Attorney General Jeff Sessions sat down with Maria Bartiromo for an extensive discussion on ongoing issues. Topics include immigration reform, FISA court abuses, the DOJ and FBI corruption investigation(s), and more. WATCH:
For over three months there’s been an 800lb gorilla in the corner of the discussion desperately being avoided by an incurious corporate media.
In the fall of 2017 Fusion-GPS founder Glenn Simpson and Clinton-Steele Dossier author Christopher Steele were in frequent media stories. However, on December 2nd 2017 the first outline of previously invisible FBI Agent Peter Strzok and FBI Attorney Lisa Page hit the headlines.
Pete and Lisa were soon joined by other previous DOJ/FBI invisibles like Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Jim Rybicki, James Baker and ‘he-who-shall-not-be-named’. Eventually the ripple effect expanded to include David Laufman (DOJ) and Mike Kortan (FBI).
However, one thing has been brutally missing throughout the three months…. there’s been no media interviews or statements by anyone.
Additionally, in a rather odd dynamic there’s no appetite by any media to get any of the names on record,… for anything…. not.a.word. Not a single satellite truck outside any house. No-media knocking on doors for comment(s). No TV pundits seeking ‘exclusive’ interviews to set the record straight, etc. It’s as if everyone in the DOJ/FBI ‘small group’ is carrying an Ebola virus that destroys healthy narrative cells.
Jeffrey Lord appears on NewsMax TV to discuss the Rod Rosenstein announcement yesterday, and also the larger discussion of how the Mueller investigation disproves a negative political claim.
Earlier today President Trump responded via twitter to the indictment announcement by DAG Rod Rosenstein. President Trump directed attention to a New York Post article and also to the earlier statements by Rob Goldman VP of Facebook Ads.
(Tweet Link – Rob Goldman FB Link)
Additionally President Trump directed attention to a New York Post article written by Michael Goodwin:
Sometimes people who assemble information make wrong assertions; this is one such time. Unfortunately, Byron York’s assertion needs a quick deconstruction.
In a twitter reply today Mr. York makes a mistake in spreading false information that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz is not investigating the DOJ/FBI corruption surrounding the “Trump/Russia Case”.
The fact is – the origination statement from the Office of Inspector General specifically says the review of DOJ/FBI politicization of their investigative authority is not restrained from following “other issues that may arise.” There’s a years-worth of evidence that IG Horowitz is running an investigation on two-tracks, here’s how:
The specificity here is pretty damning. The FBI released a stunning admission today admitting they received prior a specific warning about Broward County Nikolas Cruz and his threats to carry out a school shooting. The FBI took no action.
WASHINGTON DC FBI – On January 5, 2018, a person close to Nikolas Cruz contacted the FBI’s Public Access Line (PAL) tipline to report concerns about him. The caller provided information about Cruz’s gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting.
Under established protocols, the information provided by the caller should have been assessed as a potential threat to life. The information then should have been forwarded to the FBI Miami Field Office, where appropriate investigative steps would have been taken.
WHITE HOUSE – Earlier today, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced indictments against 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian entities for meddling in the 2016 Presidential election, which began in 2014 before the President declared his candidacy. President Donald J. Trump has been fully briefed on this matter and is glad to see the Special Counsel’s investigation further indicates—that there was NO COLLUSION between the Trump campaign and Russia and that the outcome of the election was not changed or affected.
President Trump says, “it is more important than ever before to come together as Americans. We cannot allow those seeking to sow confusion, discord, and rancor to be successful. It’s time we stop the outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories, which only serve to further the agendas of bad actors, like Russia, and do nothing to protect the principles of our institutions. We must unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections.” (read more)
There is a particular transparency in timing as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces indictments from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ‘Russian Interference in U.S. Election‘ investigation on the same day as the FBI is forced to admit they made massive mistakes from reports against the Parkland Florida school shooter.
The thirteen indictments are based on very weak structure. Here’s the DOJ Announcement; and here is Rod Rosenstein’s press conference. Specific wording is used tactically to generate maximum value; however, when you peel back the onion skin and look at the actual indictment itself (full pdf below) there’s not much ‘there’ there:
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The indictment itself is full of fluff and clearly presents itself as political posturing. The Mueller investigation had to find something, anything; and what they came up with reflects how little substance exists. This is one of those examples where it pays to read the actual indictment; and contrast the facts laid out against the method of salesmanship and parseltongue. It is not a difficult read – even Boris and Natasha could do it.
Example: “unwitting Trump campaign official” is really – A single New York volunteer campaign worker agreed to give some signs to a pro-Trump rally.
Moments ago FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer responded to the requests from the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte. (full pdf’s below – #1 and #2)
There are nuances in each response specific to the statutory roles of each Chairman and the specific requests made by each committee. Reflected in Judge Collyer’s responses is a need for careful consideration of each unique request.
♦House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes holds primary oversight authority over the aggregate Intelligence Community (IC). Chairman Nunes has requested the transcripts from the FISA Court during the DOJ/FBI Title-1 surveillance application over their target, U.S. person Carter Page.
♦House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte holds primary oversight authority over the Department of Justice -including the FISA court- and has requested the actual FISA Title-1 application as submitted by the DOJ/FBI for surveillance of Carter Page.
Judge Collyer responds to both legislative branch chairmen from the position of “never previously receiving such requests.” There are separation of power challenges, but also an understanding inherent in the response to Chairman Goodlatte of the unique statutory oversight his committee holds.
Andrew McCarthy has an excellent must-read review of how the Susan Rice email paints a clear picture of James Comey’s instructions -from President Obama- to obfuscate the intent of the FBI counterintelligence operation during the early days of the Trump administration.
Andrew McCarthy – On her way out the White House door and out of her job as national-security adviser, Susan Rice writes an email-to-self. Except it’s not really an email-to-self. It is quite consciously an email for the record.
Her term having ended 15 minutes before, Rice was technically back in private life, where private people have private email accounts — even notepads if they want to scratch out a reminder the old-fashioned way. Yet, for at least a few more minutes, Rice still had access to her government email account. She could still generate an official record. That’s what she wanted her brief email to be: the dispositive memorialization of a meeting she was worried about — a meeting that had happened over two weeks earlier, at which, of course, President Obama insisted that everything be done “by the book.” (continue reading)