Primary Source For Trump-Russia Dossier Acquitted, Handing Special Counsel Durham Another Trial Loss | CNN Politics

Alexandria, Virginia CNN  — 

Igor Danchenko, the primary source for the infamous Trump-Russia dossier, was acquitted Tuesday of four counts of lying to the FBI in an embarrassing defeat for special counsel John Durham.

Durham has taken two cases to trial, and both have ended in acquittals. After more than three years looking for misconduct in the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe, Durham has only secured one conviction: the guilty plea of a low-level FBI lawyer, who got probation.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges against Danchenko, a Russian expat and think tank analyst who provided the bulk of the material for the anti-Trump dossier. Durham initially charged Danchenko with five counts of lying to the FBI, but a judge threw out one of the charges on Friday.

Jurors deliberated for about nine hours at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

The verdict means jurors weren’t persuaded by Durham’s allegations that Danchenko lied to the FBI about his contacts with a Belarusian-American businessman who was a possible source for the dossier. The largely discredited dossier was a collection of unverified and salacious allegations compiled by retired British spy Christopher Steele, whose dirt-digging was indirectly funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

In many ways, the verdict is a direct blow to Durham, who personally handled most of the arguments and witness questioning. The proceedings were rocky at times for the special counsel, who lashed out at some of his own witnesses after they ended up providing testimony that helped Danchenko’s defense.

Danchenko attorney Stuart Sears praised the result.

“We’ve known all along that Mr. Danchenko was innocent. We’re happy now that the American public knows that as well,” Sears told reporters outside the courthouse. “We thank these jurors for their hard work and deliberation in reaching the right decision.”

In a statement, Durham said: “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.”

The week-long trial against Danchenko resurrected many of the 2016 election dramas.

FBI agents described their efforts to corroborate the Steele dossier, which ultimately came up empty. Jurors were shown portions of Steele’s memos, which he has previously said weren’t ever meant to become public. The dossier’s primary allegation – that there was a “well-developed conspiracy of cooperation” between Donald Trump and the Russians – repeatedly came up throughout the proceedings.

Durham also used the case to put the FBI on trial, in what could be a preview of his upcoming final report. He zeroed in on the shortcomings and errors of the early Trump-Russia probe – specifically the bureau’s overreliance on the dossier to propel forward some key parts of their burgeoning inquiry.

Danchenko is a Russian citizen but has lived in the US for years with his family. The FBI once scrutinized him as a possible counterintelligence threat, but later paid him as an informant. Durham pressed Danchenko’s FBI handler about the possibility that he was a Russian spy. To the contrary, the witness said Danchenko was a treasured FBI informant and suggested that Durham hurt US national security by indicting him.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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Iran Agrees To Ship Missiles, More Drones To Russia

• Iran to sell more drones, missiles to Russia
• West heavily criticises Iran over drones
• Tehran under pressure from mass protests

Oct 18 (Reuters) – Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface to surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters, a move that is likely to infuriate the United States and other Western powers.

A deal was agreed on Oct. 6 when Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, two senior officials from Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards and an official from the Supreme National Security Council visited Moscow for talks with Russia about the delivery of the weapons.

“The Russians had asked for more drones and those Iranian ballistic missiles with improved accuracy, particularly the Fateh and Zolfaghar missiles family,” said one of the Iranian diplomats, who was briefed about the trip.

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A Western official briefed on the matter confirmed it, saying there was an agreement in place between Iran and Russia to provide surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles, including the Zolfaghar.

One of the drones Iran agreed to supply is the Shahed-136, a delta-winged weapon used as a “kamikaze” air-to-surface attack aircraft. It carries a small warhead that explodes on impact.

Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar are Iranian short-range surface to surface ballistic missiles capable of striking targets at distances of between 300 km and 700 km (186 and 435 miles).

The Iranian diplomat rejected assertions by Western officials that such transfers breach a 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution.

“Where they are being used is not the seller’s issue. We do not take sides in the Ukraine crisis like the West. We want an end to the crisis through diplomatic means,” the diplomat said.

Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday dismissed as baseless reports of Iran supplying drones and other weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, while the Kremlin on Tuesday denied its forces had used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine.

