Formerly-'Gagged' FBI Whistleblower Details Congressional Blackmail, Bribery, Espionage, Corruption in Remarkable Videotaped Deposition

Sibel Edmonds' full under-oath testimony transcript from Ohio election case, details explosive allegations against key members of Congress and other high-ranking State and Defense Department officials...

Just over two weeks ago, FBI translator-turned-whistleblower Sibel Edmonds was finally allowed to speak about much of what the Bush Administration spent years trying to keep her from discussing publicly on the record. Twice gagged by the Bush Dept. of Justice's invocation of the so-called "State Secrets Privilege," Edmonds has been attempting to tell her story, about the crimes she became aware of while working for the FBI, for years.

Thanks to a subpoena issued by the campaign of Ohio's 2nd District Democratic U.S. Congressional candidate David Krikorian, her remarkable allegations of blackmail, bribery, espionage, infiltration, and criminal conspiracy by current and former members of the U.S. Congress, high-ranking State and Defense Department officials, and agents of the government of Turkey are seen and heard here, in full, for the first time, in her under-oath deposition. Both the complete video tape and transcript of the deposition follow below.

Though there was much concern, prior to her testimony, that the Obama Dept. of Justice might re-invoke the "State Secrets Privilege" to keep her from speaking, they did not do so. Nor did they choose to be present at the Washington D.C. deposition.

The BRAD BLOG covered details of some of Edmonds' startling disclosures made during the deposition, as it happened, in our live blog coverage from August 8th. The deposition included criminal allegations against specifically named members of Congress. Among those named by Edmonds as part of a broad criminal conspiracy: Reps. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Dan Burton (R-IN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Bob Livingston (R-LA), Stephen Solarz (D-NY), Tom Lantos (D-CA), as well as an unnamed, still-serving Congresswoman (D) said to have been secretly videotaped, for blackmail purposes, during a lesbian affair.

High-ranking officials from the Bush Administration named in her testimony, as part of the criminal conspiracy on behalf of agents of the Government of Turkey, include Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Marc Grossman, and others.

During the deposition -- which we are still going through ourselves -- Edmonds discusses covert "activities" by Turkish entities "that would involve trying to obtain very sensitive, classified, highly classified U.S. intelligence information, weapons technology information, classified Congressional records...recruiting key U.S. individuals with access to highly sensitive information, blackmailing, bribery."

Speaking about current members of Congress during a break in the testimony, Krikorian told The BRAD BLOG that "for people in power situations in the United States, who know about this information, if they don't take action against it, in my opinion, it's negligence." (More video statements from Krikorian, Edmonds and attorneys from all parties, taped before, during, and after the 8/8/09 testimony, are available here.)

Edmonds' on-the-record disclosures also include bombshell details concerning outed covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson's front company, Brewster Jennings. Edmonds alleges the front company had actually been shut down in August of 2001 -- three years prior to Bob Novak's public disclosure of the covert operative's identity -- following a tip-off to a wire-tap target about the true nature of the CIA front company. The cover was blown, Edmonds alleges, by Marc Grossman, who was, at the time, the third highest-ranking official in the U.S. State Department. Prior to that, Grossman served as ambassador to Turkey. He now works "for a Turkish company called Ihals Holding," according to Edmonds' testimony.

An unclassified FBI Inspector General's report, released on her case in 2005, declared Edmonds' classified allegations to be "credible," "serious," and "warrant[ing] a thorough and careful review by the FBI." In 2002, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), then the senior members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, co-wrote letters on Edmonds' behalf to Attorney General John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and DoJ Inspector General Glenn A. Fine, calling on all of them to take action in respect to her allegations. And in a 2002 60 Minutes report on Edmonds' case, Grassley noted: "Absolutely, she's credible...And the reason I feel she's very credible is because people within the FBI have corroborated a lot of her story."

The 8/8/09 deposition was brought by Krikorian as part of his defense in a case filed against him before the Ohio Election Commission (OEC) by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH). The 2nd district Congresswoman has accused Krikorian, an Armenian-American who ran against her as an independent in 2008, of "false statements" during the campaign last year alleging that she had accepted "blood money" from Turkish interests. Krikorian says that Schmidt, co-chair of the Congressional Turkish Committee, accepted more money from Turkish interests during last year's campaign than any other member of Congress, despite few, if any, ethnic Turks among her local constituency. He has suggested she may have been instrumental in helping to hold off a Congressional vote on a long-proposed, much-disputed resolution declaring the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during WWI as a "genocide" by the Turks.

