FBI daily news briefing email, December 2, 2021, with Maxwell trial item

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Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Daily News Briefing - December 2, 2021¶

Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2021 14:40:10 +0000¶

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I will check with INSD.¶

Jim¶

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Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 8:57 AM¶

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Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Daily News Briefing - December 2, 2021¶

Assuming INSD is tracking this ?¶

Law Enforcement Officer From ‘Outside Agency’ Accidently Fires Gun in Downtown High-Rise¶

NJ (12/01, Zeitlinger) reported that a law enforcement agent accidentally fired a gun inside their Jersey City high-rise home that went through a wall and into a residence next door Tuesday afternoon. According to the article, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione described the person who discharged their weapon as an “outside agency officer.” Police said in radio transmission it was an FBI agent who worked out of the agency’s New York office. The article noted that no charges were filed and no injuries were reported in the incident.¶

From: FBI News Briefing <¶

Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 6:20:08 AM¶

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Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Daily News Briefing - December 2, 2021¶

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December 02, 2021¶

Federal Bureau of Investigation¶

Daily News Briefing¶

(In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs)¶

Mobile version and searchable archives available at https://fbi.barbaricumanalytics.com¶

Table of Contents

¶

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IN THE NEWS¶

• Michigan Teen Charged in Oxford High School Shooting

• US Reports 1st Case of Omicron Variant in Returning Traveler

• Supreme Court Seems Inclined to Uphold Mississippi Abortion Law That Would Undermine Roe v. Wade

CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS¶

• Jan. 6 Committee Votes To Hold Ex-Trump Official Jeffrey Clark In Contempt

• First Video of FBI’s Interrogation With Alleged Capitol Rioter Released

• Charges Filed Against Rhode Island Man Accused of Using Table Leg as Club Against Police on January 6

• Kansas Man Who Took Video of Himself During Capitol Riot Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor

• Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Attacking Police During U.S. Capitol Riot

• ‘Embarrassed’ Capitol Rioter Who Wore ‘(F**k) Your Feelings’ Sweatshirt Sentenced

• East Idaho Man Arrested in Connection With U.S. Capitol Attack

• Ohio Man Sentenced to Probation for Role in January 6 Capitol Insurrection

• Arizona Woman Charged With Entering U.S. Capitol During Jan. 6 Insurrection

• Illinois Man Charged in Connection With January 6 Attack on US Capitol

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE¶

• Why the Discredited Dossier Does Not Undercut the Russia Investigation

• Probes by Federal Officials on Phone-hack, Extortion Claims by Jeff Bezos Haven’t Led to Public Action

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS¶

• Ghislaine Maxwell Defense Seeks To Undermine Key Accuser’s Allegation

• More Than 30 Years Later, a Tantalizing Clue in the Gardner Museum Art Heist Surfaces

• Tuomo Nemesis Is Charged With Campaign Fraud

• Suspect Extradited to Colorado From Ecuador to Face 126 Sexual Assault Charges

• Movie Set Armorer’s Father Provides New Theory on How Live Ammo Got on Set in Accidental Murder Case

• No Trace Of Missing 5-Year-Old Idaho Boy Who Vanished More Than 125 Days Ago

• Disbarred Attorney Sentenced for Fraud, Tax Evasion

• Ex-Sheriff, Facing Life for Rapes, Pleads Guilty to Bribery.

• Double Murder Trial Continues in Connecticut

• FBI Offers $25K Reward For Capture Of Philly Man Wanted For Murder Of Pregnant Girlfriend

• 14 Indicted in Ohio Opioid Ring Operated by Two Brothers

• Trinitarios Gang Member from Massachusetts Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Multiple Guns, Ammunition, Cocaine & Crack Cocaine

• Michigan Man Sentenced to Jail in Child Pornography Production and Distribution Case

• Former Reality TV Star Allegedly Downloaded Videos and Images of Children Being “Violated”

• Police, FBI Search for Suspect in Alabama Bank Robbery

• FBI Seeks Public’s Help in Identifying a California Bank Robber

CYBER DIVISION¶

• Hacker Steals Medical Records of 400,000 People From Planned Parenthood

• FBI, Secret Service Agents Flock to Missouri to Address Cybersecurity Threats

LABORATORY¶

• 40 Years Later: Police Solve Baltimore County Teen’s Cold Case Murder

LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES¶

• Hate Crime Trial of Former NJ Police Chief Ends in Mistrial

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• Police Group Asks Public for Help as Assaults on Cops Surge

• Fort Myers Police Fire Officer Who Had Been Included in FBI Probe

OTHER FBI NEWS¶

• CIA Publishes New Account Describing “Challenges” of Briefing Trump¶

• CIA Files Say Staffers Committed Sex Crimes Involving Children. They Weren’t Prosecuted.

