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From• 
To: 
Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Friday, November 13, 
2020 
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2020 11:30:33 +0000 
c
Importan 
e: Normal 
Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com.
'FBI News Briefing 
TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF 
DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020 6:30 AM EST 
TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS 
LEADING THE NEWS 
• Agencies, Cybersecurity Experts Say Election Was Most Secure In US History. 
PROTESTS 
• Attorneys Seek Bond Release For Accused In Arbery Case. 
COUNTER-TERRORISM 
• Utah Man Pleads Guilty To Impersonating ISIS Leader In Attack Plot. 
• FBI Analyst: Pittsburgh Is A "Hub" For White Supremacy. 
• Massachusetts Man On Trial For Allegedly Trying To Firebomb Jewish Elder Care Facility. 
• Accomplice Testifies Against Reputed Militia Leader In Minnesota Mosque Bombing Trial. 
• Georgia Man Charged In 9/11 Bomb Threat. 
• IS Claims Responsibility For Attack At Saudi WWI Ceremony. 
• Iran Arrests Arab Separatist Leader Suspected To Be Behind 2018 Attack. 
• Gunman Opens Fire On Saudi Embassy In The Netherlands. 
COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE 
• "Growing Number" Of GOP Senators Call For Biden To Receive PDB. 
• In Recording, Facebook CEO Defends Decision Not To Suspend Bannon. 
• Opinion: "Stolen Election" Rhetoric Could Unleash Wave Of Violence. 
• Wisconsin Official Says There Still Isn't Evidence Of Election Fraud. 
• Former Ohio State Researcher Pleads Guilty To Lying About Chinese Ties. 
• Cleveland Clinic Physician Charged With Taking Research To China. 
• Chinese Professor Accused Of Stealing Trade Secrets For Huawei To Plead Guilty. 
• House And Senate Poised To Extend Trump-Era Investigations. 
• CNN: Internal White House Debate Over Fate Of Haspel. 
• Independent Investigation Finds Bonanza Media Is A Russian Disinformation Project. 
• UC Global Spied On Assange For Ecuadorian Intelligence, Says Ex Manager. 
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS 
• US Charges South Carolina Inmate With Trying To Hire Hitman To Kill Prosecutor. 
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• Documents Show Alleged Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Ringleader Planned To Take Hostages At Capitol 
Building. 
• FBI Arrests California Man For Hate Crime Attack On Restaurant. 
• Alaska Man Arrested With Large Amounts Of Drugs. 
• Another Defendant Pleads Guilty In New Jersey Drug Trafficking Case. 
• US Charges Four In Missouri Murder-For-Hire Plot. 
• Pennsylvania Woman Gets 13 Months In Prison For Drug Trafficking. 
• Marijuana-Related Search Warrant Operation Conducted In Arizona. 
• FBI Arrests Woman In Connection To Bank Robberies In Utah, Arizona. 
• FBI Investigating Minnesota Robbery. 
• North Carolina Jury Convicts Foreign National Of Sexual Abuse. 
• Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Missing Colorado Woman. 
• FBI Search Colorado Home In Connection To 2016 Disappearance. 
• New York Sex Offender Charged With Child Pornography Possession. 
• Iowa Man Sentenced For Child Pornography. 
FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS 
• Attorney For Cincinnati Councilman Charged In Bribery Scheme To Hold Press Conference Today. 
• US Arrests Nine Californians On Money Laundering Charges. 
• US Charges California Man With Wire Fraud, Identity Theft. 
• Former Philadelphia Officials, Contractor's Employee Charged With Embezzlement. 
• Plea Hearing For Ex-Michigan Prosecutor Moved Again Due To Coronavirus. 
• New Hampshire Attorney Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering, Wire Fraud. 
CYBER DIVISION 
• Two DHS Officials Reportedly "Forced To Resign"; Krebs "Expects To Be Fired." 
• Commerce Department Will Delay Enforcement Of TikTok Shutdown Order. 
• Israeli Cybersecurity Firm Finds New Type Of Iranian Ransomware. 
• Finland Prepares Change To Code Law After Hacking Case. 
• NSA Grant To Help Two Indiana Campuses Expand Cybersecurity Programs. 
LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES 
• Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department Assigns Officer To FBI Gun Violence Task Force. 
• WPost: Voters Usher In "New Phase Of Drug Policy." 
OTHER FBI NEWS 
• DO) Report: Acosta Engaged In No Misconduct When He Agreed To Epstein Plea Deal. 
• Ramsey Tapped As New Portland, Oregon SAC. 
OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS 
• Media Analyses: Trump Silent On Pandemic, "Largely Out Of Sight," As Election Challenges Continue. 
• Agreement Reached With Pharmacies To Provide Free COVID Vaccinations. 
• Fauci Says Working With Administration Has Been "Stressful." 
• Fauci: Lockdown Can Be Avoided. 
• Birx Urges Tighter Restrictions, Guidance Adherence. 
• US COVID Infections Topped 150K Thursday; States See Surge In Hospitalizations. 
• California Cities Reimpose Restrictions As State Reaches Millionth COVID Case. 
• Upper Midwest, Plains States See COVID Cases Rising. 
• Chicago Mayor Issues Stay-At-Home Advisory. 
• NYC Schools Seen As Likely To Close Again Amid Resurgence Of COVID. 
• Health Officials Encouraging Extra COVID Precautions For Holidays. 
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• Clinical Laboratories Warn COVID Testing May Be Delayed. 
• Lewandowski Tests Positive For COVID. 
• Ivanka Trump, Kushner Withdrew Children From School After White House Outbreak. 
• Alaska Congressman Tests Positive For COVID. 
• WSJournal: Delaware COVID Settlement Allows Churches To Be Treated Neutrally. 
• WSJournal: Biden's COVID Team Would Push For Lockdowns. 
• Administration Leaving Stimulus Talks To McConnell As Pelosi, Schumer Signal No Compromise. 
• Federal Judge Schedules Conference On Trump Defamation Suit. 
• At Least Four Dead As Eta Moves Through Southeast. 
• Appeals Court Upholds Harvard Affirmative Action Ruling. 
• Deputy AG Rosen Reportedly Blocked Charges Against Zinke. 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
• Chinese Government Stopping Taiwan's Participation In WHO Meeting. 
• Prime Minister Says Japan Does Not Need To Declare COVID State Of Emergency. 
• Germany, France See Slowing Of COVID Cases, But Hospitals Remain Crowded. 
• South Africa Opens To Foreign Visitors. 
• US Allies In Iraq Said To Fear Targeting By Iran. 
• NYTimes Analysis: Syrian Refugees Resist Return Under Current Leadership. 
• NYTimes Analysis: Afghan Officials Do Not Expect Biden To Stop Trump's Troop Withdrawal. 
• Five Americans, Two Others Killed In Crash Of Peacekeeping Force Helicopter In Sinai. 
• Pompeo To Visit Golan Heights, West Bank Israeli Settlement. 
• Wolf Planning To Visit Several Latin American Countries In Early December. 
• Russian Military Operations Off Coast Of Alaska Impact Private US Ships. 
• Hong Kong Legislature Opens Without Pro-Democracy Lawmakers. 
• EU Plans Pro-LGBTQ Policies In Response To Hungary And Poland. 
• Researchers Conclude World "Already Past A Point Of No Return For Global Warming." 
• NYTimes Analysis: Nobel Peace Prize Repeatedly Awarded To Dubious Winners. 
THE BIG PICTURE 
• Headlines From Today's Front Pages. 
WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE 
• Today's Events In Washington. 
LEADING THE NEWS 
Agencies, Cybersecurity Experts Say Election Was Most Secure In US History. 
The AP (11/12, Tucker; Bajak) reports, "A coalition of federal and state officials said Thursday 
that they have no evidence that votes were compromised or altered in last week's presidential 
election." Their comments reject "unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud advanced by 
President Donald Trump and many of his supporters." A statement distributed by a group led by 
CISA said, "While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for 
misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost 
confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too." The statement 
added, "When you have questions, turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they 
administer elections." It "echoed repeated assertions by election experts and state officials over 
the last week that the election unfolded smoothly without broad irregularities." 
USA Today (11/12, Johnson, 10.31M) reports that the group of agencies, which included 
the National Association of State Election Directors, "issued what appeared to be a definitive 
coda to the 2020 vote." The statement "offered a decidedly different message than that 
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delivered last month" by DNI Ratcliffe, "who abruptly announced that that voter registration 
information had been obtained by Iran and Russia in an attempt to undermine confidence in the 
2020 election." Ratcliffe also "said that Russia has obtained voter information just as the 
Kremlin had done in when it interfered in the 2016 election." 