Asked if Russia had used Iranian drones in its campaign in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin did not have any information about their use.

“Russian equipment with Russian nomenclature is used,” he said. “All further questions should be directed to the Defence Ministry.”

The ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The appearance of Iranian missiles in addition to drones in Moscow’s arsenal in the war with Ukraine would raise tensions between Iran and the United States and other Western powers.

SHIPMENT ‘SOON, VERY SOON’

The U.S. State Department assessed that Iranian drones were used on Monday in a morning rush hour attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, a U.S. official said. White House spokesperson Karinne Jean-Pierre also accused Tehran of lying when it said Iranian drones are not being used by Russia in Ukraine.

A European diplomat said it was his country’s assessment that Russia was finding it more difficult to produce weaponry for itself given the sanctions on its industrial sector and so was turning to imports from partners like Iran and North Korea.

“Drones and missiles are a logical next step,” said the European diplomat.

Asked about sales of Iranian surface-to-surface missiles to Russia, a senior U.S. military official said: “I don’t have anything to provide at this time in terms of whether or not that is accurate at this point.”

A view of drones during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on August 24, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Chafing under Western economic sanctions, Iran’s rulers are keen to strengthen strategic ties to Russia against an emerging, U.S.-backed Gulf Arab-Israeli bloc that could shift the Middle East balance of power further away from the Islamic Republic.

The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami said last month some of the “world’s major powers” are willing to purchase military and defence equipment from Iran.

Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme leader, was reported by state media on Tuesday as saying that 22 countries want to buy Iranian drones.

Iran’s rulers are also under pressure from nationwide demonstrations which were ignited by the death in custody of a 22-year-old woman detained for “inappropriate attire”.

Several European Union states on Monday called for sanctions on Iran over its supply of drones to Russia, as the bloc agreed a separate set of sanctions over Tehran’s crackdown on unrest.

“They (Russians) wanted to buy hundreds of our missiles, even mid-range ones, but we told them that we can ship soon a few hundred of their demanded Zolfaghar and Fateh 110 short-range, surface to surface missiles,” said one of the security officials.

“I cannot give you the exact time, but soon, very soon those will be shipped in 2 to three shipments.”

An Eastern European official tracking Russia’s weapons activity said it was their understanding that this arms deal was happening, although he had no specific evidence to back it up. The official said that a decision had been taken by the Iranian and Russian leaders to proceed with the transfer.

Moscow had specifically asked for surface to surface short-range Fateh 110 and Zolfaghar missiles, and the shipment will happen in a maximum of 10 days, said another Iranian diplomat.

ATTACK DRONES

The stakes are high for Iran, which has been negotiating with Western states to revive a 2015 deal that would ease sanctions on Tehran in return for limits on its nuclear work.

The talks have deadlocked, and any disputes between Tehran and Western powers over arms sales to Russia or Iran’s crackdown on the unrest could weaken efforts to seal an accord.

The United States agrees with British and French assessments that Iran supplying drones to Russia would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 deal, U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Monday.

The Western official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the matter, said that like the drones, missile transfers would also violate U.N. resolution 2231.

Several senior Iranian officials are outraged about “unjust” planned sanctions on Iran over its arms shipments to Russia, said the second diplomat.

In September, Tehran had refused a request by President Vladimir Putin for the supply of Iran’s sophisticated Arash 2 long-range attack drones, three Iranian officials told Reuters.

When asked the reason for the refusal, one of the officials cited several issues including “some technical problems”.

“Also the (Revolutionary) Guards’ commanders were worried that if Russia uses this Arash 2 drone in Ukraine, Americans may have access to our technology.”

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Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Netflix Adds A Better-Than-Expected 2.4 Million Subscribers

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Updated Oct. 18, 2022 5:15 pm ET / Original Oct. 18, 2022 2:30 am ET

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Netflix snapped a two-quarter drop in subscribers in the latest quarter. The company said The Gray Man featuring Ryan Gosling was one of its most-watched films.

Paul Abell/Netflix

Netflix shares were trading sharply higher after the streaming giant posted better-than-expected subscriber growth for the third quarter.

