The Washington Post - 05.09.2019

A2 EZ SU THE WASHINGTON POST.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 , 2019

because jury instructions limited them to consider only actions Craig took near the end of the FARA unit’s investigation, after Oct. 3, 2013, 10 months after Skadden issued its report. Those actions came down to a letter written by Craig to the Justice Department’s FARA unit on Oct. 11, 2013, summarizing a 45-minute meeting — for which no notes exist, jurors were told — at which the government alleged Craig lied or omitted facts in successfully persuading FARA officials to reverse their position that he was required to register. “There were several people who were very disturbed by his behavior prior to October 3, but there were a number of jurors, including several of the older jurors, who understand that life is a complicated thing,” said juror Michael G. Meyer, 60, who works with a federal contractor that supports medical and vaccine tri- als. Meyer said he personally found Craig “a very credible wit- ness,” and that while he never discussed the sentiment with oth- ers, he was “infuriated” that the government spent its resources prosecuting Craig instead of oth- ers scrutinized in the Mueller report. However, juror Willie Wilson, 28, a commodities broker, said he initially thought Craig was guilty. “I was not of the opinion that he’s a bad person, but he walked up to the line and very well may have crossed it.” Skadden in January reached a settlement with the Justice De- partment, admitting it should have registered for its work in 2012 and 2013, and agreed to turn over $4.6 million it made for its work with Ukraine in exchange for facing no criminal charges. In its settlement, Skadden agreed that an initial finding by the Justice Department in 2014 that the firm did not need to register came after the agency relied on “false and misleading oral and written statements” made by Craig. [email protected] [email protected]

To m Hamburger contributed to this report.

Viktor Pinchuk, secretly paid Skadden $4.15 million for work on the report, testimony showed. The charge against Craig turned on whether Craig was a knowing and willful participant in the public relations effort directed by Manafort — a onetime chairman for Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and longtime con- sultant — and tried to hide that from investigators. Craig took the stand in his own defense, saying he did not lie to investigators because he had reached out to Times journalist David Sanger to try to push back against what Craig saw as Ukraine’s misleading spin on the Skadden report. Craig said that because he was pushing back

against the Ukrainian government’s t ake, he didn’t r egard him- self as working in public relations on its behalf and hence did not need to register. Ukraine’s spin was suggesting the Skadden report exonerated Ukraine’s treatment of Ty moshenko, Craig told jurors, which he could not abide. Prosecutors asserted that Craig did not want to register because disclosure of his work with Ukraine could cast doubt on his and Skadden’s independence and impede the ability of him and his colleagues to quickly return to government service. Two members of Craig’s jury said in interviews after the verdict that although a few jurors were “deeply disturbed” that Craig was not completely forth- right in his actions and statements, the jury unanimously con- cluded there was insufficient evi- dence to support a conviction. They could not reach a conviction, according to the two jurors,

make changes to promote compliance.” Before Craig’s trial began, a judge dismissed a charge alleging that Craig made false statements under FARA, citing a lack of clarity in the law. She allowed his trial to proceed on a general false statements charge. Several Washington attorneys representing foreign governments and former Justice Depart- ment officials cautioned that even a slam-dunk acquittal did not mean the government acted recklessly or in bad faith — or that it would lead to a passive stance. How those forces will play out remains to be seen. In other work involving longtime political players, the Justice Department also has been investigating — but has not charged — Democratic lobbyist To ny Podes- ta and former Republican congressman Vin Weber for their work alongside Craig in Ukraine. Neither Weber or Podesta re- sponded to requests for comment on the Craig verdict. Representa- tives for both men have said in the past that the two cooperated with authorities investigating possible FARA v iolations and that both took pains to make sure they were following the rules mandat- ing disclosure of their lobbying. Craig’s trial revealed the in- volvement of a half-dozen power- ful Washington public relations, lobbying, consulting and law firms in the project to rehabili- tate Ukraine’s battered image in the West. With the direct FARA charge dropped, Craig was left facing one felony count of making false statements to investigators try- ing to determine whether he and his law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, should have registered under the law. The central issue was Craig’s out- reach on Dec. 11, 2012, to the New York Times regarding coverage of the law firm’s upcoming report reviewing the jailing of Yulia Ty - moshenko, a political rival to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanu- kovych. The report was commissioned by the Ukrainian government in a project led by Paul Manafort, a political adviser to Yanukovych. A wealthy Ukrainian businessman,

