This week Kevin Gosztola joined me to discuss the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower case and the possibility of a presidential impeachment. Kevin started by laying out what we know about the CIA whistleblower in question and what is in his complaint. Kevin described how the whistleblower went through the proper channels, and how this was handled by the Director of National Intelligence. We also discussed the allegations in the complaint and discussed why government employees blow the whistle in the first place. We argued that people who blow the whistle tend to believe very strongly in the construct of government and feel strongly about corruption. We also touched on how this whistleblower, as an employee of the CIA, may have viewed this conversation as an affront to the CIA’s stated goals in Ukraine. Kevin and I also looked at some of the secondary figures named in the complaint like Kurt Volker whose connections to Raytheon and NATO might have more to do with this story than meets the eye. We also discussed the possibility of impeachment and the political nature of impeachment and how this could backfire for the Democrats in the future.
This week friend of the show Kevin Gosztola of Shadowproof.com joined me to discuss the latest developments with Julian Assange. Kevin explained the charges that have been brought against Assange and the spin they have received in the media. He talked about the use of term “hacking” and why that is, in fact, an incorrect definition of what Assange has actually been charged with. Kevin also talked about Chelsea Manning who is still in jail after losing a recent appeal. Kevin also talked about the 2017 FBI affidavit which is the theory for the government’s case against Assange, should he be extradited back to the US. Kevin talked about the language used in the affidavit and its similarity to the Espionage Act. We also talked about the government’s theory that Assange aided the enemy through the publication of the Afghanistan War Logs. We discussed how this could set a dangerous precedent for all journalism. Later Kevin and I explored the larger implications of the US government’s attacks on Assange and journalism in general. We touched on the criminalization of basic journalistic practices like eliciting information from sources and protecting sources. We also talked about how this could be used against foreign and Americans journalists across the world. We closed out the first hour by talking about Ecuadorian president Moreno.
In the second hour, I talked about CIA director Gina Haspel’s recent speech and Q&A at Auburn University. I talked about Haspel as the director of the CIA and how she has differed from recent directors. I also touched on the doublespeak and doublethink used throughout her speech encouraging young people to join the intelligence services. Later I talked about comments made by the moderator Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess regarding Guantanamo Bay.
In the first hour I go solo and talk about the recent elections in Pakistan and Imran Khan’s rise to power. I talk about Khan’s political party and how they they were able to take 116 seats in Parliament and elevate Khan to Prime Minister. I discuss Khan’s colorful life as well. I also discuss my major takeaways from the election: why the military backed Khan, how Khan will interact with the Taliban going forward, and the complex relationship with China and their China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. I also address the question over whether Khan is Pakistan’s Donald Trump.
In the second hour Kevin Gosztola joins me to talk about the strange case of James A Wolfe who has been accused of lying to the FBI about conversations he had journalists. Kevin explains why the FBI is going after the former head of security for the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the larger implications behind this case. We discuss the indictment against him and the extreme measures the FBI has taken against journalist Ali Watkins. Kevin talks about Watkins career and the troubling fact that the FBI seized years worth of her phone, email, and text records. Later we talk about Watkins three year relationship with Wolfe and the nasty way in which the media has discussed this salacious aspect of the case.
In the first hour Paul Wright of the Human Rights Defense Center and Prison Legal News joins me to discuss prisoner rights. We talk about the current state of America’s 2.5 million incarcerated individuals and the tremendous hardships they face. Paul talks about the legacy of Prison Legal News and how it represents one of the only truly independent media outlets talking about the prison system. Paul discusses PLN’s fight against the Florida Department of Corrections bogus attempts to censor and ban PLN from their jails and prisons. We also discuss the reality of the private prison system, life threatening conditions due to the recent heat wave, and actions by ICE. Paul also touches on the police state we are currently in that criminalizes poverty.
In the second hour Kevin Gosztola of Shadow Proof joins me once again to discuss the Reality Winner case. Kevin breaks down Winner’s recent plea agreement which will have her serving over 5 years in federal prison. We talk about the extremely harsh sentence and what this means for whistleblowers in the future. Kevin and I talk about the media’s complete lack of coverage of Winner’s plea agreement. Kevin also talks about the governments purist of whistleblowers James Wolfe and Terry Albury. Kevin explains how Trump could build upon tools laid out by Obama, like National Insider Threat Policy, to pursue whistleblowers. We finish off by discussing why Democrats and the left are so hesitant to defend Reality Winner.
Kevin Gosztola of Shadow Proof joins me for an update on the Reality Winner case and the recent motion to suppress statements she made to the FBI. Kevin provides a quick summary of that Winner has been charged with, and the circumstances surrounding her interview/interrogation by the FBI. Kevin then provides us with his perceptive of the mood and town of Augusta, Georgia where the case is being heard. Kevin also talks about the intense security at the court house, and the difficulty he had in obtaining press credentials. We then dive into the hearing itself which lasted 5 hours. Kevin talks about what the defense brought up today and discusses the two FBI agents who were called up as witnesses. We talk about the prosecutions insane arguments, including the idea that Winner was a national security threat who might join up with the Taliban. Later Kevin and I talk about what the next steps will be for Reality Winner and the impending trial. Kevin also discusses meeting with Winners parents and traveling to her house where she was interrogated and arrested by the FBI.
Journalist Kevin Gosztola of Shadow Proof joins me for an in depth discussion of the Reality Winner whistleblowing case. We begin by recapping the case itself and who Reality Winner is. Kevin talks about Winner’s career in the Air Force and later with the NSA as a contractor. We talk about what Winner is accuses of doing: leaking a classified report on Russian hacking of voter software to The Intercept. Kevin touches on The Intercept’s sloppy handling of Winner’s information, and how this contributed to her ultimate arrest. We also discuss the political issues surrounding Winner’s leak. Kevin and I then explore provision 793(e) of the Espionage Act which is what Winner is being accused of breaking. Kevin talks about the broad interpretation that the government is using and how this is merely the latest expansion of government power to persecute whistleblowers. Kevin uses about two important historical whistleblower cases to illustrate this point: Navy Analyst Samuel Morrison, and the State Department’s Stephen Kim. We discuss how the government has criminalized the very act of leaking, and has blocked whistleblowers from arguing why they leaked said documents. We finish out the first hour by talking about the government’s bogus claims that Reality Winner is an anti-American super spy.
In the second hour Kevin and I dive into the allegations by Winner and her defense team that the FBI violated her rights during the so called “interview.” Kevin explains how this interview was in fact an interrogation. We talk about the fact that Winner was never mirandized or told that she could in fact leave whenever she wanted to, as the government maintains she had a right to do. Kevin lays out several important factors during this interrogation/interview that would lead one to believe that Winner was in fact under arrest the moment the FBI arrived. Kevin also talks about the US v Craighead case and how that applies to Winner’s motion to suppress her alleged confession. Kevin and I also touch on the broader implications of this aspect. We talk about how it puts the onus on the accused to ask for their rights from law enforcement. Kevin talks about how this motion might play out and why it is so important to Winner’s case going forward. We round out the conversation by talking about the media’s lack of coverage of Reality Winner’s case, and why she should be paying close attention to it.
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