FBI Confidential Informant in Uranium One Case Cleared to Testify Before Congress

The Justice Department (DOJ) late Wednesday cleared a confidential informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to testify before Congress on Uranium One. The decision lifts an unprecedented non-disclosure agreement, allowing him to testify about what he witnessed undercover surrounding Russia’s efforts to corner the global uranium market.

John Solomon published a bombshell report revealing the FBI uncovered a massive bribery, corruption and racketeering scheme before the Obama Administration approved a nuclear deal that would put 20% of U.S. uranium resources under the control of Moscow. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which approved the deal, was led by Hillary Clinton during her tenure as the secretary of state.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores confirmed a deal had been reached clearing the informant to testify before Congress roughly 8 years after he first went undercover for the FBI.

“As of tonight, the Department of Justice has authorized the informant to disclose to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as one member of each of their staffs, any information or documents he has concerning alleged corruption or bribery involving transactions in the uranium market, including but not limited to anything related to Vadim Mikerin, Rosatom, Tenex, Uranium One, or the Clinton Foundation,” Ms. Flores said.

Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling for a special counsel to investigate the controversial Obama-Clinton era deal. While his committee has launched a probe as well, only the powers granted to a federal prosecutor can get to the bottom of what appears to be a clear cut Clinton quid pro quo.

“Whoever in DOJ is capable w authority to appoint a special counsel shld do so to investigate Uranium One ‘whoever’ means if u aren’t recused,” Chairman Grassley tweeted.

A Russian bank pushing the Uranium One deal paid former President Bill Clinton roughly $500,000 in 2010 for a speaking fee, while all of the board members from Rosatom donated to the Clinton Foundation, bringing the total upwards of $100 million.

The FBI documents show Vadim Mikerin, the director of Rosatom’s Tenex in Moscow, was engaged in illegal activity as early as the fall of 2009.

“As part of the scheme, Mikerin, with the consent of higher level officials at TENEX and Rosatom (both Russian state-owned entities) would offer no-bid contracts to US businesses in exchange for kickbacks in the form of money payments made to some offshore banks accounts,” Agent David Gadren testified. “Mikerin apparently then shared the proceeds with other co-conspirators associated with TENEX in Russia and elsewhere.”

However, the Obama Administration still allowed him to enter the country with a L1 temporary work visa in December 2011.

At the time, the FBI had gathered substantial evidence against him and the Russian plot to corner the global uranium market. Worth noting, the Uranium One deal did not permit the exporting of the material out of the U.S., but unknown quantities have been exported to unknown nations and parties.