This report is from Manu Raju of CNN, but first indications don't sound very promising re Nellie Ohr testimony

Manu Raju:

Very rare bipartisan agreement: Both sides say Nellie Ohr interview has been led to nothing.

She invoked marital privilege preventing her from answering qs about talks with her husband. @MarkMeadows sees no reason to bring her back. @CongressmanRaja calls it a “nothing burger”

At the rate the gubbermint is proceeding, not much will happen to any of them. Claim executive privilege, plead the 5th, etc ad nauseum. A bunch of them should already be locked up pennding trial. Locked up to prevent them from fleeing the country. As I understand it, you can plead the 5th to avoid answering questions that might incriminate you. How about answering questions about others?

As I understand it, they have boatloads of evidence against the hildabeast and the rest of the clinton crime family, but nothing is being done. How about just filing espionage charges against her (hildabeast) for making highly classified documents public?

Had I done even one minor "indescretion" I would have been in Leavenworth before the ink dried.

They sell off tons of our uranium, among a shit load of other crimes, and nothing happens. They leave American troops to die on a roof top and nothing happens. A US embassador is tortured and killed and the top tier of our gubbernment goes to bed.

Simpson looks very ethnic to have the last name Simpson. In normal circumstances, this wouldn't matter and is not all that uncommon, but given this high stakes game of the attempted coup on our President, it makes me wonder whether or not that is his real name or if he has assumed an ID to hide his background and motives.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
Daily Caller notes another thing for Glenn Simpson to worry about if he talks to congress

Simpson has already given sworn interviews to both Senate and House committees which should give him plenty to worry about.

And he is plenty worried. The ketter from his lawyer says he will invoke First and Fifth Amendment privileges to not testify.

Link

quote:

Originally posted by TigerDore:
Simpson looks very ethnic to have the last name Simpson. In normal circumstances, this wouldn't matter and is not all that uncommon, but given this high stakes game of the attempted coup on our President, it makes me wonder whether or not that is his real name or if he has assumed an ID to hide his background and motives.

What ethnicity do you suspect?
McGillicuddy?
Abramowitz?
Castellammarese?
Schneider?
Kameāloha?

Most likely McGillicuddy.

I have no particular one in mind. As I said, this normally wouldn't matter, but in this case, I find it notable.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

What ethnicity do you suspect?
McGillicuddy?
Abramowitz?
Castellammarese?
Schneider?
Kameāloha?

Yesterday the FBI filed a response to a FOIA request.

Pdf here:

https://redirect.viglink.com/?...r&txt=court%20papers

Long document. FOIA request denied.

Some highlights from the doc:

“information in the Carter Page documents pertains to foreign relations”

Disclosure of redacted info in the Carter Page FISA docs could reasonably be expected to interfere with the pending investigation into Russian election interference

So a FISA warrant that was granted with multiple lies by the FBI is part of the investigation ?

“The information withheld … pertains to foreign relations”

“The withheld information includes … information about the specific amounts and timeframes for payments to human sources”

“Although the identity of one source has been disclosed, the Page applications include identifying information for other sources as well”


“the redacted information relates to the United States’ interactions with foreign countries. If disclosed, such information “can reasonably be expected to lead to diplomatic or economic retaliation, the loss of cooperation, or the compromise of cooperative foreign sources””

Exemption 7(A) exempts information “that could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings”

“DOJ properly withheld information under Exemption 7(D) because certain investigatory information would reveal the identity or information of confidential sources”

“the FBI redacted certain non-public information regarding Christopher Steele …, and all information about and from other confidential human sources”

“DOJ redacted specific databases used by the FBI for investigative purposes. It is not publicly known under what circumstances the FBI utilizes these particular databases”

“DOJ has refused to confirm or deny the existence of FISA applications and orders beyond the four previously acknowledged Carter Page packages”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sounds like the claims of Papadopoulos and Carter Page may be quite accurate

How many FBI spies tried to set up the Trump campaign ?

What information is Mueller using from FISA warrants granted on the basis of lies ?

https://dailycaller.com/2018/1...icious-interactions/

When former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos testifies Thursday before Congress he hopes to speak with lawmakers about his interactions with nine individuals he believes may have been sent to surveil him during and after the 2016 election.

A lawyer for Papadopoulos listed the nine people in a letter sent Monday to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Some of the names on the list have been widely discussed in the press: Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud, former Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, FBI informant Stefan Halper, and alleged Steele dossier source Sergei Millian have all popped up during the course of Russiagate.