• Philip B. Heymann, 89, Dies; Prosecuted Watergate and Abscam

• Dark-Money Group Paid Former Trump AG to Ask for Pardons; He Never Registered as a Lobbyist

• Law Enforcement Officer From ‘Outside Agency’ Accidently Fires Gun in Downtown High-Rise

• State Department is Prioritizing Return of Missionaries from Ohio Group Kidnapped in Haiti

• Fortenberry’s Lawyers Ask For Dismissal of Statements to FBI¶

INTERNATIONAL NEWS¶

• Blinken, Russian FM to Meet Amid Ukraine Tensions

• U.S. Tells Russia to Pull Back from Ukraine or Face Painful Sanctions

Russia Warns Some U.S. Diplomats Will Have to Leave by Jan 31¶

• Putin Demands NATO Guarantees Not to Expand Eastward

• NATO Chief Says Mission Creep, Corruption Hurt Afghan Effort

• US, South Korea Defense Chiefs Discuss Boosting Alliance¶

• Iran Makes Nuclear Advance Despite Talks to Salvage 2015 Deal

• Iceland Police Say Homemade Bomb Found in Reykjavik Dumpster

• UN Rights Chief: Burkina Faso is Facing a Security Crisis

• Brexit Fears Hold Back US-UK Trade Deal¶

OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS¶

• Trump Tested Positive for Virus Days Before Debate, Two Ex-Officials Say

• Peter DeFazio, House Transportation Committee Chairman, Will Retire

• Senate Republicans Threaten Shutdown Over Vaccine Mandate

• The U.S. Tells Airlines to Identify Travelers from Southern Africa

• Symone Sanders, Senior Adviser to Vice President Harris, Will Leave Post

• • ICE Holds Growing Numbers of Immigrants at Private Facilities Despite Biden Campaign Promise to End Practice

• Biden Marks World AIDS Day by Renewing Support for Worldwide Goal of Ending the Epidemic by 2030

• Yellen Defends Spending Plans Amid Growing Angst Over Higher Inflation

• House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Speed Judges’ Financial Disclosures

• US Military Explosives Vanish, Emerge in Civilian World

• US Defense Chief Slams China’s Drive for Hypersonic Weapons

• U.S. to Extend Transit Mask Mandate Through Mid-March

In Israel, the New U.S. Ambassador’s Home Lacks a Certain View¶

BIG PICTURE¶

• Wall Street Journal¶

• New York Times

• Washington Post

• Financial Times

• ABC News¶

• CBS News

• NBC News

• Fox News¶

WASHINGTON SCHEDULE¶

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IN THE NEWS¶

Michigan Teen Charged in Oxford High School Shooting¶

The Associated Press (12/01, Williams, White) reported that authorities identified the suspect in yesterday’s Oxford High School shooting in Michigan as 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley. Authorities also revealed that Crumbley has been charged as an adult with murder, attempted murder, and terrorism causing death, among other charges, as the death toll has risen to four people. The New York Times (12/01, Conlin, Heyward, Smith, Healy) reported that three hours prior to the shooting, Crumbley’s parents were at Oxford High School meeting with school officials who expressed concerns “about their son’s classroom behavior.” According to the article, prosecutors are considering bringing charges against the parents as well. The Washington Post (12/01, Kalter, Firozi, Thebault, Pietsch, Kornfield) reported that authorities “have not commented on what may have motivated the shooting, but that investigators have a ‘mountain of digital evidence’ that shows it was premeditated.” The story was also covered by the Wall Street Journal (12/01, Maher, Chapman), Reuters (12/01, O’Brien, Szekely), CBS News (12/01, Albert), NBC News (12/01, Gile, Stelloh), CNN (12/01, Hanna, Vera, Broaddus, Pokupecz), New York Post (12/01, Steinbuch), Forbes (12/01, Kaplan), HuffPost (12/01, Moye), Newsweek (12/01, Davis), Insider (12/01, Epstein, Davis, Snodgrass), The Epoch Times (12/01, Stieber), The Guardian (12/01, Luscombe) and the Independent (12/01, Dodds).¶

