Mass. Rep Jim McGovern caught in William Browder’s Magnitsky Hoax
Lucy Komisar
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.(Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
A member of Congress you thought was a liberal is caught up in a Russiaphobe conjob. His name is Jim McGovern, and he is a congressman from Massachusetts. I thought he was pretty decent, so how has he bought into the Browder hoax?
I first dealt with Jim McGovern in the 1980s when I was reporting U.S. military attacks on movements for democracy in Central America: in El Salvador, where the U.S. supported killer oligarchs, Nicaragua where it aided the right-wing “contras” against the leftist Sandinistas, in Honduras where its military base launched planes to violate the Congressional ban on regional intervention, in Guatemala where it promoted a holocaust against the indigenous Mayan people. McGovern was an aide to Rep. Joe Moakley and worked to expose the evils of U.S. Central American policy.
Many years later, I encountered him as the apparent willing collaborator of fraudster and tax cheat William Browder, discounting what Browder had told him in a congressional hearing and instead buying into a fake story, bereft of evidence, invented to block Russian authorities from getting justice in a massive Browder tax evasion scam.
McGovern was a serious human rights defender in the 1980s. Did he believe the Browder hoax?
The McGovern story
McGovern was speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations roundtable in New York this past July 22.
A typical politician, before he spoke, he made the rounds of Council members, greeting and shaking hands. As he shook my hand, I reminded him that, “As a journalist, I reported on your opposition in the 1980s to the murderous Reagan policy in Central America.”
Then I switched to the topic of William Browder, who had been a witness at the Congressional Human Rights Commission hearing which McGovern chaired in 2010.
Browder’s accountant (who he falsely calls his lawyer) Sergei Magnitsky had been detained in an investigation of Browder’s Hermitage Capitol multi-million-dollar tax evasion which Magnitsky had helped organize.
In 2009, after eleven months in prison, he died of pancreatitis that was not properly treated.
At the hearing, witness Browder said about Magnitsky, “On November 16th, he went into critical condition, and it was only then that they allowed him to get medical treatment. They transferred him to Matrosskaya Tishina prison, which has a hospital.”
I quoted: “But instead of giving him medical treatment, they put him into a straitjacket, put him in an isolation cell for 1 hour and 18 minutes, until he was dead.”
I noted that I knew that McGovern was a main sponsor of the Magnitsky Act of 2012, which sanctioned Russians Browder named as responsible for Magnitsky’s death. (They included the authorities that went after him for his tax crimes as well as people working in the prison complex, and some that had nothing to do with either, just people on Browder’s enemies list.)
I said, “The Act said that Magnitsky in prison ‘was beaten by 8 guards with rubber batons on the last day of his life; and the ambulance crew that was called to treat him as he was dying was deliberately kept outside of his cell for one hour and 18 minutes until he was dead.’ “
I said to McGovern, “The testimony you heard Browder give was quite different. Did you have any evidence to support the second statement?”
McGovern replied: “pictures and an autopsy report.”
Here is the only picture that Browder has posted, showing bruises on Magnitsky’s hands and knee, hardly life-threatening, nothing on head or torso. If he’d had more, he would have displayed them prominently. And this is a link to the autopsy report, which describes illness, not beating.
I said to McGovern, “I’d like to see them, as the only photographs I’ve seen show bruises on hands and knee, which were not life threatening, and the autopsy also does not mention signs of a beating. Nor does the report of Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, Mass (attached).”
I meet McGovern’s aide
He introduced me to his aide, Jonathan Stivers. Stivers said he would put me in contact with the right person to answer my query.
I later emailed Stivers:
I was glad to have the chance Monday to talk briefly with Rep. McGovern at the Council on Foreign Relations. I was in contact with him years ago when I was reporting about American intervention in Central America, which he opposed.
Now I’ve been looking into the William Browder/Sergei Magnitsky story. I pointed out that in the Human Rights Commission hearing which the congressman chaired in 2010 (attached), William Browder said about Magnitsky:
On November 16th, he went into critical condition, and it was only then that they allowed him to get medical treatment. They transferred him to Matrosskaya Tishina prison, which has a hospital. But instead of giving him medical treatment, they put him into a straitjacket, put him in an isolation cell for 1 hour and 18 minutes, until he was dead.”
But the Magnitsky Act (attached) says that “he was beaten by 8 guards with rubber batons on the last day of his life; and the ambulance crew that was called to treat him as he was dying was deliberately kept outside of his cell for one hour and 18 minutes until he was dead.”
I asked the congressman if he had any evidence to support the second statement. He said “pictures” and an “autopsy report.”
