Epstein Secrets

ppened to Wang Lijun, a well- connected police chief in China. In February 2012, Wang, walked into at the US consulate in Chengdu asking from asylum. The State Department decided against it. After Wang left US protection, he was arrested for corruption and received a 15 year prison sentence. Such decisions about walk-i

essed an interest in obtaining some form of amnesty from prosecution in America. Wizner was willing to attempt to explore making a possible deal with the Department of Justice, but it would not be an easy task, especially if Snowden had turned over NSA documents to a foreign power. Even to argue that Snowden was merely a N

tions intelligence and the NSA fulfilled them. As the Cold War heated up in the 1960s, the NSA provided intelligence not only to the Pentagon but to the Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency, the Treasury Department, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the FBI. With a multi-billion dollar “black budget” hidden f

ial journalism which was backed by Internet billionaire Pierre Omidyar. Poitras remained in Hong Kong, where she moved, along with Guardian reporter MacAskill, to the five-star Sheraton Hong Kong Tower, which, like the Mira hotel, was on Nathan Road in Kowloon. Her next task was to set up what was to be Sno

ugh Snowden had greatly exaggerated the positions he held with the CIA and DIA, no effort was made to check them by the team of journalists. Instead, MacAskill wrote Janine Gibson in New York “The Guinness is good.” It was a pre-arranged code by which MacAskill certified Snowden’s credibility for the Guardia

the newspaper. He was also highly-regarded by the editors there. He was therefore interested in Poitras’ offer (although he would consult a friend at the Justice Department about the legality of publishing NSA documents. Snowden now had laid the groundwork for at least two possible outlets; one an establishment newspape

Hong Kong, the FBI realized Snowden was a possible intelligence defector. It froze his credit and bank cards. It also notified the passport office in the State Department the legal attaches at the Hong Kong consulate. The legal attaches, who were actually FBI field agents posted in Hong Kong, located Snowden at the Mir

the service providers. It also requires a written directive from both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence, and a review by the Department of Justice every three months of each case. After obtaining this data, the NSA ran programs to filter out all domestic Internet communications. In theory at lea

urnalists with the atmospherics of “an international spy thriller,” as Greenwald subsequently described the instructions. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020250 | MacAskill had stayed at the W Hotel when Poitras and Greenwald Poitras went to the Mira Hotel. Poitras did not want to bring along an uninvited guest to the fi

cy, there were six government employees who, as a matter of personal conscience, shared classified informa- tion they obtained from the FBI, the CIA, the State Department, and the U.S. Army with journalists. They were all convicted: Sha- mai Leibowitz in 2010, Chelsea Manning in 2013, John Kiriakou in 2013, Donald Sach

the service providers. It also required a written directive from both the attorney general and the director of national intelligence and a review by the Department of Justice every three months for each and every case. After obtain- ing this data, the NSA ran programs, as required by law, to filter out all domestic Interne

ism, which was backed by the Internet billion- aire Pierre Omidyar. Poitras remained in Hong Kong, where she moved, along with the Guardian reporter MacAskill, to the five-star Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, which, like the Mira hotel, was on Nathan Road in Kowloon. The Guardian paid the bill. Her next

skill, whom Poitras had not wanted Greenwald to bring to the initial meeting, joined Poitras and Green- wald in Snowden’s room. Snowden insisted that MacAskill also go through the ritual of stowing his cell phone in the minibar refrigera- tor. Not without irony, Snowden’s own phone can be seen on his bed rec

US regulations, per- sons with felony arrest warrants are subject to having their passport revoked.” That arrest warrant was issued on June 14, 2013. The State Department Opera- tions Center alert said “Snowden’s U.S. passport was revoked on June 22, 2013,” after the Justice Department unsealed the charges that had bee

l, “The Private Equity Firm That Grew Too Fast,” New York Times, April 24, 2015. 214 USIS had prematurely closed: Tom Hamburger and Debbi Wilgoren, “Justice Department Says USIS Submitted 665,000 Incomplete Background Checks,” Washington Post, Jan. 23, 2014. 214 USIS was also open to: Ellen Nakashima, “DHS Contrac

n.” 27 “through the system”: Burrough, Ellison, and Andrews, “Snowden Saga.” CHAPTER 3 Contractor 28 “Much of what I saw”: Greenwald, Poitras, and MacAskill, “Edward Snowden.” 30 This “free pass”: Tyler Drumheller, interview with author. 30 “So the guy with whom the CIA”: Morell, Great War of Our Time,

e Department revoked...”- Author’s interview with a former member of the National Security staff who cited State Department records. Also, Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, told AP "As is routine and consistent with US regulations, persons with felony arrest warrants are subject to having their passport revo

l, “The Private Equity Firm That Grew Too Fast,” New York Times, April 24, 2015 “USIS had prematurely closed...”-- Tom Hamburger and Debbi Wilgoren, “Justice Department says USIS submitted 665,000 incomplete background checks,” Washington Post, January 23, 2014 “USIS was also opened to...”-- Ellen Nakashima, “DHS co

USE_OVERSIGHT_020392 241 CHAPTER SEVEN Crossing the Rubicon 1. “What I came to feel...” —Snowden quoted in “I, Spy: Edward Snowden in Exile,’Ewen MacAskill and Alan Rusbridger, The Guardian, July 18, 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/-sp-edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower- interview-transc