The White House government transparency office, John Solomon, has declassified and released FBI internal documents surrounding their opening of an investigation of Jeff Sessions on May 10, 2017.   The investigation of Sessions surrounded his contact with the Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov and was opened the day after James Comey was fired on May 9, 2017.

Several people have questioned the naming of the FBI investigation as “March Toll,” however, the essential aspects to the nonsense investigation stemmed from corrupt DOJ and FBI insiders (the ‘small group’) who were strategizing on a way to force Jeff Sessions to recuse himself.  That planning took place in March, hence the term ‘March Toll.’

[SOURCE – Declassified Release]

Jeff Sessions was confirmed as Attorney General on February 9, 2017.  Almost immediately the group in charge of the Crossfire Hurricane (Trump-Russia) investigation began planning on a way to force Sessions to recuse himself.  Ultimately they were worried that Sessions would tell the FBI to end their ridiculous Trump-Russia investigation, so they needed the Attorney General isolated.

CTH previously wrote about the campaign to recuse Jeff Sessions {GO DEEP}.  The original planning meetings took place on March 2, 2017, and were attended by Jody Hunt, Dana Boente, Tashina Guahar, Jim Crowell and Scott Schools.  All of those names are directly connected to the manipulation of the Trump-Russia investigation therein and thereafter.

The day after James Comey was fired, on May 10th, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein was immediately on the phone with Robert Mueller to organize the Mueller special counsel investigation.  As you can see from the opening EC, this was also the same day the FBI triggered the ‘March Toll’ investigation of Jeff Sessions.

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I don’t like doing this, but it needs to be done.  People keep sending me this video; it is nonsense.  Steve Bannon and John Solomon broadcast a conversation targeting John Thune, Tom Cotton and Todd Blanche for obstructing the release of transcripts held in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).

What Solomon reports in this interview is disconnected from the process that exists.  Solomon wants the transcripts of former CIA Director John Brennan released.  Fine, no problem. Except Solomon apparently doesn’t understand the process to gain declassification of an equity that is not within the executive branch.  The transcript is in the legislative branch.

There are separation of powers issues, equity issues and stakeholder issues that create a process that needs to be followed.  This is the same process that was used to gain the Michael Atkinson transcript from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).   Solomon and Joe diGenova can follow the process and succeed, just like I did. Or Solomon and diGenova can gnash their teeth, create outrage and fail.  WATCH (prompted):

This nonsense is why trusting John Solomon is a fool’s errand, and the reason why I have suspected Solomon of performance theater for several years. His teaming up with Steve Bannon, well, it just tracks.

Tick-Tock… Nothing. I digress.

First, assuming they have security clearances, John Solomon and/or Joe diGenova can ask SSCI Chairman Tom Cotton to let them read the Brennan transcript in the SSCI secured compartmented intelligence facility (scif).  There is nothing stopping them, or anyone else with a clearance, from reading the transcript; assuming Cotton would permit it (he would). That’s the first point.

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Delivering a statement via Truth Social from the G7 in France.  President Trump has suspended the nomination of SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, cancelling Wednesday afternoon’s SSCI hearing on the nomination.

The late-night timing appears to be due to President Trump focused on the G7 discussions and now turns his focus back to the domestic agenda; DNI, Save America Act and FISA (702) reauthorization.

President Trump outlines in the Truth Social post that FISA (702) renewal must be attached to the Save America Act, and Jay Clayton’s replacement, Jamie McDonald, must be confirmed to replace Clayton in the SDNY prior to the DNI nomination moving forward. This position puts Bill Pulte’s appointment as Acting DNI back into the mix.

VIA TRUTH SOCIAL – “The Republicans agreed with Dumocrats to remove very fair, and talented, William Pulte, from serving as Acting DNI in return for getting FISA approved by the Dumocrats. However, the Republicans moved so fast with the hearings of the Great Jay Clayton, current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, that Pulte would be gone before the Dumocrats would vote on FISA.

Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal.

In addition, the newly nominated U.S. Attorney, Jamie McDonald, must be confirmed and blue slipped. Because of the ridiculous views of Republicans on blue slipping (Dumocrats are often willing to nix it), I may not be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Jamie, approved, and I don’t want to take Jay Clayton away from the great job he is doing until Jamie is in place.

