Michael Flynn hearing today.

Was supposed to start at 11am. There has been a delay because of technical problems to allow the hearing to be an audio broadcast.

I don't know the exact format, but I think there will be briefs by DoJ, Sidney Powell, and the amicus John Gleeson.

adding: 1240p hearing has started


adding: If Judge Sullivan had dismissed the case months ago, would we ever had found out about all the FBI misconduct that has been revealed to Sidney Powell ?

The DoJ right now is telling Judge Sullivan about the testimony of FBI agent Barnett

Sullivan complaining that Powell wrote AG Barr about the Flynn case in June 2019 and asked for the prosecutors to be replaced. Sullivan taking hard shots at Powell

Sidney Powell: the only response to her letter to Barr was that there was no more Brady material to be released.

Judge Sullivan asks if Sidney Powell has ever discussed the case w President Trump. Powell claims executive privilege. Powell says she spoke w the President in the last few weeks about the case to give an update.

Powell asks Judge Sullivan to remove himself from the case. Powell says Sullivan has demonstrated bias against Flynn.

Sullivan makes positive comments about Flynn's previous lawyers while taking shots at Powell. Flynn's previous law firm is the one that Eric Holder is on.

Sullivan is dancing around and asking could Flynn be prosecuted for FARA crimes under another AG ? Trying to open doors in case Biden would win ?

Tech No Fog: The DOJ is eviscerating the Special Counsel's representations to Judge Sullivan that the Flynn interview was material to Crossfire Hurricane.

Sullivan now concerned that Peter Strzok claims that some of his emails had been altered. The Sullivan bias is like a 4x4 on his shoulder.

Now Sullivan asks what significance is there that no member of the Special Counsel office approves of the Flynn dismissal ? hint: The Mueller team framed Flynn. I just wish they would all stop dancing and say what they really mean to be true. This is a charade.

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Listening to Gleeson argue, as the friend of the court, that the prosecutor is tainted, tweets by POTUS should be considered, and that Flynn is guilty of things he was never charged with, is pretty infuriating.

Unbelievable.

New declassification by DNI Ratcliff. Looks like the plan to tie Trump to Russia started with Hillary and that the Obama WH was briefed on it. Amazing...

As for the Flynn hearing today, nothing unexpected. Sullivan knows he can wipe his ass with the law and smear it all over Flynn in public and there isn't a dam thing anyone can do about it. At a minimum the case has until inauguration day to get decided or Trump will just issue a pardon. Innocent men shouldn't need a pardon but that is the state of the just-us system in this country.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good explanation to SDY's post above from John Soloman

U.S. intelligence developed evidence from Russia in summer 2016 that Hillary Clinton had personally approved a plan to concoct the Russia collusion narrative in an effort to harm Donald Trump and distract from her email scandal, according to an explosive document made public Tuesday by the Director of National Intelligence.

U.S. officials became so concerned by the Clinton campaign's conduct that they referred the matter to the FBI for investigation, well before the election and before the bureau pursued the concocted story as grounds for getting FISA warrants targeting the Trump campaign and adviser Carter Page, DNI John Ratcliffe's letter shows.

"In late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis alleging that U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee," Ratcliffe wrote Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham. "The IC does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication."

Ratcliffe told the senator that former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan created handwritten notes showing he "subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the 'alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.'"

By Labor Day, U.S. intelligence had escalated the concerns to the FBI.

"On 07 September 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding 'U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server,'" Ratcliffe wrote.

The release of the highly classified evidence comes one day before Comey was set to testify to Graham's committee, adding an extraordinary twist showing the FBI and CIA may have known all along the Russia collusion allegations were a political dirty trick.

https://justthenews.com/accoun..._campaign=newsletter

key phrase in the Ratcliffe ltr posted by mbinky:

"obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis"

Sounds like U.S. Intel picked it up from Russian Intel. How did Russians know ?

Christopher Steele was in DC late July 2016.

Steele's primary source was once considered to be a Russian agent.

hmmmmm





adding:

Comey will testify Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his role in Crossfire Hurricane, the investigation of the Trump campaign.

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hillary and the obama crew might not have a Happy New Year...

quote:

Originally posted by az4783054:
hillary and the obama crew might not have a Happy New Year...