I said I’d like to see them, as the only photographs I’ve seen show bruises on hands and knee [corrected from ankles and wrists], which were not life threatening, and the autopsy also does not mention signs of a beating. Nor does the report of Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, Mass, also attached.
He said to be in touch with you and you indicated you would put me in contact with the right person.
I look forward to your staff’s help in resolving this question.
Stivers replied with copies to Cindy Buhl, McGovern’s legislative director, and Kimberly Stanton, the director of the Congressional Human Rights Commission where Browder had testified:
[BTW all House emails are [email protected], so showing these email addresses does not invade anyone’s privacy.]
From: Stivers, Jonathan
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2019 2:44 PM
To: [email protected]; Buhl, Cindy
Subject: FW: Followup to Council on Foreign Relations Q about the William Browder/Sergei Magnitsky story
Hi Lucy,
It was nice to meet you at the CFR Roundtable on Monday. I’m copying Cindy Buhl in Rep. McGovern’s office and Kim Stanton at the Lantos Human Rights Commission who may be able to answer your questions on this matter. Thank you,
Jon
Jonathan Stivers
Staff Director
Congressional-Executive Commission on China
[email protected]
Will McGovern’s staff do what he asked?
I had forgotten that two years earlier Kim Stanton had refused to answer my queries. Which are below.
—–Original Message—–
From: Lucy Komisar
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2017 2:20 PM
To: White, Abraham
Subject: Magnitsky law
I am a journalist working on a story that relates in part to the Magnitsky Act that Rep McGovern sponsored/supported. Can I talk with you about this?
I am especially interested in getting the evidence on which the Magnitsky Act was based.
Thank you
Lucy Komisar
On 4/4/2017 12:25 PM, White, Abraham wrote:
Hi Lucy – Connecting you with Kim Stanton on our team who can help with background on this. Will let you two take it from here.
Thanks,
Abraham
From: Lucy Komisar
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 1:13 PM
To: Stanton, Kimberly [email protected]
Subject: Re: Magnitsky law
Hi Kim
In addition to what I said to Abraham:
I am especially interested in getting the evidence on which the Magnitsky Act was based.
I would also like to get the reports since the Act’s implementation. None have been issued yet.
According to the law the President has to collect the relevant evidence on individuals sanctioned and make an annual report to Congress.
Sec. 4) The President shall report to Congress annually regarding each foreign person sanctioned, the type of sanctions imposed, and the reason for their imposition.
This is the Senate bill, not the final Act.
I assume the House bill said the same. To whom/to what committee would the reports have been sent? See Section 1263 (a). Who/what office of the President would have sent them? The State Department will submit the report.
As a main sponsor, did you get them? If you have copies, can you send them to me? There aren’t any reports yet.
Lucy Komisar
On 4/7/2017 5:08 PM, Stanton, Kimberly wrote:
Hi, Lucy – my initial responses/questions are below.
Regards,
Kim
She wrote to me:
“I assume you mean the Global Magnitsky Act, which is found in Sections 1265–1270 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, Public Law 114–328. The Act authorizes the imposition of certain kinds of sanctions on individuals who meet certain conditions. The Act itself does not directly impose any sanctions, so it does not depend on evidence.“
Regarding the Magnitsky Act, the Treasury, which officially designates the people for the list, declines to provide any reasons or evidence.
Kim Stanton, replying to my query said, “The evidence that the Treasury Department has relied upon in its decisions to sanction individuals in keeping with P.L. 112-208 is not public.”
But before you read the next email, read this to see how Stanton misled me when she said the Magnitsky Act does not require a report. Sec 407 requires annual reports.
Subject: Re: Magnitsky law
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2017 17:30:42 -0400
From: Lucy Komisar [email protected]
To: Stanton, Kimberly [email protected]
So the report was required of the global magnitsky act and not the initial one? Sorry for mixing that up.
I’m focusing on the Magnitsky case itself, and the people targeted as being responsible. So that would be the first law, 2012.
So I’d like whatever evidence was provided to congress which voted on that. the first law.
Evidence about what happened to Magnitsky and who were responsible for it.
Since that was passed 2012, I assume there is some information someplace that relates to that. Should I look at the discussions in the House and Senate?
Plus there are, as a result, some Russians on a US govt list who can’t get visas, etc. I assume that someplace it says what they did. Provides evidence. etc.
I’m also curious as to whether any of these people have been given a chance to contest the accusations. And if any did.
Lucy
No response, so I repeated
Subject: Re: Magnitsky law
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2017 15:15:23 -0400
From: Lucy Komisar
To: Stanton, Kimberly
I had written
I am especially interested in getting the evidence on which the Magnitsky Act was based.