Ta ylor said, adding, “It’s a tragedy. It’s a disgrace; I’m glad it’s over.” Craig was the first prominent Democrat charged in an investigation spun off from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia probe, and his defenders have long complained he was prosecuted after blunt attacks by President Trump and his sup- porters that the Justice Depart- ment was unduly targeting Re- publicans. But Justice Department officials have emphasized in recent years they are stepping up enforcement of a long-neglected foreign lobbying disclosure law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires Americans who are being paid by foreign governments or politi- cians to influence U.S. policy or opinion to register with the Jus- tice Department. In March, a prosecutor who had been detailed to the Mueller team was tapped to lead the department’s FARA enforcement unit, and the department’s “zero- tolerance” crackdown toward nondisclosure has triggered a 30 percent increase in registra- tions. Spokesmen for the Justice De- partment and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The acquittal marks a setback for the Justice Department’s crackdown on foreign lobbying in the United States, exposing flaws in a difficult prosecution of events from 2012 that was hand- ed off among several investigative offices before Craig’s April indictment. “While I am sure the government is not happy with the out- come given all of its work, it was a tough case to prove beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Thomas J. Spulak, a partner at the law firm King & Spalding who advises on lobbying compliance. But, he said, prosecutors put forward a strong case, adding, “Who would want to go through what Mr. Craig has experienced? And it may cause Congress to examine the statute and, where necessary,

CRAIG FROM A

HAPPENING TODAY

For the latest updates all day, visit washingtonpost.com.

All day | The Toronto International Film Festival goes through Sept. 15.
For developments, visit washingtonpost.com/entertainment.

8:30 a.m. | The Labor Department issues jobless claims for the week
ended Aug. 31, which are estimated at 215,000, unchanged from the week
before. Visit washingtonpost.com/business for details.

9:30 a.m. | Jim Watkins, owner of the website 8chan, testifies before the
House Homeland Security Committee. For developments, visit
washingtonpost.com/national.

8:30 p.m. | The Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers on the
opening night of the NFL season. Follow the game at postsports.com.

CORRECTIONS

l An On Parenting column about handling tantrums in today’s Local Living section, which was printed in advance, misstates the name of a nonprofit educational organization that offers guidance for parents and other caregivers. It is the Parent Encouragement Program, not the Parent Education Program.

l A Local Digest item in the Sept. 4 Metro section incorrectly used the word “electrocution” i n describing injuries to three people the day before in McLean, Va. All three were injured by electric shocks and survived.

KLMNO

NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
For home delivery comments
or concerns contact us at
washingtonpost.com/subscriberservices or
send us an email at
[email protected] or call
202-334-6100 or 800-477-

TO SUBSCRIBE
800-753-POST (7678)

TO ADVERTISE
washingtonpost.com/mediakit
Classified: 202-334-
Display: 202-334-

MAIN PHONE NUMBER
202-334-

TO REACH THE NEWSROOM
Metro: 202-334-7300;
[email protected]
National: 202-334-7410;
[email protected]

Business: 202-334-7320;
[email protected]
Sports: 202-334-7350;
[email protected]

Reader Advocate: 202-334-7582;
[email protected]

TO REACH THE OPINION PAGES
Letters to the editor:
[email protected] or call
202-334-
Opinion:
[email protected]
Published daily (ISSN 0190-8286).
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington,
D.C. 20071.
Periodicals postage paid in Washington, D.C., and
additional mailing office.

Th e Washington Post is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can: Email: [email protected]. Call: 2 02-334-6000, and ask to be connected to the desk involved — National, Foreign, Metro, Style, Sports, Business or any of the weekly sections. Comments can be directed to The Post’s reader advocate, who can be reached at 202-334-7582 or [email protected].

ILLINOIS

Graft charges against

Schock are dismissed

Corruption charges against
former congressman Aaron
Schock have been dismissed
under a deal struck with
prosecutors in March.
U. S. District Court Judge
Matthew Kennelly ordered an
indictment against Schock, a
Republican from Illinois,
dismissed on Wednesday.
Schock resigned from
Congress in 2015 amid scrutiny
of his spending, including
decorating his office in the style
of the “Downton Abbey” TV
series. He was indicted a year
later on two dozen counts that
included wire fraud and
falsification of election
commission filings.
Under the deal, Schock, who
didn’t appear in court, agreed to
repay his campaign committees
nearly $68,000 and work with
the Internal Revenue Service to
determine how much he owes.
— Associated Press

CALIFORNIA

Drug charges filed in rapper’s death

A Los Angeles man who prosecutors say sold counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl to rapper Mac Miller two days before his death from an accidental overdose was arrested Wednesday on federal drug charges. Cameron James Pettit, 28, was accused in U. S. District Court in Los Angeles of delivering the pills to Miller, the former boyfriend of Grammy- winning pop star Ariana Grande, early on the morning of Sept. 5, 2018. The 26-year-old performer, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was found unresponsive in his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sept. 7 and was pronounced dead. After an autopsy, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Miller had died of an accidental overdose of cocaine

and fentanyl. Investigators believe Pettit probably supplied him with the pills that caused his death, according to the charging documents. If convicted, Pettit faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. — Reuters

