In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes.

“My message to those who seek to exploit the pandemic for their own personal gain by stealing others’ money, or identity, or both, is simple,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy.  “We have a treatment for you and that treatment includes prosecution and federal prison.  While others may get sick from the virus, most will recover. Sadly, I am not so sure these predators will ever recover from their affliction—as it seems to have rotted their hearts and souls.”

Some examples of these schemes include:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.

In a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities. U.S. Attorney Kennedy appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney David Rudroff to serve as Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator for the Western District of New York.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes. The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY-23) continued his support of President Donald Trump Wednesday when it comes to the Mueller Report.

Last Thursday a redacted version of special investigator Robert Mueller’s report was made public. The bottom line of the report largely tracked the findings revealed in Attorney General William Barr’s four-page memo released last month. It said there was no collusion with Russia in that country’s meddling of the 2016 Presidential Election and no clear verdict on obstruction, although several examples of the administration not cooperating with investigators was also outlined.

But while Mueller stopped short of saying definitively that obstruction charges should be brought forward, he also indicated that such charges could be brought forward by Congress, not the Justice Department.

Last week Reed – who’s in the minority of the House since Democrats took over following the 2018 midterm elections – put out a statement upon the release of the report, saying it clearly showed there was no collusion and it’s now time to move on.

“Today the Mueller report was released, but the result remains the same — no Russian collusion. This should be celebrated,” Reed’s statement read on Thursday.  “Now it is time for our country to heal because all politics all the time is tearing our country apart and hurting real people. We must end this culture of division and work together on policies to help people.”

Reed’s statement made no mention of obstruction.

During a Conference call Wednesday with regional media, WRFA asked Reed his thoughts about the issues of obstruction that were found within the report and whether or not congress had an obligation to investigate.

“I understand my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who are more interested in political motivations and overturning the election of 2016 with an impeachment proceeding, they’re going to continue this narrative on the obstruction charge.  That’s their prerogative and their right do so. But I don’t believe that’s going to be productive. I think the report was very clearly given Mueller’s conclusion and Attorney General Barr’s conclusion that obstruction and collusion is just not there. If you’re going to focus on this obstruction and impeachment as your priority in Congress, the American people are going to reject that,”  Reed responded.

Later in the interview Reed was pressed about the Mueller report actually finding ten examples of obstruction and that it was Congress, not the justice department, that should investigate.

“Congress doing oversight in regards to make sure the executive branch is held responsible, I have no objection with that, but to bring impeachment charges and overturn the will of the people that many of the folks in Congress want to do with the obstruction situation is just, to me, not prioritizing what the American people want us to focus on, and that’s problems their facing on a day-to-day basis,” Reed said.

Reed’s comments come as his Democratic colleagues in the house, who currently hold the majority, have pushed to further investigate the obstruction issue with some even say it’s time to begin impeach proceedings, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stopped short on calling for those proceedings to begin.

President Donald Trump on Feb. 5 during his 2019 State of the Union address before Congress (Image Courtesy of White House)

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump sought the removal of special counsel Robert Mueller, discouraged witnesses from cooperating with prosecutors and prodded aides to mislead the public on his behalf. That’s according to the redacted report from Mueller that details multiple efforts the president made to curtail an investigation into Russia meddling and possible collusion by the Trump Campaign that he feared would cripple his administration.

According to the Associated Press, Trump’s attempts to seize control of the investigation, and his effort to direct others on how to influence it, “were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests,” Mueller wrote.

The report’s bottom line largely tracked the findings revealed in Attorney General William Barr’s four-page memo released last month — no collusion with Russia but no clear verdict on obstruction. But in addition, it added new layers of detail about Trump’s efforts to thwart the investigation.

• READ THE REDACTED REPORT

Trump himself was never questioned in person, but the report’s appendix includes 12 pages of his written responses to queries from Mueller’s team.

Mueller deemed Trump’s written answers — rife with iterations of “I don’t recall” — to be “inadequate.” He considered issuing a subpoena to force the president to appear in person but decided against it after weighing the likelihood of a long legal battle.

The report also indicated that members of the presidents staff admitted to lying to the public, including press secretary Sarah Sanders – who had told the press in May 2017 that she had heard from “countless members of the FBI” who supported the firing of James Comey. She later admitted that was a “slip of the tongue,” investigators wrote in the document.

Sanders also recalled that her statement in a separate press interview that rank-and-file FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey was a comment she made “in the heat of the moment” that was not founded on anything.

As predicted by many, supporters and opponents of the President are now using the report to amplify well-rehearsed arguments about Trump’s conduct – Republicans casting him as a victim of harassment and Democrats depicting the president as stepping far over the line to derail the investigation.

A defiant Trump pronounced it “a good day” and tweeted “Game Over” in a typeface mimicking the “Game of Thrones” logo.

Top Republicans in Congress saw vindication, too.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) said it was time to move on from Democrats’ effort to “vilify a political opponent.”

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23), who represents Chautauqua County in the house, released a statement saying that the report should be celebrated.

“Today the Mueller report was released, but the result remains the same — no Russian collusion. This should be celebrated,” Reed’s statement read. “Now it is time for our country to heal because all politics all the time is tearing our country apart and hurting real people. We must end this culture of division and work together on policies to help people.”

Reed’s statement had no mention of the obstruction charges that were left primarily unanswered.

.Democrats, meanwhile, say the report revealed troubling details about Trump’s conduct in the White House. Noting that while Mueller stopped short of saying definitively that obstruction charges should be brought forward, he also indicated that such charges could be brought forward by Congress, not the Justice Department.

“The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgement,” the report said. “At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgement. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) issued a joint statement on Thursday accusing Attorney General Barr of “deliberately distorting” special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report.

“Special Counsel Mueller’s report paints a disturbing picture of a president who has been weaving a web of deceit, lies and improper behavior and acting as if the law doesn’t apply to him,” the Democratic leaders said. “But if you hadn’t read the report and listened only to Mr. Barr, you wouldn’t have known any of that because Mr. Barr has been so misleading.”

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) added that the report “outlines disturbing evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice and other misconduct.” He sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting that Mueller himself testify before his panel “no later than May 23″ and said he’d be issuing a subpoena for the full special counsel report and the underlying materials.