![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-11-at-10.32.12-AM-495x400.png)
Dear Jeff Gerth: Peter Strzok Is Not a Media Critic
Among the many things Jeff Gerth misunderstood about the press coverage about the Russian investigation is why Peter Strzok would watch it -- all of it -- closely.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-09-at-11.11.55-495x346.png)
The Thug Shaker Leaks
The trove of documents originally released on a Discord server will really undermine the trust that has been a key part of US support for Ukraine in the last 14 months.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-03-at-9.53.33-PM-495x400.png)
"Forthwithier:" Peter Navarro Attempts to Pull a Fast One on His Incriminating Use of ProtonMail
Peter Navarro has still not complied with Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's March 9 order that he turn over ProtonMail records that Navarro tried to withhold because they will incriminate him, "forthwith."
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1259px-Twitter_bird_logo_2012_Ded-30APR2022-495x400.jpg)
When Techbros' Circle Jerk Becomes a Circular Firing Squad
It is to laugh: Elmo is pissing on one of his investors because his investor's investment decided to launch a platform competing with Twitter.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-08-at-5.39.12-PM-495x400.png)
Columbia Journalism Review--and Now Columbia School of Journalism--Have a Russian Intelligence Problem
The best measure of how inadquate CJR's attempt to explain the series Jeff Gerth made making false claims about the Russian investigation is that the even made no mention of Gerth's undisclosed reliance on a Russian intelligence report of dubious reliability.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-08-at-11.05.38-495x400.png)
Elon Musk "Censors" Matt Taibbi's Post about Twitter "Censoring" the "Hunter Biden" "Laptop" Story
Yesterday, Elon Musk did to Matt Taibbi what Taibbi called an incredible scandal when Twitter throttled the NYPost story on a laptop claimed to be Hunter Biden's.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-05-at-08.46.49-495x400.png)
DC Circuit Upholds 18 USC 1512(c)(2), Sort Of
In a Florence Pan opinion that Justin Walker largely joined, the DC Circuit rejected an interpretation of 18 USC 1512(c)(2) that Carl Nichols had singularly adopted on January 6 cases. But even where Walker and Pan differ, both would uphold the majority of obstruction cases currently or potentially charged.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-07-at-12.34.46-PM-495x400.png)
Matt Taibbi Is Furious that Election Integrity Project Documented How Big Trump's Big Lie Was
Taibbi's false claims about the Election Integrity Project have little tie to actual mis- or disinformation flagged during the election. Rather, his false claims serve to discredit a systematic measure of how central Trump is to disinformation in the US.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pence-495x400.png)
The Testimony Jack Smith Gets This Week Builds on Work from Over a Year Ago
As Jack Smith gets closer to making a decision on charges against Donald Trump, pundits who previously complained about the DOJ investigation, are suggesting that the Alvin Bragg indictment newly emboldened. That's nonsense, belied by the public record.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/TheArtOfTrumping_MagritteMashup-Rayne_27SEP2019-495x400.jpg)
Trump Organization’s Other New York State Case
Another thread for more discussion about Trump's indictment as well as the possible underlying crime.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-05-at-09.32.29-495x400.png)
Did Robert Costello Inadvertently Provide New Evidence against Defendant-1?
One of the only new details in the statement of facts regarding Trump's NY indictment relates to Robert Costello.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Defendant-1-495x400.jpeg)
Defendant-1 Charged with 34 Counts of Document Falsification to Hide 2016 Crimes
Among the 34 charges is a conspiracy count that will sweep in a great deal of damning evidence.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Unknown.jpeg)
Trump Edition: What Is And What Shall Never Be
Anybody who thinks this is all cut and dried as Bragg makes it is a dope. To what extent we shall see.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Carrots_TamannaRumee-Unsplash_17JAN2023-495x400.jpg)
Three Things: Colonialist Carrotage
"What the heck is colonialist about carrots?" one might ask. An awful lot in the U.S.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-03-at-11.54.47-AM-495x398.png)
The Espionage Act Evidence WaPo Spins as Obstruction Evidence
In addition to showing that DOJ has developed additional evidence to substantiate suspicions they used to get a warrant to search Trump's beach resort, WaPo describes Jack Smith's team collecting the kind of evidence that might be used to charge individual documents as violations of the Espionage Act.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1145-Tarrio-at-Capitol-495x400.jpg)
Pride before the fall? Testimony from witnesses in seditious conspiracy trial leaves weaknesses in defense wide open
The soft underbelly of the Proud Boys defense at the seditious conspiracy trial was exposed day in, day out after a tough week in court
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-9.42.14-AM-495x400.png)
Douglass Mackey's Criminal Twitter Trolling
A jury just declared that the kind of disinformation that Matt Taibbi and Elon Musk are welcoming back on Twitter can be a crime.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Trump-Indicated-495x400.png)
Trump's People Have Attempted to Cover Up That He Cheated to Cover Up Cheating in 2016 at Least Six Times
Trump wailed last night that his "indication" was a matter of free and fair elections. He's right. It's about one of at least six efforts he and his agents have made to cover-up that he cheated to win in 2016.
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/COVID-Don.png)
Donald Trump, Accused Criminal
NYT reports that Trump has been indicted. CNN has confirmed.
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald J. Trump on Thursday for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, a historic…
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20230410184345im_/https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screen-Shot-2023-03-30-at-6.36.52-PM-495x400.png)
The Yahoos in Brazil Identified in Sergey Cherkasov's Complaint
Most of the complaint charging suspected Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov relies on evidence obtained after Cherkasov was arrested in Brazil. Where it doesn't, it nods to far more that the US Intelligence Community might know.