Epstein Secrets

ee countries that Snowden is known to have had contact with directly during his thirty-three-day stay in Hong Kong was Russia. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, revealed these contacts in a televised press briefing in September 2013. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts, but he pro- vided an intr

ree-day stay in Hong Kong was Russia. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, revealed these contacts in a televised press briefing in September 2013. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts, but he pro- vided an intriguing clue. Snowden was identified to him, according to Putin, not by name but

t a one-on-one summit between President Obama and President Putin. Not only would this summit be a diplomatic coup

y in Hong Kong was Russia. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, revealed these contacts in a televised pre

013 while Snowden was still working for Dell at the NSA base in @ Hawaii. At that time, Poitras did not know Snowden’s real name, but @ she informed Wizner that she was in touch with a person identify- ing himself as a senior officer in U.S. intelligence. (Poitras did not know at that time that her sourc

ulu to Moscow. When I later asked Kucherena in Mos- cow why Snowden changed his story in direct contradiction of what Kucherena had stated, he said, “Wizner.” He was referring to Ben Wizner, Snowden’s ACLU lawyer in Washington, D.C. Wizner had joined the ACLU in August 2001 after graduating from NYU Law

y resulted in accidently compromising Poteyev. When Chap- man returned to Moscow after a spy exchange, she was taken to a well-publicized dinner with Putin. Afterward, she informed her debriefer at the SVR that only Poteyev had been in a position to know the password that an FBI agent had used to try to

| | HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019707 CHAPTER 21 The Russians Are Coming The collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. —VLADIMIR PUTIN I THE FIRST INVASION of a European country since the end of the Cold War, Russian military forces moved into the Crimea and other parts of eastern U

m- ably, this relationship further deepened under President Putin’s regime. Putin asserted in speeches in 2014 that

s a major geopolitical disaster of the century. —VLADIMIR PUTIN I THE FIRST INVASION of a European country

Snowden’s liaisons with the Russian authorities while Wizner was handling the Snowden narrative, including selecting the media out- lets. Presumably, Wizner had handpicked Snowden’s past interview- ers in Moscow, including Barton Gellmna, James Bamford, Brian Williams, John Oliver, Alan Rusbridger, and Ka

awyer at the ACLU. He made it clear to me that the exposure of Snowden to journalists, or at least the vetting of journalists, had been outsourced to Wizner. Kucherena was handling Snowden’s liaisons with the Russian authorities while Wizner was handling the Snowden narrative, including selecting the medi

eatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."—Vladimir Putin In the first invasion of a European country sinc

t a one-on-one summit between President Obama and President Putin. Not only would this summit be a diplomatic coup

eatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."—Vladimir Putin In the first invasion of a European countr

ith directly during his 33 day stay in Hong Kong, was Russia. As previously discussed, he had dealings with Russian “diplomatic representatives “, as Putin called them. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts but he provided an intriguing clue. Snowden was identified to him, according to Putin,

in early 2013, while Snowden was still working for the NSA, from Poitras. At that time, Poitras did not know Snowden’s real name, but she revealed to Wizner that she had found an anonymous source with access to U.S. government surveillance secrets. So he was not completely surprised when Glenn Greenwald,

IGHT_020291 140 When I later asked Kucherena in Moscow why Snowden changed his story in direct contradiction of what Kucherena had stated, he said “Wizner.” He was referring to Ben Wizner, a top-drawer ACLU lawyer based in Washington D.C. Wizner had joined the ACLU in August 2001 after graduating NYU la

,” according to the State Depart- ment’s senior watch officer. 142 had met nearly every day: Miller, “U.S. Officials Scrambled to Nab Snowden.” 142 Putin admitted: Interview, Channel One, http://en-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martine

er, “U.S. Officials Scrambled to Nab Snowden.” 142 Putin admitted: Interview, Channel One, http://en-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martinez, “Report: Snow- den’s US Passport Revoked,” Hill, June 23, 2013. CHAPTER 15 Did Snowden Act Alone? 146

n-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martinez

rs Technica.” 117 “an act of civil disobedience”: Mayer, “Snowden Calls Russian-Spy Story ‘Absurd’ in Exclusive Interview.” 117 Ben Wizner, a lawyer: Wizner called his representation of Snowden the “work of a lifetime.” Hill, “How ACLU Lawyer Ben Wizner Became Snowden’s Lawyer.” 118 “We've crossed lines”:

appreciated. Lugovoy was elected to the Duma in 2008, and also hosted a 24 part television series espionage for which he was personally decorated by Putin. He was also now reputed to be in the inner circle of power in Moscow. So I called him. We arranged to meet in the lobby bar of the National Hotel.

ited as Ars Technica report.) http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/06/nsa-leaker-ed- snowdens-life-on-ars-technica 8. “Ben Wizner, a lawyer...”-- Wizner called his representation of Snowden the “work of a lifetime.” Kashmir Hill, “How ACLU Lawyer Ben Wizner Became Snowden’s Lawyer,” Forbes, March 10,

s American lawyer. He made it clear to me that the exposure of Snowden to journalists, or at least the vetting of journalists, had been outsourced to Wizner, “After that the final decision is up to Snowden,” he said. That seemed to conclude the interview but, as I got up to leave, he added, “His legal def