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That search came after the feds issued a subpoena in May demanding the return of any documents marked classified that left the White House with Trump. Trump’s lawyers hired an outside firm to conduct searches last month at the storage facility and other locations. One of the sources said Trump has never been inside the storage facility. The pallets were delivered in August of 2021, with four going to the storage facility and two going to Mar-a-Lago, the emails show. The discovery of the new documents is further evidence that Trump and his team did not fully comply with a grand jury subpoena issued in May seeking all documents marked classified still in their possession.

The inspector general found that prison officers spoke openly about Bulger’s anticipated arrival around inmates, in violation of policy. Elderly, ailing inmates are often transferred to a prison medical center. Bulger had a heart condition and should have been sent to a prison with special medical facilities, the inspector general found. The FBI is conducting a separate criminal probe into the murder, but it’s not clear whether the bureau is investigating any prison employees. The inspector general's report cites six prison employees as having committed potential misconduct.

But Wray said the FBI continues to be concerned about Chinese government “talent programs” that sometimes pay American professors through secret relationships. “At the same time, you also stated, as you’ve just done, that this effort isn’t about the Chinese people or Chinese Americans. But of course, Chinese Americans are part of the U.S. society that you believe needs to be mobilized against China. He also returned to talking about Chinese government operations that have targeted Chinese Americans. “We view Chinese Americans here as being with us.

☆ Brett Favre helped an experimental drug maker get $2M in welfare money. Experts doubt the drug can work.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

And he did more than evangelize, court records show — he successfully lobbied Mississippi state officials who granted the company $2.1 million in federal welfare money that was intended to help poor families. The payment was illegal, state officials allege in a lawsuit — part of a huge Mississippi welfare misspending scandal that has tarnished Favre’s reputation. Favre, who is being sued by Mississippi, has consistently said that he did not know the money he was seeking from the Mississippi Department of Human Services—the state welfare agency—was welfare money. Six people have been charged in what state and federal officials call a massive fraud scheme, including the former director of the state welfare agency, who is cooperating with the FBI and federal prosecutors. Favre is among 38 defendants in a civil lawsuit by the state seeking to recoup the welfare money, including the funds devoted to the volleyball facility and the unproven concussion drug.

Garland's decision to appoint a special counsel was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Given that Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, naming a special counsel would give Garland more distance from the investigation into Trump, who could be Biden’s rival if the president decides to run for re-election. Trump was previously under investigation by former special counsel Robert Mueller, who issued his report in 2019 focusing on Russian interference in the 2020 election and Trump’s efforts to interfere with the Justice Department investigation. Garland said he was confident in the DOJ's ability to investigate Trump, but, "I also believe that appointing a special counsel at this time is the right thing to do. Garland added that he will ensure Smith “receives the resources to conduct this work quickly and completely.”

A Chinese intelligence officer convicted of conspiring and attempting to steal sensitive trade secrets from a U.S. company was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison. The Justice Department had asked that Yanjun Xu, 42, get 25 years behind bars for his "very extensive" yearslong scheme to steal secrets from U.S. aviation companies. Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileXu is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges, Justice Department officials said. "Xu targeted multiple employees at multiple international aviation companies over multiple years. They noted that his scheme to steal secrets from GE wasn’t successful and said he was just following his country's orders.

The report found that the FBI and DHS continue to spend more on international terrorism, despite saying for years that domestic terrorism now poses a greater threat to Americans. The report said a change in how the FBI categorizes domestic terrorism ideologies has been a hindrance to understanding the problem. In 2017, FBI created a new category of domestic terrorism ideology called “Black Identity Extremists,” but then stopped using it. The report also criticized the FBI and DHS as having been conservative in hunting for threat intelligence posted publicly on social media. Research conducted by MIT’s Technology Review found that “users consistently migrate from milder to more extreme content” on YouTube.

☆ Jan. 6 committee staffers told preliminary plan for final report would focus largely on Trump, not on law enforcement failures, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The final report — much like the committee’s hearings — seems to be shaping up to be “all-Trump,” one source said. The “blue team” examined the preparedness and response of law enforcement agencies. Some staffers remain hopeful that members of the Jan. 6 committee might push back on the current plan and incorporate their research into the final report. The committee needs to release its final report before a new Congress is seated in January. Congress has oversight over and controls the funding of federal law enforcement agencies.

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.

