Hackers In The House

A story that has been percolating for months finally cracks a bit. OMG, ANOTHER Game of Thrones thread? NO! This is trouble in Our Blue Heaven for Debbie Wasserman Shultz and the House Democrats:

Wasserman Schultz staffer arrested trying to leave the country

A House IT aide working for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, was arrested this week on bank fraud charges while trying to leave the country.

The arrest was reportedly at Dulles Airport outside DC.

Awan, an IT staffer who has worked for many House Democrats and was employed by Wasserman Schultz, was allegedly at the center of a scheme that involved double-charging the House for IT equipment, and may also have exposed House information online, according to Fox.

A spokesperson for Wasserman Schultz said that Awan had been fired on Tuesday.

“Mr. Awan previously served as an employee in our office, but his services have been terminated," Wasserman Schultz' spokesman David Damron said in a statement.

Awan and his family have reportedly worked for House Democrats for years. He declared bankruptcy in 2012, but has made millions of dollars on the House payroll over at least a decade of work for various members, according to a Politico report.

Lots of rumor and innuendo have circulated suggesting that these IT scammers knew too much about too many Democrats. In any case, the evidentiary standards will be somewhat comparable to Trump seeing a problem with the Russian contacts of his underlings:

In March, a group of House Democrats fired Awan and one other stafferover their alleged involvement in the scheme and the looming criminal investigation. However, Fox News reported Tuesday that Wasserman Schultz still has Awan on her staff's payroll despite him being barred from accessing the House's computer system since February.

At the time, Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) both defended Awan.

“As of right now, I don’t see a smoking gun,” Meeks told Politico in March. “I have seen no evidence that they were doing anything that was nefarious.”

The Daily Caller provided some recent flavor as well and Politico is on this. But perhaps the best Explainer has been prepared by JOM commenter "daddy", who brings his many talents to bear here.

THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE: Need proof - PROOF! - that this is a huge story gravely implicating House Democrats in their ongoing undermining of the rule of law? As of Wednesday morning neither the failing NY Times nor the "Democracy Dies in Darkness But Our Brand Thrives On BS" Washington Post have any detectable coverage of the arrest.

Politico includes this:

Awan was released Tuesday on a “high-intensity supervision program,” according to a DOJ spokesman. He must wear a GPS monitor, abide by a curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and cannot leave a 50-mile radius of his Lorton, Va., home. He was also forced to surrender his passports and is scheduled to reappear in court for a preliminary hearing Aug. 21.

Nahh, not a flight risk.

Most Democratic lawmakers cut ties with Awan and his family after the criminal investigation came to light in early February. But Awan has continued to be employed by Wasserman Schultz, although it’s unclear what his job duties are given he has been barred from accessing the House IT system for months.

I'm guessing here - his job duty is to keep his mouth shut. 

HOURS LATER: The failing NY Times website posts an AP story at 11:58 AM.

Comments

[henry]

No hacking involved. They were welcomed inside.

[middyfeek]

Posting here because the other thread is dead: well Mr Maguire what say you about DAG Sessions and civil forfeiture?

Common currency is that this is being abused all over the country.

[Davod]

"No hacking involved. They were welcomed inside."

Like the DNC 'Hack'

[Davod]

From the previous thread.

Regarding the Democrats new mantra - A better deal.

Maybe one of their million dollar consultants has convinced them that it was 'A better way' that won the election for the Republicans.

[rich]

any takers that he is already on a plane to Pakistan at the moment?

[Another Bob]

I'm with you Rich. Only a private plane out of a small airport where security could be avoided.

Alternatively, he'll be found dead.

[Janet the expert 🚬]

Notice there was no unmasking & leaking to the press of any phone conversations involving the Dems Pakistani IT guys.

[Another Bob]

Also, the Reddit boys say there will be some anti-Trump news dumped today to keep the Awan story out of the headlines.

[Another Bob]

Also also, a claim that the Awan bros had advance word of the Yemen raid (where the SEAL was killed), and tipped the MB.

[-peter]

An y one who missed please take a look at daddy's 2:39 post from the last thread

[rich]

Bet those gumshoes at the Washington Post will find a Trump Russia connection in all of this, because at some point in the early 1980s Trump flew over Pakistan or maybe saw it on a map.

