DOJ moves to drop charges against Russians accused of funding troll farm
Source: Axios
Justice Department prosecutors on Monday filed a motion to dismiss charges against the shell companies accused of financing the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm that engaged in a social media disinformation scheme to interfere in the 2016 election.
The big picture: Prosecutors claim that the Russians were essentially able to evade accountability and punishment while taking advantage of the discovery process to potentially harm U.S. national security.
Context: The shell companies, Concord Management and Concord Consulting, were charged by special counsel Robert Mueller in 2018 along with 13 Russian individuals and the troll farm itself known as the Internet Research Agency. The scheme, outlined in the 2018 indictment and again in the Mueller report, sought to sow political discord ahead of the 2016 election.
Details: The Concord companies sought to fight the indictment in court, unlike the other Russians charged by Mueller. In doing so, prosecutors say they were able to "obtain discovery" from the U.S. government regarding its efforts to "detect and deter foreign election interference" while also ignoring court-issued subpoenas.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/justice-department-russian-trolls-internet-research-agency-9bf95c0d-2f6a-4377-84a5-c5f3eb8c4abb.html
cstanleytech
(26,338 posts)Pentatonic
(18 posts)The DOJ never expected the defendants to hire US attorneys and demand discovery. When a corporation is charged with a crime, no human needs to appear.
Every attorney Ive discussed the case with agreed that the DOJ got clowned by the Russians on this one. These were career prosecutors that didnt think things through.
padah513
(2,511 posts)Really? Everybody in the country knew they weren't going to ever get the Russians to answer to the charges. This was symbolic more than anything. Foolish? SMH
Lock him up.
(6,947 posts)their existence (and what they did: Help elect the idiot criminal) before.
Of course nobody can realistically get them to pay for their meddling in jail, even after Putin himself admitted to it on video tape in Helsinki!
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)That is, until Putin's henchmen took over our government. You think it's OK to let Putin control our government?
Hekate
(90,911 posts)Enjoy your stay
Evolve Dammit
(16,788 posts)Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,788 posts)Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)captain queeg
(10,273 posts)The Trump crew may need a safe haven to escape to.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)bluestarone
(17,091 posts)REFILE! With Kamala Harris as AG!!!
Alacritous Crier
(3,821 posts)in2herbs
(2,947 posts)radical noodle
(8,016 posts)Do you mean Mayor Pete? If so, he isn't an attorney so not the best pick for AG.
in2herbs
(2,947 posts)radical noodle
(8,016 posts)I agree. Preet would be a great AG. Also Sally Yates.
in2herbs
(2,947 posts)radical noodle
(8,016 posts)a full-time job.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Pentatonic
(18 posts)Basically, because the Russians were charged with a crime, they had the right to see our top secret intelligence that might be used as evidence. The DOJ didnt anticipate that the Russians would hire an attorney and demand to see it. Out of embarrassment the DOJ had to dismiss the charges.
It was quite dumb to file the case in the first place, and the DOJ will never do this again.
yardwork
(61,729 posts)TheFourthMind
(343 posts)Mr. Ected
(9,674 posts)The grave I imagine him in. He's dead to me.
Botany
(70,618 posts)Traitors
Roy Rolling
(6,943 posts)Attorney General Kamala Harris.
Nictuku
(3,620 posts)Part of the problem is that the defendants have a right to discovery.
US government: We have a lot of information about what Russians have done. A lot of it's classified, but it's there. And if it goes unchallenged, you have to convict.
Defendants rush into the room: Hey, judge. We're the defendants' lawyers. Let's see it. We have a right to see the evidence against us--and to rummage to see if we can find evidence you have that exculpates us or shows that the evidence presented is inaccurate incomplete. And what we can see, we're free to dispute and give evidence over ourselves, naturally. (Plus we can share with the rest of the staffers back home in merry Moskva!)
US government, considering the difficulty of assessing Moscovite information, and the wisdom of letting the russkies see and evaluate the information that the DOJ has): Let's not be so hasty about sharing, boys. Judge, do us a solid and dismiss the case? Thank you.
It was obvious this was not going to go well when the DOJ was surprised at having lawyers show up for the defendants. They even tried to get the defendants' lawyers dismissed (and continue to do so, to be honest--no defendants' before the court, they win by default). The DOJ quickly went from, "Yes, your honor, we're ready and eager to prosecute this case" to "Disqualify them, pretty please?" to "Uh, can we have a few months to get ready?" The DOJ assumed there'd be no challenge and made no plans for the challenge. Sloppy and unprofessional. Seems amateurish. Or based on reasoning that seems oddly motivated.
The defendants played the prosecutors' game this time. It flipped from "charge, and claim victory when the defense doesn't bother to defend" to "defend, and claim victory when the prosecution doesn't prosecute."
kimbutgar
(21,229 posts)What a frickin traitor Barr is! I hope he burns in hell.
turbinetree
(24,735 posts)and mirrors crime................................this was an attack on the very core of this republic.................and the head "guy" who likes to go to Federalist Society meetings wants to have this dismissed.......................
I really hope the judge says no.....................not today......................tomorrow......................fucking never...........
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/4564492/united-states-v-concord-management-and-consulting-llc/
mitch96
(13,934 posts)It was made to look like a NGO but when you got into it the whole thing was about black lives matter. Funded by the IRA in russia, the internet research agency in St Pete. The head of the NGO was thought to be a South African but it turns out he was Nigerian that lived in Russia for 10 years. Most of the shit they were spewing was aimed at Africian Americans to mess up the vote. Facebook got involved and and Shut them down... Good show... Ward said this was the tip of the iceberg.
m
https://twitter.com/clarissaward?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Response to Calista241 (Original post)
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