Townhall ^ | 10/30/2019 | Matt Vespa
The Russia origins investigation is ongoing at the Department of Justice. It’s now a criminal probe, and Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham are working to figure out how the country became engulfed in the collusion hysteria. For over two years, Democrats and their allies in the liberal media peddled the Trump-Russia collusion myth. It was a total hoax. And the basis for all of this rests with the debunked Trump dossier that was compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele after being contracted by the research firm Fusion GPS. And who hired Fusion to quarterback this wild goose chase? That would be the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democrats. This unverified piece of political opposition research was viewed as credible evidence in securing a FISA spy warrant against former Trump campaign official Carter Page.
Since then, the FBI’s reputation as a professional and impartial investigative law enforcement body has taken a hit. Fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his mistress, bureau lawyer Lisa Page, were the focal point in the deep state antics that have been alleged throughout the Trump administration’s first term. The two exchanged tens of thousands of texts. All were anti-Trump. Strzok texted about how this little crew would “stop” a Trump presidency and referenced an insurance policy, which many have alleged is the Trump dossier. Strzok was a key person in both the counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign and the FBI’s analysis of the Hillary Clinton email server. This deserves all the scrutiny, especially after it turned out to be a huge nothing burger.
James Comey, the former FBI director, was fired for giving sensitive documents relating to his meetings with Trump to a friend with the intention of leaking them to the press in order to get a special counsel investigation going. And that’s exactly what happened.
The upper crust of the FBI was damaging the institution with its anti-Trump activities. It’s funny. This is what these clowns think is necessary to save…our institutions? With Comey and Strzok handed pink slips, and Page having resigned, Attorney General Barr decided to give props to the bureau now that the cancer has been excised. And by cancer, I mean James Comey (via Fox News):
Attorney General Bill Barr, in an interview with Fox News, defended the independence and integrity of the politically contentious probe being led by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the handling of the Russia investigation – while taking a swipe at James Comey’s past leadership of the FBI.
Fox News reported last week that the probe into the 2016 origins of the Russia meddling case has escalated from a review to a criminal investigation, a development that spurred Democratic claims that the department was becoming a tool for President Trump’s “political revenge.”
Barr, speaking Monday to Fox News on the sidelines of a law enforcement event in Chicago, rejected Democrats’ claims he is acting as Trump’s personal lawyer.
"That's completely wrong and there is no basis for it, and I act on behalf of the United States," Barr said.
The attorney general said that while he’s assisting in connecting Durham with countries that could have valuable information, Durham is running the show.
“He is in charge of the investigation, I’m not doing the investigation,” Barr said, while describing Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, as “thorough and fair” and saying he’s making progress.
Further, Barr took an implicit swipe at Comey as he maintained current FBI Director Christopher Wray is cooperating.
“I do want to say that one of the reasons Mr. Durham is able to make the kind of progress he’s making is because Director Wray and his team at the FBI have just been outstanding in support and responsiveness given to Mr. Durham,” Barr said. “As you know, I’ve said previously that I felt there was a failure of leadership at the bureau in 2016 and part of 2017, but since Director Wray and his team have taken over there’s been a world of change. I think that he is restoring the steady professionalism that’s been a hallmark of the FBI. I really appreciate his leadership there.”
That’s a very professional knifing, but also a nice hat tip to current FBI Director Chris Wray. As many already know, the FBI is also the go-to agency for domestic surveillance and intelligence. It has the power to ruin people, and the Trump White House and those in its orbit have been targeted in the past. Trump aside, you cannot have the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency behaving like Democratic operatives—and that can be applied to other institutions that are supposed to be apolitical. Enforcing the law and national security, two areas where this principle should be exhibited, have become a huge problem concerning the Trump White House.
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I realize Barr and Durham are walking a very fine tightrope. Very high in the air.
And that the DOJ/FBI/Deep State swamprats are all too powerful.
But I do wish the indictments and the IG Report and the arrests would start soon.
But.... maybe the thinking is correct. Better to wait till next year. Wait till the Campaign Season is in full bloom.
