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Washington CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith’s office is defending how the federal government during Joe Biden’s presidency sought to repossess White House records Donald Trump took, and how the case evolved into a federal investigation. The prosecutors say Trump’s legal team has attempted to distort the events in his favor – including by claiming he had a security clearance that extended past his presidency. But the prosecutors on Friday wrote Trump’s team “not only knew” of the Biden White House being part of the discussion, they also approved of it. On Friday, the special counsel’s office argued the case’s evolution followed Justice Department protocol, including in how White House employees spoke with DOJ officials. According to the filing, there has not been any communication between prosecutors and Biden or senior White House political officials either about the investigation or otherwise.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, “, ”, Trump, they’ve, Jonathan Su, Biden, –, Intelligence Community “, Trump’s, ” Smith’s, it’s Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, National Archives, Justice Department, Biden White House, Department of Energy, White House, Biden White, Counsel’s, DOJ, Department, White, ” Prosecutors, . Prosecutors, of Energy, DOE, Intelligence, Department of Defense, Prosecutors, Trump Organization, FBI, Defense, Service, Mar, FBI Headquarters, Biden, NARA, National Security Council, Records Management, Intelligence Community Locations: Trump’s Florida, Florida, Mar, Lago, magnetometers

☆ Maryland won a tentative victory in the race for a new FBI headquarters, a potential economic boon for a majority Black county near DC
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"And he recognized the importance of the FBI for Maryland and in particular for Prince George's County." Related storiesPrince George's County, the majority-Black county directly to the east of Washington, DC, has for years had one of the most affluent Black populations of any jurisdiction in the country. But compared to Northern Virginia localities like Fairfax County, which has been an economic powerhouse for decades, Prince George's County hasn't enjoyed a similar level of economic development. "We have 4% of leased federal office space in Prince George's County," Hoyer told me, while also pointing out that the county is home to roughly 20% of the Washington region's federal workers. "We're absolutely convinced that everything was done properly," Hoyer told me.

Persons: Wes Moore, Steny Hoyer, —, Edgar Hoover, Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Hoyer, Robert Mueller, Mueller, Moore's, George's County, Prince, Prince George's County hasn't, ERIC BARADAT, Moore, Christopher Wray, We're, I've Organizations: GSA, FBI, Gov, Virginia, Service, Metro, Maryland Gov, Maryland, Democratic Rep, Democratic, eventual, Prince, Getty, Washington, Marine Corps Base Quantico, General Service Administration Locations: Maryland, Virginia, Greenbelt , Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland Sens, George's, Black, Washington, Northern Virginia, Fairfax County, AFP, Prince George's, Fairfax

☆ Watchdog to Probe FBI Headquarters Selection Process
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray has cited a potential conflict of interest in the site-selection process. Photo: elizabeth frantz/ReutersWASHINGTON—A government watchdog is launching an investigation into how the Biden administration chose a suburban Maryland site for the FBI’s new headquarters after Director Christopher Wray and Virginia lawmakers accused a political appointee of inappropriately interfering with the siting decision. Robert Erickson, acting inspector general for the General Services Administration, told lawmakers Thursday his office would immediately probe the decision to relocate the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s main campus to Greenbelt, Md., after a decadelong drama that engulfed the site-selection process.

Persons: Christopher Wray, elizabeth frantz, Biden, Robert Erickson Organizations: Reuters WASHINGTON, General Services Administration, Federal Bureau Locations: Maryland, Virginia, Investigation’s, Greenbelt, Md

☆ Maryland Wins Bid for New FBI Headquarters Over Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The J. Edgar Hoover Building has been home to the FBI for nearly 50 years. Photo: Ting Shen for The Wall Street JournalThe Federal Bureau of Investigation will move from its crumbling home in downtown Washington to the Maryland suburbs, opening a new chapter in the tortured saga of the future of the bureau’s headquarters. The agency’s new main offices are set to be built in Greenbelt, Md., about 15 miles from the hulking, brutalist J. Edgar Hoover Building that has been its iconic home for nearly 50 years.