The New York Times (11/12, Sanger, Stevens, Perlroth, 18.61M) reports that the 
statement came "directly from one of Mr. Trump's own cabinet agencies." It "also came as a 
previously unified Republican Party showed signs of cracking on the question of whether to 
keep backing the president." Senate Republicans have "insisted that Mr. Biden should at least 
be given access to the President's Daily Brief," their call amounting "to an acknowledgment that 
Mr. Biden will be declared the victor in the election." Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) said, "I think they 
do need to know some things, and national security would be one of them." 
The Washington Post (11/12, Itkowitz, 14.2M) reports that the statement from security 
agencies "comes on the heels of reporting earlier in the day by Reuters that Christopher Krebs, 
the head of the CISA, expected to be fired over his efforts to debunk misinformation about 
voting fraud." Krebs has "retweeted an election law expert who called out Trump for spreading 
misinformation." Center for Election Innovation & Research Executive Director David Becker 
wrote, "Please don't retweet wild and baseless claims about voting machines, even if they're 
made by the president. These fantasies have been debunked many times." 
Axios (11/12, Chen, 521K) reports that the Election Infrastructure Government 
Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee wrote, "There is no evidence that any voting 
system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised." The statement 
"acknowledged 'opportunities for misinformation' and urged voters to seek out election officials 
as 'trusted voices." 
Reuters (11/12) reports, "The groups, the Election Infrastructure Government 
Coordinating Council Executive Committee (GCC) and the Election Infrastructure Sector 
Coordinating Council (SCC), said the election was the most secure in U.S. history." CISA's 
"Rumor Control" website "debunks misinformation about the election," and CISA Director Krebs 
"has told associates he expects to be fired, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters." 
The Washington Times (11/12, Lovelace, 492K) reports that among the parties issuing the 
statement are "members such as CISA assistant director Bob Kolasky, U.S. Election Assistance 
Commission chair Benjamin Hovland, and National Association of Secretaries of State president 
Maggie Toulouse Oliver, among several others." , 
Also reporting are NBC News (11/12, 6.14M), the Daily Beast (11/12, 1.39M), the New 
York Times (1 and 2), Bloomberg (11/13, Sebenius, 4.73M), Axios (11/12, 521K), NPR (11/12, 
Wise, 3.12M), Federal Computer Week (11/12, 263K), and Newsweek (11/12, Grzeszczak, 
1.53M). 
PROTESTS 
Attorneys Seek Bond Release For Accused In Arbery Case. 
On ABC World News TonightVi (11/12, story 7, 1:30, Muir, 6.57M), Adrienne Banker reported, 
"Tonight, attorneys for two of the men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery seeking the 
release of the father and son on bond." Greg and Travis McMichael were "seen chasing Arbery 
before Travis fatally shot the 25-year-old after spotting him running in their Brunswick, Georgia 
neighborhood, in what they told police as an attempted citizen's arrest of a suspected burglar." 
Travis McMichael's friends testified "that he is remorseful," with attorneys "citing his service in 
the Coast Guard" and "saying this was no hate crime." Travis McMichael's attorney, Bob Rubin, 
said, "We have substantial evidence that on the day in question, Mr. Arbery was not a jogger. 
He was there for nefarious purposes." The attorneys "are asking the judge to reject the 
indictments' malice murder charge...saying it was written in such a way that it actually charges 
two crimes in one count." The hearing resumes on Friday morning. 
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COUNTER-TERRORISM 
Utah Man Pleads Guilty To Impersonating ISIS Leader In Attack Plot. 
The Salt Lake On Tribune (11/12, Pierce, 224K) reports, "A Utah man arrested in August 2019 
has pleaded guilty to trying to help the Islamic State terrorist organization carry out bomb 
attacks." Murat Suljovic, 23, of Salt Lake City, "pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count 
of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. 
According to court documents, Suljovic admitted that in January 2019, while he was living in 
Utah, he corresponded with two people he believed were members of the Islamic State, also 
known as ISIS, and that he believed they were planning to carry out an attack. The two people 
were members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force." 
KUTV-TV Salt Lake City (11/12, Stauffer, 445K) reports, "Suljovic admitted to 
corresponding with an individual, identified as Person A in court documents, who he believed 
was a follower of ISIS, according to the plea agreement. The correspondence occurred in 
January 2019 while Suljovic was living in Utah. He reportedly admitted to believing Person A 
was interested in performing an attack for ISIS and that he would help another individual, 
referred to as Person B, who was also interested in performing an attack for ISIS, the plea 
agreement stated. Suljovic said during his correspondence with Person A, he pretended to be 
an ISIS leader online and that the two people believed he was an ISIS leader." The plea 
agreement "states Suljovic provided advice about potential targets for a terrorist attack and 
planning the attack. He also provided a bomb-making tutorial video to Person A that was meant 
to be shared with Person B for training and assisting with an attack." 
KTVX-TV Salt Lake City (11/12, Gardiner) reports, "Documents state Suljovic provided 
advice about potential targets for a terrorist attack on how to plan an attack. He also provided 
a bomb-making tutorial video to one individual who was then supposed to share it with another 
person to be trained in carrying out an attack. By providing the bomb-making tutorial video, 
Suljovic admitted he knowingly attempted to provide material support to ISIS, knowing that 
ISIS has engaged and does engage in terrorism. Suljovic was charged with providing material 
support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in a Felony Information filed in May. As 
part of his plea deal, Suljovic agreed to forfeit computer and electronic equipment used to 
facilitate his criminal conduct or acquired from his conduct." 
FBI Analyst: Pittsburgh Is A "Hub" For White Supremacy. 
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11/12, Ove, 616K) reports, "Pittsburgh is a focal point for white 
supremacy and extremists, an FBI analyst said Thursday at a symposium on domestic 
terrorism. `Our area has become a hub. It's important to understand that it is here; said John 
Pulcastro, a supervisory analyst at the Pittsburgh FBI. In fact, he said the movement is as 
strong here as any other place in the country he has studied in 20 years, including the Pacific 
Northwest, a hotbed for supremacists." The Post-Gazette adds, "Extremist groups are active 
here in holding events and recruiting. As an example, he said 100 members of a neo-Nazi 
group called the Patriot Front marched down the Boulevard of the Allies on the weekend. Their 
motto, `Conquer or Die; makes their ideology clear, he said. Another catch-phrase, `Blood and 
Soil,' is aimed at making America a white country only, with refugees seen as invaders, Mr. 
Pulcastro said." 
Massachusetts Man On Trial For Allegedly Trying To Firebomb Jewish Elder Care 
Facility. 
The Springfield (MA) Republican (11/12, Barry, 395K) reports from Springfield, Massachusetts, 
"The plan was `simple, speedy and dangerous; a federal prosecutor said of John Rathbun's 
alleged attempt to set off a crudely made firebomb at a Jewish elder care complex." According 
to the Republican, "Police and fire officials on the morning of April 2 found a partially filled 
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yellow gas container with a charred Christian church pamphlet in its spout. It was perched near 
a tree on Converse Street in Longmeadow, just outside the campus, when the Longmeadow 
Fire Department responded to a call for a 'suspicious package: A grand jury indicted Rathbun, 
36, of East Longmeadow, on two charges connected to placing an explosive device to cause 
harm and destruction, plus lying to FBI agents. His trial began Thursday in U.S. District Court in 
Springfield." 
Accomplice Testifies Against Reputed Militia Leader In Minnesota Mosque Bombing 
Trial. 
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (11/12, Mannix, 1.04M) reports, "The three men drove through 
the night in a rented pickup truck with a bag full of automatic rifles in the back seat, and after 
10 hours on the road Michael Hari revealed the objective of their trip. 'We're going to go to 
Minnesota and we're going to bomb a mosque,' Hari told them, according to Michael 
McWhorter's testimony in St. Paul's federal courthouse on Thursday morning. It was about 4 
a.m. on Aug. 5, 2017, and the three men were an hour away from Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center 
in Bloomington." McWhorter, "one of the passengers in the truck, is a star witness for the 
prosecution in the domestic terrorism trial of Hari, which began Monday. McWhorter pleaded 
guilty in January 2019 to two federal charges related to the bombing of the mosque." 
Georgia Man Charged In 9/11 Bomb Threat. 