US Reports 1st Case of Omicron Variant in Returning Traveler¶

The Associated Press (12/01, Miller, Rodriguez, Balsamo) and the New York Times (12/01, Shear, Hubler, Rabin) reported that the U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant on Wednesday, in a San Francisco-based traveler who returned from South Africa in late November. Coverage noted that the traveler is fully vaccinated and experiencing mild symptoms and that “aggressive contact tracing” is underway, according to the CDC. The Wall Street Journal (12/01, McKay) reported that with the detection of the variant in the U.S., omicron has now been identified in at least 24 countries on five continents since scientists in South Africa first identified it in late November. The Washington Post (12/01, Sun, Shepherd, Greenberg) reported that NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci recommended that Americans get booster shots if eligible, and not wait for an “omicron-specific reformulated booster that, even if approved, would not be ready for months.” A separate article from the Associated Press (12/01, Thompson) reported that California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the detection of the omicron variant in the state is “not surprising” and should not force a lockdown order or other new restrictions. The story was also reported on by ABC News (12/01, Haslett, Bruce), NBC News (12/01, Edwards, Fieldstadt), Fox News (12/01, Betz), CNBC (12/01, Kimball), USA TODAY (12/01, Lasin), Newsweek (12/01, Hutzler), Politico (12/01, Banco, Lim, Cancryn), HuffPost (12/01, Golgowski), Business Insider (12/01, Bendix), the Independent (12/01, Marcus), The Epoch Times (12/01, Stieber), Washington Examiner (12/01, Lim), and United Press International (12/01, Dunleavy).¶

Supreme Court Seems Inclined to Uphold Mississippi Abortion Law That Would Undermine Roe v. Wade¶

The Associated Press (12/01, Sherman, Gresko) and the Washington Post (12/01, Barnes) reported that the Supreme Court signaled that it would allow states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy and may potentially overrule Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 decision that found that women have a constitutional right to abortion. According to the articles, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that the Supreme Court’s reputation “would be irreparably damaged if nearly a half-century of its abortion jurisprudence were dismantled because of a change in membership.” Coverage noted that the court’s decision is not expected until next June or July. The story was also reported on by the Wall Street Journal (12/01, Bravin, Kendall), New York Times (12/01, Liptak), Bloomberg (12/01, Bellany, Jeffrey), NBC News (12/01, Gregorian), ABC News (12/01, Dwyer), CBS News (12/01, Quinn), Politico (12/01, Ollstein, Gerstein), Newsweek (12/01, Fung), Forbes (12/01, Durkee), CNBC (12/01, Breuninger), The Hill (12/01, Kruzel), Business Insider (12/01, Seddiq), Axios (12/01, Gonzalez) and the Washington Examiner (12/01, Scanlon).¶

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Back to Top¶

CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS¶

Jan. 6 Committee Votes To Hold Ex-Trump Official Jeffrey Clark In Contempt¶

CNN (12/01, Grayer, Nobles, Cohen, Wild) reported that the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol approved on Wednesday night the report to hold former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark in contempt of Congress for defying his subpoena by refusing to answer questions during a recent deposition and failing to hand over documents to the panel. According to the article, the panel is also giving Clark another opportunity to appear, on Saturday, in light of a new letter he sent to the committee stating that he intends to claim Fifth Amendment protection. The New York Times (12/01, Broadwater) noted that Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the committee’s chairman, said it would move forward with the contempt referral anyway, calling Mr. Clark’s appeal “a last-ditch attempt to delay. The select committee has no desire to be placed in this situation, but Mr. Clark has left us no other choice,” Mr. Thompson added. “He chose this path. He knew what consequences he might face if he did so. This committee and this House must insist on accountability in the face of that sort of defiance.” According to the Wall Street Journal (12/01, Hughes), Mr. Clark, who served as an official in the Justice Department, had met with then-President Trump last year shortly before Christmas, when Mr. Trump was falsely asserting that the election was stolen, according to a report issued by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The article noted that Mr. Clark then allegedly urged Justice Department officials to help Mr. Trump subvert the election by announcing that the department was investigating election fraud and by telling swing-state legislatures to appoint alternate slates of electors following the certification of the popular vote. HuffPost (12/01, Boboltz), NPR (12/01, Grisales), ABC News (12/01, Siegel), CBS News (12/01, Kim, Hudak), Roll Call (12/01, Marquette), the Associated Press (12/01, Jalonick), Reuters (12/01, Zengerle), and The Guardian (12/01, Walters) also reported on the story.¶

