New Russian Hacker Claims Putin Ordered Theft Of Clinton's Email, After First One Refused FBI Bribe To Lie

Tyler Durden's picture

A Russian hacker has reportedly confessed that he hacked the DNC and stole Hillary Clinton's emails under the direction of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), claims Russian news outlet The Bell. Konstantin Kozlovsky - a Russian citizen with a hacker group called Lurk, confessed to the theft during a hearing about his arrest in August, along with a handwritten letter in which he admits to acting on the orders of an FSB agent he referred to as "Ilya." 

Sound familiar?

In May, another Russian hacker claimed US officials offered him cash, citizenship and an apartment if he would accept responsibility for hacking the DNC and stealing Clinton's emails - which he refused, and was then arrested by the FBI under the lead of former Director James Comey.

“[They told me:] you will have to confess to breaking into Clinton’s inbox for [President Trump] on behalf of [Russian President Vladimir Putin],” Mr. Nikulin wrote, as translated by The Moscow Times.

 

"Later I received an offer from an agent: "You will have to declare that you broke Hillary Clinton mailbox for J. Trump on Putin's orders, you must agree to the extradition to the US, then we will remove all charges give you apartment and money, US citizenship "- I gave up shortly" questioning "was over, the agent said that they had come"

 

According to Nikulin, the proposal was made during conversations 14-15 November. The following conversation then took place on February 7 (translation via Currenttime.tv)

 

"You have to say that it is you broke-mail Clinton, that you prepared and entered into a democratic network and polling stations on Putin's orders, you call the names of accomplices, agree to extradition, and in America we will resolve all the issues will be living in an apartment and we will provide you all."

 

“He was offered to falsely testify that he was cooperating in the attack on the Democratic Party,” defense attorney Martin Sadilek said Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

A tale of two headlines:

Considering what we have learned about James Comey's FBI in recent weeks and months, something doesn't seem quite right with this story. After serious doubt was cast on Crowdstrike, the firm hired by the DNC to inspect their servers - and recent forensic analysis which revealed at least the Guccifer 2.0 portion of the leaked emails could have only been accessed locally - the Russian hacking narrative has been on incredibly thin ice. 

In March, Journalist Lee Stranahan more or less destroyed the CrowdStrike narrative in an article summarized below: 

  • The DNC Russian hacking claims rely entirely on a report by a private company the DNC hired called "CrowdStrike"

(not mentioned in Stranahan's article: The Irvine, CA company was partially funded by Google, which led a $100M 'Series C' investment round)

  • CrowdStrike's report ("Fancy Bear") is highly speculative, inconclusive by most standards, and does not contain "hard evidence" per CrowdStrike Co-Founder Dmitri Alperovitch:

The firm suspects they may have targeted DNC employees with “spearphishing” emails. These are communications that appear legitimate — often made to look like they came from a colleague or someone trusted — but that contain links or attachments that when clicked on deploy malicious software that enables a hacker to gain access to a computer. “But we don’t have hard evidence,” Alperovitch said.

  • The MSM ran with the "Fancy Bear" report in an attempt to delegitimize Trump:

 Starting in June of 2016 and continuing to this day, the DNC, Washington Post, New York Times, and other MSM outlets have been using the CrowdStrike report to stage a smear campaign against Donald Trump in an attempt to delegitimize the President while providing an excuse for Hillary Clinton's loss.

  • Cybersecurity experts and respected journalists have cast serious doubt on it's the report's validity.

How To Get To “Reasonable Certainty” on a Russia Finding - Jeffrey Carr, Medium (12.13.2016)

HERE’S THE PUBLIC EVIDENCE RUSSIA HACKED THE DNC — IT’S NOT ENOUGH - Sam Biddle, The Intercept (12.14.2016)

  • In December, CrowdStrike published another report concluding that Russia hacked Ukranian a artillery-targeting app using the SAME "Fancy Bear" malware.
  • Once again, Several new articles casting doubt on CrowdStrike's claims cropped up.

The GRU-Ukraine Artillery Hack That May Never Have Happened - Jeffrey Carr, Medium (1.3.2017)

Why I Still Don't Buy the Russian Hacking Story - Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg (12.22.2016)

Skeptics Doubt Ukraine Hack, Its Link to DNC Cyberattack - Oleksiy Kuzmenko, VOA (12.23.2016)

He told VOA that contacts in the Ukrainian military units that used the app reported no losses of D-30 howitzers, which contradicts large battlefield losses referenced in the CrowdStrike report.

“I personally know hundreds of gunmen in the war zone. None of them told me of D-30 losses caused by hacking or any other reason,” Narozhnyy stressed to the VOA

  • The Government of Ukraine issued a statement calling the CrowdStrike report Fake News:

In connection with the emergence in some media reports which stated that the alleged “80% howitzer D-30 Armed Forces of Ukraine removed through scrapping Russian Ukrainian hackers software gunners,” Land Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informs that the said information is incorrect.

