Ex-CIA engineer accused of leaking hacking docs to WikiLeaks charged in massive 'Vault 7' security breach

Joshua Schulte allegedly disclosed thousands of top-secret files outlining the extent of the CIA’s cyberwarfare capabilities.

The ex-CIA software engineer suspected of leaking a massive, highly secret trove of U.S. hacking tools and source code to WikiLeaks has been charged in federal court with a series of Espionage Act violations.
Joshua Schulte, 29, allegedly disclosed thousands of top-secret files outlining the extent of the CIA’s cyberwarfare capabilities in an unprecedented breach that triggered an intensive investigation even before WikiLeaks published the information in March 2017.
In March and June 2016, Schulte modified a computer run by the U.S. Intelligence Agency to “delet[e] records of his activities” and “den[y] others access to the system,” prosecutors charge in a superseding indictment unveiled Monday.
The former CIA engineer was accused formally in the indictment of lying to federal investigators, illegally gathering and transmitting national security information, theft of government property, and other offenses.
“As alleged, Schulte utterly betrayed this nation and downright violated his victims,” assistant New York FBI field director William F. Sweeney, Jr., said in a statement. “As an employee of the CIA, Schulte took an oath to protect this country, but he blatantly endangered it by the transmission of Classified Information.”
Schulte was charged last year with knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography, and those charges are also listed in the latest federal grand jury indictment.
WIKILEAKS RELEASES THE ‘ENTIRE HACKING CAPACITY OF THE CIA’
Prosecutors signposted the new charges weeks ago, even as his defense team accuses the U.S. of scapegoating.
“As the evidence is flushed out, it will become clear that Mr. Schulte is hardly the villain the government makes him out to be,” Sabrina P. Shroff, Schulte’s public defender, said in a statement Monday.
In a strange twist, while he was still working with the CIA, Schulte reportedly tweeted that WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning should be killed for her disclosures.
“Kill the prick,” he reportedly said on Twitter in response to a story about Manning.
Last March, WikiLeaks touted its stunning 8,000-plus page disclosure as the full hacking capacity of the CIA, saying it was “the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency.”
The 8,761 documents and files — released as ”Vault 7 Part 1,” and titled “Year Zero” — were obtained from an “isolated, high-security network” at the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley, Va., WikiLeaks claimed.
Prosecutors charge that Schulte committed the crimes in Virginia, where the CIA is headquartered.

West Point grad who posed with 'Communism will win' in cap discharged

Spenser Rapone is seen in an undated photo making a fist and holding a cap with a sign inside that reads, "Communism will win."  (Twitter)

The West Point graduate, who last year posed in a picture holding a cap that had “Communism will win” written inside, is officially out of the U.S. Army with an other-than-honorable discharge.

Spenser Rapone rocked the military community last year after his social media posts were revealed, showing him wearing a Che Guevara shirt underneath his military uniform.

He is no longer part of the U.S. military after top brass at Fort Drum’s 10th Mountain Division accepted his resignation Monday after an earlier warning for “conduct unbecoming of an officer.” He’s leaving the military with an other-than-honorable discharge.
Army officials condemned the cadet last year and opened an investigation into his social media activity. “Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army,” an Army statement read.

Spenser Rapone is seen in an undated photo wearing a Che Guevara shirt underneath his U.S. Military Academy uniform.  (Twitter)

His open advocacy of communism attracted the criticism from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio who then urged the U.S. military to dismiss Rapone for supporting the country’s enemies.
The now-former cadet said the probe found him advocating for socialist revolution online and disparaging high-ranking officers and U.S. officials. The Army said it took “appropriate action” in dealing with the situation.
But Rapone remains unabashed, posting a picture on Monday showing him the middle finger at a sign at the entrance to Fort Drum, captioned with “One final salute.”

One final salute #FTA pic.twitter.com/JdyOYnEejJ

— Rudi (Dutschke) Can’t Fail (@punkproletarian) June 18, 2018

He also remains committed to the far-left causes, saying he considers himself “a revolutionary socialist” and urged others to join him in his revolution,
“I would encourage all soldiers who have a conscience to lay down their arms and join me and so many others who are willing to stop serving the agents of imperialism and join us in a revolutionary movement,” he said.
Rubio cheered the departure of Rapone. “While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States,” the Senator said on Monday. “I’m glad to see that they have given him an ‘other-than-honorable’ discharge.”

“While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States. I’m glad to see that they have given him an ‘other-than-honorable’ discharge.”

- Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

Military experts say it’s rare for an officer out of West Point to receive an other-than-honorable discharge. Greg Rinckey, an attorney specializing in military law, claimed that this opens an opportunity for the military to seek money back from Rapone for the education he received as he didn’t fulfil the five-year service obligation for all the graduates.
“I knew there could be repercussions,” said Rapone, who’s becoming a prominent far-left advocate and will be speaking at a conference for socialism next month. “Of course my military career is dead in the water. On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support. There are a lot of veterans both active duty and not that feel like I do.”

Sessions rebukes critics who compare border situation to Nazi Germany: 'Fundamentally, we're enforcing the law'

Attorney General Jeff Sessions forcefully rebuked critics who fault the Trump administration for the separation of illegal immigrant families at the border, saying that the Obama administration's policies are partially to blame.
Speaking to Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" Monday night, Sessions said illegal immigrants have taken advantage of the U.S.
"We have watched what happened with the Obama policies, and over years, we went from 15,000 illegal entries to 75,000 -- this is a huge loophole in our system that's attracting more and more people, as more and more people understand that, under previous policies, if they enter the country unlawfully, that nothing will happen," Sessions said.
The attorney general denied that children are being abused or kept in inhumane conditions, saying that the Department of Health and Human Services spent approximately a billion dollars last year taking care of children caught crossing the border.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Obama administration bears some responsibility for child separations on the border.  (AP)

"We are taking care of these children; they are not being abused," Sessions added. "We've had a big surge of families bringing children or some adults bringing children with them."
In response to critics who have compared immigrant detention centers to Nazi Germany, Sessions said "we need to be rational and thoughtful" about the situation.
"In Nazi Germany, they were keeping the Jews from leaving the country," Sessions said, drawing a contrast that was criticized on Twitter as being tone deaf.
Asked whether children are being separated as part of an intentional deterrence policy to discourage illegal immigration, Sessions suggested fewer border crossings could be a positive result of the administration's zero-tolerance stance.
"Fundamentally, we are enforcing the law," Sessions said. "Hopefully people will get the message ... and not break across the border unlawfully."
Sessions had touted the possible deterrent effect of separating children in announcing the administration's new zero-tolerance policy, saying adults should not bring children across the border from Mexico.
Concerning complaints from top House GOP members that the DOJ and FBI have been slow to produce documents concerning political bias in their investigations, Sessions also said that "we have a responsibility to respond to Congress" and vowed to be responsive to their subpoenas.
DHS HEAD CALLS ON CONGRESS TO ACT, SAYS BORDER SEPARATIONS ARE 'NOT NEW'
Earlier Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas announced a plan to introduce comprehensive "emergency legislation" designed to end unnecessary separations of illegal immigrant children from their parents.
The bill, an answer to President Trump's call for a congressional solution to the situation, would double the number of immigration judges to 750 and mandate that illegal immigrant families be kept together, unless there has been "aggravated criminal conduct" or threat of harm to the children, according to Cruz's office.
Cruz's bill would also authorize new temporary shelters for immigrant families, and provide for expedited resolution of asylum claims within 14 days.
On Monday, all 49 Senate Democrats announced their support for the Keep Families Together Act. That bill has a different, even higher standard for separating kids at the border, and calls for an accountability report on asylum claims.
It does not contain an equivalent to Cruz's provisions to accelerate the asylum application process or to deploy more judges.
SEN. TED CRUZ ANNOUNCES LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION TO KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER AT THE BORDER
Under current law, adults can be separated from their families as soon as criminal proceedings against them are commenced.
The Trump administration's new "zero-tolerance" policy had led to an increase in these prosecutions.
But the administration has consistently said that the so-called Flores consent decree -- crafted during former President Bill Clinton's administration -- is what prohibits them from keeping parents and children together during these prosecutions, by limiting how long children can remain in federal custody.