First Video of FBI’s Interrogation With Alleged Capitol Rioter Released¶

The Washington Post (12/01, Weinter, Hermann) reported that Daniel Rodriguez, a Southern California conservative activist, cried and apologized for using a Taser on a police officer outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, in the first interrogation video of a riot defendant released publicly. According to the article, Rodriguez is among those accused of assaulting D.C. police officer Michael Fanone, who was shocked with a stun device as rioters dragged him down the steps of the Capitol. Fanone lost consciousness and was stripped of his badge and gun; he suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury. The article noted that Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty and is attempting to block prosecutors from using his statements to the FBI at trial. At first, he declined to discuss the assault on Fanone with the two special agents who interrogated him just after his arrest in March. But when pressed, Rodriguez suggested he used a Taser on Fanone to keep him from getting more seriously injured. ABC News (12/01, Barr), The Daily Beast (12/01, Ross), and CNN (12/01, Polanz, Lybrand, Rabinowitz) also reported on the story.¶

Charges Filed Against Rhode Island Man Accused of Using Table Leg as Club Against Police on January 6¶

NBC News (12/01, Helsel) reported that charges have been filed against Timothy Desjardins, a Rhode Island man accused of attacking police with what appeared to be a broken wooden table leg during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced Tuesday. According to the article, a day after the riot, a bag Desjardins was seen wearing was found by police. It contained his ID, three axes, and two walkie-talkies, according to court documents. There are no allegations he used the axes in the riot. The article noted that photos in the documents show what appear to be small hatchets.¶

Kansas Man Who Took Video of Himself During Capitol Riot Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor¶

The Associated Press (12/01, Staff Writer) reported that Mark Rebegila pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge for his participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. According to the article, when Rebegila was interviewed by the FBI in St. Marys on Jan. 15, he said he entered the Capitol after¶

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others had crashed the barriers and crowds were going inside, according to probable cause affidavit. “Rebegila further stated that he asked a police officer if he could go inside and the officer shrugged his shoulders,” according to probable cause affidavit. The Kansas City Star (12/01, Thomas) also reported on the story.¶

Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Attacking Police During U.S. Capitol Riot¶

Reuters (12/01, Hosenball) reported that Kevin Creek pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attacking a police officer during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump trying to overturn his election defeat. The article noted that according to an FBI report, videos show Creek attacking “multiple” police officers during the riot. During an FBI interview in May, Creek was shown videos of a rioter attacking police and “admitted the videos looked like him,” while claiming he “did not remember assaulting an officer.” He confirmed that during the riot he was armed with a mace and a knife. The Daily Beast (12/01, McDougall) and WAGA (Fox-5) (12/01, Staff Writer) also reported on the story.¶

‘Embarrassed’ Capitol Rioter Who Wore ‘(F**k) Your Feelings’ Sweatshirt Sentenced¶

HuffPost (12/01, Reilly) reported that Russell Peterson, a Capitol riot defendant who traveled to D.C. on Jan. 6 with his mother and stormed the U.S. Capitol while wearing a “(F**k) Your Feelings” sweatshirt was sentenced to 30 days behind bars on Wednesday. Peterson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who imposed a sentence more than twice as long as the two weeks of incarceration requested by federal prosecutors. According to the article, Jackson said that Peterson’s own words, in which Peterson bragged about his conduct on Jan. 6, had led to her decision. She particularly focused on his comment that he “had fun lol” on Jan. 6. The article noted that the FBI is still looking for more than 350 members of the pro-Trump mob who engaged in violence, including more than 250 still wanted for assaulting law enforcement.¶

Judge: Trump and Allies ‘Stoked the Flames of Fear’ That Led to January 6 Violence¶

Politico (12/01, Cheney) added that U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Wednesday that those who organized a pro-Trump Jan. 6 rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol “stoked the flames of fear” and deserve to be held accountable for what they unleashed. According to the article, Jackson’s comments came as she delivered a sentence to Jan. 6 defendant Russell Peterson, who was charged with illegally entering the Capitol but not with committing any violence or destruction. The article noted that Jackson is the latest federal judge to invoke Trump’s conduct as a contributor to the chaos and violence of that day and urge accountability. Judges on the federal bench in Washington, D.C., have expressed a range of views about the culpability of the former president for the riot, but several, like Jackson, have more squarely put the onus on Trump in recent weeks.¶

