Exclusive: Secret witness in Senate Clinton probe is ex-lobbyist for Russian firm

[webfact]

Exclusive: Secret witness in Senate Clinton probe is ex-lobbyist for Russian firm

By Joel Schectman

 

Uranium One and Anfield's "Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill" facility sits outside Ticaboo, Utah, U.S., November 13, 2017. REUTERS/George Frey

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans say their investigation of Hillary Clinton's role in approving a deal to sell U.S. uranium mines to a Russian company hinges in part on the testimony of a secret informant in a bribery and extortion scheme inside the same company.

 

The Senate committee searching for Clinton's alleged wrongdoing is keeping their witness's name cloaked. However, William D. Campbell, a lobbyist, confirmed to Reuters he is the informant who will testify and provide documents to Congress about the Obama Administration's 2010 approval of the sale of Uranium One, a Canadian company with uranium mines in the United States, to Russia's Rosatom.

 

At the time of the sale, Campbell was a confidential source for the FBI in a Maryland bribery and kickback investigation of the head of a U.S. unit of Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear power company. Campbell was identified as an FBI informant by prosecutors in open court and by himself in a publicly available lawsuit he filed last year.

 

[Link to page from Campbell lawsuit http://tmsnrt.rs/2zZhZkM and full complaint http://tmsnrt.rs/2zXKMWD]

In a telephone interview, Campbell said he wanted to testify because of his concerns about Russia’s activities in the United States, but declined to comment further.

 

Campbell's lawyer, Victoria Toensing, who has not previously identified her client, said despite Campbell telling the government "how corrupt the company was,” Rosatom still got permission to buy Uranium One. She did not say what Campbell would reveal regarding any alleged wrongdoing by Clinton.

 

Clinton has said the Senate probe is an attempt to shift attention away from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's alleged role in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. As the heat from Mueller's investigation has intensified, Trump has repeatedly called for an inquiry into Clinton and the Russian uranium deal.

 

“This latest iteration is simply more of the Right doing Trump’s bidding for him to distract from his own Russia problems,” said Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman.

 

Some people who know Campbell are skeptical that he can shed much light on Uranium One. Two law enforcement officials with direct involvement in the Rosatom bribery case in which Campbell was an informant said they had no recollection or record of him mentioning the deal during their repeated interviews with him.

 

Also, although both Uranium One and the bribery cases involved Rosatom, the two cases involved different business units, executives and allegations, with little other apparent overlap, Reuters found in a review of the court records of the bribery case.

 

Campbell countered those who dismiss his knowledge of the Uranium One deal. “I have worked with the Justice Department undercover for several years, and documentation relating to Uranium One and political influence does exist and I have it,” Campbell said. He declined to give details of those documents.

 

Reuters was unable to learn when the closed-door testimony has been scheduled.

 

Trump asked that a Justice Department gag order on Campbell stemming from the bribery case be lifted so that he can testify to congressional investigators, White House officials said.

 

The Justice Department has partially lifted that gag order.

   

CAMPBELL TESTIMONY 'CRITICAL'

 

Campbell potentially now has a larger starring role in the Washington drama after the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress on Monday that it was considering appointing a special prosecutor to launch an investigation into Republican allegations of wrongdoing by Clinton, Trump's former political rival, in the deal.

 

Under Clinton, the State Department was part of a nine-agency government Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States that approved the purchase of Uranium One. Her critics, including Trump, allege large donations by people connected to the Uranium One deal made to her family's foundation influenced the State Department's decision to approve it.

 

Reuters has no evidence that Clinton orchestrated the approval of Uranium One.

 

In an email, Rosatom said the company had made no donations to the Clinton Foundation and had not asked others to do so. The foundation stressed the State Department was only one member of the committee that approved the deal and said Clinton had no personal involvement in the decision.

 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley said in a letter to Toensing, Campbell's lawyer, that her client appears to have information “critical to the Committee’s oversight of the Justice Department and its ongoing inquiry into the manner in which” the Uranium One sale was approved.

    

BRIBERY SCHEME

 

Campbell worked as an informant for federal authorities investigating Vadim Mikerin, a Russian official in charge of U.S. operations for Tenex, a unit of Rosatom. Authorities later accused Mikerin of taking bribes from a shipping company in exchange for contracts to transport Russian uranium into the United States. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Maryland and was sentenced to prison for four years.

 

The Justice Department had also initially charged Mikerin with extorting kickbacks from Campbell after hiring him as a $50,000-a-month lobbyist.

