Epstein Estate Documents - Batch 7 / TEXT / 002 from House

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HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033129
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 10/5/2018 1:49:48 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re: Re:
help yes no question FRAUD show me an inkling. ?
On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 9:48 AM Weingarten, Reid < > wrote:
Finally read the nytimes piece closely....with all due respect I am guessing you are wrong in dismissing/trivializing
it....seems there are some hard facts that are very difficult for the big guy to explain
From: J [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2018 11:43 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re: Re:
Maybe
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:32 AM Weingarten, Reid < > wrote:
But isn't the disclosure that fred shtupped him with money versus his bullshit story of self-made hero valid and
important?
From: J [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2018 9:06 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
im fair. and not his defender. but even the explanations on line were WAY wrong. and based on silliness
of understandings.
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 9:02 AM Weingarten, Reid
Had a gut that's where you would come out
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 7:34 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
> wrote:
fred gave him 15k as a 3 year old only. however ( written 200k in "todays dollars" ) then they compound
their silliness, stating that he was a millonair at age 8.? all silly, . if fred put 2k in treasuries the same
year ,and didnt invest it it would be worth 1 million today. instead he invested in real estate. taxes on
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033129
estates and gigts are taxed on the value of what was transferred not the underlying thing. ex if you own
10 percent of a partnership interest in a 1 million builidng that cannot be sold for 20 years. what is the
value of your interest. not 10 percent of 1 million as you only own a ltd partnership right. maybe 2
percent. its all legal
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 7:21 AM Weingarten, Reid <
Anything surprise you?
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2018 11:45 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
Florida
On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 9:58 PM Weingarten, Reid <
> wrote:
> wrote:
Reading the nytimes trump tax story...so wish I was with you right now...so where are you?
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: Jeffrey E.
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2018 11:42 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject:
where?
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033130
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
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please note
The information contained in this communication is
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JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
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communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
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communication in error, please notify us immediately by
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033131
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033132

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033133
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 10/5/2018 1:51:39 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid_____________
Subject: Re: Re:
On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 9:48 AM Weingarten, Reid > wrote:
Finally read the nytimes piece closely....with all due respect I am guessing you are wrong in dismissing/trivializing
it....seems there are some hard facts that are very difficult for the big guy to explain
From: J [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2018 11:43 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re: Re:
Maybe
On Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 11:32 AM Weingarten, Reid < > wrote:
But isn't the disclosure that fred shtupped him with money versus his bullshit story of self-made hero valid and
important?
From: J [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2018 9:06 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
im fair. and not his defender. but even the explanations on line were WAY wrong. and based on silliness
of understandings.
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 9:02 AM Weingarten, Reid < > wrote:
Had a gut that's where you would come out
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 7:34 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
fred gave him 15k as a 3 year old only. however ( written 200k in "todays dollars" ) then they compound
their silliness, stating that he was a millonair at age 8.? all silly, . if fred put 2k in treasuries the same
year ,and didnt invest it it would be worth 1 million today. instead he invested in real estate. taxes on
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033133
estates and gigts are taxed on the value of what was transferred not the underlying thing. ex if you own
10 percent of a partnership interest in a 1 million builidng that cannot be sold for 20 years. what is the
value of your interest. not 10 percent of 1 million as you only own a ltd partnership right. maybe 2
percent. its all legal
On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 7:21 AM Weingarten, Reid <_
Anything surprise you?
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2018 11:45 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
Florida
On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 9:58 PM Weingarten, Reid <
> wrote:
> wrote:
Reading the nytimes trump tax story...so wish I was with you right now...so where are you?
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: Jeffrey E.
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2018 11:42 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject:
where?
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033134
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033135
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033136

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033137
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 11/7/2018 11:05:27 AM
To: Peter Thiel
Subject: Re:
Dec visit me Caribbean
On Wed, Nov 7, 2018 at 1:34 AM Peter Thiel < > wrote:
Can't complain thus far...
From: J <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 6, 2018 1:51 AM
To: Peter Thiel <_________________________
Subject:
Are you enjoying la? I liked your trump exaggerations not lies
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
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the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033137