But Papadopoulos identified five other people — Azra Turk, Aziz Choukri, Charles Tawil, Terrence Dudley and Gregory Baker — whose interactions he now questions.

Papadopoulos, who was sentenced to 14 days in jail on Sept. 7 as part of the special counsel’s investigation, volunteered to speak to a congressional task force investigating the FBI and Department of Justice’s investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The 31-year-old Chicago native was a key component of the probe. The FBI opened up its investigation in late July 2016 based on information that Downer shared with his Australian counterparts more than two months after he met in London with Papadopoulos.

Mifsud has been in hiding since November 2017, just after Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Stephan Roh, a Swiss-German banker who is friends with Mifsud and said he is handling public relations on behalf of the professor.

Roh told TheDCNF this week that Mifsud claimed in their previous meetings that he was working under the direction of the FBI when he made contact with Papadopoulos. He also claims that Mifsud told him that he was ordered to stay out of the public spotlight until the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Papadopoulos also hopes to speak with lawmakers about his interactions with Millian, a Belarus-born businessman who is alleged to be a major source for the infamous Steele dossier.

Millian, whose real name is Siarhei Kukuts, is alleged to be the unwitting dossier source who claimed that the Kremlin has blackmail material on President Donald Trump.

Millian, who has also gone underground in recent months, reportedly shared information with an intermediary working for Christopher Steele

Thanks for the updates sdy. I really appreciate them.

Aaaand, just to prove Barack Obama has a sick sense of humor...

quote:

While campaigning for Democrats in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ahead of the midterm elections, the former commander-in-chief, 57, took a jab at the Trump administration and its number of indictments.

"In Washington they have racked enough indictments to field a football team. Nobody in my administration got indicted."

http://www.yahoo.com/entertain...trump-015511356.html

May this one day (soon) become the textbook definition of hubris.

Nobody in his administration got indicted YET!.

Wait till after midterms Comrade Zero. As soon as we see whether we keep the house and senate, Uncle Trump will replace Mr Magoo and Rosenstein. Hopefully, with an aggressive AG, lots of folks from your administration will be under indictment.

And I pray YOU are one of them Zero! Smarmy prick. Regards 18DAI

some assorted topics

1. Above posts about obama admin not having indictments. What a prick. The obama DoJ, FBI, and intel agencies set up and framed Donald Trump to get the indictments from "Russian collusion".

But none of the indictments backed up any Russian collusion. The obama FBI planted spies in the Trump campaign, and then lied to the FISA court to tap into the Trump campaign electronic communications.

2. Rep Ratcliffe was interviewed by Maria Bartiromo this morning. Ratcliffe gave some insight into why Rosenstein canceled his testimony to congress last week. Ratcliffe said that Rosenstein thought the testimony would be about 30 minutes on his comment about "wearing a wire".

When Rosenstein found out the questioning would be much broader, including the Comey firing, Special Counsel appointment, and FISA process, then Rosenstein wanted more time.

3. Ratcliffe also said in the Papadopoulos hearing some things were mentioned that involved exculpatory evidence that would have helped Papadopoulos. Apparently that evidence was never shared with Papadopoulos or his attorney.

Papadopoulos has since been making comments about withdrawing his guilty plea. (even though he has been sentenced to 14 days)

4. Rosenstein is so busy he can't prepare for congressional testimony. What is he doing ?

On 22 Oct 2018 Rosenstein traveled to Canada to address the Fondation Lafontaine-Cormier Annual Mtg.

DoJ announcement here:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/sp...n-lafontaine-cormier

What a blowhard.

"Thank you, Senator Joyal for that generous introduction. I am grateful for the invitation to join you today.

Five years ago, I traveled to Quebec with my daughters. In Quebec City, we climbed the fortress walls, wandered through the Old City, relived history on the Plains of Abraham, toured the Citadel, and walked across Montmorency Falls.

We took a whale-watching cruise in the St. Lawrence River and spent a night at a First Nations Reservation.

In Montreal, we toured the Olympic Park, visited the Museum of Archeology, strolled through the Old City streets, enjoyed delicious crepes, and went on an amphi-bus tour. I remember passing this very building en route to Place Jacques Cartier.

