Senator Chuck Grassley is not happy with the DOJ and FBI refusing to turn over documents and material surrounding the investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.   After more than a year of requests, and after several weeks of current specific requests, Senator Grassley sends a pointed letter (full pdf below) to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.  Grassley smells something suspicious:

If the facts are inconsistent with the plea agreement, that would be an entirely different kettle of fish.

The Department’s reply to my May 11, 2018 letter seeking information about the circumstances surrounding Lt. General Michael Flynn’s reported conversations with the Russian ambassador and FBI records related to those conversations is insufficient. The letter only recounts a series of publicly known facts about Lt. General Flynn’s plea agreement and relies on improper excuses in refusing to provide the requested information. The Committee requires this information to fulfill its Constitutional function and its charge under Senate Rules to conduct oversight of the Department of Justice.

(more…)

While no-one has yet to see the actual Inspector General Mike Horowitz report outlining how the DOJ and FBI handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the media are beginning to shape the narrative.

In a summary of Bill Priestap’s testimony, via The Hill, the narrative begins by focusing on James Comey:  “Priestap “completely” backed up everything that Comey said, according to a source familiar with his testimony.”  The narrative construct gains clarity with a report from ABC highlight James Comey as “insubordinate”:

(Via ABC) The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that James Comey defied authority at times during his tenure as FBI director, according to sources familiar with a draft report on the matter.

One source told ABC News that the draft report explicitly used the word “insubordinate” to describe Comey’s behavior. Another source agreed with that characterization but could not confirm the use of the term.

(more…)

UPDATE: 7:45pm – According to email from congressional staff, participation at the closed hearing was limited to only those selected by Committee Chairman (Gowdy, and Goodlatte).  The hearing was not available to all committee members.  Only Jordan, Meadows and Krishnamoorth were allowed to participate. 

Yesterday FBI Director of Counterintelligence E.W. “Bill” Priestap testified to a joint session of the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees.

The hearing was a matter of strong public interest.  Mr. Priestap was questioned for approximately seven hours.  However, journalist Olivia Beavers covering for The Hill dropped a detail that most, including myself, might find rather curious:

(The Hill) […] Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), however, said he felt that Priestap didn’t say anything that would indicate there was “political bias that motivated the Hillary Clinton email investigation.”

Priestap “completely” backed up everything that Comey said, according to a source familiar with his testimony.

Only three lawmakers — Jordan, Meadows and Krishnamoorthi — attended the hearing, which took place on the first day after a weeklong recess.

(more…)

Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) discusses FBI agent Peter Strzok’s involvement in the Clinton email probe and the Russia investigation; along with the anticipated DOJ-OIG report:

(more…)

The backstory is important here.  Two days ago internet researcher Nick Falco discovered a potentially damning text dated December 28th 2015 within a previously released set of Lisa Page and Peter Strzok text messages.  The original text was redacted in one section (Page #31); however, somehow further down the release (Page #159) the same text was not redacted.  It is presumed the FBI redacted the word “lures”, whereas the IG did not.

In one release (page #31) the word “lures” was redacted.  In the second release (page #159) it was NOT redacted.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Chairman Ron Johnson, released over 500 pages of documents and texts.  On page #159 (pdf here) the unredacted version of the following message appears:

(Link to pdf – page #159)

“You get all our oconus lures approved?”

“OCONUS” means Outside Continental U.S.  “LURES” in this context is ‘spies’; or as Chris Farrell discusses, likely double agents.  The messages were December 28th, 2015.

•Peter Strzok asking Lisa Page:  Did you get all our outside U.S. spies approved?
•Lisa Page responds: “No, it’s just implicated a much bigger policy issue. I’ll explain later. Might even be able to use it as a pretext for a call…”

The implication is this could have been the pre-planning for #Spygate. This is what Lou Dobbs and Chris Farrell are discussing; and apparently President Trump noticed:

(more…)

Wait, what?  We’ve obviously come a full 180° from the place where Democrats were proclaiming McCabe’s innocence; and we’ve entered the phase where McCabe is requesting criminal immunity in exchange for testimony about what he knows of the corrupt FBI operations in 2016 and 2017. [Worm Turning Speech Increases]

In a series of letters going back and forth between Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Michael Bromwich, the attorney for fired Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Bromwich is requesting criminal immunity in exchange for cooperation.

