@listen_2learn - The Researcher
Thread with clips from a conference on how the 2016 election was rigged. How would you hack a presidential election? I’m guessing these partisan election experts had a hand in the 2020 election because they disappeared afterwards, but they will soon be back. https://t.co/pDHfioOBV8
@listen_2learn - The Researcher
By December 13, 2016, if there was fraud, it had to be exposed by this date in order to have any hope of changing the outcome of the election. Hillary Clinton. Election denier and conspiracy theorist. https://t.co/ZAna9mQC0s
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
In April 2016, I broke the story of Trump and Putin, using Russian open sources. Afterwards, I heard vague intimations that something was awry in the FBI in New York, specifically counter-intelligence and cyber. We now have a suggestion as to why. 0/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The person who led the relevant section, Charles McGonigal, has just been charged with taking money from the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Follow this thread to see just how this connects to the victory of Trump, the Russian war in Ukraine, and U.S. national security. 1/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The reason I was thinking about Trump & Putin in 2016 was a pattern. Russia had sought to control Ukraine, using social media, money, & a pliable head of state. Russia backed Trump the way that it had backed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, in the hopes of soft control 2/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Trump & Yanukovych were similar figures: interested in money, & in power to make or shield money. And therefore vulnerable partners for Putin. They also shared a political advisor: Paul Manafort. He worked for Yanukovych from 2005-2015, taking over Trump's campaign in 2016. 3/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
You might remember Manafort's ties to Russia from 2016. He (and Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr.) met with Russians in June 2016 in Trump Tower as part of, as the broker of the meeting called it, "the Russian government's support for Trump" (#RoadToUnfreedom, p. 237). 4/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Manafort had to resign as Trump's campaign manager in August 2016 when news broke that he had received $12.7 million in cash from Yanukovych. But these details are just minor elements of Manafort's dependence on Russia. (#RoadToUnfreedom, p. 235). 5/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Manafort worked for Deripaska, the same Russian oligarch to whom McGonigal is linked, between 2006 and 2009. Manafort's assignment was to soften up the U.S for Russian influence. He promised "a model that can greatly benefit the Putin government." (#RoadToUnfreedom, p. 234). 6/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
While Manafort worked for Trump in 2016, though, Manafort's dependence on Russia was deeper. He owed Deripaska money, not a position one would want to be in. Manafort offered Deripaska "private briefings" on the campaign. He was hoping "to get whole." (#RoadToUnfreedom, 234) 7/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Reconsider how the FBI treated the Trump-Putin connection in 2016. Trump and other Republicans screamed that the FBI had overreached. In retrospect, it seems the exact opposite took place. The issue of Russian influence was framed in a way convenient for Russia and Trump. 8/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The FBI investigation, Crossfire Hurricane, focused on the narrow issue of personal connections between the Trump campaign and Russians. It missed Russia's cyber attacks and the social media campaign, which, according to Kathleen Hall Jamieson, won the election for Trump. 9/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Once the issue of Russian soft control was framed narrowly as personal contact, Obama missed the big picture, and Trump had an easy defense. Trump knew that Russia was working for him, but the standard of guilt was placed so high that he could defend himself. 10/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
It is entirely inconceivable that McGonigal was unaware of Russia's 2016 cyber influence campaign on behalf of Trump. Even I was aware of it, and I had no expertise. It became one of the subjects of my book #RoadtoUnfreedom. 11/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The FBI did investigate cyber later, and came to some correct conclusions. But this was after the election, and missed the Russian influence operations entirely. That was an obvious counterintelligence issue. Why did the FBI take so long, and miss the point? 12/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
I had no personal connection to this, but will just repeat what informed people said at the time: this sort of thing was supposed to go through the FBI counter-intelligence section in New York, where tips went to die. That is where McGonigal was in charge. 13/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The cyber element is what McGonigal should have been making everyone aware of in 2016. In 2016, McGonigal was chief of the FBI's Cyber-Counterintelligence Coordination Section. That October, he was put in charge of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI's NY office. 14/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
We need to understand why the FBI failed in 2016 to address the essence of an ongoing Russian influence operation. The character of that operation suggests that it would have been the responsibility of an FBI section whose head is now accused of taking Russian money. 15/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Right after the McGonigal story broke, Kevin McCarthy ejected Adam Schiff from the House intelligence committee. Schiff is expert on Russian influence operations. It exhibits carelessness about national security to exclude him. It is downright suspicious to exclude him now. 16/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
