There is a significant issue of understanding and comprehension that must be addressed for anyone interested in actually learning about what is happening, and what has happened.
The issue surrounds recusal.
Effective March 2nd, 2017, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was recused from any involvement in DOJ issues, investigations and decision-making, that surrounded the “Russia Probe” or “Russia Investigation”. FULL STOP.
Setting aside the for/against argument around the decision by Sessions, the recusal meant that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was recused from any involvement in the Mueller investigation. FULL STOP.
Within this dynamic DAG Rod Rosenstein was/is the central DOJ decision-maker for anything surrounding the Mueller investigation and larger Russia investigation. FULL STOP.
Does that make sense?
If yes, continue….
On August 4th, 2017, AG Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats made an announcement they were initiating a “Classified Intelligence Leak Task Force.” [DOJ LINK]
The “just don’t do it” program, as launched by an obviously angered Sessions, included three measures. They were:
♦First, I directed my Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein—whose district in Maryland encompassed the NSA headquarters and who has personally led these kinds of investigations— and FBI Director Christopher Wray to oversee all classified leak investigations and actively monitor the progress of each and every case.
♦Second, I directed the National Security Division and U.S. Attorneys to prioritize cases involving unauthorized disclosures. The Department will not hesitate to bring lawful and appropriate criminal charges against those who abuse the nation’s trust.
♦Third, as I said, we tripled the number of active leak investigations. In response, the FBI has increased resources devoted to leak cases and created a new counterintelligence unit to manage these cases. Simultaneously, the Department is reviewing policies that impact leak investigations.
The DC-based intelligence leaking community was put on notice.
Does that make sense?
If yes, continue….
As a result of that August 4, 2017, announcement we discover an effort by the DOJ and ODNI to launch a task force to track down the leakers within the intelligence apparatus who have been revealing unauthorized, often ‘classified, information to the media.
Later, we discover in hindsight, that in October 2017, not coincidentally when AG Jeff Sessions hires Matthew Whitaker as his chief-of-staff, the leak task force, as part of ONE of their investigative reviews, zeros-in on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).
As a result of that singular FBI/DOJ/ODNI investigation into the SSCI, the head SSCI security official James Wolfe was identified as a leaker of classified information. [Indictment Available Here which has all the details]
Are you familiar?
If yes, continue….
When you review this specific SSCI investigation; and overlay the outcome therein (Wolfe); against the backdrop of the Sessions recusal; this is what you discover:
For the leak task force objectives, Sessions is involved, briefed.
As the leak task force focuses in on the SSCI Sessions is still involved, briefed.
When the leak task force identifies the specific evidence of what was leaked; ie. the FISA Application against Carter Page – which is part of the Russia Investigation; *NOW* Jeff Sessions is removed; no longer briefed.
*NOW* the recusal firewall is crossed.
Do you see how that works?
If yes, continue….
When the leaking by James Wolfe is discovered to be information specifically related to the FBI and DOJ Counterintelligence Operation (the Russia investigation); the resulting evidence now causes the decision-making to jump from AG Jeff Sessions, to DAG Rod Rosenstein. (Sessions is now in his recusal bubble)
Does that make sense?
This is an example of how the recusal firewall works. This example is specifically focused on a factual classified leak investigation within the DOJ and FBI. The most important part of this example is to show how the decision-making oversight shifts from Jeff Sessions to Rod Rosenstein just by the nature of the evidence within the events.
I cannot emphasize enough how important this distinction is; because it is the source of mountains of misunderstanding, misinformation, and disinformation. If you don’t understand how the recusal issues impacted the events of the past 18 months you are going to be completely lost as I expand on some stunning revelations.
This understanding of “recusal” may seem like a small and common sense issue; but more than 80% (estimated) of people following the DOJ and FBI corruption story don’t understand it. However, when you understand it the role of, and previous action by, Matthew Whitaker and Rod Rosenstein makes almost immediate sense.
Overseeing the leak investigations was part of AG Jeff Sessions office; that specifically would include his chief-of-staff Matthew Whitaker. However, as soon as one of those leak investigations crossed the recusal firewall, all subsequent action is then decided by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
I must ask again, before I can expand further, if readers understand this dynamic?
Please answer in the comments section.
Thanks.
.
.