Persons: Edgar Hoover, Ting Shen, brutalist J Organizations: FBI, Wall Street, Federal Bureau, Investigation Locations: Washington, Maryland, Greenbelt, Md

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has chosen a location for a new FBI headquarters in Maryland, people familiar with the selection said Wednesday as the suburban Washington location was selected over nearby Virginia following a sharp competition between the two states. Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore argued in recent months that building it there would be fast and save taxpayers $1 billion. He said a headquarters in the majority-Black Prince George’s County would meet equity goals raised by President Joe Biden. In recent months, the two other finalists were Springfield, Virginia, and Landover, Maryland.

Persons: —, Biden, Wes Moore, George’s, Joe Biden, Glenn Youngkin, J, Edgar Hoover, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, FBI, Associated Press, Democratic Maryland Gov, FBI Academy, Republican Gov, Edgar Hoover Building, Momentum Locations: Maryland, Washington, Virginia, Greenbelt, Quantico, Springfield , Virginia, Landover , Maryland

☆ More on the Stifled Hunter Biden Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Review and Outlook: Attorney General Merrick Garland demonstrates why appointing a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden was a bad idea. Images: Reuters/Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyHouse Republicans continue to unpack the Justice Department’s botched Hunter Biden probe, and evidence is mounting of interference from the top. The latest testimony comes from an Oct. 23 Judiciary Committee interview with former U.S. Attorney Scott Brady . In January 2020, then Attorney General Bill Barr tapped Mr. Brady to vet information related to Ukrainian corruption, and to pass along credible material to offices with ongoing investigations. Mr. Brady says in the transcript we’ve reviewed that FBI headquarters and Mr. Weiss’s office made this very difficult.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Hunter Biden, Mark Kelly, Department’s, Scott Brady, Bill Barr, Brady, David Weiss Organizations: Zuma, Republicans, U.S, Delaware U.S Locations: Delaware, Ukrainian

☆ Exclusive: Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was an FBI informant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Another source close to Thiel told Insider that while they could not confirm that Thiel was a CHS, Thiel did speak to Buma occasionally. "[They] will be either an 'FBI source' or a 'former FBI source' and, in turn, his or her conduct or misconduct will reflect upon the FBI." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesAs a CHS, Thiel was assigned a code name and an internal serial number to track his reporting. Thiel, Johnson said, was directed by the FBI not to report on his interactions with Donald Trump or other US political figures. Johnson told Insider that he brokered an introduction between Thiel and the FBI special agent who would become his handler.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Trump, Thiel, Johnathan Buma, Charles Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Donald Trump, Drew Angerer, Scott Horton, Buma, Sen, J.D, Vance of, Blake Masters, —, Vance, Joe Biden's, Vance of Ohio, Anna Moneymaker, Masters, Mithril's, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz's, Ginger Gaetz, Bill Barr, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Epstein, Enrique Tarrio, Tarrio, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Buma, CHS, Trump, Trump Tower, Republican National Convention, Joe Biden's Department, Getty Masters, Mar, Masters, Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency, US Army, NSO Group, Forbes, Mithril, Clearview's, Committee, Capitol, Founders Fund, Boys Locations: Los Angeles, Germany, United States, New Zealand, Malta, Silicon, Vance of Ohio, Arizona, Palantir, American, Russian, Atlantic City, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ FBI says US murders dropped in 2022, but theft rose
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Bureau of Investigation seal is seen at FBI headquarters in Washington, U.S. June 14, 2018. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter across the country decreased by 6.1% and rape by 5.4%, while larceny and motor vehicle theft rose by 7.8% and 10.9%, respectively, the agency said in its national crime report. Although violent crime is trending downward, the 21,156 murders reported in 2022 are also well above pre-pandemic levels, according to FBI data. The number of annual reported murders never topped 18,000 during the 2010s, but jumped to 21,570 in 2020. Attacks on law enforcement officers increased slightly, up 1.8% from 2021 to an estimated 102,100 in 2022, the report said.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Federal Bureau of, FBI, REUTERS, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States

