Interesting report from The Hill today quoting an interview with Representative Mark Meadows.  According to the report U.S. Attorney John Huber is expected to testify to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Reform about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

(Via The Hill) Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said Tuesday that House Republicans plan to hear testimony on Dec. 5 from the prosecutor appointed by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to probe alleged wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation.
Meadows, who is chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations, told Hill.TV’s “Rising” that it’s time to “circle back” to U.S. Attorney General John Huber’s investigation with the Justice Department into whether the Clinton Foundation engaged any improper activities.

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Former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova appears on WMAL radio for a discussion of the joint house committee issuing subpoenas for Loretta Lynch, James Comey and Sally Yates.  diGenova brings up a good point, what happens if they just simply refuse to comply?  Answer: Nothing.  From diGenova’s perspective it’s chaff and countermeasures.
In this interview a fired-up diGenova strongly lambasts Bob Goodlatte, Trey Gowdy, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy for enabling a highly political Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller to cover-up the institutional corruption within the DOJ and FBI.

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Retiring House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy discusses the need to subpoena James Comey, Loretta Lynch and Sally Yates for testimony between the joint Oversight and Judiciary Committee.

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Interesting interview covering multiple aspects to the change in House power. Soon to be in the minority, HPSCI Chairman Devin Nunes discusses the likely diminished investigation into DOJ/FBI corruption as a result of Rod Rosenstein and “Dirty Cops” running out the clock.
One of the interesting points noted by Nunes is how Speaker Paul Ryan requested the DOJ and FBI declassify internal emails for House committee use. However, DAG Rod Rosenstein refused to provide the emails which highlighted how officials within the institution abused their authority.
It will be interesting to watch how the “trust the plan” group, those proclaiming Rod Rosenstein is the harbinger of DOJ virtue, reconcile today’s interview with Devin Nunes.

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Outgoing and retiring Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Bob Goodlatte, appears on Fox and Friends weekend to discuss the status of investigations into the DOJ and FBI corruption.
Goodlatte notes the reason for former FBI Director James Comey to refuse to testify to a closed session, and also outlines how the joint House Oversight and Judicary committee will turn over their investigative material to the Senate Oversight (Ron Johnson) and Senate Judiciary (likely Lindsey Graham) committees.

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Congressional oversight in the matters of the DOJ and FBI political weaponization has been negligent by design.  While Special Counsel Robert Mueller creates the “ongoing investigation shield” for all who would be questioned, the republican-led congress has been weak in delivering any actionable results through oversight.
All prior witness transcripts remain concealed as the GOP turns over power to the allies of the witnesses.  Many who have followed the details are frustrated, and with little to no progress within the DOJ/FBI investigation(s) there is an understandable sentiment we have once-again been played. [Fast-n-Furious; IRS; Benghazi; Clinton Emails and now the abuses by the DOJ and FBI.  All of it covered-up by the same can-kicking process]

To rub the proverbial salt in the wound, today Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte announces his request to subpoena former FBI Director, James Comey (November 29), and former DOJ Attorney General, Loretta Lynch (Dec. 5th), in the lame-duck session prior to turning over committee power to the Democrats.
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Senator Lindsey Graham (U-DC) met with Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker earlier today and pauses to discuss with interested media.  Graham confirms Whitaker is intent on allowing the Mueller investigation to come to its natural conclusion.
Additionally, Graham discusses a potential for he and Whitaker to work together next year on issues vitally important to the institution.  [ie. do not expect any ‘spygate’ stuff being discussed at any time over the next several weeks.]

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Additionally today, the Office of Inspector General, Michael Horowitz outlined departmental priorities for the DOJ in 2019. [READ HERE] Which leans heavily toward the possibility the next DOJ-IG report will be a white-wash over the FISA abuse. Notably absent from the challenge priorities is any direct interest in eliminating corruption.
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Voices selling a pending conclusion to the Mueller investigation of President Trump were dealt a set-back today as Robert Mueller files a motion with the court extending the 2016 Russian interference investigation deep into 2019.
The Associated Press is citing court documents filed within the Rick Gates case where the special counsel is requesting additional time for sentencing as an outcome of ongoing cooperation that has expanded the investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Mueller isn’t done with former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates.
That’s according to a new court filing from the special counsel’s team. Prosecutors say they’re not ready for Gates to be sentenced because he is continuing to cooperate with “several ongoing investigations.” And they’re asking a federal judge to give them until mid-January before they have to give another update about his case.

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In a move that supports President Trump, the U.S. Justice Department, Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), has released a lengthy memo [pdf available here] outlining the legal support for the interim appointment of Matthew Whitaker as Acting Attorney General.

(Via Wall Street Journal) […] The Justice Department’s opinion is aimed at critics who say Mr. Whitaker’s installation is an invalid run around the Constitution’s requirement that the Senate provide “advice and consent” for senior executive-branch nominations. It comes a day after the state of Maryland asked a federal judge to block Mr. Whitaker from serving, arguing that job should fall to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
A judge Wednesday set a hearing on that argument for Dec. 19.

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Back on July 22nd, the day after the July 21st surprise release of the Carter Page FISA Title-1 surveillance application, I wrote: “Oh My, This is Either A Sting -OR- The Most Corrupt U.S. Dept of Justice in History” (link).  The issue surrounded the seemingly transparent connection between the James Wolfe indictment and the FISA application.
Three months later, when James Wolfe accepted a single-count guilty plea offer around lying to federal investigators, the answer seemed obvious, at least to me.  Despite the evidence of leaking “top secret” classified documents within the Wolfe indictment DAG Rosenstein initially charged 3 counts of lying; and offered a lower guilty plea on one count.

Along with tenuous congressional testimony; a refusal to comply with document production; and a never-ending defense of the Mueller investigation; Rosenstein gives all appearances of an administrative state weasel.   However, there are solid and reasonable people who genuinely believe both Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller are doing a good, and fair, job for President Trump.
Jeff Carlson over at Marketswork does solid research and analysis.  His position on Rosenstein is far more favorable than mine; and in the interests of intellectual honesty, he could be correct [Here] and [here] and especially [Here], and  I could be entirely wrong.
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