Therefore, to add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it. Not complicated, actually, the Republicans fell into a trap.

Regarding the approval of our Great Patriot, Jay Clayton, we are cancelling the Senate Hearing RE: DNI today, and will not be going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney. In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

None of these back-and-forth moves would be necessary if Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune were aligned with the Republican President. Alas, with Thune representing a dysfunctional wing of a Senate UniParty, his priorities are in alignment against the President.

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As a result of irreconcilable intransigence surrounding Bill Pulte as Acting DNI, President Trump is now moving to attach the FISA reauthorization to the Save America Act.

[SOURCE]

Additionally, the intransigence is giving President Trump pause to ask exactly why the Senate is so concerned about a seemingly innocuous and very temporary DNI position as previously outlined:

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My dearest friends, I have not spent a decade focusing on FISA or the ‘702’ issues because defeating the pending surveillance state has been the priority; that is an ancillary matter against powerful financial interests.

No, the core of my focus has always been on what FISA (702) represents.

FISA (702) et al, is a tool, a key per se’. A key that unlocks a data library. We debate control of the key, but do not spend enough time focusing on the data library itself and what it represents.

I’m not even sure if President Donald Trump is fully aware of this or not, but I am generally confident that DC insiders understand the potential.

The NSA database is essentially a library of information about activity. It is a storage box of metadata and within that data there is a sub-set, a flow of information related to election activity.

Behind that part of the issue, with that thought in mind, you now have an expanded perspective of why the ODNI would be involved in election type investigative activity. The DNI is above the NSA Director. The ODNI is an access point to the data library. Tulsi Gabbard as DNI has a vested interest in all the data housed within that vault.

Congress stood jaw agape at the appearance of DNI Gabbard in Fulton County, Georgia, without actually recognizing what stakeholder interests are represented by the content in Fulton County election warehouses.

Essentially, the NSA data vault shows XXX activity, and the factual paperwork supporting XXX exists in physical warehouses. The data is within a digital library. The factual paperwork is on the ground.

Now, pause for a moment and understand the digital library is one aspect. Access to that digital library is an entirely different kettle o’ fish.

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Keep in mind the FISA (702) extension already passed the House, and the bill is sitting in the Senate where the ever-predictable John Thune is not bringing it up for a vote.

This morning the House tried to pass a short-term FISA (702) extension for three weeks (ending July 2). The measure failed by a vote of 218 to 198.  In addition to Democrats, nineteen republicans also voted against it.

The Democrats are claiming their lack of support surrounds the appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting DNI effective June 19, and their concern that Pulte will weaponize the FISA (702) authority to conduct political surveillance.  Yes, it’s a rather hypocritical projection within their claim.

[SOURCE]

Now, you might ask yourself…. where in the world would the Democrats get the idea that FISA (702) would be used to get “dirt on President Trump’s political enemies.”   What would lead them to that suspicion?

As customary, the radical leftists are projecting based on their own conduct.  This is the same “702” authority that Barack Obama and Joe Biden previously used to do exactly that political surveillance.  We have outlined the entire operation in granular detail citing all of the FISA records that showed exactly what the Obama-Biden group were doing.

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Oh, this is just awesome news.  Republicans are going bananas. Democrats, led by senate intel vice-chairman Mark Warner are having fits and meltdowns.  All of it because President Trump announced the appointment of Bill Pulte to replace Tulsi Gabbard at the end of the month as Acting DNI.

To make the issues even better, Democrats are now threatening to block FISA-702 reauthorization and stop the warrantless surveillance of American citizens unless Pulte’s appointment is withdrawn.  Yes, read that again slowly if needed – it’s perfect. 🤣😂🤣

WASHINGTON DC – […] Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday to use his influence with the White House to reverse Trump’s move to install Pulte as overseer of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Warner, who’s been critical in building Democratic support for a bipartisan deal to extend FISA Section 702, made clear to Thune that all options are on the table to reverse what Democrats see as a dangerous Trump pick to lead ODNI. Pulte, who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no national security experience and has used his existing role to exact revenge on Trump’s political foes.

