Politics

F.B.I. Told Israel It Wanted Pegasus Hacking Tool for Investigations

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2022

F.B.I. Told Israel It Wanted Pegasus Hacking Tool for Investigations

WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. knowledgeable the Israeli authorities in a 2018 letter that it had bought Pegasus, the infamous hacking instrument, to gather information from cell phones to assist ongoing investigations, the clearest documentary proof so far that the bureau weighed utilizing the adware as a instrument of regulation enforcement.

The F.B.I.’s description of its meant use of Pegasus got here in a letter from a high F.B.I. official to Israel’s Ministry of Protection that was reviewed by The New York Instances. Pegasus is produced by an Israeli agency, NSO Group, which wants to realize approval from the Israeli authorities earlier than it might probably promote the hacking instrument to a international authorities.

The 2018 letter, written by an official within the F.B.I.’s operational expertise division, acknowledged that the bureau meant to make use of Pegasus “for the gathering of information from cell gadgets for the prevention and investigation of crimes and terrorism, in compliance with privateness and nationwide safety legal guidelines.”

The Instances revealed in January that the F.B.I. had bought Pegasus in 2018 and, over the subsequent two years, examined the adware at a secret facility in New Jersey.

For the reason that article’s publication, F.B.I. officers have acknowledged that they thought-about deploying Pegasus however have emphasised that the bureau purchased the spying instrument primarily to check and consider it — partly to evaluate how adversaries may use it. They mentioned the bureau by no means used the adware in any operation.

Throughout a congressional listening to in March, the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, mentioned the bureau had purchased a “restricted license” for testing and analysis “as a part of our routine tasks to judge applied sciences which can be on the market, not simply from a perspective of might they be used sometime legally, but additionally, extra necessary, what are the safety considerations raised by these merchandise.”

“So, very completely different from utilizing it to analyze anybody,” he mentioned.

The Instances revealed that the F.B.I. had additionally obtained an illustration by NSO of a distinct hacking instrument, Phantom, that may do what Pegasus can’t — goal and infiltrate U.S. cellphone numbers. After the demonstration, authorities legal professionals spent years debating whether or not to buy and deploy Phantom. It was not till final summer time that the F.B.I. and the Justice Division determined to not deploy NSO hacking instruments in operations.

The F.B.I. has paid roughly $5 million to NSO for the reason that bureau first bought Pegasus.

The Instances has sued the F.B.I. beneath the Freedom of Data Act for bureau paperwork associated to the acquisition, testing and attainable deployment of NSO adware instruments. Throughout a courtroom listening to final month, a federal choose set a deadline of Aug. 31 for the F.B.I. to supply all related paperwork or be held in contempt. Authorities legal professionals mentioned the bureau to this point had recognized greater than 400 pages of paperwork that had been aware of the request.

The F.B.I. letter to NSO, dated Dec. 4, 2018, acknowledged that “the USA authorities won’t promote, ship or in any other case switch to another occasion beneath any situation with out prior approval of the federal government of Israel.”

Cathy L. Milhoan, an F.B.I. spokeswoman, mentioned the bureau “works diligently to remain abreast of rising applied sciences and tradecraft.”

“The F.B.I. bought a license to discover potential future authorized use of the NSO product and potential safety considerations the product poses,” she continued. “As a part of this course of, the F.B.I. met necessities of the Israeli Export Management Company. After testing and analysis, the F.B.I. selected to not use the product operationally in any investigation.”

The Instances article in January revealed that the C.I.A. in 2018 organized and paid for the federal government of Djibouti to accumulate Pegasus to help its authorities in counterterrorism operations, regardless of longstanding considerations about human rights abuses there.

Pegasus is a so-called zero-click hacking instrument — it might probably remotely extract every little thing from a goal’s cell phone, together with pictures, contacts, messages and video recordings, with out the consumer having to click on on a phishing hyperlink to offer Pegasus distant entry. It will probably additionally flip telephones into monitoring and secret recording gadgets, permitting the cellphone to spy on its proprietor.

NSO has offered Pegasus to dozens of nations, which have used the adware as a part of investigations into terrorist networks, pedophile rings and drug kingpins. However it has additionally been abused by authoritarian and democratic governments alike to spy on journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.

On Tuesday, the chief of Spain’s intelligence company was ousted after current revelations that Spanish officers each deployed and had been victims of Pegasus adware.

The firing of the official, Paz Esteban, got here days after the Spanish authorities mentioned that the cellphones of senior Spanish officers, together with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Protection Minister Margarita Robles, had been penetrated final yr by Pegasus. It was additionally revealed just lately that the Spanish authorities had used Pegasus to penetrate the cellphones of Catalan separatist politicians.