Back in June 2016, Kevin McCarthy expressed his suspicion that Donald Trump was under Putin's influence. He and other Republican members concluded that the risk of an embarrassment to their party was more important than American security. #RoadToUnfreedom, p. 255. 17/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
The Russian influence operation to get Trump elected was real. It serves no one to pretend otherwise. We are still learning about it. Denying that it happened makes the United States vulnerable to ongoing Russian operations. 18/20
@TimothyDSnyder - Timothy Snyder
I remember a certain frivolity from 2016. Trump was a curiosity. Russia was irrelevant. Nothing to take seriously. Then Trump was elected, blocked weapon sales to Ukraine, and tried to stage a coup. Now Ukrainians are dying every day in the defining conflict of our time. 19/20
@wordcook - Bearing Light⭐️⭐️⭐️
The fact is, we can talk all day about who the Republican nominee will be but unless we stop election fraud, we will never win another federal election. This is a press release from 14 days before Trump took office. Please read it. I think this is where the fraud is occurring. https://t.co/U3sZ60tAX0
@CBKNEWS121 - CBKNEWS
THEY DON’T GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO CHEATED IN THE ELECTION, THEY ONLY GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO REPORT ON, OR QUESTION, THE CHEATING. https://t.co/mxcMtad8j8
@aaronjmate - Aaron Maté
Yes, US intel officials declared that the Wikileaks emails "came from the Russians." One option is to parrot them; the other is to look at the actual evidence, which undermines their claim. (https://realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/05/13/hidden_over_2_years_dem_cyber-firms_sworn_testimony_it_had_no_proof_of_russian_hack_of_dnc_123596.html)(https://realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/06/06/what_durham_skipped_903673.html) Roger Stone's trial confirmed what was obvious from the start to anyone who isn't a Trump-Russia conspiracy theorist: he had no privileged access to Wikileaks, as NYT-WP reported and Mueller report (in later un-redactions) admitted.
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Clue for the Clueless: Spying Is Not a Desk Job in DC! A special thank you to the author — Mr. Ashton Gray! This is a very important thread! The entire site, Chalet Books was just taken down! So very thankful that my friend @Spiltea listened when told to “archive offline”! 1/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Mr. Gray asserts this — “It is categorically impossible and therefore equally absurd that any trained, experienced espionage agency in the world could be so vegetable level stupid as to attempt a spying operation on a major US presidential campaign…” 2/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“WITHOUT GETTING UNDERCOVER AGENTS PLANTED INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN. Let me say that again another way: The entire "Russiagate" hoax would have been CATEGORICALLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT HOSTILE UNDERCOVER AGENTS PLANTED INSIDE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.” 3/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
According to Mr. Gray, these were some of the external agents: Stefan Halper, Joseph Mifsud, Charles Tawil, Alexander Downer, and Natalia Veselnitskaya. What do these all have in common? These 4 things: 1. Every one of those persons just named were OUTSIDE the campaign 4/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
2. Every one of those persons just named had CONTACT with one or more persons INSIDE the campaign 3. Not one of those persons named just above could have accomplished manufacturing ANYTHING against Trump WITHOUT the CONTACTS INSIDE the campaign 5/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“So now I'm going to speak very plainly: If you adamantly insist or fervently believe that there were NO HOSTILE AGENTS PLANTED INSIDE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, stop reading this right now and leave…” 6/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
WHO WERE THE HOSTILE AGENTS PLANTED INSIDE DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN? “Unless and until that question is answered and answered fully, there is not the slightest chance of ever bringing to justice all of those responsible for trying to frame Donald Trump as a candidate…” 7/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“And subsequently attempting to overthrow him as a President elect and then President of the United States.” “If the INSIDE INFILTRATORS are not identified and called to answer for their seditious acts, then some significant number of perpetrators among those responsible…” 8/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“will get away with their perfidy and their crimes against this nation.” “Let me state again here, briefly, who I believe to be most highly suspect…” 9/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Michael Flynn, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, and the man who was central to all four of those getting into the campaign, Sam Clovis.” 10/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
