"... but has concluded that the conduct did not affect the overall validity of the surveillance application, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer who has since been forced out of the agency, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss material that has not yet been made public. They declined to identify the lawyer.... That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said. [Inspector General Michael] Horowitz has been exploring various aspects of the Russia probe but was focused in particular on applications the FBI filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor Page’s electronic communications.... Separately, Attorney General William P. Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to explore the origins of the FBI probe and U.S. intelligence agency activities aimed at the Trump campaign, and Durham is expected to pursue the allegation surrounding the altered document to see whether it constitutes a crime, people familiar with the matter said.... Conservatives have alleged that a medley of wrongdoing occurred during the investigation, which was eventually taken over by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, and they are likely to seize on any criticism that Horowitz directs at those involved in the probe...."
WaPo reports.
November 22, 2019
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
218 comments:
1 – 200 of 218 Newer› Newest»Just under three weeks until the IG report drops. Senate Judiciary hearings start on December 11th.
Brace yourself for three weeks of selective leaks and spin telling us what the report means before we get to see what it says.
It seems like a low level scapegoat has been found, like the local aberration in the Cincinnati IRS office.
WAPO???? Did you get crayons with that?
Not surprised. However, some Right wing Trump supporters will be. They're constantly being "amazed" and "shocked" that Horowitz and the FBI/DOJ IG are whitewashing the anti-Trumpers and deep state operatives.
They are all part of the same club. Stop being shocked. Who is Horowtiz? What is HIS background? Why wouldn't he be part of the so-called "Deep state"? Be nice to know, but Right-wingers are always dreamers who just want to believe and "Trust".
That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.
Anyone else still think Horowitz is going to change his stripes from a squishy bureaucrat to a hard charging prosecutor?
The key findings will be:
Mistakes were made;
No evidence anyone acted with partisan bias; and,
Policies need to be tweaked.
There is just saved you three weeks of getting your hopes up.
rhhardin: It seems like a low level scapegoat has been found...
That some nobodies were being lined-up for scapegoating was the first thought that popped into my head while viewing these headlines.
Though maybe "red-shirting" is the better metaphor here.
Another story likely with bad information that the WaPo will never correct or withdraw, just leave out there trying to pollute history.
The lawyer's name is Kevin Clinesmith. Doubtless he had a soft landing.
Well, we'll see. Someone's informants are badly unreliable, and either way it would be good to know. If it's the Republican ones, I want it publicized that conservatives should never trust those media outlets again.
Yup. White wash being applied as we speak. We know there was ZERO reason to surveil Page.
On the other hand, it is starting to seem that this began with the CIA, not the FBI
Evidently WaPo edited the out the original version that stated that this person worked "under FBI Agent Peter Strzok." Why the edit? Did this person in fact not work under Strzok?
My second thought was "meh, this isn't going to require a scapegoat, it won't last one cycle".
This feels like an anti Trump leaker getting out ahead of the story. Probably someone in congress who is in the know.
The news, the straight news, is that an FBI employee altered a document. That's a pretty big deal. Unless they want us to believe the employee changed a few commas.
But they can't stop at the news. This leaker then has to spin the news, "But it as no big deal what this FBI person did,because reasons."
This is why the news is trash. They pretend like their sources don't have an agenda. They, along with their secret sources, soon the news to please the source. Which gives the source the propaganda win they were looking for.
I'm going to pay close attention to see how the facts line up with what I'm supposed to believe (IE: The opinion of this source).
Think about this. If they had just given the straight news, that an FBI employee had altered the document, what conclusions would you naturally be drawing from that?
Ah, but WaPo stepped in and quickly stopped you from drawing those all too obvious conclusions.
That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.
No one intelligent believes anything in the Post except box scores in the sports pages. Nothing I have read about Carter Page suggests that there was anything “legal” (beyond the notion that procedures were technically followed) or “factual” about he FISA warrant.
rhardin sez: "It seems like a low level scapegoat has been found, like the local aberration in the Cincinnati IRS office."
I hope that's not the case, but darnit, you may be right. Horowitz/Durham moving way too slow.
There are 3 big circulating storms:
1. Schiff/Pelosi impeachment
2. Horowitz/Durham Deep State dive
3. Nov 2020 election
If 1 & 2 cancel each out, maybe we'll get a clean 2020 election that Trump can win fairly. I oppose him getting a FISA warrant to spy on Liz Warren's headdress coordinator.
This is the great thing about American Government corruption: unlike in shit-hole countries, our corruption does nothing to affect "overall validity".
Suck on that, Banana Republics.
I am Laslo.
WaPo et al are wading neck-deep in Water Closet. We should probably wait for the official report.
What Horowitz report finding? It hasn't been released!
"Did this person in fact not work under Strzok?"
Directly under Strzok. But sometimes on top of Strzok. Or on her knees with Strzok.
The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer who has since been forced out of the agency, according to the officials
That person will shortly be working for CNN, ABCLSD, NBCPMS, CBSBSBS...
All these c-suckers should be sitting in jail.
Get to it.
I believe Bill @ 11/22/19, 1:32 PM is correct.
Like the report months back about Comey, there will be just enough mentioned as to not be absolutely ridiculous in its absence.
And then the report will be pointed out as an example of how the Government can effectively self-examine itself, because they found something, even if that something in no way effected 'validity': the system works!
And thus we are back to the Right thinking Deep State conspiracies, even if we are now told the Deep State is not only real but exceptionally honorable and forthright.
The Deep State is Lucy with Charlie Brown's football.
The field goal will not be allowed to be kicked.
And it's not a 3-point game at this point, anyway.
I am Laslo.
I guess it will be OK for CNN to start covering the story now. Whew! That was a close one.
