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© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.FBI director orders internal review of Flynn investigation
By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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PTownsend
In all sincerity, I admire conservatives. I think true conservative voices are essential to any democracy. But I could never find any connection between Trumpism and conservatism, at least how I understand what all conservatism might entail. One thing I've long thought fundamental to American conservatism was the notion of national sovereignty. I think at base the investigations into Russian meddling, and I'll never believe Russian didn't and doesn't still meddle, was to protect American sovereignty. I also think US conservatives believe in the US Constitution's balance and separation of powers, and that many who want to limit Trump's authoritarian power grabs do so because of their conservative beliefs. I won't go on describing ways I think trump and his supporters are NOT conservatives because I'll be lopped off.
Busby
BINGO! Some facts about Mike Flynn...
He talked with the Russian Ambassador on several occasions - saying that the Trump administration will go easier on Russia than President Obama...but he didn't know his calls were monitored...
When asked if he had these conversations by the FBI, Trump and Pence - he lied and said "NO".....
So he lied to not only the FBI but both to the President and VP....unless of course they're lying and directed him to do it...
Then, he came before a judge and pleaded guilty - and even after the judge asked him under oath several times to verify that he acknowledged his guilt and has no doubts, he said "YES"...
So, now that he's backtracked on that, he's lied under oath one more time...
Flynn is as big a liar as Trump, which means Trump still likes him, even after Flynn lied to him...
The Trump White House - nothing but a Liar's Club...
Busby
You know what's really interesting - how much Trump loves liars....
Trump can't stand people that tell him the truth - just look at Mattis, Cohn, Kelly, Tillertson...all told Trump the truth and were all fired....
Now you have Dr Fauci doing his best to tell the truth and he finds himself in the dog house - he's too popular and admired to fire, or Trump would have done it already...
Yet Flynn lied directly to both Trump and Pence - saying he didn't talk to the Russian Ambassador - and Trump still loves the guy...
Or maybe he didn't lie - maybe it's Trump (and Pence) who are lying and authorized Flynn to tell the Russians "we'll go easier on you" when we get in power...cause we like you...and as payback for the successful influence campaign that got him elected....
One thing's true on the Trump WH - liars love liars....
The Avenger
Trump 2016: The FBI is investigating Hillary Clinton, she must be corrupt!
Trump 2020: The FBI is investigating me, the FBI must be corrupt!
Busby
Great summary of how corrupt Barr is - well done...
Thanks for agreeing with me...
Trump - he can't handle the truth....
From the guy who got caught red-handed yesterday on all his flipping on Fauci...
Oh, and Flynn was never "masked"....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/21/michael-flynn-not-masked-calls-sergey-kislyak/5236264002/
There goes that lie....
Jsapc
You apparently don't realize that the whole article is pretty damning for Barr and Trump, but thank you for posting it anyway.
PTownsend
Another alt right term used to push their 'fake news'. Just another alt right 'hoax' to protect their Trump.
bass4funk
Millions of us can’t find....no, we can definitely see the connection between far left liberalism and socialism.
You think?
Nice try, but doesn’t fly.
bass4funk
Yes, let’s look at the REAL facts.
The new information
In early Jan. 2017, the FBI determined that its counterintelligence investigation into Flynn — part of the larger probe into the Trump campaign — should be closed.
The investigation was not formally closed, though, before the bureau learned of Flynn’s contacts with Kislyak.
The bureau saw the Kislyak call as an opportunity to continue investigating Flynn, with Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok texting FBI lawyer Lisa Page, “our utter incompetence actually helps us,” because the investigation could continue.
There was an internal debate over whether to interview Flynn about the call. The filing quotes the notes of the FBI’s counterintelligence chief as saying: “What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
Despite those doubts, Comey decided to go ahead with the interview without notifying the White House or DOJ leadership, per the filing.
Flynn voluntarily submitted to the Jan. 24 interview, and acknowledged in advance (based on his long career in intelligence) that the FBI likely knew the contents of his call with Kislyak, per the DOJ filing.
Still, he denied making a number of statements to Kislyak that a transcript showed he did, in fact, make.
Afterwards, the FBI was divided over whether Flynn had knowingly lied, with Comey himself saying, “It is a close one,” per the filing.
Worth noting: The DOJ case that Flynn may not have intentionally misled the FBI comes despite the fact that Flynn himself admitted in court to having lied.
The FBI interview also came after both Pence and Spicer had publicly denied that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak.
That prompted concerns that Flynn could have been vulnerable to blackmail from the Kremlin, which was obviously aware that sanctions had been discussed.
This posed a potential national security threat that defenders of the FBI say justified the interview and the continuation of the counterintelligence probe.
The pushback
The DOJ filing was signed by Timothy Shea, a longtime Barr ally and the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but not by any of the prosecutors who worked on the case against Flynn.
Legal experts note that the Justice Department does not argue that Flynn was coerced or had his rights violated — more common grounds on which to drop such charges.
Mary McCord, a former DOJ official whose concerns about the Flynn probe are cited more than 25 times in the filing as evidence that Flynn should **not have been under investigation, writes in the NYT that her words were “twisted” in service of a “contorted argument” that does not stand up to scrutiny.**
Senior Democrats, including Obama, have claimed that Barr and Trump are trampling the rule of law.
Trump, meanwhile, is pushing the theory that Obama knew in 2017 that the investigation into Flynn was baseless but directed the FBI to carry on anyways. There is no evidence for that claim.
The bottom line: Barr defended his decision in a recent interview with CBS, but acknowledged that it would be debated for some time.