WTOC-TV Savannah, GA (11/12, Bauman, 22K) reports from Savannah, Georgia, "A Vidalia 
man is facing charges after investigators say he called in a bomb threat to a building at the Port 
of Savannah." Elliot Sherman, 32, "is charged with Explosive Materials-Willfully Making a 
Threat. The indictment reports that Sherman is accused of calling the California Cartage CFS 2 
building on September 11. Sherman was assigned to the facility by his employer. 'Calling in a 
bomb threat, even as a hoax, wastes resources, disrupts commerce and terrifies potential 
threatened victims,' said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. 'That's why the 
FBI takes them seriously and the penalties are severe." 
WTGS-TV Savannah, GA (11/12, Papadimas) reports from Savannah, "U.S Attorney for 
the Southern District of Georgia, Bobby Christine, said the charge carries a possible penalty of 
up to 10 years in prison, substantial penalties and a supervised release period. 'Bomb threats, 
whether real or hoax, are dangerous and disruptive to work environments,' said U.S. Attorney 
Christine. 'This one was especially inexcusable as it was made on the anniversary of the Sept. 
11, 2001 terrorist attacks." WTGS-TV adds, "According to the indictment, the DO) said 
Sherman is accused of calling a bomb threat to the California Cartage CFS 2 building on Sept. 
11, 2020. Officials said Sherman is assigned to the building by his employer." 
IS Claims Responsibility For Attack At Saudi WWI Ceremony. 
The AP (11/12) reports, "The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Thursday for the 
explosion the previous day at a cemetery in Saudi Arabia." IS "primarily targeted French 
diplomats attending the ceremony in remembrance of the end of World War I." The attack in 
Jiddah "wounded three people, leaving them with light to minor injuries." The terrorist group 
"primarily targeted the French consul attending the ceremony because of his country's 
publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad." IS's news agency, Aamaq, "said other 
European countries at the ceremony were also considered targets because they are part of the 
international coalition fighting Islamic State militants." 
Iran Arrests Arab Separatist Leader Suspected To Be Behind 2018 Attack. 
Reuters (11/12) reports, "Iran's intelligence ministry has arrested an Iranian ethnic Arab 
separatist leader suspected of involvement" in a 2018 terrorist attack, according to state 
television. The Ahvaz National Resistance "claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 25 
people, almost half of them members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards." Iranian state TV 
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said, "Farajollah Chaab, the leader of the separatist group, has been arrested by Iran's 
intelligence ministry agents." The report added, "Chaab has planned several other major 
attacks in Tehran and Khuzestan province in recent years...he has recently been planning to 
launch a new terrorist operation that failed with the efforts of the intelligence ministry agents." 
Gunman Opens Fire On Saudi Embassy In The Netherlands. 
The New York Times (11/12, Erdbrink, 18.61M) reports that according to local police officials, at 
least one gunman opened fire at the Saudi Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands at 6 a.m. on 
Thursday. No injuries were sustained in the "rare attack...and it was not immediately clear 
whether the shooting was related to" the attack on a World War I commemoration attended by 
European officials in Saudi Arabia the day prior. The Times says that Dutch Prime Minister Mark 
Rutte "has voiced strong support for France in the aftermath of the beheading of a teacher by 
an Islamist extremist," setting the two countries "apart from the United States and other 
Western democracies" and stoking "anger in Muslim countries." 
The Wall Street Journal (11/12, Abdulaziz, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that 
Dutch police announced the arrest of a 40-year-old man from Zoetermeer in connection with 
the incident. Riyadh called the attack "cowardly," and has encouraged its citizens in the 
Netherlands to practice caution. 
COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE 
"Growing Number" Of GOP Senators Call For Biden To Receive PDB. 
On ABC World News TonightVI (11/12, story 3, 2:55, Muir, 6.57M), Muir said a "growing 
number of Republican senators...say it's time to start giving [Bider') the intelligence briefings 
incoming presidents get to keep this country safe." ABC's Jonathan Karl: "There are signs 
tonight Republican support for the President's give-no-ground posture is crumbling. While most 
Republican senators have yet to acknowledge have yet to concede Joe Biden won the election, a 
growing number are now saying it's time for Biden to receive the classified intelligence briefings 
normally given to a president-elect." Sen. James Lankford (R-OK): "If that's not occurring by 
Friday, I will step in as well to be able to push and to say this needs to occur so that regardless 
of the outcome of the election, whichever way that it goes, people can be ready for that actual 
task." Karl: "All told, at least 10 Republican senators, including Trump loyalist Lindsey Graham, 
said it's time for Biden to get those intel briefings." 
Tracy reported on the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/12, story 5, 2:20, O'Donnell, 4.06M), "The 
President's firewall of Republican support is starting to crack. ... Several Republican senators, 
including Ted Cruz, now say Biden should have access to the presidential daily intelligence 
briefings, something the White House has not provided." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): "For the sake of 
protecting the country, you want whoever is going to assume that office to be aware of the 
significant threats, because the first responsibility of any president is to keep the American 
people safe." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/12, story 4, 0:25, Holt, 4.9M), Jackson similarly said 
Trump's "red wall of Republican support is showing some cracks. More GOP lawmakers now say 
[Bider') should get access to classified information, briefings being blocked right now by the 
Trump Administration." 
The AP (11/11, Riechmann) reports Trump is not allowing Biden access to the President's 
Daily Brief, the "ultra-secret daily brief of the nation's most sensitive intelligence," and "national 
security and intelligence experts hope Trump changes his mind, citing the need for an incoming 
president to be fully prepared to confront any national security issues on Day One." Politico 
(11/12, Levine, Desiderio, 4.29M) reports Lankford "noted that in 2000, then-President Bill 
Clinton allowed George W. Bush to begin receiving presidential-level intelligence briefings 
during the recount in Florida." According to Politico, Lankford "added that he plans to question 
the government agency responsible for jump-starting the transition process if a certification is 
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not made by Friday." The New York Daily News (11/12, McAuliff, Sommerfeldt, 2.52M) reports 
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) "echoed Lankford in saying that the president should break the logjam 
and allow Biden access to national security briefings since he might `win in the end." 
USA Today (11/12, King, 10.31M) reports "prominent and powerful Republicans are 
signaling that Joe Biden should be treated as the next president," with senators saying "they 
see no issue with Biden receiving the same daily intelligence briefings Trump is getting." Sen. 
Charles Grassley (R-IA) "said he had `no problem' letting Biden have access to the briefings," 
and several others, "including some of the president's most ardent allies" like Graham and Sen. 
Josh Hawley (R-MO), "quickly followed suit." CNN (11/12, Raju, Barrett, 83.16M) reports Acting 
SSCI Chair Marco Rubio (R-FL) said, "You don't lose any of your rights in court by making 
available to a potential successor the information they would need if in fact it goes in that 
direction. In all those domestic issues, you might have a few weeks or months. But on national 
security, our adversaries don't wait for presidents to catch up." The New York Times (11/12, 
Sanger, Stevens, Perlroth, 18.61M) quotes Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) as saying, "I don't think they 
need to know everything. I think they do need to know some things, and national security 
would be one of them." The Hill (11/12, Carney, 2.98M) reports that Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) 
said, "I think it is very much in our national interest to have the president-elect receiving 
information." 
The Washington Post (11/12, Sonmez, DeBonis, 14.2M) also reports that "an increasing 
number of Senate Republicans" say Biden "should be granted access to classified briefings 
during the presidential transition, an acknowledgment of the election results despite President 
Trump's insistence that he will win." Senate Majority Whip Thune told CNN. "I think that it 
probably makes sense to prepare for all contingencies. And as these election challenges play 
out in court, I don't have a problem with, and I think it's important from a national security 
standpoint, continuity." 
Asked on Fox News' Fox and Friends First (11/12, 483K) about whether the Administration 
is considering giving Biden access to the President's Daily Brief, McEnany said, "All laws are 
being followed with regard to an expected transition, though we expect to continue on as the 
Trump Administration. We will see how our litigation goes." 
CBS News (11/12, Quinn, 3.68M) reports that ODNI "said earlier this week it would not 
have contact with Mr. Biden's transition team until notified by the head of the GSA, who 
ascertains the likely successful candidate in the election. But the administrator of the GSA, 
Emily Murphy, has not yet determined Mr. Biden as the apparent next president, leaving in 
limbo millions of federal dollars to support the transition, government resources and Mr. Biden's 
access to high-level intelligence briefings." Still, Biden "has received lower-level intelligence 
briefings since formally becoming the Democratic nominee in August." 
