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Fact Check

Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., represents Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

On March 23, 2019, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. was the featured speaker at a fundraiser for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The 4th Annual Valley Banquet was held at the Hilton Woodland Hills in California.

Rep. Omar made the following remarks, which made national headlines and the rounds on social media:

CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties

Claim

CAIR was founded after 9/11 in response to Muslim discrimination.

There are two elements that need to be examined in this claim review, the first being the date and second the reasoning behind the founding of the organization.

As it relates to the timeline, CAIR was founded in June 1994. The first case the group took on was in 1995, and involved the alleged discrimination of a Muslim employee who was denied the right to wear the hijab at work.

As it relates to the reasoning, some have claimed the group was at least in part founded in response to the action film True Lies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 1994 action film was condemned by Muslim groups for stereotyping Arabs as Villains.

It was released in July, a month after the official founding of CAIR.

The United Arab Emirates and others have accused CAIR of being an Islamist supremacist group pursuing an Islamist agenda, and claimed the group is connected to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In documents obtained by The Investigative Project as a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made a series of allegations surrounding CAIR.

  1. CAIR was founded by two members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s now-defunct “Palestine Committee” (PALCOM).
  2. The Palestine Committee (PALCOM) was created by the Muslim Brotherhood to advance Hamas’ political and financial agenda in the United States.
  3. Nihad Awad, who currently serves as executive director for CAIR, was one of those former committee members and a close associate of Hamas leader Moussa abu Marzook.

The case, which came to be known as the Holy Land Foundation, was ultimately dropped by the Obama Administration.

In early 2007, an article in The New York Times claimed “more than one [U.S. government official] described the standards used by critics to link CAIR to terrorism as akin to McCarthyism, essentially guilt by association.”

Yet, Fox News reported in 2009 that the FBI severed all formal outreach with CAIR, a direct result of their concern about CAIR’s ties to Hamas.

Nevertheless, the primary element of this claim is verifiably false and the supporting details surrounding the claim are at best in doubt.

False icon for fact check claim review rating

This rating indicates the primary claim reviewed is verifiably false, and peripheral or supporting relevant details can not be confirmed.

Learn more about the rating system used for PPD FactCheck here.

Sources

  1. The North American Muslim resource guide: Muslim community life in the United States and Canada. Mohamed Nimer, Taylor & Francis, 2002.
  2. Muslim minorities in the West: visible and invisible. Hadda, Yazbeck, and Smith, Jane I. p. 35, Rowman Altamira, 2002
  3. Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. Shaheen, Jack. 2001
  4. United States Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of the Immigration Court, p. 10. Dallas, Texas, 2010.
  5. Scrutiny Increases for a Group Advocating for Muslims in U.S.,The New York Times. March 14, 2007.
  6. FBI Cuts Ties With CAIR Following Terror Financing Trial Archived November 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, January 30, 2009.

Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said on March 23,

Economy

Key with business words and rig equipment graphic icons relative to the oil and gas industry. (Photo: PPD/AdobeStock/JEGAS RA)
Key with business words and rig equipment graphic icons relative to the oil and gas industry. (Photo: PPD/AdobeStock/JEGAS RA)

The Baker Hughes (BHI) North America Rig Count declined 5 rigs for the week ending April 12, as both the United States (US) and Canada declined.

Rig CountPriorActual
North America1093 1088 
U.S.1025 1022 
Gulf of Mexico22 23 
Canada68 66 

The U.S. rig count declined by 3 to 1022, and are now 22 rigs below the previous year.

Rigs classified as drilling for oil in the U.S. rose by 2 rigs to 833, and are still 18 rigs more than the prior year’s level. Rigs classified as drilling for gas fell by 5 to 194, which is 3 less than last year.

The rig count for Canada declined by 2 to 66, and remains 36 rigs below the previous year.

For Canada, rigs classified as drilling for oil fell another 4 to 18, and are now 23 fewer than one year ago. Rigs classified as drilling for gas were up by 2 to 53, which is 13 less than last year.

The Gulf of Mexico, while a subset of the U.S., is a separately counted component. It rose by 1 rigs to 23, which is 7 rigs higher than one year ago.

The Baker Hughes Rig Count tracks weekly changes in the number of active rigs classified as drilling for either oil or gas. Active rigs are essential for the exploration and development of oil and gas fields.

