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I love Wikileaks, he said.
Author: Raine    Date: 04/11/2019 12:34:06

Breaking: Assange had been arrested earlier Thursday by British police after being evicted from Ecuador’s embassy in London. London Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying Assange had been “arrested on behalf of the United States authorities” and would “appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court as soon as possible.” Link, Via WaPo. Also from the link, in a strangely ironic twist:
In the last administration, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. decided against pursuing prosecution of Assange out of concern that WikiLeaks’ argument that it is a journalistic organization would raise thorny First Amendment issues and set an unwelcome precedent.

The Trump administration, however, revisited the question of prosecuting members of WikiLeaks, and last November a court filing error revealed that Assange had been charged under seal.

Conspiracy, theft of government property and violating the Espionage Act are among the possible charges.

Some federal prosecutors say a case can be made that WikiLeaks is not a journalistic organization. As if to lay the groundwork for such an argument, in April 2017, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, now secretary of state, characterized WikiLeaks as a “nonstate hostile intelligence service” and a threat to U.S. national security.


From March, 23:



I think I posted this in the blog comments at the time. It now appears that plane may have gone to London to deliver a sealed indictment. You will recall last year when the DOJ accidentally revealed at least one indictment against Assange
The Justice Department has apparently prepared to indict Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, setting up a legal battle that could have broad ramifications for the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election as well as the government’s prosecution of journalists and others who publicize national security secrets.

The revelation was an accident. Prosecutors pursuing an unrelated sex crimes case, against a man named Seitu Sulayman Kokayi, referenced Assange twice in a filing seeking to keep the complaint against Kokayi under seal.

The complaint, prosecutors wrote in the document, “would need to remain sealed until Assange is arrested in connection with the charges in the criminal complaint and can therefore no longer evade or avoid arrest and extradition in this matter.” At a separate point in the document, prosecutors wrote that “due to the sophistication of the defendant and the publicity surrounding the case, no other procedure is likely to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged.”


This could also mean that the indictment was made before (seemingly well before) the conclusion of the Special Counsel investigation. It looks like the Eastern District of Virginia might be pretty busy in the next day or two.

Also in the news is the Merriam Webster word of the day:



I probably had the same thought as you, alas, it's another person they are referring to.

President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron fist for 30 years, was on Thursday overthrown in a coup by the armed forces which announced a two-year period of military rule to be followed by elections.






It's a pretty big day.

and

Raine



 
 
 

26 comments (Latest Comment: 04/11/2019 19:43:46 by Raine)
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Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 12:55:18
Mornin' all.

Yesterday I was in a real funk. Work was frustrating me & spinning me in several directions, the pollen was making my eyes burn, and the cumulative effects of watching my country rapidly being ruined from the inside out over the past 2 years finally broke me. I went home, binged on a pile of tacos & tried to relax with some gaming, but I unfortunately let that frustrate me as well.

I woke up to the news about Assange this morning and at first was glad that FINALLY one of the key people who helped bring our country AND the UK to political ruin was going to be held accountable.

Then I saw that his extradition to the US was pending, and yesterday's frustration returned. There is NO WAY that he will get a proper trial here, not while the Administration & his cabal of fascist judges are around. He WILL be protected. He WILL be pardoned. There WILL be NO justice.

Comment by wickedpam on 04/11/2019 12:58:58
Morning

Crazy news this morning, was completely stunned. Maybe I'm being obtuse but I can't see why tRump would want Assange brought to the US. Would think it doesn't really do him too much good unless there is a plan afoot for Assange to keep his mouth shut about stuff tRump doesn't want him to talk about and in the end Assange ends up with some free pass.

Me trying to make heads or tails of this
V
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/powerlisting/images/c/cf/CassandraVisualization.gif/revision/latest?cb=20160304171530


Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 13:00:32




Comment by wickedpam on 04/11/2019 13:07:50
I mean, overall, its a good thing for the world though, right.

Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 13:12:35
Quote by wickedpam:
I mean, overall, its a good thing for the world though, right.

I think there is still a lot to be revealed. WaPo and others are reporting that this is connected to the 2010 Chelsea Manning case.

(Manning, btw, is still sitting in Jail for contempt of court)

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/11/2019 13:36:48
Quote by wickedpam:
I mean, overall, its a good thing for the world though, right.


At least, I hope, his cat will go to someone who can properly care for it.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/11/2019 13:40:57
Good morning.

First world problems, I have to walk all the way to the A wing of the building because the coffee pot in the B wing (the Engineering wing) still doesn't work. It was supposed to be 'fixed' yesterday. I mean, all they're gonna do is replace one piece of crap Bunn machine with another piece of crap Bunn machine. Meanwhile, the Keurig machine in the A wing soldiers on and on and on and on....


Comment by wickedpam on 04/11/2019 13:42:52
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by wickedpam:
I mean, overall, its a good thing for the world though, right.


At least, I hope, his cat will go to someone who can properly care for it.



That was one of my first thoughts too

Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 13:50:08
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by wickedpam:
I mean, overall, its a good thing for the world though, right.


At least, I hope, his cat will go to someone who can properly care for it.



That was one of my first thoughts too
The Cat is ok. It was freed in November.

Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 14:01:10




Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 14:16:37
Obama-era lawyer expects to be indicted as part of Mueller's probe.

I'm surprised that the mantangerinepig hasn't tried to bludgeon the American public with this yet.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 14:25:16
oh boy and here comes Snowden again.

Hey Eddie, you better fucking stay in Russia where your traitor ass belongs.

Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 15:07:05
well, this is no good. This is on the other side of Baltimore Avenue from us.





Comment by wickedpam on 04/11/2019 15:36:49
Quote by Raine:
well, this is no good. This is on the other side of Baltimore Avenue from us.






Are you and the puppers ok?

Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 16:12:53
Quote by Raine:
well, this is no good. This is on the other side of Baltimore Avenue from us.



YIKES!!!

Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 16:40:38
Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/11/2019 16:46:48
Comment by trojanrabbit on 04/11/2019 16:47:54

Just nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Comment by livingonli on 04/11/2019 17:55:46
Quote by trojanrabbit:

Shouldn't be able to get out of trouble by resigning.

It seems like the Trumps have been spending most of their lives avoiding criminal prosecution since grandad got off the boat from Germany,

Comment by livingonli on 04/11/2019 17:56:55
Quote by trojanrabbit:

Just nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Well, it's not their new buddies in Saudi Arabia trying to buy it.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 18:09:06
Quote by livingonli:
Quote by trojanrabbit:

Just nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Well, it's not their new buddies in Saudi Arabia trying to buy it.

What I'm REALLY curious about is what will happen to all the dirty stuff they bought the rights to & buried and/or used for extortion, you know like pretty much anything Trump has ever done.

Comment by Scoopster on 04/11/2019 18:18:37
Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 19:42:44
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by livingonli:
Quote by trojanrabbit:

Just nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Well, it's not their new buddies in Saudi Arabia trying to buy it.

What I'm REALLY curious about is what will happen to all the dirty stuff they bought the rights to & buried and/or used for extortion, you know like pretty much anything Trump has ever done.

An acquisition of The Enquirer by Mr. Burkle, a longtime Democratic donor, could raise eyebrows in Washington given President Trump’s fondness for the tabloid, which he has praised on Twitter.



Comment by Raine on 04/11/2019 19:43:46

They are really getting scary dangerous -- this is literally going after political opponents.