Things seem to be moving quickly now. It has been a remarkable few weeks in American history. Momentum is building toward uncovering the distasteful possibility that the targeting of a U.S. presidential campaign was actually a political operation, fostered at the highest levels of government, masquerading as an FBI counterintelligence investigation.
Attorney General William Barr has signaled that his interest in examining the origins of the investigation into the Trump campaign extends beyond whether the FBI operated “by the book,” as former FBI Director James Comey asserts. Barr also wants to understand the role that the larger intelligence community, or IC, may have played in all of this.
Barr has thrown punches that have left an interesting mix of characters with a standing eight count. Certain eyes around D.C. are a little glassy right now.
Barr’s words and actions are telling. First, he raised the concern that the Trump campaign was “spied” upon. His use of the word “spying” appears more calculated than casual. The wailing and gnashing of teeth that followed is also telling. “The FBI doesn’t spy” became the sputtering counter-refrain of those trying to mask their nervousness.
It’s a fair point that’s beside the point. The FBI is charged with acting under strict legal restrictions and court orders. Spying is not a term traditionally associated with those activities.
But it also misses the point Barr appears to be making. The IC does spy; that’s what they do. Barr may have been referring less to the FBI and more to the IC’s possible murky involvement.
This seems to be validated by Barr’s second haymaker in as many weeks: his appointment of a surrogate investigator, U.S. Attorney John Durham. Why would the attorney general add a third investigation to those under way by Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz and U.S. Attorney John Huber? Because those investigations are focused on the FBI. Durham’s assignment is not similarly constrained; his marching orders appear broader.
Through Durham, Barr can start dusting for fingerprints across the government, not just the FBI. The squirming has begun.
In just the past week, we’ve seen a rush to comment by the former directors of national intelligence and the CIA. The FBI’s former general counsel has chimed in publicly and, of course, fired FBI Director Comey has been on a media offensive, practicing character assassination as a strategy with Barr among those in his crosshairs.
Each appears to be anxious about his own role in handling the controversial Steele dossier from the Trump-Russia investigation, and so there is some elbowing under the basket to get optimum positioning. And who can blame them? The attorney general has stated that he is going to focus particularly on the dossier’s exploitation, and specifically on the actions of the leadership of those agencies.
Interestingly, this establishes these leaders as principal witnesses in Durham’s inquiry. In essence they are using their easy access to public media platforms to coordinate and communicate their stories among themselves.
Ordinarily, this type of witness activity is troubling, if not borderline obstructive when done privately. In this case, Durham may be licking his chops as a prosecutor since a certain element of finger-pointing among the principals has emerged.
Each also is dealing with an elephant that’s not just in the room but sitting uncomfortably in their laps. Christopher Steele’s dossier is clearly a Russian intelligence operation (“active measure” in IC-speak) that took advantage of a cooperative outreach by the Hillary Clinton campaign.
If these IC leaders didn’t recognize it as such, then it truly was amateur hour at the top. The more troubling scenario would be if each made a conscious decision to ignore the obvious Russian interference attempt and, instead, wring political value out of the dossier.
This is a key area that deserves Durham’s attention. After all, this Russian active measures operation was used to further an FBI counterintelligence investigation against American citizens, and even secure a court order to electronically intercept former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
The American people shouldn’t feel badly if all this seems confusing. Even experienced counterintelligence investigators are scratching their heads. Former FBI general counsel to Comey, James Baker, added to the confusion last week with some lawyer language — that the FBI “took the dossier seriously, but not necessarily literally.” Say what?
IG Horowitz likely will take note of that statement as he finalizes his review of possible abuses by Comey and his team of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process. It seems doubtful that a FISA court judge would have granted an electronic surveillance order had he been told the FBI believed Page was acting as an agent of Russia — but not literally so.
Barr also wants to understand the role of CIA confidential sources, or “assets,” that were cozied up next to Page and another former Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos. Both were announced as Trump campaign members the same week in March 2016, and almost immediately began attracting attention from an interesting cast of characters associated with the agency long before the FBI counterintelligence investigation was launched that July.
