Whether any Trump administration officials or advisers to the president were involved in the operations, even tacitly, is unclear. Mr. Currently, Prince leads a Hong Kong-based firm providing security, logistics, insurance and infrastructure services in parts of Africa and other high-conflict areas. And Las Vegas was the - you could almost say it was the pinnacle, the apex of their operation. This is when there was the special Senate election in Alabama, right? An attorney for The Intercept reportedly told Princes lawyer in the spring the piece was one in a series of planned articles concerning Mr. Princes activities, though it has not published any further pieces to date. Citing his ties to the state, his attorneys opted to file Princes defamation case against The Intercept in Wyomings U.S. District Court in May. You know, I've covered politics for a long time myself, mostly at the state and local level. 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. Their attorneys wrote that the story did not focus its efforts on or in Wyoming, nor would it have any reason to do so . Several of them confirmed their donations. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross, who's off this week. Mr. Seddons role in the teachers union operation detailed in internal Project Veritas emails that have emerged from the discovery process of a court battle between the group and the union has not previously been reported, nor has Mr. Princes role in recruiting Mr. Seddon for the groups activities. That was certainly a catalyst. Presiding Judge Johnson, who is based in Cheyenne, has himself signaled some uncertainty about whether Wyoming is the right place for Princes case to be heard; in early November, Johnson asked the parties to submit additional briefs on either transferring the case to another district or delving further into the issues related to jurisdiction. As the founder of Blackwater USA, now Academi, a private military company, Prince headed the organization. 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. And then I started Googling them and doing some research on them. He's proposed similar things in other countries, hasn't he? I don't know. DAVIES: What are Erik Prince's contacts or associations with Donald Trump and the Trump family? DAVIES: Right - Erik Prince, the security contractor who we'll talk more about. And so these people were brought on to help manage these many, many, many, many operations. zoneId = '3'; According to Prince, the tech adviser determined that the emails were not authentic.. And, you know, we've talked to people who have given to them, including people who gave smaller donations - right? This is FRESH AIR. Last year, the group received a $1 million contribution made through the law firm Alston & Bird, a financial document obtained by The New York Times showed. Did it expand their operations? contractor who is best known as the founder of the private military firm Blackwater and whose sister, Betsy DeVos, was Mr. Trumps education secretary has drawn scrutiny over the years for Blackwaters record of violence around the world and his subsequent ventures training and arming foreign forces. Oct. 21, 2020. GOLDMAN: It's my understanding that they met during a training at the Prince ranch in Wyoming in the spring of '17 and then grew closer over time. And I think the end goal was make a video and, if necessary, try to get the White House to fire McMaster. I mean, this is - you know, he no doubt sees them as a conservative ally, like other conservative networks. You know, they targeted the teachers unions. DAVIES: He was at a meeting in the Seychelles, the islands in the Indian Ocean, January of 2017. 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 . Cole pointed to various records, including a campaign finance document from earlier this year, in which Prince listed his address as being in Virginia. So flesh out the picture a bit. He is married to an American diplomat, Alice Seddon, who is serving in the American consulate in Lagos, Nigeria. But he was extremely wealthy conservative in Wyoming named Foster Friess, who had actually run for governor in '18. 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. McMaster. DAVIES: Wow. Mr. Seddon was not. You know, and each time, you know, money is wired in furtherance of that crime, you know, that's also - that could be a possible count of mail fraud. Connor Wroe Southard. A local farmer was utilizing the land to grow corn and soybean crops, but the potential for the ranch was far from being realized. The year after the sting, Democracy Partners sued Project Veritas, and its lawyers have since deposed Mr. OKeefe. They need some spy training and covert military, paramilitary training at his ranch. Prince, Mr. Seddon and other topics, but he called his group a proud independent news organization that is involved in dozens of investigations. [I] was a Wyoming resident for many years,, That same day Oct. 9, 2017 Prince obtained a Wyomings drivers license, which he touted, In early 2017, Prince reportedly welcomed James OKeefe and others from the conservative group Project Veritas, which describes itself as an army of guerrilla journalists. That February, OKeefe tweeted an image of himself taking aim with a silenced handgun amid snowy mountains, saying the team was undergoing intense training from a classified location as we make Project Veritas the next great intelligence agency. The Intercept ultimately, Other outlets, however, have continued writing about the contractor. And they will attend their rival's news conferences, public events and gather information. DAVIES: Let me reintroduce you again. Prince said he thought hed registered to vote when hed obtained a Wyoming drivers license in October 2017. 