Israel has used the instrument as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations, most notably within the secret talks that led to the so-called Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and a number of other of its historic Arab adversaries.

In November, the Biden administration put NSO and one other Israeli agency on a “blacklist” of companies which can be prohibited from doing enterprise with American corporations. The Commerce Division mentioned the businesses’ adware instruments had “enabled international governments to conduct transnational repression, which is the follow of authoritarian governments focusing on dissidents, journalists and activists exterior of their sovereign borders to silence dissent.”

Mark Mazzetti reported from Washington, and Ronen Bergman from Tel Aviv.

Politics

Career Justice Department officials reassigned to different positions: reports

Published

28 minutes ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Career Justice Department officials reassigned to different positions: reports

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly reassigned multiple senior officials across various divisions ahead of the anticipated confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nomination for U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi.

Fox News is told that multiple career staffers in the criminal and national security divisions at the DOJ were removed from their current posts and reassigned.

While it is difficult to fire a career person “just because,” reassigning is possible, and that appears to have happened.

Of those who were moved to other positions within the DOJ was Bruce Schwartz, head of the office of internal affairs, which handles extradition matters, a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. The same person reportedly told the wire service that about 20 officials had been reassigned.

DONALD TRUMP SWORN IN AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 15. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Also, reportedly moved was George Toscas, a veteran deputy assistant attorney general in the national security division who not only helped oversee major terrorism and espionage investigations but also was a key figure in politically motivated probes over the last 10 years.

Toscas was involved in the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information as well as the investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Toscas’ reassignment was confirmed to The Associated Press by another person familiar with the matter.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

Trump and the RNC announce a $76 million fundraising haul in April

Former President Trump headlines a Republican National Committee spring donor retreat, in Palm Beach, Fla., May 4, 2024 (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

“He has seen everything in both counterterrorism and counterintelligence,” a former colleague of Toscas’ who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post. “There is no one in the department who knows as much about prosecuting and investigating terrorists and spies as George Toscas.”

The Washington Post also learned from sources familiar with the matter that Eun Young Choi, another deputy assistant attorney general in the national security division, was reassigned within the department, and was notified of the change by way of email on Monday afternoon.

The DOJ declined to comment on the changes.

PRESIDENT TRUMP DISCOVERS LETTER FROM FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN IN RESOLUTE DESK

The Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Hours after Trump took the oath of office, the DOJ removed at least four senior officials from the division that operates the nation’s immigration courts, which are currently backlogged.

The Washington Post reported that there is a 120-day moratorium on some staff reassignments after newly confirmed leaders begin their appointments, under federal guidelines. Bondi has not yet been confirmed; therefore, the moratorium is not yet in effect in the DOJ.

Currently, James McHenry is running the DOJ as acting U.S. attorney general after Merrick Garland left the department on Friday.

The reasons for the moves were not immediately known, though it is common for a new administration to appoint its own hires to lead the DOJ.

The moves could also foreshadow additional changes, given Trump’s interest in the department, which investigated him during his first term and indicted him twice last year in separate cases that never reached trial and were withdrawn after Trump’s election win in November.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

Politics

Musk says his gestures at Trump inauguration event weren't Nazi salutes

Published

50 minutes ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Musk says his gestures at Trump inauguration event weren't Nazi salutes

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a top aide to President Trump, drew and quickly dismissed a raft of condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, left-wing politicians abroad and others across the internet after twice making what to some looked like a Nazi salute from an inauguration stage.

Musk — who has endorsed antisemitic remarks and aligned himself with far-right factions, including the Alternative for Germany in that country — made the gestures during a giddy speech celebrating Trump’s return to power at an indoor rally Monday at Capital One Arena in Washington.

“I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you,” Musk said to the crowd. He slapped his chest with his right hand and then shot that hand out and up, open and flat and palm down, with his right arm rigidly extended.

He then turned and made a similar gesture in the opposite direction. “My heart goes out to you,” he said.

Some defended Musk. The Anti-Defamation League, which works against antisemitism, offered Musk a pass with a post on X — a platform Musk owns.

“It seems [Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the group said. “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath.”

Others disagreed sharply.

“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in response to ADL’s post on X. “People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) expressed shock at seeing Musk’s gesture at an inaugural event.

“I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” Nadler wrote on X.

The concerns were echoed by left-wing politicians across Europe, and sparked a sharp debate online — where people compared videos of Musk and Hitler, side by side.

Others came to Musk’s defense. After one account on X called the uproar a “hoax” and part of what Musk himself had once called a “dirty tricks campaign” against him by liberals, Musk reposted the comment.

“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he wrote, before adding a sleeping-face emoji.

Musk also suggested on X that debate over his gestures was evidence of “legacy media propaganda.”

On Tuesday, the matter was raised again — in Congress.

