Senator Lindsey Graham (U-DC) appears on Fox News to discuss the curious Susan Rice email to herself on inauguration day. “by the book”
In a curious article tonight Byron York presents an odd dynamic surrounding the Michael Flynn “lie narrative.” York points out that in March 2017, James Comey told a closed session of congress that he didn’t think Michael Flynn lied to FBI investigators; yet in December 2017, Flynn accepted a plea therein. York is puzzled – SEE HERE –
As we previously shared, the answer to the question(s) presented within the Flynn article are really not that difficult to figure out.
There was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the President-Elect’s Transition Team talking to any foreign government, or any official within any foreign government. Ever. Period. Actually, that’s exactly what transition teams are supposed to do; they reach out and receive information from foreign government officials as the starting point to communication with a new administration.
Many people have asked the question why would Michael Flynn have lied about talking to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the first place?
It’s a great question.
The Occam’s Razor answer is the toxic political environment that existed in January 2017, where the administration was being hammered by a tsunami of media narratives and political opposition claiming that any scintilla of contact with anything Russian meant that Putin and Trump were “colluding BFF’s”,…. and Flynn didn’t want to fuel that nonsense.
Earlier today Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley sent a letter to President Obama’s former National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, about a curious email she sent to herself documenting a White House conversation between President Obama and former FBI head James Comey (pdf below).
On the day of the inauguration, January 20th, 2017; at the very last minutes of the outgoing administration; Mrs. Rice documented a conversation which took place on January 5th, 2017 between President Obama, Asst. AG Sally Yates and FBI Director James Comey. Vice-President Joe Biden and Susan Rice were in attendance.
On its face the Rice note would appear to be a CYA memo documenting a conversation in the larger effort of the White House in case the DOJ/FBI were discovered to be conspiring to create a series of false accusations, the “insurance policy” per se’, against the incoming president. Rice appears to be leaving a document trail in the event she needed to extricate herself from risks associated with the intention of the ‘small group’.
The substance of the meeting surrounded the “Clinton-Steele Dossier”, and how the DOJ and FBI officials were pursuing the use therein. The date of the meeting, January 5th, 2017,was amid a series of leaks from inside the FBI and DOJ toward allied media who were working diligently to frame a narrative of Russian collusion.
NEW YORK – Donald Trump Jr.’s wife, Vanessa Trump, was taken to the hospital Monday after receiving a letter containing white powder that was later deemed to be non-hazardous, New York City police told Fox News.
President Trump‘s daughter-in-law opened the letter addressed to Donald Trump Jr. just after 10 a.m. at the couple’s Manhattan apartment. It’s unclear what the “white powder” was, but authorities tested the substance and found it to be “non-hazardous.”
Vanessa Trump was taken to the hospital as a precaution, police said. Two other people who were also exposed to the powder were taken to the hospital.
It’s always an interesting exercise to take new and confirmed information and go back to see the claims from the key stakeholders when the initial trail of the information was discovered. This is one such example from July 2017.
Now that Chairman Devin Nunes, Chuck Grassley and the key players themselves, have discovered and admitted the U.S. State Department was heavily involved in passing along Clinton opposition research to Chris Steele to create the “Clinton-Steele Dossier”, it’s interesting to look at how the former State Department spokesperson -in place during all the events- responded last year when the Clinton-Steele Dossier was thought to be part of the underlying evidence for the DOJ/FBI FISA application.
Former State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, a person in direct and continuous contact with all the principle agents during the 2016 information flow, was confronted in July 2017 and adamantly denied the dossier was part of the FISA application. WATCH:
Looking beyond the transparent lying and subsequent collapse of credibility, the key takeaway here is how State Department officials knew what was going on in 2016, recognized the risk presented by that action in 2017, and were willing to walk the plank because they were certain none of it would ever come to light.
There are many people who wonder why any Democrat, particularly Adam Schiff, would continue clinging to a narrative despite all contrary evidence that disproves it. The answer is really quite simple; there’s nothing to lose. Much like the bank robber killing a police officer, once that initial capital felony is committed there is no greater punishment for all subsequent actions.
The foundational lies are of such significance there is no punitive, or political, down-side to dissuade further lying built upon the originating falsehood. Twice in this interview Major Garrett asks the ranking member of the HPSCI if he is certain the DOJ and FBI followed proper procedures, and presented proper evidence, in gaining a FISA court “Title-1” surveillance warrant over Carter Page. WATCH:
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Note how Adam Schiff is in California (Friday night appearing on Bill Maher), and maximizing the political benefit of his narrative construction; instead of actually working to clear up his memo construct and release it. It’s not the memo that is important to him, it’s the political narrative he’s created.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes appears on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo for an extensive interview discussing the ongoing investigation into the DOJ, FBI and State Department; and their collaboration with the Hillary Clinton campaign to weaponize political opposition research in the 2016 election.
Chairman Nunes describes how the Democrats on the HPSCI put classified information into their memo intentionally in an effort to create political benefit; and now refuse to redact and release their own work product.
Chairman Devin Nunes keeps a big picture focus while also describing how corrupt officials within the DOJ and FBI continued to use the “Title-1” surveillance warrant in 2017 to monitor and track all of the communication between Carter Page and congress. In essence, the ‘small group’ within the DOJ and FBI were likely spying on the congressional investigation into their own unlawful activity. WATCH:
The game is over. The jig is up. Victory is certain… the trench was ignited… the enemy funneled themselves into the valley… all bait was taken… everything from here on out is simply mopping up the details. All suspicions confirmed.
Why has Devin Nunes been so confident? Why did all GOP HPSCI members happily allow the Democrats to create a 10-page narrative? All questions are answered.
Fughettaboudit.
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence member Chris Stewart appeared on Fox News with Judge Jeanine Pirro, and didn’t want to “make news” or spill the beans, but the unstated, between-the-lines, discussion was as subtle as a brick through a window. Judge Jeannie has been on the cusp of this for a few weeks.
Listen carefully around 2:30, Judge Jeanine hits the bulls-eye; and listen to how Chris Stewart talks about not wanting to make news and is unsure what he can say on this…
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Bill Priestap is cooperating.
When you understand how central E.W. “Bill” Priestap was to the entire 2016/2017 ‘Russian Conspiracy Operation‘, the absence of his name, amid all others, created a curiosity. I wrote a twitter thread about him last year and wrote about him extensively, because it seemed unfathomable his name has not been a part of any of the recent story-lines.
GOP Membership have put together this video to highlight the key points surrounding how the DOJ and FBI put together a FISA Court application to conduct surveillance on political opposition:
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Additionally, constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz discusses the ongoing issues:
Former Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Charles, discusses the procedures and processes for gaining a FISA ‘Title-1’ surveillance warrant. Within the discussion Mr. Charles outlines the FISA review court and a likely path the Carter Page application could have taken after an initial denial.
Additionally, Mr. Charles discusses the downstream ramifications when the U.S. Department of Justice secures a warrant by providing false and/or misleading information to the FISA court: “fruit of the poisonous tree”.
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The explanation by the former ASoS might very well explain why Robert Mueller asked for a delay in the ongoing Mike Flynn sentencing; and simultaneously explain why Judge Ruben Contreras was recused from the case.