It’s hard to fault someone for doing what they truly believe is the right thing. With that being said, Sessions simply had to go to remove the recusal wall. He was simply the wrong pick for the job.
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Anyone Trump picked would have been maneuvered into recusal.
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ring
calling John Huber
once
twice
three times
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Thank you, Sundance. You’ve made the impact of the recusal of Session very clear.
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Hopefully we don’t have to hear about ‘The Silent Assassin” anymore?
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Sundance laid out the foundation so well that even a liberal could understand it.
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Clears up a lot. So when the democrat talking points express these sentiments: “Whitaker must recuse himself” and “Whitaker will cause a constitutional crisis by firing Mueller” they are essentially in panic mode as the firewall is down. The democrats next move is to dig up anything on Whitaker, to destroy or compromise him. Nadler and Schiff then lead the charge as if their objective is to preserve the Mueller SC, but it is really an all out assault to create a new firewall, to force a Whitaker recusal. Like David Copperfield…look over here while the trick is happening over there…it is all illusion.
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As soon as they started yelping I thought this might be the case.
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Sundance, I think you are saying that Sessions recused himself from the Russian-collusion probe — and responsibility for pursuing all attendant information that resulted from the leak investigation — to give the Trump administration cover for exposing Rosenstein’s involvement in the underlying conspiracy. For this ploy to be effective, Trump needed an independent surrogate for Sessions in the leaks investigation; that surrogate was Matthew Whitaker.
Following this thinking to its logical conclusion, the fact that Trump has dismissed Sessions and replaced him with Whitaker implies that Session has served his purpose, and the extent of the conspiracy against Trump has been documented sufficiently that the DOJ can begin prosecuting the malefactors involved — specifically Rosenstein. Whitaker will be the point man for this prosecution.
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The Deep State (Dems, as well as GOP) are going to shriek and howl nonstop for Whitaker’ s recusal and will not stop until he finally capitulates and recuses or steps down entirely. We had the disgusting pig George Conway write a freakin’ NYT Op-Ed about it. (Kellyanne should cut this loser loose, ASAP. There are plenty of wealthy conservative men who will treat her and her children right and keep their damn mouths shut and not make her life miserable).
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“the fact that Trump has dismissed Sessions and replaced him with Whitaker implies that Session has served his purpose”
Yes, Sessions recusal had the INTENDED purpose of stalling any investigation until the near certainty that the Dems took control of House committees, the Senate committee already being useless. Now, that is no longer needed. NO OFFICIALLY DOCUMENTED destruction of high level agency and Five Eyes partner legitimacy via revelations of massively illegal behavior from a proper investigation will be allowed. PERIOD!
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PDJT is only doing as much as he needs to do to protect his own ass. I’m sure even he knows that the exposure of high level illegitimacy due to far worse than Watergate illegal behavior simply cannot be allowed.
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Which “high level illegitimacy”/”illegal behavior” do you suppose Trump is attempting to counteract? Your comment is unclear. Do you mean “cannot be allowed [by the people]”, i.e. this would look bad on his administration and lower his approval in the direction of impeachment so he needs to provide a scandal-free front? OR are you saying he plans to drop the hammer and punish anyone who looks guilty of spying/leaking?
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there is an Impeachment Line, like all good Receivers, they know to keep both feet inbounds
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There it is. The howling from the stands will not change the game. Focus.
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I sure hope you are correct.
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Thank you, Sundance. This is perhaps the clearest I’ve been about the dynamics and more complex impact of the Sessions recusal.
I do remember reading something about AG Sessions tending his resignation after he recused himself, which POTUS didn’t accept at the time.
AAG Whitaker was hired by Sessions and it is clear to me that the hiring of an independent person to be in the loop of the things going on inside the DOJ in reference to the recusal, makes it obvious that Sessions sought for a way to bypass the recusal.
So as far as we know so far, Sessions hired both Huber and Whitaker.
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start thinking about the “location” and “education”
US Attorney Iowa, University of Iowa
vs
US Attorney Maryland (DC), Harvard Law
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Understood
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Yes, very clear and makes perfect sense. But it is how Sessions handcuffed himself. The evidence of dirt is directly tied to those Sessions himself can not even begin to review or go after due to his recusal.