They won't lose a wink of sleep...and they don't need to. Not a thing will happen to them.

quote:

key phrase in the Ratcliffe ltr posted by mbinky:

"obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis"

Sounds like U.S. Intel picked it up from Russian Intel. How did Russians know ?

Christopher Steele was in DC late July 2016.

Steele's primary source was once considered to be a Russian agent.

hmmmmm

The fact that Obama, Clinton, Comey, et al were patsies for the Russians is beyond too funny.

More delays by Sullivan

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:

quote:

key phrase in the Ratcliffe ltr posted by mbinky:

"obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis"

Sounds like U.S. Intel picked it up from Russian Intel. How did Russians know ?

Christopher Steele was in DC late July 2016.

Steele's primary source was once considered to be a Russian agent.

hmmmmm

The fact that Obama, Clinton, Comey, et al were patsies for the Russians is beyond too funny.

Don’t forget the MSM who provided able assistance in spreading misinformation and undermining the country’s confidence in its government

1) Seems like something mueller should of known or found out early on.
2) How does hillary's idea become a federal case?

Flynn lawyer tells judge she asked Trump not to pardon his national security adviser

https://justthenews.com/accoun..._campaign=newsletter

lawyer for Michael Flynn on Tuesday told a federal judge that in her effort to have her client's case vacated she's spoken in person about the case to President Trump and asked him not to pardon Flynn.

Powell said she spoke with Trump and White House lawyer Jenna Ellis recently about the Justice Department's request to dismiss the case.

"I provided the White House with an update on the overall status of the litigation," Powell said in a federal court in Washington, D.C. "I never discussed this case with the president until recently, when I asked him not to issue a pardon."

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan concluded the five-hour hearing without making a ruling on the department's motion to dismiss.

Powell did not say why she asked Trump not to issue a pardon and said she made no other requests to the president.

The president has long said that the federal government overstepped its authority in an attempt to prove that Flynn, as a member the 2016 presidential campaign and transition team, colluded with Russia.

Flynn, who became Trump's national security adviser, pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about talking to a Russian diplomat during that period but changed his plea after Powell became his attorney.

Armed with bombshell documents suggesting FBI misconduct, Powell entered the court Tuesday determined to persuade a skeptical judge to vacate the former national security adviser's guilty plea for lying and dismiss the charge.

Powell was joined by Justice Department prosecutors in the effort to dismiss the case, brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.

Sullivan has solicited his own adversarial advice, ordering a report from a former federal judge in New York that recommended against dismissal on the grounds that DOJ's decision to support dropping the charges was forced by Trump's badgering.

"In the United States, Presidents do not orchestrate pressure campaigns to get the Justice Department to drop charges against defendants who have pleaded guilty — twice, before two different judges — and whose guilt is obvious," the retired U.S. District Judge John Gleeson wrote recently. "The government's attempt to dress up a politically motivated dismissal that smacks of impropriety as a 'policy judgment,' should be rejected."

But Powell is armed with several new bombshell documents released by DOJ in the last week, including one showing the lead FBI agent in the Flynn case, William Barnett, declared there was never evidence of wrongdoing by the retired general or Trump and the Russia probe was kept open by Mueller simply because his team had a "get Trump" goal.

Barnett's claims came in the form of an interview with DOJ officials in which he revealed FBI agents recommended closing the Flynn case both in November 2016 and again in January 2017 because there was no evidence of wrongdoing or intelligence threats, but their bosses in FBI management overruled them and decided to pursue the interview where Flynn was accused of lying.

One of those supervisors, former Assistant Director William Priestap, kept notes questioning the decision to pursue the Flynn interview. Specifically, his notes questioned whether the FBI's motive was to find the truth in the Russia case or "to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired."

Barnett's testimony suggested there was no evidentiary basis for the interview or the pursuit of Flynn. "Barnett believed the prosecution of Flynn by SCO [special counsel's office] was used as a means to 'get TRUMP,'" according to the recently released interview report.

In addition, the FBI has released text messages showing some of the intelligence analysts who worked the Flynn case were so concerned the FBI was engaging in misconduct that they bought liability insurance fearing they could be sued after their bosses continued to keep the investigation open based on "conspiracy theories."