The company added 2.41 million net new subscribers in the quarter, beating its own forecast of 1 million additions. Netflix (ticker: NFLX) said it expects to add another 4.5 million subscribers in the December quarter.

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US Forecast

City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index

Albany, NY;57;35;53;36;Clouds and sun;S;9;58%;33%;3

Albuquerque, NM;64;46;69;48;Sunshine and nice;SSE;7;45%;0%;5

Anchorage, AK;45;36;46;39;Low clouds;S;6;73%;68%;0

Asheville, NC;40;29;52;28;Mostly sunny, cool;NW;11;46%;2%;4

Atlanta, GA;52;34;59;32;Sunny, but cool;WNW;10;35%;0%;4

Atlantic City, NJ;58;41;58;44;Breezy;W;14;53%;4%;4

Austin, TX;70;43;72;49;Sunny and beautiful;SSE;5;30%;0%;5

Baltimore, MD;57;39;57;39;Breezy and cool;WSW;14;45%;14%;3

Baton Rouge, LA;64;31;64;36;Sunny, but cool;NNW;6;39%;2%;5

Billings, MT;76;46;76;48;Mostly sunny, warm;SW;7;35%;0%;3

Birmingham, AL;55;31;61;32;Sunny, but cool;WNW;8;33%;1%;4

Bismarck, ND;49;23;69;35;Partly sunny;NW;9;46%;2%;3

Boise, ID;77;43;76;43;Sunny and warm;ENE;6;27%;0%;3

Boston, MA;66;43;60;42;Mostly sunny;SW;11;44%;6%;3

Bridgeport, CT;58;38;55;39;Clouds and sun;WSW;10;51%;5%;3

Buffalo, NY;44;39;46;39;Chilly with showers;W;14;75%;99%;1

Burlington, VT;59;35;55;40;Clouds and sun;S;10;58%;25%;3

Caribou, ME;62;57;61;37;A little a.m. rain;S;9;74%;85%;1

Casper, WY;72;36;73;37;Sunny and warm;SW;9;26%;1%;4

Charleston, SC;71;43;63;41;Sunny, but cool;WNW;9;42%;5%;5

Charleston, WV;46;35;53;31;Cold with clearing;SW;16;56%;15%;1

Charlotte, NC;56;34;60;33;Mostly sunny, cool;W;8;44%;0%;4

Cheyenne, WY;65;38;70;37;Sunny and mild;NW;15;21%;2%;4

Chicago, IL;46;34;48;35;Breezy and chilly;W;15;49%;2%;3

Cleveland, OH;46;41;46;38;Brief showers;WSW;20;76%;89%;1

Columbia, SC;61;37;63;35;Sunny, but cool;SW;6;42%;5%;4

Columbus, OH;46;37;48;29;A shower in the a.m.;WSW;13;62%;56%;2

Concord, NH;63;31;57;31;Clouds and sun;SSW;8;53%;6%;3

Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;62;39;69;52;Plenty of sunshine;S;5;29%;0%;5