Interesting article in American Thinker about Chief Justice Roberts and his connection to FISA abuses. Can the corrupt system be thwarted by its own rules? https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/11/chief_justice_roberts_now_dragged_into_democrat_impeachment_process_.html
"The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer who has since been forced out of the agency, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity"
LOLOLOL! Good ol' WaPoo!
Michael K
You have been telling us for ages what a devastating killer report the IG report will be. (When it comes out months ago.) Are you walking that back now?
I think we are watching Anger transitioning to Bargaining on the Kubler-Ross grief cycle.
"That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said."
The "officials" in this case being the leakers.
How would you reconcile the above with the fact that Dunham has initiated a criminal investigation?
"That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said."
The "officials" in this case being the leakers.
How would you reconcile the above with the fact that Dunham has initiated a criminal investigation?
Jersey Fled - if I was a complete cynic, I would postulate that Mr. Durham has developed incontrovertible proof that the Officials" were jaywalking across K Street. Case closed!
The "officials" in this case being the leakers.
How would you reconcile the above with the fact that Dunham has initiated a criminal investigation?
A race condition.
This is why the news is trash. They pretend like their sources don't have an agenda
This "report" may be a McGuffin.
It will be interesting to watch the strategic leaking over the next few weeks. At this point, do not believe anything you read about the IG report. Horowitz may disappoint us, but we won't know until we see his testimony.
In light of this leak, Horowitz should release his report today. This drip, drip, drip will continue until December 9.
SOP for FBI when caught being a big fraud:They spun an innocent sounding tale and released it through their permanent CNN channel. After all cover ups are their specialty.
remember durham investigated the bureau connections with whitey bulger and local prosecutors, but he only got to the first layer, morris and Connelly, weld and Delahunt came up in passing, weld being Mueller's boss at the boston us attys office then later as head of the criminal division,
Darn, my brethren in the Commentariat are a bit pessimistic on the Horowitz/Durham "slow walk" endeavor. Perhaps, they are right.
My only one tweak would be this. The objective isn't to destroy the "Deep State" in one Report. That's too much to ask, and can't be done.
The objective is to get Trump re-elected. If Trump loses in 2020, President Warren or Biden will probably rehire Comey, McCabe and Stork, name Loretta Lynch as AG to stop whatever Durham is doing, and appoint Lt. Col Kent "The Dorf" Dorfman as Secretary of Defense.
In other words, if Trump loses, we enter a world of shit.
If Trump wins, though, well, the enduring battle with the Deep state continues.
To be continued....
Conservatives...are likely to seize...
They're seizing! That comes right before the pouncing!
I hate when bad people use facts to form unapproved opinions.
Nonapod said:
"Prudently WaPo edited the out the original version that stated that this person worked "under FBI Agent Peter Strzok." Why the edit? Did this person in fact not work under Strzok?
They discovered it was too easy to follow the org chart from Strzok to Kevin Clinesmith. Oops, too late.
I look forward to learning what did make the early Trump investigations "valid."
Assuming the baseless exercise of political animus and the fabrication of collusion "evidence" do not make anything valid.
Whoopsie!!
Prosecutors' views of the materiality of their own misconduct often vary from victims' and courts' views. Perhaps we should ask the FISA Court's opinion on this.
Republicans seize!
So, it turnS out that Carter Page REALLY WAS A WITTING SECRET AGENT OF THE KREMLIN.
Or, at least, our FBI had compelling evidence that he was such.
Fortunately, our heroic FBI counter-intelligence officials saved us.
Acting as a secret agent of the Kremlin, Carter Page managed to infiltrate the campaign staff of Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party's nomination. In that position, Page was able to tilt the Republican Party's political platform away from supporting Ukraine and toward supporting Russia.
While on Trump's campaign staff, Page traveled back and forth between Trump Tower and the Kremlin. Page provided to the Kremlin super-secret information about which US states were "the battle-ground states" in the upcoming US election. Them the Kremlin used that super-secret information to buy Facebook ads that targeted the voters in those particular states.
If Page's treason had not been discovered by our FBI's heroic counter-intelligence officials, then he might have become a top foreign-policy advisor after Trump was elected. Page might have become even the National Security Advisor.
Of course, the first National Security Advisor was Michael Flynn, who likewise was a witting, secret agent of the Kremlin. Flynn too was discovered by the FBI and was removed. That removal might not have been enough, though.
After Flynn (a secret agent of the Kremlin) was removed, he might have been replaced as the NSA by Page (another secret agent of the Kremlin)!
-----
And don't get me started on George Papadopoulos -- yet another witting, secret agent of the Kremlin. While on Trump's campaign staff, he was meeting regularly with Joseph Mifsud -- another witting, secret agent of the Kremlin. Papadopoulos and Mifsud were sharing top-secret information about Russian Intelligence's possession of "dirt" about Hillary Clinton.
This shared information was being reported to Vladimir Putin, who was meddling in the US election in order to undermine Americans' faith in their Democracy.
------
The USA was saved, however, by the FBI's heroic counter-intelligence officials who properly used professional techniques -- such as FISA warrants -- to investigate and discover the Kremlin's plots.
That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.
Doesn't that sound remarkably like "Horowitz's finding" preceded an examination of the conduct at issue?
You know, just like the Comey's FBI drafted Hillary Clinton's exoneration in the email investigation months before they completed the investigation?
https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/transcripts-comey-drafted-conclusion-clinton-probe-prior-interviewing-key
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/comey-admits-drafting-clinton-exoneration-before-interview-defends-move-as-routine
One criminal organization fighting another criminal organization for turf.
That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.
Leading to Carter Page's treason trial and death sentence.
“Seize on” is the new “pounce."
Our propaganda outlets are far more sumptuous than those of banana republics or Iron Curtain prison states. That’s what makes America great!
The production values of the propaganda is what makes a great nation. Maybe I will move to a country where I can’t read the newspapers.
Greece.