THE ROLE OF MICHAEL FLYNN! “I think my colleague David Reznor was perhaps too gracious and circumspect in his article on Michael Flynn with this statement:” 11/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Whether Flynn was a witting operative for the Deep State, which he had been an important part of as Director of the US Defense Intelligence Service or whether he was used, unwittingly, as a piece in the game by his former associates to ensnare Trump as candidate…” 12/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“and then President Elect, is impossible to say, but the weight of the evidence we have accumulated militates toward a conclusion that Flynn was, to some degree, a willing participant.” 13/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Mr. Gray says this about his colleagues comment: “If Flynn was unwitting, he is the single stupidest twit ever to make it inside any "intelligence" agency at all, much less rise to the directorship of the second-most-powerful agency in the US…” 14/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Uh, he isn't that stupid. He not only was witting, he was utterly crucial to the entire operation.” This is important to note: “When Michael Flynn retired from the directorship of the Defense Intelligence Agency (getting a medal from James Clapper)…” 15/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“and later joined the Trump campaign, he carried with him as ineradicable knowledge the identities of and contact information for every major Five- Eyes and foreign intelligence "asset" in the world.” 16/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Also important to note, as @Spiltea has asked many times, “What did President Trump mean when he said this about Flynn?” “He was already approved by the Obama admin & he had years left on that approval” President Trump 17/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Please take the time to read each of these screenshots, I’m only posting the high points! Back to the article! “Flynn already knowingly carried hidden "Russian collusion" baggage that could be sprung open at any time, such as a dinner with Russian born Svetlana Lokhova…” 18/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“and another with Vladimir Putin, all of which has been ably covered b David Reznor in his article on Flynn.” Here’s that article, and thankfully it is archived! https://web.archive.org/web/20210704222720/https://chaletbooks.com/chaletreports/exclusive-general-michael-flynn-was-a-keystone-in-the-cia-five-eyes-plot-to-frame-donald-trump/ 19/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Now here's the next fact you need to get an iron-clad grip on: Michael Flynn had total command level mastery of every line of clandestine and encrypted communication available to, and used by, the CIA, FBI, DIA, NSA, and State Department, anywhere in the world.” 20/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Michael Flynn had three mission -critical roles:” 1) Ensure that the other implanted moles were able to cary out their assignments 2) facilitate covert communications and coordination amongst the other moles and Five Eyes/foreign assets 21/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
3) Should Trump get elected (believed very unlikely), engage in high level correspondence with a high profile Russian that could be used to smear and compromise Trump before his inauguration along with the prior "Russian collusion" baggage Flynn was already carrying…” 22/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“A conditional fourth mission, should 3) become necessary, was to accept a phony legal charge and plead "guilty," with a guarantee of light or no consequences.” 23/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“How do we know these were his roles? Because that's exactly what happened and he still, at this writing, has not been sentenced for any of his alleged “crimes." 24/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Read this section to learn what Mr Gray had to say about Carter Page. Here’s an excerpt! “At all relevant times Carter Page was an undercover agent working for the CIA and/or the FBI to destroy Donald Trump, and so has titanium protection.” 25/ https://t.co/KwI145gtko
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS! “So much virtual ink has been poured out here already about Papadopoulos that I'm merely going to point, again, to my existing articles about the duplicitous little worm-who also gets handled in the media with kid gloves as a poor victim.” 26/ https://t.co/kRiNdc0o87
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
PAUL MANAFORT! “He was already carrying a freight train load of highly suspect history that subsequently has been leveraged by Mueller and his gang for severe criminal charges, all of which has been used in the CIA's Operation Mockingbird media…” 27/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“as taint by association against Donald Trump. The most likely scenario, by far, is that prior to Manafort approaching the campaign, he was promised on the down low that he could ultimately expect some leniency in criminal charges…” 28/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
SAM CLOVIS! “Somehow, Sam Clovis had wormed his way into a trusted position as co-chair of Donald Trump's campaign. Once there he brought in four men, each one of whom, within only eight months or less, would somehow manage to taint and smear Donald Trump…” 29/ https://t.co/QjXK4ooMUw
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“with phony, manufactured "Russian collusion" charges. Four for four. That is one amazing hiring track record right there.” “Before slithering into the Trump tent, Sam Clovis did a year of service at Booz Allen Hamilton…” 30/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“It is in intelligence that Booz Allen has made its mark. In 2002, Information Week reported that Booz Allen had "more than one thousand former intelligence officers on its staff…This would make Booz Allen one of the largest employers of cleared personnel in the US…” 31/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“Booz Allen has "the biggest chunk of recent former CIA people of any of the corporations" involved in contracting, says John Gannon, the former director of the CIA's National Intelligence Council.” 32/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