Edmonds herself happens to be a Turkish-American, though she was recently attacked by the Turkish Lobby, following her long-sought, long-blocked testimony.

The complete transcript of Sibel Edmonds' under-oath testimony, may now be downloaded here [PDF]. The complete video-taped testimony follows, in five parts, below...

PART 1 (appx. 51 mins) - Direct

PART 2 (appx. 35 mins) - Direct continues

PART 3 (appx. 17 mins) - Direct continues

PART 4 (appx. 43 mins) - Cross

PART 5 (appx. 54 mins) - Redirect & Recross

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Originally posted at The BRAD BLOG...

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Recently related at The BRAD BLOG...

• 8/5/09: Sibel Edmonds Subpoenaed, To 'Break' Gag Order


• 8/8/09: EDMONDS UNDER OATH: BLACKMAIL, BRIBERY, ESPIONAGE BOMBSHELLS


• 8/9/09: VIDEO: Whistles Blow - Scenes From Outside Deposition


• 8/12/09: House Candidate on Edmonds Depo, Google Blocks 'Denial' Ads


• 8/14/09: Turkish Lobby 'Declares War' on Sibel Edmonds Following Under Oath Deposition


• 8/14/09: Several Charges Dropped in OH Election Case After Tetsimony

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Comments

[macohmz]

A further indication we've come as far as we can go with the 2 parties.

[Kahoneez]

Some people really need to grow up and smell the coffee .

Members of BOTH parties are taking bribes , selling secrets , being blackmailed . If Turkey or Israel wants certain Intel or nuclear info , they go to whom ever had the info , so it's impossible for Dems not being involved and she accuses Tom Lantos of dealing nuclear technology info ., he's a Dem .

This is a HUGE SWAMP of SCANDALS , HUGE including bribery ,blackmail , illegal wire taps , selling secrets , lesbian agents setting up a congresswomen with black mail .

As far as the mainstream media , they are completely complicit in the cover ups , bcs this info is TOXIC , TOXIC . Many peoples asses are on the line , many people could go to PRISON and the MSM is already too close to D.C. , even have shared interests , like supporting ISRAEL .
Do you think Klein , Pres of CNN who censored CYNTHIA McKinney abduction by Israel , will allow investigation of how Israel illegally obtains INTEL , I have beach front property in Arizona for sell .

OBAMA has already said " we must look ahead " , code for look I'm doing the same cowardly thing like every new pres. , covering up for the previous boss . Welcome the new boss , just like the old boss .
Even the Who had it figured out YEARS ago .

And the toxic pool of

[WorkingClass]

Sibel speaks at last. I am happy for her and happy she is still alive. How will the AG justify not acting on this testimony? Too busy? Looking forward?

[redstrat]

wow I can't say this is totally shocking, more confirmation of lurking suspicions, the big question is why doesn't the MSM pay any attention to this kind of corruption.

Sunlight is the best dissinfectent, bring it on.

[allincompassing]

Keep up the good work Brad! Sooner are later, MSM will have to address the treasonous activities of the corrupt Bush Administration.

I personally find it absolutely mind-boggling that an incident with this many twist and turns, normally found only within the pages of a Tom Clancy Novel. Has no inherent value to a media, which is built on marketing sensationlism. Just look at the countries named in the Nuclear Proliferation issue alone, most have been named on our terrorist watch list for sometime.

Our government sold out to the highest bidder, and the people of this country deserved better. The clearest evidence of getting better, is the Obama administration's allowing this testimony to be given.
That's one small but very important step in the right direction, now if we just get our heads out of the sand, we have a chance to right some very egregious wrongs, that are long overdue.

[DLazar1]

You have to know that the Turkish Lobby has former Congressional Representatives that Lobby for them after they leave Congress. They - and their allies in the Jewish Lobby - are way to free to influence our own foreign policy - under all adminstrations. Honestly, the support for Israel in the United States is so strong that its almost insane. We often do the very thing that is directly in opposition to our own best interests as a nation - to do the will of Israel. What other country (aside from Great Britain) behave this way? We continue to sacrifice our principles on the altar to Israel's best interest. Even when they are wrong. I care about Israel too . . but when they do something is wrong . . . well .. . . isn't it just wrong. And in the end, wasn't it a big piece of why we went into Iraq anyway . . . Israel was pushing it. Am I wrong?

[jhNY]

Nothing to see here folks. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Move along and don't look back. We're fighting two wars and trying pass health care and the economy's on fire now, and besides it was all so long ago and nothing really happened and we've just got move forward and what about Clinton?

