There are multiple critical paragraphs within the carefully constructed, and intentionally released, opening statement by fired FBI Director James Comey.  However, one of the more brutally transparent paragraphs deserves some highlighted attention.  Page #2, paragraphs #2 and #3:

♦ We know from James Comey’s own admission, the entire construct of the FBI counterintelligence investigation was predicated on the now debunked, and politically motivated, fake “Russian Dossier”.

Specifically this “Dossier” was the foundational document for the FISA warrants to secretly spy-on, or surveil, associates within the Trump orbit – during the election campaign and after the election outcome.

♦ We know directly from John Brennan’s congressional testimony (May 23rd, 2017) that his CIA, in coordination with the NSA, provided the “raw intelligence”, intercepted communication by foreign nationals inquiring into the political perspectives of candidate and President-Elect Donald Trump, to the FBI counter intelligence investigation.  Raw intelligence that was exclusively given to those in charge of the FBI “counter-intelligence investigation“.

♦ We also know from Brennan, Rogers and Clapper’s testimony, the results of the FISA captured communication [CIA says who, NSA does tasks] was the raw intelligence data assembled into ODNI and FBI counter intelligence reports.  Reports kept from congress, but given to the Obama White House.  All leaks to the media stemmed from these reports, not from the raw intelligence.

♦ We know from the prior testimony by James Comey to congress on March 20th 2017, the counterintelligence operation was intentionally kept secret from congressional oversight under the guise of: “the sensitivity of the matter“.  A convenient excuse to continue a cloud of investigation (narrative) without having to justify facts within the investigation to congressional oversight.  James Comey never told congress, despite his own admission that it was normal procedure to keep the congressional gang-of-eight informed.

♦ And we also know, by their own admission, the counter intelligence reports [utilizing the raw intelligence provided by Brennan (CIA)/Rogers (NSA)] to the FBI [and James Clapper (ODNI)], were the underlying documents which became the source of the unmasking requests by Susan Rice (White House) and possibly Samantha Powers (U.N. Ambassador). Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice admitted it was from these reports she requested the unmasking – and then shared with the Obama National Security Council.

♦ Lastly, we know the only current factual illegal activity: 1.)  included the unmasking of unauthorized and unwarranted Americans; and, 2.) surrounded the leaking of those intelligence reports to the media.  #1 could be illegal, #2 was definitely illegal.

Both James Clapper and John Brennan have walked away from the illegal danger room by stating they only delivered raw intelligence and did not make unmasking requests for any of the counterintelligence participants involved.  All of the unmasked names were political affiliates of the Trump campaign, post election transition, and Trump administration.

Now, all of this considered…. take a look at what James Comey has carefully written against the backdrop of: a.) his decision to keep congress in the dark, and b.) his need to explain why Trump officials were subjects of the investigation:

In the boxed paragraph, fired FBI Director James Comey is covering his ass.

James Comey is trying to frame the reasoning for utilizing a fake Russian Dossier to “open an investigation” and to gain FISA warrants to monitor officials of the Trump campaign, transition and administration; and more importantly to justify the unmasking of American officials who were part of the Trump campaign, transition and administration.

That boxed paragraph above is an attempt at justifying the activity.  He is 100% covering-his-ass and trying to avoid legal risk.

Notice also that President Trump never asked Comey in that initial encounter if he was under investigation.  Why would he?   ….Yet Comey felt it necessary to tell President-Elect Trump he was not under investigation.  Why?

Answer: Because the foundational block for all of the investigation, surveillance, intelligence gathering and most importantly ‘unmasking’, was predicated on the counterintelligence operation which was entirely based on the faux-Russian dossier.

The “dossier” was a political opposition research document entirely structured around President Trump, not affiliates or entities with his campaign or campaign orbit.  It was simply commissioned as oppo-research on the candidate.

Yet this same fake Russian Dossier was used by the FBI, under the auspices of the counterintelligence operation (kept hidden from congress) as the evidence to a FISA court, to gain FISA warrants, to monitor Trump campaign officials.

See the problem?

After the election, FBI Director James Comey had to tell President Trump about the broad construct of the Russian dossier issues, and the absurdity behind it meant telling Trump he was not under investigation, in order to establish (to the incoming President) a reasonable basis to explain FISA warrants that were targeted -and gained- not on Donald Trump but rather on Trump campaign officials.

Donald Trump wasn’t supposed to win, and no-one was supposed to know about the surveillance, monitoring, and unmasking etc.  If Trump had lost, no-one would have ever known.

However, Trump did win – and now five months of previous surveillance (July to November) of Trump campaign officials needed to have a justifiable basis…. yet the tool for the construct, the dossier, was exclusively about Trump.  Hence, Comey needing to tell Trump he wasn’t under investigation….

Which leads to…  it being worth noting….

The Dossier NEEDED to be leaked for all the reasons necessary to justify the entire surveillance and spying operation.   Without a basis for the initial investigation, all of the participants in the spying and monitoring of a presidential campaign had a serious risk.

The leaking of the dossier and all subsequent leaks were not just designed to damage the incoming presidency, they were also designed to protect the Obama team who conducted the surveillance of the campaign.

How did FBI Director James Comey know the content of the “fake Russian Dossier” was about to be reported to the media? (Initial reporting by CNN and Buzzfeed)

Who exactly is this “we” he speaks of?