Several months ago a key witness to the Russia investigation popped up at Mar-A-Lago.[1] James Woolsey is a former CIA Director that served under 4 administrations and was on Trump's transition team. He later resigned from his position as a senior adviser due to Trump's undermining comments about the intelligence community.[2]
James Woolsey pitched a $10 million contract to Turkish businessmen to discredit a controversial U.S. based Turkish cleric while he was an adviser during Trump’s campaign.[3] James Woolsey has been interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller, they discussed Flynn's alleged Turkish scheme.[4]
Now how was Woolsey roped into Trump's campaign? Well he has ties to a Trump protege, Mark Brown, who ran Trump's Atlantic City casino empire.[5] A casino in Saipan was visited by the FBI back in March of 2017 and is an alleged conduit for laundering money, both Woolsey and Brown are 2 board members.[6]
Reza Zarrab, the aforementioned Turkish-Iranian national, recently plead guilty to charges of conspiring to avoid US sanctions.[7] Turkish President Erdogan wants Reza Zarrab released as he know Erdogan's financial secrets. The second Turkish individual Erdogan wanted was Fethullah Gulen - he is the Turkish cleric hiding in the United States, the same cleric that the Trump campaign tried to discredit and the same cleric that Erdogan and the Turkish government are after for drummed up charges. Erdogan's allies allegedly offered Flynn a $15 million deal to kidnap Gulen. While the kidnapping plan made headlines all over the media it was only 1 of 2 topics Flynn discussed with his Turkish counterparts during their meeting. The second topic was, allegedly, discussing the release of Reza Zarrab who is being tried by the United States government for conspiring to violate sanctions.[8]
We know that Zarrab plead guilty to the charges he faced and is now cooperating with American authorities.[9] Around this time Flynn's lawyer broke communication from Trump's legal team, indicating that Flynn was ready to cooperate with Special Counsel Mueller.[10] We know that Flynn's lawyer had met on a Monday morning with members of Special Counsel Mueller's team, another indication that he was ready to cooperate.[11] And then he pleaded guilty to lesser charges, a significant development as it indicates that he is fully cooperating with the investigation.[12]
1) Business Insider - A key witness in the Russia probe had a 'lengthy conversation' with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
2) Washington Post - Former CIA director James Woolsey quits Trump transition team
3) Reuters - Exclusive: While advising Trump in 2016, ex-CIA chief proposed plan to discredit Turkish cleric
4) NBC - Ex-CIA Director Spoke to Mueller About Flynn’s Alleged Turkish Scheme
5) Bloomberg - Big Money, Big Questions at Trump Protege's Remote Casino
6) Bloomberg - FBI Visits Office of Saipan Casino Run by Trump Protege.
7) New York Times - Reza Zarrab Testifies That He Bribed Turkish Minister
8) Lawfare - Why Turkey Cares about the Trial of Reza Zarrab
9) The Independent - Turkish businessman's Iran sanctions guilty plea opens door to cooperation in Robert Mueller's Michael Flynn investigation
10) CBC - Michael Flynn's lawyers break with Trump's legal team
11) ABC News - Michael Flynn's lawyer meets with members of special counsel's team, raising specter of plea deal
12) New York Times - Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the F.B.I. and Will Cooperate With Russia Inquiry
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comments by Poppin, 7/7/2018 much Thanks!
In events surrounding Zarrab’s trial, interactions between the U.S. government and Turkish officials raise rule of law questions for the United States. Erdogan has taken a strong personal interest in Zarrab, discussing him on multiple occasions with the Obama and Trump administrations. He demanded Zarrab’s release and Bharara’s firing in a meeting with then-Vice President Biden in 2016, while his wife pleaded the case to Biden’s wife. Erdogan raised Zarrab in his final phone calls with Obama in Dec. 2016 and Jan. 2017. It was a topic of discussion between Erdogan and Trump as well. Following a September phone call, Erdogan said Trump told him the case in New York was not under his jurisdiction.
Eyebrows have been raised over connections between the Zarrab case and the Trump administration. In March, Trump fired Preet Bharara, the U.S. District Attorney who brought the indictment against Zarrab. (Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked 46 U.S. attorneys to resign. Bharara refused, noting Trump had asked him after the election to remain. Trump called Bharara; he declined to answer, citing rules against sitting attorneys talking to the President. Trump then fired him.) The case has continued under Bharara’s former deputy and current Acting District Attorney, Joon Kim.
Also in March, Zarrab made changes to his legal team. He hired Rudy Guiliani, an informal Trump advisor, and Michael Mukasey, a former Attorney General. These lawyers met with Erdogan and senior Trump administration officials in search of a “diplomatic solution.” Guiliani described his role in a deposition as determining “whether this case can be resolved as part of some agreement between the United States and Turkey that will promote the national-security interests of the United States and redound to the benefit of Mr. Zarrab.”
In addition, there are questions about Michael Flynn’s possible involvement. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, is exploring Flynn’s Turkish activities. Flynn, a Trump campaign advisor and briefly U.S. National Security Advisor, was allegedly offered $15 million to return Gulen to Turkey. Mueller is reportedly examining whether Flynn also discussed ways of freeing Zarrab from court charges.
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