Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 7 (July 2016 - September 2016)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 7 (July 2016 - September 2016)
“Bernie Sanders thanked his supporters for starting a political movement at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 25, 2016” under public domain by Ali Shaker/VOA.
In July 2016, the United States was in the midst of a highly contentious presidential election. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, was facing intense scrutiny over her use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State. On July 2, the FBI interviewed Clinton about the server, and on July 5, FBI Director James Comey announced that he would not recommend charges against Clinton. The decision sparked controversy and criticism from Republicans.
Amidst this political backdrop, a tragic event occurred. On July 10, a young Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer named Seth Rich was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. The circumstances surrounding his death remained under investigation, but conspiracy theories emerged suggesting that Rich had been targeted because he had leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks. These theories were widely debunked, but they fueled speculation and further divided public opinion.
In the midst of the turmoil, WikiLeaks, an organization known for publishing classified and confidential information, played a significant role. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, had a longstanding animosity towards Clinton and timed the release of thousands of hacked DNC emails to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in July. The leaked emails revealed internal conflicts within the DNC and led to the resignation of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the committee's chairwoman.
The release of the emails raised questions about Russia's involvement, as many experts believed that Russian hackers were behind the breach. The U.S. intelligence community later confirmed that Russia was indeed responsible. These revelations intensified concerns about foreign interference in the U.S. election, with some suggesting that Russia was trying to undermine Clinton's campaign and bolster Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
Trump himself made controversial statements during this period. On July 27, he publicly called on Russia to find Clinton's missing emails, leading to widespread criticism. Many saw this as an alarming invitation for a foreign power to interfere in the election. Trump's remarks fueled suspicions about his own connections to Russia and drew attention to his relationship with Assange. It was revealed that Roger Stone, a close associate of Trump, had been in communication with Assange.
Meanwhile, third-party candidates like Jill Stein of the Green Party sought to capitalize on the growing discontent with the two major-party nominees. Stein made attempts to appeal to disillusioned Bernie Sanders supporters, who were disappointed by the leaked DNC emails and Clinton's subsequent nomination. However, Stein faced challenges in gaining significant traction and was excluded from the first presidential debate along with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
As the election campaign heated up, WikiLeaks continued to release documents and emails, heightening the tensions surrounding the race. Clinton and Trump clashed fiercely in their first debate on September 26, 2016, discussing topics such as taxes, race, and terrorism.
Throughout this period, the influence of WikiLeaks, the actions of Julian Assange, and the specter of Russian interference loomed large over the U.S. political landscape. The leaking of sensitive information and the ensuing controversies had a profound impact on the public's perception of the candidates and the integrity of the election process itself. These events would continue to reverberate long after the summer of 2016.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 5, 2023
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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 7 (July 2016 - September 2016):
F.B.I. Interviews Hillary Clinton Over Private Email Server – The New York Times July 2, 2016
Inside the Six Weeks Donald Trump Was a Nonstop ‘Birther’ – The New York Times July 2, 2016
James Comey’s Rebuke of Hillary Clinton Fits a 3-Decade Pattern – The New York Times July 5, 2016
F.B.I.’s Critique of Hillary Clinton Is a Ready-Made Attack Ad – The New York Times July 5, 2016
2016 Delegate Count and Primary Results – The New York Times July 5, 2016
Hillary Clinton v. the F.B.I.: What They Said About Her Emails – The New York Times July 6, 2016
27-Year-Old DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shot, Killed in Northwest DC – NBC4 Washington July 11, 2016
Was DNC Worker Seth Conrad Rich Gunned Down on His Way to Meet the FBI? – Snopes July 14, 2016
Protesters carry guns, decry Trump as RNC opens – USA Today July 18, 2016
Cleveland police to protesters: don’t hide your faces – USA Today July 19, 2016
No-shows and reduced numbers temper RNC protests – USA Today July 19, 2016
Expect heavy security at DNC in Philadelphia – USA Today July 20, 2016