PERIPHERAL "INSIDER" ROB GOLDSTONE! “This wouldn't be complete without mentioning one other "insider" who wasn't literally inside the campaign, but hovered so close to the edges of the Trump planetary system that his influence played a major role…” 33/ https://t.co/Ya8qbo0JJZ
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“in one of the hyper-hyped sensationalistic "Russia collusion" stories pantingly paraded around by the lap-dog press: Rob Goldston.” On Friday, 3 June 2016, Goldstone did the bidding of a message that came to him at least thrice removed a Deep State…” 34/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“if there ever was one and sent a bombastic, overblown email to Donald Trump Jr., beseeching him to take a meeting with a dear, dear friend of a friend of a friend's friend, claiming that this appeal was on behalf of "The Crown prosecutor of Russia" which title doesn't exist” 35/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
Enter — Natalia Veselnitskaya! “Natalia somehow had been granted a special "B1/B2 non-immigrant visa" just days before by our own State Department, who works hand in glove with the CIA and no one within our government or without, will answer questions about how and why…” 36/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“There is also evidence to support the possibility that Goldstone was Christopher Steele's "SOURCE D" the originator of the salacious "urinating Russian prostitutes" fiction that Steele put into his first filthy "dossier" report about Donald Trump.” 37/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
FOUR JOKERS IN THE DECK! “In terms of the main Four Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse (or so they thought) — Michael Flynn, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, — There is a piece of evidence in the record that, though redacted, reaches almost to the level of…” 38/ https://t.co/Xn0yQGvd8D
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“prima facie evidence that the CIA and FBI had worked in covert coordination to get those four men planted inside the Trump campaign, expressly and specifically to frame and smear Trump…” 39/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“then use an “investigation" into their four moles to "expose" the CIA/FBI manufactured and phony "Russia collusion." “For that, we turn to the report issued by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 22 March 2018, Report on Russian Active Measures…” 40/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“There we learn that the FBI opened something called an "enterprise counterintelligence investigation" into AN UNDISCLOSED NUMBER of American individuals. In the report, the number is redacted…” 41/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“But given testimony by James Comey, we can be certain, now, that the number of American individuals that the report blacked out is FOUR.” (See graphic) 42/ https://t.co/dLPtqhmRsd
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“A presumed recreation of the redacted names indicates strongly that the four individuals named are George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn.” 43/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“This issue of four Deep State moles, or plants, inside a presidential campaign cannot possibly be left without making note of the downright uncanny similarities to the earlier overthrow of an elected POTUS, Richard Nixon.” 44/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“In an exact parallel to Russiagate, everything you think you know from "The Official Story" of Watergate is vicious fiction spread by the CIA's lapdog media…& a part that applies to the attempted coup against DJT: the real crimes/criminals were never brought to justice. 45/ https://t.co/n4oK1J15Qg
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
JUSTICE IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE INSIDE MOLES BEING IDENTIFIED! “You wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't someone who cares about seeing justice done, which means prosecuting those who conspired to frame & smear Donald Trump…” 46/ https://t.co/0aQXIblBac
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“and, ultimately, to attempt to overthrow him as President of the United States. If that is the case, I beseech you, I implore you, to demand that our Department of Justice, our Congress, and our investigative journalists work relentless to identify the persons…” 47/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“who worked as traitors from INSIDE DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN with the knowing, witting intention of framing him with phony, manufactured "Russia collusion" accusations.” “The way things have gone so far, there are some so-called journalists, & analysts, & commentators who…” 48/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“need to step away from their computer keyboards and take up an honest living, such as air conditioner repair or porta-potty detailing, so they can stop committing the felonies of fallacy that they keep clubbing their readers with about the spying that was…” 49/
@2runtherace - RunningTheRace
“done on Donald Trump's campaign. As far as I'm concerned, anyone and everyone who fails or refuses to acknowledge and investigate the likelihood of HOSTILE UNDERCOVER AGENTS PLANTED INSIDE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN falls into that category.” Ashton Gray — 50/
@kylenabecker - Kyle Becker
When will Hillary Clinton be charged with "election interference"? https://t.co/lKS6ndsTIw