So what I get from your response, which does not include the information that I requested, is that Rep McGovern sponsored this law without any evidence that Mr Magnitsky had been abused or killed. Is that right?
And that the people who were subsequently put on the List were also put there without any evidence that they had been complicit in abusing or killing Mr. Magnitsky. Or other human rights violations. Is that right?
From what you said, or failed to say, that is what I conclude.
If you have other evidence, please send it or link to it.
Otherwise, I have to go with my conclusions.
Hard to believe that Rep. McGovern acted with no evidence to justify his support of legislation which has had significant foreign policy implications.
Thanks
Lucy Komisar
Facing a staff brick wall, I dropped that inquiry till this year and the chance conversation with McGovern at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Kim Stanton’s response was not surprising:
Subject: RE: Followup to Council on Foreign Relations Q about the William Browder/Sergei Magnitsky story
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:45:49 +0000
From: Stanton, Kimberly
To: Stivers, Jonathan
Hi, Lucy –
We have corresponded on this issue before and have nothing new to add.
Regards,
Kimberly Stanton
Meaning she still will not provide evidence for the Magnitsky Act claims. So, I wrote to McGovern’s press director:
Subject: Fwd: RE: Followup to Council on Foreign Relations Q about the William Browder/Sergei Magnitsky story
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2019 16:12:04 -0400
From: Lucy Komisar
To: [email protected]
Dear Matt Bonaccorsi
I am a journalist working on a project that involves in part the Magnitsky Act. As a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, I attended the Council lunch July 22 where Rep. McGovern spoke about China. (I attach the roster.)
Before the meeting, he walked around the large table where we were seated to greet the people attending. In our brief conversation, I asked him if he had evidence about the claims made in the Magnitsky Act. He said “pictures” and “an autopsy report.”
I said I’d like to see them as the only photographs I’ve seen show bruises on hands and knee, [corrected from ankles and wrists] which were not life threatening, and the autopsy also does not mention signs of a beating. Nor does the report of Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, Mass.
He introduced me to the China Committee staff person Jonathan Stivers and said to be in touch. I was. Jonathan Stivers forwarded my query to Cindy Buhl and Kimberly Stanton, staff director for the House Human Rights Commission.
She replied that I had been in touch with her before (which I had forgotten, March and April 2017) and that she had nothing to add.
I included the email traffic. Bonaccorsi did not reply. Nor did Cindy Buhl, who as legislative director should be concerned when a bill her boss sponsored was based on fake facts.
As staff director of a committee that McGovern co-chairs, Stanton should comply with his wishes. But her greater loyalty is to Browder. She refuses to provide information McGovern said he wanted sent to me to back up the claims in the Magnitsky Act.
Alas, McGovern, may not be aware that she can’t, because this evidence does not exist, because the claims are a Browder fabrication. And either McGovern is complicit or his staff refuses to communicate this information to him.
Lucy Komisar’s beat is the secret underbelly of the global financial system — offshore bank and corporate secrecy — and its links to corporate crime; tax evasion by the corporations and the very rich; empowerment of dictators and oligarchs; bribery and corruption; drug and arms trafficking; and terrorism. Her dozens of articles on the subject since 1997 have appeared in publications as diverse as The Nation magazine and the Wall Street Journal. You can read more on her website, and follow her on twitter watch her interviews on youtube.
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Since this is a U$ thread, here is the view of a Loyal Dissident:
anti_republocrat BTL SyrPer News #303682
It seems Alexander Mercouris reads this blog and noticed my comment about the rapidity of Syrian Army deployment [displacing U$ occupation force in Syria] being evidence of US cooperation, which of course was Trump’s decision:
https://youtu.be/F_wScYfgj4Q?t=390
I’m hoping this means that the US military is loyal in any Constitutional showdown between Trump and the CIA. It’s soldiers, sailors and airmen who fight wars, not CIA.”
Thanks for this Lucy. I remember your articles on Clearstream
Speaking of sanctions against individuals …. Canada’s C.Freeland has had a travel ban imposed onto her by the Russian Government, for several years now . The PM thinks this is perfectly fine (to have a minister of Foreign Affairs who is labelled as such) and the MSM stays relatively mute on the subject.
Now her sanction is somewhat of a reprisal for her ignorant views on the Ukrainian “crisis” but she was not in the Harper Government – so what does the Russian Government have on her ? Do they have reasons for imposing these sanctions ?
I think its appalling for a country like Canada to have someone like her hold a cabinet position. Especially when Mr.Dion was far more gifted and accredited to hold that position.
