EXCLUSIVE Mueller Witness' Team Gamed Out Russian Meddling ... in 2015

[DonViejo]

Betsy Woodruff, Erin Banco
01.30.19 5:05 AM ET

Days after Donald Trump rode down an escalator at Trump Tower and announced he’d run for president, a little-known consulting firm with links to Israeli intelligence started gaming out how a foreign government could meddle in the U.S. political process. Internal communications, which The Daily Beast reviewed, show that the firm conducted an analysis of how illicit efforts might shape American politics. Months later, the Trump campaign reviewed a pitch from a company owned by that firm’s founder—a pitch to carry out similar efforts.

The founder of the firm, called Wikistrat, has been questioned by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team as they investigate efforts by foreign governments to shape American politics during the 2016 presidential campaign. Joel Zamel, a low-profile Israeli-Australian who started the firm, has deep contacts in Middle Eastern intelligence circles. There are no known publicly available pictures of him. But he met people in the upper echelons of the Trump campaign.

In April 2016, senior Trump campaign official Rick Gates reviewed a pitch produced by a company called Psy Group, which Zamel reportedly owns. The pitch laid out a three-pronged election influence campaign that included creating thousands of fake social media accounts to support then-candidate Trump and disparage his opponents, according to The New York Times.

After Trump became the party’s official nominee, Zamel met with Donald Trump Jr. and discussed the plan, which echoed both the real election interference already underway by the Kremlin and the scenario Wikistrat gamed out the year before.

Zamel took part in at least two meetings in Washington in 2016 and 2017. And his staff at Psy Group made several connections about their social media manipulation plan with individuals who represented themselves as close to the Trump team.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-witness-team-gamed-out-russian-meddling-in-2015?ref=scroll

[jaysunb]

1. Trump has repeatedly said it could be others that interfered other than Russia.

He probably means they weren't the only ones because, he knows. Russia just happens to be about the $$$.
That 400 lbs guy in Jersey may be real.

[PRETZEL]

2. So, if I'm reading this right,

PsyGroup gamed the playbook back in2015. It would almost have to be a generic version that could be used against any candidate for the benefit of the other. PsyGroup definately would not want Israel or the Israeli connections associated with this plan, but Russia would definately want it especially if was to be used against Hillary as her presidency would continue to be against Russia's best interests. The only way this could possibly work is for the Republicans to have a nominee that suits their needs (Trump, a Washington outsider).

I would think (and only wild speculation) is that main question then becomes, who brokers the deal and if the transaction only takes place if Trump wins the nomination.