@Cancelcloco - Cancelthisclothingcompany
The White House is compromised by a foreign power and it’s right in front of all our faces. Tell me I’m wrong. https://t.co/e4wXLHkG88
@DiedSuddenly_ - DiedSuddenly
Dozens of hit pieces by the Main Stream Media. Not a single one addresses this: https://t.co/c0TRjCPdx6
@listen_2learn - The Researcher
If there is a cyber attack next year, our government is responsible, just like they were for stealing the 2020 election. They will blame it on “the Russians”, or whomever, per usual. https://t.co/lkhG2QFB4G
@listen_2learn - The Researcher
@Real_RobN - 🇺🇸RealRobert🇺🇸
I would just like to remind Democrat voters how much they hate you and how stupid, dumb, foolish and unintelligent they think you are. It was Hillary all along. “We saw COLD HARD EVIDENCE of the T. C. and indeed the Trump family eagerly intending to collude POSSIBLY with Russia” https://t.co/4n4Yzj42RE
@MediaRival - Darrin McBreen
Obama and the CIA had foreign Intel Agencies Spy On Trump's 2016 Campaign, Setting Russiagate Trap. Here's a flashback look at the Deep State and establishment media hype over the now "debunked" Trump Russian Collusion. https://t.co/5624hJ2h4W
@TrumpDailyPosts - Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social
ELECTION INTERFERENCE! https://t.co/MVZJHcr1lH
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
1. TWITTER FILES Extra: The Defaming of Brandon Straka and #Walkaway Smeared as a Russian proxy after founding a movement to "#Walkaway" from the Democratic Party, Twitter documents suggest @BrandonStraka and his followers were set up
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
2. In Atlanta Monday, I testified before Georgia state Representative @MeshaMainor, in a free speech hearing centered around the censorship of members of the “#WalkAway” Facebook Group, whose 500,000-plus accounts were deleted by Facebook on January 8th, 2021. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/8/brandon-straka-500k-strong-walk-away-page-banned-b/
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
3. The #TwitterFiles contained material about federal interest in #WalkAway, including exculpatory Twitter analyses that contrasted with coverage describing #WalkAway as a “Kremlin operation.” These documents should have been published earlier. I apologize to @BrandonStraka. https://t.co/7EyACc0wyR
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
4. On May 26, 2018, little-known New York actor Straka launched #Walkaway, a Facebook group for disappointed Democrats ready to “walk away” from their party. Straka’s first video quickly went viral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51UGcghHZsk&t=8s
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
5. By June 30, #WalkAway had 16,000 members on Facebook. Straka was scheduled for a week of appearances with the likes of @TuckerCarlson and @LauraIngraham. The group was gaining renown. Then things took a bizarre turn.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
6. On July 1, 2018, a firm called New Knowledge tweeted, “The #walkaway campaign is an excellent example of how organic discussions about divisive topics are co-opted by domestic extremists,” adding the site was “amplified by foreign actors for maximum disruption.” https://t.co/bjlN6tf5dv
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
7. New Knowledge cited the Hamilton 68 dashboard in declaring #WalkAway “by far the top hashtag amplified by the network of Russia-linked Twitter accounts.” New Knowledge did not mention that its CEO, Jonathon Morgan, designed the Hamilton dashboard. https://t.co/FIqpCFTQwG
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
8. New Knowledge identified a handful of obvious fake images culled from the clip-art site Shutterstock, declaring some of #Walkaway’s accounts “clearly fake.” Straka was horrified. “They were definitely bots, but had nothing to do with us. I thought, ‘What’s going on?’” https://t.co/61RITAEkGy
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
9. New Knowledge’s complaints about #Walkaway were retweeted that day by a UK site, the Integrity Initiative. A day later, the Washington Post wrote there was “little actual evidence to suggest that #WalkAway represents a mass conversion of…even thousands.” https://t.co/NchbAk26Cz
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
10. Within Twitter, future Pete Buttigieg aide Carlos Monje wrote to fellow execs, “We’re getting some incoming qs on #walkaway from House Intel” – the minority office of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) where Adam Schiff was ranking member. https://t.co/BmVfW6MKbo
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
11. Analysts quickly concluded #WalkAway was real. “Surprisingly, there’s only a small amount of fake engagement,” said one analyst on July 11th, adding, “The majority of users that are using #Walkaway are legitimate users.” https://t.co/qUxKeqS4UB
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
12. Twitter Trust and Safety chief Yoel Roth concluded, “On the whole, while there are a very, very small number of accounts tweeting with this hashtag that look suspicious (several hundred out of ~200k overall), the overall volume... seems legitimate and US-based.” https://t.co/arkwDaRgDa
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
13. Of the suspicious accounts, 19 tweeted “28 times about #Walkaway.” This looked like a small group of actors inserting conspicuous fakes. The firm found a suspicious spike from between June 23 and July 4 – when #Walkaway was first accused of being “amplified” by Russians.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
14. Monje, the future Buttigieg aide, thanked the team for its work and announced he would have to bring the news to congress. “We owe HPSCI a call about it.”
