Replies to post #335202 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Is the #Calexit Campaign Supported by Russia?

"Trump Lashes Out, Calls Dems Liars Over Impeachment | Morning Joe | MSNBC
... this posted more directly to the bottom one ..
Russia Behind Mike Flynn's Work For Turkey: Report | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC,
and other stuff there re Putin's anti-glaobalist propaganda effort in America and worldwide."

There are ties between the Yes California campaign and an "anti-globalist" Russian group that has received funding from the Kremlin.

Bethania Palma

Published 30 January 2017

Image via Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock, Inc.

When President Donald Trump claimed electoral victory on 8 November 2016 to become the 45th American head of state, it prompted a backlash in historically liberal-leaning California and lent momentum to an effort known as #Calexit .. http://www.snopes.com/2016/11/09/calexit-campaign-planning-post-election-surge/ .. to break the nation’s most populous state off from the rest of the country. If the secession movement garners the necessary support, a related initiative will be presented to voters for approval on state ballots in 2018.

On 27 January 2017, the right-wing web site Breitbart posted a story .. http://www.breitbart.com/california/2017/01/27/calexit-california-nation-may-begin-collecting-signatures-ballot/ .. questioning the motivation for that effort, based on media reports that the founder of the Yes California campaign has Russian ties:

---
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that a ballot initiative called “California Nation” has been approved by the state to begin collecting signatures to qualify for the 2018 ballot.

The effort is supported by the “Yes California” campaign, an organization that enjoys the support of the Russian government and whose founder, Louis Marinelli, now lives in Russia.
---

Marinelli has indeed made no secret of the fact that he not only lives at least part of the time in Russia but also works with a group reportedly backed by the Kremlin, although he denies knowledge of the latter. While he has a San Diego address, as of December 2016 he was interviewed by Bloomberg .. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-12-07/how-to-make-california-great-secede-with-a-little-help-from-putin .. from his home in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where he has a Russian wife and teaches English:

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As president of Yes California, Marinelli is organizing a statewide referendum on independence to be held in 2019—if he can collect half a million signatures by next fall. He runs the secession movement from 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) away while teaching English at a language school in Yekaterinburg. He is preparing the ground for an “embassy of California” in Moscow, with the help of a vehemently anti-American group supported by the Kremlin. The avatar on his professional Facebook page shows him posing in front of the Voskresenskiye Gates that open onto Red Square.
---

Marinelli drew a spate of media attention in September 2016 when representatives of secession movements from California and Texas were invited to a convention in Moscow hosted by the Anti-Globalist Movement of Russia (ADR) and financially backed by the Kremlin. There, the Californians and Texans were joined by dissidents .. http://abcnews.go.com/International/texas-california-separatists-attend-pro-kremlin-conference/story?id=42395066 .. from far across the world:

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Amidst the heavy glitz of the hotel, Catalonian separatists and dissident Irish republicans listened politely to presentations from east Ukrainian rebels, Azerbaijani minorities and the thoughts of the self-proclaimed “King of Hawaii,” who called in via video link.

And among the few dozen activists comparing ideas for how to achieve self-determination, were two Americans campaigning for Texan and Californian secession from the United States.

The conference, now in its second year, is funded largely by the Kremlin and organized by the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, a group that closely follows government positions. The movement says it is unconnected to the Kremlin, but the hotel conference was almost entirely paid for by a charitable fund founded by President Vladimir Putin which provided close to $546,000 for the project, according to public records .. http://nbfond.ru/konkurs-grantov/granty-2016/granty-2016-1/2164-2/ . The attendees, including the Texan delegate, had been offered free flights and accommodation.
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Marinelli called us from Russia to say that while he divides his time between Russia and San Diego, the campaign to separate the Golden State from the rest of the United States has no Russian backing. He was, however, unclear on whether the anti-globalist group that hosted the Anti-Globalist convention has backing from the Kremlin. Both the Independent, a British publication, and the Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper based in Moscow, claim .. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/global-separatist-groups-meet-up-in-moscow-but-no-one-criticises-russia-10510344.html .. that ADR is financially backed by the Kremlin:

