Corruption at the FBI isn't a myth. And it impacts real Americans, like my family.
Take for example this warrant to raid my home. An agent swore to the truth of the facts in the affidavit.
He lied. I can show - but only b/c this document was accidentally unsealed. /1
The agent told WDWa judge Mary Alice Theiler that $ my husband was allegedly paid was "fraudulent" for one reason.... /2
He swore that Amazon employees weren't authorized to receive referral fees/any compensation paid by developers related to Amazon real estate.
Lots of jobs allow such payments - commissions, referral fees, bonuses. This agent swore under oath that this was forbidden at Amazon/3
This is the SOLE reason the alleged payments were deemed "fraudulent" and the sole basis the alleged payments made up probable cause of a crime. Otherwise, the $ would have just been ... a payment.
Here is the agent swearing to the truth of the affidavit. /4
Federal prosecutors ALSO swore to the truth of this "fact" in a statement of facts used to elicit a plea agreement from a guy who didn't work at Amazon & didn't know what Amazon's contract allowed - or didn't allow. But he pled guilty to helping my husband violate that contract by receiving the "forbidden" payments.
Here is the statement in the plea/ 5
Another agent used this "fact" to file a verified civil forfeiture complaint against every $ my family had in the world - which DOJ seized. The agent said he knew this "fact' PERSONALLY and swore to it under penalty of perjury.
Only basis for fraud = payments not authorized/6
DOJ later confessed they hadn't reviewed my husband's employment terms before seizing $/raiding our home.
Judge Rossie Alston ruled that the "explicit terms" in Amazon's contract AUTHORIZED my husband to receive $ from companies doing biz with Amazon. /7
So, someone told 2 FBI agents and 2 prosecutors - who all made sworn statements to federal judges - a lie about Amazon's employment terms, and used that lie to seize all of our $, raid our home, and dismantle our lives.
What do you think happened next? /8
US Attorney Jessica Aber vacated the pleas obtained with the lies.
DOJ returned the seized $ - after we'd spent hundreds of thousands to get them back. We lost our home (worth 2x now), our retirement, and millions in business contracts. /9
But DOJ didn't make a move to hold Bezos or his lawyers accountable. They'll put Martha Stewart in prison for allegedly lying to DOJ, but I guess if you work for Jeff Bezos it's okay. My life is an okay sacrifice for Jeff and Amazon. /10
Instead, EDVa DOJ (under Aber) moved to forever seal docs related to the civil forfeiture - after earlier promising Judge Alston they would be unsealed by April 1, 2024.
As pulitzer prize winning journalist Seamus Hughes wrote: /11
So not only is DOJ not holding Amazon accountable - a clear signal that if you're rich enough, you can say whatever you want to prosecutors, force them to lie under oath, and it's totally cool - they're trying to hide the lies.
Trump, Bondi and Patel have vowed to end this kind of behavior. I hope they're good to their word. This is a clear and simple test. /12
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In a stunning filing last night, senior DOJ leadership pointed to texts between prosecutors that show casual conversation about political motivations to bring federal criminal charges against an American.
There should be outrage over this from ALL sides. But /1
There will not be outrage. Because somehow in America it's okay to deprive Americans of due process if it's "our side" doing the depriving.
This is why our institutions are broken.
You think it won't matter to you - but when my husband was falsely accused by Bezos, it did /2
In my husband's case, we were able to see the communications between prosecutors and Amazon's ex-DOJ prosecutor lawyer. Here is an example: a top prosecutor promises two of her "very best" lawyers "specifically selected" for Bezos. One rule of law for all except billionaires /3
When prosecutors Matthew Burke & Jamar Walker told my husband not to record a call, I recorded it.
With Amazon lawyer Yousri Omar on the line, they told my husband he’d get what he deserved if he didn’t stop defending himself in a civil lawsuit filed by Amazon. /1
Free advice: If you're company is in litigation/under investigation, the company's lawyers are NOT YOUR LAWYERS. They are representing the company's interests; not yours.
This REALLY surprised me when Amazon came after my husband. I'll explain. /1
Amazon's target Brian Watson is now suing AWS exec Keith Klein. Klein didn't have his own lawyer when Amazon came after Watson & my husband. Gibson Dunn, Amazon's lawyer, represented him. And according to a new lawsuit, Klein VOLUNTEERED that he had told a company (IPI) to break a contract with Watson. If it's true, that's textbook tortious interference.
I mean, I would expect lawyers who represented my interests to perhaps not let this testimony come out voluntarily. But ... again, Gibson Dunn represented Amazon - not Klein. /2
Another example is former AWS exec Chris Vonderhaar. According to Watson - who is suing Vonderhaar - Vonderhaar testified in Amazon's suit against Watson that alleged violations Amazon's code of conduct was legally enforceable and could serve as the basis for a lawsuit.
And Amazon lawyers Yousri Omar and Matt Doden - also being sued - said the same, to the Department of Justice. (Like, an agency you have to tell the truth to or ... it's a crime, right?)
But ... Amazon took a different position in other cases + a federal judge prohibited them from arguing this against Watson or my husband + the plain language of the code is ALSO contrary to this.
One would think that Gibson Dunn would have NEVER allowed individuals at Amazon to argue this, a firm that charges thousands per hour would surely educate Vonderhaar that he couldn't testify as to this or it would be false. But, again, Gibson Dunn represented Amazon - not Vonderhaar. Will Amazon now point the finger AT Vonderhaar?? Remains to be seen. /3
5 years ago today, Amazon bought a piece of land in Virginia from billionaire, Herb Glimcher. My husband - who’d left Amazon nearly 7 months before - had partnered with Glimcher to rezone the land for data center use.
Amazon accused my husband of a crime for selling it land. /1
Amazon agreed to the price for the land. The price was below market. Amazon kept the land and built data centers on it, reaping billions.
Amazon doesn’t sell real estate development. So, my husband wasn’t violating his post employment non compete.
But … /2
Amazon told DOJ that the billionaire paid my husband a kickback in violation of a statute called private sector honest services fraud fraud.
DOJ said okay, seized my family’s assets and destroyed by husband’s company.
Glimcher, who allegedly paid the kickback? He’s fine. /3
Here is @BillClinton confirming the same. He says @JoeBiden has reason to believe that Hunter was unfairly prosecuted because he is the president's son. /2
@BillClinton @JoeBiden There is more! Here is @BarackObama in Chicago this week explaining that the criminal justice system can be used as a weapon by one party or the other - or, really, ANYONE. (Trust me, @JeffBezos did it to my fam.) /3
When I went to law school, I knew a law degree would be helpful no matter what I chose to do in life.
Never did I imagine that I would use my skills & training to "prove" my husband's innocence to federal prosecutors after @jeffbezos & @amazon tried to imprison him. A 🧵 /1
My husband worked at @awscloud. His offer letter said it contained ALL the terms of his employment. ALL OF THEM. You can see it here. Here are pages 1 & 2. /2
@awscloud And here are pages 3 & 4. Employment offer incorporates Amazon's non-compete, but NO other policies (like, say, a code of conduct). And it says: this letter makes up terms of employment, ANY chances must be in writing & signed by parties. /3