Last night another batch of FBI Agent Peter Strzok and DOJ Lawyer Lisa Page text messages were released by the DOJ. (pdf here)
This series of messages are clearly from captures on the Peter Strzok side of their communications. All prior releases were captures from Lisa Page’s side, and were a direct outcome of her providing the messages to the FBI Inspection Division (INSD) as verification for her side of the story in the contradictions between her statements and those of her once boss Andrew McCabe (per the INSD leak investigation).
Former FBI Director James Comey strategically, and intentionally, showed up 20 minutes late for a scheduled live interview with Fox News Bret Baier thereby limiting the amount of time available for questions.
There are two segments to the interview. The first segment is 20 minutes long. In the first segment James Comey showcases his forward-moving legal defense strategy. Comey outlines that he was kept in the dark, and did not know, about almost all of the central elements within the actions taken by those under his leadership. WATCH:
President Donald Trump called-in to ‘Fox & Friends’ morning show for a wide-ranging interview on numerous subjects. Topics included: the Iranian nuclear agreement; Ronny Jackson’s withdrawal decision; Michael Cohen and possible North Korea summit.
Additionally, President Trump shared his disappointment with the Justice Department; noted James Comey’s book was likely a big mistake; and also thanked Kanye West for his support.
Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is the godfather of one of James Comey’s kids. Additionally, Fitzgerald was the prosecutor of recently pardoned Lewis “Scooter” Libby. Fitzgerald was also the person who Lisa Page and Peter Strzok recommended in their text messages debating the possible need for a special counsel looking into the actions of Hillary Clinton.
In short, Fitzgerald is a sketchy lawyer, dependable confidant, personal friend and like-minded political fixer for any/all legal issues within the circle of the ‘small group’ of co-conspirators; the crew who politicized and weaponized the DOJ and FBI to target their political opposition. According to recent reports, Fitzgerald has also been hired by James Comey in advance of possible criminal indictment(s).
WASHINGTON – Former FBI Director James Comey has reportedly hired his close friend and former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as one of his personal lawyers.
Two Capitol Hill sources confirmed to Talking Points Memo that Comey had retained Fitzgerald, though it was not immediately clear in what capacity he made the hire. (more)
Led by Representative Ron DeSantis, previously congress sent a criminal referral letter (full pdf below) to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Federal Prosecutor John Huber.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in the United States tomorrow for the first official State Visit and State Dinner of the President Trump Administration.
In advance of the visit, the pontificating media ambassador to the DC swamp, foie gras Wallace, briefs President Macron on what horrible vulgarian affronts he may encounter:
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A bit of background color – As noted in the interview, President Macron will bring with him a gift, offering to President Donald Trump and the American people, an oak sapling taken from Bellau Wood, about 60 miles northeast of Paris in the Champagne region. The site is where a famous World War One battle took place, where the U.S. Marine Corps repelled a German offensive in the final year of the conflict almost exactly a century ago.
The sapling grew close to the so-called “Devil Dog” fountain, a spot that has become legendary within Marines ranks. It is where U.S. soldiers are said to have gathered after the battle. The “dog” in the fountain’s name refers to its spout, which resembles the head of a bull mastiff. But the nickname also stems from the German moniker “Teufelhunden”, or “devil dogs”. That term is said to have been used by the Germans to describe the U.S. Marines due to the ferocity with which the Americans fought.
As a consequence, “Devil Dog” soon became a common nickname for U.S. Marines.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes appears on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the origin of the counterintelligence operation, that began in July 2016, against the Trump campaign.
Last week the FBI released the original “electronic communication” (EC) documents that underpinned the origin of the FBI counterintelligence operation. The first half of this interview contains some stunning information: the raw intelligence product within the EC did not come through official intelligence channels.
Meaning, the origin of the 2016 counterintelligence operation, which was specifically started by CIA Director John Brennan sharing his ‘raw intelligence product’ with the FBI, was not an official product of the U.S. intelligence community. Brennan was NOT using official partnerships with intelligence agencies of our Five-Eyes partner nations; and he did not provide raw intelligence -as an outcome of those relationships- to the FBI.
The questions, many of which are rhetorical against the backdrop of political motives, become: if the EC is not based on official intelligence from U.S. intelligence apparatus or any of the ‘five-eyes’ partners, then what is the origin, source and purpose therein, of the unofficial raw intelligence? Who created it? And why?