Denver, CO;69;44;76;44;Sunny and warm;W;6;19%;2%;4

Des Moines, IA;42;20;49;34;Partly sunny;WSW;9;33%;3%;3

Detroit, MI;43;39;47;35;Showery;W;12;68%;91%;1

Dodge City, KS;57;29;76;42;Sunny and warmer;WSW;9;32%;2%;4

Duluth, MN;41;27;46;30;Partly sunny;WSW;9;58%;6%;3

El Paso, TX;67;45;71;48;Sun and clouds;E;7;55%;0%;5

Fairbanks, AK;38;26;38;28;Clouds and sun;NE;4;75%;27%;1

Fargo, ND;39;17;57;35;Partly sunny, milder;NW;8;34%;4%;3

Grand Junction, CO;73;42;74;43;Sunny and delightful;ENE;6;29%;0%;4

Grand Rapids, MI;44;40;46;37;A morning shower;W;14;71%;42%;1

Hartford, CT;61;36;56;37;Clouds and sun;SW;9;51%;5%;3

Helena, MT;71;34;68;41;Mostly sunny, mild;SSW;5;42%;0%;3

Honolulu, HI;87;70;86;71;An afternoon shower;NNE;8;60%;84%;7

Houston, TX;67;44;70;46;Sunny and pleasant;SE;7;30%;0%;5

Indianapolis, IN;44;33;51;30;Mostly sunny, cool;WSW;12;49%;3%;4

Jackson, MS;58;31;62;34;Sunny, but cool;SW;6;39%;0%;5

Jacksonville, FL;75;46;67;43;Sunshine, but cool;NNW;9;43%;8%;5

Juneau, AK;54;49;51;44;Rain;SW;18;89%;100%;0

Kansas City, MO;44;24;57;40;Partly sunny, warmer;SSW;7;31%;0%;4

Knoxville, TN;47;31;56;30;Mostly sunny, cool;SSW;8;46%;3%;4

Las Vegas, NV;87;60;89;60;Sunny;NW;5;19%;0%;4

Lexington, KY;47;30;53;29;Sunny and breezy;WSW;14;51%;1%;4

Little Rock, AR;56;31;59;34;Sunny, but cool;WSW;7;35%;0%;4

Long Beach, CA;89;65;92;67;Partly sunny;NNE;7;42%;0%;4

Los Angeles, CA;86;66;92;68;Partly sunny;NNE;7;39%;1%;4

Louisville, KY;47;33;56;31;Breezy in the p.m.;W;12;42%;2%;4

Madison, WI;44;28;45;30;Clouds and sun, cold;W;9;53%;1%;3

Memphis, TN;51;33;58;36;Sunny, but cool;WSW;7;35%;0%;4

Miami, FL;87;70;74;64;A t-storm, cooler;NNW;11;70%;97%;3

Milwaukee, WI;46;35;47;34;Chilly with some sun;W;12;52%;1%;3

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;42;25;49;34;Clouds and sun;WSW;8;38%;4%;3