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Financed by donations from supporters and government grants, ADR has also received grants from the Russian National Charity Fund. An initiative created in 1999 by Vladimir Putin, the Fund has provided ADR with £30,000 since 2014. Its links to the fund, now under the patronage of Russia’s presidential administration, is likely to have influenced the absence of any separatist group operating inside Russia. While vocally supporting pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine, the Kremlin has zero tolerance to separatism within its borders, particularly in Siberia and Chechnya.
---

Meantime office space for a so-called Yes California “embassy” or cultural center in Moscow is provided by ADR, free of rent. Marinelli said ADR is allowing Yes California to use empty office space pro bono:

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Today the Embassy of the Independent Republic of California opens in Moscow. Address: ?. ??????, ??. ????? ?????? ??? 4, ???? 324. #Calexit .. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Calexit?src=hash

— CA Embassy Moscow (@CAEmbRu) December 18, 2016 ..
https://twitter.com/CAEmbRu/status/810401220926046209
---



Marinelli was unclear on who owns the building where the office is located. The building has only been described as a “research facility” by media reports, and Marinelli says he doesn’t know if it’s privately owned or owned by the Russian government.

Marinelli maintains the only funding that ADR received from the Kremlin he is aware of was a $53,000 grant provided in order to fly separatist activists from all over the world to a 26 September 2016 conference held at the Ritz in Moscow:

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As I’ve been told, [ADR] are not funded by the Russian government except for the grant of $53,000 for a specific earmarked event. We didn’t use it because I was already in Russia. The opportunity I had to take money from Moscow, I didn’t even take it because I was already in Russia. I don’t have access to [ADR’s] accounting, so I don’t know the sources of their income.
---

Marinelli, who was born in Buffalo, New York, told us that the California “embassy” in Moscow is not a diplomatic outpost but functions instead as a cultural center and “a bridge between the people of California and Russia.” On 27 February 2017, an event about civil rights and liberties will be held at the Yes California Embassy Moscow.

The Yes California ballot initiative campaign is separate from the California National Party, a political party .. https://californianational.party/en/ .. that has a long-term goal of independence. The California National Party, by contrast, is not pushing for a ballot measure, and representatives say the group has no foreign ties.

While President Trump has been accused of being assisted by the Russian government with hacking that helped him win the election, the Yes California campaign, which theoretically wants to separate the more socially-liberal state from a now-conservative federal government, is also being being linked to the Russian Federation by media reports. The Russian state meanwhile has been criticized by human rights organizations for its record on issues such as free speech .. https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/europe-and-central-asia/russian-federation/report-russian-federation/ .. and protections for LGBT .. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/14/dispatches-jail-time-being-gay-russia .. people.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/01/30/calexit-campaign-supported-russia/

[fuagf]

FLASHBACKS! Two years ago and some even more relevant today. These are from just into the 2nd half of one of F6/s mammoths, headed ..
Full Show - Globalism v. Nationalism Round 2: Macron and Le Pen Face Off - 04/24/2017 (unfortunately gone) posted over 2 years
ago, Friday, 04/28/17 11:33:09 AM .. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=130899999

"Trump Lashes Out, Calls Dems Liars Over Impeachment | Morning Joe | MSNBC"

Subject of Flynn seems to panic Trump and his allies

The Rachel Maddow Show
4/27/17

Rachel Maddow reviews the timeline of the scandalous fall of Donald Trump National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and notes that Donald Trump does not respond well when asked about him. Duration: 17:03

Propaganda works.