The FBI in New Jersey said Thursday it is investigating a “credible” and “broad threat” to synagogues in the state, and the governor said law enforcement are working to protect houses of worship. Officials with the Newark FBI announced the threat in a statement and told the public to stay alert. “The FBI has received credible information of a broad threat to synagogues in NJ. Phil Murphy said in a statement his office has been in contact with the state attorney general’s office, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the FBI. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are working with local law enforcement to ensure that all houses of worship are protected,” Murphy said.

☆ DOJ grants immunity to Trump adviser Kash Patel to compel his grand jury testimony in Mar-a-Lago case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has granted immunity to Trump adviser Kash Patel after a judge ruled that was the only way to compel his grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago case, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. Patel has said that former President Donald Trump declassified certain documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate before leaving office. NBC News reported in February that the archives found classified material among the boxes of White House documents that Trump improperly took to Mar-a-Lago. Patel told Breitbart News in May that the documents had been declassified by Trump but their markings were not updated. "Trump declassified whole sets of materials in anticipation of leaving government that he thought the American public should have the right to read themselves," Patel said then.

☆ Nationwide catalytic converter theft ring made hundreds of millions of dollars, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan_Dienst_Byline.Jpg | Jonathan Dienst | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the Justice Department has today carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nation-wide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Thieves made off with 12 times as many catalytic converters in 2021 as they did in 2019, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. On his Instagram account, he posted a photo of a necklace with a pendant made to look like a catalytic converter. Prosecutors say that was among the businesses allegedly purchasing stolen catalytic converters and reselling them. Technician Adelmo Rodriguez etches a catalytic converter with a license plate number in Huntington Beach, Calif, in 2021.

☆ Justice Department charges suspect in Paul Pelosi attack with assault, attempted kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday filed two charges in federal court against the suspect in Friday’s brutal attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. When Pelosi told him that Nancy was not there, DePape stated that he would sit and wait," the complaint said. The complaint says Paul Pelosi called authorities from the bathroom. The FBI has been working with San Francisco police and the Capitol Police on the investigation into Friday's attack on Paul Pelosi. According to a Pelosi family member, the suspect brought the hammer and broke the windows of the Pelosi home facing the backyard.

The FBI found documents containing classified intelligence regarding Iran and China at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, say two people familiar with the matter. The Washington Post was first to report that the intelligence on Iran and China was found at Trump’s Florida residence and club during the FBI’s recent search of the property. The Post reported, but NBC News has not confirmed, that “at least one of the documents seized by the FBI describes Iran’s missile program.”A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment to NBC News. During its August search of Mar-a-Lago, FBI agents took about 13,000 documents, more than 100 of them classified. Trump has denied wrongdoing in having the documents at Mar-a-Lago, and has said he declassified any documents he has, and can declassify documents by thinking about them.

A French cement company has been charged in the U.S. with making $17 million in payments to the Islamic State terror group in exchange for the protection of its plant in Syria, the Justice Department said Tuesday. While no individuals have been charged, Justice Department officials said the investigation is ongoing. "We deeply regret that this conduct occurred and have worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve this matter," the statement added. In 2015, Lafarge was purchased by Holcim, a company in Switzerland. Holcim added that Lafarge concealed the conduct from Holcim before and after the acquisition.

☆ FBI official was warned after Jan. 6 that some in the bureau were 'sympathetic' to the Capitol rioters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The next month, he was named deputy director, the highest-ranking official under FBI Director Christopher Wray. But sources close to the investigation have told NBC News that there have been some special agents in the country who have resisted Jan. 6 cases. Many special agents have been very proactive, while others in various field offices have engaged in half-hearted investigative efforts and seem content to let things peter out, the sources said. After receiving support from 30 former FBI special agents, Friend joined Trump’s Truth Social platform this week, where he was welcomed by Kyle Seraphin, another suspended FBI special agent who joined Truth Social and did an interview with conservative firebrand Dan Bongino after his suspension. A tip the FBI received about the Proud Boys ahead of Jan. 6, highlighted by the committee, was even starker.

☆ A Trump employee told the FBI that the former president ordered staff to move boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

One of Donald Trump's employees told FBI agents the former president ordered boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago to be moved before federal agents searched the property, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source also told NBC News that the FBI obtained security video showing people moving boxes out of a storage room at Trump's Florida estate. When reached by NBC News, the FBI and Justice Department declined to comment. But the witness’ account suggests that the boxes were moved to Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago after the subpoena was issued. She said that Trump officials added a lock to the facility and that FBI agents broke the lock when they searched the property.