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine asks journalists to publish only verified information received from the competent official sources. Spreading false information leads to increased social tension in society and undermines public confidence in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. -mil.gov.ua (translated) (1.6.2017)

  • CrowdStrike relied on a misinterpretation of evidence for the Ukraine story

The information CrowdStrike relied on came from a Russian propaganda blog, not the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) as CrowdStrike claimed.

An article by VOA News details this fact and puts this whole thing into context: Cyber Firm at Center of Russian Hacking Charges Misread Data - Oleksiy Kuzmenko, VOA (3.21.17)

The CrowdStrike report, released in December, asserted that Russians hacked into a Ukrainian artillery app, resulting in heavy losses of howitzers in Ukraine’s war with Russian-backed separatists.

But the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) told VOA that CrowdStrike erroneously used IISS data as proof of the intrusion. IISS disavowed any connection to the CrowdStrike report. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense also has claimed combat losses and hacking never happened.

And now - despite the "Russian Hacking" meme having been more or less gutted, a new Russian Hacker emerges - claiming Putin ordered him to steal Hillary Clinton's emails.

But did Putin also rig Hillary's campaign so she'd completely abandon Michigan, Wisonsin and Pennsylvania, inquiring minds want to know? Oh, and let's not forget about the time Julian Assange all but used sign language to let the world know that Seth Rich was the source.

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Sabibaby's picture

no you helped. probably got an apartment on park ave too.

ThirdWorldNut's picture

So you have to admit criminal wrongdoing and you get punished by being converted into a US citizen,  all sticks and no carrot?

No wonder not many takers ;-)

Billy the Poet's picture

The mutineers are incredibly desperate. This will be repeated again and again by "journalists" while there is little reporting on the shenanigans at FBI in regard to the election.

two hoots's picture

This is what the FBI invited to itself.   All this needs a quick clean-up/review or they, the FBI, will be tarnished indefinitely.    Let the bodies fall where they may, this is becoming a national shame.  How will courts use any of their evidence, truthfulness, in any investigation?   It hurts the entire agency.

 

overbet's picture

Interesting analysis

 

https://www.themarketswork.com/2017/12/13/rosensteins-testimony-the-insp...

 

 

Watch in slow motion as Rod Rosenstein breaks character. Look at the expression on Jeff Session's face as he does so.

https://twitter.com/DaveNYviii/status/940086973477171201

bobcatz's picture

Looks like the Israelis are working OVERTIME to get back at Putin for Syria. http://wp.me/p4OZ4v-1Gm

skbull44's picture

It's as Putin replied to a journalist when asked about this narrative: the US is hurting itself more than anyone else.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-14/putin-blasts-american-establish...

https://Olduvai.ca

WTFRLY's picture

Joominati is forever trying to distract from the truth. His name is Seth Rich

yomutti2's picture

ZH toes the Russian propaganda line again. I wonder why they do that?

 

 

BennyBoy's picture

 

Good timing for this CIA, er, russian hacker to appear as the story loses traction with MSM.

skbull44's picture

Russian propaganda is likely far closer to the truth than Western/US propaganda.

https://Olduvai.ca

11b40's picture

Because the overwhelming body of evidence suppports the "Russian propaganda line"?

 

You have a different body of evidence?

MEFOBILLS's picture

Here is the body of evidence.  The Hubris of these people is astonishing, they think we are all stupid.

 

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2017/09/03/54021/

 

In its ongoing analysis of the purported DNC hack, VIPS has brought to bear the impressive talents of more than a dozen experienced, well-credentialed experts, including William Binney, a former NSA technical director and cofounder of the NSA’s Signals Intelligence Automation Research Center; Edward Loomis, former NSA technical director for the Office of Signals Processing; and Skip Folden, former manager of IBM’s information technology. As the French would say, these are l’hommes serieux, as are the other computer-system designers, program architects, and analysts with whom they are investigating the Clinton-DNC hack story.

Recently, VIPS released its initial investigative findings, and they are stunning.

First, VIPS has concluded that the DNC data were not hacked by the Russians or anyone else accessing the server over the internet. Instead, they were downloaded by means of a thumb drive or similar portable storage device physically attached to the DNC server.

How was this determined? The time stamps contained in the released computer files’ metadata establish that, at 6:45 p.m. July 5, 2016, 1,976 megabytes of data were downloaded from the DNC’s server. This took 87 seconds, which means the transfer rate was 22.7 megabytes per second, a speed, according to VIPS, that “is much faster than what is physically possible with a hack.” Such a speed could be accomplished only by direct connection of a portable storage device to the server. Accordingly, VIPS concludes the DNC data theft was an inside job by someone with physical access to the server.

VIPS also reports that, if there had been a hack, the NSA would have a record of it that could quickly be retrieved and produced. But no such evidence has been forthcoming. Can this be because no hack occurred?

Even more remarkable, the experts have determined that files released by Guccifer 2.0 have been “run, via ordinary cut and paste, through a template that effectively immersed them in what could plausibly be cast as Russian fingerprints.” In other words, the files were deliberately altered to give the false impression that they were hacked by Russian agents.

