Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 11 (September 2017 - December 2017)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 11 (September 2017 - December 2017)
“Donald Trump Jr” by Sebastian Vital under CC BY 2.0.
In the months between September and December 2017, the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election continued to unfold, with new revelations and developments captivating the public's attention.
The month of September began with a report by The Intercept, highlighting the case of Reality Winner, a government contractor accused of leaking classified documents related to Russian hacking efforts during the election. Winner's case raised questions about government surveillance and the rights of whistleblowers.
Meanwhile, Facebook announced that it had discovered Russian ads on its platform that aimed to sow division among Americans during the election. This revelation added to the growing evidence of Russian meddling in U.S. politics.
In mid-September, The Wall Street Journal reported that a Republican congressman had sought a deal with WikiLeaks and Russia during the election. This revelation further fueled the speculation surrounding WikiLeaks' involvement in the release of hacked Democratic emails.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into Russian interference also gained momentum during this period. In late September, it was reported that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had been wiretapped and was expecting an indictment. Manafort's alleged connections with Russia and his attempts to set up private briefings for a Russian billionaire drew significant attention.
As the focus on social media platforms intensified, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged to make political ads more transparent. It was revealed that Russian-funded Facebook ads had supported not only Trump but also third-party candidates like Jill Stein and Bernie Sanders, adding complexity to the narrative.
In October, Mueller's investigation continued with the indictment of Manafort on charges including conspiracy against the United States. Another former Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.
The extent of Russian influence on social media platforms also became clearer. Facebook disclosed that Russian fake accounts had reached 126 million users, and a London-based professor was identified as a conduit between the Trump campaign and Russia.
In December, the Senate's Russia investigation expanded its scope to include the campaign of Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Reports emerged that Stein's campaign was being scrutinized for potential connections to Russia.
Throughout this period, the investigations and revelations surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election continued to dominate headlines. The inquiries revealed the complex web of connections between individuals associated with the Trump campaign, Russian actors, and WikiLeaks. The public's understanding of the extent of Russian meddling grew, and questions about the integrity of the election process loomed large.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 5, 2023
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Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022+)
Sources for Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 11 (September 2017 - December 2017):
REALITY WINNER WAS NOT TOLD SHE HAD THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT – The Intercept September 1, 2017
12 times Clinton dishes out payback in her tell-all book – Politico September 12, 2017
GOP Congressman Sought Trump Deal on WikiLeaks, Russia – The Wall Street Journal September 15, 2017
Paper ballots are back in vogue thanks to Russian hacking fears – USA Today September 19, 2017
Manafort used Trump campaign account to email Ukrainian operative – Politico September 20, 2017
Russian-funded Facebook ads backed Stein, Sanders and Trump Politico September 26, 2017
Mark Zuckerberg fires back at Trump: Facebook is not ‘anti-Trump’ – USA Today September 27, 2017
Update: Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election – Twitter September 28, 2017
JUDGE DELAYS DECISION IN MOTION TO RELEASE REALITY WINNER ON BAIL – The Intercept September 29, 2017
Facebook: 10 million people saw Russia-backed election ads – USA Today October 2, 2017
Russian soldiers face ban on selfies and blog posts – BBC October 5, 2017
Alexei Navalny – Russia’s barred presidential candidate – DW October 22, 2017
Facebook makes political ads more transparent ahead of Russia hearings – USA Today October 27, 2017
Security and disinformation in the U.S. 2016 election – Google October 30, 2017
Russian fake accounts showed posts to 126 million Facebook users – USA Today October 30, 2017
Explainer: What is Russia’s new VPN law all about? – BBC November 1, 2017
Inside story: How Russians hacked the Democrats’ emails – AP News November 4, 2017
Putin’s National Guard to protect Russian regional leaders – BBC November 7, 2017
The Secret Correspondence Between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks – The Atlantic November 13, 2017
The Trump Presidency – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver November 13, 2017
How Russian bots appear in your timeline – BBC November 14, 2017
Trump Putin call: CIA helped stop Russia terror attack – BBC December 17, 2017
The Senate’s Russia Investigation Is Now Looking Into Jill Stein – BuzzFeed News December 18, 2017
Report: Senate’s Russia Probe Targets Jill Stein Campaign – Daily Beast December 18, 2017
Senate Intel Investigating Jill Stein Campaign – US News December 19, 2017
Senate Russia probe looking into 2016 candidate Jill Stein – AP News December 19, 2017
WASHINGTON’S RUSSIA CIRCUS COMES FOR JILL STEIN – Vanity Fair December 19, 2017
US Green Party’s Jill Stein targeted in Russia inquiry – BBC December 19, 2017
HR McMaster: Russian meddling ‘sophisticated subversion’ – BBC December 19, 2017
Did WikiLeaks Release a Trove of ‘Deep State Files’? – Snopes December 27, 2017