"We all went and purchased professional liability insurance," one analyst texted on Jan. 10, 2017, just 10 days before Trump took office.

The extraordinary evidence showing the FBI believed there was no reason to prosecute Flynn was belatedly produced years after he had pleaded guilty, and it is likely to be seized upon both by Powell and the federal prosecutors supporting her request for dismissal.

"There was no case against General Flynn," Powell and federal prosecutors wrote in the new joint motion filed last week. "There was no crime. The FBI and the prosecutors knew that. This American hero and his entire family have suffered for four years from public abuse, slander, libel, and all means of defamation at the hands of the very government he pledged his life to defend."

regarding mbinky's post of the Ratcliffe LTR,

Catherine Herridge reports that the notes were turned up by US attorney Durham + opened a new track in his probe

Could it be Powell doesn’t want Trump to pardon Flynn because she knows she’s pulling the thread that could unravel the whole veil? From what I know and have seen of her efforts I have more confidence in her than I do Barr, Durham or the rest of the supposed seekers of truth and justice.

^^^^^^^^
President Trump will pardon Flynn if necessary, but prefers to see him cleared by the courts. If cleared, he could seek financial compensation for his damages.

Accepting a pardon is essentially an admission of guilt, or at least it’s often perceived that way.

I would imagine that at this point General Flynn wants to be exonerated by the legal process and despite the extra grief continuing to fight that way causes, it would be more satisfying in the longer run. It should have never been necessary for the fight to even begin, but once it’s started I can see why he would say, “No, I’m not quitting now.” Hopefully it works out that way.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
^^^^^^^^
President Trump will pardon Flynn if necessary, but prefers to see him cleared by the courts. If cleared, he could seek financial compensation for his damages.

Emphasis added. This is a huge part of the equation!!! General Flynn has been financially ruined by this political persecution and the only hope he has for regaining some of that loss is through the civil courts. This is why the FBI agents involved discussed getting liability insurance (to indemnify them from personal loss that they certainly seem to be liable for). With the criminals involved seemingly "untouchable" due to friendly associates that are still in DOJ, I expect Flynn's probably going to have to settle with the "government", meaning (like the Lois Learner IRS situation) we (the taxpayers) will be left paying for clearly illegal behavior by our "employees'" malfeasance.

Chuck Ross:

OIG identified 50 errors in the FBI Woods process for the Carter Page FISA applications

Comey says he would not have signed the FISAs in hindsight.

"No, not without a much fuller discussion" about what they were disclosing to the FISA court.

Comey tells Cornyn that he learned a lot of stuff about Steele's source from the IG report. Not Peter Strzok or Priestap or McCabe, but from the IG.

Grassley notes that Comey was warned repeatedly by intelligence officials in early 2017 that the Steele dossier was false and riddled with Russian disinformation.

Comey claims he doesn't remember any of that.

Comey says he doesn't remember hearing anything about the interview with the Steele source, Igor Danchenko.

Comey says he doesn't know how much time FBI spent trying to validate the dossier.

Graham reads into the record a letter from the DOJ Office of Intelligence attorney who put together the Carter Page FISA saying that he/she would not sign it today knowing then what they know now.



more:

Graham asks Comey about the investigative referral sent directly to him on 9/7/16, re: Clinton's approval of a plan concerning Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering US elections as a means of distraction from email server. Comey: "Doesn't ring a bell."

Graham now pointing out that Carter Page made truthful statements that should have affected the FBI's decision to investigate. Comey pretty much saying he can't remember anything and didn't know anything.

Comey is now claiming he doesn't know anything about the source of the Steele dossier claims he briefed to Trump and then had leaked to CNN, and that he definitely doesn't know anything about the sub-source telling the FBI in early 2017 that claims sourced to him were false.

James Comey just said the FBI director has no responsibility, before signing a FISA application, to determine whether the allegations within it are true.

Comey has repeatedly claimed, against all evidence, that Carter Page wasn't working with the CIA and that Igor Danchenko--the Steele dossier's primary source--wasn't a Russian intelligence asset.

His need to believe the Steele dossier was gospel is pathological.

"Do you recall getting an inquiry from the Intelligence Community in September 2016 about a concern the Clinton campaign was going to create a scandal regarding Trump and #Russia?"

