Thursday, May 16, 2024
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Friday, May 10, 2024
Trump Trial Stormy Book Has Blow by Blow of Testimony and More As Michael Cohen Next
100 CENTRE ST COURT, May 10 - In the Trump trial on Friday after two days of testimony by Stormy Daniels, a book and audiobook was published of what was said, and more: "Trump Trial: Stormy," by Matthew Russell Lee, here
It begins: "On the second day of Stormy Daniels in the Trump Trial, defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked about her "Make America Horny" tour and whether her boyfriend of the time had thought she'd lost her mind.
As to the tour, Daniels said she hadn't named it, and didn't like the name. Questions about attacks by and apparently on the ex-boyfriend were excluded by Justice Juan Merchan.
Defense lawyer Todd Blanche, who sat chatting with Trump during many of the sidebars, ended the morning by saying he would be moving to exclude Karen McDougal's testimony - later, there was none - after again moving for a mistrial based on Daniels. Next would be Cohen
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Republic Bank Failed with Disparate Record FDIC Gave to Fulton Over OZK and Flushing
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 10 – There was a bank board of directors fight and lawsuit in Philadelphia - but otherwise unreported was the disparate lending records of the institution as issue, Republic Bank, subsidiary of Republic Bancorp.
And now the bank has failed - and been given to Fulton Financial, which as Inner City Press reported commented trying to separately fair lending from the Community Reinvestment Act:
"Fulton Financial, on which ICP has previously commented, perhaps understandably given its lending record urges 'De-couple CRA from Fair Lending... CRA and Fair Lending have complementary but different social and policy objectives. CRA ratings should not be downgraded based on the results of a bank's fair lending performance and exam results.'"
Then the FDIC to its credit release the names of other bidders, including Bank OZK, Little Rock, AR BankUnited, N.A., Miami Lakes, FL and Flushing Bank, Uniondale, NY. But it seems clear CRA was not considered at all. We'll ahve more on this.
Now see to what that view would expand to:
In Pennsylvania in 2020 Republic Bank made 613 mortgage loans to whites and only 14 to African Americans.
In New Jersey, insurgent George E. Norcross III's stomping grounds - literally - Republic Bank in 2020 made 1662 mortgage loans to whites and only 67 to African Americans, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data reseach by Fair Finance Watch finds.
Meanwhile in the court case, reviewed by SDNY-based Inner City Press: "Defendant Republic First Bancorp Inc. (“FRBK”), it is hereby ORDERED that:
1. The Parties are required to maintain the status quo ... The Court may modify Paragraph 3 of this Order at the request of any party for good cause shown, following notice to all other Parties." The order doesn't mention George Norcross - but the story does. We'll have more on this.
The case is HILL v. COHEN (E.D. Pa. 2022), 22-cv-01924 (District Judge Paul Steven Diamond)
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Fed Disappeared CRA Linkbancorp Condition on Approval Now NJ Branches out of CRA
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SOUTH BRONX, May 10 – The Federal Reserve Board in considering the proposed merger on the rebound between New York-based Link Bank and Partners Bancorp omitted at the eleventh hour - or apparently the thirteenth hour - language about a Community Reinvestment Act condition imposed by the FDIC.
Now the Fed and its Governors have been asked Why - and when.
Inner City Press and Fair Finance Watch have long exposed redlining - and in this vein, on May 6 they filed a Community Reinvestment Act challenge with the FDIC and Federal Reserve.
In October, the FDIC required from LINKBANK a plan to improve its lending to African Americans, which Inner City Press has published on its DocumentCloud here.
But Link kept spinning, issuing a press release about these partial approvals without mentioning the condition, and concluding it "remains subject to the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and other customary closing conditions. LINK anticipates closing the Merger in the fourth quarter of 2023." We asked, How do they know?
Well, they know that the Fed has boiler plate ready, ready to say it is concerned with HMDA disparities without acting on them, ready to say they conferred with the FDIC without acknowledging the condition the FDIC required.
The "Corrected" Fed approval emailed to Inner City Press on November 16 did not acknowledge the CRA condition. But the approval order first posted - and voted on?- did. We on November 16 filed:
Dear Chair Powell, Secretary Misback and others in the FRS: This is a formal request for reconsideration under 12 CFR Part 262.3(k) of the Board's "corrected" -- dropping the reference to FDIC's CRA Condition - Approval of the above-captioned applications by LINKBANCORP, Inc..