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
15. However, Twitter neither pushed back hard with congress nor went public. The firm had been through episodes with Hamilton 68, the press, Schiff, and the same House Committee. Had it spoken out before, #WalkAway and others would not have faced accusations of “foreign” collusion.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
16. As noted in previous Twitter Files reports, Roth exposed the Hamilton 68 method as “bullshit” in October of 2017. The “dashboard” that purported to track 600 accounts linked to “Russian influence was actually “pure bluster,” tracking ordinary people, not Russians.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
17. Hamilton accounts “strongly preference pro-Trump accounts… to assert that Russia is expressing a preference for Trump.” It was a scam: Gather pro-Trump users. Declare them Russian. Then, watch topics the accounts follow/share. Finally, announce: “Russia loves Trump!” https://t.co/P5bqGFzdC2
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
18. Therefore, when Twitter in early 2018 received questions from Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) claiming Russia was boosting hashtags like #SchumerShutdown and #ReleaseTheMemo, Twitter knew they were bogus. https://t.co/5jNq4jadDM
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
19. CRY RUSSIA Some Twitter execs wanted to go public: “The sooner we can get it out there that this was an organic movement, the better… It signals to other members that they will look foolish if they cry 'Russia!' every time something happens on social media that they don't like. :)”
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
20. But senior executives realized neither HPSCI nor Hamilton’s sponsor, the Alliance for Securing Democracy, was interested in hearing their reports. True or false, the Russia bot story was a public relations boon for everyone – “a comms play for the members,” Monje said.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
21. “It’s also a comms play for ASD,” said Horne, a future National Security Council spokesperson under Joe Biden. They wanted to tread lightly: ASD’s advisory council contained former heads or deputy heads of the CIA, NSA, and DHS, John Podesta, and future Biden security chief Jake Sullivan.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
22. Execs talked about confronting congress and the ASD with “our knowledge” – that the Hamilton dashboard was fake – and trying to “reorient” all parties to more “accurate” statements. Most of all, “We should reach out privately to maintain the relationship,” Monje said. https://t.co/HdcmJ6DPRB
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
23. Neither congress nor ASD “reoriented." With #WalkAway, congress sent questions citing Hamilton 68, and Roth snapped: “This feels like we’re continuing to give Hamilton68 too much ground on the issue… almost like we’re acknowledging that there’s something to it.” https://t.co/o3wXVqD2ue
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
24. No sooner did Twitter decide not to push back than CNN, on July 17, 2018, released a new story, citing Hamilton 68 to call #WalkAway “pure propaganda, a psychological operation.” By then, #Walkaway had over 100,000 real members. https://t.co/3MrqartjPb
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
25. Steven Colbert did a #WalkAway bit: “Russian trolls make things trend!” His source? A Daily Dot article relying on Hamilton 68, showing Straka over a headline: “Russian trolls on Twitter pose as ex-Democrats for #WalkAway movement.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Heivcahkc&t=146s https://t.co/E40lMIIsNi
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
26. Attention bred more complaints. On October 11th, Twitter received a “massive” spreadsheet of 38,000 suspected inauthentic accounts from ther Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), including #Walkaway https://t.co/cC3U7MOKJE
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