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033138
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 11/16/2018 11:52:51 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
yes, 1 no one asking how the turks got that recording? 2 for you - steve says the republicans also want
trump gone. he is now a liability
On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 9:17 PM Weingarten, Reid < > wrote:
So fucking much going on
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 8:29 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fe ... an-foe-us-
removal us 5bedf361e4b0510a1f2f16e9
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033138

U.S. Eyes Ways To Remove Erdogan Foe To Appease Turkey -NBC
by Reuters
November 16, 2018
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/u-s-eyes-wa ... hatgpt.com

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters)

[x]
U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 10, 2017

The Trump administration is exploring possible ways to remove U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a foe of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, to convince Turkey to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia over the killing of a Saudi journalist, NBC News reported on Thursday.

A White House official told Reuters the NBC story was "not accurate," but did not elaborate.

NBC, citing four sources, said Trump administration officials asked federal law enforcement agencies to look into whether Gulen, accused by Erdogan of instigating a failed 2016 coup, could legally be forced out of the United States.

Gulen's media adviser, Alp Aslandogan, said he had not been informed of any new U.S. inquiry.

Erdogan has long demanded that Washington extradite Gulen, who denies any involvement in the attempted coup and has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999. U.S. officials have said the courts need sufficient evidence to extradite the elderly cleric.

Erdogan ramped up pressure on Saudi Arabia after U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi rulers, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to pick up documents related to his upcoming marriage.

Saudi Arabia is considered critical to President Donald Trump's effort to curb Iran's growing influence in the region.

Erdogan has insisted Khashoggi's killing was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government and has kept pressure on de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"The White House has not been involved in any discussions relating the extradition of Fethullah Gulen to the death of Jamal Khashoggi," the White House official said.

A senior Turkish official told Reuters that Turkey's extradition request and its Khashoggi investigation were separate issues "not connected in any way, shape or form."

NBC News cited sources as saying the Trump administration had directed the Justice Department and FBI to reopen Turkey's case for Gulen's extradition and also asked the Department of Homeland Security for information about his legal status.

NBC News said one option the administration was considering was trying to force Gulen to relocate to South Africa.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. authorities continued to evaluate material Turkey has provided on Gulen but that it remained a Justice Department matter and the White House had not been involved in any extradition discussions.

The Justice Department and the FBI declined comment. A source familiar with Justice Department operations was unaware of any kind of significant investigation related to Gulen.

NBC said career officials at the agencies had pushed back at the White House requests.

(Reporting by David Alexander, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk and Sarah Lynch in Washington and Daren Butler in Ankara; Editing by Susan Thomas and Peter Cooney)

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033139
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 12/20/2018 12:09:41 PM
To: Kathy Ruemmler
you might want to tell your dem friends that treating trump like a mafia don, ignores the fact that he has great
dangerous power. . tightening the noose too slowly, risks a very bad situation. . gambino was never the
commander in chief there was little gambino could do as the walls closed in. not so with this maniac
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033139

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033140
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 12/20/2018 7:30:07 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject: Re:
borderline insane, and corroberated by some that are close
On Thu, Dec 20, 2018 at 2:28 PM Weingarten, Reid <IMIMI> wrote:
Not a stupid point...he is starting to behave very erratically....
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: J
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2018 4:10 AM
To: Weingarten, Reid
Subject:
you might want to tell your dem friends that treating trump like a mafia don, ignores the fact that he has great
dangerous power. . tightening the noose too slowly, risks a very bad situation. . gambino was never the
commander in chief there was little gambino could do as the walls closed in. not so with this maniac
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033140
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033141

