U.S. Attorney John Lausch had previously explained his specific role is to coordinate document production from the DOJ-OIG with specific focus on evidence documents that pertain to the “original” Horowitz investigation path. That only includes documents pertaining to the politicization of the DOJ/FBI relating to the Clinton investigation.
U.S. Prosecutor John Huber is paralleling IG Horowitz on all investigative findings that fall into potentially criminal conduct. The evidence being culled into the Huber files are not going to congress because they are potentially evidence in ongoing criminal cases. The Huber evidence contains grand jury material and evidence of likely criminal conduct.
Yesterday, in response to congressional committee demand by Chairman Goodlatte (Judiciary), Chairman Nunes (Intel) and Chairman Gowdy (Oversight), for the memos written by James Comey, some of which were leaked to media, Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has asked for additional time for DOJ review.
“Department officials are consulting with the relevant parties … one or more of the memos may relate to an ongoing investigation, may contained classified information, and may report confidential Presidential communications, so we have a legal duty to evaluate the consequences of providing access to them,” he wrote. (link)
There is some speculation Rosenstein’s notation of memos relating “to an ongoing investigation” would indicate James Comey’s legal risk might be: (1) part of the discussion; and (2) part of the criminal evidence in the larger review by John Huber.
In January, Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Rod Rosenstein inquiring whether James Comey had improperly leaked classified memos to his friend Daniel Richman.
“According to press reports, Professor Daniel Richman of Columbia Law School stated that Mr. Comey provided him four of the seven memoranda and encouraged him to “detail [Comey’s] memos to the press,'” Grassley wrote.
“If it’s true that Professor Richman had four of the seven memos, then in light of the fact that four of the seven memos the Committee reviewed are classified, it would appear that at least one memo the former FBI director gave Professor Richman contained classified information,” the letter continued.
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A month after Senator Grassley requested the information from Rod Rosenstein about which memo’s James Comey sent to his friend Professor Richman, a FISA judge blocked the release of those memos to the public. {Reminder Here}
I still have the nagging unanswered question: How was Richman the source for the May 11th, 2017, New York Times “loyalty story”, if Daniel Richman didn’t have the Comey memos until May 16th?
So, you see…. there might be a very good reason for Prosecutor Huber to want to keep those Comey memos as “criminal evidence.” One reason is the leaking of classified information by Comey; another is the conflict with Richman leaking a story he did not initially have the memo to support.
PS. Bill Priestap is working. (Yesterday):
Terry J. Albury, a former Special Agent of the FBI, pleaded guilty today in the District of Minnesota in connection with his unauthorized disclosure and retention of classified national defense information.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick foar the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division announced the plea. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.
[…] “Mr. Albury was entrusted by the FBI with a security clearance, which included a responsibility to protect classified national defense information. Instead, he knowingly disclosed that material to someone not authorized to receive it,” said Assistant Director Priestap. “The FBI will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who would expose America’s secrets. Today, as the result of the hard work of dedicated special agents, analysts, and prosecutors, Mr. Albury has taken responsibility for his illegal action.” (link)
