Nate Cain (l) and Hillary Clinton (Credit: Twitter)
(…) It was a politician with that very voice that I encountered when I spoke to Mr. Nate Cain, a Republican candidate for Congress in West Virginia’s District Two.
For over an hour, we discussed his faith, life, career, and what ultimately drove him into politics. Not once during the entire conversation did he ask me for connections, donations, or even proclaim his strong positions on ideological grounds. Instead, his message to me was a candid discussion of his grassroots movement into politics, a journey he believes he was called to undertake through his faith.
From preaching in churches to engaging with small country communities, every story that Cain told me about his campaign had a common theme. It was about the people he was meeting, what they were saying to him, and how his prospective constituents felt that they had been left behind in politics. But after hearing him tell his story, they were willing to promise him their vote.
And for good reason, as Nate Cain’s story is quite a compelling one, and not exactly the stereotypical journey into politics one might expect.
For those who are well versed in politics, you may remember the story from the 2016 election cycle: the Uranium One scandal that rocked the Clinton campaign. An anonymous informant came forward with credible intel that linked the Clinton Foundation to a Russian company’s acquisition of Uranium One. This controversial deal allowed Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned atomic energy corporation, to gain control over about 20% of the U.S.’s uranium extraction capacity. The sale required approval from nine federal agencies, including the State Department then headed by Hillary Clinton. Allegations arose that the approval was directly influenced by donations to the Clinton Foundation by individuals connected to Uranium One, sparking accusations of a “pay-to-play” scheme.
What you may not know about this story, even if you are very up to date on politics, is that Nate Cain was the very whistleblower who came forward with that intel. As a result of this courageous act, his entire life was turned upside down. The decision to reveal the information was not made lightly, and the consequences were severe. He faced legal threats, personal attacks, and even physical danger. His reputation was put on the line, and he nearly died for speaking the truth.
When I asked specifically if he knew the danger he was putting himself in by coming forward with that intel, Cain was quite clear that he understood what he was getting himself into. He knew that taking such a stand would expose him to retaliation from powerful interests. He was aware that his actions could lead to professional ruin, legal challenges, and even threats to his personal safety. But despite these risks, he felt a moral obligation to bring the information to light.
“It was absolutely dangerous. And in fact, my whistleblowing attorney after handling my case packed up and left the mainland, moved to Puerto Rico.”
He told me he took every precaution to maintain his anonymity during the initial release of the intel, understanding the gravity of the information he was about to reveal. This was not a decision made in haste but a calculated move, carefully planned and executed. Cain was fully aware that the information he possessed could provoke a strong reaction from those implicated, and he knew that his safety could be at risk.
In his own words, he described the measures he took, simply to buy himself time:
“I was wearing sunglasses, a hat, a hoodie. You know, basically trying to disguise. And I told Michael, I didn’t wanna say any words, in case they had some sort of listening device, and I knew eventually they’d figure out who I was, but I wanted to buy myself as much time as I could.”
WC: A full on spy transaction.
“Oh Yeah, well I didn’t want to be killed.”
These precautions were not taken lightly. They were a reflection of the serious nature of the information he was revealing and the potential backlash he could face. Cain’s efforts to conceal his identity were not about fear or evasion but about strategy and prudence. He knew that once his identity was revealed, the real battle would begin, and he would have to face the consequences of his actions head-on.
His careful planning and the steps he took to protect himself underscore the risks involved in whistleblowing, especially when it involves powerful political figures and sensitive information. Cain’s story illustrates the lengths to which individuals may have to go to ensure that the truth is heard, even when it means putting themselves in harm’s way.
Yet despite his attempt at remaining anonymous, he was proven right. Not long after turning this information over, his home was raided by federal law enforcement, despite his protected whistleblower status. This was not a routine investigation but a full-scale operation that seemed to disregard the legal protections typically afforded to whistleblowers.
Cain described the raid in vivid detail:
“So they came in, it was kind of like a Mar-a-Lago style of raid, 16 agents. He comes in, he says, “Well, the reason we’re here is about a thumb drive.” And I said, “Yeah, I took the thumb drive. But I’m a protected whistleblower under the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act.” Then I said, “I’ve already turned over the information to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.”
WC: “Now, you said it was agents at your house who exactly? What agency was this?”
“The FBI.”
The response from law enforcement was not what one might expect given his status as a protected whistleblower. Instead of acknowledging his rights, they proceeded to search his entire house for hours, questioning him without a lawyer present, and taking personal items without clear legal justification.