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033142
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 2/9/2019 10:00:59 PM
To: Pritzker, Tom
Subject: Re:
sasse was told im a witness against trump. ? others were told I m a witness against clinton. . so my
credibilitiy needs destroying, . unlikely.
On Sat, Feb 9, 2019 at 4:57 PM Pritzker, Tom ‹> wrote:
You are news!
I am quiet.
Have called for a Chairman's dinner on Feb 26 to discuss trade. Have mix of biz und govt
bigfoots. Will need to get someone to staff me. Her job will be push and organize. May
position her in DC. As the Zen Master said 'let's see'.
Off to Asia mid week.
tjp
150 N. Riverside Plaza, Suite 3200
Chicago, IL 60606-1594
Please note new address
From: J <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, February 9, 2019 2:48 PM
To: Pritzker, Tom
Subject:
News?
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033142
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
The contents of this email message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may
contain confidential and/or privileged information and may be legally protected from disclosure. If you are not
the intended recipient of this message or their agent, or if this message has been addressed to you in error,
please immediately alert the sender by reply email and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, copying, or storage of this
message or its attachments is strictly prohibited.
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
destroy this communication and all copies thereof,
including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033143

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033144
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 5/13/2019 8:36:29 PM
To: Richard Kahn
trump goin to lutniks house on thurs
; Darren lndyke
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033144

[admin]

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033145
txt
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9bq6uj0p ... tracking=1

From: J [[email protected]]
Sent: 5/19/2019 10:39:32 PM
To: Weingarten, Reid
https ://www.blo omb erg. com/news/articles/20 19-05 - 1 9/the-world-agre es-with-trump-on-one-thing-when-it-
comes-to-iran
please note
The information contained in this communication is
confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may
constitute inside information, and is intended only for
the use of the addressee. It is the property of
JEE
Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this
communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately by
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HOUSE OVERSIGHT 033145

The World Agrees With Trump on One Thing When It Comes to Iran
by Alan Crawford, Ilya Arkhipov, and Gregory Viscusi
bloomberg.com
May 18, 2019 at 10:28 PM PDT
Updated on May 19, 2019 at 1:42 PM PDT
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... es-to-iran

• Leaders and officials counting on Trump to rein in his hawks
• While war seen as unlikely, U.S. tactics on Iran cause worry

[x]
Trump Warns Iran It Faces Ruin If It `Wants to Fight'

Blunt, ignorant and confused are some of the criticisms voiced by allies on U.S. policy toward Iran. But none sees the Trump administration preparing for war.

Governments worldwide are alarmed at the tension between Washington and Tehran, concerned about the risk of escalation or military miscalculation and frustrated at a lack of communication about U.S. goals. What keeps the anxiety in check from Berlin to Moscow to Ankara is President Donald Trump’s oft-stated aversion to starting fresh wars.

Many allies share U.S. concerns about Iran’s meddling in places like Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and the prospect of it one day acquiring nuclear weapons. But Washington faces opposition - at times the exasperation has spilled into public view - for ripping up the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran, for its heavy sanctions on the regime and for a ratcheting up of military activity in the Gulf.

[x]
Mike Pompeo in Brussels on May 13.Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s trip to Brussels last week yielded little support for the U.S. position, with Europe doubling down on its commitment to the deal that Trump abandoned last year.

Pompeo also got nothing new on Iran from President Vladimir Putin during a subsequent visit to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, according to a senior Russian official with knowledge of the discussions. Distrust between Moscow and Washington is so great that no separate deal is possible on Iran, said another person close to the Kremlin.

Still, Russia is counting on Trump to rein in both the hawks in the U.S. administration and regional allies, led by Israel.

“We’ve studied Trump’s approach and tactics pretty well over the past two and a half years; he’s not a military man, he doesn’t like to fight,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, which advises the Kremlin. “He likes to make a show of strength and use economic levers. His idea is that sanctions will force Tehran in the end to negotiate.”

[x]
Vladimir Putin with Mike Pompeo in Sochi on May 14. Photographer: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images

In Berlin, officials view Trump as the main force to halt the spiral toward conflict, primarily due to his well-known resistance to foreign interventions, said a senior lawmaker from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition.

Indeed, a U.S. official said late last week that Trump isn’t seeking conflict - though he’d consider using the military if needed. And the president, when asked about war with Iran, said "I hope not." On Sunday, Trump tweeted that if Iran wanted to fight it would be "the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!"

