Biden Justice Department Asks Court to Keep the Names of Jack Smith’s Top Staff Secret


 

“Well, we just have to demonstrate that [Donald Trump] will not take power – if we – if he does run. I’m making sure he, under legitimate efforts of our Constitution, does not become the next President again.” - President Joe Biden

On November 18, 2022, [three days after Trump announced he would run for president again in 2024], Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith to investigate potential criminal wrongdoing by former President Donald J. Trump. The appointment came nine days after President Biden announced his effort to “mak[e] sure” Trump did not become president again. The unprecedented investigation – and now prosecutions – by an incumbent president of his immediate predecessor, opponent in the last election, and leading opponent in the upcoming election raises numerous questions about who Special Counsel Smith chose to assist him in this highly charged endeavor. Are these persons opponents or supporters of the former president, aligned with one of the two major political parties, or otherwise biased or conflicted, or are they unbiased, nonpartisan professionals?

Two recent examples highlight the importance of knowing the identities of the SCO’s staffers. Notorious FBI employees Peter Stzrok and Lisa Page were both members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of then-President Trump…. Stzrok was the lead FBI investigator assigned to the probe, and Page was a “general attorney” on Special Counsel Mueller’s staff…. During the investigation, it was discovered that Strzok and Page had exchanged voluminous texts disparaging then-candidate Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, commenting that “we’ll stop” Trump from becoming president, and citing having an “insurance policy” in case he did…. A subsequent report by the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General was highly critical of the exchanges, noting with respect to the “we’ll stop it” text in particular:

[W]hen one senior FBI official, Strzok, who was helping to lead the Russia investigation at the time, conveys in a text message to another senior FBI official, Page, “No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it” in response to her question “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!”, it is not only indicative of a biased state of mind but, even more seriously, implies a willingness to take official action to impact the presidential candidate’s electoral prospects. This is antithetical to the core values of the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis, who also has brought criminal charges against the former president, is now reportedly under investigation herself for allegedly choosing her paramour, Nathan Wade, to lead the prosecution…. Although Wade’s identity was already known, it led to the discovery of new, previously unknown information that bears on the public perception of the prosecution. It helps the public to know “what their government is up to.” This case is no different.

Defendant’s argument that disclosing the more-than-one-year-old rosters could reasonably be expected to interfere with the SCO’s work because it could lead to the SCO’s staff being threatened and harassed is entirely conclusory, little more than speculation, and lacks meaningful evidentiary support. It also ignores the fact that the names of at least 23 SCO staffers are readily available from public sources, yet the public availability of these names and in some instances email addresses and a cell phone number does not seem to have had any discernable impact on the functioning of the SCO…. Its prosecution of the former president and the two other individuals certainly appears to be proceeding apace, and Defendant has neither claimed nor demonstrated otherwise.

On May 26, 2023, Candidate for President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. submitted a request to the Department of Homeland Security for United States Secret Service protection. In accordance with the authority set forth in Title 18, United States Code, Section 3056(a)(7), and in consultation with the Candidate Protection Advisory Committee, I decline to identify Candidate Kennedy for United States Secret Service protection at this time.

Who receives protection?

The Secret Service does not determine who qualifies for protection, nor is the Secret Service empowered to independently initiate candidate protection.

Under 18 U.S.C.' 3056(a)(7), “[m]ajor Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates,” as identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security, are eligible for Secret Service protection.

Title 18 U.S.C' 3056(a)(7) authorizes the U.S. Secret Service to provide protection for major presidential and vice presidential candidates:

• Protection is authorized by the OHS Secretary after consultation with the Congressional Advisory Committee

• The Congressional Advisory Committee includes: Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and one additional member selected by the others

• Protection under these guidelines should only be granted within one year prior to the general election. Protection more than one year prior to the general election should only be granted in extraordinary, case by case circumstances in consultation with the committee, based on threat assessment and other factors.

As [redacted] of the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., I am asking for an immediate response to my request for United States Secret Service protection Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

You may know that within 24-hours after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, President Johnson directed the Secret Service to provide protection to presidential candidates. Just days later, the Secret Service became responsible for the safety of five candidates, and by the end of the 1968 campaign, twelve candidates were protected by the USSS. The new responsibility was undertaken to ensure the safety of candidates and others in their vicinity – and to protect the electoral process itself.

Given Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s well-established risk as a presidential candidate, our campaign submitted a written request following the formal process. Our request was received at DHS on June 1, 2023. Presidential candidates traditionally hear back within 14 days; it has been more than 30-days since the formal request.

As I write this today, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. remains at risk of being harmed in connection with his Presidential campaign – and that risk is escalating.

