Pro-Russian Twitter account used non-public material from Mueller's team in effort to discredit Russ (1 Viewer)

[Rogue Valley]

Pro-Russian Twitter account used non-public material from Mueller's team in effort to discredit Russia probe

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin (blue suit) attends a Kremlin principals meeting.

1/30/19
The Justice Department alleged Wednesday that Russia has continued pushing online disinformation to discredit the American government, after a pro-Russian Twitter account spread confidential information from a criminal case that special counsel Robert Mueller's team brought against a Russian company for social media conspiracy. The development highlights just how tense the standoff has become between US law enforcement and the Russian operation accused of interfering in the 2016 election. The situation stems from terabytes of data in the criminal case against Russian company Concord Management and Consulting, which is accused of funding a social media effort aimed at swaying American voters in 2016. The Justice Department has been turning over evidence to Concord's US-based legal team, who can review it with a limited number of people as they fight the case. Prosecutors now allege that some of the information turned over to Concord before trial got out in October -- after a now-suspended Twitter user touted that it had a "Mueller database" and a computer with a Russian IP address published thousands of documents online. More than a thousand of those documents were part of the case's evidence collection, and were listed online under labels and folders known only to those involved in the case, the prosecutors said. Other documents published online and mixed in with the real evidence were "junk material," prosecutors said.

Basically, this is what went down. The Mueller investigation is suing a Russian company named Concord Management and Consulting in federal court for using social media to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election. As a part of the trial process, the Mueller prosecutors are obliged to share what evidence they have with the defense team under a trial process known as "discovery". Somehow, probably purposefully, the discovery evidence documents wound up in the possession of Russian hackers and trolls. They have released these documents in a "data dump" on a Russian website. But they have doctored many of the Mueller discovery documents in order to lend a vastly different impression from what the documents actually say (misinformation/disinformation). To put it succinctly, the Russians are meddling in the Mueller investigation.

Note: Concord Management and Consulting is an umbrella organization owned by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prighozin is a close Putin ally that regularly attends meetings of Kremlin "principals" (i.e. Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, military branch commanders, security service directors, etc.). Prighozin owns the Internet Research Agency, otherwise known as the "Russian Troll Factory". He also owns the Wagner Group, the largest mercenary (PMC) organization in Russia (despite the fact that being a mercenary is illegal in Russia). The Wagner Group mercenaries are based at a GRU/Spetznaz military base in southwestern Russia. They are used in areas where the Kremlin wishes "deniability" such as eastern Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Sudan, Venezuela, etc. Prighozin also owns Concord Catering, which has the contract to supply all meals to the Russian military.

 

[washunut]

Pro-Russian Twitter account used non-public material from Mueller's team in effort to discredit Russia probe

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin (blue suit) attends a Kremlin principals meeting.



Basically, this is what went down. The Mueller investigation is suing a Russian company named Concord Management and Consulting in federal court for using social media to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election. As a part of the trial process, the Mueller prosecutors are obliged to share what evidence they have with the defense team under a trial process known as "discovery". Somehow, probably purposefully, the discovery evidence documents wound up in the possession of Russian hackers and trolls. They have released these documents in a "data dump" on a Russian website. But they have doctored many of the Mueller discovery documents in order to lend a vastly different impression from what the documents actually say (misinformation/disinformation). To put it succinctly, the Russians are meddling in the Mueller investigation.

Note: Concord Management and Consulting is an umbrella organization owned by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prighozin is a close Putin ally that regularly attends meetings of Kremlin "principals" (i.e. Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, military branch commanders, security service directors, etc.). Prighozin owns the Internet Research Agency, otherwise known as the "Russian Troll Factory". He also owns the Wagner Group, the largest mercenary (PMC) organization in Russia (despite the fact that being a mercenary is illegal in Russia). The Wagner Group mercenaries are based at a GRU/Spetznaz military base in southwestern Russia. They are used in areas where the Kremlin wishes "deniability" such as eastern Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Sudan, Venezuela, etc. Prighozin also owns Concord Catering, which has the contract to supply all meals to the Russian military.

Not good what has happened. That being said dirty tricks and lawyers is not something I find hard to imagine. To say that Russia is meddling in our internal affairs is not much different than saying that water is wet. Do you truly believe that they have not been doing this for decades? Do you think that the advent of social media has given them (and us) greater ability to destabilize governments? Do you think the U.S. also uses this to try to sow discord? For example ever hear of the Arab Spring. Brought to you by the former dear leader. Giving the world an Egypt headed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

[Mach]

Not good what has happened. That being said dirty tricks and lawyers is not something I find hard to imagine. To say that Russia is meddling in our internal affairs is not much different than saying that water is wet. ...excuses.

Seeing you attempt to minimize it is unfortunate for America.

Typically when Russia attacks us, we hit them back, or get some concession from them that has greater value to our nation.
In this case, they helped get our president elected, and our president has furthered the interests of a foreign adversary perfectly for two years, without a bad word ever spoke about them, and they apparently continue to do so, without pause.

Trump has weakened America, emboldened Russia and their allies, and sown discord in the U.S. and amongst our allies. That you don't appear to care about it is outrageous.

 

[Evilroddy]

While this leaking of documents must be investigated and the leakers identified and prosecuted if possible, this may not be meddling in the US legal process as much as it is shaping a false narrative for domestic Russian consumption. I doubt that potential grand jury candidates in the US will be familiar with Russian social media sites and if they are by chance, then they can be identified and questioned before being accepted as jurors. So the effecacy of the alleged meddling may be nonexistent. The same is true for more common jurors on any follow-up trials. So while these leaks and falsifications are dirty tricks, if true, and another indication of Russian intelligence operations ongoing in America, does it really amount to discrediting the Russian probe to anyone who could influence the probe's outcome?

