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| Alexander Nix blames 'global liberal media' for Cambridge Analytica collapse – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Meanwhile, the Guardian’s Media editor Jim Waterson has been digging on Dominic Cummings’ plans to troll parliament over his refusal to appear in front of this committee. Waterson writes: | |
| A source very close to Cummings told the Guardian the political strategist intends to voluntarily attend parliament in order to watch MPs debate his refusal to attend parliament. | |
| “He plans to unveil a banner from the public gallery reading ‘where the fuck is our £350m for the NHS’ so that he can hijack the BBC 6 [O’Clock News] for Vote Leave’s core message,” the source claimed. | |
| Christian Matheson asks who owns the various arms of SCL, and Nix refuses to answer. | |
| Matheson asks if Steve Bannon or Robert Mercer are shareholders; Nix again refuses to answer. | |
| Matheson notes that a US citizen, investing in a company, which then provides electoral services in a UK election, could be illegal. Nix says that on that matter, he can’t speak, since it’s under investigation. He does add, again, that CA didn’t work on the referendum. | |
| Collins asks Nix to explain the structure of Cambridge Analytica and SCL. Nix whips out a pre-prepared four-page document and asks to hand it to Collins directly: It shows, he says, “the way the company expanded, contracted, and expanded again led to quite a complex structure, but it happened quite naturally and was not the result of a mafia-style organisation as the committee previously said.” | |
| (The document will be published later, Collins says.) | |
| Christian Matheson returns to a leaked Cambridge Analytica pitch doc, which proposed DDoS hacking attacks. Nix says it never set up the company which would have carried out that business, and never carried out such attacks. | |
| Matheson points out that such attacks are illegal. Nix says that since they were never carried out, that is moot. | |
| O’Hara asks Nix about the Psy Group, an Isreaeli social media firm dragged into special prosecutor Mueller’s investigations into the US election. Nix says he’s never heard of them, and that reports that they worked with SCL may or may not be true, since he doesn’t know what was happening in those parts of the group. | |
| “The first I heard of this company was in this article, and I can’t speak more than that.” | |
| Collins turns to the claims that an Israeli intelligence firm worked alongside Cambridge Analytica in its campaigns in Nigeria. Was Nix aware of that? | Collins turns to the claims that an Israeli intelligence firm worked alongside Cambridge Analytica in its campaigns in Nigeria. Was Nix aware of that? |
| Nix: “This is another groundless accusation that I believe was made by Mr Wylie. He suggests that this is something that has been reported to the authorities, so while it would be tempting to talk through with you, this is another area that I can’t discuss.” | |
| Collins now quotes from a transcript of the Channel 4 report: Channel 4 asked if Nix had worked with Black Cube, and Nix said yes. Nix now recants that, and says he was completely mistaken. | Collins now quotes from a transcript of the Channel 4 report: Channel 4 asked if Nix had worked with Black Cube, and Nix said yes. Nix now recants that, and says he was completely mistaken. |
| Nix has “not knowingly” worked with former or current Israeli officers, he says. | Nix has “not knowingly” worked with former or current Israeli officers, he says. |
| Collins notes he may not have been aware of someone else in his company doing it, and Nix replies pointing out that all he meant is that one cannot tell who is and isn’t an intelligence officer: “You might be an intelligence officer right now,” he says to Collins. | Collins notes he may not have been aware of someone else in his company doing it, and Nix replies pointing out that all he meant is that one cannot tell who is and isn’t an intelligence officer: “You might be an intelligence officer right now,” he says to Collins. |
| Collins asks Nix whether CA has worked in South America, specifically Argentina. “As I said last time, we don’t generally like to talk about specific clients, because there’s confidentiality there.” | Collins asks Nix whether CA has worked in South America, specifically Argentina. “As I said last time, we don’t generally like to talk about specific clients, because there’s confidentiality there.” |
| Collins asks if it was an anti-Kirchner campaign. Nix says he doesn’t believe it was. Collins reads from a note he was handed, which Nix says suggests that he pitched for an anti-Kirchner campaign (implying that he didn’t win that particular pitch). | Collins asks if it was an anti-Kirchner campaign. Nix says he doesn’t believe it was. Collins reads from a note he was handed, which Nix says suggests that he pitched for an anti-Kirchner campaign (implying that he didn’t win that particular pitch). |
| Collins reads from another note, that mentions Russia. Nix is confused, and asks to see the note – not happening, says Collins. | Collins reads from another note, that mentions Russia. Nix is confused, and asks to see the note – not happening, says Collins. |
| “We’ve never worked for a Russian client, or had anyone Russian working for us.” | “We’ve never worked for a Russian client, or had anyone Russian working for us.” |
| O’Hara accuses Nix of playing the victim, to which Nix responds: What if we were the victim? What if none of this was true? What if we were just the guys who contributed to the Trump campaign, were wrongly linked with Brexit, and as a result, the global liberal media took umbrage with us and launched a co-ordinated campaign to destroy out business? | O’Hara accuses Nix of playing the victim, to which Nix responds: What if we were the victim? What if none of this was true? What if we were just the guys who contributed to the Trump campaign, were wrongly linked with Brexit, and as a result, the global liberal media took umbrage with us and launched a co-ordinated campaign to destroy out business? |