The Board's website currently says, of this order, that "Note: The initial version of this order was incorrect and inadvertently posted. A corrected version was posted on November 15, 2023."
Meanwhile, Deputy Associate Secretary Fennell's letter to me dated November 16 states that "today the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has approved the proposal." If the approval was "today" / November 16, how was it corrected on November 15? The copy emailed to us on November 16 is entitled "Corrected."
It's worse, much worse. The original (real? approved?) version of the order stated "The FDIC’s approval of the merger of Bank with the Bank of Delmarva and Virginia Partners Bank includes a condition requiring the resultant institution to develop an action plan, including a marketing plan and additional outreach, to be submitted to the FDIC for approval, for monitoring and improving the extent of home mortgage applications from, and originations to, African American applicants in the resultant institution’s assessment areas. This condition will help ensure that the resultant institution continues to help in meeting the credit needs of the African American population in the resultant institution’s assessment areas."
It is true that the FDIC imposed a CRA condition, after receiving comments from Fair Finance Watch / Inner City Press. The FDIC sent the order with condition to us and we posted it online.
So why - and when - did the Federal Reserve, which claims to have conferred with the FDIC as primary supervisor, abruptly take out of its already-posted approval order the language about the CRA condition? Was it after the Board's approval? Who decided that the CRA condition language should be removed? Why? To make it unenforceable?
The "corrected" approval order, with the CRA language removed, is said to be: "Voting for this action: Chair Powell, Vice Chair Jefferson, Vice Chair for Supervision Barr, Governors Bowman, Waller, Cook, and Kugler." When did each vote? Were they made aware of, and is each Governor responsible for, the removal of the CRA condition language?
These are clearly facts that we could not present during the official comment period, or even prior to approval (or at least, "correction"). And they militate for reconsideration, for airing to each Governor and an explanation, given the Governors' claims and statements about their commitment to CRA.
On November 21 past 5 pm, a Federal Reserve staff attorney left Inner City Press a voicemail reading a script that the Fed General Counsel - without showing even this to the Board members - determined there was nothing new in the request. But Inner City Press didn't know about the removal of the condition language until after the Fed said it approved it - it could NOT have been shown before. UNreal. And the new(ish) Governnors? What do they think or do?
We still don't know. But now LINKBANCORP is selling branches that it acquired to a credit union, American Heritage Credit Union, and thereby taking more than $100 million of deposits out from the Community Reinvestment Act. We'll stay on this
Fair Finance Watch has been reviewing LinkBank including its 2021 HMDA data not taken into account in any CRA exam and finds it troubling.
In Pennsylvania in 2021, Link Bank made 49 HMDA-reported loans to whites - and only TWO to African Americans, worse that its peers. When one expands the review to include loans beyond Pennsylvania, Link Bank's loans in 2021 to whites increase to 53, but to African Americans remains the same insufficient TWO.
Linkbank has grown more disparate since - but first, the issue of the Federal Reserve removing its own language about the FDIC's CRA condition must be addressed on this request for reconsideration, and the approval stayed.
Watch this site.
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For Attack on 3 NYPD Bickford Gets 27 Years After Pled Guilty US Wanted 50 He a Decade
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 9 – Trevor Bickford, on charges of attacking three police officers in NYC's Times Square on New Years Eve with a machete, was presented shackled in Federal court in Manhattan on February 6, 2023 Inner City Press was there.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang read Bickford the charges, then asked about bail or detention.
Not surprisingly, Bickford through his Federal Defender consented to detention - "without prejudice to making an application" for bail later.
Bickford appeared medicated, but spoke clearly when he said "Yes" to if he's seen the complaint against him. His feet and hands were chained, making it difficult to raise his hand to swear to his financial affidavit.
Bickford is 19 years old and according to the complaint began reading the Koran in May 2022, and tried to fly to Jordan to join the jihad - in Afghanistan or closer Syria - in December.
He could not get on the flight and, the complaint says, headed to Times Square on New Years Eve.
On June 6, 2023, Bickford was brought by three US Marshals before the assigned District Judge, P. Kevin Castel. His Federal Defender said she wants to move to dismiss Count 1 as duplicative (Counts 2-4 are about each police officer).
Judge Castel gave her until July 13 to make the motion, and set a September 13 next appearance.
Afterward Bickford asked if he would be back in court on July 13. He looked if anything younger than 19. In the MDC, he cannot read PDFs, his lawyer said.