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

The Fake News Media is hurting our Country with its fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran. It is scattershot, poorly sourced (made up), and DANGEROUS. At least Iran doesn’t know what to think, which at this point may very well be a good thing!
6:44 AM · May 17, 2019

Trump has spoken frequently of his desire to reduce what the U.S. spends on security support for others, be it NATO or troops in places like South Korea. He’s said for too long other countries have taken advantage of the U.S., without boosting their own military capacity. The U.S. has been a significant presence globally since World War II, and is seen as a buffer against China as a rising global power. A particular red line for Trump appears to be boots on the ground in a fresh conflict.

Still, the overall U.S. strategy on Iran causes concern. One French government official said Trump and senior aides such as National Security Adviser John Bolton are wrong to think that tightening the screws on Iran’s economy would convince its leaders to bend.

Germany, too, has no choice but to maintain a certain level of cooperation with Iran, the lawmaker in Berlin said. Europe is pressing ahead with a trade clearinghouse, known as Instex, to circumvent around U.S. sanctions and is eager to settle its first transaction with Iran, another official said.

At the same time, there’s frustration in Germany at the opacity of Washington’s motives.

That’s also a complaint from U.S. allies elsewhere. Each day brings only more confusion, one Asian government official said. An official familiar with Turkey’s thinking said the actions of those within the U.S. administration do however appear coordinated.

“Usually the Americans and Trump are very clear -- you could say almost brutal,” said Jacques Maire, a former diplomat who’s a member of parliament for President Emmanuel Macron’s LREM party. “This time, I have to say I’m not always clear what is the end game, what is the goal.”

[x]
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Mohammad Zarif in Beijing May 17Photographer: Thomas Peter/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif undertook his own Asian tour to seek renewed commitments to deliver the economic benefits that were supposed to derive from the 2015 nuclear deal. He went to New Delhi, Tokyo and Beijing, where he won a pledge from China on Friday to support Iran’s efforts to safeguard its interests.

Japan is worried that Iran, a country with which it has had good ties for decades, will be forced out of the nuclear deal by hawks in the Trump administration. But Tokyo also has no intention of breaking away from the path set by its longtime ally Washington.

“Iran is asking the Japanese to do anything and everything that they can to persuade the United States to be a little more rational, but I don’t know whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can really convince Trump,” said Kazuo Takahashi, emeritus professor of international politics at Open University in Japan.

In the Middle East, key U.S. ally Israel is keeping its head down. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered cabinet ministers to avoid making public statements on the possibility of a U.S.-Iran war, according to three Israeli officials familiar with the matter.

Israel views Trump’s goal as getting an improved nuclear deal that covers Iran’s ballistic-missile development and sponsorship of regional militias such as Hezbollah. That said, if Iran miscalculates and strikes U.S. bases or other interests, triggering retaliation, Israel wouldn’t worry, the officials said. They don’t regard Iran as having the capability to strike Israel.

It’s Iran that is encouraging “false narratives” of war, said Firas Maksad, director of the Arabia Foundation, a Washington think tank that’s close to the Saudi Arabian government.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have an interest in Washington and Tehran reaching a new understanding, he said. Trump, “while averse to another Middle Eastern war not unlike his predecessor, understands the need for a deal with Iran that goes beyond an arms control agreement to include other aspects of destabilizing behavior,” he said.

“All involved understand that the path to such an understanding will have to go through a difficult period of brinkmanship.”

[x]
Adel Al-JubeirPhotographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters on Sunday that Saudi Arabia does not want war with Iran "in any way, but at the same time we won’t allow Iran to continue its hostile policies toward the kingdom."

A senior European diplomat said that while governments don’t see conflict as likely, that doesn’t mean they aren’t nervous. Leaving the nuclear deal was a mistake that increases risks on multiple fronts, the diplomat said.

It’s a broad concern that’s surfaced elsewhere over the gamut of Trump’s policy beyond Washington, from Venezuela to North Korea, trade tariffs, China’s Huawei and now Iran.

Turkey, for example, “is very much worried over Trump’s roller-coaster global foreign policy,” said Muhittin Ataman, director of foreign policy studies at the Ankara-based SETA think tank. It “injects more uncertainty rather than predictability to challenging problems around the world.”