[NHGranite]

I don't want to look either but I am compelled

[Pavane]

Excellent work, Brad. You are to be commended. I completely agree that Huffpo should feature this!

[chazzman]

What a shame. Most of the people named are rushpublikkkons. They sell out our country for drugs, sex, and money. Hopefully this admin will ferret them out and send them to jail where they belong.

[tompoe]

This pales in relation to the Bush/Cheney administration we suffered the long eight years of 2001-2008. Better we start with Bush/Cheney, and work our way down to Congress.

[Brad Friedman - Huffpost Blogger]

Please read the article or, better yet, the depo. This *is* the Bush/Cheney administration. All the way up to (at least) the Asst. Deputy Sec. of State, according to Edmonds, as well as Feith, Wolfowitz, etc.

[Brad Friedman - Huffpost Blogger]

It would be nice if they got started on that sometime soon.

[serena1313]

I first heard of Sibel Edmonds in 2001 and since followed her story somewhat closely. It is remarkable and unsettling that "... highly-placed, U.S. officials in the Departments of State and Defense [were] involved in an illicit, for-profit scheme to develop and protect a network of spies, who then stole and sold American nuclear secrets to the international black markets via Turkey, Israel and Pakistan ..."

Edmonds felt this information was so important that she was willing to go to prison for it. But surprise, not one major US media outlet would touch it. The Dallas Morning News (DMN) asks for news "tips" so -- even though I thought no way would they publish Edmonds' story -- I sent it. Shock! They published it! As far as I know, that is the only US newspaper that did.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-sibeledmonds_17edi.ART.State.Edition1.45b446a.html

But elsewhere the news spread like wildfire:

It appeared on the front page of London's Sunday Times "... detailing how nuclear secrets were proliferated to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and potentially even al-Qaeda, was picked up on Monday and reported by international mainstream outlets such as The Times of India, Pakistan's Daily Times, Iran's PressTV, Israel's Haaretz and even the Turkish Daily News."

With "birther" and wack-a-doodle "news" stories headlining the front pages of our newspapers it is no wonder Americans are most ill-informed people in the world.

[Non Sibi]

The Dallas News story is carefully written, and a succinct summary of what was known then. A shameful story, and a brave woman.

[Brad Friedman - Huffpost Blogger]

Good work, Serena. And thank you.

Yeah, Dallas Morning News was one of the few papers to have covered her story at all in the past. Former CIA analyst (and current American Conservative Magazine's) Phil Giraldi's was the one who wrote that article on Sibel in the DMN.

Looks like you picked the right paper. Wish others would pick more! For that matter, wish HuffPo would feature this piece, as I believe the content certainly merits it!

[jsgaetano]

Another shining example of how "Bush Kept Us Safe". You know, aside from destroying our military, letting terrorists attack America, losing an entire US city, destroying the economy, and selling off nukular secrets.

Sure puts the Plame thing into a whole new light, doesn't it? They outed Plame because she was in a position to get the goods on Bush/Cheney's dirty dealings.

[bccmeteorites]

Yeah kept us safe. Having the MSM in his pocket kept us safe from knowing too much. But it's seeping out and it does not look good.

[marignymitch]

These criminals have fallen into the honey pot. Obama's only looking forward!

[jsgaetano]

History will show the GOP's final years as a national party to have been one of the largest cases of fraud in US history, and for a world record amount of money.

And sadly... they will all get away with it, because of the cowardice of the "opposition party".

[colah]

I agree that this part of GOP history will be seen as a disaster, but to think they are in their final years as a national party would put you on the wrong side of history. Both sides have been claimed the other was dead on numerous occasions.
"And sadly... they will all get away with it"
Im not sure what you are expecting to happen, but whatever the Republican party is doing right now can hardly be described as "getting away with it". The fact that this deposition even happened goes against that assertion.
They are a reeling minority with very limited legislative power. In the big-picture political sense, this is as far removed from "getting away with it "as possible.
If you want GWBs head on a pole after 8 months then I think you have unrealistic expectations.
Paul Wolfowitz or Grossman after 2 years might be very realistic considering the explosive nature of this deposition.

Big thanks to Sibel Edmonds, same to BF & HP for the story.

[jsgaetano]

History doesn't predict the future.

The Whigs went away as a national party. What makes you think the GOP can survive as a national party without the support of the American people? History? Tradition? Prophecy?

The fact is, the GOP bet their credibility and future on being a "permanent, one party majority"... and they LOST. Elections have consequences- without credibility, they have no future. America no longer trusts the GOP- are people going to vote for a party they don't trust?