On September 13, Judge Castel heard arguments on but deferred decision on the defense motion to strike either Count 1, or Counts 2-4. Inner City Press was there, thread:
Judge Castel asking who the intended victims were - military-aged men working for the government? AUSA cites Timothy McVeigh case.
AUSA: He psyched himself up by watching Al Qaeda propadanda video. Then he went to Times Square.
Judge: What about the multiplicity doctrine, or double jeopardy? That you can charge Counts 1, 2 and 3, or Court 1, but not both?
AUSA: We could carve out Officers 1-3
Courtroom note: Bickford in MDC tan is motionless as his lawyers whisper in front of him. Judge: I'll take the motion under advisement. Trial now set for March 18, 2024.
On September 26, Judge Castel ordered: "as to Trevor Thomas Bickford. Defendant Trevor Thomas Bickford moves for an Order dismissing Count One of the Indictment or, alternatively, dismissing Counts Two through Four, arguing that the four counts combined violate the doctrine of multiplicity, which is an aspect of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Defendant's motion is GRANTED to the extent that within 14 days, the government shall file with the Court a consent to the dismissal of either Count One or Counts Two through Four. The Clerk is respectfully directed to terminate the motion. (ECF 27.) (Signed by Judge P. Kevin Castel on 9/26/2023)."
On October 10, the SDNY prosecutors wrote in and dropped Count One: "Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the US Government." They will proceed on Counts 2-4.
On October 12, Judge Castel docketed: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Trevor Thomas Bickford on re: [33] Letter filed by USA...ENDORSEMENT...Count One is dismissed with prejudice."
And count 1 was not in there when Bickford pleaded guilty on January 11, 2024: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge P. Kevin Castel: Change of Plea Hearing as to Trevor Thomas Bickford held on 1/11/2024. Plea entered by Trevor Thomas Bickford Defendant changes not guilty plea and pleads guilty to Counts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Indictment. Defendant admits forfeiture order in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the Indictment. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11."
It was moved to May 9, and on April 25 the Federal Defenders wrote in to ask for a ten year sentence for Bickford, describing him saving a life in the MDC in December 2023.
On May 3, the US Attorney's Office said that 600 months - 50 years - is the minimum appropriate sentence. His TOR searches are included, and another witness statement: "our daughter is in therapy for anxiety."
On May 9 Bickford got 27 years: "TREVOR BICKFORD was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. Government and persons assisting them during his brazen attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department officers in Times Square on December 31, 2022."
Inner City Press will stay on the case.
It is US v. Bickford, 23-cr-91 (Castel)
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Two Insider Traders on Trump Media SPAC Pled now Garelick Found Guilty After Trial
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 9 – As the third of four insider trading prosecutions announced on June 29, 2023 by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, and Bruce Garelick were charged with making more than $22 million dollars in illegal profits by trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation based on MNPI about DWAC’s planned but not yet public business combination with a media company founded by former President Donald J. Trump.
On July 5, the case was assigned - wheeled out - to Judge Lewis J. Liman.
Inner City Press was there on July 20 and live tweeted, thread
On December 29 as part of omnibus pre-trial motions Shvartsman filed copies of DHS reports of investigation, including audio recordings of Shvartsman saying he would open an LLC in Belize which would buy assets... and ultimately provided funding for the 'Truth Social' media platform. It also names the agents who brought the arrested defendants to the Wilke D. Ferguson Jr. Federal Courthouse and the Marshals...
Late on March 15 Shvartsman through counsel wrote to Judge Liman alleging that the US used a Lawyer Informant to record him. Counsel identified the Zoom account used: John [at] lighthousetrust [dot] ch. A Google search of that shows a Lighthouse Trust General Counsel named John Ivsan at Linhart Seuss Ivsan LLP
More on X for Subscribers here & Substack here
On April 29, jury selection began but did not end, by 6 pm. Of 34 prospective jurors in the courtroom at 5 pm, each was summoned into the robing room for questioning, seemingly with the defendant present. Three were excused at 6 pm and the rest told to return, but not to read anything about the case.
Then this request to start anew: "during today’s voir dire one prospective juror openly reported in front of the venire that she learned from the news that “[t]here are two people pleading guilty” in connection with this case. Upon the Court’s request to speak up, the juror again stated—adding detail—that “[t]here are two people pleading guilty and [Mr. Garelick] is the third person.” Voir dire continued over Mr. Garelick’s objection." Letter on Patreon here.
On April 30, after Judge Liman dismissed some but not all of the venire, the trial began. At day's end one of Garelick's lawyers, pushed for a proffer of the defense says, named three other possible tippees.