The CIA has its own set of restrictions about the use of assets against Americans, and this deserves Durham’s focus as well. Former CIA Director John Brennan has commented on his belief in the sufficiency of FBI predication to investigate the Trump campaign but has said little about the CIA’s role in all of this. Durham will want to make sure that CIA asset activity didn’t somehow help create that predication.
IC leaders aren’t used to being held to account by the Justice Department, and their oversight by Congress generally is mild. Theirs is a comfortable world, obfuscated and kept mysterious by the liberal use of their classified-information shield. The demonization of the Attorney General Barr has begun — a sign that he is probably on the right track. And the IC leaders are on notice.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-22/attorney-general-barr-puts-former-intel-bosses-notice
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[–] Ponycam 0 points 8 points 8 points (+8|-0) ago
it's great seeing and knowing these slimy bastards are squirming.
[–] Lyonessrising 0 points 11 points 11 points (+11|-0) ago
Brennan tweeted using a bible quote James 3:13. A response tied it to zapruder 3:13 It's a frame of the film of the JFK assasination. Posts ask who is brave enough to act basically. (I'm going from memory) Is this douche nozzle broadcasting fo someone to try to take out our potus?? These douche nozzles need to burn now. They need to be made null.
[–] the_Green_Chain 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." James 3:13
Barr is just the guy to meet Brennan's request, then.
[–] CovfefeFan [S] 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
brings me joy
[–] Ponycam 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Me too.
[–] 1618 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
When is the MSM going down? Because as long as they have free reign to spew their lies they still have the power to cause an insurrection in the US.
No one in my family, friends or work network knows the true side of the story. Not one and they will believe the MSM lies that POTUS is abusing his power.
This needs to be reported on the mainstream, I don’t see it as a peaceful takedown without truth in media, and the MSM and their puppet masters know this same thing.
I have been saying this for 19 months... MSM needs to be on POTUS side.
Can anyone explain how this might work without this occurring?
[–] PGLiterati 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Well, I've spent a lot of time wondering this myself. But there was a poll out showing today for the first time that Americans now believe the FBI should be investigated--40% plus. I think it is a question of the rolling stone--once momentum gets large enough, MSM will have to report or risk a total rejection of their credibility. I think that now that these poll numbers are out, it is looking as if all systems are go. The other thing I think to watch is to see how Barr cleans up the judges--with respect to their unilateral decisions in the lower courts--the injunctions. He basically put them on notice last night in a speech deliver to the American Law Institute.
[–] CovfefeFan [S] 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I think the Declass will force people to wake up. That's my guess. I think the month of June will be a great awakening when much will come to light. Of course there will always be those who are just too stuck to their beliefs, they can't let go, but people are waking up and when people learn the truth, it will be contagious.
[–] Ziggyspeaks 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
If Pelosi's recent Pressers are any indication of DC's PANIC, we are in for a great show! She, while even at her "best" is a slurring drunken moron who can not complete a comprehensible statement has become an even worse public speaker.
Her most recent Press Conferences have her sounding more like Porky Pig than an actual English speaking human.
Then we have the narcissists; Brennan, Comey and Killary Clinton (who I wish would just dry up and blow away)all of whom are so fucking arrogant that they continue to publicly make statements which WILL be USED AGAINST THEM (I pray)!
Hopefully we will see some serious fireworks in the VERY NEAR FUTURE because the FF's are hitting hard and fast and far too often (yet another indication of what THEY KNOW IS COMING!) and I truly don't enjoy watching our citizens being hurt or killed by the fucking corrupt government (present and former) who are trying to divert the eyes of the public from seeing their crimes exposed.
[–] CovfefeFan [S] 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
I think this is why Trump took over the 4th of July celebration in D.C.
It's going to be a huge celebration and it's just starting to get real.
[–] Blacksmith21 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I can't wait for suicide weekend ; )
[–] Revodude1 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Lying to the FISA court makes that part of it spying. Which joins the rest of spying operations.
[–] singlebrain1 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
nice post. Great summary.
[–] CovfefeFan [S] 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Just to make sure you know. I didn't write that. I copied it from the article in the link below. I don't write that well.
[–] Cloudrdr ago
I'd be grabbing up passports!
[–] Jfunction ago
Well, it's ZH and is written as an attempt to steer the reader away from treason and toward "obvious Russian interference". Soft pedal junk.