A US Marine, who is a key witness in the ongoing federal investigation into Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s former IT staffer Imran Awan, has finally come forward to set the media straight.
On Wednesday, Andre Taggart, a US Marine and Democratic voter, said that he was frustrated by Schultz’s claims that the FBI’s investigation into Pakistani, Imran Awan, is motivated by racism and islamophobia.
The FBI investigation into Awan and his wife involves Taggart as a key witness. Taggart had rented Awan’s home in Northern Virginia, and there found numerous shattered hard drives Schultz’s IT staffer had left behind when he tried to run away from the US to Pakistan.
According to Taggart, Awan threatened to sue to obtain the hard drives. However, Taggart decided to involve the FBI instead of handing them back to Awan.
Taggart claimed that “it was amazing” that Wasserman-Schultz is attempting to defend Awan by claiming he was being discriminated against on the basis of his religion.
“It pisses me off,” Taggart raged.
He further said that he believed Schultz was “crying wolf” and in the process, exposing the country’s security as well as herself to great risks.
“I just want to get these [guys] locked up and exposed and now,” Taggart told the Daily Caller. “The people who facilitated them should also be locked up, as far as I’m concerned.”
On February 2nd, Capitol Police named Awan as a key figure in the investigation into House Democrat security breaches. On August 17, a federal grand injury convicted Awan and his wife Alvi for false statements, bank fraud, and illegal financial transactions. Alvi escaped to Pakistan in March and according to recent reports, is being protected by the Pakistani government. On July 24, Awan was arrested at the Dulles International Airport while trying to escape to Pakistan.
For Taggart, it is unfair how the media is focusing on Trump and his alleged ties to Russia, but isn’t talking about Awan and Wasserman-Schultz at all. It’s almost like there is a coordinated effort across the highest echelons of the media to bury this story, and to protect Awan.
“Him, his wife, his brother, all working down there — there’s no way they could do this without help. If we can drag Trump and his wingnuts through the mud for the Russia influence that they are having, then it’s only fair that we also expose this s**t,” Taggart said.
According to several sources with knowledge on the issue, Schultz is not taking the investigation well. It has been reported that she became quite “jumpy” upon reports of Awan’s arrest and was also seen running away from the reporters when she saw them approaching her.
While it’s not clear as to what relationship the Awans had with the congresswoman, sources inside House Democrat believe that Schultz was overly protective of Awan. Some went on to say that it is rumored Awan had potentially damaging information on Schultz and was blackmailing her.