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. DAVIES: Now, one of the more well-known operations - because, well, you reported on this - was an effort to embarrass Trump's national security adviser, H.R. Mr. OKeefe earned about $387,000. officer who went on to win an important House seat in Virginia as a Democrat. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. And, you know, they targeted somebody from the State Department, and they targeted somebody from GAO. DAVIES: Right. Emails sent to Mr. Seddon went unanswered. 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. James OKeefe, the head of Project Veritas, declined to answer detailed questions about Mr. You know, there seemed to be - what it showed was, you know, Prince is well-traveled and is always looking for business opportunities. For example, a 2017 meeting he attended with a crown prince of the United Arab Emirates and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin became a part of the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, whom he has served as informal adviser. And this was not - you know, James O'Keefe has said Project Veritas was unaware of this, and they adamantly deny knowing anything about this. And Prince comes up in the special council report - Robert Mueller's report. Princes attorneys responded that, if the judge has any doubts about Wyoming being the appropriate venue for the case, they should be allowed to learn the identity of The Intercepts confidential sources. The whole thing was completely - was really weird. AFT Michigan sued Project Veritas in federal court, alleging trespassing, eavesdropping and other offenses. 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. They used a code name LibertyU for their operative inside the organization, Marisa Jorge, who graduated from Liberty University in Virginia, one of the nations largest Christian colleges. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneId+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); Prince submitted his own declaration to presiding U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson in September, disputing The Intercepts reporting and laying out some of his bona fides as a Wyomingite. But what we know is there was an arrangement made, and Erik Prince allowed Project Veritas to use his farm to train its operatives. So Erik Prince, the private security contractor who is an ally and avid supporter of President Trump, connects with Project Veritas, who does these videos, and then they develop this whole different operation. The documents give new details about efforts to manipulate the politics of Wyoming. DAVIES: Right. Park County records show he also skipped Augusts primary election, but Prince said he had intended to vote in Wyoming this year. Prince said he learned he wasnt registered when I went to cast my early vote for the general election in late September. Neither party wants to be, you know, exposed to this kind of spycraft - right? Erik Prince, a Park County resident and founder of the controversial private military firm Blackwater, is suing a national news organization in federal court in Wyoming after it published an. And there was, you know, another individual from the Emirates who was there. O'Keefe writes about it in his book. 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. GOLDMAN: Yeah. Back in December, county commissioners approved a rezoning request for a multi-billionaire to develop an exclusive guest ranch in the southernmost part of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Wyoming is not the place for security contractor Erik Prince to sue a New York-based publication, a federal judge says. GOLDMAN: It's not clear they're actually being trained in firearms training. He passed away recently. Between 1992 and 2001, Prince often listed Park County as his home, consistent with his voting records. 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. And then Mark Mazzetti, you know, my colleague, who just is an extraordinary journalist, we - you know, we managed to suss out what was going - we think - to a great degree what was going on in Wyoming and these other states. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. There was eventually litigation about that, wasn't there? On Sept. 30, Prince personally visited the Park County Elections Office, registered and cast a general election ballot, according to the clerks office. And her picture wasn't her name GOLDMAN: It was a fake name, Maria. In 2010, Mr. O Keefe and three others pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor after admitting they entered a government building in New Orleans under false pretenses as part of a sting. And this photo of James O'Keefe, who's, you know, the founder of Project Veritas, firing a weapon with a silencer, apparently, at Erik Prince's ranch - were they being trained in firearms there? And GOLDMAN: Involving Roy Moore - exactly. 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. You know, there was one exercise, I believe, where they had a cop - you know, a local cop who was there. And I certainly don't think he thought he was going to get dragged into this. Prince said he wanted the Project Veritas employees to learn skills like how to recruit sources and how to conduct clandestine recordings, among other surveillance techniques. She was involved in that. DAVIES: Coming up, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new songs by veteran artist Tom Jones, Jackson Browne and John Mayer. And they said, well, you know, she worked for Project Veritas. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); Both Project Veritas and Mr. "Somebody who had his calendar conveyed to me that he goes to Tosca all the time," she said, and she passed the information on to a man she believed to be a Project Veritas operative with a fake name. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. For his part, Prince swears he never met with anyone from Wagner Group a denial The Intercept included in its reporting. 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. GOLDMAN: Well, as we started reporting on Erik Prince and Richard Seddon, I became deeply interested in learning who, in fact, was working for this organization. Mr. Seddon regularly updated Mr. OKeefe about the operation against the Michigan teachers union, according to internal Project Veritas emails, where the language of the groups leaders is marbled with spy jargon. If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here. Prince turned to Mr. Seddon to help train the Project Veritas operatives. Of course. And by the way, as we began reporting this, we started learning more about Beau's connection to people. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. Remind us who he is. You'd have to ask Mr. O'Keefe. But before the parties get to the lawsuits merits, The Intercept is contending, among other arguments, that Wyoming is not the right place for the case to be heard. GOLDMAN: These were videos - you can find them on Project Veritas', you know, website or on YouTube now. But (laughter) this seemed to be the training out in Wyoming. GOLDMAN: You know, individuals - we're not exactly sure who was behind this effort - but it's clear that they believe that, you know, H.R. These two are conservatives, right? 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. While he has not been actively involved in Wyoming politics specifically, Prince comes from a political family he is the brother of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and is an active political donor. And, yeah, people steal lawn signs. The teachers union is asking for more than $3 million in damages, accusing the group of being a vigilante organization which claims to be dedicated to exposing corruption. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR, and our guest is Adam Goldman. DAVIES: Right. Prince had hired a former MI6 officer to help train the Project Veritas operatives, The Intercept wrote, but it did not identify the officer. And they admitted doing, you know - engaging in political activity while working for these government institutions, which Project Veritas asserted was, you know, wrong or even, you know - I can't remember if they said it was illegal or not. His uncle is the conservative commentator Glenn Beck. He worked with the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn during the presidential transition. I knew something was off immediately. Do we know? And they received what was essentially clandestine training at a ranch in Wyoming that's owned by the family of Erik Prince. Last week, our guest, reporter Adam Goldman, co-authored a story about a couple who ingratiated themselves with Democrats in Wyoming, often making substantial political contributions to ensure their access to valuable information. And then he stays on working for a Project Veritas till roughly June of '18. Beau picks up - starts working this marijuana legalization angle to try to make contacts with people - elected officials who are, in fact, pushing this bill to legalize marijuana. And, you know, Seddon was out at the farm. 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. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Of course, everybody's familiar with Watergate, right? And as I was reporting this, somebody said, well, you know, her picture, you know, she's on that website. Now, this couple weren't really the committed Democrats they presented themselves as, right? And they targeted a reporter, a Washington - a very good Washington Post reporter named Stephanie McCrummen, who - they picked up on it very, very, very quickly GOLDMAN: And figured out that this woman was not who she said she was. That got a lot of attention, was investigated by Robert Mueller. The Intercept, however, has stood behind its reporting and has described the suit as an improper attempt to learn the identity of its sources. And, you know, there were a whole range of people they went after. And his supporters have vilified us. GOLDMAN: Yeah, and the Justice Department prosecuted a number of individuals. Prince is under investigation by the Justice Department over whether he lied to a congressional committee examining Russian interference in the 2016 election, and for possible violations of American export laws. The list included John Cox, then the director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, and Scott Talbott, then the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Later that year, Mr. With @Project_Veritas's special training, we will be the next great intelligence agency. He said that he did not think so. GOLDMAN: Yeah. Mark Gordon, who was viewed as a RINO in some Wyoming conservative circles. These were videos of - you know, in one case, Democrats or people working for the government who were - you know, it seemed like they were slow rolling the president's agenda or trying to thwart it or using - they were part of, you know, the DSA, the Democratic Socialists of America. It's not clear to us why Prince decided to help Project Veritas. var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999); Reached by phone, Ms. Halverson said: Frankly, I have nothing to say on the subject. She then hung up. Let me reintroduce you. 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