However, ABC News (11/12, Bruggeman, 2.97M) reports that "experts said the 
intelligence community is not beholden to the GSA `ascertainment: David Priess, a former 
intelligence briefer and author of `The President's Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of 
Intelligence Briefings to America's Presidents,' said briefings could begin `independent of the 
GSA decision' at the direction of the Director of National intelligence or, of course, the 
president." Priess added, "The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 and its updates do not 
mention the President's Daily Brief (PDB) or intelligence briefings for the president-elect. The 
custom of allowing the president-elect to see the PDB is just that— a custom — and it's 
something the president can do, or refuse to do, at his discretion." 
Meanwhile, Politico (11/12, Bertrand, 4.29M) reports that "a group of more than 150 
former national security officials who served under [Trump] and other Republican and 
Democratic administrations is warning that the government's delay in recognizing" Biden's 
victory "poses a `serious risk to national security." 
Also reporting on the PDB issue are Axios (11/12, Arias, 521K), the Wall Street Journal 
(11/12, Peterson, Wise, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Bloomberg (11/12, Dennis, 4.73M), 
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Reuters (11/12, Cornwell, Chiacu, Lewis), the Washington Times (11/12, Sherfinski, Meier, 
492K), and NPR (11/12, Grisales, 3.12M), among others. 
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times (11/12, Sanger, Stevens, Perlroth, 18.61M), 
"Deprived of access to secure government communications by the Trump administration, Mr. 
Biden's team of more than 500 former officials and outside experts has embraced workarounds, 
talking over encrypted apps like Signal to shield their conversations from the Chinese, meeting 
in outdoor coffee shops with government officials they once worked alongside." The Times adds, 
"The conversations are circumspect, both because of rules on both sides limiting how much 
information Mr. Biden's team can seek and how much executive branch officials are allowed to 
say." 
In Recording, Facebook CEO Defends Decision Not To Suspend Bannon. 
Reuters (11/12, Paul) reports Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg "told an all-staff meeting on 
Thursday that former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon had not violated enough of the 
company's policies to justify his suspension when he urged beheading" Fauci and FBI Director 
Wray, "according to a recording heard by Reuters." Zuckerberg said, "We have specific rules 
around how many times you need to violate certain policies before we will deactivate your 
account completely. ... While the offenses here, I think, came close to crossing that line, they 
clearly did not cross the line." Facebook "removed the video but left up Bannon's page," while 
Twitter "banned Bannon last week over the same content." 
BuzzFeed News (11/12, Mac, Silverman) reports, "Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told 
employees on Thursday that the Democratic nominee 'is going to be our next president." 
Zuckerberg added, "It's important that people have confidence that the election was 
fundamentally fair, and that goes for the tens of millions of people that voted for Trump." The 
CEO's comments "signify that he believes in the legitimacy of the result," and criticized "people 
claiming that a Biden victory would be overturned." Zuckerberg said "it's...quite unhelpful that 
people out there are raising expectations that there is going to be a different outcome than 
from what was projected." 
Opinion: "Stolen Election" Rhetoric Could Unleash Wave Of Violence. 
Albert Hunt, former executive editor of Bloomberg News, writes in an op-ed in The Hill (11/12, 
2.98M) that white power expert Kathleen Belew "fears Donald Trump's refusal to accept the 
election results may be inciting violence." The claim "that the presidential election was 'stolen' 
will likely become a rallying cry for the Trump base." Belew, a history professor at the University 
of Chicago, "dismisses the notion that this often is a 'lone wolf' problem." She told Hunt, "These 
militant fringe groups are much more directly connected than is appreciated. ... They share a 
lot of ideas." FBI Director Wray "has said these white power groups are a greater danger than 
the left-wing anarchists oft cited by President Trump and Attorney General William Barr." Hunt 
concludes the claims of a "stolen election" not only undermine "confidence in our Democratic 
system, but...could also threaten to unleash a dangerous wave of violence." 
Wisconsin Official Says There Still Isn't Evidence Of Election Fraud. 
The Washington Post (11/12, Bauer, 14.2M) reports, "There remained no evidence of any 
wrongdoing, fraud or irregularity in Wisconsin's presidential election on Thursday," according to 
officials. Counties in the state are working "to wrap up the certification of their votes and their 
estimates of how much it would cost to recount them." Wisconsin's top elections official, 
Meagan Wolfe, said, "It's rare to see any sort of significant changes." She added, "There's 
always minor errors. ... We're certainly not seeing anything unusual." Discussing why the 
process may look different this year, Wolfe cited the "counting of provisional ballots that came 
in after Election Day." 
Former Ohio State Researcher Pleads Guilty To Lying About Chinese Ties. 
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Ohio State University - The Lantern (11/12) reports, "A former Ohio State researcher and 
professor pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday for making false claims to federal authorities 
as part of an investigation into his ties to China." Song Guo Zheng "was charged in July for 
using more than $4.1 million in federal grants to funnel research back to China to help the 
country develop expertise in rheumatology and immunology. He was also charged with making 
false statements about being employed in China at the same time as he was employed at U.S. 
universities, including Ohio State, according to a press release from the U.S. Southern District 
of Ohio Attorney General's Office." 
Cleveland Clinic Physician Charged With Taking Research To China. 
WEWS-TV Cleveland (11/12) reports, "An FBI investigation into a former Cleveland Clinic 
doctor's ties to China includes a Chinese government program that allegedly recruits 
professionals with access to foreign technology and intellectual property. 'We're opening up a 
brand-new investigation every day; says Cleveland FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith." Dr. 
Qing Wang "was arrested last May after the FBI filed a probable cause affidavit charging him 
with false claims and wire fraud related to $3 million in compensation from a Chinese university 
that the FBI alleges Wang failed to disclose while receiving $3.6 million in taxpayer-funded 
grants at the same time. A federal grand jury investigation into Wang remains on hold while the 
COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the case from being presented." 
Chinese Professor Accused Of Stealing Trade Secrets For Huawei To Plead Guilty. 
The Bloomberg (11/12, 4.73M) reports, "A Chinese professor accused of stealing trade secrets 
for Huawei Technologies Co. will plead guilty to a reduced charge and be allowed to return to 
China, lawyers told a US judge on Thursday." Bo Mao, "a computer science professor at Xiamen 
University in China and a visiting professor at the University of Texas, will admit to a single 
count of making a false statement. US prosecutors will dismiss more serious counts of 
conspiracy and trade-secrets theft, they said at a hearing Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn, 
New York. The case, initiated last year, was part of a series of moves against Huawei by the 
Trump administration, which has portrayed the Chinese telecoms giant as a national security 
threat. Mao was initially held without bail in a federal lock-up. The plea is a setback in the 
federal government's battle against what it alleges is trade-secret theft by Chinese technology 
companies." 
House And Senate Poised To Extend Trump-Era Investigations. 
Politico (11/12, Cheney, Desiderio, 4.29M) says President Trump "will be a private citizen in 
January. But Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are poised to carry on the investigations 
and legal battles that helped define his presidency." Politico says that in the House, Democrats 
are "still in court fighting to obtain Trump's financial records and testimony from his first White 
House counsel Don McGahn, a key figure in the obstruction of justice case against Trump." 
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans are "plotting ways to expand and intensify their 
investigations targeting the former Obama administration" and Joe and Hunter Biden, "with 
Senate Republicans saying they will use the lame duck period to ramp up their probes." 
Opinion: Prosecutors May Accelerate Hunter Biden Probe During Lame Duck 
Period. Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington 
University, writes in an op-ed in The Hill (11/12, 2.98M) that prosecutors involved in the Russia 
and Hunter Biden probes "may now face pressure to move faster in the final two months of the 
administration." Former Vice President Biden has "dismissed the probe as an `investigation of 
the investigators." The Russia investigation "could result in new evidence," and could "shed 
light on how the initial Russia investigation started and was sustained." Investigations "could 
set the investigations into the amber of the lame duck as insurance against interference from 
the next administration." 
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CNN: Internal White House Debate Over Fate Of Haspel. 
CNN (11/12, Cohen, Collins, Salama, 83.16M) reports that while some GOP lawmakers have 
"publicly defended" CIA Director Haspel, "outside of Capitol Hill, there are conflicting views 
about whether Trump should follow through with his threat to oust Haspel, and competing 
factions within the administration are lobbying the President accordingly." National Security 
Adviser Robert O'Brien, among others, has urged the President not to dismiss Haspel, but 
"several people inside the White House are pushing for her removal." A person "familiar with 
the situation" says that some Trump advisers "believe Haspel has been `insubordinate' to both 
the President and" DNI Ratcliffe, "arguing she routinely circumvents the chain of command to 
further her own agenda and that of the CIA." 
Independent Investigation Finds Bonanza Media Is A Russian Disinformation Project. 