If I was Barr and Horowitz, I'd be really pissed at this fake news story.
Horowitz better release his report now.
Lisa Paige needs to be indicted. She will then rat out Peter and Andy. They will rat out Comey. Comey will rat out Obama.
’That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.’
Well, of course not!! Gosh, let us just get that little bit of the narrative out there a few weeks before the release of the report so when it’s shown that the conduct did in factalter the proper legal and factual basis, they can then claim the latter is a mostly debunked conspiracy theory.
It’s gonna be an interesting few weeks. I suspect that this Friday afternoon leak is only the warmup act. Can’t let the lefties down too hard.
Bharara was on with Wolf Blitzer and some other reporter discussing this incident, and ol’ Preet looked like he had just smoked a turd. This is a bigger deal than the Daily Amazon Worker would like you to believe.
https://twitter.com/FOOL_NELSON/status/1197967061818982400
The Impeachment is the coverup. C*aramella reportedly in meeting where Russian collusion hoax was cooked up.
I look forward to reading "the factual basis" for the FBI's conclusion that Carter Page was a witting, secret agent of the Kremlin.
I assume that the FBI garnered much of "the factual basis" from Christopher Steele's Dossier.
During the years 1990-1993, Steele worked for the United Kingdom as an MI6 officer. At that time, Steele was about 26-29 years old, and the Russian President was Boris Yeltsin.
Two decades later, Steele was a private citizen, but he was able to make some phone calls to his "sources" in Russia and thus discover the Kremlin's plot to meddle in the US Presidential election in order to undermine Americans' faith in their Democracy.
Steele's sources were:
* Source A
* Source B
* Source C
* Source D
* Source E
From these sources, Steele garnered the information that Carter Page was a witting, super-secret agent of the Kremlin, actively engaged in the Kremlin's plot to meddle in our election and to undermine our faith in our Democracy.
Steele's discoveries were passed to the FBI's heroic counter-intelligence officers, who quickly obtained a FISA warrant to collect and analyze all of Page's past, current and future communications.
The FBI believed Steele and his "sources" because Steele previously had provided some information to the FBI about Russians' participation in corrupt activities in international soccer. (No Russians ever were charged in the soccer scandal.)
-----
We can expect, however, that Steele is only one part of the FBI's heroic investigation and blocking of the Kremlin's plot.
Stefan Halper too was a resource who was used expertly by FBI counter-intelligence in the investigation of Page. Through Halper, the FBI learned that Page said something about "dirt" and "e-mails" and "the Kremlin" and "Hillary Clinton". Those dots were connected by FBI analysts, confirming the wisdom and necessity of the FISA warrant against Page.
REALLY WAS A WITTING SECRET AGENT OF THE KREMLIN.
It's worse than that. Americans were witting secret agents of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the communist-socialist-fascist axis powers generally. So, that's one hundred thousand dollars split one hundred and fifty million ways. The toilet paper lines start here.
I thought only news stories could be Fake But Accurate.
I got to hand it to whoever the writers are in this long running American political series. They keep it coming with the roller coaster drama. It needs more gunfights and car chases to get me to tune in.
BTW, I didn’t say it, but the link above is to a letter from Grassly requesting records of White House meetings involving he who shall not be named.
The search and seizure of Carter Page's communications -- past, present and future -- was reasonable, because FBI analysts had "connected the dots" and proved that he was a witting, secret agent of the Kremlin.
A key FBI asset in the collection of "the dots" was Stefan Halper, who talked with both Page and George Papadopoulos. Halper reported to FBI counter-intelligence that both Page and Papadopoulos had uttered the following phrases:
* "dirt"
* "e-mails"
* "Kremlin"
* "Hillary Clinton"
That was no coincidence, according to the FBI's analysts. Papadopoulos was meeting with the kremlin's secret agent Joseph Mifsud and was uttering the same phrases as Page. Since Papadopoulos obviously was a Kremlin agent, then Page too obviously was a Kremlin agent.
Furthermore, both Papadopoulos and Page were foreign-policy advisors on Donald Page's campaign staff.
What more evidence did the FBI need for FISA warrants?
Of course, the FBI analysts had to explain to the FISA judge how the dots were connected. So, the FBI analysts too played a key role in blocking the Kremlin's plot to meddle in our Presidential election and thus undermine Americans' faith in their Democracy.
"This is the great thing about American Government corruption"
There are several great things, vis-a-vis the usual run of banana republics - some of them -
- Those implicated do not need to leave their country, eventually, to enjoy their swag in Monaco or wherever. The US system is very stable, so there is no real changeover of gangs of crooks, wherein the last lot has to go somewhere safe to avoid the latest lot.
- The scale of the thing! Plenty for all, in the US system. So many niches to exploit. So much win-win - well, within a certain group with access anyway. If you really want to be "in", you can be in.
- The people are complacent. No danger of mobs, as in Bolivia this week.
It appears people have already figured out from the clues that the FBI line person in this story is Kevin Clinesmith.
We are “complacent” only so long as the system works. It looks like a sizable number of voters are for tearing it down. It will be interesting to see how much pushback the owning class gives. Warren is already destroyed, Bernie is next. Soon there will be nobody on their side who is not Trump lite.
FBI counter-intelligence discovered that Donald Trump's campaign staff was infiltrated by four witting, secret agents of the Kremlin:
1) Michael Flynn
2) Carter Page
3) George Papadopoulos
4) Paul Manafort
These four were able to tilt the Republican Party's political platform away from supporting Ukraine and toward supporting Russia. That was only a beginning, however, of the intended plotting by this "Gang of Four".
Unfortunately for them, their plotting was discovered by the FBI, which quickly obtained a FISA warrant, which enabled the FBI to collect and analyze all their communications.
-----
I wonder if the FBI discovered also a fifth plotter:
5) Kevin Clinesmith
Think about it!
