But the effort is a glimpse of a vigorous private campaign to try to undermine political groups or individuals perceived to be in opposition to Mr. Trumps agenda. The Intercept, however, has stood behind its reporting and has described the suit as an improper attempt to learn the identity of its sources. Prince declined to comment. But her picture was on this website. During the 2018 meeting with Ms. Gore, according to one person familiar with it, Mr. They were certainly using attractive women to lure people out on dates. Prince a former C.I.A. There was eventually litigation about that, wasn't there? officer who went on to win an important House seat in Virginia as a Democrat. These two are conservatives, right? Ms. Jorge, 25, did not respond to email addresses associated with her Liberty University account. NY Times reporter Adam Goldman describes an undercover effort, headed up by an avid Trump supporter, that trained conservatives in espionage techniques and sent them to dig up dirt on progressives. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); And this is FRESH AIR. And I think the Intercept geolocated that photo and determined it was Erik Prince's ranch. GOLDMAN: In some instances, they were on, you know, these social - these dating apps, right? And they said, well, you know, she worked for Project Veritas. zoneId = 'Array'; Prince registered to vote in Park County back in 1992, but that registration lapsed after he failed to vote in the countys 2002 elections, according to county records. And, you know, they targeted somebody from the State Department, and they targeted somebody from GAO. Princes parents, Elsa Prince and the late Edgar Prince, bought the 940-acre Double E Ranch in the Wapiti Valley in the early 1990s. You know, again, as when Barbara Ledeen, the staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee, which was run by Chuck Grassley, you know, was trying to find Hillary Clinton's missing emails, and Prince gets involved in that, too. But we were unaware of that. On Sept. 30, Prince personally visited the Park County Elections Office, registered and cast a general election ballot, according to the clerks office. And the operatives had to give a - you know, had to give a cover story under duress. A spokesman for Mr. You know, was it effective? And they would find people, and they would go out with them. Mr. He is married to an American diplomat, Alice Seddon, who is serving in the American consulate in Lagos, Nigeria. In August 2017, Ms. Jorge wrote to Mr. Seddon that she had managed to record a local union leader talking about Ms. DeVos and other topics. One February 2019 report said that a new undercover will be joining the team and tasked with targeting Mr. Harshman. But in a pending lawsuit, Prince asserts the April 13 story from The Intercept was false, defamatory and aimed at Wyoming. Because of the article, Prince says his reputation and professional opportunities within Wyoming suffered, along with his business interests and reputation in general. He passed away recently. So what exactly was the plan to (laughter) catch McMaster saying something he shouldn't? But then January 6 happened, you know, the insurrection. if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; They'd been recruited and trained in an operation led by a former British spy and security contractor Erik Prince, an avid supporter of Donald Trump. DAVIES: Right. Blackwater founder Erik Prince used the rise of Donald Trump to stage an unlikely comeback that apparently included funding spy training for far-right propagandist James O'Keefe and his Project. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. They received training for covert operations at a ranch near Cody owned by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, where Maier's mother works as a cook. At the center of the scheme was an unusual cast: a former British spy connected to the security contractor Erik Prince, a wealthy heiress to the Gore-Tex fortune and undercover operatives like. For example, Rolling Stone published an investigative piece in October, The New York Times broke the news of Princes potential run on Oct. 8, 2017, in another interview with Breitbart a few days later, identified the site as the Prince ranch in a 2019 article, asserting Prince participated in a plan to dampen turnout among Black voters, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. There's an annual one, Nellie T. Ross Banquet, and I believe it's in Cheyenne every February. What was this about? You know, he's a businessman. (Photo: Gerry Broome/AP) MIDDLEBURG, Va. A cheery fire warmed the glass-walled conservatory of the Goodstone Inn in Virginia's. GOLDMAN: Well, some people have speculated this was some sort of back channel to Russia because there was a - I believe there was a Russian investment manager there who has ties to Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. Between 1992 and 2001, Prince often listed Park County as his home, consistent with his voting records. The next year, during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump claimed without substantiation that videos released by Mr. OKeefe showed that Mrs. Clinton and President Barack Obama had paid people to incite violence at rallies for Mr. Trump. Tell us about them. The special counsels report said that Mr. This item is available in full to subscribers. And as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press summarizes, New York provides absolute protection from forced disclosure of materials received in confidence by a professional journalist, including the identity of a source.. Im not ashamed of the methods that we use or the recordings that we use, he said. 