Formerly-gagged FBI translator/whistleblower invites Congresswoman to ‘pursue facts’ of the case, use her position as member of House Intel Committee to find the truth about allegations of bribery, blackmail, nuclear espionage….
source: Brad Blog
As she had promised on Tuesday night, former FBI translator turned whistleblower Sibel Edmonds has responded to a parting shot taken at her by Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s office, concerning Edmonds’ allegations that she overheard details of a blackmail scheme directly involving the 9th-district Illinois ‘s 9th-District U.S. Congresswoman, while working on the FBI counterintelligence division’s investigation into the Turkish lobby following the 9/11 attacks.
She has now issued a formal letter to the Congresswoman, asking her to join in her “Pursuit of the Facts”, in her role as a member of the U.S. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The letter is posted in full below.
Edmonds, twice-gagged by the Bush Administration’s unprecedented use of the so-called “State Secrets Privilege”, was recently able to begin disclosing information about a massive bribery, blackmail and espionage scandal involving current and former government officials and the sale of nuclear weapons technology to the black market, when she was deposed in an Ohio Elections Commission case on August 8, 2009. The Obama Adminstration’s Dept. of Justice chose not to reinvoke the “State Secrets Privilege”, finally paving the way for Edmonds’ sworn deposition. The transcript and video of the complete, remarkable deposition can be seen here.
As part of that deposition, Edmonds detailed treasonous crimes she says were carried out by a number of current and former members of Congress, as discovered via the wiretaps of the Turkish targets. Those named by Edmonds included Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Bob Livingston (R-LA), Dan Burton (R-IN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Stephen Solarz (D-NY), Tom Lantos (D-CA, deceased).
Another married, but allegedly bisexual Democratic member of Congress was unnamed at the time, but described as having participated in a lesbian sexual affair with a woman who was, unbeknownst to the Congresswoman, a Turkish agent. The tryst, according to Edmonds, was video-taped by the Turks for possible use in a blackmail scheme, though Edmonds left the FBI before learning whether or not the Congresswoman was ever blackmailed.
As part of a bombshell cover story interview by former CIA officer Phil Giraldi, as published on Tuesday in The American Conservative magazine, Edmonds finally named the Congresswoman involved in the affair as Schakowsky, along with offering a great deal of startling insight on many of the bombshell allegations she’s been unable to speak about publicly for so many years.
Following the publication of the story, The BRAD BLOG received a formal response from Schakowsky’s office to the allegations. The Congresswoman’s spokesperson vehemently denied them all on her behalf, pointed to seemingly contradictory facts in Edmonds’ claims in order to undermine them, and disparaged her as a fantasist and conspiracy theorist. The charges, her spokeswoman Trevor Kincaid wrote, were “cut from the same cloth as the stories by ‘birthers’ that President Obama is not an American citizen.”
Edmonds quickly rebutted the response in kind, presenting additional details, noting that she has been “reporting intercepted communication of targeted operatives; more or less verbatim”, asking a number of pointed direct questions to the Congresswoman, and challenging her to a joint polygraph exam.
Rather than responding to those questions, Schakowsky’s office issued another short formal statement, describing Edmonds’ allegations as “fairytales”, “the stuff of science-fiction and absurd conspiracy theory; absent of any factual basis. Period.”
Instead of responding immediately in return late on Tuesday night, Edmonds told The BRAD BLOG that she would issue a formal response later.
All of those initial responses can be read in full here.
Edmonds’ new, formal response to Schakowsky — who currently serves as Chair of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s Subcommittee on Investigation and Oversight — follows in full below, and includes an invitation from the former FBI translator and founder of the National Security Whistleblower Coalition (NWSBC) to the Congresswoman to join her in investigating the matter…
Inviting Ms. Schakowsky to Join…
Dear Congresswoman Schakowsky:
It is an age-old tactic, when one cannot refute statements with facts, to attempt to discredit the witness. Rather than exchanging accusations, let me just go on record with facts and detailed citations.
When I became aware of incriminating evidence against high-level U.S. officials—elected and appointed—I filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and fought for five years in court. I bore tremendous cost, financially and emotionally, to make this data public. Here is the court case identification: C.A. No. 1:02CV01294 (ESH).
Few citizens have gone this far in a FOIA case to make covered-up information available to the public. No one gains financially from fighting this kind of thing in court, and I am no exception. You have called me a fantasist, but would a fabricator pay as dearly as I did to have her claims investigated?
I fought another court case to expose government criminality through key witnesses and documents. As in the FOIA case, I bore tremendous costs and was again blocked by the invocation of the State Secrets Privilege and National Security. The court case identification is Civ.No.1:02CV01448(JR)).