Mobile, AL;64;35;65;36;Sunny, but cool;N;9;37%;0%;5

Montgomery, AL;57;32;61;31;Sunny, but cool;NW;7;37%;0%;5

Mt. Washington, NH;38;24;29;17;Breezy in the a.m.;SW;19;80%;22%;3

Nashville, TN;54;31;58;29;Sunny, but cool;SW;8;35%;1%;4

New Orleans, LA;66;46;64;46;Breezy in the a.m.;NW;11;37%;0%;5

New York, NY;57;42;54;42;Clouds and sun;WSW;10;48%;5%;3

Newark, NJ;59;37;54;38;Breezy;WSW;15;50%;6%;3

Norfolk, VA;59;40;60;39;Mostly sunny, cool;WSW;10;46%;9%;4

Oklahoma City, OK;57;30;66;45;Plenty of sunshine;S;8;31%;0%;4

Olympia, WA;70;44;70;45;Partly sunny;NNE;6;76%;10%;3

Omaha, NE;43;18;58;36;Partly sunny, warmer;SSW;6;33%;4%;3

Orlando, FL;82;53;70;53;Partly sunny;N;10;38%;27%;5

Philadelphia, PA;56;38;55;39;Breezy with some sun;WSW;13;49%;6%;3

Phoenix, AZ;88;68;89;66;Plenty of sunshine;ENE;9;26%;0%;4

Pittsburgh, PA;45;36;44;34;Rain/snow showers;WSW;15;75%;90%;1

Portland, ME;64;42;59;39;Clouds and sunshine;SW;10;52%;6%;3

Portland, OR;75;49;77;51;Partly sunny;N;6;56%;6%;3

Providence, RI;66;38;58;37;Mostly sunny;SW;8;48%;6%;3

Raleigh, NC;58;34;59;36;Mostly sunny, cool;WSW;8;46%;5%;4

Reno, NV;78;40;79;40;Mostly sunny, warm;W;3;25%;0%;4

Richmond, VA;57;36;59;35;Cool with sunshine;WSW;10;48%;10%;4

Roswell, NM;60;42;73;44;Mostly sunny, warmer;SSW;7;55%;1%;5

Sacramento, CA;84;52;90;54;Partly sunny;SE;5;36%;1%;4

Salt Lake City, UT;75;48;75;49;Sunny and warm;ESE;6;34%;0%;4

San Antonio, TX;69;46;74;48;Sunny and delightful;SSW;6;31%;0%;5

San Diego, CA;82;64;87;64;Mostly sunny;NE;7;50%;0%;5

San Francisco, CA;74;56;76;56;Partly sunny;SW;7;58%;1%;4

Savannah, GA;70;41;66;38;Sunny, but cool;WNW;8;43%;4%;5

Seattle-Tacoma, WA;71;51;70;52;Some sun;NNE;7;65%;12%;3

Sioux Falls, SD;42;14;51;34;Partly sunny, warmer;WSW;6;30%;4%;3

Spokane, WA;74;40;73;43;Hazy sunshine;SSE;4;47%;1%;3

Springfield, IL;48;25;50;28;Partly sunny, cold;WSW;11;38%;0%;4

St. Louis, MO;50;28;53;31;Mostly sunny, cool;SW;10;33%;0%;4

Tampa, FL;82;52;70;48;Mostly sunny;NNE;9;41%;11%;5

Toledo, OH;45;41;49;37;A shower in the a.m.;WSW;11;66%;57%;1

Tucson, AZ;81;62;84;61;Breezy in the a.m.;E;13;35%;0%;5

Tulsa, OK;53;26;62;40;Plenty of sunshine;SSW;5;36%;0%;4

Vero Beach, FL;85;61;71;60;Clouds breaking;N;13;60%;28%;3

Washington, DC;56;39;57;38;Breezy and cool;WSW;15;46%;13%;3

Wichita, KS;52;24;68;40;Sunny and warmer;S;9;30%;0%;4

Wilmington, DE;57;37;55;37;Breezy;WSW;13;52%;4%;3

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Acquittal Of Russia Analyst Deals Another Blow To Trump-Era Prosecutor

John H. Durham, the special counsel looking into the origins of the Russia investigation, had accused Igor Danchenko of lying to the F.B.I.

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Two F.B.I. agents have testified that Igor Danchenko, who became a paid confidential source, had provided the bureau with valuable information.Credit…Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Oct. 18, 2022Updated 5:00 p.m. ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Igor Danchenko, an analyst who provided much of the research in a notorious dossier of unproven assertions and rumors about former President Donald J. Trump and Russia, was acquitted on Tuesday on four counts of lying to the F.B.I. about one of his sources.

The verdict was another stinging defeat for the special counsel, John H. Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr three years ago to investigate the F.B.I.’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

Mr. Trump and his supporters have long insisted the inquiry would prove a “deep state” conspiracy against him, but after pursuing various baseless theories, Mr. Durham never found and charged one. Instead he developed two narrow cases accusing people involved in outside efforts to scrutinize purported links between Mr. Trump and Russia of making false statements.

The first of those cases ended in an acquittal of the defendant, Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer with Democratic connections. The trial against Mr. Danchenko is expected to be the last of Mr. Durham’s prosecutions, and the special counsel is expected to submit a final report to the Justice Department this year summarizing his findings.

The jury deliberated for a day before finding Mr. Danchenko not guilty.

The accusations against Mr. Danchenko, an analyst who was born in Russia, centered on two of his sources for the salacious claims and unsubstantiated assertions in the so-called Steele dossier, which said that Mr. Trump and his 2016 campaign were colluding with the Russian government. After BuzzFeed published the dossier in 2017, public suspicions of Mr. Trump escalated, but it has since been discredited.

In closing arguments on Monday, a prosecutor working for Mr. Durham asserted that Mr. Danchenko had clearly lied to the F.B.I. His false assertions had a material effect, the prosecutor added, pointing to part of the dossier that the F.B.I. had cited to bolster applications to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser with ties to Russia.

“This defendant’s lies caused intensive surveillance on a U.S. citizen,” said the prosecutor, Michael Keilty, an assistant special counsel.

In his own remarks, Mr. Durham sought to broaden the case, telling jurors that “the whole house of cards of the dossier crumbles” under the weight of the evidence.