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As we begin to ponder the ramifications and answers to the questions in the first half of this interview, we must remember that CIA Director John Brennan gave congressional testimony last year where he explained how he delivered the raw intelligence product itself. We spotted this issue, and Brennan’s obfuscation therein, a year ago, when Brennan first gave his testimony.
Generally I would not refer so strongly to a prior discussion thread if the latest information did not absolutely confirm what was originally suspected.
On January 10th, 2017 we discussed “The Anatomy of a Modern Political Smear“, where we connected the dots, as they were happening in-real-time between James Comey, the Obama intelligence community and the media, specifically CNN. {Please See Here}
Yesterday, two events happened which absolutely confirm -with demonstrable certainty- what we immediately saw over 15 months ago. The first event was the appearance of James Comey on CNN to discuss his book. In part of the questioning by Jake Tapper, Comey admitted his January 6th briefing of the Steele Dossier content was ONLY about the Russian hookers, pee-tapes, and ridiculous sexual accusations against the President-elect. [CNN Transcript]:
TAPPER: So, let’s talk about the investigation and what you can talk about it. In January, 2017 when you met with President Trump and you did that oral presentation of what’s in that two page memo, summarizing the Steele dossier. We know from the book that you talked about these unverified allegations involving him and prostitutes.
Did you brief him about any — any of the other things in the Steele dossier, claims that his associates, Michael Cohen or Paul Manafort, were potentially working with the Russians? Or was it only about the prostitutes?
COMEY: It was only about the salacious part of it.
TAPPER: Why? Why only about that?
COMEY: Because that was the part that the leaders of the intelligence community agreed he needed to be told about because we knew it and thought it was about to become public. And if it was true, we didn’t know whether it was true, it would be important to let him know this as part of a defensive briefing. (link)
The second event, was the actual release of the Comey memo describing that January 6th, 2017, briefing as directed by “the leaders of the intelligence community”. We now know exactly who was giving that instruction:
Well, well, well…. details from last week’s trip by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to the White House are now surfacing in multiple news reports. Mark the date today, the media is exiting the ‘muh Russia’ narrative.
Deep-weeds-walkers, those who follow nuance carefully, will note that yesterday Jennifer Jacobs was given a question by POTUS Trump during the joint press conference with PM Shinzo Abe. Jacobs asked President Trump if he would still consider firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Not coincidentally, today Jennifer Jacobs reports that DAG Rosenstein informed the President he is not a target of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The media walk-back begins…. left-wing partisans going bananas. Multiple simultaneous splodey heads happening:
(Bloomberg) Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told President Donald Trump last week that he isn’t a target of any part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Rosenstein, who brought up the Mueller probe himself, offered the assurance during a meeting with Trump at the White House last Thursday, a development that helped tamp down the president’s desire to remove Rosenstein or Mueller, the people said.
U.S. Attorney John Lausch had previously explained his specific role is to coordinate document production from the DOJ-OIG with specific focus on evidence documents that pertain to the “original” Horowitz investigation path. That only includes documents pertaining to the politicization of the DOJ/FBI relating to the Clinton investigation.
U.S. Prosecutor John Huber is paralleling IG Horowitz on all investigative findings that fall into potentially criminal conduct. The evidence being culled into the Huber files are not going to congress because they are potentially evidence in ongoing criminal cases. The Huber evidence contains grand jury material and evidence of likely criminal conduct.
Yesterday, in response to congressional committee demand by Chairman Goodlatte (Judiciary), Chairman Nunes (Intel) and Chairman Gowdy (Oversight), for the memos written by James Comey, some of which were leaked to media, Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has asked for additional time for DOJ review.
Interesting radio interview earlier this morning with Joe diGenova on WMAL. Mr. diGenova discusses his review of the James Comey interview and at 12:30 of the audio he enlarges the discussion of Scooter Libby with an interesting perspective of Trey Gowdy.
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Don’t forget the Office of Inspector General Horowitz, 39-page report on Andrew McCabe, is only the first of multiple OIG reports that will soon be released. The main report will cover the overall politicization of the Clinton investigation(s) by the DOJ and FBI; and the FISA court abuse by those same officials will follow thereafter.