A Bellingcat WS). (11/12) investigation "has discovered evidence that Bonanza Media" is a 
"disinformation project working in coordination with Russia's military intelligence." Bellingcat 
has not yet "established conclusively whether" the GRU "was behind the initial launch and 
funding of the Bonanza Media project." However, the investigative platform "established that 
shortly after it was launched, senior members of the GRU entered into direct and regular 
communication with the project leader." The significance of the findings is the "potential role of 
Bonanza Media as a source of evidence in the ongoing criminal trial over the downing of flight 
MH17 in 2014." The outlets authenticated "emails from the mailboxes of two senior GRU officers 
obtained by a Russian hacktivist group." It also reviewed "phone call logs of these two GRU 
officers independently obtained by us from whistle-blowers with access to Russian telecoms 
data." 
UC Global Spied On Assange For Ecuadorian Intelligence, Says Ex Manager. 
Computer Weekly (11/12, Goodwin) reports that UC Global, "the company accused of spying on 
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the Embassy of Ecuador," acted "on the orders of Ecuador's 
intelligence services." Michel Wallemacq, the firm's former head of operations, gave "evidence 
to a Spanish court investigating claims the UC Global's founder David Morales ordered video 
and audio surveillance of meetings between Julian Assange and visitors, including lawyers, 
doctors and journalists." Two former UC Global staff members "have claimed in anonymous 
witness statements that the company's founder supplied surveillance footage and audio 
recordings to 'American friends, which were passed on to the CIA." 
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS 
US Charges South Carolina Inmate With Trying To Hire Hitman To Kill Prosecutor. 
The Columbia (SC) State (11/12, Monk, 390K) reports from Columbia, South Carolina, "A plot 
by an inmate at the Edgefield County federal prison to hire a hit man to kill a federal prosecutor 
has been foiled, a complaint made public Thursday charged." Richard Gilbert, 49, "an inmate 
who was incarcerated at the Edgefield Federal Correctional Institute, a medium security facility, 
tried to hire a contract killer to do away with a federal prosecutor and the key witness in a 
Kentucky drug case in which Gilbert was convicted, the complaint said. Gilbert is charged with 
retaliating against an informant, murder for hire and money laundering, the complaint said. 
Unknown to Gilbert, the `hit man' he was talking with was an undercover FBI agent, the 
complaint said." 
The Greenwood (SC) Index-Journal (11/12, 35K) reports, "Gilbert, who is currently 
confined in Edgefield Federal Correctional Institution, was indicted on counts of murder for hire, 
retaliation against an informant and money laundering. Gilbert, 51, was arrested in 2017 after 
selling methamphetamine to two undercover officers in Kentucky. Last year, he was sentenced 
to 130 months in prison." The Index-Journal adds, "Last month, a confidential informant in the 
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prison told authorities Gilbert planned to have the informant associated with his 2017 arrest 
killed. Afterward, the affidavit said, Gilbert was hoping to have someone kill an assistant U.S. 
attorney and perhaps a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent who worked 
his case. The informant's notes included names of the individuals. At the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation's direction, the informant arranged a number of phone conversations between 
Gilbert and an undercover agent that included discussion of how to kill the target and how 
Gilbert would compensate him. He even told the agent how to drive to the target's house while 
avoiding cameras." 
The Spartanburg (SC) Herald-Journal (11/12, Boyd, 134K) reports, "Following multiple 
recorded phone calls, Gilbert sent the undercover officer a $2,000 check from his prison 
canteen account as a down payment for the retaliatory murder-for-hire, investigators say. 
Masking the true purpose of this payment, Gilbert attempted to mislead prison officials by 
saying the payment was for an `investment firm; investigators say. Gilbert drew maps of where 
he believed the witness from Kentucky lived, and he provided directions on how to avoid 
detection by nearby surveillance cameras, investigators say. Gilbert planned to use the income 
from two rental properties in Kentucky to facilitate the attempted murder-for-hire and 
retaliation plot, according to investigators." Also reporting are WSPA-TV Greenville, SC (11/12, 
Coburn, 30K), WYFF-TV Greenville, SC (11/12, 398K), WOLO-TV Columbia, SC (11/12, Olson), 
and WHNS-TV Greenville, SC (11/12, Ablon, 157K). 
Documents Show Alleged Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Ringleader Planned To Take 
Hostages At Capitol Building. 
WXYZ-TV Detroit (11/12, 236K) reports, "According to newly released court documents, the 
alleged plot to kidnap and kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer included everyone watching it on TV, 
that it would take about a week and that no one was coming out alive." According to WXYZ-TV, 
"The plot was allegedly made by Adam Fox who state and federal officials have called the 
alleged ringleader. The documents spell out a Plan A that included recruiting 200 men, taking 
over the entire state Capitol building, taking hostages, executing `tyrants' and have it televised. 
A secondary plan was to lock the door and set the building on fire. Fourteen men have been 
charged by the state and the feds in related cases. These documents were filed in Jackson 
County Court last month where Pete Musico was in tears while a judge considered lowering 
bond from $1 million to $100,000." 
The Detroit News (11/12, Dickson, 825K) reports, "The eight-page brief, filed in October 
in a bid to block a bond reduction for defendant Pete Musico, 42, of Munith was obtained 
Thursday by The Detroit News. The document sheds light on two plots the Wolverine Watchmen 
allegedly formed in June, and how, according to authorities, the group's focus shifted from 
storming the Capitol building in Lansing to kidnapping the state's chief executive. Plan A was 
revealed only after alleged participant Adam Fox checked the backs and chests of Musico, Joe 
Morrison, Ty Garbin, Paul Bellar, Daniel Harris and Amanda Keller for wires. The plan: Storm the 
Capitol building in Lansing, `take hostages, execute tyrants and have it televised.' Then there 
was Plan B: Storm the Capitol while the Legislature was in session, lock every door, and burn 
down the building with everyone inside." The Detroit Free Press (11/12, 1.52M) also reports. 
FBI Arrests California Man For Hate Crime Attack On Restaurant. 
The Canyon (CA) News (11/12) reports from Beverly Hills, California, "William Stepanyan, 22, 
of Glendale was arrested on Thursday, November 12, for attacking a restaurant in Beverly Hills 
in what authorities described as a `hate crime.' The incident transpired on November 4 at 
around 8:30 p.m." The FBI, "along with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, 
conducted an investigation into the case, which resulted in Stepanyan's arrest in Glendale, the 
Beverly Hills Police Department noted in a news release. A probation violation hold has been 
issued for Stepanyan, who is currently being held without bail at the Beverly Hills Police 
Department. Authorities classified Stepanyan as one of the `primary suspects' responsible for 
EFTA00148409

the incident. On November 4, a group of between 6 and 8 suspects destroyed property and 
physically attacked the employees inside the Turkish Café Istanbul restaurant on South Beverly 
Drive. 'The victims stated that the suspects made derogatory comments during the incident,' 
according to police." 
Alaska Man Arrested With Large Amounts Of Drugs. 
Alaska Native News (11/12) reports, "On Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers announced that the 
Nome Office of the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team, the Anchorage Airport 
Interdiction Task Force, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, made another arrest in their 
continuing investigation into drugs in the Nome area that seized approximately 54.2 grams (2 
ounces) of methamphetamine and approximately 452.6 grams (1 Ibs) of marijuana bud." 
According to ANN, "The task force stopped 59-year-old Robert Cahoon, who was traveling to 
Nome from Anchorage and found the drugs in his possession. The value of the 
methamphetamine is estimated at $54,200 and the Marijuana at $11,350." 
Another Defendant Pleads Guilty In New Jersey Drug Trafficking Case. 
Tap Into New Jersey (11/12, Rodas) reports Jose Agron, who on Thursday pleaded guilty "to 
conspiring to distribute heroin," is the 15th defendant to admit to being part of a drug 
trafficking organization that was based in Camden, New Jersey. Tap Into News Jersey highlights 
that those 15 guilty pleas are the result of an FBI-led investigation. 
US Charges Four In Missouri Murder-For-Hire Plot. 
KSDK-TV St. Louis (11/12, Cole, 493K) reports from St. Louis, "A federal grand jury indicted 
four people in connection with the 2016 murder of Andre Montgomery." Montgomery "is the 
grandson of Sweetie Pie's owner Robbie Montgomery. Montgomery was killed by gunfire at 3964 
Natural Bridge Avenue in the City of St. Louis on March 14, 2016 around 8 p.m. On Thursday, 
James Timothy Norman, Terica Taneisha Ellis, Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam and Travell Anthony Hill 
were indicted." Norman, Ellis and Hill "are charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire 
and murder-for hire resulting in the death of Montgomery. Norman and Yaghnam are charged 
with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and Yaghnam is charged with five counts of 
aggravated identity theft all in connection with Montgomery's murder-for-hire." 
