WHAT THE?? FBI 'altered evidence' that falsely painted Carter Page as a Russian spy

The Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice Michael Horowitz made his report public Monday and in it he alleges that FBI misconduct in "surveilling" the Trump campaign found that the agency "altered" evidence which cast former Trump presidential adviser Carter Page as a Russian spy.

According to The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis and journalist Mollie Hemingway, the report “found that the FBI falsely claimed to the FISA Court not only that Carter Page was a Russian agent, but also falsely claimed that an unnamed intelligence agency had told the FBI that Page was ‘not a source’ in their efforts to surveil and curtail Russian intelligence efforts.”

Davis and Hemingway explain that Page had previously worked as an informant and witness for the US in a federal espionage case against a Russian intelligence official. However, Page was targeted by the Obama FBI as a spy working for Putin to steal the 2016 election from Hillary "Bleach Bit" Clinton.

 “According to the IG report, before the FBI and DOJ went to the FISA Court to apply for a warrant to spy on Page, an unnamed U.S. intelligence agency had told the FBI that Carter Page had previously assisted that agency’s efforts against Russian spies. Although exculpatory information about potential spy targets is required in spy warrant applications, Obama’s FBI and DOJ deliberately withheld that information from the spy court in order to paint Page in the worst possible light.

“Ahead of an application to renew the spy warrant in 2017, a top FBI lawyer doctored evidence from the unnamed agency which confirmed that contrary to FBI claims that he was a Russian spy, Page had in fact assisted the United States in its efforts to counter Russian operations,” The Federalist added “An e-mail from the agency that clearly stated Page was ‘a source’ for them was doctored by Kevin Clinesmith, a top FBI national security lawyer, to give the opposite impression to the federal spy court."

The IG's report found that the renewal applications that followed the initial request, also failed to include exculpatory information regarding his relationship with another U.S. government agency nor did include the information Page shared with that agency about his contacts with Russian intelligence officers. This occurred even after the Crossfire Hurricane team re-engaged with the other U.S. government agency in June 2017.

None of the inaccuracies and omissions Davis and Hemingway identified in the renewal applications were brought to the attention of OI before the applications were filed. As a result, similar to the first application, the Department officials who reviewed one or more of the renewal applications, including Yates, Boente, and Rosenstein, did not have accurate and complete information at the time they approved them.

The IG report found that the FBI made 17 “serious” errors in getting a FISA application on Carter Page and said that the FBI “fell far short” in correctly doing its job.

The report stated that investigators were “deeply concerned that so many basic and fundamental errors were made by three separate, hand-picked investigative teams; on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations; after the matter had been briefed to the highest levels within the FBI; even though the information sought through use of FISA authority related so closely to an ongoing presidential campaign; and even though those involved with the investigation knew that their actions were likely to be subjected to close scrutiny.”

This is a clear indictment of the FBI and something needs to be done as a follow up. Maybe James Comey has some ideas.

Yeah, sure.

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US Attorney Durham blasts IG findings on Russia probe

U.S. attorney John "No Bull" Durham has been conducting a large scope investigation of how the Trump-Russia probe originated. On Monday, he released a rare and blistering statement that he disagrees with conclusions of the so-called FISA report -- specifically, that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that the launching of the probe basically complied with DOJ and FBI policies.

“Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened,” Durham said in a statement.

The Horowitz report was released Monday and it stated that investigators found no intentional misconduct or political bias over the efforts to start the 2016 probe and to seek a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to monitor Carter Page, the President's campaign adviser in the early part of the investigation. However, the report found that there were "significant concerns with how certain aspects of the investigation were conducted and supervised."

“I have the utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff,” Durham said. “However, our investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department. Our investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.”

Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut has also been conducting a wider investigation into alleged misconduct and improper government surveillance on the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election. The Durham probe became a full criminal investigation publicly around October.

Attorney General William Barr appeared upset as he ripped the FBI over the investigation, calling it “intrusive” and saying it was launched based on the “thinnest of suspicions.”

“The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken,” Barr said in a statement.

He also expressed frustration that the FBI continued investigating the Trump campaign, even as “exculpatory” evidence came to the light.

“It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory,” Barr said. “Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump’s administration.”

Even former Special Counsel Robert Mueller acknowledged in his report that investigators did not find evidence of a conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and the Russians in 2016 – which the FBI probed extensively.

So the Democrats obviously needed more dirt on Trump to keep the impeachment nonsense going.

Barr pointed out that the FISA report shows a “clear abuse” of the surveillance process, which has apparently been exemplified in Adam Schiff's using congressional subpoena power to go after phone records of GOP Congress members and a reporter.

“In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source,” Barr said factually.

He added, “The Inspector General found the explanations given for these actions unsatisfactory. While most of the misconduct identified by the Inspector General was committed in 2016 and 2017 by a small group of now-former FBI officials, the malfeasance and misfeasance detailed in the Inspector General’s report reflects a clear abuse of the FISA process.”


