvene." The AP (8/13, Fram) reports Democrats pressed McConnell on Tuesday "to approve House-passed legislation expanding background checks and to take other steps curbing guns." Reuters (8/13, Morgan) reports House Democrats "held a news conference with relatives and friends of mass shooting victims to pressure...McConnell to call the upper chamber back from an August recess for a vote on gun control legislation that has already been approved by the House." Many House Democrats tweeted at McConnell under the hashtag #DoSomething Tuesday. The Washington Post (8/13, Bade, Kane, 14.2M) reports Democrats themselves 'are privately sparring over what exactly to approve," backing expanding background checks and "red flag" laws but divided over "whether the House should advance legislation reinstating an assault weapons ban that expired 15 years ago' Meanwhile, the New York Daily News (8/13, Sommerfeldt, 2.52M) reports, Senate Minority Leader Schumer "is preparing to formally call on the president to drop his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding and instead use that cash to combat gun violence and white supremacy." Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said on CNN's Situation Room (8/13, 759K), 'This is something we passed HR8 in the House, which does universal background checks. It has the support, I read today, of 95 percent of Americans. I think we have a good chance of passing it in the Senate if Mitch McConnell will allow it to come to the floor. ... I don't agree with President Trump on much, but if he's willing to embrace universal background checks, we should celebrate that.' Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) said on CNN's Situation Room (8/13, 792K), "It is about background checks, but it is beyond background checks. I think President Trump is fanning the flames of xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment, and Mitch McConnell is sitting on this. He needs to call an emergency session to get this thing done. The House has already done the work. It is time for Mitch McConnell to not only stand up to the President, but to stand up and be a leader to get those two pieces of legislation that have already been passed by the House through the Senate." lvanka Trump Reportedly Feeling Out Lawmakers On Gun Legislation. Axios (8/13, Treene, 521K) reports Ivanka Trump "has quietly been calling lawmakers since the El Paso and Dayton massacres to gauge their openness to movement on gun legislation when Congress returns," according to "sources familiar with her conversations." She has also spoken with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) lo get an update on the bipartisan background checks bill he proposed" with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA). Jim Acosta said on CNN's Situation Room (8/13, 792K), "It is unclear how much pull the First Daughter has up on Capitol Hill, as Democrats and Republicans are miles apart on the gun issue." Whitehouse Says Supreme Court "Not Well" Enough To Take Up Gun Issue. The Washington Times (8/13, Swoyer, 492K) reports Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) argued in a 25-page brief this week that the Supreme Court should not hear New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, "a case involving a New York City gun control law, saying the GOP- appointed majority is too tainted to deliver a valid ruling." Whitehouse argued, "The Supreme Court is not well. And the people know it. Perhaps the court can heal itself before the public demands it be 'restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics.' Particularly on the urgent issue of gun control, a nation desperately needs it to heal." EFTA00161058  Internet Sales Making It Easy To Buy Guns Without Background Check. The New York Times (8/13, Oppel, Hassan, 18.61M) reports that while "millions of people in the United States are prohibited from owning firearms under federal law," including felons, "people adjudicated to be mentally ill, those dishonorably discharged from the military, and also convicted domestic abusers or others subject to domestic violence restraining orders," federal gun laws "contain a major loophole: Transactions between private sellers and buyers do not require a background check," and the Internet has "made it as easy as a few mouse clicks to find a gun for sale from a private seller on an online marketplace or through social media." Gun violence prevention group Brady says that as a result, "about one in five gun buys is conducted with no background check" Some In Greenville See Connection Between Trump Rally And El Paso Violence. The Washington Post (8/13, Witte, 14.2M) talks with residents of Greenville, North Carolina — where '8,000 neighbors and fellow citizens° last month lammed a local basketball arena to serenade the president with chants of `Send her back,' a response to Trump's insistence that a Muslim, Somali American congresswoman should 'go back' to the land of her birth° — who 'see themselves as targets of a campaign to whip up xenophobia and hate." The Post says that for some of them, "the presidents warnings about an 'invasion' of immigrants...carry a particularly ominous resonance: as a prelude to murder." Copyright 2019 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers. national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Buletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough. GA< MRI, comScore, Nielsen. aid the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Data from and access to third party social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, is subject to the respective platform's terms of use. Services that include Factiva content are governed by Fadiva's terms of use. Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for Website's information and privacy policies. The FBI Directors Morning Briefing is published five days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at BuletinIntelligence.00m, or caled at (703)483-6100. Please direct comments and concerns to [email protected]. EFTA00161059