On our final day, we stopped at a sugar shack and attended the magnificent Balloon Festival at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

One day that I spent touring Quebec is among the most memorable moments of my life. It was mostly about the opportunity to spend so much time alone with my children just before they reached adolescence. The fact that their smartphones did not get service here certainly helped. But it was in no small part a result of your province’s delightful warmth and charm. As Quebecois say, “Je me souviens.” I remember."


"Montreal and Quebec hold special historical interest for me because my parents raised me in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and my wife and I raised our children in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Both are named for Richard Montgomery, an American hero who died in Quebec during the Revolutionary War. "


blah blah blah You can read it all at the link.


Pompous ass.

I just dont understand how Rosenstein gets to keep deciding where, when and who he will speak to and for how long.

Subpeona that weasel. If he ignores the subpeona, start a contempt proceeding. He is a government employee. Nothing more. Congress needs to shed the kid gloves and box this assholes ears. Regards 18DAI

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
I just dont understand how Rosenstein gets to keep deciding where, when and who he will speak to and for how long.

Subpeona that weasel. If he ignores the subpeona, start a contempt proceeding. He is a government employee. Nothing more. Congress needs to shed the kid gloves and box this assholes ears. Regards 18DAI

You do understand how subpoenas are enforced, don’t you?

Yes. In State Court quite well. Ignore a subpeona in State court, you better be carrying around your toothbrush. Regards 18DAI

The leftist tyrant Rosenstein runs the DOJ/FBI and everyone knows it. There will never be justice from the "Just-Us" Department as long as that filthy coward Sessions is there. Twenty years in the senate and his only talent was collecting a government check, a talent he has taken over to the DOJ.

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
Yes. In State Court quite well. Ignore a subpeona in State court, you better be carrying around your toothbrush. Regards 18DAI

Not exactly.

Congress passes a contempt resolution and sends it to the DOJ to file suit to enforce the citation.

Why Rod Rosenstein continues to have President Trump over a barrel

American Spectator
Jed Babbin

Addressing a Missouri rally last month, President Trump praised the people of the FBI and Justice Department, saying many of the bad ones — inferentially James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and others — had been fired. Trump said, “But we had some real bad ones — you see what’s happened at the FBI, they’re all gone, they’re all gone, they’re all gone. But there’s a lingering stench and we’re going to get rid of that, too.”

That isn’t happening.

The rally was held just after it was revealed that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had suggested that he should wear a wire to record his conversations with the president about the Comey firing.

The political corruption of a law enforcement agency — the kind that led the FBI to ignore the obvious felonies of one candidate and try to invent crimes in an effort to target her opponent — is, by far, the corruption most damaging to democracy. The stench of that political corruption still lingers over the FBI and the Justice Department, but neither Trump nor anyone in his administration is willing or able to deal with it. The problem has gotten worse, not better.

As I wrote on September 24, Trump ordered that the Justice Department declassify — and thus make available to congressional investigators — the hundreds of important documents that Congress had asked for, demanded, subpoenaed and waited for the DoJ to produce for more than a year.

The House Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (HPSCI), under Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), subpoenaed the documents in April 2017. Nunes could have enforced them by citing Attorney General Jeff Sessions or Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein or FBI Director Christopher Wray — or all of them, for that matter — for contempt of Congress. He could even have begun the process to impeach any or all of them, but he didn’t.

Among the documents included in Trump’s September declassification order were the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act search warrants against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page and the thousands of text messages and the fully unredacted version of text messages exchanged between FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his mistress, FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

HPSCI Chairman Nunes waited all that week for the documents. They didn’t come. And the Friday after Trump’s order to declassify the documents, Trump withdrew his order at Rosenstein’s urging and at the urging of “key allies,” unidentified by the president.

The FBI and Justice Department have been using every means in their power to cover up their unethical and probably illegal actions against the Trump campaign and, possibly, against the president since his inauguration.

By withdrawing his order, Trump rubber-stamped their cover up. It was an act of weakness. And now we know what scared him off.

It’s not only Congress that has been trying to uncover what the FBI and DoJ have been covering up. Several quasi-political and “watchdog” organizations have, with equal lack of success, been asking for the relevant documents via the Freedom of Information Act. Some have sued to get them.

One such organization, the “James Madison Project,” had asked for (among other things) all orders of the FISA court authorizing surveillance or information gathering on the Trump campaign, the Trump business organization, people associated with Trump and Trump himself.

