DOJ abandons prosecution of Russian firm indicted in Mueller election interference probe

[iluvtennis]

U.S. Justice Dept. abandons prosecution of Russian firm indicted in Mueller election interference probe

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/us-justice-dept-abandons-prosecution-of-russian-firm-indicted-in-mueller-election-interference-probe/2020/03/16/5f7c3fd6-64a9-11ea-912d-d98032ec8e25_story.html

March 16, 2020 at 7:29 p.m. EDT
The U.S. Justice Department moved Monday to drop its two-year-long prosecution of a Russian company charged with orchestrating a social media campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The stunning reversal came weeks before the case — a spin off of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe — was to go to trial.

Assistants to U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea of Washington D.C., and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers cited an unspecified “change in the balance of the government’s proof due to a classification determination,” according to a nine-page filing accompanied by facts under seal.

Prosecutors also cited the failure of the company, Concord Management and Consulting, to comply with trial subpoenas and providing a “misleading” affidavit by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a co-defendant and the company’s founder. Prigozhin is a catering magnate and military contractor known as “Putin’s chef” because of his ties to Russian President Vladi­mir Putin.

“Upon careful consideration of all of the circumstances, and particularly in light of recent events … the government has concluded that further proceedings as to Concord.... promotes neither the interests of justice nor the nation’s security,” prosecutors Heather Alpino, Luke M. Jones, Peter Lallas, and Adam Jed wrote.

“The better course is to cease litigation” against Concord and a sister catering company, also owned by Prigozhin, the prosecutors said.

...continued at link

WTF.

[eleny]

1. Nothing like using a crisis as a shield while they pull their shit move

[iluvtennis]

3. Indeed. nt

[BootinUp]

2. i wanna say unbelieveable, but sadly we have a fucking traitor for a president. nt

[iluvtennis]

4. Exactly. nt