“They never gave me a Schedule B. And since I’d never been raided before, I had no idea to even ask them for the Schedule B. So my defense attorney had to basically threaten them to get a copy of it. And when we got it, there were multiple things they took that were not on the list.”
The raid was not only a violation of Cain’s rights but also a stark reminder of the risks he had taken in coming forward. It was a clear indication that the forces he was up against were willing to go to great lengths to suppress the information he had revealed. The fact that federal agents would conduct such a raid, knowing his protected status, speaks to the gravity of the situation and the potential implications of the information he had brought to light.
Even after this incident, and being informed directly of Cain’s protected status, the agent in charge of the investigation continued to request information from Cain that he wasn’t legally required to give, or even to speak about without his attorney being present. This was not a mere oversight but a persistent and deliberate effort to obtain information from Cain, seemingly without regard for his legal rights as a whistleblower.
Cain recounted the unsettling experience:
“The agent calls me and I’ve already given him my lawyer’s information, and my lawyer instructed me not to say anything more. He calls me directly and tries to get me to give him my password to my phone and my password to my computer. And, I cooperated, I gave him, stupidly, I gave him the password to my phone. I immediately regretted it. And then he asked me for the password to not just my computer, but to my government computer, and when I refused he hung up angrily.”
If the persecution for coming forward with credible intel wasn’t enough, the story takes another turn, one that adds a new layer of complexity and intrigue to Cain’s already harrowing experience. Shortly after these events, Cain tells me that he received a call from a journalist at The Daily Caller. The journalist, who seemed to have inside information, informed him that The New York Times had somehow found out about the raid on his home and was about to publish a hit piece on him.
Cain recalls the shock and disbelief he felt at that moment:
“This guy then went on, you know, he basically leaked my information to the New York Times. I’m pretty sure it was him, because somehow the New York Times found out that I got raided.”
The revelation that a major news outlet had obtained information about the raid raises serious questions about the confidentiality of the investigation and the motives behind the leak. How did The New York Times get this information? Was there a breach of trust within the law enforcement agency, or was there a concerted effort to discredit Cain and undermine his credibility?
The impending publication of the hit piece added to the pressure and anxiety Cain was already facing. It was a clear indication that his ordeal was far from over, and that powerful forces were aligned against him. The leak to The New York Times was not just a violation of privacy; it was a strategic move to tarnish his reputation and cast doubt on his motives. The very act of exposing the truth had made him a target, and the stakes were escalating.
However, if you think that the persecution he faced was enough to deter his conviction to tell the truth, you would be mistaken. This is where Mr. Cain’s story takes an even darker turn, one that transcends the realm of political maneuvering and enters into a territory that is both deeply personal and profoundly disturbing.
After his information had been leaked to the press, it wasn’t long before he ended up in the hospital with symptoms resembling a stroke, despite being in perfect health prior to the event. The story is shocking, and it raises questions that go beyond the usual political intrigue:
“I ended up for six weeks having neurological symptoms that were identical to a stroke. Every test didn’t show anything, but that was after I went down to my car and reached up under my door handle, and there was some oily, wet substance under there. At the time, I thought, “Oh, gross.” And I wiped it off on my pants and got in the car, and I just wanted to get home. But I ended up in the emergency room with full-blown stroke symptoms, and thank God I was taking a vasodilator. I think that’s probably what saved my life.
“I had symptoms that lasted for six weeks. I went and saw a specialist in neurology who’s been in it for 50 years, and at the end of all these tests, he said to me, “What do you do for a living? Because I’m not finding anything in your charts. In fact, your arteries in your brain are pristine.” And he said, “So this doesn’t make any sense. What do you do for a living?” I said, “I’m a cybersecurity.” And he goes, “That just doesn’t make any sense. I’ve only known one guy who’s had all the symptoms that you had and had charts like yours, and that guy worked for an industrial chemical factory and touched some chemicals without his gloves on.” It triggered a memory of that that day I reached under my door handle and there was that oily liquid. And I realized what had happened.”
Cain’s sudden illness, coming on the heels of the leak and the raid, suggests a level of malice and intent that is truly chilling. Was this a coincidence, or was it something more sinister? The timing, the circumstances, and the nature of his symptoms all point to a deliberate attempt to silence him, to incapacitate him, or worse. (Read more: The W.C. Dispatch, 8/12/2023) (Archive)