All posts tagged Kim Dotcom

Court of Appeal rules Kim Dotcom eligible for extradition

The Court of appeal has upheld findings by the District Court and the High Court that Kim Dotcom is eligible for extradition to the United States, but Dotcom quickly signalled what was expected, he would seek leave too appeal from the Supreme Court.

RNZ: Kim Dotcom eligible to be extradited to US, court rules

The Court of Appeal released its finding today, upholding the decision of the High Court and District Court.

Mr Dotcom and his three co-accused – Bram Van der Kolk, Matthias Ortmann and Finn Batato – are eligible for surrender on charges of money-laundering and copyright breaches related to the defunct file-sharing website Megaupload.

The court also ruled that evidence Mr Dotcom and his co-accused said they were prevented from calling would not have affected the decision to extradite.

“The evidence the appellants say the United States wrongfully prevented them from calling would not affect the question of whether there is sufficient evidence to make out a prima facie case.”

From the judgment:

[332] We accordingly confirm the eligibility determination made by the District Court. We direct that the District Court should now proceed without further delay to complete its duties under s 26 of the Extradition Act in accordance with the determination.

[333] We dismiss the appeal against Gilbert J’s decision to decline judicial review.

RNZ:

The decision on extradition now rests ith the Minister of Justice Andrew Little, according to the Extradition Act.

That may not be the case, given Dotcom’s response:

But three different courts have supported extradition.

Dotcom has the money to take this to the highest judicial level, and his money has bought him years of time, but the time at least could be running out.

Stuff:  Kim Dotcom loses appeal against extradition, will take case to Supreme Court

After losing their case against extradition in the North Shore District Court, and then on appeal in the High Court, the four men had appealed to the Court of Appeal, which on Thursday rejected their arguments.

Dotcom said he was “extremely disappointed” by the decision, and would appeal it to the Supreme Court.

“My legal team are confident that the Supreme Court will hear the appeal given there are such significant legal issues at stake,” Dotcom said.

Dotcom, in his response to the judgment, said: “The court’s interpretation of the relevant copyright provisions cannot be right.

“The precedent set is concerning and has ramifications in New Zealand outside my case. The decision exposes Internet Service Providers to criminal liability for the misuse of their services by users, as is claimed against me.

This is something that, as any rudimentary review of the legislative history makes clear, and the High Court accepted, was never intended. The Court was taken through that history but has not referred to it.

“As people will know, I am prepared to fight to get justice, whether it is for me or others,” Dotcom said.

More to the point, he is trying to avoid facing the US justice system.

However, acting Prime Minister Winston Peters said the possibility of appealing wasn’t clear cut.

“I am told he seeks to appeal, whether he can or not is a matter of debate.

I think that seeking leave to appeal from the Supreme Court will happen before it goes to the Minister of Justice for a final decision.

 

 

by Pete George on 6th July 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 6th July 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/07/06/court-of-appeal-rules-kim-dotcom-eligible-for-extradition/

Dotcom deportation decision on hold

An Immigration NZ report on possible deportation of Kim Dotcom is on hold until after his extradition has been fully dealt with.

NZH Exclusive: Inquiry into deporting Kim Dotcom is complete but Immigration NZ is keeping its findings secret – even from its minister

Immigration NZ has completed an investigation into whether Kim Dotcom can be deported from New Zealand for failing to declare a dangerous driving conviction – but it’s refusing to say what the outcome is.

The department has not even told its new minister, Iain Lees-Galloway, the inquiry is complete although legal experts say it almost certainly would recommend Dotcom be deported.

But that won’t happen without the report going to Lees-Galloway – it’s his job to make the decision.

Immigration NZ won’t say what the outcome is and instead aims to wait for the end of the legal fight to extradite Dotcom to the United States to stand trial for alleged copyright breaches.

Immigration NZ’s resolutions manager Margaret Cantlon said “any question” of Dotcom’s deportation would not go to Lees-Galloway until the extradition proceedings, including appeals and any judicial review, were finished.

“INZ has not briefed the new minister on the deportation case.”