Woman arrested in stepdaughter’s death: An Indiana woman who reported her 10-year-old stepdaughter missing last weekend was arrested Wednesday in the girl’s death after her body was found hidden inside a plastic trash bag in a shed behind their home. Amanda D. Carmack, 34, was arrested after investigators found Skylea Carmack’s body about 3 a.m., the state police said. Carmack, who lives in Gas City, about 80 miles northeast of Indianapolis, was being held on preliminary charges of murder, neglect, strangulation and domestic battery, according to the state police and online records. — Associated Press

DIGEST

MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES A woman views a makeshift memorial Wednesday at California’s Santa Barbara Harbor for victims of the Conception boat tragedy. Authorities said that 33 bodies have been recovered after the commercial scuba diving ship caught fire and sank this week while anchored near Santa Cruz Island.

BY STEVEN MUFSON

The Trump administration Wednesday rolled back yet an- other Obama-era regulation. This time, the Energy Department issued one final and one proposed rule that will prolong the life of certain old-fashioned — and energy-intensive — incandescent lightbulbs invented by Thomas Edison 140 years ago. The bulbs otherwise would have been effectively phased out by Jan. 1. The rollback will mean $14 billion a year in higher energy costs and add to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study by the Appli- ance Standards Awareness Proj- ect and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The Energy Department said phasing out the bulbs would be “a lose-lose for consumers” because of the higher cost of more-efficient bulbs. And it said it would

be “regulating these lightbulbs out of existence.” Incandescent lightbulbs might be cheaper to purchase, but in the long run consumers pay more in higher electric bills. “The Energy Department flat out got it wrong today,” Jason Hartke, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, said in a statement. “Instead of moving us forward, this rule will keep more energy-wasting bulbs on store shelves and saddle the average American household with about $100 in unnecessary energy costs every year.” Hartke also said inefficient lightbulbs were also “terrible for our climate.” He said the rule would require the electricity pro- duced by 25 coal power plants “just to power wasteful bulbs.” Saving energy used by lightbulbs was a goal set by Congress in 2007 when it adopted biparti- san legislation later signed by President George W. Bush. The law set high efficiency standards for lightbulbs, effectively moving the country toward more-efficient compact fluorescent and LED bulbs. On President Barack Obama’s last day in office, the Energy

Department issued regulations that widened standards for general service lamps and general service incandescent lamps. The final rule undoes that, and the proposed rule would elimi- nate the 2020 standards for A- lamps, which are the commonly used pear-shaped bulbs. The standards, while techni- cal, affect approximately 3 billion — nearly half — of the bulbs in sockets in U.S. homes. They in- clude three-way bulbs, cone- shaped reflector bulbs used in recessed and track lighting, candle-shaped bulbs used in chandeliers and sconces, and globe-shaped bulbs in bathroom lighting fixtures. Fifteen states, New Yo rk City and the District of Columbia filed comments opposing the rollback and questioning whether the En- ergy Department had the author- ity to exempt certain products under the 2007 legislation. The group said repealing the Obama definitions “would unconsciona- bly increase both greenhouse gas emissions and consumers’ energy costs.” Four states, including Califor- nia, Colorado, Washington and Vermont, enacted their own ap-

pliance standards. During the Obama administration, conservatives made the lightbulb standards a rallying point for complaints about government interference. “This rule gives consumers the power to choose what lighting products best meet their needs,” the Energy Department said in a statement Wednesday. The statement conceded the incandescent bulbs that would have been barred “cannot meet the thresh- old efficiency level.” The 2007 law doesn’t ban incandescent bulbs. It set energy standards, and some companies came up with ways to make incandescent bulbs that com- plied with some of the standards. “It makes zero sense to elimi- nate energy-saving lightbulb standards that will save house- holds money on electricity bills and cut climate change emissions,” Andrew deLaski, execu- tive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said in a statement. “Instead, the Trump administration is siding with manufacturers that want to keep selling outdated, energy- wasting lightbulbs.” [email protected]

Incandescent lightbulbs to burn on, agency says

Democratic lawyer acquitted of lying to Justice Dept.

Energy Department rolls back rule that would have phased out use

“It may cause Congress

to examine the statute

and, where necessary,

make changes to

promote compliance.” Thomas J. Spulak, attorney

The Washington Post - 05.09.2019

Get our desktop app

Company

Features

Documentation

Resources