Up to this point, Russiagate has been notable as an irrational, self-levitating media jihad devoid of any material-supporting evidence. Now, thanks to the VIPS experts, the Russia-hacking story – the very genesis of the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory – appears to have been affirmatively and convincingly undercut. And this raises many questions concerning the purveyors of the Russia hacking story, as well as the heretofore semicomatose federal investigation of the alleged hack.

krispkritter's picture

The Fibbies have a long history of botched forensic lab results going back decades which have sent innocent people to prison(maybe worse).  But they are seen as the gold standard because they have a bottomless pit of taxpayer dollars to fuckup and coverup their work.  I would never trust my existence to such a band of fuckups.  I think this is gonna put a large hole in their boat and hopefully it sinks but then the replacement may be worse.

putaipan's picture

and i;m listening to pbs news hour right now stilllllllllllll hammering on russian influece, and trumps uwillingness to accept it as a personality deficit due to his sensitivity about winning the election

GUS100CORRINA's picture

New Russian Hacker Claims Putin Ordered Theft Of Clinton's Email, After First One Refused FBI Bribe To Lie

My response: NEWS like this is depressing when we know that no action will be taken and justice will be mocked.

I hate to say this, but MOST OF THESE SENATE and CONGRESSIONAL hearings are without RESULTS.

We need a radical solution to move things along. Not sure GOD would approve of what I have in mind. Enough said.

krispkritter's picture

Wheel a guillotine through chambers into another room.  When done testifying, frog-march the obvious liars into that room, play the sound of a guillotine drop and a thud, then vacation them in Gitmo for a couple weeks and watch the next-in-lines start shitting themselves while spilling the beans.  Afterwards guillotine the real traitors.

Not Too Important's picture

God has already decided to pull the plug. It's just going to take a couple of hundred years, so we all get to suffer horrificly slowly.

Although North America has about 8 years left. Get your lives in order, it's already started and picking up speed.

pippi68's picture

Doubling down some more... it never ends. I guess the establishment must think Americans are all idiots.

Rich Monk's picture

Actually, they know that half the population are idiots. It's the democrat base they play too.

doctor10's picture

Hahahahahah!!!! Hillary's toilet server was "wide open" to all who paid the fee.  The Russians clearly did so.

peddling-fiction's picture

When you got nothing, doubledown and lie some more.

Shameless losers.

chunga's picture

There must be something wrong with me for wondering why the maverick outsider won't talk to Assange while he's being pilloried daily about Russians. Oh well, who cares. Go team.

Not Too Important's picture

You're assuming Julian is still alive (rumor is it was Black Cube that took him), or that Trump hasn't reached out through secondary channels. Trump has the Montgomery hard drives, plus the .gov White Hats, he knows more than Assange does.

We may not be seeing indictments yet, but there isn't a handful of people that don't know of the Treason and Sedition that has taken place in Washington. They might not know the particulars, but they know something is more rotten than anything else in politics in their lifetimes.

veritas semper vinces's picture

How about "lock her up" How is this going?

 

An American  orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dean Lorich,volunteer in Haiti,who started to talk about the Clinton foundation's criminality there,was found DEAD.The Clinton dead pool is overflowing. Why is she NOT IN JAIL YET?

 

You think this simple fact proves something about the Donald or not?

RussianSniper's picture

What a load of fake news!

ThePhantom's picture

getting too close to the Seth Rich murderer(s) are we? was his name Strzok (stroke) ... ?

The Chief's picture

Good point. Maybe we need to find out exactly where Mr Strzok was on that evening.

Brazen Heist's picture

Why, of course you did!

Anarchyteez's picture

U lost me at FBI.

two hoots's picture

Fake Bureau of Investigation.  

Anarchyteez's picture

LOVE IT!

I’m going to make that a bumper sticker!

TheAnswerIs42's picture

Don't forget to put a bullseye on it.

 

DennisR's picture

Why doesn't Russia just threaten to release some 9/11 info?

ParkAveFlasher's picture

Because everyone knows it already.

poeg's picture

Part of that would entail security footage of Hillary removing her human mask and subjecting each tower to an otherworldly scowl. Thanks but no.

krispkritter's picture

I read a story recently about the tallest wooden Japanese pagoda that burned and still lasted 4 hours before collapsing, go figure.

ParkAveFlasher's picture

did they find passports in the wreckage, that morning?

Not Too Important's picture

Saudis that went to kamikaze school.

What, too soon?

pizdowitz's picture

Another distraction from the Cankles Brigade ....

poeg's picture

And Putin was crowdfunding the hack because it was too big a bite out of a civil service salary... morons.

besnook's picture

....but they couldn't find a russian whore to testify that she peed on trump when he stayed in russia.

CRM114's picture

The Dems live in such a bubble they don't realize that all Russian whores have higher standards than they do.

ThePhantom's picture

at least half the country is completely fooled by this shit.... no doubt...

 

Whoa Dammit's picture

Someone must be having nightmares about the giant clanking sound of a cell door slamming shut behind them forevah.

Pendolino's picture

And yet another monkey just flew out my ass.

krispkritter's picture

Dude!  Should have skipped the Mexican All-U-Can-Eat Burrito night! I'll never be the same again...