 

Prosecutors alleged Mikerin had demanded Campbell pay between one-third and half of that money back to him each month under threat of losing the contract and veiled warnings of violence from the Russians. The demand prompted Campbell to turn to the FBI in 2010, which gave its blessing for him to remain part of the scheme.

 

Federal prosecutors were ready to use Campbell as a star witness against Mikerin, but they backed away after defense attorneys raised questions about Campbell’s credibility and whether he was a victim or had “entered into a business arrangement with eyes wide open,” according to court records.

 

Before it was taken down last year, the website of Campbell's company, Sigma Transnational, did not suggest his firm was a lobbying powerhouse. The website listed four other employees and advisers, although one had died years earlier. A second employee listed said in a court document that she never worked for the company but had agreed in 2014 to pay Campbell to list her as an employee and allow her to use the Sigma name in a business deal. Campbell declined to comment on the staffing or his lobbying contract with Tenex.

 

Prosecutors dropped the extortion charges against Mikerin and never mentioned Campbell again in any charging documents. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the case. Campbell also declined to comment on the issue.

 

Reuters has been unable to learn why Tenex chose Campbell as its lobbyist. He acknowledged in lawsuit he filed in 2016 that he was hired despite the fact he "had no experience with nuclear fuel sales."

 

(Reporting by Joel Schectman; Editing by Damon Darlin and Ross Colvin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-17

[craigt3365]

politics at it's worst.

[NumbNut]

What's that term the conservative pundits like to throw out there?

 

Oh yeah... 'nothingburger'

[Samui Bodoh]

I am willing to believe many bad things about the Clintons. I remember one person said "all politicians lie, but the ease with which the Clintons lie is scary" or words to that effect; that summed them up nicely.

 

But, this... allegation (?!) is tenuous at best.

 

She is a failed Presidential candidate and now a retired pensioner. She is a nobody.

 

Enough already.

[craigt3365]

Everybody needs to watch this.  Shep's got it nailed.  A big nothing burger.  This started with Breitbart.  Nuff said.

 

 

[BuaBS]

Why is this woman still not in prison ?

Trump is getting soft !

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

A classic redirect from the Trump team. This is always his MO when he has done something wrong.

 

If she did anything illegal then by all means go after her but I seriously doubt these claims. There has been 5 congressional committees on this already with no wrongdoing found.

 

But because Trump keeps on about it then his blind and ignorant minions will continue to believe it as well.

 

Trump and his team will go down for the Russian meddling no matter how much he tries to distract from it.

 

Trump's only move left that might distract enough is war, let's see where he decides to go with that.

 

Edited November 17, 2017 by ALLSEEINGEYE
spelling

[Rancid]

Dear oh dear, still many wearing blinders when it comes to their own team, we are such a tribal species. The trail of Clinton dirt is enormous and offensive, as would be that of most Republicans, they are all on the take. There is no us and them in political parties, its the con of illusion of choice. Mind you, no doubt a 1percenter knows exactly who the real us and them are.

[mike324]

Trump beating a dead horse just like when he kept on saying Obama is not a US citizen. 

[riclag]

9 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Everybody needs to watch this.  Shep's got it nailed.  A big nothing burger.  This started with Breitbart.  Nuff said.

 

 

Not exactly. It's still worthy of investigation according to this video which uses the NYT and Politifact as a source. The Clinton's and Obama administration aren't 100% pure of this.Why would the Obama administration sign off on this knowing the Clinton Foundation were involved, with millions of dollars being exchanged? Watch  the first 4:00  minutes of this video "This is not as clear cut as Shep Smith wanted to make it".

 

 

Edited November 17, 2017 by riclag

[riclag]

3 hours ago, Rancid said:

Dear oh dear, still many wearing blinders when it comes to their own team, we are such a tribal species. The trail of Clinton dirt is enormous and offensive, as would be that of most Republicans, they are all on the take. There is no us and them in political parties, its the con of illusion of choice. Mind you, no doubt a 1percenter knows exactly who the real us and them are.

What upset's me is the fact that anything worth while hearing in these investigations is always in closed door's and they can't comment on it. Yes it appears the Dem's and GOP are corrupt. So how does a democracy change this?

[BuaBS]

The nuclear deal, which ultimately resulted in the transfer of 20 percent of American Uranium to Russia so they could sell it back to US nuclear plants at an enormous profit, was approved by the Obama administration after significant donations in excess of $140 million were made to the Clinton Foundation by Uranium One affiliates.

