Aaron Schaffer
@aaronschaffer.com
news researcher doing OSINT things and more at @washingtonpost.com. signal: aaronschaffer.01 https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/aaron-schaffer/
operation ozone GOTY
November 26, 2025 at 7:22 PM
operation ozone GOTY
It is not clear what Burkman and Wohl did for Schwartz. Here's what the White House said: wapo.st/4igndux
![A White House official, asked whether Trump or others in the White House or Justice Department had met with either of the lobbyists, responded in a statement: “No one from White House Counsel nor [White House pardon czar] Alice Johnson met with the individuals named. Either way, the President is the final decision-maker on all pardons, and any one spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting funds.” The Justice Department, which has an office that handles pardon requests, referred questions to the White House.
The White House defended the rationale for the pardon in a separate statement. It said Schwartz relied on a third party for the payments at issue. “Mr. Schwartz failed to properly oversee that some funding was used for company operations instead of taxes. No funds were used for personal enrichment and Mr. Schwartz immediately paid $5 million dollars in restitution. Prosecutors initially recommended probation, but the Judge insisted on a sentence of three years — a sentence that is exceptionally harmful to a 65-year-old man already in deteriorating health.”
The statement did not address the fact that it was a prosecutor from Habba’s office who at an April hearing recommended a sentence of a year and a day, or at least something in a range of six to 18 months, according to a court transcript.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z5n7qfautgri3dgvd5222pig/bafkreibmgznk4dmhboa2zzongzgqhkardmycowjb3shzcv7ywg755dug5e@jpeg)
November 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM
It is not clear what Burkman and Wohl did for Schwartz. Here's what the White House said: wapo.st/4igndux
Wohl and Burkman are themselves convicted criminals: they were convicted of telecommunications fraud in Ohio in connection with a robocall scheme designed to deter the turnout of minority voters. And next month they face sentencing in Michigan for a similar robocall case. wapo.st/4igndux
The case of a felon who paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to seek a Trump pardon
Nursing home magnate Joseph Schwartz was sentenced in April to three years for defrauding the government of $38 million. Seven months later, Trump pardoned him, but the White House denies a lobbying t...
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Wohl and Burkman are themselves convicted criminals: they were convicted of telecommunications fraud in Ohio in connection with a robocall scheme designed to deter the turnout of minority voters. And next month they face sentencing in Michigan for a similar robocall case. wapo.st/4igndux
"Instead, the Coast Guard will classify the Nazi-era insignia as “potentially divisive” under its new guidelines." New policy also "downgrades the definition of nooses and the Confederate flag, though display of the latter remains banned" wapo.st/3Mbd9a6
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
wapo.st
November 20, 2025 at 6:40 PM
"Instead, the Coast Guard will classify the Nazi-era insignia as “potentially divisive” under its new guidelines." New policy also "downgrades the definition of nooses and the Confederate flag, though display of the latter remains banned" wapo.st/3Mbd9a6
UPDATE: In statement, Plaskett’s office acknowledges that she received messages from Jeffrey Epstein during the hearing. wapo.st/4nVTnfY
![A screenshot from the story that says the following:
Reached by phone Thursday, Plaskett declined to answer questions about the text messages and directed all inquiries to her congressional staff. Plaskett’s chief of staff, Angeline Jabbar, said Thursday she was “not in a position to confirm or not” whether the congresswoman was texting with Epstein at the hearing. She did not respond to follow-up questions Friday afternoon.
After the story published Friday evening, Plaskett’s office issued a statement.
“During the hearing, Congresswoman Plasket[t] received texts from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein,” the statement read. “As a former prosecutor she welcomes information that helps her get at the truth and took on the GOP that was trying to bury the truth. The congresswoman has previously made clear her long record combating sexual assault and human trafficking, her disgust over Epstein’s deviant behavior and her support for his victims.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z5n7qfautgri3dgvd5222pig/bafkreib6ulmkf64ts2pcyaqimh3tob23rmfkmv463vnmy2nrgvrguny5ka@jpeg)
November 15, 2025 at 1:27 AM
UPDATE: In statement, Plaskett’s office acknowledges that she received messages from Jeffrey Epstein during the hearing. wapo.st/4nVTnfY
Here's the video, synced to show Del. Stacey Plaskett during the hearing and the messages: www.washingtonpost.com/video/politi...
Jeffrey Epstein appeared to text with a member of Congress during Michael Cohen's 2019 hearing
Newly released documents appear to show convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein texting with Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) during a 2019 hearing with President Donald Trump's former attorney ...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Here's the video, synced to show Del. Stacey Plaskett during the hearing and the messages: www.washingtonpost.com/video/politi...