While the FBI was investigating the Kremlin's "Gang of Four", Clinesmith was altering FBI documents related to the investigation.
Yikes! Clinesmith too was a witting, secret agent of the Kremlin, and he was inside the FBI, sabotaging the FBI's investigation.
The FBI needed even more FISA warrants in order to catch all the traitors.
FBI Testimonies on Carter Page FISA Reveal Broken Oversight Process
... she also noted that the Woods file relating to the Page FISA had not been reviewed or audited by anyone:
Mr. Somers: “Previously you had mentioned, I think, that to your knowledge an audit or a Woods review has not been performed on the Carter Page FISA.”
Ms. Moyer: “Correct.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/fbi-testimonies-on-carter-page-fisa-reveal-broken-oversight-process_2796818.html
This IG report has been dropping for weeks, months, years? I suspect that is so they could take the time to whitewash it as completely as possible. The leaks of supposed nefarious behaviors and potential criminal findings are just part of the cover.
I fully expect the report will be, once dropped, a nothingburger.
Even if you have never clicked on one of my links, click on this one.
“Plus, my goddamned name is all over the documents....” Read the whole thing.
https://twitter.com/DavidNe99469223/status/1197988968618434560
Brian Cates has an interesting thread up and down
It's how FBI officials presented THEIR OWN CHS to the FISC as being a real Russian agent.
They lied to the court about THEIR OWN ASSET.
To this day you can't get Comey or McCabe or Strzok to admit Mifsud was working for THEM.
https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/1197940228352348160
ah devlin barrett, who strzok leaked to on authorization from comey,
who came from the wall street journal, the byline usually tells the tale,
Good news for Democrats if it holds out to be true. Or rather lack of bad news for Democrats I guess. However, the scary stuff is probably linked to Durham's investigation. When the story leaked out that the inquiry had switched to a criminal investigation there were a lot of butt-puckering faces on the politicos and talking heads on the media, and lots of spin trying to already paint it as a political prosecution, saying these are truly the actions of a despot. Plus Trump himself has told the media to wait for the 'Historic' report.
Horowitz only refers; he can’t prosecute.
From the Washington Examiner:
Kevin Clinesmith, who once was part of special counsel Robert Mueller's team, has been identified as the attorney who faces a potential criminal charge as part of U.S. Attorney John Durham's expansive criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia inquiry, according to the New York Times.
Clinesmith was found to have altered an email that was used by officials as they prepared an application to present before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to obtain a warrant to electronically surveil Carter Page, a onetime foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign.
Clinesmith was an attorney with the FBI’s National Security and Cyber Law Branch and worked under FBI General Counsel James Baker and Deputy General Counsel Trisha Anderson. He resigned two months ago after being interviewed by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz's team.
Horowitz previously identified Clinesmith as one of the FBI officials who conveyed a bias against Trump in text messages, after which he was kicked out of Mueller's Russia investigation team in February 2018. Two other FBI officials who were forced out of Mueller's team for similar anti-Trump text messages were Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, both of whom have also left the bureau.
Horowitz is a putz.
How do you alter a document like that and it's no big deal?'
"Seize on" is democratic speak for "Hi, we are WaPO, we are democratics."
Are you walking that back now?
Are you pleased that this may be weakened. Why do you do this ? Are you just a jerk or do I know you somehow ?
"The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer"
Always the little people.
Lois Lerner had trouble with the little people too.
but has concluded that the conduct did not affect the overall validity of the surveillance application, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer who has since been forced out of the agency, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss material that has not yet been made public.
read that,,, again.... very carefully.
but has concluded that the conduct did not affect the overall validity of the surveillance application, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
who?
... The person under scrutiny is a low-level FBI lawyer who has since been forced out of the agency, according to the officials, who spoke on the CONDITION OF ANONYMITY to discuss material that has not yet been made public.
Is Strozk "Low level" now?
IG reports are authored to protect institutions. Nothing serious will come of this. Mistakes were made, yada yada.
What is it you people say? Hold on, let me get the popcorn.
Bleach-bit, are you suggesting that the phrase "validity of the surveillance application" does not say if the application was valid or invalid? That is one reading of the sentence, so maybe the application was not valid irrespective of the agent's bad behavior.
"That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said."
Even if the "Officials" are speaking the truth, Horowitz is not the Supreme Court. Therefore his finding is advisory.
Does the "fruit of the poisonous tree" doctrine not apply in these rarefied atmospheres?
If the FISA warrant was awarded based on fraud, is it not nullified, at least as a correction of the public record?
Waiting for Godot, continued.
NYT spin on soon-to-be-revealed Horrotiz IG report:
Russia Inquiry Review Is Said to Criticize F.B.I. but Rebuff Claims of Biased Acts
A watchdog report will portray the pursuit of a wiretap of an ex-Trump adviser as sloppy, but it also debunks some accusations by Trump allies of F.B.I. wrongdoing.
By Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage
Nov. 22, 2019, 3:56 p.m. ET
"WASHINGTON — A highly anticipated report by the Justice Department’s inspector general is expected to sharply criticize lower-level F.B.I. officials as well as bureau leaders involved in the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation, but to absolve the top ranks of abusing their powers out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft.
Investigators for the inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, uncovered errors and omissions in documents related to the wiretapping of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page — including that a low-level lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, altered an email that officials used to prepare to seek court approval to renew the wiretap, the people said.
Mr. Horowitz referred his findings about Mr. Clinesmith to prosecutors for a potential criminal charge. Mr. Clinesmith left the Russia investigation in February 2018 after the inspector general identified him as one of a handful of F.B.I. officials who expressed animus toward Mr. Trump in text messages and resigned about two months ago, after the inspector general’s team interviewed him.