| O’Hara: “So, you are the victim in all this? | O’Hara: “So, you are the victim in all this? |
| Nix: ““If you’re sitting where I am right now you’d probably feel quite victimised.” | Nix: ““If you’re sitting where I am right now you’d probably feel quite victimised.” |
| Brendan O’Hara, SNP, quotes from Channel 4’s response to Nix’s claim of misleading editing: Nix was recorded saying that the stings and honeytraps “could be done and had been done.” | Brendan O’Hara, SNP, quotes from Channel 4’s response to Nix’s claim of misleading editing: Nix was recorded saying that the stings and honeytraps “could be done and had been done.” |
| Nix says when he said they “had been done”, he meant by other companies, not by Cambridge Analytica. “I didn’t commit to doing anything for them, I simply played along and listened to this potential client’s desires.” | Nix says when he said they “had been done”, he meant by other companies, not by Cambridge Analytica. “I didn’t commit to doing anything for them, I simply played along and listened to this potential client’s desires.” |
| O’Hara: “Surely any reasonable person would think that was an offer?” | O’Hara: “Surely any reasonable person would think that was an offer?” |
| Nix: “You don’t need to sit there and sully my reputation; I’ve already done that, to a worldwide audience… yes, it was foolish of me, and it was a well-crafted entrapment, sting, whatever you want to call it. Channel 4 got their man.” | Nix: “You don’t need to sit there and sully my reputation; I’ve already done that, to a worldwide audience… yes, it was foolish of me, and it was a well-crafted entrapment, sting, whatever you want to call it. Channel 4 got their man.” |
| Nix: “I take exception to the fact that Christopher Wylie can point blank lie to you, as he’s lied on many issues, and yet I’m sitting here and being subjected to frankly ridiculous accusations based on the most tenuous claims that are simply not supported by evidence.” | Nix: “I take exception to the fact that Christopher Wylie can point blank lie to you, as he’s lied on many issues, and yet I’m sitting here and being subjected to frankly ridiculous accusations based on the most tenuous claims that are simply not supported by evidence.” |
| Ian Lucas asks who introduced Cambridge Analytica to Arron Banks. After a long pause, Lucas prompts: Brittany Kaiser said it was Steve Bannon. Nix agrees, saying it may well have been, he can’t remember. | Ian Lucas asks who introduced Cambridge Analytica to Arron Banks. After a long pause, Lucas prompts: Brittany Kaiser said it was Steve Bannon. Nix agrees, saying it may well have been, he can’t remember. |
| “Banks and Bannon,” Lucas says, “have been involved in two of the most important elections in recent years. It’s very small world, in which Cambridge Analytica is a very prominent player. The assertion that Cambridge Analytica had nothing to do with the election is nonsense.” | “Banks and Bannon,” Lucas says, “have been involved in two of the most important elections in recent years. It’s very small world, in which Cambridge Analytica is a very prominent player. The assertion that Cambridge Analytica had nothing to do with the election is nonsense.” |
| Nix explodes: “The fact is, there is no evidence to support your position. What you are doing is building a conspiracy theory.” | Nix explodes: “The fact is, there is no evidence to support your position. What you are doing is building a conspiracy theory.” |
| The Channel 4 report, Nix says, “wasn’t my finest hour… chapeau to Channel 4 for destroying an excellent British technology company.” | The Channel 4 report, Nix says, “wasn’t my finest hour… chapeau to Channel 4 for destroying an excellent British technology company.” |
| Farrelly asks Nix which is true: is it a shadow political game-changer, as he has told political operatives, or a boring toothpaste advertiser, as he is now telling parliament? | Farrelly asks Nix which is true: is it a shadow political game-changer, as he has told political operatives, or a boring toothpaste advertiser, as he is now telling parliament? |
| Nix says both are true: once it was the first, but towards the end of its life, it was the latter. | Nix says both are true: once it was the first, but towards the end of its life, it was the latter. |
| Nix again attacks Wylie, who said that Cambridge Analytica played a “pivotal” role in Brexit. “It is deeply troubling that this conspiracy theory has spread so widely, and caused such damage to our company.” | Nix again attacks Wylie, who said that Cambridge Analytica played a “pivotal” role in Brexit. “It is deeply troubling that this conspiracy theory has spread so widely, and caused such damage to our company.” |
| Nix quotes from the Electoral Commission that found that Cambridge Analytica did no work for Leave.EU. | Nix quotes from the Electoral Commission that found that Cambridge Analytica did no work for Leave.EU. |
| Simon Hart, Conservative, quotes Nigel Oakes describing the works as the “backbone” of Leave.EU’s campaign, saying it “provided a proof of concept” for the work. Nix demurs, noting that Oakes doesn’t know Cambridge Analytica that well: “Apart from my close personal relationship with him, he could have been a stranger.” | Simon Hart, Conservative, quotes Nigel Oakes describing the works as the “backbone” of Leave.EU’s campaign, saying it “provided a proof of concept” for the work. Nix demurs, noting that Oakes doesn’t know Cambridge Analytica that well: “Apart from my close personal relationship with him, he could have been a stranger.” |
| Farrelly turns to Kaiser’s testimony that CA pitched work to Aaron Banks’ insurance companies. Nix says he is unaware of those pitches, and that they lead to no work. | Farrelly turns to Kaiser’s testimony that CA pitched work to Aaron Banks’ insurance companies. Nix says he is unaware of those pitches, and that they lead to no work. |
| (Banks will be testifying himself on Tuesday, to answer some of these questions in his own inimitable style.) | (Banks will be testifying himself on Tuesday, to answer some of these questions in his own inimitable style.) |