Cheers.
Evilroddy.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Pro-Russian Twitter account used non-public material from Mueller's team in effort to discredit Russia probe

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin (blue suit) attends a Kremlin principals meeting.



Basically, this is what went down. The Mueller investigation is suing a Russian company named Concord Management and Consulting in federal court for using social media to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election. As a part of the trial process, the Mueller prosecutors are obliged to share what evidence they have with the defense team under a trial process known as "discovery". Somehow, probably purposefully, the discovery evidence documents wound up in the possession of Russian hackers and trolls. They have released these documents in a "data dump" on a Russian website. But they have doctored many of the Mueller discovery documents in order to lend a vastly different impression from what the documents actually say (misinformation/disinformation). To put it succinctly, the Russians are meddling in the Mueller investigation.

Note: Concord Management and Consulting is an umbrella organization owned by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prighozin is a close Putin ally that regularly attends meetings of Kremlin "principals" (i.e. Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, military branch commanders, security service directors, etc.). Prighozin owns the Internet Research Agency, otherwise known as the "Russian Troll Factory". He also owns the Wagner Group, the largest mercenary (PMC) organization in Russia (despite the fact that being a mercenary is illegal in Russia). The Wagner Group mercenaries are based at a GRU/Spetznaz military base in southwestern Russia. They are used in areas where the Kremlin wishes "deniability" such as eastern Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Sudan, Venezuela, etc. Prighozin also owns Concord Catering, which has the contract to supply all meals to the Russian military.

I may be missing something here so please correct me if I'm wrong.

How is this affecting the Mueller teams investigation? Mueller still has the original documents which will no doubt be shown at any court proceeding so it won't affect anything that Mueller does on the legal side. All this does is maybe create a public perception...more than likely it will just "confirm" someone's theory that Mueller is a dodo head or whatever.

 

[Kal'Stang]

While this leaking of documents must be investigated and the leakers identified and prosecuted if possible, this may not be meddling in the US legal process as much as it is shaping a false narrative for domestic Russian consumption. I doubt that potential grand jury candidates in the US will be familiar with Russian social media sites and if they are by chance, then they can be identified and questioned before being accepted as jurors. So the effecacy of the alleged meddling may be nonexistent. The same is true for more common jurors on any follow-up trials. So while these leaks and falsifications are dirty tricks, if true, and another indication of Russian intelligence operations ongoing in America, does it really amount to discrediting the Russian probe to anyone who could influence the probe's outcome?

Cheers.
Evilroddy.

That's what I was thinking. :shrug: You said it better than I.

 

[Rogue Valley]

While this leaking of documents must be investigated and the leakers identified and prosecuted if possible, this may not be meddling in the US legal process as much as it is shaping a false narrative for domestic Russian consumption. I doubt that potential grand jury candidates in the US will be familiar with Russian social media sites and if they are by chance, then they can be identified and questioned before being accepted as jurors. So the effecacy of the alleged meddling may be nonexistent. The same is true for more common jurors on any follow-up trials. So while these leaks and falsifications are dirty tricks, if true, and another indication of Russian intelligence operations ongoing in America, does it really amount to discrediting the Russian probe to anyone who could influence the probe's outcome?

Cheers.
Evilroddy.

You forget that Prigozhin owns the troll farm (IRA) in St. Petersburg with three floors of English speakers. Did you really imagine the Kremlin's Mueller-disinformation would never leave Russia? It will begin showing up in English on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter next week.

 

[Evilroddy]

Rogue Valley:

You make a fair point and I agree these documents or their altered versions could conceivably be a problem. I just cannot see how they could be a problem in the long run. If Russian trolls post altered documents, then so what? Russian forgers could have made up completely ersatz documents to fool those on social media who don't bother to fact check and corroborate sources. If the documents are not altered, then no harm is done as they will become public domain eventually. If they are damaging to the case and are destined to be suppressed or sealed by US authorities, then the Russian hackers and trolls are inadvertently doing a public service for the US by making available for public scrutiny documents that migh otherwise never see the light of day; allowing the informed subset of the American electorate the means to make better informed choices. This backhanded transparency will still be good for American democracy.

Cheers.
Evilroddy.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Rogue Valley:

You make a fair point and I agree these documents or their altered versions could conceivably be a problem. I just cannot see how they could be a problem in the long run. If Russian trolls post altered documents, then so what? Russian forgers could have made up completely ersatz documents to fool those on social media who don't bother to fact check and corroborate sources. If the documents are not altered, then no harm is done as they will become public domain eventually. If they are damaging to the case and are destined to be suppressed or sealed by US authorities, then the Russian hackers and trolls are inadvertently doing a public service for the US by making available for public scrutiny documents that migh otherwise never see the light of day; allowing the informed subset of the American electorate the means to make better informed choices. This backhanded transparency will still be good for American democracy.

Cheers.
Evilroddy.

Some of the documents that the Concord defense team handed over to Russian hackers (GRU) are classified. They were never intended to see the light of day. Typically, such documents are only used in a trial and everyone that is privy is bound by a judicial gag order. Mueller cannot now correct the coming Russian disinformation without also revealing [the original] classified information which is against the law. Russia will use the doctored Mueller discovery documents to sow discord in America with the Mueller investigation. The pro-Trump idiots will lap it up like it's peach-flavored moonshine.