Though Mr. Trump’s allies have seized on the messages from Mr. Clinesmith and his colleagues as proof of anti-Trump bias, Mr. Clinesmith has not been a prominent figure in the partisan firefight over the investigation. His lawyer declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Mr. Horowitz.
More broadly, Mr. Horowitz’s report, to be made public on Dec. 9, portrays the overall effort to seek the wiretap order and its renewals as sloppy and unprofessional, according to the people familiar with it. He will also sharply criticize as careless one of the F.B.I. case agents in New York handling the matter and say that the bureau and the Justice Department displayed poor coordination during the investigation, they said.
At the same time, however, the report debunks a series of conspiracy theories and insinuations about the F.B.I. that Mr. Trump and his allies have put forward over the past two years, the people said, though they cautioned that the report is not complete. The New York Times has not reviewed the draft, which could contain other significant findings..."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/russia-investigation-inspector-general-report.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Best comment (so far):
aco, Nevada 30m ago
I'll wait for the actual report, and take this sanitized version with a grain of salt.
12 Recommended
Horowitz is a weak-suck, but who knows... he may surprise us. Some folks in the know seem to think these unauthorized revisions to documents are a very big deal, if true.
I'm saying that if you read it, it sounds like the democrat MSM - (everyone knows WaPo is the house organ for the democrat party) - is weaving and bobbing words using unidentified sources.
Prepare for seizing and pouncing later...
We know who is leaking here -- it's the lawfare assholes who are representing Comey, McCabe and Stork and received some parts of the IG report to offer their comments.
Not much leaking out of Durham, though.
Is this cause for hope or merely wishful thinking? Barr needs to get a scalp of one of these deep state assholes like Brennan or Comey.
Again - if the report is not public - who is leaking?
I agree with Vault Dweller, the Durham Report will be where the full scope of the Obama Administration's misdeeds and the Deep State's perfidy and criminality are documented.
Michael K
You are rude and wrong regularly, and you have to ask why I challenge your pronouncements? Your track record — poor — is worth pointing out to those who might be fooled by your certitude.
It's the battle between those who believe government officials are merely stupid, versus those who believe that those officials are evil.
Admittedly it's very difficult to distinguish.
Admittedly I don't care, they should all be fired.
The Deep State is a Chimera. You people are hilarious. You've twisted yourself into a Gordian Knot cutting off the oxygen supply to your plaque choked pea brains.
only head of bureau counterintelligence, that's all, these are the officials who get dibs on writing the conclusion of the report,
If Epstein was murdered it is Bill Barr and Donald J Trump who are responsible.
KenB I think you're making Michael K a little paranoid and given his propensity for spinning wild conspiracy tales your innocent comments could be quite dangerous to his personal sanity. Remember, they put that girl in prison for driving her boyfriend to suicide via text messages.
"The Deep State is a Chimera" That was the original talking point until the impeachment hearings. Now the new statement is that the deep state is real but they are acting in the interest of America, and Trump is interfering with the proper deep state foreign policy.
Commenters should try to keep up.
ARM, really did you get paid for your 5:09 comment? You should throw that one in for free.
Howard said...
KenB I think you're making Michael K a little paranoid and given his propensity for spinning wild conspiracy tales your innocent comments could be quite dangerous to his personal sanity. Remember, they put that girl in prison for driving her boyfriend to suicide via text messages.
It is an interesting question exactly how crazy MK might become in the face of a concerted effort to call him on his bullshit. The problem is finding sufficient interest to read his posts in the first place.
Howard: "The Deep State is a Chimera."
Josephbleau has already noted that Howard is, once again and unsurprisingly, weeks and weeks behind on the latest lefty talking points.
The Deep State, according to the lefties and LLR-lefties, is quite real and quite necessary and they are all astonishing patriots who should never be questioned in pursuing whatever policies they deem appropriate despite what the stupid electorate thinks.
If Howard has any questions about the latest lefty talking points he should simply consult directly with LLR Chuck who happens to always be in perfect and passionate alignment with the far left talking points of the day.
You're welcome.
"and they are likely to seize on any criticism that Horowitz directs at those involved in the probe"
Preparing us in advance for the follow-up "Republicans pounce" headline.
This is a pre-pounce, like pre-crime. Where's Tom Cruise when you need him?
he took credit, for the wedding stories, the chapman ring, but that was a walkin into the company, which is the guy who buzzfeed burned last year,
Back in my day we called altering a document in order to get a judge to do something "fraud on the court," which could result in all sorts of unpleasantness being visited on the guilty lawyer. Or am I just being old fashioned and naive?
Keeping up with your lunacy is crazy by definition ipso ergo facto quod erat demonstrandum.
Blogger Bay Area Guy said...
"In other words, if Trump loses, we enter a world of shit.
If Trump wins, though, well, the enduring battle with the Deep state continues.
To be continued...."
We need to find a way to communicate the message above to the unwashed masses. This time the survival of our nation is actually at stake. I don't want Big Brother to win. And I really don't want Big Sister Warren to win. May G-d save us.
Drago said...
The Deep State, according to the lefties and LLR-lefties, is quite real and quite necessary and they are all astonishing patriots who should never be questioned in pursuing whatever policies they deem appropriate despite what the stupid electorate thinks.
11/22/19, 5:16 PM
Democrats are great playing against the Washington Generals of federal politics. Against Donald Trump... less so. Doubtless Pelosi is frantically looking to backpedal on the impeachment farce before Trump's DOJ finds a reason to break the back of every careerist begging to return to the shadows. But it won't happen. Impeaching the President over nothing means you can indict ex-Presidents. And when that happens, the rats will eat each other in a frantic attempt to be first off the boat.
strzok, was who I was referring to,
We are winning because the lazy lunatic left has convinced Drago it's important that you memorize their talking points and repeat them and reiterate them ad nauseam on blog comments. you really need to start drinking to get your sanity back brother I'm worried about you now
ARM: "It is an interesting question exactly how crazy MK might become in the face of a concerted effort to call him on his bullshit."