Deportation would interfere with the long running extradition process that is back in court (Court of Appeal) at the moment.

If deported, Dotcom would likely be sent back to Germany, which would pose a problem for the United States because it has different extradition rules. Germany has already refused to extradite one of the Megaupload accused within its borders.

Deportation “looked a slam dunk”:

Lane Neave law firm partner Mark Williams said the final decision was down to Lees-Galloway and “the minister is going to hope extradition does the job for him”.

It would save carrying out unnecessary work, potentially fighting through the court and save the minister from a political hot potato.

“My view is if it got to the position where the minister was looking at this under a National government, it would be a practical certainty he would be deported.”

Under the new government, he said it still looked a “slam dunk” because it was the second time a new conviction had emerged. “That would not be viewed favourably at all.”

Williams, who is considered an international expert on immigration law, holds roles at leading universities and sits on the NZ Law Society immigration committee, said the international perception of New Zealand’s immigration system was important.

“You’d almost have to deport someone like that to send a message.”

If Dotcom survives extradition and faces deportation he is unlikely to go without another legal fight.

Dotcom has called deportation the government’s “plan B” if efforts to extradite him to the United States fail. But he has said that effort to remove him would result in another fight through the courts.

Williams said appeals were heard by the Immigration and Protection Tribunal and could be subject to judicial review at the High Court. Successful appeals beyond the High Court were rare.

Dotcom’s situation, his amount of financial resources and his determination to fight through the courts are also rare.

by Pete George on 22nd February 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 22nd February 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/02/22/dotcom-deportation-decision-on-hold/

Judge rules no copyright issue but fraud valid for extradition in Dotcom case

A judge has ruled in favour if Kim Dotcom on there being no equivalent “copyright” crime in New Zealand, but also ruled that Dotcom could be extradited on fraud charges.

NZH: Kim Dotcom legal saga: Extradition to US over Megaupload still on cards but he claims court ruling is a ‘major victory’

This latest legal milestone is this afternoon’s ruling from Justice Murray Gilbert who had been asked to overturn a decision that Dotcom was eligible for extradition to face criminal charges in the United States.

After five months of deliberation, Gilbert found that Dotcom remained eligible for extradition to the US – but not on copyright charges.

The judge found in favour of arguments put by Dotcom’s legal team, led by Ron Mansfield, that there was no equivalent “copyright” crime in New Zealand that would activate the extradition treaty.

However, the ruling also saw Justice Gilbert finding in favour of the US argument that Dotcom – and his three co-accused – could be extradited because it was at essence a “fraud” case and there was such a crime in the extradition treaty.

Dotcom, Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato face decades in a US prison after a 2012 raid brought down the Megaupload file-sharing super-site Megaupload they set up and ran.

In an interview with the Herald, Dotcom said the ruling was a “major victory” because it ruled that there was no New Zealand equivalent to the US criminal charges of copyright violation.

“The major part of this litigation has been won by this judgment – that copyright is not extraditable.

It may be a major battle win, but the war against extradition could still be lost.

The ruling today has created an unusual bureaucratic contradiction – the warrant which was served on Dotcom when he was arrested on January 20, 2012, stated he was being charged with “copyright” offences.

Likewise, the charges Dotcom will face in the US are founded in an alleged act of criminal copyright violation.

Mansfield also claimed victory, saying the case was no longer the “largest criminal copyright case”.

“As we have said all along, there is no such offence under our Copyright Act. We were right.

“To win the major plank of the case but to get that outcome is extremely disappointing. It is hard to accept the logic that, if the conduct that all accept at its heart relates to assertions of breach of copyright … how it can nonetheless be massaged into a general fraud offence.”

Lawyers acting for the US began referring to the case as one of “fraud” after months of hearings.

By the time of the extradition hearing in late 2015, it was a main plank of the case with the lawyer acting for the US, Christine Gordon QC, telling Judge Nevin Dawson: “When distractions are stripped away, the evidence boils down to a central scheme of fraud. The scale of that fraud and the way it was conducted might indeed be novel. This is mainly as a result of the reach of the internet and the behaviour of mass audiences.

