Russiagate Trudges On

Good news for the followers of Russiagate! Mueller grand jury extended for up to 6 months (CNN)

Special counsel Robert Mueller's federal grand jury has been extended so it may continue to meet and vote on criminal indictments for up to six more months. The grand jury's initial 18-month term was set to expire over the weekend.

The extension is the surest sign yet that the Russia investigation isn't finished. It means, broadly, that Mueller may continue pursuing alleged criminal activity related to the Russian government's interference in the 2016 presidential election, and that more indictments may be coming.

Mueller is given authority by the Justice Department to prosecute individuals as he sees fit if they fall within his commissioned task -- but in practice his team must ask the secret group of up to 23 citizens from DC to approve criminal indictments.

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This grand jury, based in Washington, DC, and apparently dedicated to Mueller's probe, began meeting in July 2017.

FWIW, Donald Trump received 4.1% of the vote in Washington D.C. so we can be sure the Grand Jury is packed with his supporters. /sarc

Ace: Shut It Down: Mueller's Grand Jury Votes to Extend Itself Another Six Months (Until It Needs Another Six Months to Find the REAL Russians) Shut it down. Shut. It. Down.

Kristin Davis and Roger Stone

And one the the people Mueller would clearly like to indict, if only for the fun of it: Roger Stone says he is being 'harassed' by Mueller investigators who 'tracked down his temporary maid to ask if he was meeting with Russians at his home and went through his garbage'

'My cleaning lady had to go back to Cuba for a while, so I hired a temp,' Stone said. 'The temp spoke only Spanish. I never knew her name or anything. Yet, government agents found her in Miami. They asked her if I was meeting with Russians at home. 'Now, how they found her when I didn't even know her name, I can only guess. I know she had nothing to say to them.'

He claims agents showed some of Stone's friends a photo of the two-year-old boy born to Kristin Davis, the infamous Manhattan Madam whose prostitution service was used by disgraced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and, allegedly, the likes of retired baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez.

'They kept asking if the baby was mine,' the married Stone said. 'What does that have to do with Russian collusion? The baby is not mine, I'm the godfather. But that's an invasion of privacy if I've ever seen one.'

Being at the forefront of this political scandal has been 'financially debilitating, to say the least,' he says. He's been involved in a half dozen lawsuits that have resulted in up to $200,000 each in legal bills. Preparing for his 2017 House testimony also cost him $400,000, he said.

Remember, the process is the punishment. With the unlimited bank of the United States behind them Mueller's team can literally out spend any possible defense.

Jeff Carlson at the Epoch Times, Were Events Surrounding Flynn’s Moscow Visit Intentionally Misframed? What, our press deliberately mislead us? It couldn't be, I know my press and it's as honest as me! Dammit, can't turn off the sarcasm.

And more on the matter of Paul Whelan, the US ex-marine detained in Russia and accused of spying, probably in preparation for a swap for Maria Butina.

Citing a security service source, Rosbalt news agency said the 48-year-old American received the USB drive from a Russian citizen who visited him in his room at the Metropol hotel in Moscow on Friday. Officers from the FSB intelligence agency then reportedly burst into the room and arrested Whelan. The information could not be independently verified by the Guardian. Rosbalt did not say what had happened to the Russian citizen.

The news agency said that according to its source Whelan began making contact with potential Russian informants on internet forums and chatrooms about 10 years ago. He would then, the source said, meet up with his online acquaintances individually in Moscow “over a bottle”.

Detroit FreeP: Novi man accused of espionage has UK, US, Irish citizenship

Irish officials say a Novi man being detained by Russia, Paul Whelan, has requested help from the Irish government and report they will do what they can to come to his aid.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that its embassy in Moscow is requesting consular access to Whelan. It said it made the request “after receiving a request for assistance” from an Irish citizen detained in Moscow.

Whelan, a 48-year-old former Marine and security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow, accused of spying. His family says he was in Moscow to attend a friend’s wedding.

Officials have now confirmed that Whelan holds U.S., British and Irish citizenship.

And speaking of someone we haven't heard from in a while Ex-CIA operative Plame: 'It's not inconceivable' Paul Whelan is a spy. Apparently she she thinks people kicked out of the Marines for bad conduct make good spies, and she should know. But I assume everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie.

The Victory Girls: Russians Arrest American on Espionage Charges

In case you were too busy cheering the government shutdown or getting hammered on New Year’s Eve to check international news, Russia has detained an American for espionage. The Russians gave no explanation or details about the alleged espionage activities in which Paul Whelan was supposedly involved. They opened a criminal case, and now Whelan could spend up to 20 years in a Russian prison.

And if you think Russian prison is easy time, I will remind you of a guy named Sergei Magnitsky, who was imprisoned on false charges because he discovered about a massive theft of assets by Russian officials, and died in prison 11 months later after treatment so foul and severe, that it triggered legislation in the United States (and later globally) called the Magnitsky Act, which authorizes governments to sanction human rights violators, freeze their assets, and bar them from traveling to the United States.

Whelan’s family has cause to worry, but so far, consular staff report that US Ambassador Jon Huntsman visited Whelan in the detention facility in Moscow where he is being held, and at least for now, Whelan seems to be OK. . . .

And Whelan's brother David, in the WaPo:  I am Paul Whelan’s brother. He is not a spy.

. . . There has been much speculation about why Paul has been victimized by the Russian government. His history has been thoroughly and publicly scoured for clues — some of which came as news to his family. We were surprised to learn that he left the Marines with a bad-conduct discharge. But we all have things in our lives that we may not share if they cast us in a bad light.

Other revelations reflected what we already knew: He is a confident, experienced traveler, fond of his Russian friends and the time he has spent in that country. His use of the Russian site VKontakte is no more unusual than Facebook is for Americans. As for his international connections, our family spans continents, and Paul’s four passports reflect his birth (Canada), parents (Britain), grandparents (Ireland) and choice (United States).

Furthermore, Paul has a risk-aware professional background, spanning law enforcement, military service and corporate security — factors that should make him an unlikely target of the Russian government.

Now begins the work to bring Paul back to his family.

Our first step has been to help Paul meet his needs as a prisoner of the Russian government. Detainees must pay for toilet paper and basic necessities. Paul couldn’t get his eyeglasses back because he didn’t know the words in Russian. He now has access to a translator and has a local lawyer to defend against the Russian government’s allegations.

But our family knows we need the president and Congress to be successful in freeing my brother.

We are contacting our representatives in Congress to urge them to use diplomacy, sanctions and other pressures to gain Paul’s release — such as a joint resolution demanding his freedom. Congress took similar action in 1986 when the Soviet Union detained American journalist Nicholas Daniloff on false espionage charges. Upon his return, Daniloff said he hoped “this outrageous incident would fade into history.” Unfortunately, history is repeating itself.

We urge all concerned Americans to contact their senators and representatives. Let them know that Paul’s plight is one you do not want to see repeated for any American. Ask them to help Paul get back to his family.

We urge President Trump to intercede on Paul’s behalf. U.S. government action will reinforce that Americans traveling abroad should not do so in fear, and ensure other American families are less likely to have their loved ones go missing. We are confident that if the president and Congress intervene decisively, as President Ronald Reagan and the government did for Daniloff, it will lead to Paul’s freedom.