Previous "things" ARM called BS:
1) Hillary paid for the hoax dossier
2) The Hoax dossier was never verified
3) Trump was spied upon as a candidate and President-Elect and President
4) Brett Kavanaugh is not a gang rapist
and on and on and on.
You get the idea.
"may have"
Either it was altered or it wasn't.
Which is it?
Same people accusing Trump of possibly committing a crime... by wanting to root out corruption on team D.
If crazy people are calling Doc K "crazy," what are we to conclude?
Howard, were you really in the Marine Corps? Musta been a slow year for recruiting.
Just kidding -- good weekend, all!
Perhaps one of the "journalists" at the WaPo could ask himself why the FBI lawyer sacrificed his career to make unimportant changes to an legal document?
The fact that this comes out on a Friday, makes me think that there is possibly another shoe to drop soon.
Just an old country lawyer said...
Back in my day we called altering a document in order to get a judge to do something "fraud on the court," which could result in all sorts of unpleasantness being visited on the guilty lawyer. Or am I just being old fashioned and naive?
Laws don't apply to corrupt democrats seeking social justice for poor Hillary.
Revenge!
Drago said...
Previous "things" ARM called BS:
Could you provide a link for this interesting claim?
Thanks in advance.
Did I mention that Trump and Barr killed Epstein?
Motive and opportunity, baby. Motive and opportunity.
The Marines don't have slow recruiting years.
I forgot to add that ARM was quite giddy over the obviously and transparently hoaxy claim of Trump having Moscow prostitutes peeing on beds.
So we'll add any opposition to that hilariously ridiculous claim as another of those things ARM thought was BS.
The real tell will be when the Horowitz report comes out. If it is issued on Wednesday or Thursday Trump is in control. If it is issued on Friday afternoon, the deep state is in charge.
Only slow recruits dot-dot-dot guilty as charged. Have a great weekend
The Drago wayback machine never forgets
Of course, my absolute favorite laughable ARMism, which interestingly coincided closely with fake conservative LLR Chuck's assertion that the entire republican party of today is filled with John Birchers, is ARM's recent assertions that there was a "great awakening" amongst republicans which would lead to Trump being abandoned by all the "deep" "deep" Romney-like "thinkers" in the republican party which would lead to Trump's ouster!!
LOLOLOLOL
I know, right?
Too funny.
ARM and Chuck. Two lefties who richly deserve one another (sorry Howard, you don't quite make the lefty "quality cut" of Chuck and ARM)
horowitz, did reasonably well, considerably he didn't have access to much of the documentation re fast and furious,
Howard: "The Drago wayback machine never forgets"
'Tis both a gift and a curse.
Ken B said...
Michael K
You are rude and wrong regularly, and you have to ask why I challenge your pronouncements? Your track record — poor — is worth pointing out to those who might be fooled by your certitude.
Assholes need to read more.
"In my opinion, the report is going to be much more than that. Why? Because they didn’t just get a ‘wiretap’, they got a Title-1 FISA authorized surveillance warrant; the most extensive and intrusive form of surveillance warrant possible. A Title-1 warrant allows any and all surveillance. Wiretaps, bugs, electronic surveillance, physical surveillance, the works. A Title-1 warrant is used against suspected terrorists in the U.S.
[…] In particular, while Mr. Horowitz criticizes F.B.I. leadership for its handling of the highly fraught Russia investigation in some ways, he made no finding of politically biased actions by top officials Mr. Trump has vilified like the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey; Andrew G. McCabe, the former deputy who temporarily ran the bureau after the president fired Mr. Comey in 2017; and Peter Strzok, a former top counterintelligence agent.
Notice the contradiction and the parsing: “in some ways he made no finding of politically biased actions“… Some ways? So there are findings of bias, just not in all ways. Notice how they repeat a needed narrative tone, yet simultaneously contradicting their lead paragraph.
Go off and have a drink with ARM and Howard and your other lefty buddies. Plus reading would be good for you. I have no idea how I drew your attention but maybe you are just one of those types that shits on the street and attacks passersby.
For the love of God, someone please go to Kevin Clinesmith's home and remove all neckties, rope, duct tape, wire hangers, bedsheets, towels, etc etc before it's too late!
Drago said...
'Tis both a gift and a curse.
All that cursing is a result of its pathetic inaccuracy.
Josephbleau:"The real tell will be when the Horowitz report comes out. If it is issued on Wednesday or Thursday Trump is in control. If it is issued on Friday afternoon, the deep state is in charge."
Then expect a Friday release because there is no way I'm putting stock into any Horowitz report relating to finding bias on the part of the Deep State. Horowitz is a denizen of that Deep State and, quite frankly, the only hope I have for anyone at all, even underlings, to be held accountable will be with the Durham effort.
I'm open to being pleasantly surprised but lets face it, 50 years of the left building this deep state in their image clearly has resulted in a deep calcification of the leftist vision across all government agencies and departments.
I know Doc K turned some of us onto Sundance at the Conservative Treehouse/Last Refuge, cited above.
On the Deep State, Best.Site.Ever. . They break it all down. Really sharp folks.
ARM: "All that cursing is a result of its pathetic inaccuracy."
Don't be angry simply because some of us remember things that happened more than 15 minutes ago.
Perhaps if you kept detailed notes on your own pathetic and moronic postings you would find it easier to recall them.
Of course, perhaps you're making a concerted effort not to remember your earlier idiotic comments and claims.
I wouldn't blame you in the slightest for doing so, what with the inevitable cognitive dissonance that would entail.
Thoughts and prayers ARM!! Thoughts and prayers!
now this is a violation of rule 13 of the fisa act, that requires one to verify info, re submissions,
As I understand things, Trump got his NY mafia buddies to off Epstein in his Manhattan jail cell, then Barr handled the cover-up.