“Yet the dishonesty at the core of Megaupload’s operation can be expressed in straight-forward terms. The basic features do not differ significantly from earlier cases of fraud against copyright owners.

“The respondents were part of a conspiracy. They deliberately attracted copyright infringing material to their website. They deliberately preserved it, deliberately took steps to profit from that material and made vast sums of money which they applied to various purposes knowing it had been unlawfully acquired.”

Both sides are expected to challenge aspects of the ruling before the Court of Appeal – and eventually the Supreme Court, if it accepts the case.

If the Supreme Court upholds the decisions of the District and High Court, the Minister of Justice is then able to sign the extradition order – which itself can be challenged in the courts.

On that basis, there are at least two years of Dotcom hearings yet to run.

It was five years ago, in 2012, that Dotcom and his associates were arrested in an over the top raid on his ‘mansion’.

 

by Pete George on 16th December 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 16th December 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/12/16/judge-rules-no-copyright-issue-but-fraud-valid-for-extradition-in-dotcom-case/

Dotcom settlement over police misconduct

A sudden splurge of Kim Dotcom news – he has announced he has settled with the police over misconduct over the raid – I think this is fair enough as the police seemed to take measures that were unjustified in the extent they went to.

Press Release: Kim Dotcom

Dotcoms Announce Settlement of Lawsuit Against New Zealand Police for Unreasonable Conduct During January 2012 Raid

Auckland, New Zealand, 3 November, 2017

Kim Dotcom and Mona Dotcom announce that they have resolved their lawsuit against the New Zealand Police in which the Dotcoms sought a remedy for their claim about the unreasonable use of force in the military-style raid of their family home in January of 2012. The Dotcoms also raised the concern that their home and family had been under intrusive visual surveillance by the Police which had not been authorised by the Court.

The complaint arose from events occurring in the early morning of January 20, 2012, when 72 police officers including the heavily armed Special Tactics Group (STG) and the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) descended on the Dotcoms’ family home in Coatesville to make a number of arrests at the request of the United States in an Internet copyright matter. Landing two helicopters just outside the family home, the entry team sprang to action, wielding M4 Bushmaster rifles.

The forces entered the Dotcom home and held the Dotcom family, staff and guests at gunpoint. The officers caused considerable damage to the Dotcom property as they stormed through the house, around the grounds and over the roof. Mona Dotcom, who was 7 months pregnant with twins, and the Dotcom children were traumatised. Neither the Dotcoms nor their guests were allowed to talk to each other or their lawyers for an unreasonable period.

The United States’ basis for the raid, online copyright infringement, is not even a crime in New Zealand.

The lawsuit against the New Zealand Police sought an acknowledgment of the harm caused to the Dotcom family, including the children, Mona and Kim.

“Today, Mona and I are glad to reach a confidential settlement of our case against the New Zealand Police. We have respect for the Police in this country. They work hard and have, with this one exception, treated me and my family with courtesy and respect. We were shocked at the uncharacteristic handling of my arrest for a non-violent Internet copyright infringement charge brought by the United States, which is not even a crime in New Zealand. They could have easily knocked at our door at a reasonable hour and advised me of my arrest. Instead, due to what I believe was a misguided desire to cater to the United States authorities and special interests in Hollywood, a simple arrest became a Hollywood-style publicity stunt tailored to appease US authorities. The New Zealand Police we know do not carry guns. They try to resolve matters in a non-violent manner, unlike what we see from the United States. We are sad that our officers, good people simply doing their job, were tainted by US priorities and arrogance.” says Kim Dotcom. “We sued the Police because we believed their military-style raid on a family with children in a non-violent case went far beyond what a civilised community should expect from its police force. New Zealanders deserve and should expect better.”

Kim Dotcom further stated, “until recently, Mona and I wanted vindication in the High Court so that those involved would take responsibility for the raid. We have taken time to consider whether a trial would be in the best interests of our family. The New Zealand Government has recently changed for the better. Our children are now settled and integrated safely here into their community and they love it. We do not want to relive past events. We do not want to disrupt our children’s new lives. We do not want to revictimise them. We want them to grow up happy. That is why we chose New Zealand to be our family home in the first place. We are fortunate to live here. Under the totality of the circumstances, we thought settlement was best for our children.”