☆ D.B. Cooper case: Eric Ulis is trying to solve the mystery behind the 1971 hijacking
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Cooper expert, Ulis says he was a professional blackjack player, a skill he says helps him focus on facts and avoid conspiracy theories. FBIThe tie and the found ransom money are the key pieces of physical evidence in the case, Ulis says. Larry Carr, a former FBI agent who worked on Cooper’s case, tells CNN he doesn’t believe the FBI took the spindle apart to process it. Cooper manhunt (2011) 01:44 - Source: KARECarr, the former FBI agent, lists several reasons why he believes Cooper didn’t survive the jump. Carr said the Cooper case is one of the most popular cases he worked on and he still thinks about it today.

Persons: Eric Ulis, Cooper, he’s, James Bond, ” Ulis, “, ”, Ulis, Dan Cooper, –, Dan, everybody’s, D.B, He’s, familiarized, It’s, “ It’s, ” He’s, minutia, let’s, CNN’s, Larry Carr, doesn’t, Carr, “ That’s, criminologists, Richard McCoy, Duane Weber, KARE Carr, Cooper didn’t Organizations: CNN, Northwest Orient, FBI, Netflix Locations: Portland , Oregon, Seattle, Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Phoenix , Arizona, Canadian, Tena, Washington, CooperCon, Washington , DC, Provo , Utah

CNN —The FBI agent managing the team on the Hunter Biden criminal case testified to the House Judiciary Committee that US Attorney David Weiss had ultimate authority over the case, contesting testimony brought forward by whistleblowers. “I don’t have a recollection with him saying that there or at any point in my communication with Mr. Weiss,” Sobocinski said. “I wanted to go on record in the room of the leaders who were involved in this investigation,” Sobocinski said. “Thought that it was no, and nobody in that room raised their voice to say anything other.”Sobocinski also addressed broader claims made about how the Hunter Biden criminal investigation has been handled. But Sobocinski was not permitted to discuss the ongoing criminal investigation.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David Weiss, Thomas Sobocinski, Weiss, ” Sobociniski, “ There’s, Joe Biden’s, Gary Shapley, Shapley, “ Weiss, –, Sobocinski, “, ” Sobocinski, Mr, ”, Tristan Leavitt, Mark Lytle, Joseph Ziegler, Merrick Garland, Russell Dye, Jim Jordan, General Merrick Garland, ” Shapley’s, Hunter Biden’s, Hunter Organizations: CNN, FBI, Committee, The Washington Post, House Republicans, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Department, SSA Shapley, Criminal Investigation, Ohio Republican, Judiciary, Justice Department, GOP, Service, Department of Justice, of Justice Locations: Baltimore, Ohio

☆ Republican Eyes Sweet Home for New FBI Headquarters in Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sadie Gurman | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: fbi Locations: alabama

☆ Trump Allies Take Out Anger on FBI Headquarters Project
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-allies-take-out-anger-on-fbi-headquarters-project-6aa91cd3

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: fbi

☆ FBI Headquarters Decision Pits Maryland Against Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The J. Edgar Hoover Building, headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Washington, D.C. , whose replacement location is to be chosen soon. WASHINGTON—After more than a decade of delay and escalating political volleys across the Potomac River in recent months, the agency that manages the federal government’s real estate is close to picking the location of a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters campus in the capital’s suburbs. The decision to replace the deteriorating J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington has set off a heated competition between elected officials representing Virginia and Maryland, the two states vying to secure the future site to house at least 7,500 bureau employees and the bureau’s leadership, along with the economic development that will come with it. Maryland’s two potential sites are in Greenbelt and Landover, while Virginia’s is in Springfield.

☆ Exclusive: The FBI's McGonigal labyrinth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

She never saw McGonigal pay. "The notion that Mr. Deripaska is some proxy for the Russian state is a blatant lie," Ruben Bunyatyan, a spokesperson for Deripaska, told Insider by email. McGonigal was not charged with espionage, and although there is currently no evidence that McGonigal committed espionage, an FBI source told Insider that the investigation is ongoing. At the FBI, McGonigal racked up a string of big cases and promotions. "He said he needed to make more money," Guerriero told Insider.