Rig Count Summary_041219Download

The Baker Hughes (BHI) North America Rig

Economy

Sentiment Index for Past 30 Months Posted Highest Levels Since 1997-2000

People count money at Macy's Herald Square store during the early opening of the Black Friday sales in the Manhattan borough of New York, November 26, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)
People count money at Macy’s Herald Square store during the early opening of the Black Friday sales in the Manhattan borough of New York, November 26, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The preliminary reading on consumer sentiment for April eased back slightly and missed the consensus forecast, though remains elevated. Last month, the prelim showed a decline only to see a beat in the final read.

Survey of ConsumersPriorConsensusRangeActual
Consumer Sentiment Index98.4 98.0 96.0  to 99.5 96.9 
Current Economic Conditions113.3NANA114.2
Index of Consumer Expectations88.8NANA85.8

The Current Economic Conditions Index dipped slightly from 114.2 in March to 113.3 in April, while the Index of Consumer Expectations lost 3 points to 85.8.

“Consumer confidence continued its sideways shuffle in early April, posting an insignificant decline following the small gain recorded last month,” Richard Curtain, chief economist for the Survey of Consumers said.

“Overall, the level of the Sentiment Index during the past 30 months was higher than any other time since 1997 to 2000.”

That was the final phase of the record 10-year expansion; “a record that will be soon overtaken by the current expansion,” Mr. Curtain added.

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The preliminary reading on consumer sentiment for

Companies

Chevron Corporation (^CVX)
Chevron Corporation (^CVX), the second largest U.S.-based multinational energy company.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has agreed to purchase Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC), in a hybrid cash and stock deal that valued at roughly $35 billion. That’s nearly a 40% premium to Anadarko’s closing price on Thursday.

“This transaction builds strength on strength for Chevron,” said Chevron’s Chairman and CEO Michael Wirth. “The combination of Anadarko’s premier, high-quality assets with our advantaged portfolio strengthens our leading position in the Permian, builds on our deepwater Gulf of Mexico capabilities and will grow our LNG business.”

Anadarko, with its’ diversified global reach including natural gas, fracking and deep water drilling, has been long rumored as an acquisition target, although such talk became much less pervasive after the sharp decline in oil prices in 2015 and the resulting global malaise in in commodity and natural resource pricing.

“The strategic combination of Chevron and Anadarko will form a stronger and better company with world-class assets, people and opportunities,” said Anadarko Chairman and CEO Al Walker. “I have tremendous respect for Mike and his leadership team and believe Chevron’s strategy, scale and operational capabilities will further accelerate the value of Anadarko’s assets.”

Chevron, the second largest U. S.-based multinational energy company, and member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI), will pay Anadarko shareholders 0.3869 shares of Chevron stock and $16.25 for each share of stock in Anadarko Petroleum.

To complete the transaction, Chevron will increase their shares outstanding roughly +10% by issuing 200 million new shares, and pay close to $8 billion in cash.

Upon completion of the acquisition, Chevron expects to strengthen its competitive position in three areas critical for future growth in the international energy business.

“It creates attractive growth opportunities in areas that play to Chevron’s operational strengths and underscores our commitment to short-cycle, higher-return investments,” Mr. Wirth added. “This transaction will unlock significant value for shareholders, generating anticipated annual run-rate synergies of approximately $2 billion and will be accretive to free cash flow and earnings one year after close.”

Chevron Corporation (^CVX) has agreed to purchase

Economy

Import, Export, Logistics concept - Map global partner connection of Container Cargo freight ship for Logistic Import Export background (Photo: AdobeStock/Elements of this image furnished by NASA)
Import, Export, Logistics concept – Map global partner connection of Container Cargo freight ship for Logistic Import Export background (Photo: AdobeStock/Elements of this image furnished by NASA)

U.S. import prices and export prices rose by 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. This is the second straight month U.S. export prices have risen by 0.7%.

The consensus forecast for imports was looking for a 0.4% gain, ranging from a low of 0.3% to a high of 0.6%. The consensus forecast for exports was looking for a 0.3% gain, ranging from a low of 0.1% to a high of 0.3%.