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“I must ask again, before I can expand further, if readers understand this dynamic?”
You are writing for the internet. Here is how to do it:
State your conclusions or key points in 1 sentence at the beginning of your post.
Then take a paragraph to outline how you reached those conclusions, or the significance of the key points..
Then take as much time as you want explaining everything you want to explain.
Thanks
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+1. I have read others on other websites complain that the information here or the writing is too wordy for them. Speaking for myself, I am no expert nor a credible critic- I am reminded of what Mark Twain wrote- “I’d have written you a shorter letter if I had the time”,
but to 29’s point- go for it, you don’t need our approval. Just keep it crisp and pointed.
This is far and away the best place for open source analysis. See if you can hire that guy who provided the network analysis earlier- Yaacov something, or someone like him with the tools. And an editor.
You have great instincts and fearsome persistence. Don’t stop.
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I hinted at outside advice a couple times- here is a reminder again.
Remember the great work that Vanderboer and Codrea did on Fast and Furious, and how that was broken to a wider audience with a little help.
https://sharylattkisson.com/2016/08/11/fast-and-furious-blogger-vanderboegh-passes-away/
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Awfully condescending towards our gracious host.
There’s nothing in your own writing to justify that.
Get some manners.
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Say what? I hope you’re joking, but if not… really? You’re actually critiquing Sundance’s writing style? A guy who, by all rights, should now be working on a 3rd or 4th Pulitzer?
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Solid advice there. Seeing it first creates the shama which the following information fills in, supports, and reinforces. Solid teaching advice.
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This sick, corrupted situation should. E turned over to the Supreme Court for any decision that involves tying our President from getting these crooks out of office!
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“This understanding of “resusal” may seem like a small and common sense issue;”
Assuming you meant recusal here…
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I’ve said for a long time that Trump needed to get Sessions out of there, if only to be able to put the top spot in the hands of someone who would be able to exercise the full powers of the office. Sessions was a gelding each and every day he was there past March 2, 2017- and his presence was a potential cloud on any off shoot investigation that came to bear from the on-going investigative threads.
The din to have Whitaker recuse himself is wishful thinking…..he wasn’t involved in the campaign, so he isn’t tainted by the relationship. Hearing Sen. Coons demand the recusal is rich–he doesn’t have Flake to play the ‘conscience of the GOP’ harmony part.
Rosenstein must be feeling the flop sweat start to collect on his brow, since Whitaker is in the position to release the documents before the end of the year if advantageous, or when the time is right and embarrass the hell out of the pencil necked geek Schiff for brains.
Pop some corn and fasten your seat belts.
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I think we are waiting for the prime time that full disclosure will come about. That’s the “Ace up POTUS’s sleeve!” Can’t show your hand ’til the right time!
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I can’t wait for it, either. It would be nice if it were done in such a way that the LSM can’t ignore it…….I know that I’m hoping for the impossible, but hey, maybe one day a pig will take flight.
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GovLawyer, I hope you are right. I can’t take the chicken-neck-ness any longer.
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100 percent
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Thanks, Sundance… seems clear to me. Sessions could start something (like leak investigations) but if it lead to anything related to Russia or Clinton (from which he had recused himself) he had to stop and Rosenstein became person in charge. Because of his recusal sessions could only go so far, as in the example you provided (leak investigations and prosecutions where appropriate). This has been where our collective frustration has been – watching Sessions deal with the opioid crisis and illegal immigration. We wanted him cleaning up the swamp, spearheading investigations that could lead to indictments – but practically everything he could have tried to do somehow led back to his recusal.
Since Matthew Whitaker’s hiring as chief of staff last year was “not a coincidence”, it leads to questions of exactly what Whitaker has been able to accomplish in the shadows up to now.
Ready for the next chapter. Thank you!
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It is amazing how many people do not even know what has been going on..
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In the words of an astute cofveve: They haven’t suffered enough.
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Sure the obvious thing for Sessions to have done would be to put Whittaker in charge of the Mueller investigation and the leak investigation.
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You mentioned October 2017. Wikipedia mentions September. I found news articles some mentioned October and some mentioned September. I’m leaning towards September as he left CNN, the last week of August. I wish I could find a date certain.
Remember, Trump made his “calm before the Storm” on October 5th. I’m now wondering if Whitaker is the Storm.