ARM: "As I understand things, Trump got his NY mafia buddies to off Epstein in his Manhattan jail cell, then Barr handled the cover-up."
Sure, why not?
After everything else you imbeciles have tossed out there why not this one as well?
I strongly recommend you package those charges up into a campaign ad and run that ad across the nation so that the entire country can see the "real" DJT!!
LOLOLOL
Now, I must warn you, in about a year or so I'll laughingly refer back to this most current insanity being vomited up by ARM and ARM will demand I provide a link to prove he ever said such a thing!!!
LOL
I'll probably do that right after Trump wins re-election and LLR Chuck begins screaming and flailing online and threatening to attack more women and children and coughing up more racist posts.
It's gonna be lit!
You know, I would have thought the islamic supremacist Iranian government could use some of those hundreds of billions obama gave them to accelerate their nuclear program and fund terrorists to reestablish their internet connectivity.
But nope.
The motive, of course, was this video.
BTW, anyone else catch Slow Joe Biden's threats to Lindsay Graham for daring to investigate the Bidens?
LOL
I guess old Sleepy Creepy Handsy Joe forgot he isn't dealing with Ukrainian leaders who need obama cash!!
Hey, remember way back when Trump had to be removed before he starts a nuclear war and crashes our economy?
Good times, good times, eh ARM?
in so far as Giuffre named George Mitchell and bill Richardson, and not trump, it would seem an odd coverup, contrary to what boies suggested, she had no proof of any untoward behavior from dershowitz, odd how boies employed miss rutnik, represented stem express, worked with fusion gps, and most recently fields vindman and hill's attorneys
Once Dershowitz came under public scrutiny Epstein had to go. He knew too much.
By the way, who hasn't been immensely impressed with the incredible poise and sangfroid Dershowitz has shown in the face of these allegations?
and boies is the one who hired hunter biden, probably to order the refreshments, nudge nudge,
which commended him to the board of burisma, funny how these points all converge,
On the Epstein Barr virus - Trump.
this is how the fusion echo chamber works,
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1198008726407565313
They tried for a fall guy, this lawyer shcmo, but it doesn’t seem to be sticking, else you wouldn’t leak.
they throw out a lot of chum, like feeding time at the seaquarium,
https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1197731405901500417?s=20
We are literally about 5 minutes away from ARM claiming Clinton's many many many flights to visit Epstein's Island was all about gathering evidence for a Citizen's Arrest.....
LOL
And LLR Chuck will not be far behind in trying to back up the claim!
As I understand things
That's such a delightfully weaselly phrase.
Blogger Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
. . .
By the way, who hasn't been immensely impressed with the incredible poise and sangfroid Dershowitz has shown in the face of these allegations?
Guilty or innocent, it is difficult to maintain your sang froid when you are accused of child-rape.
Yeah, I already figured Ken B was a moby after all that jumping up and down re "Trump has betrayed our friends the Kurds! Eleventy!".
He's pretty talented.
Too bad he's been found out.
Oh well.
"BTW, anyone else catch Slow Joe Biden's threats to Lindsay Graham for daring to investigate the Bidens?"
-- Is that obstruction of justice /s
Even if this leak is true, it’s still possible that some of these scum are going to pay. I don’t see any mention that the CIA and Brennan are getting off the hook.
It’s always been plausible that the Mifsud/Halper/Vinogradova cabal was being run by the CIA to provide the FBI with “clean dirt”, so to speak, on Papadopolous and Page. As long as there is nothing concrete linking McCabe, Comey, Strozk etc. to Mifsud and his crew, the FBI can claim to have been hoodwinked along with the rest of us. Perhaps Horowitz is whitewashing the Justice Dept., who has won the interagency game of musical chairs, while Durham is going to crucify Brennan and his henchmen.
As I read it, this may be from just one of several, or many, people involved in faking the rationale given to the FISA court. This one by an FBI employee relieved to reveal the innocence of his or her role. There are likely other shoes to drop.
low-level fall-guy
"Patsy" Cline-smith
I believe Some of our popular commenters are Canadian, Canada can do anything at all without criticism, wear black face, allow major French speaking construction contractors to go unindicted for criminal acts, clear cut lumber, dig oil from the tundra, soak New Brunswick with imported oil, Support Chicoms, wear pussy fake eyebrows, it’s ok for Canada to do anything! So Canuk commenters can say anything without criticism. Perhaps I am wrong and they can tell me so.
“That conduct did not alter Horowitz’s finding that the surveillance application of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page had a proper legal and factual basis, the officials said.”
Oh wow, what a bombshell!
Does the "fruit of the poisonous tree" doctrine not apply in these rarefied atmospheres?
If the FISA warrant was awarded based on fraud, is it not nullified, at least as a correction of the public record?
You are talking "criminal". Counter intelligence is NOT criminal investigations. Why do you suppose they went to all the work to get Page and Popadopalus out of country? They always intended to dirty up their foriegn activities to justify the FISA counter intelligence involvement.
Counter intell, not criminal
Does anyone else think it's a good idea to wait until the report is actually published to start drawing conclusions from it?
CTH is exercising all his conspiracy theories about the pre-publication spin - he's probably better than 80% right, but. I think we would be better off watching football instead.
“Does anyone else think it's a good idea to wait until the report is actually published to start drawing conclusions from it?”
GTMO will need more military to guard all those a Democrats that surely will be imprisoned there.
i've decided that Schift is RIGHT! Trump SHOULD BE IMPEACHED!
I just saw a video, where Trump is BRAGGING about withholding A BILLION DOLLARS in aid money from the Ukrainians; Unless they:
Fire some prosecutor that Trump didn't think was doing enough digging
Not ONLY did Trump openly BRAG about it; he did it while wearing a schlocky Jo Biden mask!!