PriorRevisedConsensusRangeActual
Import Prices – M/M0.6%1.0%0.4%0.3% — 0.6%0.6%
Export Prices – M/M0.6%0.7%0.3%0.1% — 0.3%0.7%
Import Prices – Y/Y-1.3%-0.8%-0.6%-1.0% — -0.4%0.0%
Export Prices – Y/Y0.3 %0.3 %0.6 %

Imports

Prices for U.S. imports have advanced by 1.7% in the first 3 months of 2019. The increase for the 3 months ended in March was the largest 3-month rise since the index rose 1.9% between October 2017 and January 2018.

The import price index recorded no change over the past 12 months.

Exports

Prices for U.S. imports advanced 0.7% the previous month after declining 0.6% in January and December. Prices for nonagricultural and agricultural exports each contributed to the total gain in March.

U.S. export prices rose 0.6 percent over the past 12 months.

U.S. import prices and export prices rose

Politics

Tlaib Says Critics of Her “Sister” Are “Just Pure Racist”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., defended Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for making controversial comments on 9/11, insisting “she does speak truth.”

In an interview on MSNBC with NBC News’ Hallie Jackson, which was clipped by the Republican National Committee (RNC), Rep. Tlaib said those criticizing her “sister” Rep. Omar’s speech are taking “it out of context” and “this is just pure racist.”

During a recent keynote speech at a fundraiser in late March for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Rep. Omar urged Muslim Americans to “raise hell” and “make people uncomfortable.”

“CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties,” she said.

Her comments, which just recently surfaced on Twitter, sparked renewed outraged. Hundreds of protestors showed up at the venue at the time in a pro-Israel demonstration for Rep. Omar’s prior comments that many have perceived to be anti-Semitic.

For the record, CAIR was not founded in reaction to ant-Muslim backlash after 9/11, a reference to the Islamic terror attacks on September 11, 2001, which claimed the lives of 2,996 people and injured more than 6,000.

As People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) previously reported, CAIR bills itself and is portrayed as a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. But it was founded in June 1994 by two members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s now-defunct “Palestine Committee”.

The Palestine Committee was created by the Brotherhood to advance Hamas’ political and financial agenda in the United States. Nihad Awad was one of those former committee members.

He recently met with Rep. Tlaib in her office to water down a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism in response to prior remarks made by Rep. Omar. He currently serves as executive director for CAIR.

According to federal investigators, he was a close associate of Hamas leader Moussa abu Marzook.

Representatives Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., left, Ilhan Omar, D.Minn., right.
Representatives Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., left, Ilhan Omar, D.Minn., right.

HALLIE JACKSON: I know there’s something else that has been on your mind and a lot of folks’ minds, and that is some comments and some backlash now to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, after some comments surfaced this week in which and I want to play it, she said something about the 9/11 attacks. I want to talk about your reaction to the backlash and your reaction to the comment in two pieces. So here is that remark, Congresswoman.

REP. ILHAN OMAR (CLIP): CAIR was founded after 9/11, because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.

HALLIE JACKSON: And it’s that phrase, some people did something, that is being picked up on by some of the Congresswoman’s critics, including for example, the cover of the New York Post, which I’ll ask you about in a second. But on these remarks themselves, some people did something as a reference to 9/11, do you think she should have rethought her words? Do you worry about the appropriateness of that?

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB: They do this all the time to us, especially women of color, they do that, they take our words out of context because they’re afraid, because we speak truth, we speak truth to power. My sister Ilhan Omar, what she was talking about was up lifting people by supporting their civil liberties and civil rights. She has always, always condemned any kind of strategy, especially of a person that is directly impacted by being a refugee herself. She sees what terrorism can do, she sees what violence can do to a whole country, to a whole people. Taking it out of context, this is just pure racist act by many of those, hateful acts, by those because she does speak truth, when it talks about different issues that they don’t disagree with and I’m really outraged.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., defended Rep. Ilhan

Politics

Washington, D.C. — Greg Craig, former White House Counsel to Barack Obama, has been indicted by a grand jury in the District of Columbia for concealing material information about his activities on behalf of Ukraine.

The case resulted from the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller III, and surrounds lobbying work dating back to 2012 on behalf of the Russian-backed president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych.

Mr. Craig, 74, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for willfully falsifying and concealing material facts from the FARA Unit, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(1), and for making false and misleading statements to the FARA Unit, in violation Title 22, United States Code, Section 618(a)(2).