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Obama spy leaders amid Russia probe: "Throwing each other under the bus"

A new round of covert finger-pointing has begun among Obama administration officials after the launch of a formal inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation. The investigation is being led by John Durham, one of the Justice Department’s toughest prosecutors. These officials just might have some explaining to do about efforts that were taken to surveil the Trump campaign.

A key issue that popped up like a wet zit this week concerns whether then-FBI Director James Comey or then-CIA Director John Brennan -- or both of these losers -- pushed the unverified and inaccurate Steele dossier containing claims about President Trump and his relationship to Russia. The dossier’s more sensational claims were never substantiated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) has long demanded to know about the origins of the Mueller probe tweeted:

“Amazing—James Comey says that in 2016, John Brennan insisted on including the dossier in their IC assessment. But Brennan says: no no, COMEY wanted to use the dossier.” 

Meadows added:

“They know the truth is coming. And now they're all throwing each other under the bus.”

It's actually quite fun to watch.

Sources told Fox News that a late-2016 email chain said that Comey told FBI subordinates that Brennan insisted the dossier be included in the intelligence community assessment (ICA) on Russian interference. That email chain has not been made public.

However, a former CIA official put the blame squarely on Comey, according to Fox News.

"Former Director Brennan, along with former [Director of National Intelligence] James Clapper, are the ones who opposed James Comey’s recommendation that the Steele Dossier be included in the intelligence report," the official said.

Clapper previously testified that the dossier was not ultimately used in the ICA, but with Clapper, the truth can be elusive.

News that Comey had briefed Trump personally on the dossier before the inauguration -- purportedly to warn him of potential blackmail threats -- leaked within days and opened the door for media outlets to publicize the dossier's harsh claims.

Another FBI top official said in a podcast that he and others worried that it could appear to people who fail to see the wonderment, wisdom and spiritual clarity of Comey that he was trying to blackmail Trump when he initially told him about the allegations in the dossier.

The trees and the road know of his purity.

The Justice Department’s watchdog, Michael Horowitz, also is expected to conclude his internal review of how the dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele was used to secure the original surveillance warrant for former Trump aide Carter Page in October 2016, as well as for three renewals since it was built on bull crap.

Horowitz’s team has questioned why the FBI considered Steele, a foreign national, a credible source, and why the bureau seemed to use news reports to bolster Steele’s credibility. Is it even remotely possible Steele, et al, hate Donald Trump?

U.S. Attorney John Huber earlier was appointed by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to review not only alleged surveillance abuses by the Justice Department and the FBI, but also their handling of the investigation into the Clinton Foundation and other matters. The status of Huber's work is not known but the sweat is starting to form above many an upper lip.


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Trump to declassify key FISA documents, text messages in FBI Russia probe

BREAKING: President Trump ordered the declassification of some key documents regarding the FBI probe of Russia's part in the 2016 presidential election, including an application for a renewed surveillance warrant against Carter Page, a Trump campaign aide, along with text messages from disgraced FBI officials and adulterers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said POTUS ordered the documents released "[a]t the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency."

Specifically, the documents to be declassified also include 12 FBI reports on interviews with DOJ official Bruce Ohr and all FBI reports on interviews prepared on connection with all other applications to surveil Carter Page.

Trump also ordered the DOJ to release text messages from key players in the Russia investigation "without redaction" --including fired FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Ohr, Strzok and Lisa Page.

The date and method of release has not yet been released.

About two weeks ago, 12 Republican members of Congress asked Trump to declassify the June 2017 application for a warrant against Carter Page and for FBI reports of interviews with Ohr.

This may turn out to be groundbreaking information that may cause a few, if not many, heads to roll.

More to come as information becomes available.


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Weasel calls memo "dishonest" and "misleading"

The Prince of Pontification, James Comey, slammed the GOP memo by Devin Nunes as "dishonest" and "misleading." Yes, the man who leaked information about the President to his buddy in order to give the gossip to the media is bloviating about honesty. 

Comey is the most insufferable person on the planet.

The fired former FBI director was anything but impressed with the FISA memo's contents, but that's because he's possibly behind much of what transpired with both his agency and the DOJ. 

Lordy.

"That's it?" the boy scout Comey tweeted. "Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs."

What a cocky crock from a phony Comey.

Comey used the politically financed and inspired dossier to go after Carter Page. He is everything he accuses the memo to be, what he accuses Nunes, who wrote the memo to be.

Comey is a disgrace and a weasel.


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Wife of demoted DoJ prober worked for Fusion GPS

Bruce G. Ohr, a senior DoJ official who was demoted last week for concealing the fact that he secretly met with the men behind the anti-Trump "dossier," from the company known as Fusion GPS, also concealed the fact that his wife worked for that company during the 2016 presidential campaign, Fox News learned exclusively.

It was Fusion GPS that was responsible for the highly charged document of oppositional research on Trump.

Investigators for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) contacted Fox News and confirmed that Nellie H. Ohr, wife of Bruce Ohr, worked for the oppositional research company last year.