17 arrested at flag-burning protest outside RNC – USA Today July 20, 2016
‘Bernie or Bust’ backers to flock to Philly to protest – USA Today July 21, 2016
Edward Snowden to Help Develop a Safer Phone for Journalists – The New York Times July 21, 2016
Released Emails Suggest the D.N.C. Derided the Sanders Campaign – The New York Times July 22, 2016
Oliver Stone’s ‘Snowden’ Gives Comic-Con Its Moment of Gravity – The New York Times July 22, 2016
Trump tries to use Kaine pick to attract Sanders backers – USA Today July 23, 2016
DNC emails show hostility to Sanders; one calls campaign chief ‘damn liar’ – USA Today July 23, 2016
As Democrats Gather, a Russian Subplot Raises Intrigue – The New York Times July 24, 2016
Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign D.N.C. Post – The New York Times July 24, 2016
Amid email uproar, Wasserman Schultz to step down after convention – USA Today July 24, 2016
From praise to ‘overrated’: Reaction to Wasserman Schultz stepping down – USA Today July 24, 2016
Bernie Sanders to address convention amid drama over leaked emails – USA Today July 24, 2016
Q&A: What’s the deal with the leaked DNC emails? – USA Today July 25, 2016
In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works – The New York Times July 25, 2016
In D.N.C. Hack, Echoes of Russia’s New Approach to Power – The New York Times July 25, 2016
Spy Agency Consensus Grows That Russia Hacked D.N.C. – The New York Times July 26, 2016
Why Security Experts Think Russia Was Behind the D.N.C. Breach – The New York Times July 26, 2016
Could Third Parties Determine This Election? | Opinion – The New York Times July 27, 2016
Trump says he hopes Russia can find ‘missing’ Clinton emails – USA Today July 27, 2016
What Trump’s tax returns could reveal about Russia – CNN Money July 27, 2016
Jill Stein on vaccines: People have ‘real questions’ – The Washington Post July 29, 2016
Snowden and WikiLeaks Clash Over How to Disclose Secrets – The New York Times July 29, 2016
Donald Trump Gives Questionable Explanation of Events in Ukraine – The New York Times July 31, 2016
Russian News Group Walks Tightrope in Covering U.S. Election – The New York Times July 30, 2016
Now Jill Stein Thinks Wi-Fi Might Be Hurting Kids – Gizmodo August 1, 2016
Judge dismisses debate lawsuit filed by Gary Johnson and Jill Stein – CNN August 5, 2016
WikiLeaks walks back Assange claim on hacking Trump tax returns – CNN August 6, 2016
Green Party Sees Opportunity Amid Wide Voter Discontent – The New York Times August 6, 2016
Julian Assange addressing Green Party Convention – Green Party USA August 6, 2016
Jill Stein: ‘No question’ Julian Assange is a hero – CNN August 6, 2016
What If the Green Party Stopped Being Kooky and Started Getting Real? – Politico August 7, 2016
Can We Trust Julian Assange and WikiLeaks? – The New York Times August 8, 2016
Journalism – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver August 8, 2016
WikiLeaks offers reward for help finding DNC staffer’s killer – The Washington Post August 9, 2016
Roger Stone Confirms That He’s In Communication With Julian Assange – MediaMatters August 9, 2016
Trump Ally Roger Stone: The Clintons Recently Had Four People Murdered – MediaMatter August 9, 2016
Roger Stone | Newsmakers – C-Span August 18, 2016
Manafort’s man in Kiev – Politico August 18, 2016
US election: Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort quits – BBC August 19, 2016
Judge Orders Written Testimony From Hillary Clinton on Emails – The New York Times August 19, 2016
More of Kremlin’s Opponents Are Ending Up Dead – The New York Times August 20, 2016
Sean Hannity ‘Informally’ Advising Trump – Daily Beast August 22, 2016
WikiLeaks Spills Secrets, Exposes Private Lives – USA Today August 23, 2016
Private lives are exposed as WikiLeaks spills its secrets – Associated Press August 23, 2016
Rieder: The casual cruelty of WikiLeaks – USA Today August 24, 2016
A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories – The New York Times August 28, 2016
Hackers hit Arizona, Illinois voter databases – USA Today August 29, 2016
Edward Snowden’s Long, Strange Journey to Hollywood – The New York Times August 30, 2016
Is Moscow meddling in the presidential election? – USA Today September 7, 2016
FBI director says bureau probing election interference from abroad – USA Today September 8, 2016
New Documents Released From Hack of Democratic Party – The New York Times September 13, 2016
Obama Condemns Trump in Full-Throated Pitch for Clinton – The New York Times September 13, 2016
A conversation with Jill Stein: what the Green Party candidate believes – Vox September 14, 2016
Guccifer 2.0 strikes again: DNC chair blames ‘Russian agents’ – USA Today September 14, 2016
U.S. presidential debate rules out third party candidates – Reuters September 16, 2016
No Third-Party Candidates in the First Debate – The Atlantic September 16, 2016
Chelsea Manning Sentenced to Solitary Over Suicide Attempt – The New York Times September 23, 2016
Clinton, Trump battle fiercely over taxes, race, terror – AP News September 26, 2016
Jill Stein Escorted From Hofstra Campus After Conducting Interview – Gothamist September 26, 2016
Jill Stein says she was forced to leave debate site – The Boston Globe September 26, 2016
Pepe the Frog meme branded a ‘hate symbol’ – BBC News September 28, 2016