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-Lurid Crime Tales-

Fusion GPS asks court to block Congress from reviewing financial records

2017-10-21

[Wash Times] The company behind the anti-Trump intelligence dossier that rocked last year’s U.S. election went to federal court Friday to try and block the House Intelligence Committee from getting access to its banking records.

The firm, Fusion GPS, filed a petition in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to a source knowledgeable about the situation.
Would I be correct in saying an examination of cell phones and laptops would be totally out of the question ?
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity with The Washington Times, said the House Intelligence Committee had subpoenaed Fusion’s banking records in an effort to determine who financed former British spy Christopher Steele’s work to write the dossier during the summer and fall of 2016.

Little information is known about the subpoena by the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian interference in last year’s U.S. presidential election.

Fusion, headed by former Wall Street Journal reporter Glenn Simpson, invoked the Fifth Amendment this week rather than testify on Capital Hill about its role in commissioning and compiling the dossier. The company has also refused to hand over certain documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee citing its First Amendment rights.

Wiki: Glenn R. Simpson is an American former journalist with The Wall Street Journal and the co-founder of the Washington-based research firm Fusion GPS.[1] He was a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center.

Be sure to check out the 'current and former' staff of the IASC, particularly the bios of Messrs Waldon and Farah. What fascinating fellows. I doubt they'd want to talk about their work or personal finances either.

Posted by:Besoeker

#7 Strip them naked and flay the skin from their bones to expose their sponsors.

Posted by: Skidmark 2017-10-21 13:59

#6 What is it Clinton / Obama enabler, Gurgle big Eric Schmidt likes to say? "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

Posted by: M. Murcek 2017-10-21 13:13

#5 According to the Congressional Research Service, pp-5-6. : Congress has three formal methods by which it can combat non-compliance with a duly issued subpoena.4 Each of these methods invokes the authority of a separate branch of government. First, the long dormant inherent contempt power permits Congress to rely on its own constitutional authority to detain and imprison a contemnor until the individual complies with congressional demands.5 Because the contemnor is generally released once the terms of the subpoena are met, inherent contempt serves the purposes of encouraging compliance with a congressional directive. Second, the criminal contempt statute6 permits Congress to certify a contempt citation to the executive branch for the criminal prosecution of the contemnor.7 Criminal contempt serves as punishment for non-compliance with a congressional subpoena, but does not necessarily encourage subsequent acquiescence. Once convicted, the contemnor is not excused from criminal liability if he later chooses to comply with the subpoena. Finally, Congress may rely on the judicial branch to enforce a congressional subpoena.8 Under this procedure, Congress may seek a civil judgment from a federal court declaring that the individual in question is legally obligated to comply with the congressional subpoena. If the court finds that the party is legally obligated to comply, continued non-compliance may result in the party being held in contempt of court. Where the target of the subpoena is an executive branch official, civil enforcement may be the only practical means by which Congress can effectively ensure compliance with its own subpoena.

I'd vote for jugging them until they get "cooperative."

Posted by: JohnQC 2017-10-21 11:33

#4 Hey self-appointed priest-kings, never mind Congress, wait until Trump hits you with a civil suit.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-10-21 02:47

#3 Think tank news makers and policy shaping wonks. Who better to orchestrate the crafting of a grand fake news fiction ?

Bring into the mix a former MI6 agent to add credibility and gravitas (since our own intelligence service possesses so little).

Disinformation at it's very best.

Posted by: Besoeker 2017-10-21 02:40

#2 Um... no.

Sleep with dogs, get fleas. Or, sleep with demoncrats, get subpoenas.

Posted by: DarthVader 2017-10-21 00:52

#1 If they are that fragile WTF did they get into a "slime game" for?

Posted by: 3dc 2017-10-21 00:38

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