Many weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. met the criteria for a presidential candidate to receive Secret Service coverage, pursuant to Title 18 U.S.C. 3056(a)(7). He has polled above the threshold, has been actively campaigning on a national basis, operates a national campaign apparatus, has appeared before thousands of audience members at events in many states, regularly appears as a candidate on national network news programs, town halls, podcasts, interviews, is producing campaign materials, advertisements, and websites, is successfully fundraising, and has assembled a large campaign staff.

Again, our campaign has not heard back from the DHS since submitting the request. The risk to Mr. Kennedy, and those around him, persists and increases during this waiting period.

I have attached the first request and our initial threat assessment.

The Qatari government has been identified as a vocal purveyor of anti-Semitism and promoter of extremist terrorist groups. The merits of this case ask whether the Qatar Foundation (a private entity) will be allowed to use the (Texas Public Information Act) to preclude public scrutiny of its involvement with and influence on a public university.

First, we wouldn’t have been able to obtain this shocking information without the work of Judicial Watch. For small organizations like Zachor, partnering with Judicial Watch creates a veritable David standing against the Goliaths who would otherwise shut down public scrutiny of their harmful alliances. Second, we also intend to continue our work combating terror and hate that is fed by the deep pockets of countries like Qatar. While our focus is on fighting antisemitism, this issue is one that affects every American and we are grateful to have such a strong and effective partner.

While most headlines focus on the southern border crisis, the United States is also seeing record-breaking numbers of illegal immigrants along the extensive northern border with one U.S. Border Patrol sector reporting more migrants in the last few months than in the last four fiscal years combined. Since October 1, 2023—the start of this fiscal year—agents in the Swanton Sector, which oversees parts of Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire, have apprehended 3,100 subjects from 55 countries, according to chief patrol agent Robert Garcia. In a social media post, Garcia includes a recent photo of an early morning apprehension of four adult males from Bangladesh near Mooers, New York. “The record-breaking surge of illegal entries from Canada continues in Swanton Sector,” Garcia writes, adding that a “citizen’s report in Champlain, NY, led to the arrest of 10 Bangladesh citizens.”

This is especially concerning because Bangladesh is a hotbed of terrorism. The South-Asian Islamic country is well known as a recruiting ground for terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In the last few years there has been an alarming surge in Bangladeshi migrants trying to enter the U.S. via Mexico, reportedly to conduct attacks. A congressional probe made public a few years ago reveals that migrants from terrorist nations are trying to enter the United States through the southern border at record rates, including an astounding 300% increase in Bangladeshi nationals attempting to sneak into the country through Texas alone. Shortly after the congressional report was released, federal authorities arrested a Mexican-based Bangladeshi smuggler in Houston and charged him with bringing in 15 fellow countrymen through the Texas-Mexico border. His name is Milon Miah and he lives in Tapachula, in the southeast Mexican state of Chiapas bordering Guatemala. Now large numbers of Bangladeshis are coming in through Canada, which shares the world’s largest international border with the U.S.

Last year more than 12,200 illegal immigrants were apprehended crossing into the U.S. from Canada, a stunning 241% spike from the previous year’s 3,578. The majority were Mexicans who are permitted to fly into Canada without a visa. “The phenomenon has transformed a 295-mile border area along northern New York, Vermont and New Hampshire into a hot spot of migration,” according to a mainstream newspaper story published a few days ago. Around 70% of the illegal crossings last year occurred on that stretch (known as the Swanton Sector), the article reveals. “Rather than deal with an arduous journey through the Darién Gap in Panama and a near-certain encounter with the Border Patrol, migrants from as far as Mexico, India and Venezuela who have the wherewithal have been flying to Canada — taking advantage of border crossings without any imposing walls or fences,” the story says.

A Democrat New York legislator who represents the northeastern part of the state just south of the Canadian province of Quebec, is quoted in the article blasting the feds. “The northern border has been pretty much ignored,” according to Assemblyman Billy Jones. He also said the federal government is “failing on immigration, and they’re failing the people that live along the border.” The surge in illegal immigration is also overwhelming local officials in New York’s North Country, according to the report. Farmers and residents of small towns in the area are increasingly spotting illegal immigrants on their property after crossing from Canada. “The illegal crossings are sometimes facilitated by new human smuggling operations, often based outside New York, which advertise their services on social media and charge migrants thousands of dollars to get them into the country from Canada, often leaving them indebted to the smugglers,” the news article states.

The northern border has long been neglected by the government even as serious national security issues prevail in the region. Nearly a decade and a half ago, a federal audit revealed that less than 1% of the U.S.-Canada border is adequately secured by the U.S. Around the same time, another federal investigation found that the Border Patrol was not adequately guarding a rural and dangerous stretch of the Canadian border that runs from Washington to Montana and is rife with drug smuggling and potential terrorism and gang threats. The area is considered an important entry point for aircraft that smuggle drugs from Canada, the probe found. A Montana senator requested the investigation to assess drug trafficking and terrorist threats along the mostly unmanned, 1,000-mile stretch of federal land adjacent to Canada.