[rich]

A-Bob-

He'll just be jogging alone close to Fort Marcy Park. You know those sorts of things just happen.

iirc the wife fled as early as March.

[James D.]

Let's compare and contrast:

In Wisconsin, during the John Doe witch hunt, people who were accused of crimes as heinous as making campaign phone calls from the wrong office, were subjected to Nazi-style paramilitary pre-dawn raids and terrorized for months by a Javert-esque inquisition.

In the Awan case, a bunch of foreign nationals stole millions of dollars over a period of years, had and allegedly abused access to national security secrets, and likely sold off sensitive information to the highest bidder (or just gave it outright to hostile foreign powers). Until this week, they remaiend employed by the former head of the DNC, and one of them was only taken into custody when he tried to flee the country - and was immediately released.

Yeah, we certainly have equal treatment under the law, don't we.

[rich]

Hadn't thought of that comparison James D, but it is a good one.

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

Daddy! you are famous!

[Buckeye]

daddy, I suspect you are sawing logs, but gotta say your 2:39 was most excellent.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

This article has a run-down of all of the peolpe on Mueller's team:

https://conservativeexplorer.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/band-of-brothers-or-harbingers-of-doom-muellers-team-enigma/amp/

" The important question is why does a team assembled under the mandate to investigate foreign influence in the 2016 elections seem to be less of a panel of election law experts and more of a legal hit team assembled to tear to pieces an international crime ring stuffed to the brim with expertise in financial, corruption, terrorism, and white collar crimes?"

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

He'll by "robbed" and dead within a week. The dems will blame it on Scaramucci.

[RattlerGator]

TM: I'm guessing here - his job duty is to keep his mouth shut.

Winner, winner chicken dinner.

I'm suspecting a CIA connection somehow. I've enjoyed occasionally needling some of my virtue-signaling progressive friends with the suggestion that Barack Obama is entirely a creature of the CIA.

That really gets 'em mad.

[Old Lurker]

"why does...and more of a legal hit team assembled to tear to pieces..."

Because it is a legal hit team assembled to tear down Trump and the MAGA agenda?

[narciso]

I'm guessing the boys of aapbara isi, are more likely involved remember they ran a front group like akhmetchins in the 90s

[common man]

Meeks, Fudge and washerwoman were still defending the guy until Tuesday when they got word the hammer was coming down ( the leak was to them not the media this time).

Democrat sandbox full of cat feces...

[henry]

from The_Donald, Awan's lawyer is Chris Gowan, a Clinton insider.

[Old Lurker]

Had to laugh at this Lucianne headline on an IBD story. "If Congress Is Serious About Getting Rid Of
IRS, It Must Pass Big-Bang Tax Reform"

Talk about silly predicates.

[common man]

Yeah the Clinton have a stable of criminal lawyers. But they also have some that defend criminals too...

[exdemocrat]

anyone else wondering if Seth Rich learned too much about this Awan spyring?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

exdemocrat,

Good point. I am going to need a chart or something. We have too many suspicious events for me to keep track of.

[rich]

So wonder what the scandal of the day will be:

Trump got 3 scoops of ice cream last night.

Barron got seconds but didn't clean his plate.

Someone on the Trump team was seen consuming a Russian Imperial Stout.

[RattlerGator]

Hmmmmmm . . . .

If what I'm hearing is even half true, Awan brothers are Obama admin approved CIA assets. Is Brennan next to flee country? #DNCisCollapsing💥

— JohnWickofPolitics (@Gingrich_of_PA) July 26, 2017

[common man]

Seth Rich was the guy who used the high speed download of the DNC server internally. Washerwoman or Brazille had him executed, pretty sure of that. Cell phone and wallet not taken and shot in the back of the head...

[henry]

Which non-extradition resort is Jugears at today?

[rich]

Posted by: exdemocrat | July 26, 2017 at 08:26 AM

I had suggested it a while back but others found it doubtful. The Awan Bros cell has 6 members and Imran himself does appear to have some sort of competence in computers and networks. Not a stretch for me to think the stories as possibly connected.

[Old Lurker]

Henry. That's funny, Henry, considering how quickly we are moving to round up all the criminals from the last decade or so in DC. This town cannot effectively name a post office...think what it would take to charge a former POTUS who walks on water with anything.