27. Tired of saying no to influential politicians, one Twitter official urged they “confirm” the requests, saying: “We would love to be able to confirm this and land a positive example of our partnership to silence the… critiques” about refusing too many removal demands. https://t.co/Xqe1wXWLBu
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
28. Twitter then received a letter from Mother Jones, asking them to confirm research by http://Factcheck.Me, which labeled #WalkAway “38% bot activity” and asked “what Twitter is trying to do to curb this kind of unhealthy user activity.” The firm did work w/the DNC. https://t.co/kXK4t1xEg5
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
29. Factcheck and Botcheck were two related companies begun by a pair of Berkeley students named Rohan Phadte and Ash Bhat, whom Wired praised as the College Kids who “will do what Twitter won’t”: https://t.co/PekicIlh6H
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
30. Twitter regarded the firms in the same light as Hamilton 68, with Roth writing: "The Botcheck people use a similarly flawed methodology... this is truly a nothingburger... journalists continuing to lean on deeply flawed tools... capitalize on the bot media frenzy. https://t.co/hKsVTqWYqK
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
31. Policy chief Pickles added: "Doesn’t publish data, does sell consultancy. Definition of monetizing the problem." https://t.co/0Qp4kkebMQ
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
32. Bhat when originally contacted strongly disagreed with Twitter’s assessment, said his methodology was sound, and suggested some news outlets confused terms like “bot” and “bot-like.” (More to come on that at Racket.)
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
33. By December, 2018 it was such a given that #Walkaway was Russian-affiliated that even a former high-ranking Homeland Security official like Suzanne Spaulding described Straka’s group as an attempt by Putin to divide America, adding of too-online Americans: https://t.co/qRRqu8idVW
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
34. On December 19th, two days after submitting a high-profile report on Russian bots to the Senate, New Knowledge and Morgan were outed by the New York Times in a scheme that involved funneling fake Russian accounts to the campaign of Senate candidate Roy Moore: https://t.co/053EnkotQ8
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
35. The scheme induced press outlets to write scare headlines about Russians and Roy Moore. Twitter received press queries about Moore bots, similar to the ones about #Walkaway. https://t.co/52VOllhcBD
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
36. Meanwhile, the UK-based Integrity Initiative, #Walkaway’s other early accuser, exploded in scandal when the hacker Anonymous leaked its classified plans for global speech-control initiatives. https://t.co/SOlYV773tA
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
37. The Integrity Initiative was investigated because it listed itself as a Scottish charity. Scottish authorities concluded it was not one, among other things because its “purposes were not entirely charitable.” https://t.co/uNJgeB4qIk
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
38. It came out the group bashed Jeremy Corbyn as a “useful idiot” for Russia, saying his “open visceral anti-westernism helped the Kremlin cause... as if he had been secretly peddling Westminster tittle-tattle for money.” Red-baiting was used against left and right. https://t.co/61tDS3vMly
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
39. Despite the collapse and exposure of New Knowledge and (eventually) Hamilton 68, accusations of Russian ties to #WalkAway stuck. No press outlet has apologized, nor did anyone at Twitter ever tell Straka or others accused by Hamilton about the dubious claims.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
40. Straka would go on to be arrested for being outside the Capitol on January 6th. To some, this will always mean CNN, Steven Colbert, and others were entitled to lie about him. But make no mistake: the Russia and bot accusations were a fraud, and they're owed a correction.
