This afternoon at 2:30pm ET, Kurt Volker, former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine and Timothy Morrison, special assistant to the president and senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council will testify to the impeachment committee.
Fox News Livestream – Fox Business Livestream – PBS Livestream Link

Dept of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz publishes a report critical of how the FBI evaluates their Confidential Human Sources (CHSs) [Full pdf below].  This is the phase-1 OIG report the “Trust the Plan” crowd said was going to be explosive. It ain’t.

HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes questioned NSC official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman about whether he had shared the contents of the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky with anyone outside the White House.
In responding Vindman stated “two people”, and then named State Dept George Kent, and a person from the intelligence community.  Then things get interesting.  Vindman refused to name the intelligence agency because it would likely expose the CIA “whistle-blower”.
This non-answer makes Alexander Vindman the source for the CIA “whistleblower” Eric Ciaramella.

Today the House Impeachment Committee (HPSCI) begins day three of public hearings toward their goal of removing U.S. President Donald J Trump from office.
The first hearing begins at 9 a.m ET with Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the Ukraine usurper on the National Security Council who leaked to Eric Ciaramella for the construction of a fraudulent ‘whistle-blower’ complaint; and Jennifer Williams, the executive usurper/aide to Vice President Mike Pence.  Both were on the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky.
Then at 2:30pm ET Kurt D. Volker, the former United States special envoy to Ukraine, and Timothy Morrison, a Europe and Russia expert for the NatSec Council will testify.
CSPAN Livestream Link – PBS Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream Link

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

As an outcome of the ridiculous wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former FBI Agent Peter Strzok, the DOJ provides the internal Office of Professional Responsibility report as part of their responsive filing.
The OPR report is the culmination of a two-month long internal investigation conducted in 2018. The OPR report contains several embarrassing details, including new text messages, about Peter Strzok during his FBI employment. The report is only public because it is part of a filing connected to his public lawsuit.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Here’s the report:
[scribd id=435752237 key=key-XgzGu1GsbpQb1PiB5BEl mode=scroll]
After Strzok was suspended and removed from his position, FBI Agent David Archey assumed the lead role in the Mueller investigation, August 2018.

All Your Data Are Belong To Us…

The House and Senate are doing what the deep state does so well.  Buried in the final pages of a short term Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund government, the controversial bulk metadata (Call Detail Records) within the FISA program, due to expire on December 15th, is being extended to March 15th, 2020.

(pdf link – House)

As we suspected the intelligence community -and most of congress- wants the reauthorization, even if temporary, prior to the release of a critical IG report on FISA abuse.  That said, a short term extension is the best case scenario when we consider the goal of the intelligence apparatus -writ large- was a permanent reauthorization.
The “business records provision”, the “roving wiretap” provision, the “lone wolf” provision, and the more controversial bulk metadata provisions [Call Detail Records (CDR)], parts of the Patriot Act, are going to be revisited *AFTER* the report by IG Horowitz.  The new deadline for terminal expiration will be March 15th, 2020.
FISA Court judges Rosemary Collyer (declassified 2017) and James Boasberg (declassified 2019) both identified issues with the NSA database being exploited for unauthorized reasons.  The sketchy programs, and abuse therein, needs more public attention.
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There is a lot of rapid information about events worth putting into a calendar context to see the democrat mapping.   David Holmes has just been added to Thursday’s public impeachment testimony (Nov 21st); he will join Fiona Hill.  In essence this rapid addition highlights Schiff on a tight schedule, and his portion ends November 21st, this week.

Additionally today, as expected, it is now reported that Pelosi will take up a short-term continuing resolution (CR) tomorrow to fund government; that will push govt funding to December 20th aligning with the mid-December budget vote plans: Impeach, USMCA and budget).  This intentionally designed delay aligns with Pelosi and House counsel Doug Letter requesting a delay in SCOTUS review of arguments for Trump Taxes.  Everything gets punted to after Thanksgiving; then mid-December they will flood the zone.
However, outside of the House control, Lindsey Graham has announced Dec 11th as the date for Horowitz to testify, which makes the likely FISA report on/around Dec. 2nd.
It’s worth putting it all into a calendar to see how the end of the year is shaping up.
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Senator Ron Johnson, in a letter to Devin Nunes, has provided a lengthy outline of his contacts, discussions and perspectives surrounding U.S-Ukraine foreign policy as it relates to the current democrat impeachment narrative. [Cloud Link to Johnson letter]

Senator Johnson, attended the inauguration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky along with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and shared his concerns that National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was running a rogue and independent foreign policy toward Ukraine expressly against the intents of President Trump.
CTH readers will note we identify Vindman as a very sketchy character within the entire construct of the impeachment fiasco.  It is virtually certain Vindman is the primary source for the CIA ‘whistleblower’ dossier (complaint).  Beyond the rogue Vindman foreign policy, there is an even more sketchy affiliated network that surround him. First, here’s the letter:
[scribd id=435705400 key=key-kFIjpZ8yo5F1UuTWxXvJ mode=scroll]
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