East Idaho Man Arrested in Connection With U.S. Capitol Attack¶

The Associated Press (12/01, Staff Writer) reported that Tyler Tew, an eastern Idaho man authorities say took part in the violent siege on the U.S. Capitol in January, has been taken into custody. According to the article, the FBI in a news release on Wednesday said Tew of Idaho Falls was arrested Tuesday. The article noted that court documents include several images from videos that authorities say show Tew inside the U.S. Capitol. Tew also posted images on his Facebook page that appear to show events outside the building. KTVB (NBC-7) (12/01, Terhune) also reported on the story.¶

Ohio Man Sentenced to Probation for Role in January 6 Capitol Insurrection¶

WCMH (NBC-4) (12/01, Griffin) reported that Caleb Jones, a Columbus man who pled guilty to charges related to taking part in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, was sentenced to home confinement and probation Wednesday. According to the article, Jones allegedly admitted to a witness that he gained entry into the building by climbing an outside wall of the building. Court documents state that Jones called a witness from inside the Capitol building, sending text messages and videos from inside. The article noted that Jones was allegedly hit with tear gas and escorted out of the building by law enforcement, according to a separate witness.¶

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Arizona Woman Charged With Entering U.S. Capitol During Jan. 6 Insurrection¶

The Chronicle (12/01, Smith) reported that Lisa Homer, a former Yakima resident who was involved in local politics, is facing misdemeanor charges for illegal picketing, disorderly conduct, and entering the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 insurrection. According to the article, cell records obtained through a search warrant allege Homer was inside the Capitol for about an hour on Jan. 6, according to an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force report. The report said there was no evidence Homer destroyed any property or assaulted any law enforcement officers, though she moved extensively throughout the building for one hour, the report said. The article noted that she is complying with the FBI, and will appear in court Thursday.¶

Illinois Man Charged in Connection With January 6 Attack on US Capitol¶

WMAQ (NBC-5) (12/01, Rogers) reported that Lawrence Ligas was arrested Wednesday on four federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to the article, five days after the attack on the Capitol, the FBI received a tip from an individual who said that Ligas was quoted by name in an NPR article in which he said, “We’re not moving on… We are not Republicans. We are the MAGA party. We are patriots.” That person identified Ligas from a driver’s license photo but hadn’t seen him in about 10 years, prosecutors say. The article noted that the complaint also says Ligas was seen in a YouTube video in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, wearing a blue scarf with white stars that authorities said he was seen wearing at the Capitol the following day. Federal prosecutors also cited other records obtained from Google, including photographs that show Ligas wearing the same clothing they say he wore in the Capitol.¶

Back to Top¶

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE¶

Why the Discredited Dossier Does Not Undercut the Russia Investigation¶

The New York Times (12/01, Savage) reported that while the discredited Steele Dossier has received significant attention, it was a small part of the overall FBI investigation, which issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search-and-seizure warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communications records, made 13 requests to foreign governments under mutual legal assistance treaties, and interviewed about 500 witnesses. According to the article, the dossier did not create this atmosphere of suspicion. Mr. Trump’s relationship with Russia had been a topic of significant discussion dating back to the campaign, including before the first report that Russia had hacked Democrats and before Mr. Steele drafted his reports and gave some to reporters. The article noted that among the reasons: Mr. Trump had said flattering things about Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, kept bringing on advisers with ties to Russia, had financial ties to Russia, publicly encouraged Russia to hack Mrs. Clinton, and at his nominating convention, the party dropped a plank that called for arming Ukraine against Russian-backed rebels. In March 2017, the F.B.I. publicly acknowledged that it was investigating links between Russia and Trump campaign associates.¶

Probes by Federal Officials on Phone-hack, Extortion Claims by Jeff Bezos Haven’t Led to Public Action¶

The Wall Street Journal (12/01, Ramey, Volz, Viswanatha) reported that in 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accused the National Enquirer of attempting to extort him with embarrassing texts and photos, and his security team suggested that Saudi Arabia could have gleaned this data by hacking his phone.¶

According to the article, the FBI examined the possibility of a hack as part of a broad federal¶

counterintelligence investigation into allegations of Saudi-sponsored hacking and espionage against the U.S., people familiar with the probe said. Mr. Bezos met at least once with federal investigators for that probe. The article noted that the FBI didn’t obtain Mr. Bezos’ phone, and the investigation into whether the Saudis hacked the phone wasn’t a high priority. The article also noted that although the FBI often doesn’t directly retrieve devices during an investigation, it stopped short of some technical steps, such as “jailbreaking” the phone to bypass security restrictions and doesn’t appear to have resolved key questions about what, if anything, the Saudis did.¶