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I’m wondering why anyone was ever “cornfused” in the first place, re the Sessions recusal. (And moreso surprised the topic has amassed 758 comments, lol.)
But thanks for the refresh re the dates/timeline. 🙂
No More Recusals! Dream On, Dumb Dems!
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We are all following your thread.
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Perfectly clear.
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Got it. The bubble insulates Whitaker (and Sessions) from any leak updates regarding the Mueller show.
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So long as Whitaker was Sessions’ deputy, the recusal bubble held. But as acting AG, Whitaker as a disinterested, independent party no longer suffers this constraint.
Impression is that Trump will endorse, if not instigate, whatever initiatives Whitaker may undertake, likely in conjunction with a full spectrum of convoluted legal cut-and-thrust.
From a distressed onlookers’ standpoint, Rats’ concerted drive to distract and undermine this Administration on every front betrays America’s interests to the very core.
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Nice and clear. Thanks.
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I’m disappointed but not surprised that this topic has gone dark in the larger MSM- including Fox.
I ascribe that to other pressing matters like giving attention to the elections and creepy porn lawyers or what some hollyweirdo thinks, or the hyperventilations of the crazies that will soon be leading the majority party of the House.
So be it. This story is not going away. Keep digging and the truth will out.
There are more patriots than deep statist lawyers in law enforcement. They are unhappy too, and have not abandoned their oaths, but need cover to be interviewed.
Trump needs cover from the base to ask for this, in the face of threats about “obstruction”.
The base can only be mobilized with facts and education, like that carefully provided here.
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Trump needed cover but the base did not come out to vote to keep the house….
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No, I don’t understand this firewall dynamic, and why it is so critical that it be understood.
Could someone please summarize it for me?
Thank you very much.
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Basically it’s that Sessions wasn’t allowed to work on anything to do with the “Russian investigation”, because he had helped Trump during the campaign, and so was seen to have a conflict of interest… in theory, he wouldn’t be willing to investigate Trump fully due to their relationship. And so anything that normally would have gone to Sessions, instead went to the second-in-command, Rosenstein. While that wouldn’t be a big problem, if Rosey was fair and impartial… most of us believe he’s anything but, and is instead working with/for the Deep State to try to take down Trump AND protect the conspirators. But NOW the hope is that Whitaker will be able to do what Sessions never could… and Rosenstein is no longer as big a threat.
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I understand what you are saying, Sundance.
What I don’t understand by simple reason of not knowing how hierarchy (or pecking order) works within those agencies is, why did all the power go to Rosenstein, and not to Whitaker once he was hired?
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I understand, and also know that we are the only side that is held to these or any other rules.
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As in the other side TRAMPLES ALL OVER any semblance of fairness and truth.
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I get it now and understand why you believe we know what we know because of Whitaker! Thanks!
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No more firewall.
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One thing old age has given me and many others like me is a healthy helping of skepticism. In my opinion, nothing will happen. No one of any consequence will be prosecuted. The ‘coup’ has already taken place and the Dems are cleaning house, putting themselves in positions of power nationally and in key positions on the state and county level. They will bombard Trump with every charge they can muster until something sticks. They will destroy the election process and convince their base that elections are unreliable and are no longer necessary.
Will there be an uprising in response to this tyranny? No. Not really. Who will make the first move and who will lead them into battle….be it physical or political? Most will kick back after work and find comfort in believing none of this will really affect their lives.
The Dems know this.
I pray I’m completely wrong. Please do so as well.
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Well I guess I’m an idiot because I didn’t understand any good of it. 😳 All I know is that I feel the whole thing has been a sham. I still feel Jeff Sessions was a plant or at the very least as AIM suggests, blackmailed by Rosenstein because he knew more about the FISA and Carter Paige than he let on. All I know is that I’m ready for somebody…SOMEBODY to lower the boom on these conspirators!
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And therein lies the problem Polly: That SOMEBODY is ‘We the People.’
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So you’re my boss but I’ve got complete control over x then if someone says x in a passing statement then you are no longer in charge, I am now in charge and can do as I please! OK SD patiently waiting for the MW vs RR drop from you!! (sorry for the 2 !!, I’m to exited to sleep). Can we here at CTH help MW if so how?
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