From Warner’s perspective, it’s impossible to convince enough Democrats to support a reauthorization of Section 702 when Pulte would be the one overseeing the program. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also privately told senators that the Pulte appointment makes passing a FISA deal much more difficult.

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The Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) is Congressman Rick Crawford from Arkansas CD-01. Coincidentally the same state as Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman, Tom Cotton.

In a preview of an upcoming (June 1) podcast interview with talk show host Paul Harrell, HPSCI Chairman Crawford discusses the departure of DNI Tulsi Gabbard and the role she played within the aggregate intelligence apparatus.  You might find some of Chairman’s remarks to be familiar. WATCH:

This is a preview of our interview with House Intel Chair Rick Crawford that airs in full on Monday June 1st on LFATV and @PaulTalkShow Youtube channel. Congressman Crawford revealed that the ODNI doesn’t have it’s own computer system and has always relied on CIA systems. This… pic.twitter.com/KX1rt7Bx2l

— RealPaulHarrell (@RealPaulHarrell) May 29, 2026

[Compare to BACKSTORY HERE]

Keep in mind that Rick Crawford is the chairman of the House intelligence committee and a gang-of-eight oversight member.

Inch by inch, folks. Inch by inch.

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Against the backdrop of Tulsi Gabbard resigning her position as Director of National Intelligence, there is an opportunity to explain how the Washington DC Intelligence Community functions in real life.

ODNI Tulsi Gabbard has rightly been receiving a lot of praise for her efforts at removing the shroud of secrecy that is often used by an intensely territorial IC network.  Simultaneously, she has received criticism or what Machiavelli called, “the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution”; because, in reality Tulsi Gabbard might be considered the first functional DNI.

One of the reasons Tulsi Gabbard was effective was her willingness to answer this question:

It was DNI Tulsi Gabbard who released the receipts showing how the CIA and IC ran an impeachment operation against President Trump.  CIA operative Eric Ciarmella, ICIG Michael Atkinson and HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff all collaboratively involved.

Here it becomes more important for the next sequence of events to fully understand what it was about Tulsi Gabbard in the position of DNI that made such a big difference.  What was it about her approach to the office of the DNI that made Gabbard stand out?  This is a discussion worth having.

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Appearing on MSNBC to talk to Lawfare ally Nicole Wallace, wife of New York Times narrative engineer Michael Schmidt – the guy who received leaks from FBI Director James Comey via Daniel Richman, former CIA Director John Brennan notes there are “legions” of operatives still embedded within the DOJ, FBI and CIA who are working against President Donald Trump.

This is not a surprise as we have noted the Trump administration continues to take apart the tentacles of Lawfare and Intelligence operatives in Main Justice, various U.S. Attorney offices, FBI Headquarters, FBI field offices and various Intelligence Community silos.

Marco Rubio has been working to clean up the National Security Council as well as the State Department operations, including USAID.  Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe have been working on the NSA and CIA collaboratively, and Todd Blanche has been working through the Dept of Justice.  FBI Director Kash Patel has removed about ten percent of the problem in his agency.

Unbelievable. Former CIA Director John Brennan just said the quiet part out LOUD, that there are still a “legion” of bureaucrats within the intel and justice communities who are actively sabotaging the executive authority of President Trump:

“There’s still a legion of… pic.twitter.com/XhBLzhy7s2

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) May 11, 2026

The core problem goes back to what we outlined on these pages {GO DEEP} and is not limited to those operatives who remain from the Obama/Biden era.  Some of the problems surface as a result of ‘republican’ voices recommending “sleeper cell” staff and sketchy personnel for positions in the administration. [I’ll put an example below]

One way to tell if the agency head or leader understands the challenge is by paying attention to how they talk about the agency’s mission objective.

Leaders like Marco Rubio and Tulsi Gabbard have openly acknowledged the problem and are actively tackling corruption within their ranks. Even John Ratcliffe has admitted his agency was politically weaponized and has taken steps to address it. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but their actions show visible progress.

People like Pam Bondi and Kash Patel have praised the institutional embeds without drawing attention to the corruption beneath them. Thankfully, Acting AG Todd Blanche seems to be taking a more confrontational approach internally, so maybe Kash Patel will follow suit. This isn’t about style—it’s about results, and there’s an urgent need for action.

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