☆ Exclusive: Inside the extramarital affair and cash-fueled double life of Charles McGonigal, the FBI spy-hunter indicted for allegedly taking Russian money
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

She had dated federal law enforcement officials before. "Charlie McGonigal knew everybody in the national security and law enforcement world," Guerriero said, in an exclusive interview with Insider. One law enforcement source estimated that McGonigal stood to make roughly $300,000 to $350,000 a year, including annual bonuses. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whom she knew from law enforcement circles, let her stay in a guest bedroom. During her relationship with McGonigal, Guerriero says, they never talked about politics.

The assailants had been monitoring the property and may have observed that she often shares flowers with her neighbors, she said. Omarov then sent those details to Mehdiyev, who lived in Yonkers, New York, prosecutors said. Amirov and Omarov then arranged for Mehdiyev to get $30,000 in cash, which he used to buy an assault rifle and ammunition, prosecutors said. Omarov, 38, was arrested in the Czech Republic earlier this month, and the United States is seeking his extradition. Iran accuses Western powers of fomenting the unrest, which security forces have met with deadly violence.

☆ Ex-FBI official arrested for alleged money laundering, Russia sanctions, taking money from former foreign agent
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan_Dienst_Byline.Jpg | Jonathan Dienst | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Charles McGonigal, 55, was arrested on Saturday after arriving at JFK airport in New York on a flight from the Middle East. From August 2017 through his retirement in September 2018, McGonigal allegedly concealed his relationship with this former foreign security officer from the FBI. Charles McGonigal, the former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York office. In 2022, federal prosecutors in New York charged Deripaska with violating sanctions. McGonigal joined the FBI in 1996, and was first assigned to the New York Field Office, where he worked on Russian foreign counterintelligence and organized crime.

☆ Jan. 6 transcripts detail numerous warning signs of potential for violence before Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON — Transcripts of interviews with law enforcement officials released this week by the Jan. 6 committee reveal the panel learned that numerous security concerns had been raised in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol. For the most part, Jan. 6 committee leaders decided against focusing the final report on how law enforcement came to be so underprepared for the attack. The Jan. 6 committee transcripts detailed the challenges facing the FBI in the lead-up to Jan. 6. An FBI intelligence analyst raised concerns about that on New Year's Eve, as threats about Jan. 6 continued to increase. “He said it was intelligence failure," Harvin said.

The sources say Justice Department officials are looking carefully at a cross section of past cases involving the mishandling of classified material. Though his comments were about the separate Jan. 6 investigation, Justice Department officials said they apply broadly. Experts say the public evidence in the Mar-a-Lago case seems unambiguous. Less clear is whether there are aggravating factors — such as whether the Justice Department can prove Trump obstructed justice by failing to turn over documents despite a grand jury subpoena. Martin’s lawyers said he was a hoarder, and prosecutors concluded that he had not given classified information to anyone.

☆ Hate speech, online extremism fed Pelosi attack, terror experts believe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Heather Timmons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The frequent targeting of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by online extremists and political opponents likely contributed to the violent attack on her husband Paul, terrorism and extremism experts said. before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer, according to a person briefed on the incident. Pelosi has been demonized online and in public by both far right and far left-leaning political websites and figures. Those theories and people who espouse them are sometimes promoted by more mainstream public figures, amplifying the threats, experts say. Site said the Pelosi attack was being celebrated online by far-right supporters.

☆ Exclusive: Former top FBI official involved in Trump-Russia investigation under scrutiny by federal prosecutors for his own ties to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A former high-level FBI agent who was involved in the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia during the 2016 election has himself come under scrutiny by federal prosecutors for his ties with Russia and other foreign governments. A witness subpoena obtained by Insider indicates information that federal prosecutors were seeking about former FBI official Charles McGonigal. "It's very rare that former FBI people at all, and certainly former senior FBI people, wind up as grand-jury targets," the official said. McGonigal used his official FBI letterhead to try and arrange a business meeting with Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania. Since he left the FBI, McGonigal has continued to trade on his expertise in counterintelligence.

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