Comey: "I do not"

Comey doubled down on his claim that Mifsud was a Russian agent.

“What astounds me the most, is that the director of the FBI is completely clueless about any of the information obtained by his agency,” Graham said.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You can watch the entire hearing here:

https://www.breitbart.com/poli...-the-trump-campaign/


Comey does not even try to hide his bias against
President Trump.

https://www.redstate.com/shipw...ot-worthy-of-belief/

Jim Comey is a liar. He’s not an artful prevaricator. He’s a liar.

He might think his lies are in furtherance of what he believes is a “higher calling,” but they are lies nonetheless.

He has denied in testimony this morning any knowledge on his part, in December 2016, that Igor Danchenko, the “Primary Sub-Source” (PSS) in the Steele Dossier memos, was identified as a Russian Agent in July 2010. This is an essential detail because Comey personally — as well as his Deputy Director Andy McCabe — fought to include information from Danchenko in the “Intelligence Community Assessment” on the subject of Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign.

Last week the Director of National Intelligence declassified a memorandum from the FBI to Senator Lindsay Graham that says when the FBI uncovered the Primary Sub-Source’s identity in December 2016 — and there is a strong reason to believe the late Senator John McCain gave that identity TO JIM COMEY — the Crossfire Hurricane investigative team became aware of that Danchenko was the subject of a counterintelligence investigation in 2010.


It is important to understand that the 2010 investigation moved as far as the initial phase of seeking a FISA warrant to conduct electronic surveillance of Danchenko INSIDE the United States. That means — WITHOUT ANY DOUBT — that the FBI counterintelligence agents conducting that investigation determined that Danchenko WAS A RUSSIAN AGENT. That is a necessary finding to take the step towards FISA surveillance. Without that, finding an investigation cannot go in the direction of a FISA warrant.

Jim Comey testified this morning in response to a question from Sen. Grassley that:

“I don’t remember any information reaching me about any investigation of the source of Steele’s, and I know now from the public record that there was some investigation back in 2009. That can cut both ways so I don’t know how the people working on the investigation thought about that.”

The investigation started in 2009 but continued into the summer of 2010 when the counterintelligence agents looking into Danchenko learned he had left the United States when his visa was not renewed. The “public record” — the released letter from the FBI to the Senate — goes through a number of significant facts uncovered by the investigation — and ALL those facts “cut one way,” not “both ways” as Comey suggests. So much so that they led the Agents in 2010 to begin the process of seeking a FISA warrant to obtain historical communication contents of Danchenko. The counterintelligence file on Danchenko was not closed until 2011.

When COMEY learns of Danchenko’s identity as the PSS and passes that along to the Crossfire Hurricane team, the idea that the team would uncover the 2009-2011 investigation and NOT immediately push that information back up to McCabe and Comey where the PSS identification came from is simply “laugh out loud” funny.

Why do I say Comey gave them the identification? Because we know from prior testimony that Christopher Steele communicated the identities of his sources to only ONE person to suggest the credibility of his reporting in his Dossier memos:

David Kramer was one of John McCain’s most trusted aides. McCain dispatched Kramer to meet with Steele in London in November after the election. During that meeting, Steele wrote down the “true names” of his “sub-sources” for Kramer. From the IG Report at P. 175-176

The McCain Institute staff member had met with Steele and later acquired the reports from Simpson…. According to deposition testimony the McCain Institute staff member provided in foreign litigation, during this visit Steele discussed his reporting with the staff member and showed the staff member a piece of paper on which Steele had written the true names of his subsources, although the staff member could not recall them. Steele told us that he shared some of the sub-source names with the staff member because the staff member was a “Russia expert” and had been tasked by Senator McCain to determine whether Steele’s reporting was serious.

Who believes that Kramer did not tell McCain the name of the sub-source? Danchanko was not an unknown person in the foreign affairs world — he was a prominent employee at Brookings. His name was certainly known by Kramer, as well as his background.

So if McCain knew his name from Kramer, who thinks McCain didn’t give the identities of the sub-sources — including Danchenko — to Comey at the same time he gave Comey the 16 Steele memos, including five the FBI had never seen before?

Comey’s testimony today that he doesn’t remember when the information about Danchenko made it to him is a lie