[craigt3365]

34 minutes ago, riclag said:

Not exactly. It's still worthy of investigation according to this video which uses the NYT and Politifact as a source. The Clinton's and Obama administration aren't 100% pure of this.Why would the Obama administration sign off on this knowing the Clinton Foundation were involved, with millions of dollars being exchanged? Watch  the first 4:00  minutes of this video "This is not as clear cut as Shep Smith wanted to make it".

 

 

Ben Shapiro is hardly Shep Smith.  No comparison.  And it's a big nothing burger.  Time to move on.

[craigt3365]

11 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

The nuclear deal, which ultimately resulted in the transfer of 20 percent of American Uranium to Russia so they could sell it back to US nuclear plants at an enormous profit, was approved by the Obama administration after significant donations in excess of $140 million were made to the Clinton Foundation by Uranium One affiliates.

That's a fallacy.  20 percent of the Uranium was never transferred to Russia.  Please watch Shep Smith's video.

[riclag]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

Ben Shapiro is hardly Shep Smith.  No comparison.  And it's a big nothing burger.  Time to move on.

 

 

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

That's a fallacy.  20 percent of the Uranium was never transferred to Russia.  Please watch Shep Smith's video.

I did watch the video. I watched both video's.It doesn't matter whether he Shapiro compares to SS.It's the sources he uses(New York Times and Politfact)    I still came to the conclusion that the Uranium One deal need's to be investigated .

[Credo]

But, but, but Russia is so good, according to Trump.   How can he investigate this?

[Basil B]

Lewinsky sounds Russian to me...

 

And so does Zelníčková...

 

Talk about reds under the bed, it's reds in the bed, McCarthy must be rolling in his grave.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Basil B

[craigt3365]

13 hours ago, riclag said:

 

 

I did watch the video. I watched both video's.It doesn't matter whether he Shapiro compares to SS.It's the sources he uses(New York Times and Politfact)    I still came to the conclusion that the Uranium One deal need's to be investigated .

Luckily, Sessions, the attorney general, doesn't agree this needs to be investigated.

[Langsuan Man]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Luckily, Sessions, the attorney general, doesn't agree this needs to be investigated.

I wouldn't take too much stock in what Sessions is going to do going forward

 

Looks to me like he is going to be forced out by Trump to save his former Alabama Senate seat from Republican candidate Roy Moore 

[craigt3365]

34 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

I wouldn't take too much stock in what Sessions is going to do going forward

 

Looks to me like he is going to be forced out by Trump to save his former Alabama Senate seat from Republican candidate Roy Moore 

Sessions is a classic swamp dweller.  100 times he said he couldn't remember during his interview.  If he's got such a bad memory, he should retire.

They did a poll and it showed Sessions would lose as a write in for the Alabama race.  My how times have changed for those who tied their house to the Trump wagon. LOL

[retarius]

Clinton, bent as a nine bob note. I am so glad she lost the election, could you imagine having her as president....she should be in a jail cell. I sincerely hope she swings for this.

 

And to pre-empt the whatboutery, I hope Trump hangs as well. But they are barking up the wrong tree with this Russia nonsense.....all smoke and no fire there. If you show some real evidence that doesn't include weasel words like 'Russian-linked' to describe anyone that ever ate a blini and show me the meeting where Trump sat down with Putin, or sent him and email, or transferred money to him, or talked to him on the phone in the run up to the election then I'll listen, short of that I don't believe it. The place to nail Trump is in his business dealings.....now Mueller is remiss if he doesn't go on a fishing expedition and investigate Trump's business dealing all over the globe, his tax returns, the people he does business with etc etc He has the power to do this and he needs to get going before Trump starts another war which as a taxpayer I object to.

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, retarius said:

Clinton, bent as a nine bob note. I am so glad she lost the election, could you imagine having her as president....she should be in a jail cell. I sincerely hope she swings for this.

 

And to pre-empt the whatboutery, I hope Trump hangs as well. But they are barking up the wrong tree with this Russia nonsense.....all smoke and no fire there. If you show some real evidence that doesn't include weasel words like 'Russian-linked' to describe anyone that ever ate a blini and show me the meeting where Trump sat down with Putin, or sent him and email, or transferred money to him, or talked to him on the phone in the run up to the election then I'll listen, short of that I don't believe it. The place to nail Trump is in his business dealings.....now Mueller is remiss if he doesn't go on a fishing expedition and investigate Trump's business dealing all over the globe, his tax returns, the people he does business with etc etc He has the power to do this and he needs to get going before Trump starts another war which as a taxpayer I object to.