'https://powellbanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://powellbanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); As education secretary, Ms. DeVos has been a vocal critic of teachers unions, saying in 2018 that they have a stranglehold over politicians at the federal and state levels. And, you know, and he is - you know, he's an international businessman. For example, Rolling Stone published an investigative piece in October asserting Prince participated in a plan to dampen turnout among Black voters in the 2016 election. They've targeted CNN. He was leading training. But what we know is there was an arrangement made, and Erik Prince allowed Project Veritas to use his farm to train its operatives. For instance, Princes 2014 memoir said he splits his time between homes in Virginia and Abu Dhabi, where he pursues a variety of business ventures.. DAVIES: Wow. And in the end, you know, O'Keefe would release them and, you know, make a big deal out of them. Prince turned to Mr. Seddon to help train the Project Veritas operatives. This is FRESH AIR. And there was, you know, another individual from the Emirates who was there. But "one of the most brazen operations of the campaign" was an attempt to take down H.R. Its among a number of issues and motions that will have to be sorted out before a judge or jury would consider the accuracy of The Intercepts April article. They were critical of Donald Trump and his agenda. And he ends up giving, you know, $6,000 to Wyoming Democratic Party and also money to other political figures. Two weeks later, on Oct. 14, Prince submitted a new sworn statement in his defamation case, in which he acknowledged he had not registered to vote in Wyoming in 2017. She was involved in that. That's a name some people will know. DAVIES: So he is the guy who hires this British spy, Richard Seddon, to train operatives to, you know, gather intelligence from, you know, Democrats and progressives. You know, they targeted the teachers unions. And that one was made public. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross, who's off this week. Fast-forward to 2007, and Erik Prince was living in McLean, Virginia, and spending time on his Middleburg property, Blackwater Ranch, designed as a family retreat just as his parent's home in Cody had been originally. GOLDMAN: I believe that O'Keefe has interacted with Trump. That got a lot of attention, was investigated by Robert Mueller. They were, in fact, undercover spies who had been building a cover as eager Democrats when, in fact, they were anything but that. Friday crash claims lives of Powell sisters, Powell resident now leads open lands organization, Authorities say they caught Cody man selling meth, Game and Fish plan set for aquatic invasive species threat, 128 South Bent StreetPowell, WY 82435 You know, you say in one of these stories, this operation's use of spy craft to manipulate the politics of several states over the years greatly exceeds the tactics of traditional political tricks operations. I mean, he - it seems that - it's our understanding that Prince introduced Seddon to Project Veritas. And Glenn Beck, Beau's uncle, gave a toast. In apparent response to inquiries from the Tribune about the two companies ties to Wyoming, Princes revised declaration said he misidentified the names of the entities. Mr. I believe he was involved in an effort to battle pirates in Somalia. Prince invited Project Veritas operatives including Mr. OKeefe to his familys Wyoming ranch for training in 2017, The Intercept reported last year. And it all kind of went south when the Post exposed it. And it would - you know, and make an enormous amount of money. ', Death toll keeps rising in Greece's deadliest train crash, US Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee, Lineup announced for this years Capitol Hill Block Party, There's no shortage of salt for NYC roads, Temple University students march and protest to demand better safety. We still don't know everything about it, and we're trying to learn more about exactly who was behind this and if money was paid and so on. At the time, Prince was exploring the possibility of mounting a Republican primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Oct. 21, 2020. But (laughter) this seemed to be the training out in Wyoming. Mr. OKeefe and others shared social media photos of taking target practice with guns at the ranch, including one post from Mr. OKeefe saying that with the training, Project Veritas will be the next great intelligence agency. Mr. WASHINGTON A British former spy recruited by Erik Prince, the security contractor close to the Trump administration, played a central role in a secretive effort to hire dozens . And that was their logo. Several of them confirmed their donations. Prince a former C.I.A. Both Project Veritas and Mr. contractor who is best known as the founder of the private military firm Blackwater and whose sister, Betsy DeVos, was Mr. Trump's education secretary has drawn. Connor Wroe Southard. It's a conservative group, and they conduct undercover operations, for instance, to expose bias or what they would describe as, you know, wrongdoing primarily in liberal circles. It's not clear to us why Prince decided to help Project Veritas. In a Jan. 15 order, U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson of Cheyenne tossed out Prince's defamation lawsuit against The Intercept. And it's not clear to us if he was making any money off of this. DAVIES: Right. The woman was claiming she had been impregnated by the Senate candidate, thinking that The Washington Post would be so excited to get dirt about a conservative that they would publish a bogus story. At the time, Prince was exploring the possibility of mounting a Republican primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. For example, the co-authors of the piece in dispute, Cole and Alex Emmons, say theyre New York and Washington, D.C., residents whove never been to Wyoming. McMaster, Trump's second national security adviser. One of the undercover operatives also got a job working for a consortium of wealthy liberal donors the Wyoming Investor Network which had made a strategic decision to support Republican moderate candidates over those more closely aligned with Mr. Trumps agenda, the documents say. Other outlets, however, have continued writing about the contractor. The Times previously reported that, in 2016 and 2017, Mr. Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater, filed a defamation lawsuit against The Intercept last month over an article published in 2020 that examined his efforts to sell. There's a long backstory there. In an archived version of her LinkedIn page, Ms. Jorge wrote she had a deep interest in the conservative movement and hoped one day to serve on the Supreme Court after attending law school. If he enters the race, he would be challenging Republican incumbent John Barrasso in the 2018 primaries, with the encouragement of Steve Bannon. A spokesman for the firm said that Alston & Bird has never contributed to Project Veritas on its own behalf, nor is it a client of ours. The spokesman declined to say on whose behalf the contribution was made. After Mr. Gordon won a close Republican primary battle against Mr. Friess, the billionaire, in August 2018, Mr. Friess blamed his loss on Democrats switching parties on Election Day to vote for Mr. Gordon. Mr. OKeefe and his group have taken aim at targets over the years including Planned Parenthood, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Democracy Partners, a group that consults with liberal and progressive electoral causes. So it was a fascinating moment in time last year when I realized what I suspected Beau and Sofia were doing. Prince has previously been involved in trying to find dirt on Democratic politicians. You'd have to ask Mr. O'Keefe. Erik Prince Helped Raise Money for Conservative Spy Venture, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/us/politics/erik-prince-spy-operation-trump-democrats.html. At the time I signed my [September] declaration I believed Jones Creek and CMNS to be Wyoming entities, but I have subsequently learned they are not; I believe they are Delaware entities, Prince wrote in the document, which he signed from California. There was a meeting at lunch which led to a resignation, I believe, of GOLDMAN: They targeted our editor, Dean Baquet. O'Keefe did not respond to the substance of the Times' report but did accuse the newspaper of running a "smear piece" on Project Veritas. Mr. Seddon wrote that Ms. Jorge copied a great many documents from the file room, and Mr. OKeefe bragged that the group would be able to get a ton more access agents inside the educational establishment.. It's not clear to me how close he is to Trump. He did not respond to follow-up phone messages or an email. James OKeefe, the head of Project Veritas, last year at a White House social media summit. GOLDMAN: To my understanding, there was a disagreement in how Project Veritas should be run. By Derek Royden - July 2, 2021 2466 SOURCE NationofChange You mentioned that he was recruited by Erik Prince. Erik Prince decides that Project Veritas needs something new. Last year, the House Intelligence Committee made a criminal referral to the Justice Department about Mr. They need some spy training and covert military, paramilitary training at his ranch. Richard Seddon, in 2018, I guess, decided to stop working with Project Veritas. DAVIES: That's the Government Accountability Office. Erik Prince, founder and CEO of Blackwater Worldwide, in 2008. Mr. They targeted NPR. "He's a very nice man," Prince said of Barrasso in the Breitbart interview. We'll talk about Project Veritas in a moment. #Veritas pic.twitter.com/4IFvjKurGK, In the pending defamation case, Princes attorneys have cited that reporting as evidence The Intercept knew Prince did his business from Wyoming, going as far as to allege the articles unstated focus was on Princes reputation and livelihood in Wyoming., The Intercept attorneys, however, pointed to past statements from Prince and records indicating he lives in Virginia. DAVIES: Let's talk about some of the people who are behind this. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. GOLDMAN: Yeah. While the state is currently solidly Republican, Mr. Seddon and Ms. Gore believed it was in danger of turning toward the Democrats, as Colorado has. Remind us who they are and what they've done. So I thought to myself, why are they giving money to these people, these Democratic politicians? One of the former spies, an ex-MI6 officer named Richard Seddon, helped run a 2017 operation to copy files and record conversations in a Michigan office of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the nation. DAVIES: Right. He was asked whether he had provided any of the groups secret recordings of Democracy Partners to the Republican National Committee or any member of the Trump family. Their attorneys wrote that the story did not focus its efforts on or in Wyoming, nor would it have any reason to do so . GOLDMAN: They were thwarting the president's agenda. And her picture wasn't her name GOLDMAN: It was a fake name, Maria. Remind us who he is. Mr. Seddon directed an undercover operative to secretly tape the unions local leaders and try to gather information that could be made public to damage the organization, documents show. He's a former British intelligence officer who served in Washington, D.C., and in Pakistan and eventually leaves the British Secret Intelligence Service and develops some relationship with Erik Prince, a security contractor, and ends up being director of field operations at the conservative group known as Project Veritas. Beyond involving a different pool of jurors and a different judge, Prince may have a better chance of learning the identity of The Intercepts sources if the case stays in Wyoming, where there is no specific shield law protecting the confidentiality of reporters sources. The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. So they were interviewing people who wanted to become operatives. And, you know, Seddon was out at the farm. It was unclear whether Mr. Seddon was involved in planning that operation. GOLDMAN: No. In fact, I wrote a memo about what I had found. 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