And then drop the bomb.
The Russia origins investigation is ongoing at the Department of Justice. It’s now a criminal probe, and Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham are working to figure out how the country became engulfed in the collusion hysteria. For over two years, Democrats and their allies in the liberal media peddled the Trump-Russia collusion myth. It was a total hoax. And the basis for all of this rests with the debunked Trump dossier that was compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele after being contracted by the research firm Fusion GPS. And who hired Fusion to quarterback this wild goose chase? That would be the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democrats. This unverified piece of political opposition research was viewed as credible evidence in securing a FISA spy warrant against former Trump campaign official Carter Page.
Since then, the FBI’s reputation as a professional and impartial investigative law enforcement body has taken a hit. Fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his mistress, bureau lawyer Lisa Page, were the focal point in the deep state antics that have been alleged throughout the Trump administration’s first term. The two exchanged tens of thousands of texts. All were anti-Trump. Strzok texted about how this little crew would “stop” a Trump presidency and referenced an insurance policy, which many have alleged is the Trump dossier. Strzok was a key person in both the counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign and the FBI’s analysis of the Hillary Clinton email server. This deserves all the scrutiny, especially after it turned out to be a huge nothing burger.
James Comey, the former FBI director, was fired for giving sensitive documents relating to his meetings with Trump to a friend with the intention of leaking them to the press in order to get a special counsel investigation going. And that’s exactly what happened.
The upper crust of the FBI was damaging the institution with its anti-Trump activities. It’s funny. This is what these clowns think is necessary to save…our institutions? With Comey and Strzok handed pink slips, and Page having resigned, Attorney General Barr decided to give props to the bureau now that the cancer has been excised. And by cancer, I mean James Comey (via Fox News):
Attorney General Bill Barr, in an interview with Fox News, defended the independence and integrity of the politically contentious probe being led by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the handling of the Russia investigation – while taking a swipe at James Comey’s past leadership of the FBI.
Fox News reported last week that the probe into the 2016 origins of the Russia meddling case has escalated from a review to a criminal investigation, a development that spurred Democratic claims that the department was becoming a tool for President Trump’s “political revenge.”
Barr, speaking Monday to Fox News on the sidelines of a law enforcement event in Chicago, rejected Democrats’ claims he is acting as Trump’s personal lawyer.
"That's completely wrong and there is no basis for it, and I act on behalf of the United States," Barr said.
The attorney general said that while he’s assisting in connecting Durham with countries that could have valuable information, Durham is running the show.
“He is in charge of the investigation, I’m not doing the investigation,” Barr said, while describing Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, as “thorough and fair” and saying he’s making progress.
Further, Barr took an implicit swipe at Comey as he maintained current FBI Director Christopher Wray is cooperating.
“I do want to say that one of the reasons Mr. Durham is able to make the kind of progress he’s making is because Director Wray and his team at the FBI have just been outstanding in support and responsiveness given to Mr. Durham,” Barr said. “As you know, I’ve said previously that I felt there was a failure of leadership at the bureau in 2016 and part of 2017, but since Director Wray and his team have taken over there’s been a world of change. I think that he is restoring the steady professionalism that’s been a hallmark of the FBI. I really appreciate his leadership there.”
That’s a very professional knifing, but also a nice hat tip to current FBI Director Chris Wray. As many already know, the FBI is also the go-to agency for domestic surveillance and intelligence. It has the power to ruin people, and the Trump White House and those in its orbit have been targeted in the past. Trump aside, you cannot have the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency behaving like Democratic operatives—and that can be applied to other institutions that are supposed to be apolitical. Enforcing the law and national security, two areas where this principle should be exhibited, have become a huge problem concerning the Trump White House.
-------------
I realize Barr and Durham are walking a very fine tightrope. Very high in the air.
And that the DOJ/FBI/Deep State swamprats are all too powerful.
But I do wish the indictments and the IG Report and the arrests would start soon.
But.... maybe the thinking is correct. Better to wait till next year. Wait till the Campaign Season is in full bloom.
And then drop the bomb.