What did Clinton do that would put her in jail?  Even Trump backed off his campaign promise to do so...one he was elected and punked his supporters with comments like this. LOL

 

All smoke and no fire?  You're in the minority with a comment like that.  The evidence is there if you take off your blinders. 

 

This isn't about Trump sitting down with Putin.  Read the news...MSM news preferably.  Not Breitbart or Infowars. LOL

 

Mueller is going after Trump's business dealings.  They're complicated and it takes time to put a case together.

[riclag]

33 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

What did Clinton do that would put her in jail?  Even Trump backed off his campaign promise to do so...one he was elected and punked his supporters with comments like this. LOL

 

All smoke and no fire?  You're in the minority with a comment like that.  The evidence is there if you take off your blinders. 

 

This isn't about Trump sitting down with Putin.  Read the news...MSM news preferably.  Not Breitbart or Infowars. LOL

 

Mueller is going after Trump's business dealings.  They're complicated and it takes time to put a case together.

  " What did Clinton do that would put her in jail"?                      Nothing according to the left. If she did, she would of been arrested or be in jail right now.The same with Trump,nothing .

 

The key word is nothing

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by riclag

[craigt3365]

28 minutes ago, riclag said:

  " What did Clinton do that would put her in jail"?                      Nothing according to the left. If she did, she would of been arrested or be in jail right now.The same with Trump,nothing .

 

The key word is nothing

Nothing according to the law.  Otherwise, she'd be in jail.  As for Trump, his time is coming. LOL

 

Obstruction of justice is the biggest possibility right now.

[riclag]

5 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Nothing according to the law.  Otherwise, she'd be in jail.  As for Trump, his time is coming. LOL

 

Obstruction of justice is the biggest possibility right now.

Video evidence should be coming out soon about this Uranium One conspiracy. In the meantime  I hope they have this FBI consultant in a open door session.

 

 

 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, riclag said:

Video evidence should be coming out soon about this Uranium One conspiracy. In the meantime  I hope they have this FBI consultant in a open door session.

 

 

 

Do yourself a favor.  STOP watching Hanity!  He's been proven to be a liar many times. Even the head of news at Fox has debunked Hanity.

 

STOP!

Edited November 19, 2017 by craigt3365

[riclag]

2 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Do yourself a favor.  STOP watching Hanity!  He's been proven to be a liar many times. Even the head of news at Fox has debunked Hanity.

 

STOP!

So you didn't watch the video? 

Edited November 19, 2017 by riclag

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, riclag said:

So you didn't watch the video? 

I don't watch Hanity.  He's been proven to spin things....like this.  I prefer the news.  The facts.  And these facts have NOT been proven yet.  Typical of Fox.  They are trying to deflect Trump's problems onto Hillary and Obama.  Horrible news outlet.

 

And yes, I watched part of it.  Then researched in on the web.  Where I found quite a few articles debunking this.  Shame on Fox.  And those who believe Hanity's BS.

[riclag]

7 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

I don't watch Hanity.  He's been proven to spin things....like this.  I prefer the news.  The facts.  And these facts have NOT been proven yet.  Typical of Fox.  They are trying to deflect Trump's problems onto Hillary and Obama.  Horrible news outlet.

 

And yes, I watched part of it.  Then researched in on the web.  Where I found quite a few articles debunking this.  Shame on Fox.  And those who believe Hanity's BS.

 

" Horrible News outet"?

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/october-2017-ratings-fox-news-is-cable-newss-most-watched-network-for-190-consecutive-months/346888

[craigt3365]

50 minutes ago, riclag said:

 

" Horrible News outet"?

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/october-2017-ratings-fox-news-is-cable-newss-most-watched-network-for-190-consecutive-months/346888

That means a lot of people are getting suckered in.  Sad commentary for Americans.  This is a better way to look at Fox.

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/fox-news/

 

Quote

 

RIGHT BIAS

These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.

 

Factual Reporting: MIXED

 

Notes: Fox News Channel, also known as Fox News, is an American basic cable and satellite news television channel that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. Fox News Channel has been accused of biased reporting and promoting the Republican Party and has been deemed the least accurate cable news source according to Politifact. (7/19/2016)

 

 

Again, find a new source for your news.  Please.  Or at least avoid the commentaries like ones from Hanity or Fox and Friends.  Just stick to the news reports. 

Edited November 19, 2017 by craigt3365