“DNC KNOWS THERE’S EVIDENCE”
by Sharon Rondeau
(May 25, 2017) — Late on Wednesday, Internet businessman Kim Dotcom posted a tweet, in an apparent follow-up to his Tuesday website statement in which he claimed to have evidence that murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich was in communication with WikiLeaks, stating that he will “release our letter to Special Counsel Robert Mueller” on Monday.
The pronoun “our” likely refers to Dotcom and his legal team, which is assisting him in appealing an extradition request by the U.S. Department of Justice to face charges of copyright infringement and related alleged crimes.
A New Zealand resident, Dotcom has maintained his innocence on the charges, which stemmed from his launch of a file-sharing website, Megaupload, in 2005. A resultant multimillionaire, Dotcom and three others were arrested in January 2012 and Megaupload closed by U.S. authorities.
In a 2015 interview with Bloomberg News, Dotcom claimed that he had systems in place to identify potential copyright infringement in the materials which users uploaded to the site and that he supports copyright protections afforded to creators of original work. He further claimed that “Hollywood,” working in concert with the Obama regime, was responsible for prosecuting the case, which could imprison him for up to 88 years if he is convicted.
Dotcom has served two suspended sentences in Germany for credit card fraud and hacking in the past.
During the Bloomberg interview, Dotcom predicted that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would prove to be “Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare” during the 2016 campaign.
On Tuesday, Dotcom indicated that he was conferring with his attorneys about future actions he might take to present his evidence to U.S. authorities. “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,” he wrote.
Since interest in the case rekindled ten days ago, the media has worked assiduously to convince the public that the idea that Rich had communicated with WikiLeaks is nothing more than a “conspiracy theory” that has been “debunked.” Some outlets have launched personal attacks and campaigns aimed to effect considerable financial harm, particularly to Fox News’s Sean Hannity, for investigating the Rich case.
On Wednesday, The Washington Post attempted to discredit Dotcom’s claim with its report that the Rich family received a suspicious email which appeared to have been sent from a company with which Dotcom was once associated. The Post’s Dave Weigel wrote, in part:
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 monitors his late son’s Gmail account when new emails come in, did not click the link. Dotcom had not worked at Mega itself for years, but he 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.
In response to the suggestion that he might have sent the email to the Rich account as well as the labeling of the theory that Rich was in touch with WikiLeaks as a “conspiracy,” Dotcom tweeted, “The only conspiracy theory that I can see is the #RussiaCollusion story.”
“DNC knows there’s evidence,” he added.
He also submitted an open letter to the IB Times UK addressed to Seth Rich’s brother Aaron which reads, in part:
Family of Seth Rich
c/- Aaron Rich
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dear Aaron
SETH RICH – DNC LEAKS
Introduction
1. As you know, you and I have previously corresponded after I reached out to you to offer
my assistance with the GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the family of Mr Rich (family).
I understand from our communications that you are representing the family in relation to
the ongoing investigation into Mr Rich’s death and I am writing to you in that capacity.
2. In particular, I am writing regarding recent statements about me that have been reported
globally (including in New Zealand) and attributed to the family. As set out in more detail
below, some of these statements are false and defamatory.
3. The purpose of this letter is to formally request that the family and their representatives
cease from making such statements about me going forward. This request is made in the
spirit of us constructively moving forward and allowing the investigation into the DNC leak
to progress without delay so that there can be an informed decision on whether it had any
involvement in Mr Rich’s death, as many fear.
4. However, if these statements do not cease, it will be necessary for me to take further
action. It is ironic that the family complain of others potentially making statements that
they fear (without actually knowing) will be incorrect and then make incorrect statements
about me themselves.
5. I remain prepared to assist in the investigation, as I have said. While I want to show
understanding to the family in this difficult time, I also maintain that what I have said is true
and will be substantiated upon investigation. While that may be difficult for the family to
accept, in time I expect it to play a valuable part in revealing the truth. However, that is a
matter for the current investigation. I simply wish to make sure that the investigators have
the benefit of my evidence.
6. I have said that I will share what I know, and why, with the relevant authorities if the
appropriate arrangements can be made. That is what I understand from our
communications the family also want. The family, once fully informed, can then make up
their own mind, as will the investigation. However, that will not happen by ignoring the
evidence of witnesses like me who are prepared to speak up, or by seeking to discredit such witnesses by pre-emptively attacking their credibility. I simply ask that the family
listen, before attacking.
Dotcom’s late-Wednesday tweet states, “On Monday I’ll release our letter to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. He needs to look into the origin of DNC leaks to conclude Russia probe.”
Mueller was appointed Special Counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to lead the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 elections and whether or not President Donald Trump or any of his campaign aides had improper ties to the Russian government.
Trump has denied any connections with Russia.
The hacking of the DNC servers has been attributed to the Russian government by the U.S. intelligence community.
Dotcom doesn’t seem to get it. Mueller is tasked with determining if there was any collusion between members of the Trump campaign and officials of the Russian government. This is broader that just the hacking of the DNC emails. If he has evidence then he needs to turn it over to the police that are investigating the murder.
Furthermore, his threats to the Rich family are laughable. All the Rich family would need to do is subpoena Dotcom for a deposition. He can’t show up on US soil without being arrested. Case dismissed.
Bottom line: If Dotcom has any info then he should just turn it over. Otherwise he is just seeking attention and trying to insert himself into a matter that is none of his business.