Filthy Mouth Kathy Griffin Cartoons

Michael Goodwin: FBI chief proves Washington has a vendetta against Trump

As FBI director Christopher Wray started giving his response to the blistering report on the Hillary Clinton investigation, I hoped he would accept the findings as proof the agency lost its way and must be shaken to its foundation. By the time he finished talking, I felt ­naive for daring to hope.
Wray’s performance was worse than disappointing. It was infuriating proof that it will take more than one election to change the corrupt culture of Washington.
Wray replaced the ousted James Comey, whose conduct in the Clinton probe was shredded by Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Investigators demonstrated with new details that the self-right­eous Comey was insubordinate and duplicitous, and even used private e-mail for government business while he investigated Clinton over her private, ­unsecured server. Talk about arrogance.
The report ends forever the illusion that Comey was a noble public servant. He served only himself and is now so toxic to both parties that it’s unlikely he will ever get another government job. Hallelujah.
But the FBI didn’t stink only from the head. The report paints an agency run amok, with numerous examples of serious misconduct by leaders, agents and ­lawyers.
We learned of more outrageous texts from Peter Strzok, the top agent who worked on both the Clinton and Russia investigations. In one, Strzok promised his lover, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, that “We’ll stop” Donald Trump from becoming president.
Horowitz found another unidentified FBI employee who, in a message to a colleague, echoed Clinton’s “deplorables” slur by calling Trump supporters “all poor to middle class, uneducated, lazy POS that think he will magically grant them jobs for doing ­nothing.”
Yet another one sent “heads up” e-mails to Clinton campaign boss John Podesta and lobbied to get his kid a job on the campaign. The report also found numerous agents having improper media contacts, with some accepting gifts.
The mystery of leaks is a mystery no more. The FBI was a giant faucet.
Except to Christopher Wray, who acted as if the disturbing findings were just another day at the office. While saying the report shows “we’ve got some work to do,” he stressed its limited scope.
“It’s focused on a specific set of events back in 2016, and a small number of FBI employees connected with those events,” he said. “Nothing in the report impugns the integrity of our workforce as a whole, or the FBI as an institution.”

Kathy Griffin unleashes profanity-laced tirade at Melania Trump: 'F--- you, Melanie'

First lady Melania Trump was attacked on Twitter Sunday by comedian Kathy Griffin, who famously posed with a fake severed head of President Trump, over immigration policies. (AP)

Liberal comedian Kathy Griffin, who famously posed with a fake severed head of President Trump, took a vicious new swing at the first lady over the immigration controversy on Sunday.
The first lady had weighed in earlier in the day. “Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families & hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform. She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws but also a country that governs w/heart,” her office told Fox News.
Griffin then tweeted: “F--- you, Melanie. You know damn well your husband can end this immediately...you feckless complicit piece of s---.”
The first lady's office did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Alluding to a May tweet from Trump in which he missspelled his wife’s name -- as well as Samantha Bee’s slam of Ivanka Trump as a “feckless c---” on her show in May -- Griffin was referring to news of family members who have been separated by federal authorities while illegally crossing the border from Mexico into the United States.
The tweet is already receiving backlash online: “Kathy Griffin is hate filled and pathetic,” one user tweeted, saying the comic was one reason “why the left can’t be taken seriously.”
Griffin drew public backlash after she posed with a bloodied mask of Trump’s face in May 2017. After the gory photo went viral, Griffin said sorry but later took back her apology. Following the photos, CNN cut Griffin from hosting its New Year’s Eve show alongside co-anchor Anderson Cooper, who squashed their friendship.

White House looks to contain damage as Laura Bush joins critics of family separations

The Trump administration sought to distance itself Sunday from the controversial policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border amid condemnation from some prominent Republican voices -- including former first lady Laura Bush.
“Nobody likes” breaking up families and “seeing babies ripped from their mothers’ arms,” Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, said during her weekend media blitz.
Conway also denied Trump was using the policy as leverage to force Democrats into negotiating immigration reform that also includes one of the president's key campaign promises – the border wall.
Speculation about an elaborate strategy was fueled after Trump tweeted Saturday a call for Congress to work on a new immigration bill.
“Democrats can fix their forced family breakup at the Border by working with Republicans on new legislation, for a change!” he wrote.

“Democrats can fix their forced family breakup at the Border by working with Republicans on new legislation, for a change!”

The president previously pointed at Democrats for the existence of the “horrible law” and urged them to support its repeal.
“Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there [sic] parents once they cross the Border into the U.S.” he tweeted last month.

Former first lady Laura Bush has come out against the Trump administration's policy of "zero-tolerance" to parents entering the U.S. illegally with their children.  (Associated Press)