9:11 PM - 27 Apr 2017
https://twitter.com/jjmacnab/status/857779251797385217 [with comments]

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/subject-of-flynn-seems-to-panic-trump-and-his-allies-931612227588 , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSYcJVRoX88 [with comments]

*

Chaffetz eyes door as Flynn scandal mushrooms

The Rachel Maddow Show
4/27/17

Rachel Maddow notes that since taking on the matter of disgraced former Trump NSA Mike Flynn, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz appears increasingly uncomfortable, particularly as it becomes a showdown with the White House. Duration: 9:09

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/chaffetz-eyes-door-as-flynn-scandal-mushrooms-931619907835

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Trump: Chance of 'major, major conflict' with North Korea

The Rachel Maddow Show
4/27/17

Rachel Maddow reports breaking news that in an interview with Reuters Donald Trump has said that there is a chance of a "major, major conflict" with North Korea. Duration: 2:21

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-chance-of-major-major-conflict-with-north-korea-931560003887

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Trump camp to fix inauguration report, but where'd the money go?

The Rachel Maddow Show
4/27/17

Rachel Maddow reports on the errors discovered in the Donald Trump inauguration donation filing that the Trump team is now working to fix, but wonders still, where are the tens of millions raised but not spend on the meager inauguration event? Duration: 7:52

EXCLUSIVE: Trump says he thought being president would be easier than his old life. Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-100days-idUSKBN17U0CA

10:55 PM - 27 Apr 2017

EXCLUSIVE: Trump says he thought being president would be easier than his old life. Read more: https://t.co/U4sYCh4tqS pic.twitter.com/sKkoXoyPII

— Reuters U.S. News (@ReutersUS) April 28, 2017

[with comments]

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-camp-to-fix-inauguration-report-but-where-d-the-money-go-931639875723

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The interview that could hurt Michael Flynn

The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
4/27/17

Michael Isikoff asked Michael Flynn last year who paid him to speak to Russia's English language propaganda TV channel. His answer could be crucial in the new investigation into contacts with Russia. Isikoff joins Lawrence O'Donnell with Tim Mak and Mieke Eoyang. Duration: 9:11

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/the-interview-that-could-hurt-michael-flynn-931632195560 , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBCDTnAGV30 [with comments]

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Loss for Trump: No health care repeal vote in first 100 days

The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
4/27/17

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says there will not be a vote on health care before the 100 day mark of the Trump presidency. Washington Post columnist George F. Will calls it the "'Oh, never mind' presidency." He joins Lawrence O'Donnell. Duration: 5:30

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/loss-for-trump-no-health-care-repeal-vote-in-first-100-days-931632707600

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Trump voters react to Trump's actions vs. his promises

The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
4/27/17

Lawrence O'Donnell talks to Lis Smith and Rick Wilson about Donald Trump voters who are disappointed with the president's broken campaign promises, especially about the middle class. Duration: 5:08

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-voters-react-to-trump-s-actions-vs-his-promises-931632707690

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Trump: Russia a 'fake' story, W.H. is cooperating with Congress

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
4/27/17

After Democrats accused the White House of 'stonewalling' on Russia & Michael Flynn, Pres. Trump fired back saying Democrats are only using the 'made up' Russia story because they lost in 2016. Duration: 12:03

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/trump-russia-a-fake-story-w-h-is-cooperating-with-congress-931648579647

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INSERT: Today, since the WH lost the House, they are only able to cooperate with McConnell's Senate.

Opinion: Donald Trump has violated his oath. Mitch McConnell is about to violate 2
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=152991227

Republican Senator Murkowski 'disturbed' by McConnell's work with White House on impeachment trial
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=152983537

Amy McGrath files to challenge Mitch McConnell in Senate race
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=153014591

It feels safe to say that IF America wants to safeguard their constitutional separation of powers position ..