☆ Facebook says it took down Chinese network using fake social media accounts to interfere in U.S. midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Facebook parent company Meta said Tuesday it took down a network of fake accounts from China that attempted to interfere in American politics ahead of this November’s midterm elections. Meta said the Chinese operation set up fake accounts posing as Americans, attacking politicians from both parties and posting inflammatory material about divisive issues such as abortion and gun rights. The network was small — just 84 Facebook accounts — and did not have a chance to develop much of an audience, Meta said in a report released Tuesday. “And it’s the first time we’ve seen that from a Chinese operation in this way. The New York Times reported in June that the company's core election team was disbanded, and the company has remained relatively quiet about its election efforts.

☆ Meta says China meddling in U.S. politics ahead of midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMeta says China meddling in U.S. politics ahead of midterm electionsNBC’s Ken Dilanian joins Shep Smith to report that Facebook’s parent company Meta is accusing China of trying to interfere in U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm election.

☆ Brett Favre told Mississippi governor he would not ‘take No for answer’ over volleyball stadium, court filing shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Phil Bryant on Sept. 4, 2019 about funding the volleyball center at the University of Southern Mississippi’s main campus in Hattiesburg. “Use of these funds (is) tightly controlled,” Bryant texted Favre on July 28, 2019, according to the filing. Favre also secured $3.2 million for a drug company in which he had invested, according to court records. Favre has also denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, who acknowledged that the ex-Packer has been interviewed by the FBI. He added that Favre behaved honorably and never knew the state grants he was seeking were from the federal welfare program.

A key figure in Mississippi’s welfare spending scandal has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges under an arrangement that signals he may be cooperating, according to court records. John Davis directed Mississippi’s welfare agency while it doled out millions of dollars in federal welfare money to projects investigators now say were improper, including a new volleyball facility requested by former NFL quarterback Brett Favre that benefited his daughter. Phil Bryant, who has consistently denied that he was aware that federal welfare money was being used for the projects, in violation of state and federal laws. Favre has also denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, who acknowledged that Favre has been interviewed by the FBI. There is no indication Favre is a target of the investigation, and he says he did not know the state grants came from federal welfare funds.

☆ Scientists at America’s top nuclear lab were recruited by China to design missiles and drones, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The report, by Strider Technologies, describes what it calls a systemic effort by the government of China to place Chinese scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where nuclear weapons were first developed. Scientists were paid as much as $1 million through participation in Chinese government “talent programs,” which are designed to recruit Chinese scientists to return to China. Moreover, U.S. officials and experts say most Chinese scientists who immigrate to the U.S. remain here — and many have made significant contributions to U.S. defense technology. Workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. Los Alamos National Laboratory via AP fileLos Alamos officials referred questions to the Energy Department, which declined to address the report’s specific findings. “No one can say this is not a national security issue,” Evanina said.

☆ Poll: GOP is winning on the economy, immigration; Democrats are ahead on abortion and health care
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Chuck-Todd-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Chuck Todd | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

... And Joe O’Dea pitches himself as pro-abortion rights in Colorado Senate while Democrats push back. The Republican Party holds all-time high advantages on the economy, crime and border security, while the Democrats have an all-time high on abortion and a double-digit edge on health care. Midterm roundup: Trump hits the trail in OhioFormer President Donald Trump traveled to Ohio over the weekend to boost GOP Senate hopeful J.D. Not every GOP Senate candidate is eager to campaign with Trump. It’s a position on abortion that is different from that of his fellow Republican Senate candidates, many of whom favor stricter bans with few exceptions.

Navy veteran Mark Frerichs is free after two and a half years of captivity in Afghanistan under a prisoner swap personally approved by President Joe Biden, a senior administration official told NBC News. The Taliban announced the deal overnight and Noorzai appeared at a news conference in Kabul. “This is a painful decision for any president to make,” the administration official said. In recent years, it has become clear that the Taliban wanted Noorzai’s freedom as a condition of releasing the American. “We are working very hard as a government not just to resolve current cases, but also to punish, and by punishing, deter future cases,” the senior administration official said.

The welfare funds in question were part of the $86 million Mississippi is given each year by the federal government to lift families out of poverty. The state auditor uncovered $77 million in misspent welfare funds in February 2020. The text messages, which were part of a filing by New's attorney, do not establish that Favre knew the public funds discussed were welfare money. The newly released text messages indicate Bryant, a Republican, was much more involved in the project as governor than previously known. She would pay Favre $1.1 million in state funds directly and he would do a few radio ads.

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