She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. His uncle is the conservative commentator Glenn Beck. You know, they were always - you know, always on the lookout for connections they could make. Erik Prince, founder of private security contractor Blackwater and brother of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, recruited a former British spy in 2016 to professionalize the undercover operatives at Project Veritas, the conservative sting video shop run by James O'Keefe, The New York Times reports, citing documents and people involved in the subsequent operations to discredit perceived "deep state" enemies of former President Donald Trump inside the U.S. government. There were steps taken to advance this plan, but in the end, it didn't happen because McMaster was fired. var width = jQuery(window).width(); The two men had known each other since Mr. Princes days running Blackwater, and shared an affinity for guns and the American West. Fast-forward to 2007, and Erik Prince was living in McLean, Virginia, and spending time on his Middleburg property, Blackwater Ranch, designed as a family retreat just as his parent's home in Cody had been originally. He added, With Trump getting 70 percent of the vote, it shows how the Democrats have been able to control our elections with putting on a Republican coat., Mr. Gordon took office in January 2019. And it's a fascinating story. Mr. Seddon owns a cabin that he keeps stocked with guns, food and other supplies as preparation for a cataclysmic event in the United States. Of course. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. And they start trying to make inroads in the Wyoming Democratic Party. One of the documents indicates that Marti Halverson, a former Wyoming state lawmaker, provided a list of people for the operatives to target. GOLDMAN: These were videos - you can find them on Project Veritas', you know, website or on YouTube now. (Last week, Trump pardoned the four Blackwater guards who were convicted of crimes in connection with the killings in Baghdad.). GOLDMAN: Yes, the Government Accountability Office. DAVIES: Did any of these result in resignations, firings, criminal investigations GOLDMAN: You know, and in the end, the people who were involved, I think, were, you know, slightly humiliated. Now, you mentioned Project Veritas. He comes in late '16 or '17 - around that time period. In that deposition, Mr. OKeefe defended the groups undercover tactics, saying they were part of a long tradition of investigative journalism going back to muckraking reporters like Upton Sinclair. But, you know, O'Keefe brags on the Instagram photo that they're going to be the world's best intelligence agency - I believe that's what it says - not the world's best journalists. "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. He's, you know, the private military contractor. Princes parents, Elsa Prince and the late Edgar Prince, bought the 940-acre Double E Ranch in the Wapiti Valley in the early 1990s. What were they trying to get? Mr. You mentioned that he was recruited by Erik Prince. He was leading training. And GOLDMAN: Involving Roy Moore - exactly. McMaster. document.write ("&loc=" + escape(window.location)); ', Death toll keeps rising in Greece's deadliest train crash, US Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee, Lineup announced for this years Capitol Hill Block Party, There's no shortage of salt for NYC roads, Temple University students march and protest to demand better safety. And this is FRESH AIR. Female undercover operatives tried to entrap FBI agents, sometimes using fake dating app profiles, and State Department employees, the Times reports. If he enters the race, he would be challenging Republican incumbent John Barrasso in the 2018 primaries, with the encouragement of Steve Bannon. And it all kind of went south when the Post exposed it. People have probably heard of this organization. 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. As education secretary, Ms. DeVos has been a vocal critic of teachers unions, saying in 2018 that they have a stranglehold over politicians at the federal and state levels. We'll continue our conversation in just a moment. DAVIES: Right. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? And Beau's mom is the ranch cook at the Erik Prince family's ranch near Cody, Wyo. Do we know? For example, the co-authors of the piece in dispute, Cole and Alex Emmons, say theyre New York and Washington, D.C., residents whove never been to Wyoming. GOLDMAN: She was very active. Prince and Mr. Seddon said the goal of the private spying operation was to gather dirt both on Democrats and RINOs slang in conservative circles for Republicans in name only. The plan was to begin in Wyoming, they said, and expand operations from there. DAVIES: What are Erik Prince's contacts or associations with Donald Trump and the Trump family? 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. She actually got a contract fundraising gig with the Democrats, right? 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. Several of them confirmed their donations. And it would - you know, and make an enormous amount of money. You know, she used that to hobnob with people. To win his case, Prince will ultimately have to show the story was false and he may also have to prove the publication knew the story was false or showed a reckless disregard as to whether it was accurate. And Prince comes up in the special council report - Robert Mueller's report. 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. But the effort is a glimpse of a vigorous private campaign to try to undermine political groups or individuals perceived to be in opposition to Mr. Trumps agenda. . (SOUNDBITE OF BRUNO COULAIS' "SPINK AND FORCIBLE"). GOLDMAN: Yes. It is unclear how many potential donors Mr. It's not clear to me how close he is to Trump. Prince might have approached for money for Mr. Seddons venture besides Ms. Gore. So they were looking to mine that, to exploit that territory. [CDATA[ Sofia is from Maryland. One of the former spies, an ex-MI6 officer named Richard Seddon, helped run a 2017 operation to copy files and record conversations in a Michigan office of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the nation. And they - you know, I think they - it seemed like they were seeking revenge. - trying to find, you know, damaging information on, you know, on political rivals, you know, using, you know, private investigative firms. 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