From May 1, Inner City Press thread
On May 8, the closing arguments. Inner City Press covered them. From thread:
Assistant US Attorney: They said that Trump's Truth Social was unique and was the target of the DWAC SPAC - the defendant was supposed to keep the information confidential. You don't need to read all the complicated agreements to understand it. It's an NDA
AUSA: The defendant knew the information was under a duty of trust and confidentiality. GX 418, he emailed the DWAC team, he says Note: Some of these investors may still need to sign an NDA with you. He knew.
AUSA: He was a hedge fund portfolio manager - he knew what he had to do, and he didn't do it. He wanted to hide that he was engaged in insider trading. This is a huge deal. He committed insider trading. We have proven it.
Now defense closing argument:
Defense: Bruce stopped as soon as he thought he might be exposed to material non-public information. No witness said otherwise. None really knew Bruce. The man Andy who was on the Apprentice? Lovely guy - but he didn't know Bruce
Defense: Mark Wachter? He said he was on a Skype call, but no other interaction. The only US witness who knew Bruce was Hartley Wasco - and he praised Bruce Garelick. They are trying to prove to you that someone who has never been in trouble before did this
Defense closing (still going) Defense: If Bruce Garelick had a good faith belief that he did not have material non-public information, even if it turned out to be false, you must acquit. Yes, he failed to file forms - it wasn't top of mind. Convict him on that
Defense: Jurors, I don't get to speak to you again. The government does, with a rebuttal - because they have the burden of proof. In the jury room, please ask, What would the defense say? Is there another way to see this? Jury duty is an interesting thing
Defense: When we vote, we got into the booth alone - an individual right. Jury duty, we form a community, we share out thoughts. It's a collective effort. We do this in beautiful courtroom like this, because it's solemn [100 Centre Street next door, not so much]
Judge: Jurors, it's 12:50, we'll break.
On Garelick Judge Liman (at 5:37 pm) - The jury has left for the day. They request the cross examination of Bruce Garelick and GX 751 and 122. Please do this before you leave. Good evening. Adjourned
On May 9, the jury found Garelick guilty...
Watch this site.
This case is US v. Shvartsman, et al., 23-cr-307 (Liman)
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In Trump Trial Stormy Daniels Disclaims Name of Strip Dancing Tour as Is Shown Nasty Tweets
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
100 CENTRE ST COURT, May 9 – On the second day of Stormy Daniels in the Trump Trial, defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked about her "Make America Horny" tour and whether her boyfriend of the time had thought she'd lost her mind.
As to the tour, Daniels said she hadn't named it, and didn't like the name. Questions about attacks by and apparently on the ex-boyfriend were excluded by Justice Merchan.
Defense lawyer Todd Blanche, who sat chatting with Trump during many of the sidebars, ended the morning by saying he would be moving to exclude Karen McDougal's testimony, after again moving for a mistrial based on Daniels. It was set for 4 pm.
Necheles compared the witness' story now in 2024 to what she told InTouch magazine in 2011. Not just whether she felt threatened - then and now, she said no - but whether she and Trump had had dinner.
Where I come from, Daniels answered, you can have dinner without putting anything in your mouth.
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
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After UNOPS Corruption Exposed by Inner City Press Vanshelboim UN Appeal June 3 Deadline
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
UN GATE, May 8 – In the United Nations under Antonio Guterres, there is nothing but failure and excuses and fundraising on crises like Ukraine, Gaza, Burma, Haiti and Cameroon.
There is impunity for sexual abuse by peacekeepers and UN staff like Juan Carlos Cunillera, just "along for the ride" during the UN sex-in-the-van exposed by Inner City Press.
But now as we looked at and asked about Guterres' omission of his links to UN briber CEFC China Energy, leading to him banning the Press (and Melissa Fleming continuing the ban, not even answering a law firm's pro bono letter), on April 17, 2022 we published on other officials - including long time UNOPS operative Vitaly Vanshelboim (whom Inner City Press covered in connection with UNOPS gag orders before being banned from UN by corrupt Guterres.)
We noted that Vanshelboim's skeeze in the S3i scam of UNOPS's Grete Faremo.
While others then noted for example that a long time member of the UN Correspondents Association Gloria Starr Kins played a role in hooking up the fraud, they don't mention UNCA and their role in banning the Press.
