Man who Republicans say is Joe Biden “informant” is indicted: Gal Luft, a U.S. and Israeli citizen who claims to be an informant in the corruption probe against the Biden family was indicted on a slew of federal charges on Monday.
Joe Biden and that Informant
Gal Luft, the American/Israeli who has been described by the New York Post as the “missing” witness in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into supposed “corruption” by the president’s relatives, is in trouble.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has announced a multi-count federal indictment of Luft, who is accused of several crimes, including acting as an unregistered foreign agent, trafficking in arms, violating U.S. sanctions Against Iran, and making false statements to federal agents.
Luft stands accused of “working to advance the Interests of China in the United States and [seeking] to broker the illicit sales of Chinese-manufactured weapons and Iranian oil to China.”
Luft had been charged with similar crimes in Cyprus, earlier this year.
Per The Hill, he worked with a “former high-ranking official [who] was an advisor to then President-elect Trump.” That official has not been named, although some speculation pointed to former Clinton-era CIA Director James Woolsey, who quit the Trump transition team before the former president took office.
Woolsey, in late 2016, was quoted as saying that “We want to joyfully participate with China in international trade operations and economic growth,” and the indictment describes “Individual-1” as using that exact same phrase.
Per CNN, prosecutors say Luft is currently a fugitive.
“As alleged, Gal Luft, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, and co-head of a Maryland think tank, engaged in multiple, serious criminal schemes,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in the announcement. That think tank was the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security.
“He subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking U.S. Government official; he acted as a broker in deals for dangerous weapons and Iranian oil; and he told multiple lies about his crimes to law enforcement. As the charges unsealed today reflect, our Office will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to detect and hold accountable those who surreptitiously attempt to perpetrate malign foreign influence campaigns here in the United States.”
Per the Post, Luft “vanished” from Cyprus after he was charged there, while he was awaiting extradition to the U.S.
“The chances of me getting a fair trial in Washington are virtually zero,” Luft said in a video reported on by the New York Post’s unofficial chief Hunter Biden correspondent Miranda Devine, with videos recorded from an “an undisclosed foreign country,” Luft claims that he is being accused of crimes in order to prevent him from testifying against the Bidens.
Fox News reports that Luft has claimed to have provided the FBI with information involving alleged wrongdoing by members of the Biden family, although it’s not clear whether that is true. He has been described in the past as a “missing” informant, but it appears that the reason he is “missing” is because he is a fugitive.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), following the indictment, declared on Fox News that Luft should be granted immunity in order to testify in the Biden probe, although it would appear highly unlikely that the government would let such serious charges slide.
Heading off most conspiracy theories about the indictments should be that they came from the Southern District of New York, a prosecutors’ office that is certainly known for its independence and not for kowtowing to presidents of either party.
“The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge,” the prosecutor’s office said as part of the release.
Readers were also asked to “please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate” if they are aware of Luft’s current whereabouts.
Expertise and Experience
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