(Updates with Trump’s latest tweet on Iran.)

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Trump’s Demands for Investigations of Opponents Draw Intensifying Criticism
by Maggie Haberman, Annie Karni, Kenneth P. Vogel and Katie Benner
nytimes.com
May 20, 2019
https://web.archive.org/web/20190526042 ... e=Homepage

[x]
President Trump’s call to investigate business deals by former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son in China is the latest to raise questions about possible abuse of power. Credit Samuel Corum for The New York Times

President Trump’s escalating demands for investigations into his political opponents have intensified debate over whether his often-transparent calls for action by the Justice Department amount to abusing his power to bolster his re-election prospects.

Mr. Trump called in an interview aired on Sunday for an investigation into business deals in China by Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic candidate Mr. Trump’s advisers believe could pose the biggest threat to him in 2020.

In recent weeks, Mr. Trump has called for inquiries into the Bidens relating to the younger Mr. Biden’s business in Ukraine, an effort amplified by Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer.

“One hundred percent — it’s a disgrace,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with Steve Hilton, a Fox News host, when asked if the Bidens’ supposed financial ties with China should be investigated.

It was the latest in a long series of statements by Mr. Trump suggesting he would like to see criminal investigations of opponents including Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and the Democratic National Committee, and it came as the president seems particularly preoccupied by Mr. Biden’s candidacy.

It also highlighted the pressure on Attorney General William P. Barr to navigate between Mr. Trump’s demands and Mr. Barr’s stated desire — after withering criticism over his handling of the special counsel’s report — to reassert the Justice Department’s independence from politics.

“It’s a terrible breach of norms for the president to publicly advocate prosecutions of his opponents,” said Jack Goldsmith, a professor at Harvard Law School who was an assistant attorney general during President George W. Bush’s first term.

Mr. Goldsmith pointed out that this was not the first time Mr. Trump has intimated he might intervene in the functions of the criminal justice system. But Mr. Goldsmith said that, to date, “his White House and Justice Department subordinates have basically ignored him. Trump has violated norms, but his executive branch officials thus far have not.”

Still, he warned that, even if Mr. Trump’s calls for investigations are not acted upon, they can nonetheless erode confidence in federal law enforcement. “I do worry that the events of the last three years will make every high-profile Justice Department investigation seem crassly political to half the nation,” he said.

Hunter Biden has become a particular target for Mr. Trump and his allies.

They have focused attention on his personal life, including his 2014 discharge from the Navy Reserve after testing positive for cocaine, and his business career, which included a number of roles that intersected with his father’s political career. He worked with a Delaware-based credit card issuer, at the Commerce Department under President Bill Clinton and as a lobbyist on behalf of various universities, associations and companies.

During his father’s second term as vice president, Hunter Biden increased his international business efforts, including with individuals and entities viewed warily by the United States government and its allies.

In addition to his work in Ukraine for the energy company Burisma, Hunter Biden advised a Romanian businessman with ties to the United States, Gabriel Popoviciu, whose real estate dealings had come under investigation, according to people familiar with the arrangement, which has not been previously reported. The investigation, which came as the United States and its allies were pushing Romania to clamp down on corruption, led to Mr. Popoviciu’s conviction and a prison sentence.

In the deal alluded to by Mr. Trump in the Fox News interview on Sunday, Hunter Biden and a business partner, Devon Archer, were involved in a fund that reportedly pursued an investment from the Chinese government-owned Bank of China.

The fund was announced in late 2013 — days after Hunter Biden and one of his daughters flew to China from Japan aboard Air Force Two with the vice president, who was in the midst of a diplomatic mission intended to calm rising tensions in the region. During the trip, Vice President Biden warned Chinese leaders not to use fighter jets to enforce an air defense zone created by Beijing over contested waters.

The conservative author Peter Schweizer has suggested that Hunter Biden used the trip to secure a deal with the Bank of China — a suggestion that has been echoed by Mr. Trump’s allies in the conservative news media.

But a lawyer for Hunter Biden said he did not conduct any business related to the China investment fund on that trip, and was not an equity owner in the fund while his father was vice president. He later acquired a 10 percent interest in the entity that oversees the fund, but to date has not received any money from the arrangement, according to the lawyer.