On May 31st, 2018, Chairman Grassley invited Andrew McCabe to testify [SEE HERE]; On June 4th Bromwich responded [SEE HERE]  Grassley is requesting emails McCabe said he sent to Comey about talking to the media.  According to McCabe, despite his false statements to FBI and INSD investigators (under oath), his conduct was with the full knowledge of FBI Director James Comey.  Grassley was asking for proof.  Bromwich responded by saying McCabe doesn’t have the emails, the current FBI does.

Here’s the response letter:

(more…)

FBI Director of Counterintelligence E.W. “Bill” Priestap has been delivering testimony to a joint congressional committee for more than seven hours.

This is Bill Priestap’s first testimony to congress.  Previously all of Priestap’s statements have been made to FBI and INSD (Inspection Division) investigators.  This is also likely the first time many congressional members will have heard of the scale and scope of the abuse by the DOJ-NSD and FBI.

The joint House Judiciary and Oversight Committee has been hearing testimony from Bill Priestap all day. A tweet from Chad Pergram notes: “Colleague Catherine Herridge rpts a mbrs familiar w/Hse closed-door i-view w/FBI espionage chief Bill Priestap has been cooperative. But says FBI Agent Strzok played an more central role than previously known in Clinton email/Russia investigations beyond Strzok/Page text messages.”

It appears there will be confirmation of prior research.  There was always a strong suspicion FBI Agent Peter Strzok was working around his boss Bill Priestap and reporting directly to Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and to a lesser extent FBI chief legal counsel James Baker.  Activity in both the Clinton email and Russia investigations that was outside normal chain-of-command structure.

(more…)

There are Trillions At Stake.   There is no upper limit to what congress is willing to do to stop President Trump from turning off the lobbyist funding.  Without influence in DC there can be no affluence in DC.  That’s why McConnell cancelled the recess.

If the president continues to remain focused exclusively on what is in the U.S. best interests, he must be stopped.  Politicians in DC cannot just sit-by and allow the U.S. economy to be based on the interests of Americans; it would mean the destruction of years of central planning by DC Lobbyists, multinational banks, Wall Street and multinational corporations.

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he will not bring up a freestanding bill to push back on President Trump’s trade agenda, but that GOP senators might be able to add it as an amendment to other legislation.

Support among Republicans has grown for legislation backed by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would give Congress power to authorize or reject any new tariffs imposed because of national security concerns.

(more…)

Given the fact we are certain that George Papadopoulos was working as an informant for Special Counsel Robert Mueller as an outcome of a plea deal in July 2017, it is rather sketchy for his wife-not-wife Simona Mangiante to be requesting a pardon for her husband, the “proactive cooperator“.

Robert Mueller is looking for a reason to create the “obstruction” case against President Trump; a pardon for George Papadopoulos would play right into that effort; and Papadopoulos is working with Mueller.  Hmmmm?  Sketchy. All of it.

BACKSTORY HERE

See all the court files on Papadopoulos here.

(more…)

As previously discussed, FBI Director of Counterintelligence E.W. “Bill” Priestap, FBI Head of National Security Division, Michael Steinbach, and the former head of the FBI National Security Division, John Giacalone, are all scheduled to testify to congress this month.

The three FBI officials will be testifying to a joint congressional committee of the Judiciary and House Oversight members.  The joint committee was formed by Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy.  The first testimony is tomorrow; and FBI Director of Counterintelligence Bill Priestap will go first.   This will be Priestap’s first congressional testimony.  Unfortunately, the testimony will be behind closed doors.

FBI Asst. Director of Counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, is central to all of the activity that was happening in both the Clinton investigation and the Trump investigation. Bill Priestap was FBI Agent Peter Strzok’s immediate boss. However, as noted in the text messages Strzok often worked around Priestap at the behest of the person giving him political instructions – FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

The timing of the testimony also speaks to the timing of the upcoming Inspector General report regarding the politicization of the DOJ and FBI surrounding the Clinton investigative outcomes.  Some of the most significant releases have come while President Trump is outside of Washington DC; and with the G7 on June 8th – 9th in Canada; it would seem likely the IG report is to be made public anytime over the next 72 hours.

(more…)