[rich]

Posted by: RattlerGator | July 26, 2017 at 08:32 AM

Doubtful. Some started working for House democrats as early as 2005.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/25/wasserman-schultzs-it-aide-arrested-trying-to-flee-the-country/

scroll to the bottom for the index of stories. One of them details all the congressmen the cell worked for over time

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/25/trump-dossier-firm-are-highly-paid-smear-experts-human-rights-activist-will-tell-senate/

This reporter got much of his information from that 0hour guy I follow on Twitter.

[henry]

Also from The Donald: Steven Wasserman, the brother of Wasserman Schultz, is the Assistant US Attorney at the Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia. He is overseeing the Awan crime family investigation! First he burried the Seth Rich case, now this!

[rich]

here is the affidavit in support of the bank fraud charges

http://web.archive.org/web/20170726124713/https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3900669-Awan-Imran-Complaint-and-Affidavit.html">https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3900669-Awan-Imran-Complaint-and-Affidavit.html">http://web.archive.org/web/20170726124713/https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3900669-Awan-Imran-Complaint-and-Affidavit.html

[rich]

yikes that link blew up the comment box ... let me see if I can fix it?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

DWS fired the IT guy last night, referring to him as a "part-time employee."

Heck of a lot of money being wired by a part-time employee. 0hour thinks it was blackmail money.

He also thinks that about half of Congress should have their security clearances lifted. If you are blackmailed for information and do not report it, you are in violation of the espionage act.

[henry]

Miss M, it appears the entire House Foreign Affairs Committee (Dems only) plus some Judicial and Intel committee members were Awan clients. Hang em high!

[exdemocrat]

per Assange, Awan had full access to Pelosi's ipad:

https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/889997787085107207

[James D.]

Boy, there's a shocker.

[James D.]

Awan's lawyer is Chris Gowan, a Clinton insider.

Boy, there's a shocker.

[rich]

It was in part proceeds from the bank fraud they undertook in December 2016 (ie the subject of the affidavit).

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3900669-Awan-Imran-Complaint-and-Affidavit.html

[James D.]

Steven Wasserman, the brother of Wasserman Schultz, is the Assistant US Attorney at the Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia. He is overseeing the Awan crime family investigation! First he burried the Seth Rich case, now this!

This is one reason I don't have much faith in AG Sessions as a swamp-drainer. Why is this guy still employed at the DoJ?

Does anyone think that a Democrat AG would have kept on an Assistant U.S. Attorney who was the brother of the head of the RNC? We all know they'd have been fired immediately. Yet Sessions has allowed Wasserman to stay on. Why?

[Account Deleted]

Is POTUS aware of this glaring/blaring conflict of interest re the Paki boy and the AUSA's fugly sister?

And the a-holes got Sessions to recuse himself?

Queensbury rules will bury Sessions. I now have zero confidence in previous theories offered on the subject of POTUS playing some secret strategy with Jeff.

He's pissed. Sessions will be gone.

[RattlerGator]

What an incredible couple of tweets:

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

....Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

[Old Lurker]

James "This is one reason I don't have much faith in AG Sessions as a swamp-drainer."

{lease insert "more" between one and reason.

[Captain Hate]

If you are blackmailed for information and do not report it, you are in violation of the espionage act.

Hang them all for treason and use extra thin rope for DWS so the mayonnaise in her hair doesn't allow her to slip through.

[RattlerGator]

One more:

....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

[RattlerGator]

My response to the President's tweet:

Boom !!! The re-set is on and popping. Stop with the craziness, social justice warriors. Charge hard, Mr. President, charge hard !!! https://t.co/rztQcjouuK

— J.B. White (@RattlerGator) July 26, 2017

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

WOW! Thanks, RG!

THAT should start another whoop-de-doo in the press!

I was off on 0hour's twitter feed reading about the Pakistani spies and didn't see it!

[Account Deleted]

Nice pop yourself there, RG. Nicely done.

[Threadkiller]

Doubtful. Some started working for House democrats as early as 2005.

About the same time that an unknown unidentifiable Presidential aspirant started an unlikely climb towards the Oval Office?

