By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
Books - Guardian - Honduras - ESPN NY Mag
LITERARY SDNY, June 15 – Josh Schulte had four years to prepare for this trial, to get ready to not only face but question his accusers. And today would be the first day.
On the stand was FBI Agent Evanchec, who Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning on direct described how Schulte was the only suspect. How his hands had been shaking when they interviewed him in the Pershing Square restaurant. And how he said, Texans aren't traitors.
And how after AUSA Lockard said, No further questions, he was on. Good afternoon, Schulte told Evanchec, and got it returned.
Schulte asked about the CIA office where he had worked, which was usually described as top secret and in an undisclosed location. Schulte asked, Doesn't the CIA interview all applicant there?
Evanchec said he didn't know. Doesn't the building have a visitors' center? Again, Evanchec didn't know, said he was only concerned with the vaults where Schulte worked.
Schulte got Evanchec to say he was within earshot of a conversation of Mike Pompeo, then the Director of the CIA. But it wasn't nailed out - or at least, not year.
One juror, it emerged, worked for the TSA. There was a concern they might hear someone talking about the case as they walked through the gate. A narrow gate, that. Neither side objected, though some did online.
The LAN in DEVLAN didn't really mean Local Access Network, it emerged, since two overseas CIA offices could sign in.
Passwords were shared; Evanchec agreed it was called a dirty network. How then to prove anything? Did the leak come from Confluence? Which days version had it come from? It seemed the date had changed.
Things got ragged as the afternoon wore on. Evanchec started saying, I don't recall, and no amount of "does this refresh your recollection" would get past it. Evanchec declined to be reminded of a trip to Baltimore, which might or might not come up later in the trial.
Judge Furman cut in at one point and said the only pending question pending, does it refresh your recollection, whatever it is, even just a bowl of fettuccine alfredo.
To Kurt Wheelock, live tweeting these exchanges has he had other trial like Avenatti's before this same Judge Furman, it echoed Avenatti's self represented story about the government's case being like a cockroach in a bowl of pasta.
Some said Schulte had only converted to Islam to get better food in prison. But how would they know? More on Patreon here.
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