Ron Mansfield, New Zealand counsel for the Dotcoms, stated, “the Dotcoms hope that this action has brought the Police misconduct to everyone’s attention and that it has led to change in the way Police will handle future similar operations. The misconduct of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), which accepts that it also unlawfully spied on the Dotcom family by the interception of private communications over an extended period, remains before the Court. The GCSB refuses to disclose what it did or the actual private communications it stole. The Dotcoms understandably believe that they are entitled to know this. That action is pending appeal in the Court of Appeal.”

NZ Herald repeat most of this but add:

The settlement came after a damages claim was filed with the High Court over what was considered an “unreasonable” use of force when the anti-terrorism Special Tactics Group raided his $30 million mansion in January 2012.

The raid was part of a worldwide FBI operation to take down Dotcom’s Megaupload file-sharing website which was claimed to be at the centre of a massive criminal copyright operation.

Dotcom and three others were arrested and await extradition to the United States on charges which could land them in prison for decades.

The NZ Herald has learned earlier settlements were reached between police and others arrested, including Bram van der Kolk and Mathias Ortmann.

It was believed their settlements were six-figure sums and it is likely Dotcom would seek more as the main target in the raid.

 

by Pete George on 3rd November 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 3rd November 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/11/03/dotcom-settlement-over-police-misconduct/

Dotcom case continued, and to continue

In a Hong Kong court hearing, in which Kim Dotcom is trying to free up more of his money for substantial living expenses, it was indicated that the extradition proceedings are likely to last at least another two years.

Newstalk ZB: Dotcom case to stretch to next decade

At least two more years.

That’s the minimum time frame for the Kim Dotcom extradition case, a Hong Kong court has been told.

The statement came during a hearing which saw details released of Dotcom’s extravagant lifestyle, funded out of a Hong Kong trove of cash.

It means Dotcom is likely to be in New Zealand next decade and the process to extradite him to the United States will have dragged on for eight years.

The Hong Kong hearing saw Dotcom pitching for $1 million relocation costs to fund his move from Auckland to Queenstown.

The money was to pay two years rent in advance, at $40,000-a-month. That’s an increase on the current $27,000-a-month allowed to be withdrawn from a seized pool of $50m held in Hong Kong.

Dotcom was also after $150,000 to pay for moving expenses and to have living expenses increased from $70,000-a-month to $73,000-a-month.

There was a further bid for a $200,000 “emergency fund” – that was to pay for “medical expenses of the family, car maintenance, household repairs and two holidays of the family”.

I guess if he’s got a heap of money he wants to be able to use it, but that’s a lot for living expenses.

It was during submissions by Gerard McCoy, Dotcom’s lawyer in Hong Kong, that the length of the extradition process was raised as a reason for needing the funds.

“These proceedings could not be determined in the next two years,” he said.

What’s next?

Dotcom is now on to the third Minister of Justice since he was arrested – the person in government who faces making the decision on whether the extradition certificate should be granted.

The next step in the process for New Zealand is a hearing in the Court of Appeal in February. Whatever the outcome, either side is expected to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Once that is complete, and should the extradition finding be upheld, it is down to the Minister of Justice to issue an order for extradition.

Even that is expected to face a challenge, with the High Court likely to be asked to rule on whether it was appropriately made.

The ongoing proceedings are taking a long time, and most be costing all those involved a heap.

Andrew Little is the new Minister of Justice who may or may not get to deal with this in the term just started.

From NZ Herald in 2014:  Dotcom show wears thin for Kiwis

Labour justice spokesman Andrew Little said at issue was whether the allegations against Mr Dotcom were “genuinely criminal conduct, or is it a civil matter” that ought to be left to the US and Kim Dotcom.

by Pete George on 3rd November 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 3rd November 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/11/03/dotcom-case-continued-and-to-continue/

Dotcom loses bid to access GCSB recordings

Kim Dotcom has failed in a bid through the High Court to get access to recordings made by the GCSB.