At the time, Mr. Craig was a partner at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He stepped down from the firm last year without explanation, and the firm settled with the Justice Department (DOJ) in an agreement to avoid prosecution in exchange for registering under FARA and paying about $4.6 million.

If convicted, Mr. Craig faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, and five years and a $10,000 fine, respectively. His attorneys on Wednesday had said an indictment was imminent.

“Mr. Craig is not guilty of any charge and the government’s stubborn insistence on prosecuting Mr. Craig is a misguided abuse of prosecutorial discretion,” William W. Taylor III and William J. Murphy of the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder said in a statement.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) was passed in 1938 and requires agents representing the interests of foreign powers in a “political or quasi-political capacity” to disclose their relationship with the foreign government and information about related activities and finances.

FARA violations have been largely ignored historically, and only came to the forefront when Mr. Mueller took aim at Paul Manafort, who worked as a delegate hunter for Donald Trump for roughly three months in 2016.

As Peoples’s Pundit Daily (PPD) first reported in an October 2017 bombshell, prosecutors for Special Counsel Mueller probed witnesses about the role The Podesta Group played in advancing Russian interests at the State Department under Hillary Clinton. The questions clearly pertained to potential FARA violations.

The then-most powerful liberal lobbying firm–which was founded by Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and his brother Tony–at the very least worked on a public relations campaign for the non-profit European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU), which aimed to promote the image of the then-Russian satellite regime.

Neither Tony Podesta nor anyone else from The Podesta Group were charged by Special Counsel Mueller. However, once under the gun, the firm’s clients began to cut and run, and Tony was replaced.

Gregory-Craig-Indictment-April-2019Download

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Greg Craig, White House Counsel to Barack

Politics

New York Indictment for Nike Extortion Case Carries 47 Years for Avenatti

Michael Avenatti after a federal bankruptcy court judge in Southern California ordered him to pay $10 million to a former colleague who claims the firm misstated its profits.
Michael Avenatti after a federal bankruptcy court judge in Southern California ordered him to pay $10 million to a former colleague who claims the firm misstated its profits.

Michael Avenatti faces 335 years in prison after a federal grand jury in Santa Ana returned a 36-count indictment against him.

The 48-year old Los Angeles lawyer–a political and legal enemy of the president, who just recently enjoyed the status of media darling–was once considered a potential candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Now he has been charged with perjury, fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement and a series of other financial crimes.

In an indictment prosecutors will make public Thursday, the grand jury alleges Mr. Avenatti stole millions of dollars from five clients, and attempted to use shell companies and bank accounts to cover it up.

He defended himself on Twitter after the story broke.

“For 20 years, I have represented Davids vs. Goliaths and relied on due process and our system of justice,” he tweeted. “Along the way, I have made many powerful enemies.”

“I am entitled to a FULL presumption of innocence and am confident that justice will be done once ALL of the facts are known.”

https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1116334394132664321

On the presumption of innocence, Mr. Avenatti and his client Julie Swetnick were both referred for criminal prosecution for making false accusations of sexual assault against Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing.

Nevertheless, one of the clients in the indictment was a mentally ill paraplegic on disability named Geoffrey Ernest Johnson, who was awarded $4-million in a lawsuit against Los Angeles County.

The LA Times reported the indictment alleges the money was wired to Mr. Avenatti in January 2015, but he concealed the transfer from Mr. Johnson for years. He took to Twitter to address the allegation directly.

https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1116388711355129862

But prosecutors allege the $4 million–which was spent in five months–was funneled through various bank accounts before landing at GB Autosport, LLC, the company managing his race-car team, and his Seattle coffee company Global Baristas U.S.

In 2017, Mr. Avenatti also received $2.75 million from another client’s legal settlement, but according to the indictment concealed that too. Prosectors say the very next day he put $2.5 million behind the purchase of a private jet for Passport 420, LLC, a company he effectively owned.

“We intend to fully investigate the charges and provide Mr. Avenatti the robust defense he deserves,” John Littrell, who is defending Mr. Avenatti said in a statement to the LA Times.

Another indictment against Mr. Avenatti is expected soon in a separate federal case in New York. If convicted on charges of trying to extort more than $20 million from Nike, he faces up to 47 more years in federal prison.

