Justice Dept, FBI launch probe into Cambridge Analytica: report

The Justice Department and FBI have launched an investigation into the now-closed data company Cambridge Analytica, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Prosecutors have told possible witnesses that there is an open investigation into the company as well as “associated U.S. persons,” according to the Times.

The newspaper noted that the probe is in its early stages, and that investigators are questioning former staffers and banks linked to the firm.

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Cambridge Analytica, the Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment to the Times.

Company whistleblower Christopher Wylie confirmed to the Times that he had been questioned by the FBI and Justice Department, adding, “We plan to meet again to provide substantive answers to the investigators.”

Cambridge Analytica, which worked on President Trump’s campaign, said earlier this month that it would declare bankruptcy and close after it was revealed it had improperly obtained the data of about 87 million Facebook users. 

A U.S. official also told the newspaper that investigators were also questioning Facebook in the probe. Facebook declined to comment for the Times’s report.

CEO Alexander Nix was also suspended in March after he was shown on hidden camera footage saying that the firm blackmails political clients’ rivals.

 
Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and hedge fund billionaire and GOP mega-donor Robert Mercer founded Cambridge Analytica in 2013.
 
The company reportedly used the Facebook data it obtained to create data models for clients, including the Trump campaign. 
 
Cambridge Analytica has denied any wrongdoing, saying that it has deleted the Facebook data and that it wasn’t used for the Trump campaign.
 
Updated at 7:33 p.m.
Tags Cambridge Analytica Donald Trump FBI Justice Department

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