No other citizen has twice had the State Secrets Privilege invoked. But why would the government, with the support of congressional representatives, go to such lengths to quash, gag, and classify the files and operations in question if they were “fantasy, lies, and nonexistent” as you say?
I complied with the whistleblowing rule and took my case to the Office of the Inspector General and provided all of the information they allowed me to. They interviewed dozens of witnesses and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents in their investigation of my credibility and the validity of my case. Here is the link to their confirmation that I and my case have merit: DOJ-IG Report. Here is the redacted report that shows how our government censored more than 90% of this report to the public: Redacted DOJ-IG Report. Very few national security whistleblowers have been granted this level of validation and vindication. The Justice Department’s own Office of the Inspector General disagrees with your characterization of me and my case.
Several senior members of Congress—from both sides of the aisle–have also investigated and publicly confirmed my credibility and the grave nature of my disclosures. This is what Senator Leahy had to say: Leahy Statement. This is what Congresswoman Maloney said: Rep. Maloney Statement. Here are the assessments of Senator Lautenberg–Sen. Lautenberg Statement—and Senator Grassley–Sen. Grassley Statement. By attacking my credibility, you are also attacking your colleagues, including many on your side of the aisle. Are you accusing these senators and representatives of being fantasists too?
You have been described as a “true blue” civil libertarian, so it will surely interest you to know that the ACLU has declared me “the most gagged” person in the history of this great nation. Are you also attacking the ACLU and calling their characterization of this case a fantasy?
I have testified under oath, and my public biography will provide you with information about my educational background, financial background, and family life. I am fully aware of the consequences of perjury, and as you can see, I would have a lot to lose were that the case. I am sure you are familiar with my sworn testimony, but you can review it here. I’ve done more than my share through the courts, IG offices, Congress, and media. I don’t have your power. You sit on the House Intelligence Committee, and you are one of the members of the majority party in Congress.
Here is what you can do: Call for an investigation and a hearing before your committee on this long covered-up case. Subpoena the files and call the witnesses. Bring in retired Special Agent Gilbert Graham and have him testify on the official report and complaint he filed with the DOJ inspector general in 2002 regarding the FBI counterespionage investigations involving Turkey and Israel in which targeted US representatives were illegally wiretapped. This is not fiction. Here is the official and signed public version: SA Gilbert Graham Report.
Also bring in former FBI Counterintelligence Operations Manager & Espionage Investigator John M. Cole and have him testify under oath regarding espionage cases involving State Department officials, Pentagon officials, and Congressional members. Here is a preview of some of the information disclosed and confirmed by Agent Cole: Interview and Radio Interview.
Also bring in the sworn testimonies of current FBI special agents in the Chicago and DC field offices who dutifully and patriotically led the counterintelligence operations on Turkey and corrupt US officials, only to see their investigations blocked and covered-up. Their names are public.
Order the Justice Department to release the two main Counterintelligence Operations Files on Turkey and “US persons of interest”—one from FBI Chicago Field Office-1996-2002, the other from FBI DC Field Office-1996-2001. These will help bring out the facts regarding your story too. I have documentation supporting the existence of these files.
Recall that I did not accuse you of any criminal or espionage-related activity.
The last time I saw a similar attack on my credibility was when Dennis Hastert issued a non-denial denial to information contained in a previous magazine article. He later gave up his seat, registered himself (under FARA) as an agent for the government of Turkey, and went on to collect $35,000 per month as a foreign agent. I certainly hope you are not planning to follow his footsteps by giving up your seat and officially registering with a foreign government. It would be far better if you used your position to bring out the facts. I will be delighted to assist you.
Sibel Edmonds
The BRAD BLOG had asked Kincaid, Schakowsky’s Communication Director for a comment on whether Schakowsky might use her position as Chair of the Subcommittee on Intelligence Oversight and Investigation to hold hearings on the Edmonds’ allegations. He said he hadn’t discussed the matter with the Congresswoman at the time, and wasn’t certain whether her committee would have proper jurisdiction for this matter or not, but said he would look into it.
We will forward Edmonds’ letter to Schakowsky’s office, with an invitation to reply in full if they choose to do so. We will, of course, update this item, as well as run their complete response if they decide to issue one.
Edmond’s letter to the Congresswoman was also posted to her own website earlier this evening.
* * *
Sibel Edmonds ROCKS! What a true American Patriot. She is beautiful, inside and out!!
Looks like you are a real expert. Did you study about the topic? *lol*