We shared a discussion thread several months ago about how the media are enmeshed within the story of the DOJ and FBI corruption. The media engagements with the parties swirling around the FBI, DOJ and Clinton-Steele Dossier are so pervasive they cannot reasonably report on any aspect of the story without exposing their own duplicity.
As more and more information surfaces about corrupt DOJ and FBI activity, it’s worth remembering the media’s complicit role. Here’s an updated review for context:

Michael Isikoff highlighted that level of how enmeshed media is with the story in February when he admitted his reporting was being used by the DOJ and FBI to advance the political objectives of the intelligence community. Additionally, FBI investigator Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page were shown in their text messages to be leaking stories from the Clinton Investigation, the Trump investigation and the Mueller investigation to journalists at Politico, The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. –SEE HERE–
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was busted by the Inspector General leaking stories to the media and then lying about it to INSD and IG investigators. FBI Director James Comey admitted to leaking stories to the New York Times, and even hired his friend Andrew Richman (off-the-books), gave him access to FBI and NSA databases, and then leaked information to Richman along with another friend Benjamin Wittes at Lawfare blog.
(more…)

Fox News host Mark Levin appears on Fox Weekend to discuss the Mueller report, AG William Barr’s role in the next steps, and the media’s role in pushing the false collusion narrative.
Levin walks through the current DOJ laws, rules and regulations that guide the AG steps and how Pelosi and Schumer are attempting to subvert that process for political gain.

The Mueller investigation was cited to President Trump, by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as a specific reason not to declassify certain documents.  Here’s a link to the General Principles of declassification [SEE HERE] Yes, the President can declassify anything; however, there is a process that must be followed.

With the completion of the Mueller investigation, it would appear that President Trump could now declassify the documents as requested by congress on September 6th, 2018.  Additionally, after the original declassification request, there were other documents added to the list.  Perhaps it is worthwhile remembering what those declassification documents are:
♦ The first item(s) is/are the Carter Page FISA applications (including specifically pages 10-12 and 17-34 and relevant footnotes).  This request was modified to include the last 22 pages of the third renewal of the FISA application (dated July 2016).
(more…)

Fox News ran a special report on the Mueller investigation concluding with several key interviews.  ♦Devin Nunes discusses the recent revelations around the McCabe text messages, and material he wants to see declassified, along with his intent to submit several criminal referrals. ♦David Bosse discusses the political ramifications of the Mueller probe. ♦Gregg Jarrett discusses the issues within the DOJ and FBI. ♦Alan Dershowitz discusses the FISA court and possible abuse.

According to most media reporting AG William Barr is meeting with Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein today and reviewing the completed Mueller report.  At the end of this review, according to statute, AG Barr will commission a “Principle Conclusion” summary report that he will deliver to congress.  As of 4:00pm EST, the White House has not been privately briefed on the Mueller findings.

The summary report from AGBarr will be given to House and Senate judiciary oversight committees before wider dissemination. The Chair of the House Judiciary Committee is Jerry Nadler (ranking member Doug Collins); the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee is Lindsey Graham (Vice-Chair Dianne Feinstein).  AG William Barr may also brief those committees, or he may assign DAG Rosenstein to the briefing.
Depending on conversations between the DOJ and congressional leadership, there’s also a possibility of a more extensive briefing covering details within the Mueller investigation.  However, that briefing would likely be reserved for the intelligence oversight group known as the “Gang of Eight”: Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Adam Schiff, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Richard Burr and Mark Warner.
Due to the politics surrounding the Barr report, it is likely the White House will be given the Principle Conclusion Summary around the same time as congress.  The White House (executive branch) may also be able to review the full underlying documentation behind the summary…. that’s likely where the political fight for the ‘narrative’ will take place.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi tipped her hand at the Democrat approach during a strategy meeting today.  According to early reporting Pelosi will refuse to attend any ‘Gang of Eight’ briefing and will demand the full investigative file be declassified:
(more…)

Not a Tick-Tock

All day long, even before the Mueller news broke, Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge has really been leaning-forward, giving insight into the pending Inspector General report by OIG Michael Horowitz. Herridge is one of those reporters who is careful not to get out in front of her skis.  Ms. Herridge is not a book-selling member of the tick-tock community of pundits.

We noted earlier how the specific emphasis of Ms. Herridge seemed to indicate the Horowitz report was closer to the surface of completion than previously thought.
Immediately after the Mueller news broke (around 5pm EST), Herridge filed her first live report providing details of the Mueller report.  Within that first report Herridge stated she was previously bound to “confidences” until the Mueller probe was complete.
In subsequent reporting we begin to see what those confidences are, and how they connect to her exclusive reporting on text messages between Andrew McCabe and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
Ms. Herridge is strongly emphasizing a few key points that need additional emphasis:
(more…)

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has completed his two-year-long investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 election, and submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr.
In a letter to congress (see below) AG Barr states: “I write to notify you pursuant to 28 C.F.R. 600.9(a)(3) that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters.”

A DOJ official says Justice let the White House know it had the report at roughly 4:35pm. The report was delivered earlier this afternoon, per Justice official. It delivered to Deputy Attorney General’s office and within minutes the Attorney General William Barr.

As they say… things get clearer with more data. The activity behind the curtain starts to make more sense.
Thanks to an article from Newsmax we now get to see the fourth corner of the 2020 Fox News motives:

NEWSMAX – The parent company of Fox News has hired a former top aide to Joe Biden as its chief lobbyist in Washington.
On Tuesday the new Fox Corp., a spin-off of 21^st Century Fox which just merged with Disney, became a standalone public company, controlling television assets such as Fox News and the Fox television network.
Broadcasting & Cable reported that new Fox “hit the ground running on day one” with its Washington lobbying operation headed by Danny O’Brien, a well-known Democrat.

(more…)

With a few exceptions CTH is not a big fan of expecting congressional letters to deliver results and information.  However, that said, I hope this is one of the exceptions.
Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows send a letter (full pdf below) to Attorney General William Barr wanting to know what is the status of the criminal referral for fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
The referral was made April 19th, 2018, approximately five days after the OIG published their report outlining McCabe’s lies.

The McCabe criminal referral was made to Jessie K. Liu (above right), the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia who is also a member of the Attorney General Advisory Council (AGAC). According to reporting from last year there was a grand jury impaneled in/around July 2018.
Grand Jury testimony and activity is generally kept quiet; there have been no leaks and no public activity noted in the past eight months.  However, Mr. McCabe has recently been highly visible on his book tour.  Adding to speculation the grand jury may no longer exist, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu is expected to be nominated to the #3 spot at the DOJ.
Given the distance from the original McCabe grand jury investigation (8 months); and accepting the current high-profile book tour by Andrew McCabe; and considering Ms. Liu is soon to exit as U.S. Attorney for DC; it would appear Mr. Jordan and Mr. Meadows are inquiring about whether or not the legal issues around McCabe still remain.
(more…)

In the past several days the 2020 Democrat candidates have been assembling a rather odd set of 2020 platform issues.  President Trump notes it all seems rather “strange”:

In addition to promoting infanticide; eliminating borders and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and banning guns; the Democrats have all signed on to The Green New Deal, which advocates for: raising taxes, paying people not to work, eliminating air travel, banning cows and rebuilding every structure in America to run on ‘sustainable energy’.
The platform is now expanding to: lowering the voting age to 16; eliminating the electoral college; placing term limits on federal judges; and adding more Justices to the Supreme Court to advance the aforementioned progressive values.
Presidential historian Doug Wead weighed-in with Trish Regan.
(more…)