Before becoming a politician, Chrystia Freeland had lived and worked in Moscow as a journalist (Moscow bureau chief / Eastern European correspondent for the UK newspaper The Financial Times) and had been critical of the Russian government and of Vladimir Putin in particular. On top of that, her family history is as shady as a jungle, and the Polish government had long had an arrest warrant for her grandfather Michel Chomiak who collaborated with the Nazi Germans as a newspaper propagandist. With her background, Freeland was an “ideal” person to be Canadian Foreign Minister, trusted to do and say the “right” thing on Ukraine (that is, estranging the Ukrainians away from Russia and bringing them into the EU and NATO if possible, so that NATO missiles could be sited in areas only a few hundred kilometres away from major Russian cities) than someone with more intelligence, talent and actual diplomatic… Read more »
Thank you Jen. So basically shes’ an operative of the same clan that runs Bowler, et al. What Canadian politics needs right now is someone to purge the CBC, redact the Magnitsky act and open direct communication with Russia and China, making them full on partners. The people of Canada would benefit from this – instead what do they have ? Trade with UK, New Zealand and Australia in a country where over 55% of its economy revolves around the building (housing) sector, that is in part funded by Chinese ventures and real estate. With a vast arctic – exposing itself – it would be wise to reach out to Russia sooner than later. Who knows perhaps PetroCanada can start to do what it was intended to do decades ago. Perhaps Canada can grow balls and take a page out of Venezuela’s play book – instead of regurgitating the republican… Read more »
No chance of any of the above.
Our Zionist chums rule the roost in Canada even more than they do in their neighbour to the south.
Under most circumstances, I would have suggested that Freeland’s grandfather’s history had no bearing on her character, but that opinion is negated by the fact that she herself has falsified that history, claiming instead, that he had been active in resisting the Nazis. In my opinion, that false claim makes her grandfather’s Nazi connections highly relevant.
A small digression, but perhaps relevant to the theme of lying, is the fact that she has lied to the Canadian people, possibly the Prime Minister (unless he is in on the hoax) Parliament, and the Governor General, specifically with regard to article 233 of the Venezuelan constitution among other things, to bring us on board with the US’s murderous sanctions against Venezuela.
There is more to Mrs. Freeland. Her grandfather’s history is a misdirection, to deflect attention away from her current situation. Obviously her handlers could care less about his opportunistic actions.
I mean who was Bowlers grandfather ? Another actor.
They are all actors running both sides of the conflict they designed to make sure they get what they want while the peons believe the sad stories.
So the question begs – what does Mrs. Freeland really want and who does she work for? Its not the Canadian People from what I can read into it.
The Magnitsky psychop is yet another feeble attempt to attack Russia and justify illegal sanctions against it.
The problem with evidence is has three Es in it.. Reduce it a bit and rearrange, replace the two deleted Es with RU to get crud, Inc a very important corporation that everyone should know about. Now for your information crud, Inc. collects all the evidence needed for any law, and stashes it away for safe keeping. The 3 e evidence cannot be access until 400 years from the date of the original CRUD, INC. stash.
I vote you for the ‘comment of the day’ award.
“As staff director of a committee that McGovern co-chairs, Stanton should comply with his wishes. But her greater loyalty is to Browder. She refuses to provide information McGovern said he wanted sent to me to back up the claims in the Magnitsky Act. Alas, McGovern, may not be aware that she can’t, because this evidence does not exist, because the claims are a Browder fabrication. And either McGovern is complicit or his staff refuses to communicate this information to him.” Evidence? Proof? Pfft…. America don’t need no stinking evidence or proof for anything. America can lie and lie again without shame or conscience, whenever it wants to wage military, economic, or political warfare against a targeted nation in order to destabilize, balkanize, or destroy it–all the while self-righteously running its mouth about “human rights and democracy” around the world no less! Just see America’s big lies about non-existent Weapons of… Read more »
Can I respectfully propose a slight change to your nickname?
USAmad Bin Laden
Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, who has visited Pakistan, held separate meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Prime Minister Arif Alawi on Tuesday.
https://www.writenaregiven.com/2019/10/meetings-of-british-royal-couple-with-the-PM-Khan.html
I don’t know why so many of the commenters on this ílk of site have it so down on Bill Browder, a fine representative of western capitalist democracy. I know he’s a fine representative of western capitalist democracy because so many of western capitalist democracy’s most prestigious leaders and advocates, people like Obama, Soros, Blair and others, by whom he welcomed and with whom he associates freely, along with legions of dedicated Twitter followers, fawn on his every action. What are you all? A bunch of Putinesque commies?