“I intend to fully fight all charges and plead NOT GUILTY,” he wrote in another tweet following the indictment in California. “I look forward to the entire truth being known as opposed to a one-sided version meant to sideline me.”

https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1116345651489435650

Mr. Avenatti was initially charged with bank and wire fraud after he allegedly submitted false tax returns and financial statements to Peoples Bank of Mississippi to secure more than $4.1 million in business loans.

But further charges were brought as a result of a search warrant executed by federal agents the day of his arrest. It pertained to his apartment in Century City, his law office in Echo Park and the home of Judy Regnier in Yorba Linda.

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Michael Avenatti faces 335 years in prison

Politics

DOJ Officially Announced Indictment Following Arrest in United Kingdom

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange imposed over a graphic concept for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). (Photo: AdobeStock/PPD)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange imposed over a graphic concept for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). (Photo: AdobeStock/PPD)

The U.S. Justice Department announced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been indicted on conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer.

Mr. Assange, 47, had been effectively imprisoned in the Ecuadorian Embassy for more than 6 years in an effort to avoid extradition. He was arrested today in the United Kingdom (UK) pursuant to the U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty.

The arrest came after he was expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Ecuador President Lenín Moreno claimed his government withdrew asylum status for Mr. Assange due to “repeated violations of international conventions and daily-life protocols.” It came almost seven years after he sought refuge.

Police in London said in a statement the justification for the arrest was a court warrant dating back to 2012. At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Judge Michael Snow quickly ruled Mr. Assange was guilty of breaching bail.

According to court documents unsealed Thursday and viewable below, the charge dated March 6 2018 involves his alleged role in what DOJ called “one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States.”

As People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) previously reported, a sealed court filing for an unrelated case indicated the U.S. had charged the WikiLeaks founder. However, they denied the report at the time, though we refused to retract it based on multiple sources that have now been proven accurate.

The U.S. has sought to prosecute Mr. Assange for publishing a video the anti-secrecy group described as “depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad — including two Reuters news staff.”

The secret video footage shows a U.S. air crew laughing at the dead after launching an air strike that killed a dozen people, including two Iraqis working for Reuters news agency. The U.S. falsely claimed they had encountered a firefight in Baghdad.

Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. army analyst who was imprisoned for seven years for disclosures to WikiLeaks, was recently arrested again after refusing to testify against WikiLeaks before a federal grand jury.

The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Mr. Assange engaged in a conspiracy with the former intelligence analyst and assisted in the cracking a password stored on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet).

SIPRNet is a U.S. government network used for classified documents and communications. The government alleges the two engaged in real-time conversations, during which the WikiLeaks founder encouraged the former analyst.

In one exchange, then-Private Manning told Mr. Assange that “after this upload, that’s all I really have got left,” to which Mr. Assange replied, “curious eyes never run dry in my experience.”

The extradition will be handled by the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs. Mr. Assange faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted.

Julian Assange IndictmentDownload

The U.S. Justice Department announced WikiLeaks founder

Economy

Producer Price Index (PPI) graphic concept. (Photo: AdobeStock)
Producer Price Index (PPI) graphic concept. (Photo: AdobeStock)

The Producer Price Index (PPI) came gained 0.6% in March seasonally adjusted (SA) after rising 0.1% in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The PPI in March beat the forecast range. The consensus forecast was looking for a gain of 0.4%, ranging from a low of 0.2% to a high of 0.5%.

PriorConsensusRangeActual
PPI-FD – M/M0.1%0.4%0.2% – 0.5%0.6%
PPI-FD – Y/Y1.9%1.9%1.9% – 2.1%2.2%
PPI-FD less food & energy – M/M0.1%0.2%0.1% to 0.3%0.3%
PPI-FD less food & energy – Y/Y2.5%2.5%2.0% – 2.7%2.4%
PPI-FD less food, energy & trade services – M/M0.1%0.2%0.2% – 0.2%0.0%
PPI-FD less food, energy & trade services – Y/Y2.3%2.0%

Final demand prices ticked up 0.1% in February and down 0.1% in January. On an unadjusted basis, the final demand index rose 2.2% for the 12 months ended in March, the largest 12-month rise since a 2.5-% gain in December 2018.

In March, more than 60% of the total gain in the PPI for final demand can be attributed to the 1.0% gain in prices for final demand goods. The index for final demand services moved up 0.3%.

The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services was unchanged in March following a 0.1% increase in February. For the 12 months ended in March, prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services rose 2.0%.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) came gained

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