— Bill Barr
The Democrats and their lives have finally caught up to them.
https://www.axios.com/michael-flynn-explainer-barr-trump-obamagate-6799dabb-5db1-4169-b5dc-e0968228a0b1.html
bass4funk
The way the Dems love Schiff, Nadler, Nancy and Schumer
Not truth, their personal opinion and and speaking of lies, the Dems hated Flynn...well, we know what happened there and Patreus.
Which he flipped and flopped on so many times.
bass4funk
So was Holder...
I didn’t.
Whatever liberals want to call him, but their game is up, so can’t wait until he’s out, sues the Feds and writes a book and make millions, he deserves it and it would be icing on the cake if Trump would rehire him back into his cabinet, liberals would have a cataclysmic meltdown of biblical proportions.
bass4funk
Hardly.
That would be the House Democrats, they want people to remain at home and invalid, shame on them!
What? Oh, lol.
Jsapc
Are you talking about the same Comey that announced another useless investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mails days before the election, which greatly contributed to her loss? You call that a "democrat party supporter"? That's pretty rich.
Busby
Hmmmm...you didn't mention Holder, just Barr - and again, great summary of Barr's corruption...
Sure did -"Yes, But What About"....
Hey, if Trump wants to hire someone that lied to his face, more power to him...or maybe he was doing what Trump wanted - telling the Russians he'd go easy on them. That sure has been proven out...
arrestpaul
Lots of Democrats are rich. Very, very, rich. The lying, corrupt, deceitful Comey was offering yet another Obama-era, do-nothing, politically-biased, all-talk-and-no-action, showboating Democrat Party JustUs Dept. non-investigation into the absolute corruption of Hillary. Unfortunately, Comey was/is too stupid to realize that something like that might backfire, as it did. That and the Democrat Party's stabbing of all of those Bernie supporters in the back.
Meanwhile, the FBI has already changed the rules for future FISA court documents, and testimony. I wonder what other FBI rules, and regs, will have to be changed in order to keep another Obama-era-type attempted overthrow of an elected POTUS from taking place.
And the current U.S. Justice Department's investigations into the illegal actions of those democrat party supporters will continue.
Wolfpack
The walls are closing in on at least a few of the coup conspirators. Unfortunately the FBI waited until most of the worst offenders had already left. Bruce Ohr is still around though.
Wolfpack
I am not alt Left or alt Right. I didn’t even vote for Trump. I am just a conservative that believes that for Americans the Constitution is vital to the freedom the people enjoy.
The hoax was the 3 year long Russia investigation that led to the attempted removal of president Trump. That effort ended in failure. The Steele dossier was debunked. In fact it was paid for by the Democrat party and intentionally injected into the law enforcement arena by Steele and compliant journalists. People in the FBI knew it was nothing yet used it to spy on people associated with Trumps campaign.
I think Comey and the other coup plotters thought they were saving America. They took it upon themselves to eviscerate the Constitution in order to save it. They were flat out crazy and drunk on their own power and self righteousness. If someone doesn’t pay for this you can bet it will happen again. The next time it might be your favorite candidate in the crosshairs.
bass4funk
Not fake news, there are handwritten documents, irrefutable and indisputable. Good that Wray is now taking this seriously and give it the attention that has long been overdue.
Don’t forget this pretty much all started with McCain who acknowledged getting a copy of the dossier, written by former British spy Christopher Steele, and delivering it to James Comey. That dossier contained unverified information and, among other things, claimed the Russians had compromising information on Trump, so he and old never Trumper Republicans also played a role in this farce, the individuals involved should never get a pass either.
Blacklabel
I have full confidence the facts are coming out and in the end, we will all know the truth of what happened.
In reality, I feel that the USA could not withstand the shock to the system of someone at the Obama, Biden or Hillary Clinton level of prominence being led off in handcuffs. So that wont happen. Not that it shouldnt, it just cant. would tear the country apart.
I think some lower level scapegoats with be created and people like Susan Rice will hide behind the emails they sent to themselves to act like they had nothing to do with it. a few "name" people will go to prison, but likely not the ones who deserve it the most.
PTownsend
That's been debunked by all except the alt right kook media. Hmmm
Is your point Trump and his fellow national socialists have seized control? ROFL
Trump and his national socialists are going back to their churches, delighting the telescamgelists who've been so supportive of both. SMH
Blacklabel
revisionist history. all these people were called liars at some point by the liberal media. Only now that they arent there anymore, they obtained sainthood.
Blacklabel
I feel a lot of the heat is coming down on Susan Rice again.
I also feel this is not a coincidence. If she is the VP candidate, Dems will claim she is just being attacked for "politics" instead of for her role in all the criminality.
If she isnt the candidate and feels she isnt being taken care of, she is a prime target to get to "flip" on the criminal cabal that was the previous corrupt administration.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/497924-susan-rice-says-she-would-certainly-say-yes-to-be-bidens-vp
arrestpaul
Well it is about time that the FBI started to clean up their own house. Comey was a huge embarrassment to the agency. Who selected THAT guy to head the FBI? Obama's minions strong armed Flynn into admitting that he had lied. Mueller's politically selected witch-hunters still failed to turn up actual evidence for their persecutions during their investigation into COLLUSION between Russia and the Trump 2016 presidential campaign, because they chose to ignore the fact that whole scheme was created by Democrat Party supporters. And now an Obama-appointed judge is trying to act as a prosecutor AND judge in order keep the Democrat Party's hopes/lies alive. This action by the FBI is just one more step leading to the incarceration of Comey, and all of the other Democrat Party supporters who tried to overthrow the elected government.