[rich]

27. On March 5,2017, your Affiant, along with agents from the FBI and US Capitol Police, approached ALVI at Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia.
ALVI was about to board Qatar Airlines, Flight 708, to Doha, Qatar, on her way to Lahore, Pakistan. ALVI was with her three children, who your Affiant later learned were abruptly taken out of school without notifying the Fairfax County Public School System. ALVI had numerous pieces of luggage with her, including cardboard boxes. A secondary search of those items revealed that the boxes contained household goods, clothing, and food items. US Customs and Border Protection conducted a search of ALVI's bags immediately prior to her boarding the plane and located a total of $12,400.00 in US cash inside. ALVI was permitted to board the flight to Qatar and she and her daughters have not returned to the United States. ALVI has a return flight booked for a date in September 2017. Based on your Affiant's observations at Dulles Airport, and upon his experience and training, your Affiant does not believe that ALVI has any intentions to return to the United States.

28. AWAN has purchased a flight on Qatar Airlines, Flight 708, departing from Dulles International Airport on July 24th, 2017, to Doha, Qatar at 8:45 pm, and the to Lahore, Pakistan. He has purchased a return flight for a date in January 2018.

[exdemocrat]

if memory serves, Rich, that fund also included the life insurance $$ they appear to have stolen from their dad's wife (per lurkersusie's post).

interesting timing on the military/transgender squirrel move..

[RattlerGator]

A friend in South Florida just sent me this:

http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/shock-claim-florida-county-has-thousands-of-voters-over-age-100/

Broward County has the heaviest Democrat registration in the state and is swamped with New York Democrats.

Shiznit is about to get *very* real in Florida. And, MM, this is one of the reasons I commented as I did the other day about Jeb and the 2000 vote situation. They thought they could, and were in fact hell bent on doing so, steal the election.

[exdemocrat]

dot - dot - dot, TK

[RattlerGator]

About the same time that an unknown unidentifiable Presidential aspirant started an unlikely climb towards the Oval Office?

Posted by: Threadkiller | July 26, 2017 at 09:16 AM

With some INCREDIBLY odd occurrences that paved his way forward.

[-peter]

There goes the trans vote

[Account Deleted]

Does anyone in the National Security Apparatus work for President Trump?

[rich]

Imran appears to have started as soon as 2003 ...

Imran first came to Capitol Hill in the early 2000s and Abid joined him in 2005. Imran’s wife Hina Alvi was added to the payroll in 2007, while Abid’s wife, Natalia Sova, appeared in 2011. Finally, in 2014 the youngest sibling, Jamal, joined the payroll in 2014 at the age of 20 with a salary of $160,000.

...

Since 2003, the family has collected $5 million overall, with Imran making $2 million and Abid making $1.5 million, according to Legistorm.com, which tracks congressional staff data. Of some 25,000 people who have worked in the House since 2010, only 100 have taken home more than Imran.

As “shared” employees, their salaries were cobbled together with part-time payments from multiple members, with a result that the Awans appeared at one time or another on an estimated 80 House Democrats’ payrolls.

[henry]

Good news (I think) from radio this morning: Foxconn will announce it's investment in WI this afternoon at 4:00 central.

For those wondering... 1000 acre site in Racine County next to I94. That is Ryan's district (for the conspiratorial among us). Details of how many billions of tax exemptions given away tbd... I94 through Racine County will get embiggened (to match I94 in Milwaukee and Kenosha).

[Account Deleted]

I cannot imagine the number of trannies needing surgery who were lining up to join the American military.... sweet Christ Almighty what would the tab on that joyride be? the suicide rate would skyrocket--- they tend not to do well under stress and their hormonal cocktails for life regimen.

[Davod]

Rattler:

"They thought they could, and were in fact hell bent on doing so, steal the election."

I believe the reason the Dems were so angry was that they expected GW to fold as soon as Gore called back to rescind his concession. GW becoming president slowed down the Socialists for a few more years.

[rich]

Posted by: exdemocrat | July 26, 2017 at 09:20 AM

the life insurance proceeds are being litigated in Fairfax iirc. I don't think the company has paid it out to any party because of the bizarre treatment of their step-mother. Some other policies might have been cashed in ... still looking through the affidavit.

[narciso]

Qatar airlines isn't that interesting, re the kerfluffle between that principality and the other gulf states

[Threadkiller]

Yep, ex-dem and RG.

Oddest of all, IMO, was the multiple times the House and Senate attempted to rewrite the eligibility requirements in that short period.

[narciso]

So there is so much incentive to dereliction of duty, which is to dutifuly and impartially enforce the law.

[henry]

from Drudge... Sessions to announce investigations into leaks.