But the defense said the government’s own evidence showed that Mr. Danchenko did not lie. The lawyer, Stuart A. Sears, characterized Mr. Danchenko as a valuable and honest asset to the F.B.I. who unwittingly became embroiled in a politically charged investigation. Mr. Durham, he said, was intent on proving crimes “at any cost” and presumed Mr. Danchenko guilty from the start.

“He’s trying to help the F.B.I., and now they’re indicting him for it,” Mr. Sears said.

Mr. Trump and his supporters have falsely sought to conflate the dossier with the official investigation into Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia, but the F.B.I. did not open the inquiry based on the dossier and the final report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, did not cite anything in it as evidence.

The F.B.I. pointed to several claims in the dossier in applying to wiretap the former Trump campaign adviser. An inspector general’s investigation uncovered that the bureau had continued to do so after talking to Mr. Danchenko without telling a surveillance court that there was reason to doubt the dossier’s credibility.

The dossier was political opposition research indirectly funded by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee. They paid a law firm, which paid a research firm, which in turn subcontracted to a firm run by Christopher Steele, a former British spy. Mr. Steele hired Mr. Danchenko to canvass contacts in Russia and Europe about Mr. Trump’s business dealings in Russia.

Mr. Danchenko conveyed rumors that Mr. Trump’s campaign was colluding with Russia, and that Russia had a blackmail tape of Mr. Trump with prostitutes in a hotel room in Moscow. But during an interview with the F.B.I., Mr. Danchenko said that he had first seen the dossier when BuzzFeed published it and that Mr. Steele had exaggerated his statements, portraying uncorroborated gossip as fact.

The F.B.I. made Mr. Danchenko a paid confidential source and he disclosed how he had learned about the rumors. While he did not provide information corroborating the dossier, the trial has shown that the bureau found his network of contacts valuable for identifying Russian influence operations in the United States.

But in November 2021, Mr. Durham charged Mr. Danchenko with making false statements to the F.B.I. about two of his sources for claims in the dossier.

The special counsel said he had lied when he said he never “talked” to Charles Dolan, a Democratic lobbyist, about anything in the dossier even though Mr. Dolan had emailed him information about office politics in the Trump campaign that appeared in the dossier.

The counsel also accused Mr. Danchenko of lying four times to the F.B.I. when he repeatedly said that he believed a person who had called and provided information without identifying himself was likely Sergei Millian, a former president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce.

The trial, which began last week, concluded much earlier than anticipated, after the judge overseeing the case excluded much of the material that Mr. Durham had wanted to showcase, including the purported blackmail tape.

Mr. Durham faced additional setbacks during the trial. Two witnesses for the government, both F.B.I. agents, seemed to undermine the prosecution’s case during their testimony, including by saying what Mr. Danchenko had told them about not having “talked” to Mr. Dolan about Trump campaign office politics was “literally true” since it was an email.

On Friday, Judge Anthony Trenga dismissed the charge concerning Mr. Dolan before it could go to the jury, saying Mr. Durham had failed to present sufficient evidence.

Mr. Danchenko told the F.B.I. that he had received that call in late July 2016, and that he had arranged to meet that person in New York that month. That person did not show up, Mr. Danchenko has said.

The prosecution stressed that traditional phone records did not show evidence of such a call, but the defense emphasized that it could have unfolded over an app.

The prosecution also pointed to an email Mr. Danchenko had sent to Mr. Millian that made no mention of an earlier call or missed meeting, but an F.B.I. agent later testified that it was reasonable for an email to omit such a reference if he believed the caller was seeking anonymity.

Linda Qiu reported from Alexandria, Va., and Charlie Savage reported from Washington. Adam Goldman contributed reporting from Alexandria, Va.

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German Cybersecurity Chief Fired Over Alleged Russia Ties – DW – 10/18/2022

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Tuesday dismissed the head of the BSI national cybersecurity agency, Arne Schönbohm.

Schönbohm was removed from his role as head of the BSI national cybersecurity agency after media reported that he had links with people involved with Russian intelligence services.

What do we know about the dismissal?

The sacking was first reported by the news magazine, Spiegel, and later confirmed by an Interior Ministry spokesperson. 