The term “Separation of Powers” was coined by the 18th century philosopher Montesquieu. Separation of powers is a model that divides the government into separate branches, each of which has separate and independent powers. By having multiple branches of government, this system helps to ensure that no one branch is more powerful than another. Typically, this system divides the government into three branches: the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The United States federal government and forty states divide their governments into these three branches.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/separation_of_powers_0#

at least Trump must be defeated. Getting rid of McConnell and taking the Senate would help too. House Democrats are more able
express their duty now, and a Democrat Senate would inject some more constitutional responsibility back into that body too.
------ end insert.

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Fmr. W.H. Lawyer Richard Painter on Russia: 'This is treason'

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
4/27/17

Former White House Attorney for the George W. Bush administration, responding to the the news on Michael Flynn, says he believes something treasonous is happening in regards to Russia. Duration: 2:26

©2017 NBCNews.com

http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/fmr-w-h-lawyer-richard-painter-on-russia-this-is-treason-931644483703 , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysbWvDhjqQA [with comments]

[fuagf]

Senate Opens Trump Impeachment Trial as New Ukraine Revelations Emerge

"Trump Lashes Out, Calls Dems Liars Over Impeachment | Morning Joe | MSNBC"

Nothing new here, just getting it into this stream

The chief justice was sworn in as the presiding officer and senators swore to do “impartial
justice,” as the Senate opened the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history.

Video- 2:27 Impeachment Highlights: Senate Lays Groundwork for Trial
House impeachment managers read the charges against President Trump to the Senate, and
senators took an oath, vowing to do “impartial justice.” Doug Mills/The New York Times

By Michael D. Shear

Jan. 16, 2020
Updated 5:10 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — The Senate formally opened the impeachment trial of President Trump on Thursday, as senators accepted the promise to deliver “impartial justice” and installed Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. as the presiding officer.

In a somber ceremony that has happened only twice before in the nation’s history, Chief Justice Roberts vowed to conduct Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial “according to the Constitution and the laws.” He then administered the same, 222-year-old oath of impartiality and adherence to the Constitution to the senators, setting in motion the final step in a bitter and divisive effort by the president’s adversaries to remove him from office.

Even as the antiquated ritual unfolded, with senators signing their names one by one in an oath book near the marble Senate rostrum, new evidence was trickling out about Mr. Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that is at the heart of the charges against him.

A trove of newly released texts, voice mail messages, calendar entries and other records handed over by Lev Parnas, an associate of the president’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, offered new details about the scheme. And the Government Accountability Office .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/us/politics/gao-trump-ukraine.html , a nonpartisan federal watchdog, found that Mr. Trump’s decision to withhold nearly $400 million in military aid from Ukraine was an illegal breach of a law that limits a president’s power to block the spending of money allocated by Congress.

Two hours before the oath-taking on the Senate floor, seven House members made a solemn march to the chamber to read aloud the charges against Mr. Trump. His words echoing from the well of the Senate, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California accused the president of abusing the power of his office and obstructing Congress by trying to cover up his actions.

“President Trump,” Mr. Schiff said, “warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”

The charges detailed the case against the president: that Mr. Trump pressured Ukraine for investigations into his political rivals, withholding $391 million in military aid as leverage, and that he obstructed Congress by blocking the inquiry into his conduct.

The evidence provided by Mr. Parnas adds significant new detail to the public record about how the pressure campaign played out. On Wednesday, Mr. Parnas told The New York Times .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/us/politics/lev-parnas-ukraine-trump-giuliani.html .. that he believed Mr. Trump knew about the efforts to dig up dirt on his political rivals.

[Many who have worked with Trump say he is a micromanager. I don't think Parnas is lying about Trump knowing. Trump knew.]

Just hours before the formal start of the trial, the Government Accountability Office said the decision by the White House Office of Management and Budget to withhold the aid violated the Impoundment Control Act, concluding that “faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law.” Mr. Trump directed the freeze on the Ukraine aid .. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/us/politics/trump-ukraine-military-aid.html , and administration officials testified during the course of the impeachment inquiry that they had repeatedly warned that doing so could violate the law, but their concerns were not heeded.