That's the line in the sand! IMPEACH!! IMPEACH!!!
Inga said...Oh wow, what a bombshell!
Both sides are lobbing bombshells but the trenchant warriors remain entrenched. Perhaps it's time for Eric Swalwell to release some poison gas.
Welcome back, Inga!
"BTW, anyone else catch Slow Joe Biden's threats to Lindsay Graham for daring to investigate the Bidens?"
Abortion... cancel culture.
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
Once Dershowitz came under public scrutiny Epstein had to go. He knew too much.
**************
You really ought to read "Loserthink".
The first chapter deals with dolts like you, who make claims and assertions w/o having a scintilla of evidence.
GTMO will need more military to guard all those a Democrats that surely will be imprisoned there.
Asking a favor of a govt to honor a treaty with the US is impeachable. Lying on a FISA warrant to spy on a political campaign of an opponet? Shut up, because reasons.
BTW, anyone else catch Slow Joe Biden's threats to Lindsay Graham for daring to investigate the Bidens?
Is Joe Biden some kind of hair apparent too?
Not ONLY did Trump openly BRAG about it; he did it while wearing a schlocky Jo Biden mask!!
Quid pro Joe.
That said, it was an Obama mask, in post-coup Kiev, with a flexibility not known since the DC-Tehran Shuffle, where he abandoned Iraq, shipped palettes full of cash, and observed the progress of abortion... cancel culture of ISIS et al. in the greater Middle East War 1.0. An Arab Spring. A Slavic Spring, too.
wholelottasplainin' said...
The first chapter deals with dolts like you, who make claims and assertions w/o having a scintilla of evidence.
Looks like we've got ourselves a live one!
wholelottasplainin' said...
You really ought to read "Loserthink".
I'm impressed that you had to read a book to come to the realization that a belief in conspiracy theories is a poor life choice.
Inga's got a new account too.
Tricksy like Chuck.
Looks like she pulled a fast on on Ms. Althouse.
Fiona Hill has shown Republicans to be Conspiracy Theorists of the highest order. Be proud.
"Inga said...Oh wow, what a bombshell!"
Still falling for Russian collusion? That is some impervious thickness.
Have a cuppa, Inga
Inga said...Fiona Hill has shown Republicans to be Conspiracy Theorists of the highest order. Be proud.
Ms. Davies did no such thing.
remember that one time, when you were Such a Pathetic LOSER, that after being asked to leave a blog site, you continued posting there until they Finally BANNED you?
And then, being Such a Pathetic LOSER, that you went and got a NEW account, just so you could continue to post on a blog where Everybody KNOWS that you're a Pathetic LOSER?
Fiona, The Media And Lies
Perhaps she didn't lie. Perhaps she is an acolyte of the Chamber.
Jon Ericson said...Looks like she pulled a fast on on Ms. Althouse.
You probably shouldn't assume that Althouse isn't up to speed.
Editing witness interview notes to change out one testimony with a different testimony is the heart of Obstructing Justice. If the IG covers for that FBI conduct as if is an acceptable error, then we have a totally corrupted Federal Government. Stay tuned.
Followup with the earlier thread:
https://defyccc.com/jeffrey-carr-the-russian-hacking-skeptic/
Interestingly, Prert Bahrrara, who you’d think knows, seems quite taken aback by whatever he’d heard, which suggests he’s heard something a little harder to spin that this Post piece suggests.
@Chickelit
Tut, tut. I was speaking to the super cleverness of Inga.
Ms. Althouse has suspended moderation for the nonce, but the clever ones pulled a fast one.
So, back to moderation or we live with the Chuck and Inga show. Whee!
They feed barrett and im assuming fandos crumbs
https://mobile.twitter.com/Shem_Infinite/status/1198028974770868225
ARM, LLR Chuck and Inga.
All on the same day!!
Russia collusion hoaxers ACTIVATE!!
Remember, Inga still believes Brett Kavanaugh raped 5,000 women as leader of a roving rape gang which terrorized the Maryland countryside for 2 decades.
She literally believes that.
To this day.
LOL
Tut, tut. I was speaking to the super cleverness of Inga.
Ms. Althouse has suspended moderation for the nonce, but the clever ones pulled a fast one.
R/PUSSYPASS
Applies to Inga and Chuck
I've been at Althouse so long I remember Inga explaining to us how the very thought that Hillary and the DNC funded the dossier was a kkkkrrrrraaaaaaazzzzzzyyyyyyy Konspiracy Theory!!
LOL
She's been batting .000 ever since.
The week in review - a video summary.
ARM, LLR Chuck and Inga.
All on the same day!!
Salmonella, e-coli and botulism combined
Skylark @ 3:39 PM: Very interesting! Poor guy seems upset. Roaches, meet kitchen light, to coin a phrase.
Lots of lively invective and to-ing and fro-ing in this thread. I hope it was amusing enough for Our Hostess such that she doesn't lower the boom on the comments.
All of this, in the end, is a result of flawed human nature overcoming a well-designed system, which never conceived a Federal Government of such scope and power. After reading the Federalist Papers this summer, it was clear that the citizens of late 18th century America were extremely jealous of their liberties. They needed to be strenuously persuaded to allow even the very limited central government of our once respected Constitution to be established.
How far have we strayed from this ideal! Alas, especially for my grandchildren.
It was nice while it lasted.
The place is rotten to the core. Read the Office of Professional Responsibility's report on Peter Strzok. Just terrible.
https://www.scribd.com/document/436429899/435752237-Strzok-v-Barr-DOJ-DE-30-5
I'd be very suspicious of the Washington Post get out ahead of it all spin on this. Leaks from "unnamed sources" is all the journalism it appears to know. I say wait for the real thing.
"Still falling for Russian collusion?”
No one knows what Mueller knows! Not even Mueller!
Post a Comment