@mtaibbi - Matt Taibbi
More soon at http://Racket.News
@DefiyantlyFree - Insurrection Barbie
Because Donald Trump questioned the voting machines during his final rally today I’m going to preemptively post this video of Democrats questioning machines for the fake news. https://t.co/SuvfC0TAXw
@XAVIAERD - Xaviaer DuRousseau
Can someone use this tweet as a thread of election interference and cheating? I’m trying to stay up to date in real time https://t.co/3lESnnHCMa
@liz_churchill10 - Liz Churchill
How did they know…in 2016? https://t.co/Kr2LfSUyBX
@ricwe123 - Richard
It was pure mass hysteria, and now we're all supposed to live in fear of Russia...... https://t.co/b3sWGMRLPf
@katee_K1 - Kate❤️🔥💕
We have to find out what happened in 2020 elections!!!!! https://t.co/MC5iMidNQA
@LarryOConnor - L A R R Y
"Nobody ever said 'the Russians hacked the election!'" Except, of course, they ALL said "the Russians hacked the election" 👇 https://t.co/w50F9lQN9i
@SenRonJohnson - Senator Ron Johnson
The extent to which Obama and top members of his administration interfered in the 2016 and 2020 elections is orders of magnitude worse than anything Russia or China could have ever dreamed to achieve. Unfortunately, the legacy media, who were either duped or complicit in pushing the Russia collusion hoax, will continue to cover up for their pals. They should apologize and return their Pulitzer Prizes.
@davidicke - David Icke
How about some research before jumping to convenient conclusions? Do we want the truth, or the 'truth' that suits the narrative? https://t.co/kzUZY2cSHn
@mazemoore - MAZE
Before the 2016 election Obama repeatedly said that you're not supposed to cast doubt on the legitimacy of an election. Right after the election Obama launched the Russia hoax to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. Perhaps the biggest scandal ever in American politics. https://t.co/PmfWgyYdZN
@Real_RobN - 🇺🇸RealRobert🇺🇸
Here it is: Italy-Gate: Barack Hussein Obama and Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy, orchestrated the overthrow of the U.S. government on November 3, 2020. The single most damning testimonies of the 2020 Presidential election. Maria Zack: “Today, I’m going to play an audio tape that should shock you all. It will shock America. Stephen Serrafini, along with General Claudio Graziano, a board member of Leonardo Aerospace, were involved. Italian intelligence provided the U.S. with documents, calls, and photos of CIA agents—all funded by Barack Obama, who diverted $400 million in cash sent to Iran, funneling it through the Dubai to operatives in Italy and Merrill Lynch in Switzerland. Affidavits and Evidence: http://1.An affidavit delivered to the U.S. Congress from an Italian defense company employee, confessing on November 3, 2020. http://2.An affidavit provided to Congress stating: “Work to change the results of the United States election.” Audio evidence was also acquired from within the CIA and the State Department—Larry Johnson. Maria Zack “Italian Intelligence Services. She said, uncle, Arturo came home and said he doesn’t understand why we’re stealing America’s election.” “The Italian Intelligence Services reached out to us on November 18. They said something happened. We’re watching a coup d’état in the United States of America. They were fearful of meeting with anyone. Two affidavits were delivered to Congress, and they came from Italian citizens.” “Intelligence agencies had been trying to reach out because their country had already fallen. That is what is happening around the world. Intelligence agencies are watching corruption enter their countries, buying off politicians, hiding evidence, and using fraud to seize property—and, in some instances, entire countries.” “Today, I’m going to play an audio tape that should shock you all. It will shock America.” “A defense contracting firm experienced unusual activity, with people coming in and out that the intelligence services witnessed—people traveling from Frankfurt into the Italian U.S. Embassy in Rome on Via Veneto. This allowed individuals to come forward and, according to Italian intelligence services, work with Leonardo to change the results of the United States election.” “Even more frightening, they claim there were 47 to 52 presidential elections worldwide affected. They now have over 200 telemetry experts who speak multiple foreign languages. What you are witnessing is a calculated attempt to take down presidencies and control countries.” “The audio you are about to hear (audio recording, 4:27 mark) comes from an individual who is a member of the CIA and State Department. His name is Larry Johnson. Many of you may not know, but I personally hand-delivered a letter to Donald Trump on Christmas Eve 2020, detailing who stole the election, where, and how. My primary goal was to bring one of the people from the satellite center, Arturo Della, to America because he was willing to testify.” “There were people who refused to assist, whom I thought would. But what was most shocking was this voice recording, which I will play now.”(audio recording, 4:27 mark) 📝 In other words; You thought 2016 was bad—wait until @DNIGabbard declassifies—2020. 2016 was just an attempted overthrow; 2020 was the overthrow.
@RepJeffries - Hakeem Jeffries
The more we learn about 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes. America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office #RussianInterference wapo.st/2C5oZgI