NZH: Kim Dotcom kept in the dark about GCSB spying

In a just-released ruling, Justice Murray Gilbert has said the recordings won’t be released.

The GCSB has previously admitted illegally intercepting private communications between Kim and Mona Dotcom, and Bram van der Kolk, as part of the extradition case being built between December 2011 and March 2012.

Then-Prime Minister John Key has apologised for the communications being intercepted.

“The Dotcoms complain that non-disclosure impedes their ability to pursue their claim and breaches their rights under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990,” the decision said.

“In particular, they submit that the measure of damages to which they are entitled will depend on the extent and nature of the unlawful intrusion into their private lives and the raw communications are needed to establish this.”

The Dotcom team said that any national security issues shouldn’t stop the information being released, because information on the sources and methods of intelligence-gathering were already public knowledge.

But lawyers for the GCSB argued that releasing the material could prejudice the security of New Zealand, and the confidence of other countries in entrusting sensitive information to New Zealand.

A main reason for Justice Gilbert’s decision is a 2013 Court of Appeal verdict that ruled the GCSB didn’t have to release the raw communications. Justice Gilbert said that meant he couldn’t relitigate the issue.

Even if it wasn’t for the Court of Appeal verdict, Justice Gilbert said national security issues outweighed public interest in the raw communications.

Dotcom has indicated he will appeal this decision.

Dotcom has been giving some of our laws a good workout. And his lawyers.

by Pete George on 21st July 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 21st July 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/07/21/dotcom-loses-bid-to-access-gcsb-recordings/

Dotcom offers evidence to US investigation

Kim Dotcom has offered evidence ti the Special Counsel investigating interference in the US presidential election last year and has volunteered to give it in person, providing he is guaranteed safe passage into and out of the US.

Kim Dotcom Approaches Special Counsel

Tuesday, 30 May 2017, 2:34 pm
Press Release: Kim Dotcom

KIM DOTCOM APPROACHES SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATING INTERFERENCE WITH THE 2016 UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REGARDING EVIDENCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 May 2017

In accordance with his previous statement on this matter, Kim Dotcom’s solicitors in New Zealand have today sent the following letter to Robert Mueller, Special Counsel appointed to investigate interference with the 2016 United States presidential election and related matters:

30 May 2017

Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Attention: Robert Mueller, Special Counsel

Dear Sir

INVESTIGATION INTO INTERFERENCE WITH THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND RELATED MATTERS

1. We act for Kim Dotcom in New Zealand.

2. We are writing to you in your capacity as special counsel appointed to carry out the above investigation pursuant to Order 3915-2017 (Investigation).

3. Mr Dotcom has evidence that he considers relevant to the Investigation. The purpose of this letter is to confirm that, subject to appropriate arrangements being made and his constitutional rights being preserved, Mr Dotcom is willing to provide this evidence to the Investigation. He has instructed us to make this approach to initiate the necessary dialogue as to the required arrangements.

4. As you may be aware, Mr Dotcom resides in New Zealand. Since 2012, the United States has been seeking his extradition to face a criminal prosecution arising from his involvement in the Megaupload group of companies. Presently, Mr Dotcom is on bail while he exercises (as he is entitled to) his rights under New Zealand law to resist extradition. Mr Dotcom emphatically denies the alleged offending and is committed to defending the allegations in the extradition proceeding in New Zealand.

5. Mr Dotcom is also committed to achieving an outcome where his evidence can be properly received and reviewed by you as part of the Investigation. You will, however, appreciate that, given his current status, he is not in a position to voluntarily leave New Zealand’s jurisdiction. Further, he is concerned that, should he travel to the United States voluntarily, he would be arrested and detained in custody on the current counts on which he has been indicted.

6. Accordingly, for Mr Dotcom to attend in person in the United States to make a statement, and/or give oral evidence at any subsequent hearing, special arrangements would need to be discussed and agreed between all relevant parties. Such arrangements would need to include arrangements for his safe passage from New Zealand and return. This is because Mr Dotcom is determined to clear his name in New Zealand.