Now, there is or might be some openness, of the UN circus:
The Applicant, a former staff member of the United Nations Office for Project Services (“UNOPS”), contests the decision to impose on him the disciplinary measures of dismissal and a fine of twelve month’s net base salary. He also contests the decision to recover from him the amount of USD63,626,806 and to withhold the release of the PF.4 form (“separation notification”) to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (“UNJSPF”) until such indebtedness is fully recovered... By email dated 24 November 2023, the Tribunal asked the parties to confirm their availability to virtually attend a Case Management Discussion (“CMD”) between 11 and 15 December 2023.
Then, after Inner City Press on December 4 published the above, the UN changed Vanshelboim's proceeding, which portend more waste of the public's funds, to "closed to the public."
And now, after the non-public proceeding, more passing of the buck: Judge Sun Xiangzhuang has assigned "the following Judges to the Three-Judge Panel to adjudicate the matter of Vanshelboim UNDT/GVA/2023/020: Judge Sun Xiangzhuang, Presiding Judge Joelle Adda Judge Sean Wallace." This is Antonio Guterres' UN: totally corrupt.
On February 1, 2024, this: "Missing documentation 11. In response to Order No. 168 (GVA/2023), the Applicant requested on 29 December 2023 that the Tribunal order the Respondent to produce the Financial Report and Board of Auditors Report for the period ending on 31 December 2020 (A/76/5/ Add. 11). According to him, the report confirms that UNOPS created a bad debt provision for its joint investments and that the cancellation of the S3i initiative was a political decision unrelated to the Applicant’s relations with Mr. David Kendrick. To support this position, the Applicant filed excerpts of said report as Annex 17. 12. The Tribunal notes, however, that document A/76/5/Add.11 is available to the public" - the horrors!
Now in May 2024, this: "16. After much discussion, the parties agreed on the following: a. The Applicant concedes that he engaged without prior approval in undisclosed outside activities that involved financial arrangements with the Kendrick entities, that he failed to report these activities as required, and that said activities could be perceived as a conflict of interest; b. The parties do not agree on the quantification of the financial arrangements between the Applicant and the Kendrick entities, but agree that any divergence in this respect is immaterial and irrelevant to the merits of this case; and c. The parties do not anticipate an evidentiary hearing and request that the matter be determined based on the written submissions and evidence on record. c. The parties shall confirm the availability of the witnesses to attend a hearing on the merits, as per paras. 18 to 21 above, by Monday, 3 June 2024; d. The Applicant shall inform the Tribunal the amount of his pension fund benefit by Monday, 3 June 2024."
Watch this site - and Vanshelboim, here:
Two (2) residential properties, Ukraine
Two (2) residential properties, jointly owned, USA
Annuity, ING, USA
Investment fund, Citi Bank, USA
Investment fund, Danske Invest, jointly owned, Denmark
So while Citibank ("Citi Bank") still does business in Russia, what are the statuses of Vanshelboim's Ukraine properties? Either way, no friend of Press freedom.
We'll have more on this.
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Flight Attendants Charges With Smuggling Cash to Dominican Republic Bailed in SDNY
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 8 – On May 9 DOJ announced the unsealing of two Complaints charging flight attendants CHARLIE HERNANDEZ, SARAH VALERIO PUJOLS, EMMANUEL TORRES, and JAROL FABIO with various offenses in connection with their years-long participation in smuggling narcotics trafficking proceeds from the United States to the Dominican Republic on commercial flights.
Inner City Press went to cover the presentment of Emmanuel Torres, before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. Thread:
Emmanuel Torres; he was arrested yesterday at 5:30 pm and has been in detention since
Judge: You have applied for publicly-funded counsel. Based on your affidavit, I approve it. You are charged in two counts: operating an unlicensed money transmission [transmittal] business, bulk cash from NY to the Dominican Republic. You evaded at JFK
[DOJ says these defendants had “Known Crewmember” status with the TSA which allowed them to pass through a special security lane at JFK... defendants smuggled approximately $8 million in bulk cash from the United States to the Dominican Republic.
Assistant US Attorney: We agree to release on $50,000 bond, mental health assessment, travel restricted at least for now to SDNY and EDNY Defense: We'd like him to travel beyond for work with pre-approval of Pre-Trial Services AUSA: The government does not object
Judge: You must surrender travel document and no new applications. Mental health evaluation and no contact with co-defendants or witnesses except in the presence of counsel. If you fail to appear in court, a warrant could be issued for your arrest....
The case is US v. Torres, et al., 24-mj-1724 (Stein)
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