“The background to this is not least the allegations, which are well known and widely discussed in the media, and which have permanently damaged the necessary public confidence in the neutrality and impartiality of the conduct of his office as president of Germany’s most important cybersecurity authority,” the spokesperson said.

There was no initial indication on who would succeed the 53-year-old, who was head of the BSI since February 2016.

Alleged Russia ties 

Faeser was reportedly concerned about Schönbohm’s continued contact with an association called the Cyber Security Council of Germany. A scheduled joint appearance by Schönbohm and the  interior minister — to report on the German cyber security in 2022 — was last week canceled while the ministry sought the clarify the allegations.  

NAFO turns the tables on Russian propaganda

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It’s thought that the attendance of Schönbohm at the group’s anniversary celebrations last month brought matters to a head. 

The cyber chief helped set up the group — which brings together experts from public institutions and the private sector — just over 10 years ago. It advises companies, politicians and authorities on cybersecurity and describes itself as politically neutral.

However, the organization came under fire after Russia launched its war in Ukraine over the connection of one of its members to the Kremlin.

The cybersecurity company, Protelion, which was the major focus of concern, was ejected from the Council last weekend. 

Until March, the firm was named Infotecs and was a subsidiary to its Russian namesake. It was reportedly established by a former member of the Russian intelligence services who was honored by President Vladimir Putin.

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Virginia Fink, 79, Fairview, MT

Mass of the Christian Burial for Virginia Fink, 79. Fairview, MT was held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church. Fairview, MT with Fr. Jim O’Neil as presider. Wake services was at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, Fairview, MT. Inurnment was in Fairview Cemetery, Fairview, ND under the care of Fulkerson-Stevenson Funeral Home, Sidney, MT. Remembrances, condolences, and pictures may be shared with the family at http://www.fulkersons.com.

Virginia Ann (Baxter) Fink passed away peacefully into the loving arms of Jesus surrounded by her family in Sidney, MT on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. She was born in Fairview, MT the 3rd child to Cecil and Bertha Baxter on April 26, 1943. Virginia attended grades 1-3 at the Nohly School and grades 4-8 in Fairview, before graduating from Lambert High School in 1961.

On July 1, 1961, she married Joe Fink, also of Lambert, at St. Philomena’s Church, Sidney. Their ceremony was performed by Father Ned Schinnick, which was one of the first weddings he performed after moving to Sidney.

Virginia and Joe lived in Lambert until 1970, when they moved to Fairview, and she worked for several years at the Sears catalog store in Sidney while they raised their family.

After Joe’s retirement in 1998, they enjoyed taking yearly trips including five cruises, a bus tour through Italy, and three trips to Hawaii, which was her favorite.

One of Virginia’s passions was quilting. She made quilts for each of her children and grandchildren and made several that she donated to cancer survivors and fundraisers.

Her love for God was a strength to all who knew her. She was very active in her Bible study group and served as a lay pastor at St. Catherine’s Church, Fairview, assisting with sermons and the Grief Ministry.

She is survived by her husband Joe, Fairview, MT; children Gene (Marlene) Fink, Fairview, MT, Kent (Jody) Fink, Aztec, NM, Doug Fink, Fairview, MT, Kandyse (Mark) Whitney, Beaverton, OR, Scott Fink, Beaverton, OR, Lisha (Steve) Lutke, Park City, MT, and Kurt (Michelle) Fink, Russellville, AL; grandchildren Dustin Fink, Glendive, MT, Travis (Jamie) Fink, Billings, MT, Megan (Devyn) Lutke, Laurel, MT, Jace Lutke, Billings, MT, John (Karen) Unruh, Glendive, MT, and Jacob (Lois) Unruh, Fairview, MT; great-grandchildren Andrew Truax, Glendive, MT, Cole and Parker Fink, Billings, MT, Emily, Kaitlyn, Rylee, and Wyatt Unruh, Glendive, MT, Jacob Jr., Cameron, and Taylor Unruh, Fairview, MT; and brother Colin (MaryAnn) Baxter, Anchorage, AK.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Bertha (Freeman) Baxter, Fairview, MT and her sisters Thelma Young, Shawmut, MT and Barbara (Ralph) Hafemann, Crane, MT.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff members for their care and kindness.

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