7. Mr Dotcom invites the Department of Justice to contact him through counsel to progress the taking of his evidence once you have had an opportunity to consider this letter and are in a position to discuss the required process and appropriate safeguards.

8. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions, or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours faithfully
ANDERSON CREAGH LAI LIMITED
Phil Creagh
Director

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1705/S00469/kim-dotcom-approaches-special-counsel.htm

There are other simpler options.

He could send his evidence.

A representative of the investigation could come to New Zealand to see Dotcom.

Or a representative of the US already in New Zealand could receive the evidence from Dotcom and pass it on.

It’s hard to know whether Dotcom genuinely has information that will help the inquiry, or if he is grandstanding, or if he is playing games with the US.

It’s possible that he wants to meet with people in the US to discuss his own extradition case to try and deal with that.

Regardless, one could easily be suspicious of his motivation – why would he want to help the investigation?

Would Dotcom be prepared to give the US evidence of everything he knows about hacking or otherwise obtaining information and what WikiLeaks does with it and why?

 

by Pete George on 31st May 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 31st May 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/05/31/dotcom-offers-evidence-to-us-investigation/

A moment of mis-truth?

Kim Dotcom dived into the Seth Rich issue, promising #GameChanger inteview with Sean Hannity on Tuesday. But Fox News retracted a story – see Fox retracts Seth Rich story – and on his Tuesday show Hannity said ““Out of respect for the family, I am not discussing this matter at this time.”

And suggestions have been raised about the possibility Dotom tried to manufacture some ‘truth’.

Washington Post: The life and death of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory

When Seth Rich’s Gmail account received an alert this week from Mega.com, attempting to start a new account on a website created by the New Zealand-based Internet businessman and convicted hacker Kim Dotcom, his family knew that something was off.

Over seven frenzied days, Dotcom had become a leading purveyor of the theory that Rich, a staffer at the Democratic National Committee who was shot dead near his home in Northeast Washington last summer, had supplied DNC documents to WikiLeaks and was killed as a result. Multiple security analysts and an FBI investigation have tied the release to hackers with ties to Russia. D.C. police have said repeatedly that they think Rich was slain in a random robbery attempt.

According to experts and Rich’s family, the emailed invitation from welcome@mega.nz appeared to be an attempt to gain access to Rich’s email. Joel Rich, who maintains his late son’s Gmail account, did not click the link. Meanwhile, Dotcom was promising on Twitter to prove that the younger Rich had been in contact with WikiLeaks — and Fox News host Sean Hannity was telling his 2.37 million Twitter followers to be ready for a revelation.

Hannity had invited Dotcom to appear on his show for what he said on Twitter would be a “#GameChanger” interview. The implication: that Dotcom would finally offer evidence of his claim that Rich had sent internal DNC documents to WikiLeaks before his death

But that hasn’t transpired.

All that began to unravel Tuesday afternoon, when Fox News retracted a story that had claimed the same Rich-WikiLeaks connection, telling readers that the article was “not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting.” Fox News did not respond to a request for comment, but Dotcom wrote on his website that he would not speak further about his allegations.

The latest revelation — that a hacker from New Zealand may have been trying as recently as this week to hack into Rich’s email — offered fresh evidence that the conspiracy theory is false. Dotcom, it seemed, may have been willing to create a fake archive of emails from Rich to “prove” his role in the DNC hack.

Shades of 2014, when Dotcom’s ‘Moment of Truth’ show in the lead up to New Zealand’s general election fizzled when questions were raised about the authenticity of an email produced by Dotcom.

In a statement, Rich’s family told The Post that they wereinvestigating whether someone attempted to gain access to Rich’s email account. “We are outraged that certain individuals continue to try to use Seth’s name and memory to advance their political and ideological agendas,” they said. “We hope people will think twice the next time someone makes an outlandish claim to have discovered new evidence in this case.”

A family spokesman went further, criticizing Fox News for fanning the flames.

Dotcom’s story has ‘evolved’.