Pennsylvania Woman Gets 13 Months In Prison For Drug Trafficking. 
The Pocono (PA) Record (11/12, McDonald, 51K) reports a federal judge has sentenced 
Pennsylvania resident Jennifer Annette Bush to 13 months in prison "and a three-year term of 
supervised release for drug trafficking." The case against Bush "was investigated by the FBI," 
the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. 
Marijuana-Related Search Warrant Operation Conducted In Arizona. 
The Navajo Times (AZ). (11/12, Becenti, 66K) reports the DEA and the FBI were involved with 
an investigation that led to a recent search warrant operation in Shiprock, Arizona. Operation 
Navajo Gold targeted "suspected illegal marijuana farming on the Navajo Nation." 
FBI Arrests Woman In Connection To Bank Robberies In Utah, Arizona. 
Gephardt Daily (UT). (11/12) reports that the FBI Salt Lake Field Office announced Thursday the 
arrest of Maria Azevedo, who was "wanted by the FBI in connection with multiple bank 
robberies" throughout Utah and Arizona. The FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force "wanted to thank 
the Arizona agencies involved in the arrest." 
FBI Investigating Minnesota Robbery. 
The Brainerd (MN) Daily Dispatch (11/12) reports that the FBI Headwaters Safe Trail Task Force 
is investigating an armed robbery in Minnesota, where an armed suspect "made off with an 
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undetermined amount of cash" from the M&W Convenience Store on Wednesday. 
North Carolina Jury Convicts Foreign National Of Sexual Abuse. 
WLOS-TV Asheville, NC (11/12, Whitehead, 103K) reports Siva K. Durbesula was sentenced 
Thursday to two years in prison after he was convicted of abusive sexual contact. Court 
documents said that he "was a passenger aboard Spirit Airlines Flight NK843 from Chicago 
O'Hare to Myrtle Beach International Airport on June 23, 2019, when he sexually assaulted the 
22-year-old woman seated next to him." He "was originally indicted in the District of S.C. but 
the case was transferred to the Western District of N.C. for trial after he agreed that the plane 
traveled over N.C. and venue was appropriate in that state." 
Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Missing Colorado Woman. 
Fox News (11/12, Wallace, 27.59M) reports that the FBI and local police have "renewed their 
appeal for information about missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew on Tuesday, which 
marked the six-month anniversary of her disappearance on Mother's Day earlier this year." 
Chaffee County Sheriff John A. Spezze "called on anyone who may have engaged with Morphew 
on Facebook, Instagram, Voxer, FaceTime or WhatsApp to come forward if they haven't already 
been interviewed, 'regardless of how insignificant you think the information may be, or whether 
you think investigators are already aware of it.'" 
FBI Search Colorado Home In Connection To 2016 Disappearance. 
The Denver Post (11/12, 720K) reports that FBI agents and Aurora police officers searched 
Thursday a home in connection to the disappearance of Lashaya Stine, who "went missing from 
the area in 2016 when she was 16 years old." 
New York Sex Offender Charged With Child Pornography Possession. 
WWNY-TV Watertown, NY (11/12, 6K) reports convicted sex offender Randell Adsit was arrested 
Wednesday by the FBI on charges of possessing child pornography. The FBI says that he "used 
multiple usernames on the social media app Kik Messenger to trade child pornography with 
other people over the internet." 
Iowa Man Sentenced For Child Pornography. 
KWQC-TV Davenport, IA (11/12, 79K) reports from Des Moines, Iowa, "A man has been 
sentenced to 20 years in prison on child pornography charges in Des Moines." KWQC-TV adds, 
"Officials say on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 33-year-old Robert Joe Hennings, of Des Moines, was 
sentenced by the United States District Court to 240 months in federal prison. Following this, he 
was sentenced to 20 years of federal court supervision. This is for the receipt of child 
pornography. Additionally, Hennings was ordered to forfeit electronic media used in the offense, 
pay $15,000 in restitution to victims and pay $100 to the Crime Victims' Fund." KWQC-TV adds, 
"According to the record made at sentencing, officials say Hennings collected in excess of 
550,000 images of child pornography over the span of three years. This included material 
involving sexual assault on prepubescent minors, including an infant according to officials." 
CTNANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS 
Attorney For Cincinnati Councilman Charged In Bribery Scheme To Hold Press 
Conference Today. 
The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/12, Coolidge, 223K) reports, "Councilman Jeff Pastor has hired 
well-known attorney Ben Dusing to represent him against federal charges of bribery, money 
laundering, attempted extortion and conspiracy in a pay-to-play scheme." According to the 
Enquirer, "Pastor has not spoken since his arrest Tuesday; he skipped City Council Thursday. 
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Dusing has scheduled an 11:30 a.m. press conference at his Fort Wright office." The Enquirer 
adds, "The call for Pastor, a Republican, to resign has been swift, both inside his party and from 
Democrats. Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken and Hamilton County Republican 
Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou have called for Pastor to resign. Mayor John Cranley, a 
Democrat and two mayoral hopefuls, Democrats David Mann and P.G. Sittenfeld also are 
seeking Pastor's resignation. FBI agents arrested Pastor early Tuesday for leading what 
authorities describe as a brazen bribery scheme involving payoffs for help with city 
development projects." 
Cincinnati Blight Helped FBI Crack Bribery Case. WCPO-TV Cincinnati (11/12, 
139K) reports from Cincinnati, "Federal prosecutors described this week's arrest of Councilman 
Jeff Pastor as `indicative of a culture of corruption' at City Hall. But the case also sheds new 
light on one of Cincinnati's most stubborn symbols of blight." According to WCPO-TV, 
"Convention Place Mall, an eight-story office and retail complex that brought squatters, drug 
users, mold and garbage to the corner of Fifth and Elm streets, has defied more than a decade 
of effort by city officials to revive a key corner that's literally at the front door of the Tri-State's 
convention industry. Prosecutors allege Pastor accepted bribes to help a former Cincinnati 
Bengal gain control of the site so he could redevelop it. Chinedum Ndukwe, who became a real 
estate developer after leaving the NFL, worked as a `cooperating witness' for the FBI, US 
Attorney David DeVillers told reporters." 
US Arrests Nine Californians On Money Laundering Charges. 
My News LA (CA) (11/12) reports, "Federal authorities Thursday arrested nine defendants from 
the Los Angeles area, most of whom were allegedly involved in a sophisticated money 
laundering scheme that moved tens of millions of dollars derived from tax fraud and health care 
fraud schemes." According to My News LA, "Two indictments unsealed in Los Angeles federal 
court allege that a total of 10 defendants participated in a large operation that laundered more 
than $30 million in tax refunds that had been obtained from 7,000 fraudulent tax returns filed 
using identities stolen from thousands of American taxpayers. Seven of the 10 defendants 
named in these two indictments were arrested Thursday, and three were still being sought by 
authorities, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office." 
US Charges California Man With Wire Fraud, Identity Theft. 
KGET-TV Bakersfield, CA (11/12) reports, "Federal prosecutors say a grand jury has indicted a 
Bakersfield man on multiple counts of fraud and identity theft that funneled nearly $1 million 
from banks and credit card companies." According to KGET-TV, "The federal grand jury in Fresno 
indicted Nahed Mishmish, 46, on an 11-count indictment. Prosecutors say Mishmish used stolen 
identification information to open numerous credit card accounts to pay for a car and rent over 
five years between January 2015 and January 2020. He is alleged to have used the phony 
credit accounts to purchase a large amount of cigarettes from Rite Aid stores, prosecutors say. 
According to U.S. District Attorney in Fresno, a criminal complaint showed the FBI was tipped 
off to the scheme after Mishmish allegedly purchased large amounts of cigarettes from a Rite 
Aid in McFarland. Federal agents identified Mishmish and searched his home where they found 
60 cellphones marked with names and other personal identifying information." 
Former Philadelphia Officials, Contractor's Employee Charged With Embezzlement. 
WHYY-TV Philadelphia (11/12, 24K) reports, "Two former Philadelphia officials, and one former 
employee of a city contractor, have been charged with fraud and embezzlement after joint 
investigations by the city's Office of the Inspector General and the FBI." Leo Dignam, 61, of 
Philadelphia, "who once served as director of the Mummers Parade and as assistant city 
managing director, is accused of wire fraud and embezzling from a program that received 
federal funds. His brother, Paul Dignam, 58, also of Philadelphia, is facing charges of mail fraud 
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and similar embezzlement charges. Barbara Conway, 61, of Drexel Hill, has been charged with 
alleged theft of funds from a federally funded program." 