Over the weekend, Conway echoed the president, saying Democrats should begin working to get “real immigration reform” passed. She didn’t reveal if Trump was willing to stop the family separation policy, saying only that “the president is ready to get meaningful immigration reform across the board.”
The administration continues to face heavy criticism for enforcing the law, which has led to more than 2,000 children being separated from families who tried to enter the U.S. illegally in just the six weeks since U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the “zero-tolerance” approach.
The latest critics include former first lady Laura Bush, wife of former President George W. Bush, who deemed the policy as “cruel” and “immoral.”
“I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart,” she wrote in an op-ed article for the Washington Post.
“Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso,” she continued. “These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history.”
Anthony Scaramucci, the short-lived White House communications director, also criticized the policy, saying it’s not “the Christian way” or “the American way,” though he hoped that the president would eventually end the policy.
“The President can reverse it and I hope he does,” Scaramucci tweeted.
He reiterated his feelings to Fox 11 in Los Angeles over the weekend, saying that he didn’t think it was a “humane” policy -- but claimed the problem lies on both sides.
"People should sit down and have an honest conversation with the president and say, 'This doesn't reflect well on us,’” he said. "'We have to fix this problem.'”
The policy even sparked a rare public statement from first lady Melania Trump, who generally stays out of her husband’s presidential affairs.
According to her spokeswoman, Melania Trump believes “we need to be a country that follows all laws,” but also one “that governs with heart.”
“Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform,” the spokeswoman added.
Amid the criticism, Kirstjen Nielsen, head of the Department of Homeland Security, slammed the media on Sunday, tweeting “We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period.”
“This misreporting by Members, press & advocacy groups must stop. It is irresponsible and unproductive. As I have said many times before, if you are seeking asylum for your family, there is no reason to break the law and illegally cross between ports of entry,” she added.

NJ governor sees guns, not shooter's early prison release, as the problem

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy responded to Sunday's deadly shooting at a Trenton arts festival by calling for new controls on guns. But a suspect’s gang membership -- and early release from prison after Murphy took office -- may have been bigger factors in an incident that left one person dead and 22 wounded.
Meanwhile, Murphy -- a first-term Democrat in his first elected office -- supports shorter sentences for offenders and cuts in prisoner rehabilitation programs.
The suspect, identified as Tahaji Wells, 33, opened fire before 3 a.m. at the Art All Night festival in New Jersey's capital city, in what appears to have been a gang-related dispute. Wells was reportedly killed by police, and 17 of the 22 people injured reportedly suffered gunshot wounds.
A second suspect, identified as Amir Armstrong, 23, remained hospitalized in stable condition and was facing a weapons charge, while a third suspect was in critical condition.
Less than 24 hours after the gunfire, Murphy -- a former Goldman Sachs banker who served as President Barack Obama's ambassador to Germany -- began calling for gun control without addressing the other circumstances involved in the crime.
"It's yet another reminder of the senseless gun violence, even having signed six stringent gun laws last week," Murphy said at a news conference Sunday following a service at Trenton's Galilee Baptist Church.
During the service, he said he "and many others around this state are committed to ending this scourge of gun violence” and urged the Congress to take action on guns "as a national matter.”
On Twitter, the governor also said the immediate aftermath is the time to speak about possible gun control.
“These are not inappropriate times to talk about gun policy," he wrote. "These are the most important times to talk about gun policy.”

“These are not inappropriate times to talk about gun policy. These are the most important times to talk about gun policy.”

But it turns out that Wells had been released from prison in February, despite receiving an 18-year state prison sentence in 2004 on an aggravated manslaughter conviction in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man, NJ.com reported.

June 13 , 2018: Gov. Phil Murphy, center, signs several gun safety bills at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex Atrium in Trenton, N.J.. The half-dozen new gun control laws tighten the state’s already strict statutes.  (Associated Press)

And in 2010, while still in prison, Wells was sentenced to six additional years after pleading guilty to a second-degree racketeering charge. He reportedly helped a gang leader run the group from inside prison.
So despite two lengthy sentences that should have left Wells serving time behind bars into the 2020s, he was back on the streets and able to commit Sunday's crime.
Murphy has decried the sentencing and incarceration of people throughout his campaign and time in office as part of his criminal justice reform agenda, which includes a review of sentencing laws in the state.
The governor’s efforts weren’t just promises, as earlier this year he resurrected the Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission created in 2009, which never actually held any meetings due to former state Gov. Chris Christie’s reluctance to appoint any members.
“We can and must do better,” Murphy said in a statement announcing the restart of the commission. “A Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission can undertake the important review of our sentencing laws and recommend reforms necessary to ensure a stronger, fairer and more just state.”

Phil Murphy, who became New Jersey's governor in January, speaks at a campaign rally in Newark in 2017.  (Reuters)

Another key promise of Murphy was to “expand re-entry services, so that the people coming out of prison have the support they need to return to productive lives” – a measure that should have supposedly prevented Wells’ shooting spree.
Yet, Murphy slashed all the money from a prisoner reentry program that was created by his fellow Democratic Party colleagues, NJ.com reported. The program provided training and helped former prisoners to find jobs and claimed it reduced recidivism rates.