Dotcom did not respond to an emailed question about the Mega account, but his story about Rich has altered since some attention-grabbing tweets. On May 16, he mentioned Rich for the first time, after a follower asked what he thought of the conspiracy theory that Rich was tied to the release of thousands of internal DNC documents.

On May 19, Dotcom asked for Google to release the contents of Rich’s Gmail account, as well as two accounts that online sleuths had claimed belonged to him.

Later that day, Dotcom said that he was willing to “give written testimony with evidence” that Rich had passed the DNC documents to WikiLeaks.

That attracted the interest of Hannity, who had devoted several segments of his radio and TV show to the conspiracy theory. Dotcom then claimed that he would be able to reveal what he knew after talking to lawyers.

But in a Tuesday message that Dotcom posted on his website, he claimed only to know that “Seth Rich was involved” in the DNC hack, and that he would give his full statement after a “guarantee from Special Counsel [Robert S.] Mueller, on behalf of the United States, of safe passage from New Zealand to the United States and back.”

So it sounds like we won’t be getting a full statement. It’s unlikely the US will give Dotcom safe passage to allow him to grandstand on Fox’s Hannity show.

Dotcom is linked to Wikileaks.

WikiLeaks’s Julian Assange had persistently fed rumors of a connection with Rich without providing evidence. He has offered a $20,000 reward for information about Rich’s killer, and he has used an interview with Dutch television, an interview with Hannity and several tweets to suggest that Rich’s case showed why WikiLeaks sources tread carefully. He has never explicitly said whether Rich was a source.

But Dotcom did.

The collapse of the story came only after a number of conservative voices drew attention to it. On Monday, Rush Limbaugh told listeners that Dotcom was “renowned” and “world famous,” with a story to tell.

“This story is now starting to get legs, that Seth Rich was murdered, it was a contract hire killing because he was leaking to WikiLeaks,” Limbaugh said.

On Tuesday, Hannity told his radio listeners that he would keep fighting to disprove “this Russia collusion narrative” and be proven right.

“I will do the mainstream media’s job like I have for most of my career,” Hannity said. “All you in the liberal media, I am not Fox.com or FoxNews.com. I retracted nothing.”

But…

…on the Tuesday night episode of Hannity’s show — the one that conspiracy theorists hoped would showcase the “game-changer” interview with Dotcom — Hannity said he had exchanged letters which Rich’s family and would not discuss the story.

“Out of respect for the family, I am not discussing this matter at this time,” Hannity said. “But to the extent of my ability I am not going to stop trying to find the truth.”

In the meantime he could stop promoting fake truth.

by Pete George on 25th May 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 25th May 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/05/25/a-moment-of-mis-truth/

Fox retracts Seth Rich story

Fox News and especially Sean Hannity have pushed a story about murdered Democrat staffer Seth Rich. Kim Dotcom has been given airtime by Hannity.

Salon: Newt Gingrich and Sean Hannity keep Seth Rich conspiracies alive

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich appeared on “Fox and Friends” on Sunday morning, only to use his platform to further promulgate the previously debunked conspiracy theory that former Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was assassinated because he was the source that provided Wikileaks with tens of thousands of hacked Democratic Party emails.

“We have this very strange story now of this young man who worked for the Democratic National Committee, who apparently was assassinated at 4 in the morning, having given WikiLeaks something like 53,000 emails and 17,000 attachments,” Gingrich told Fox News. “Nobody’s investigating that, and what does that tell you about what’s going on? Because it turns out, it wasn’t the Russians. It was this young guy who, I suspect, was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee. He’s been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigative his murder. So I’d like to see how [Robert S.] Mueller [III] is going to define what his assignment is.”

Gingrich didn’t just say it could be a possibility that Rich was the Wikileaks source or that the murder may be worth some sort of further investigation, he baselessly asserted that Rich was the source — on national television — and that it effectively negated any alleged Russian involvement.

But Gingrich isn’t even the only notable person peddling this theory, it’s also being peddled by Sean Hannity, and more recently Kim Dotcom, the internet entrepreneur who founded Megaupload.