Plea Hearing For Ex-Michigan Prosecutor Moved Again Due To Coronavirus. 
The Detroit News (11/12, Hicks, 825K) reports, "A plea hearing in former Macomb County 
Prosecutor Eric Smith's corruption case has been rescheduled a second time after he was 
diagnosed with COVID-19, officials said Thursday." Smith "had been set to appear late last 
month but was forced into quarantine after his family was in contact with people who tested 
positive for the coronavirus. The former prosecutor has agreed to plead guilty to obstructing a 
federal investigation into whether he stole campaign funds." Smith "was expected to plead 
guilty at a new hearing Friday. However, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker issued a order 
Thursday to move the date to Dec. 17 after Smith was diagnosed and hospitalized this week. 
`Defendant continues to exhibit severe symptoms of the virus,' Parker wrote. `Defendant is in 
quarantine at his home pursuant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 
guidelines.' 
New Hampshire Attorney Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering, Wire Fraud. 
Manchester Ink Link (NH) (11/12, Fisher) reports from Concord, New Hampshire, "Former 
Manchester attorney John Allen pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of money laundering and 
wire fraud for taking $2.4 million from several clients." Allen, 63, of Bedford, "appeared in the 
United States District Court in Concord on Thursday for the plea hearing. He allegedly took the 
money clients gave him for real estate transactions of other uses, trusting him to dispose of it 
in the way they wanted. `John Allen betrayed that trust, took advantage of his clients, and stole 
their money,' said United States Attorney Scott Murry. `These are the actions of a white-collar 
criminal rather than a dedicated counselor at law.' Allen "was arraigned last week on the 
charges, the culmination of an investigation that started when the New Hampshire Attorney 
Discipline Office found red flags in the way he dealt with client monies." 
CYBER DIVISION 
Two DHS Officials Reportedly "Forced To Resign"; Krebs "Expects To Be Fired." 
CNN (11/12, Marquardt, Sands, 83.16M) reports on its website that DHS Assistant Secretary 
for International Affairs Valerie Boyd and DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency 
Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Bryan Ware "have been forced to resign by the White 
House, according to sources familiar with the resignations." CNN says Ware's "farewell letter to 
staff indicates that he did not want to step down." 
Reuters (11/12, Bing, Menn) reports that Christopher Krebs, who heads the Cybersecurity 
and Infrastructure Security Agency, "has told associates he expects to be fired by the White 
House." Krebs "drew the ire of the Trump White House over a website run by CISA dubbed 
`Rumor Control' which debunks misinformation about the election, according to the three people 
familiar with the matter." One CISA post rejected "a conspiracy theory that falsely claims an 
intelligence agency supercomputer and program, purportedly named Hammer and Scorecard, 
could have flipped votes nationally." Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) tweeted, "Chris Krebs has done a 
great job protecting our elections. He is one of the few people in this Administration respected 
by everyone on both sides of the aisle. There is no possible justification to remove him from 
office." 
Bloomberg (11/12, Courtney, Sebenius, 4.73M) reports that House Homeland Security 
Committee Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said, "There are rumors the president may 
be cleaning house at CISA, with one high-level official reportedly asked to resign already. This 
is dangerous." Sen. Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission, 
"called Krebs' work with states on election security `amazing' in a recent press briefing with 
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reporters." King said, "The state infrastructure, the registration rolls, the election rolls, voting 
machines, all of that, is much better, much stronger, much more resilient than it was four years 
ago." 
The Hill (11/12, Chalfant, 2.98M) reports, "Krebs's potential ouster would leave a 
tremendous leadership vacuum at DHS and would leave the top government cybersecurity role 
vacant at a critical moment." If he is "forced to step down, his role would likely be filled by CISA 
Deputy Director Matthew Travis, who has served in the deputy director position since 2018." 
Ware, as well as Valerie Boyd, another DHS official, "were forced to resign due to pressure from 
the White House," according to reporting by CNN. 
Politico (11/12, Geller, Bertrand, 4.29M) reports that CISA "has been at the forefront of 
federal efforts to protect U.S. elections from foreign hacking and interference, and his efforts 
have drawn praise from people in both parties." Krebs' ouster "could make him the latest 
national security leader to lose his job amid a post-election purge that has already forced out 
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other top Pentagon officials." An unnamed official said the 
White House "has wanted to fire Krebs for a while. ... From what I've heard from the [White 
House], they've considered removing him before." 
Also reporting are CyberScoop (11/12, Lyngaas), The Hill (11/12, Miller, 2.98M), the 
Washington Times (11/12, Blake, 492K), and Federal News Network (11/12, Miller, 220). 
Commerce Department Will Delay Enforcement Of TikTok Shutdown Order. 
The Wall Street Journal (11/12, Maher, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the Commerce 
Department said Thursday it will not enforce an order that would have effectively shut down 
TikTok by prohibiting US companies from offering it as a mobile app and offering web-hosting 
service for the company. Citing a preliminary injunction against the shutdown last month from 
US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia, the Department said the order will not 
take effect "pending further legal developments." 
The New York Times (11/12, McCabe, 18.61M) reports that the restrictions were 
announced "in September under an executive order signed by President Trump targeting TikTok 
and WeChat." App stores "would not have been able to offer TikTok, and American companies 
would have been forbidden from hosting data for the service." The Commerce Department "had 
indicated that it would apply the restrictions only to the app if ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese 
owner, were unable to sell its interest in the product." On Tuesday, the agency "said that the 
order `has been enjoined, and will not go into effect, pending further legal developments.' 
The Washington Post (11/12, Riley, 14.2M) reports that TikTok is "waiting on a federal 
judge to grant a 30-day extension on the sale as it awaits a government green light on the deal 
it proposed to set up a new company with investment from Oracle and Walmart." If a ruling is 
not issued, the "presidential election results could leave the company with more options." 
CNBC (11/12, Sherman, 3.62M) reports, "The Commerce Department order doesn't 
address the CFIUS mandate demanding TikTok sell its U.S. assets," but "reaffirms TikTok can 
continue to operate in the U.S." The company "continues to wait for more government guidance 
about how to proceed with its minority stake sale." President Trump agreed to the sale of 20% 
of TikTok Global to Walmart and Oracle in August, but "the transaction never got the approval 
of the Chinese government, and Trump administration officials have gone silent on their 
demands in the weeks leading up to the election." 
The Daily Caller (11/12, Lancaster, 716K) reports that TikTok would be "barred from using 
the web-hosting services of any U.S. based company, like Amazon and Alphabet, making the 
app essentially useless." The company is "asking for an injunction from U.S. District Judge Carl 
Nichols because they say different plaintiffs who have different interests are involved in the 
Philadelphia case." If the preliminary junction "were lifted, it would be `leaving ilk Tok's entire 
business in jeopardy.' 
Also reporting is Bloomberg (11/12, Yaffe-Bellany, McLaughlin, 4.73M). 
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Israeli Cybersecurity Firm Finds New Type Of Iranian Ransomware. 
Fox News (11/12, Friling, 27.59M) reports, "Check Point revealed Thursday a new type of 
ransomware that is traced back to Iran." The "Pay2Key" strain "targeted more than a dozen 
Israeli companies a few weeks ago," using the "Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of employees 
who worked from home." According to the Israeli cybersecurity company's investigation, "four 
Israeli victims of the attacks have decided to pay the ransom, which enabled its experts to track 
the payment transfers between crypto wallets." Check Point's manager of threat intelligence, 
Lotem Finkelstein, said, "Pay2Key is sophisticated and far more rapid compared to other 
ransomware strains. ... The recent Pay2Key ransomware attacks indicate a new threat actor has 
joined the trend of targeted ransomware attacks." 
Finland Prepares Change To Code Law After Hacking Case. 
The AP (11/12, Tanner) reports, "Finland said Thursday it was preparing legislation that would 
allow citizens to change their personal identity codes in cases of gross data breaches that carry 
a high risk of identity theft." The government's proposal "was designed primarily to assist 
thousands of people whose personal information was stolen during a hacking of patient records 
at a private Finnish psychotherapy center." Citizens "receive a personal identity code at birth to 
allow them to access most public and many private services," and the "criteria for changing 
one's code are strict." The government is drafting legislation that "would make the process 
slightly easier." 
NSA Grant To Help Two Indiana Campuses Expand Cybersecurity Programs. 
The Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune (11/13, Kiesling, 1.8M) reports, thanks to a $5.9 million 
NSA grant, "two local campuses of Ivy Tech Community College plan to expand their 
cybersecurity training partnerships in Northwest Indiana." The Lake County and Valparaiso 
campuses "are included in a consortium of four higher ed institutions that has been awarded a 
two-year, $5.9 million NSA grant to expand the pipeline for cybersecurity jobs both locally and 
nationally." Matthew Cloud, Information Technology chair for Ivy Tech's Lake County campus, 
said, "The NSA grant will help us build and expand our existing training program partnerships 
with the governor's office, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies in Northwest 
Indiana to fill their needs." Cloud added, "The grant will help more than 425 law enforcement 
personnel, military veterans, transitioning military, and other first responders obtain basic to 
advanced cybersecurity training for free." 
'LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES 
Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department Assigns Officer To FBI Gun Violence 
Task Force. 
WWLP-TV Springfield, MA (11/12, Lannan, 81K) reports from Springfield, Massachusetts, "A 
member of the Springfield Police Department has been assigned to the FBI's Western 
Massachusetts Task Force to help combat gun violence." Springfield Police Department 
Commissioner "said on Thursday that she and Mayor Domenic Sarno met with U.S. Attorney 
Andrew E. Lelling and the Special Agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, Joseph 
Bonavolonta, in the city on Tuesday to discuss and agree on the officer's new assignment which 
will begin Monday, November 16, 2020. The FBI and Commissioner Clapprood agreed that 
assigning a Springfield Police officer to their Task Force will improve intelligence sharing 
between the two agencies. The goal is to crack down on illegal gun crimes and gun violence in 
the Springfield area." 
WPost: Voters Usher In "New Phase Of Drug Policy." 
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In an editorial, the Washington Post (11/12, 14.2M) says that Election Day votes to legalize 
recreational marijuana in New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana, medical marijuana 
in Mississippi, and decriminalize "small quantities" of hard drugs in Oregon "mark a welcome 
shift in decades of destructive drug policy" beginning with "the Reagan-era escalation of the 
war on drugs." The Post says "severe criminal penalties have fueled a huge growth in the prison 
population" with an outsized impact on many Black communities, while soaring opioid overdose 
deaths have underscored "just how cruel and counterproductive it is to criminalize addiction." 
With new state legislation, The Post argues, researchers will now "be able to closely observe 
these laboratories of democracy, hopefully ushering in a new phase of drug policy based on 
evidence and the principles of public health." 
OTHER FBI NEWS 
DO) Report: Acosta Engaged In No Misconduct When He Agreed To Epstein Plea Deal. 
The CBS Evening NewsVi (11/12, story 10, 0:25, O'Donnell, 4.06M) reported, "This news 
today: The Justice Department said the prosecutor who handled a 2008 case against Jeffrey 
Epstein showed poor judgment but did not engage in professional misconduct. Alex Acosta, who 
later became President Trump's labor secretary, was under fire for the generous plea deal that 
he entered into with Epstein, who was accused of abusing dozens of teenage girls. Well, today, 
a lawyer for Epstein's victims called the DOJ report a cover-up." 
The AP (11/12, Balsamo, Tucker) says a report from the Justice Department's Office of 
Professional Responsibility has found Acosta "exercised 'poor judgment' in handling an 
investigation into wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a top federal prosecutor in 
Florida." The report details Acosta's "handling of a secret plea deal with Epstein, who had been 
accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls." According to the AP, the report 
"concludes that none of the prosecutors committed misconduct in their interactions with the 
victims," which the AP says is "likely to disappoint the victims, who have long hoped this would 
hold the Justice Department officials accountable for actions they say allowed Epstein to escape 
justice." 
Reuters (11/12) reports, "In a statement released on Thursday, the Justice Department 
said that when Acosta let Epstein enter the non-prosecution agreement in 2008 that spared him 
from federal sex trafficking charges, he 'failed to make certain that the state of Florida intended 
to and would notify victims identified through the federal investigation about the state plea 
hearing." Reuters also reports that Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) denounced the report's conclusions, 
saying, "Letting a well-connected billionaire get away with child rape and international sex 
trafficking isn't 'poor judgment' - it is a disgusting failure." 
The New York Times (11/12, Goldstein, Benner, 18.61M) says that "the review was an 
attempt to close the door on an embarrassing episode for the Justice Department that critics 
have said allowed Mr. Epstein to largely go unscrutinized in the face of years of allegations that 
he sexually abused dozens of teenage girls." The Times says despite the department's 
insistence "in its summary that it found no wrongdoing, it is clear from the full, nearly 350-page 
report that Mr. Epstein and his defense lawyers were in control of the negotiations from June 
2007." 
The Washington Post (11/12, Zapotosky, Reinhard, 14.2M) reports that "lawyers for the 
victims criticized the report," as Adam Horowitz saying, "The mountain of mistakes was not just 
poor judgment. It was reckless." Sasse also "called on the department to release its entire 
report," saying, "We have an obligation to make sure this never happens again." A Justice 
Department spokesperson "said the department could not release the entire report publicly, 
citing privacy law, but noted it was being turned over to lawmakers." 
Among the outlets also reporting on the review are the Wall Street Journal (11/12, 
Gurman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the CNN (11/12, Scannell, 83.16M) website, and 
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Axios (11/12, Chen, 521K). 
Ramsey Tapped As New Portland, Oregon SAC. 
Oregon Public Broadcasting (11/12, Wilson, 13K) reports, "The FBI confirmed Thursday it has 
named a new head of its Portland field office. Section Chief Kieran Ramsey will take over for 
Special Agent In Charge Renn Cannon, who is set to retire early next year after overseeing the 
office since January 2017." Ramsey, "who was officially named to the post Nov. 4, spent time in 
Portland earlier this year during large, nightly racial justice protests that at times turned 
violent. The protests in Portland were a particular focus for the Trump administration, as the 
president and U.S. Attorney William Barr called for a harsher crackdown on demonstrators." 
OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS 
Media Analyses: Trump Silent On Pandemic, "Largely Out Of Sight," As Election 
Challenges Continue. 
While coverage of President Trump's challenges to vote counts in several states continues, 
media attention shifted Thursday and early Friday to the President's near-total absence over the 
past week and his silence on pressing matters. David Muir said on ABC World News TonightVi 
(11/12, story 3, 2:55, 6.57M) that Trump "has remained largely out of sight. He's not 
addressed the country's worsening coronavirus situation, his tweets still largely on the election." 
Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/12, story 3, 0:35, 4.9M), "As the COVID crisis 
deepens across the country, President Trump has said nothing about it publicly since the 
election." NBC's Hallie Jackson: "The White House says the President is getting regular updates 
and making sure local officials have what they need. The COVID task force did meet Monday, 
but it was for only the second time in the last three and a half weeks. The President has not 
addressed the public in person in a week." On ABC World News TonightVi (11/12, story 4, 0:40, 
Muir, 6.57M), Jonathan Karl said, "The President has been nowhere on this. He hasn't spoken 
about the alarming increase in infections. He has not met with the coronavirus task force for 
months. He hasn't even tweeted about it." 
The AP (11/12, Madhani, Miller) says the President "has publicly disengaged from the 
battle against the coronavirus at a moment when the disease is tearing across the United 
States at an alarming pace." The AP says Trump "remains angry that an announcement about 
progress in developing a vaccine for the disease came after Election Day. And aides say the 
president has shown little interest in the growing crisis." The Los Angeles Times (11/12, 
Megerian, 4.64M) writes, "More than a week after his stinging electoral defeat, President Trump 
spent another day secluded in the White House on Thursday feverishly tweeting, watching 
television and telephoning allies - focused more on his own future than governing the nation as 
it struggles with a worsening pandemic." 
The Washington Post (11/12, Al, Nakamura, 14.2M) writes, "On Thursday, six American 
service members were killed in a helicopter crash during a peacekeeping mission in Egypt. 
Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in North Florida, contributing to severe flooding. The number 
of Americans infected with the novel coronavirus continued at a record-setting pace, sending 
the stock market tumbling." But Trump "spent the day as he has most others this week -
sequestered from public view, tweeting grievances, falsehoods and misinformation about the 
election results and about Fox News's coverage of him. Neither he nor his aides briefed 
reporters on the news of the day." 
Politico (11/12, Forgey, 4.29M) reports that on Thursday, White House Press Secretary 
Kayleigh McEnany declined to say when Trump "might end his conspicuous pause of post-
election public appearances, telling Fox News that Americans will `be hearing from him at the 
right moment." Politico says the President "has not appeared or spoken publicly since a White 
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