Aides said Mr. Trump was not watching the ceremonial events on television as the trial got underway. But Stephanie Grisham .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/business/media/stephanie-grisham-trump-press-secretary.html , the White House press secretary, said the White House expected Mr. Trump’s formal response to the impeachment charges would prove he did nothing wrong, and she dismissed the stream of new details emerging about the Ukraine pressure campaign.

[Yeah. Sure. Thanks, mouthpiece.]

“We’re not too concerned about it,” Ms. Grisham told Fox News on Thursday. “Once again, we know that everything in the Senate is going to be fair.”

Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent. He previously worked at The Washington Post and was a member of their Pulitzer Prize-winning team that covered the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. @shearm

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/us/politics/trump-impeachment.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[fuagf]

Lev Parnas: 'President Trump Knew Exactly What Was Going On.' | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

"Trump Lashes Out, Calls Dems Liars Over Impeachment | Morning Joe | MSNBC"

Jan 16, 2020

MSNBC

Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, talks with Rachel Maddow in an exclusive interview about the extent of Donald Trump's knowledge of the work he was doing to manipulate the president of Ukraine to help Trump smear political rival Joe Biden. Aired on 1/15/2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67cbPcb23kU

'It was always about Biden. It was never about corruption in Ukraine.'

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Lev Parnas Implicates Trump And Top Officials In Ukraine Pressure Campaign | Deadline | MSNBC

Jan 16, 2020

MSNBC

Lev Parnas draws the closest direct line to Trump in the Ukraine pressure campaign, as senators get sworn in as jurors in the impeachment trial. Aired on 01/16/20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_7xW-7t3QA

Chuck Rosenberg says if he has signed a cooperation agreement with SDNY, he would probably not be going on tv. Suggests SDNY have
decided they really don't need him. Sondland clip reminds us that he said every one including Mulvaney and Pompeo was in on it.

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Parnas Adds Bill Barr's Name To Ukraine Plot | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Jan 17, 2020

MSNBC

The DOJ is denying Lev Parnas’ claims that AG Barr knew about President Trump’s efforts in Ukraine. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Aired on 1/16/20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reSTSWx03Zs

Ah, Parnas doesn't have a deal because Barr is AG and if he had a deal he would implicate Barr.

Some of too many related to all of these videos.

Trump Stays Up All Night with Sharpie Crossing Out Lev Parnas in Photos with Him
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Trump Rage Tweet du Jour
“I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL!”
Clearly suffering from PTSD following last night’s bombshell interview with Lev Parnas. Perhaps a trip to Walter Reed is warranted.
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=153346598

What Mueller Found on Russia and on Obstruction: A First Analysis
[...]
No, Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, and no, he did not conclude that President Trump had obstructed justice. But Mueller emphatically did not find that there had been “no collusion” either. Indeed, he described in page after damning page a dramatic pattern of Russian outreach to figures close to the president, including to Trump’s campaign and his business; Mueller described receptivity to this outreach on the part of those figures; he described a positive eagerness on the part of the Trump campaign to benefit from illegal Russian activity and that of its cutouts; he described serial lies about it all. And he describes as well a pattern of behavior on the part of the president in his interactions with law enforcement that is simply incompatible with the president’s duty to “take care” that the laws are “faithfully executed”—a pattern Mueller explicitly declined to conclude did not obstruct justice.

And one late added video

Key Player In Ukraine Scandal Opens Up About Ukraine & Trump | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Jan 16, 2020

MSNBC

Indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas tells Rachel Maddow Trump was fully aware of his effort to dig up dirt on Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the pressure to call witnesses at the impeachment trial grows. Robert Costa, Anita Kumar, and Joyce Vance join. Aired on 01/15/20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWxWpveEed4

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Trump vigorously denies knowing Lev Parnas after explosive claims
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=153347714

'I did not have criminal relations with these men.'
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=153346701