Tag: Moscow

The brother of Paul Whelan, an American detained while traveling in Russia, said he firmly believes his brother is not a spy.

CNN's Anderson Cooper calls out President Trump for his past statements about having no business deals or interests in Russia. #CNN #News

Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress about the Russia investigation in a charge brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. #CNN #News

The rightwing author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi has confirmed he is in plea negotiations with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian election interference and links between Moscow and aides to Donald Trump. Cyberwar, Network Propaganda review: did Russia or the right do most to help Trump? Read more Corsi told the Guardian on Friday: “I can confirm that we have entered plea negotiations.” The 72-year-old declined to elaborate on the nature of the discussions, which were first reported by the Washington Post. The Post said a spokesman for Mueller declined to comment, as had attorneys for Corsi and Trump. Corsi is a former Washington bureau chief for the conspiracist website InfoWars.com and a leading proponent of the theory that Barack Obama was not born in the US and was thus not eligible to be president. Trump ally Roger Stone, an associate of Corsi, has said that belief led Corsi to Trump, who built a political presence prior to his presidential run by propounding the theory. Earlier this month, Corsi said he expected to be criminally indicted by Mueller, via what he called a “perjury trap” sprung after an estimated 40 hours of questioning. The Post reported that he “provided research on Democratic figures” to Stone during the 2016 election. Stone, 66, is a political operative and self-proclaimed “dirty trickster” who worked for Richard Nixon and has long been close to Trump. “The assertion that Jerry Corsi knew in advance that [Clinton campaign chairman] John Podesta’s emails had been obtained and would be published would be news to me,” he said, “because he never told me anything of the kind and he never obviously passed on any such documents.” He added: “This idea that Jerry Corsi could implicate me, there’s simply no evidence whatsoever.” Mueller seeking more details on Nigel Farage, key Russia inquiry target says Read more Analysts quickly questioned the accuracy of Stone’s comments, noting that he once told the New Yorker his guiding principal was: “Admit nothing, deny everything, launch counterattack.” Also this month, Corsi told the Guardian Mueller’s team also asked him for information about Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence party who was a leading voice in the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.

If Putin accepts the Trump Administration's invitation, it would be the Russian president's first trip to the White House since September 2005; State Department correspondent Rich Edson reports. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to…

It also prompted, on Monday, what may be one of the most serious splits in Christendom since the Great Schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054 and the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago. Here’s what happened: The Church of Russia announced this week that it was breaking ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which has primacy in Orthodoxy and which has decided to give autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This year, their president, Parliament and religious leaders petitioned the leader of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Bartholomew, to grant their church independence — or autocephaly, as it is known in the church. This will further strain relations between Ukraine and Russia. Also, the break in relations between Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate could weaken the latter if other Orthodox churches follow Russia in rejecting Constantinople’s primacy. There was no immediate response from Mount Athos following the break in ties between Moscow and Constantinople, but having to choose sides would be a problem for many monks. Russia wants to project its leadership of the Orthodox world as the “Third Rome,” a role it took upon itself after breaking away from Constantinople in 1448, when its leadership disagreed with efforts to unite East and West Christendom. Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian church’s external relations, stressed that Moscow would not abide by any decisions taken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding the Ukrainian Church. “The Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize these decisions and will not follow them.” He called on the Ecumenical Patriarchate to change its decision. As for the United States, it has stressed its support for both Ukraine and Bartholomew.

Justice Department's criminal complaint says Elena Khusyaynova worked for the same Russian social media troll farm that was indicted in February by special counsel Robert Mueller; chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Capitol Hill. FOX News Channel (FNC) is…

Shelby Holliday, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, talks with Rachel Maddow about new reporting that Peter Smith, a GOP operative who sought hackers to get Hillary Clinton's e-mails, met with Mike Flynn before Flynn travelled to Moscow for a…

Here are 10 companies that are influencing politics by donating huge amounts of money to political groups in 2018. Campaign contributions directly to political candidates are limited for individuals and companies alike. But since 2010, companies can pour millions of unregulated and uncapped "soft money" into independent Super Political Action Committees (PACs) to influence the outcomes of federal elections without contributing to an individual candidate. Open Secrets has compiled a list of the largest organizational political contributors to Democratic and Republican or liberal and conservative outside groups. According to Bloomberg, Sheldon Adelson has contributed over $200 million to conservative candidates and causes in recent years. Uline has donated $31.7 million so far in 2018, more than it spent for the 2016 cycle, according to Open Secrets. According to Open Secrets, Fahr LLC has donated $29.4 million to the current election cycle so far, and that may be just the beginning, since the corporation's 2016 contributions topped $90 million. In 2016, the hedge fund donated $59 million, giving slightly more to Democrats than Republicans. Through nonprofit Americans for Prosperity (which also donates millions to further Republican causes), the Koch brothers have organized to defeat transit projects in several cities, according to the New York Times. The company's donors gave more to Democrats in 2016, but favor Republicans so far this year.