[Davod]

As I recall, Trump was not going to telegraph any military moves overseas. Obviously, this strategy does not cover what the DOJ and FBI does in the USA.

The fact that we, the public, don't know what investigations are already underway does not mean nothing is happening.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Davod,

This is something I have thought. If you wanted to investigate that stuff, you would have a very small group who are absolutely not going to leak or telegraph their intentions.

We will see.

[RattlerGator]

Davod, re your take on the 2000 election: I agree

[JimNorCal]

"As of Wednesday morning neither the failing NY Times nor the "Democracy Dies in Darkness But Our Brand Thrives On BS" Washington Post have any detectable coverage of the arrest."

Falls into the category
'Reflects badly on Dems'.

[henry]

Governor Walker @GovWalker
now

Major Jobs Announcement for Wisconsin today at 4:00pm CT at the @WhiteHouse with @POTUS

[narciso]

Cover the story, with a pillow until it stops moving

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 14m14 minutes ago

Why didn't A.G. Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation but got....

big dollars ($700,000) for his wife's political run from Hillary Clinton and her representatives. Drain the Swamp!

[Account Deleted]

There are so many spies and informants at work blackmailing dutiful staffers, turning them.... over and over it happens. Both sides have their ways to keep info flow going.

Hurry sundown. Serve it up on July 27, POTUS!

[Account Deleted]

I'm a brash individual. It's what DJT appeals to in me. GO big or go home.

I'd call a special joint session of Congress to announce the firing of Rosenstein and Mueller. Then I'd read out the names of co-conspirators in Congress who will be investigated (along with their no-name staffers).

Conclude the address with "Stay tuned."

[Account Deleted]

McCabe should be banned from public service and stripped of his pension. Set a bar and never let it be lowered. These career service assholes like stability and ease of earning rewards for keeping their noses parked in stinky places.

They are like jihadis---- ruthlessness is the only antiseptic.

[James D.]

1000 acre site in Racine County next to I94. That is Ryan's district (for the conspiratorial among us).

That's unfortunate. I don't want to see him rewarded.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

So let me get this straight:
IT guys suspected of spying for years and other crimes work for the head of the DNC and dozens of other Dems.
Evidence reportedly indicates the access of DNC servers was a local direct download not an internet hack.

Putin!

[Account Deleted]

DOW up 112 already. Markets know the Spec Counsel is a ruse.

[henry]

James D... I94 is the main road from Chicago. The Kenosha section is already full and booming (Amazon located there). Racine is next on the way north. I look at it this way... anything but Milwaukee County and that den of leftist thieves.

[DrJ]

Flush!

[narciso]

Its that isnt heard barking, its like the matrix.

[James D.]

True, henry. And I'm glad to see the jobs here in America. I just despise Ryan.

[rich]

ex-dem

here is the initial filing re: the insurance company. It appears they deposited the proceeds at the court and are letting the wife and kids fight over it.

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3899239-Americo-Complaint.html

They were engaging in the charged bank fraud concurrent with changing the beneficiary on the life insurance policy.

[rich]

not for long!

[Neo]

USA Today:
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have been quietly courting major party donors during a series of weekend trips to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and New York in an effort to convince them to channel more funding to local and state elections -- with a particular focus on the next generation of governors who will oversee redistricting around the 2020 Census -- as well as legal challenges to gerrymandered congressional districts.

... and here, I thought the latest gerrymandering case before the SCOTUS was supposed to fix it once and for all.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Rep. Nancy Pelosi don't seem to think so.

[Old Lurker]

Just when my Killfile finger was relaxing....

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

Trump is losing me with all the negative tweets against his staff. Fire them or shut up. You aren't helping the cause.

[rich]

just gotta let the coffee kick in. how can people stay awake at this time of day?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Jane,

It's a smokescreen, I think. He never did this with others who were let go.

[Old Lurker]

Losing you to whom, Jane?

[Threadkiller]

He is moving public sentiment, Jane.

A good strategy.

[narciso]

Yes i would fire Mueller yesterday, when we discovered that akhmetchins was part of the same fly tap.

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

OL - good question. Losing me to the cause I guess. I'm losing respect for him. I don't see any excuse for that behavior. Does it not bother you?

[Threadkiller]

It doesn't bother me because I see it as a strategy that requires no excuse.

[Threadkiller]

Which tweet are you referring to?