Hannity who has increasingly gone on Trump-like twitter sprees over the recent months has not been able to contain himself from spreading this theory along with the hashtag #SethRich to his nearly 2.5 million followers.

Dotcom on the other hand, has has recently inserted himself into this situation, and claimed that he has irrefutable evidence that Rich was the Wikileaks source, and will be releasing some sort of statement on Tuesday, though it’s currently not clear what that will consist of.

Hannity has been busy on Twitter.

Fox has now retracted: Statement on coverage of Seth Rich murder investigation

On May 16, a story was posted on the Fox News website on the investigation into the 2016 murder of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. The article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting. Upon appropriate review, the article was found not to meet those standards and has since been removed.

We will continue to investigate this story and will provide updates as warranted.

Dotcom announced this week — seemingly out of nowhere — that he would release the information on his website Tuesday, but the supposed bombshell drop that many were desperately hoping for was quite anticlimactic.

“I KNOW THAT SETH RICH WAS INVOLVED IN THE DNC LEAK,” Dotcom — who is fighting extradition charges to the U.S. from New Zealand — wrote on his site.

I know this because in late 2014 a person contacted me about helping me to start a branch of the Internet Party in the United States. He called himself Panda. I now know that Panda was Seth Rich.

Panda advised me that he was working on voter analytics tools and other technologies that the Internet Party may find helpful.

I communicated with Panda on a number of topics including corruption and the influence of corporate money in politics.

“The Rich family has reached out to me to ask that I be sensitive to their loss in my public comments. That request is entirely reasonable,” he continued. “I have consulted with my lawyers. I accept that my full statement should be provided to the authorities and I am prepared to do that so that there can be a full investigation. My lawyers will speak with the authorities regarding the proper process.”

In reality, the Rich family thanked Fox News for retracting the story, according to CNN reporter Oliver Darcy.

by Pete George on 24th May 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 24th May 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/05/24/fox-retracts-seth-rich-story/

Dotcom’s Seth Rich claim

Kim Dotcom has involved himself in the Seth Rich issuer in the US.

NBR: Dotcom’s Seth Rich claim earns him an invite to appear on Sean Hannity’s show

Kim Dotcom has managed to catch the eye of Fox News’ Sean Hannity — one of Donald Trump’s favourite broadcasters — with his claims over the unsolved murder of Democratic National Committee IT staffer Seth Rich.

Mr Rich was shot in the back near his home in Washington DC last year.

DC police have yet to solve his murder. His family believe it was a robbery gone wrong.

Since his murder, there have been conspiracy theories that Mr Rich was killed because he was the source of DNC emails supplied to Wikileaks, not Russian operatives as FBI investigations have suggested. The narrative is that he was killed in a cover-up.

Last Monday, the rumour mill re-ignited after Rod Wheeler, a Washington private investigator who was hired by the Rich family to look into the death of their son, suggested in an interview with a Fox station in Washington DC that there was “tangible evidence” the slain DNC operative had communicated with WikiLeaks before his death.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, the PI seemed to walk back his story. CNN reported the detective saying he had “no evidence” that Mr. Rich had contacted WikiLeaks and that he had “only learned about the possible existence of such evidence” through a reporter at Fox News.

Then, in a third interview later the same day, Mr Wheeler said he could not say definitively either way if the evidence existed. He had heard about it second hand.

In the middle of it all, The Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement saying that “the assertions put forward by Mr. Wheeler [on Monday] are unfounded.”

Enter Kim Dotcom, who this weekend tweeted “If Congress includes #SethRich case into their Russia probe I’ll give written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich was @Wikileaks source” and “I knew Seth Rich. I know he was the @Wikileaks source. I was involved.”

I wonder what Dotcom’s motive is for getting involved in that.

Interesting he has come out saying he was that involved in Rich and Wikileaks.

Hasn’t Dotcom claimed there is a heap of data waiting to be dumped on the New Zealand election campaign?

by Pete George on 21st May 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 21st May 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/05/21/dotcoms-seth-rich-claim/

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