In psychotherapy terms, it's called a conflict of interest, and I'm sure that discipline is not alone in that way of thinking.

It isn't clear what Nellie Ohr's duties were at the firm, whether she actually worked on the dossier herself, but she's published works available online showing she has written extensively on Russia-related subjects.

HPSCI has confirmed to Fox News that she was paid by Fusion GPS through the summer and fall of 2016.

Woah Nellie!

The company received close scrutiny for a year because Republican lawmakers are probing as to whether the dossier, which was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee,  was used as the basis for the Department of Justice and the FBI to obtain FISA surveillance in 2016 on a Trump adviser, Carter Page.

Chairman of the committee, Devin Nunes (R.- Calif) told Fox News, "The House Intelligence Committee is looking into all facets of the connection between the Department of Justice and Fusion GPS, including Mr. Ohr."

The last time Ohr smiled

At first, DoJ officials were silent about Ohr's demotion. Then they said that his wearing two hats (holding two job titles) was "unusual." Finally they confirmed he had withheld his contacts with Fusion GPS people from his superiors.

Former FBI Director James Comey described the dossier as a compendium of "salacious and unverified" allegations about then-candidate Trump and his associates, including Mr. Page, who was working as a foreign policy adviser. The document was given to the FBI in July 2016, just before Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination.

Comey testified afterward that it was the same month the FBI began its counterintelligence probe of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.

The day prior to Fox News reporting that Ohr held secret meetings in 2016 with Glenn Simpson, the founder of Fusion GPS, and Christopher Steele, a former British spy who compiled the dossier, the DoJ stripped Ohr of his deputy title and demoted him.

When Fox News disclosed that Ohr held those meetings it showed how the far reach of the dossier's creators. Steele, a longtime FBI informant is one of Ohr's contacts that dates back a decade. Ohr may have been the guy to put Fusion together with the FBI through Steele. 

Ohr's wife working for Fusion is, as Joe Biden might say, "a big f**k**g deal."

This is a developing scandal, so please stay tuned.


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Selective leftist outrage

"After my election, I have more flexibility."--Barack Obama to Russian President Medvedev on 'hot mic'

It's almost laughable how the left sounds the alarm over an alleged relationship of the Trump administration with the Russians. 

They point out how Paul Manafort was an adviser to the Ukrainian president, a pro-Russian and how Carter Page, another Trump adviser, was involved in energy deals with Russian companies. And how Jeff Sessions actually spoke to a Russian official while on the Senate Armed Services Committee--even though it's a normal part of his job.

And of course, there's Michael Flynn and the speech he gave in Moscow as a private citizen . . . and so on.

As Peter Schweizer said, in an article for Fox News, it's important to examine these relationships, but "Still, those pushing the narrative of troubling ties to Russia lose all credibility by wholly ignoring the far deeper and more troubling relationships the Clintons and their closest aides have maintained with Russian government officials for years, including while they were in public office."

But the big difference here is that the Clinton deals involved enormous favors that benefitted Russian interests and involved hundreds of millions of dollars.

Like the speech Bill Clinton gave in Moscow in 2010 and received half a million dollars. Renaissance Capital, a Moscow firm paid the fee--a firm with close ties to Russian intelligence, and they admit it proudly.

No Russian donor was too embedded in Russian concerns to refuse. Schweizer mentions the following: 

Victor Vekselberg: a Putin confidant and head of Renova Group

Andrey Vavilov: a former Russian government official and Chairman of SuperOx, a research company that was part of "nuclear Cluster" at a government research facility

Elena Buturina: wife of a former Mayor of Moscow. She appeared to donate to the Clintons via JSC Inteco which she controls

And of course we have the 2010 Uranium One deal in which the Clinton Foundation received $145 million in "donations" from a Canadian uranium company that was sold to the Russian government. In order to seal the deal, several U.S. federal agencies needed to approve it, including Hillary's State Department. The Russians ended up with 20 percent of America's uranium which went to Rosatom, an entity that controls Russia's nuclear arsenal.

The fact that some of the Clinton Foundation donations were not disclosed by the Clintons should trouble all of us. President Obama required the Foundation to disclose all contributions as a condition of Hillary Clinton becoming Secretary of State, but she didn't. It was the Canadian tax records that uncovered the deal.

Then there's one of Hillary's closest aides, John Podesta who actually went into business with the Russian government while a Hillary Clinton adviser as Secretary of State.

Podesta was on the executive board of an energy company called Joule Unlimited. The Russian government invested a billion rubles (about $35 million) in the company. The money came from an investment fund called Rusnano, a fund started in 2007 by Putin and described as "Putin's Child" by Russian Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko.

Rusnano investments could also have military applications and it would be surprising if it didn't.

When Podesta went to the White House in 2014, where he served as counselor to Obama, he did not disclose his board membership in one of the Joule entities on his financial disclosure form. 

But the hypocritical left isn't concerned about what appears to be an actual intimate relationship with the Russians because it had nothing to do with Donald Trump.


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