Rob… Are you channeling CJ Hopkins? Everything seems upside down and back to front, you know; war is peace and all that. It gets very confusing at times… Sigh.
You obviously haven’t been repeating the mantra “War is Peace / Freedom is Slavery / Ignorance is Strength” often enough and long enough as part of your morning, midday, evening and midnight rituals. Beware, the Morality Police will soon be coming for you, you have been warned! 🙂
Ha ha…. True Jen. But hey, there’s way way too many people here in Oz that already do just that, helped along by our lovely…. free press; the purveyors of truth and democracy and lovely stuff like: “since 2014 the Kurds have fought alongside the USA in defeating the Islamic State in Syria…” as reported by ABC news presstitute Adam Harvey this morning.
Just like they airbrushed Russia out of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of WW2 in Poland, just like they continuously demonise Venezuela and Iran. But barely mention the absolute horror inflicted on Yemen.
Sick, aye. Thanx for your reply.
It’s called satire.
Just as fine a representative of Western capitalist democracy was Bill Browder’s accountant … er, lawyer who combined his work, whatever it was, with cooking. As Browder recognised and put to good use, Magnitsky’s specialty was cooking the books.
Now his current specialty is underground gardening and lending whatever remains of him to Browder to beat in front of credulous and shocked Western politicians whenever Russia isn’t being sanctioned hard enough or long enough.
Even the way Magnitsky died from medical neglect … er, being beaten by a horde of heavies in a tiny jail cell where (in Australian parlance) one can hardly swing a cat, continues to generate plenty of outrage on Browder’s part and no doubt keeps the attention (and maybe the money) swimming in his direction.
“…a tiny jail cell where (in Australian parlance) one can hardly swing a cat…”
British parlance. Various usages and etymologies–including yours–usually originating in the 17th and 18th centuries. Michael Quinion, q.v., concludes it was most like an outdoor game that involved animal cruelty.
As an aside, Michael Quinion’s “World Wide Words” anorak website was originally hosted in his son’s web space; one of the only two such that I know of, the other being “Rod Lovett’s Slide Rules” anorak website, which is still hosted in his son’s (I’ve been told, but it might be another relative’s) web space.
Good to see that the occasional person still adheres to the principles of journalism, namely requiring evidence to back up assertions.
No surprise that politicians do not practice evidence-based law making: the lobbying industry would go belly up if they did…
Copy&Paste, edited from BTL a Truther site:
“I’d just like to say thank God for your site. Trying to wade through the mainstream media garbage propaganda and lies is challenging even for those of us schooled in navigating through the B.S. I can come here and find the truth, or at least find the threads that lead to a clearer perception of reality. Thanks especially to indefatigable writers ATL, but also to all of you stalwarts (too many to name but you know who you are) who make this site special and indispensable. It is this fact the makes it a target of the enemy. Viva!”
https://youtu.be/qdA-ihI5vnI?t=5
https://youtu.be/DOx78CBq0Ck
Yes Browder is a fraudster and like all of his ilk is able to deliver the lies with a silken tongue oiled with cash – lots of it. And US senators love cash in sharp suits. The Magintsky fraud, for that’s what it is, is more than a hoax it’s is a deliberate act of deception. Carried out by an oligarch who defrauded the country he made his billions in [Russia]; and who now is using the US as a willing stooge for the continuance of his own nefarious purposes. He was born in America, but has a British passport, and the Hermitage Capital Fund was the most successful of the asset stripping organisations which emerged in Russia during the “Wild West” Yeltsin years. Tax dodging to boot was just part of the scam – as we know too well from other Globalist Oligarchs. All that said the Magintsky fraud… Read more »
In the 1990s, Russia was comprehensively looted by Jew oligarchs. They stole everything that wasn’t nailed down, and everything else that was nailed down. Oil, gas, minerals, everything. At one stage 7 Jew oligarchs, Berezovsky, Khordokovsky, Fridman, Abramovich and a couple of other Chosen Folk owned 70% of all the wealth of Russia. Previously selling 2nd hand Ladas, or plastic toys on market stalls, they became overnight owners of the whole of the oil industry, amongst other things, without having so much as ever having set eyes on an oil well. Through fraud, corruption, influence peddling, swindling and outright gangsterism. Browder, or whatever he calls himself presently, helped himself to a few billion, but he was strictly second division minor league stuff by comparison. The Evil Vlad spoiled their party, and Jews like Browder have hated him ever since. They always will. But of course it’s just a coincidence that… Read more »
Ah, but it must be true, because one of the big Washington wire pullers and fraudsters says so.
We don’t need no stinkin’ evidence!