In a court filing last week in the James Madison Project’s FOIA lawsuit against DoJ asking for those documents, DoJ made an extraordinary assertion. It said that it had “… determined that disclosure of redacted information in the Carter Page FISA documents could reasonably be expected to interfere with the pending investigation into Russian election interference.”

That assertion could only have been made at the behest of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team.

A year ago, it would not have been unusual for the Department of Justice to make such an assertion in behalf of Mueller’s ongoing investigation into supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election.

But it’s 2018, not 2017. The Mueller investigation has been going on since May 2017. After a year and a half, it evidently hasn’t come up with any conduct on the basis of which it could get a grand jury to indict anyone for conspiracy with any Russian entity — far less the Russian government — to interfere in the election.

What the DoJ’s position in the James Madison Project case means is that Rod Rosenstein told the president that if he stood by his order to declassify the Carter Page and other FISA documents, he would be obstructing justice. And that caused the president to withdraw his order. (Real Clear Investigations has the story.)

Now, you can quibble. If you look at the laws describing obstruction of justice — and there are nearly two dozen — you can say that a president declassifying papers relevant to a criminal investigation (if they even are) doesn’t fit neatly into those statutes’ definitions of the crime.

But remember, as my pal Andy McCarthy often reminds us, the “high crimes and misdemeanors” that the Constitution provides are grounds of impeachment needn’t be criminal offenses. They are, instead, political offenses. You needn’t break the law in order to be impeached under the Constitution.

It is essential that the documents covered by the president’s declassification order be revealed to congressional investigators and the public.

It is only from those documents — and the yet-unobtained or still-concealed congressional testimony of people such as Andrew McCabe, Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Glenn Simpson, and a host of others — that we can learn the truth about the very apparent abuses of power by the FBI and the Justice Department during the 2016 election.

If the FBI and DoJ have their way, the truth will never come out.

Rosenstein’s position — really Mueller’s position — has effectively blocked the president’s declassification order. So what’s left?

The DoJ and the FBI won’t budge, at least with their current leaders in place. They are betting — as are most of the pollsters and pundits — that the Dems will take control of the House as a result of next week’s election. If the Democrats do take control of the House, Devin Nunes won’t be HPSCI chairman after the Dems take over in January and the possibility of enforcing the HPSCI’s subpoenas for the documents that the FBI and DoJ have refused to produce will evaporate.

The coverup will have succeeded. And the Democrats will begin the process of impeaching Trump.

Make no mistake: if the Dems win the House they will believe they have a mandate to impeach the president.

There’s a chance, however slim, that the Republicans will hold the House. If they do, and Nunes remains HPSCI chairman, the 2017 subpoenas can be re-issued. Contempt proceedings against DoJ and FBI leaders can be pursued when (not if) the new subpoenas are again ignored. In an ultimate confrontation with Congress, those leaders could be impeached.

Will all of that happen? Probably not. If it doesn’t, America’s worst ever political coverup will have succeeded. And the stench of political corruption will still linger over the Justice Department and FBI.

Link

If one is to believe that there is such a thing as operation slow walk, arrests are coming in the next couple of months.

I happen to believe this.
Big things may be afoot.
Plus Mueller may be a white hat in disguise.
It's very possible.

regarding JALLEN's post above, several bloggers / legal analysts have come to that same conclusion.

If President Trump declassifies the Page FISA warrant, then Rosenstein and Mueller will claim obstruction of justice.

James Madison Project filed a FOIA request for the FISA warrant. The DoJ filed a response to that FOIA request.

DoJ response here:

http://wordpress.redirectingat...2-stackpath&bv=2.5.1

From the DoJ response:





This looks like an attempt to cover up the most corrupt acts of the DoJ/FBI in modern times.

Add into the mix that we have heard nothing more from DoJ IG Horowitz or Prosecutor Huber.

And elections are a week away.

I still think we, and President Trump, will win in the end. But the next year could be a wild one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

adding

re Mueller being a white hat. With all the unknowns in this, one can't rule out such a possibility. But I haven't seen anything from Mueller that indicates he is not a fanatic intent on bringing down the President.

From people who have read the unredacted material, we keep hearing even uglier things happened in 2016 and 2017 than what has been revealed to date.

Cliff posted a DiGenova audio recording today (President Trump thread)

(thanks Cliff, listen every time I see your post)

DiGenova said that when Comey was fired, there was an uproar against Rosenstein from McCabe, Strzok, Priestap, etc. Rosenstein said to appease them, he would appoint a special counsel to investigate the president.