At a confirmation hearing for Trump’s nominee for United Nations ambassador, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) asked her what she thought of Musk “doing two ‘Heil Hitler’ salutes last night at the president’s televised rally?”

“No. Elon Musk did not do those salutes,” Stefanik said. She said Musk likes to cheer on Trump and is a visionary.

It was “simply not the case” that Musk made Nazi salutes, she said. “And to say so, the American people are smart — they see through it. They support Elon Musk.”

Murphy then noted that neo-Nazi and other far-right and white supremacist extremists around the country had made clear online that they believed Musk had made Nazi salutes — which they approved of and thanked him for — and asked Stefanik what she made of that.

Stefanik criticized Murphy for asking the question, and said both she and Trump have strong records of combating antisemitism.

Politics

What to Know About Trump’s Broad Grant of Clemency to Jan. 6 Rioters

Published

8 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

What to Know About Trump’s Broad Grant of Clemency to Jan. 6 Rioters

Follow live updates on the start of the Trump administration.

President Trump granted three different types of reprieve on Monday to all of the nearly 1,600 people who faced prosecution for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

He issued formal pardons to hundreds of rioters convicted of any crimes connected to Jan. 6, starting at the low end with offenses like trespassing and disorderly conduct and increasing in severity to assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.

Mr. Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 members of two far-right groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers militia. Most of those defendants were convicted on sedition charges and were serving prison terms of up to 18 years. Under the commutations, their sentences will be reduced to time served.

In a separate but related move, Mr. Trump ordered his Justice Department to dismiss any criminal indictments that remained pending against Jan. 6 defendants. And he directed the Bureau of Prisons to “immediately implement” his clemency grants, meaning that the 240 or so rioters behind bars could be released as early as Monday night.

Misdemeanor Defendants

Mr. Trump’s pardons and his demands for cases to be dismissed covered about 1,000 nonviolent offenders — the largest single group granted clemency. Those defendants were charged only with misdemeanor counts associated with the Capitol attack like breaching the restricted grounds of the Capitol or illegally entering the building itself, but were never accused of breaking anything or hurting anyone.

But even though they may not have committed acts of violence, a federal appeals court has ruled that each person who joined the mob on Jan. 6, “no matter how modestly behaved,” still contributed to the chaos at the Capitol.

Couy Griffin, a former local official from Otero County, N.M., was typical of defendants like this. Mr. Griffin, the founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump, was found guilty of illegally climbing over walls in the restricted grounds of the Capitol and sentenced to 14 days in prison.

Two years ago, Mr. Griffin was removed from his post after a trial under the 14th Amendment’s prohibition on insurrectionists holding office. He was the first public official to be removed that way in more than a century.

Assault Cases

The pardons and pending dismissals also covered more than 600 rioters were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers at the Capitol, nearly 175 of whom were accused of doing so with deadly or dangerous weapons including baseball bats, two-by-fours, crutches, hockey sticks and broken wooden table legs.

The assault defendants have been sentenced to some of the longest prison terms of any of the Jan. 6 rioters. David Dempsey, a member of the Proud Boys from California, received the stiffest penalty for assault — 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Mr. Dempsey engaged in a sustained attack against multiple officers at the Capitol, using his hands, his feet, a flagpole, crutches, pepper spray and broken pieces of furniture.

Mr. Dempsey was so aggressive on Jan. 6 that at one point he assaulted a fellow rioter who was trying to disarm him. He also stood beside a gallows outside the Capitol and called for the hanging of prominent Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama.

Conspiracy Cases

The most prominent defendant convicted of conspiracy charges and pardoned by Mr. Trump was Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy at a trial with four of his lieutenants.

Mr. Tarrio’s situation on Jan. 6 was unique. He was not in Washington that day, having been kicked out of the city days earlier by a local judge presiding over separate criminal charges brought against him for vandalizing a Black church a month before the Capitol attack.

Still, prosecutors said Mr. Tarrio kept in touch with compatriots as they assumed positions in the vanguard of the mob and played a central role in both committing violence and encouraging others to engage in violence at the Capitol.

Mr. Trump used a different method to grant clemency to Mr. Tarrio’s co-defendants in the sedition trial — Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zach Rehl and Dominic Pezzola, who is best known for having shattered one of the first windows at the Capitol with a stolen police riot shield. Mr. Trump commuted their sentences, reducing them from as much as 18 years in prison to time served. And he did the same for a former Proud Boy named Jeremy Bertino, who turned on his compatriots and testified against them at the trial.

Mr. Trump also commuted the 18-year sedition sentence imposed on Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, another far-right group that was instrumental in the riot. Eight other members of the Oath Keepers — most of them convicted of seditious conspiracy — had their sentences commuted as well.