[x]
Questions have been raised about Mr. Biden’s younger son, Hunter Biden, and ties to Ukraine and China. Credit Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Mr. Trump, in the Fox News interview that aired Sunday, mischaracterized the issues surrounding Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine, claiming that the country’s top prosecutor at the time “was after” Hunter Biden. There is no publicly available evidence that the younger Mr. Biden was a target of any of the cases that were open under the prosecutor, which instead involved the owner of Burisma and his companies.

Mr. Trump also seemed to claim that Vice President Biden told the Ukrainians, “Don’t you dare prosecute” Burisma or its owner. In fact, no evidence has surfaced that the former vice president intentionally tried to help his son by pressing for the prosecutor general’s dismissal.

Hunter Biden and his father never discussed Burisma or the investigations, according to statements from Hunter Biden and his father’s campaign spokeswoman.

And some former Obama administration officials said Vice President Biden never did anything to deter other administration officials who were pushing for the United States to support criminal investigations by Ukrainian and British authorities — and potentially to start its own investigation — into Burisma and its owner.

But the involvement in China and Ukraine concerned a business partner of Mr. Biden and Mr. Archer, Christopher Heinz, the stepson of John Kerry, who was then secretary of state.

Mr. Heinz argued to Mr. Archer, who like Hunter Biden had joined Burisma’s board, that the posts created the appearance of selling influence, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Mr. Archer did not heed the advice. And Mr. Heinz, who was not involved in the China or Ukraine efforts, began decoupling his business interests from those of Mr. Biden and Mr. Archer.

At a news conference this month, Mr. Trump said Mr. Kerry “should be prosecuted” for violating the Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens from interfering in diplomatic relations between foreign governments and the United States. Mr. Trump accused Mr. Kerry of telling the Iranians “not to call” and “telling them what to do.”

A spokesman for Mr. Kerry, Matt Summers, said Mr. Trump was “wrong about the facts” and “wrong about the law.”

Another target of Mr. Trump has been the Democratic National Committee. “These were crimes committed by Crooked Hillary, the DNC, Dirty Cops and others!” he wrote on Twitter. “INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS!”

On Friday, Mr. Trump accused the F.B.I. of engaging in “treason” and claimed that it had spied on his campaign. He called for a “long” confinement for those responsible, without singling out any individuals.

When Mr. Barr took over as attorney general in February, many Justice Department career employees hoped that he would act as a bulwark against what they saw as the president’s attempts to politicize their work. But Mr. Barr has shown no desire to push back actively against Mr. Trump.

He testified this month before Congress that we “have to stop using the criminal justice process as a political weapon,” but he made those remarks to defend rather than criticize the president.

Mr. Barr said the special counsel’s nearly two-year investigation into the president had been based on false allegations that Mr. Trump had conspired with Russia to sway the election, and he has since reiterated that he will determine whether the origins of the investigation itself were unlawful.

For those who believe that the Justice Department should operate independently from the White House, Mr. Barr’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this month was worrisome.

When asked by Senator Kamala Harris, Democrat of California, whether anyone at the White House had ever suggested, inferred or asked that the Justice Department investigate anyone, Mr. Barr said he did not understand the question, then said he did not know the answer.

Critics say Mr. Barr has not acted as a neutral arbiter but as a defender of what he sees as expansive presidential power. Mr. Barr has defended himself as appropriately defending the constitutional powers of the presidency.

Given that Mr. Trump does not comply with norms and is willing to push the law as far as he can to get what he wants, “Trump and Barr are a dangerous combination,” said Mark Rozell, the dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, who wrote a book on executive privilege that examined Mr. Barr’s first stint as attorney general.

“The president doesn’t fundamentally understand the powerfully important role he plays in establishing the nature and operations of our constitutional system,” Mr. Rozell said. “Future administrations will use what he has done to justify all kinds of behaviors and actions that were once unthinkable.”

Correction: May 21, 2019
An earlier version of this article misstated Mark Rozell’s role at George Mason University. He is the dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government, not a law professor.