THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY

[Maggot]

I believe it shows that the FICA warrants were not justified with the evidence that was used to get them. But it was Trump so they felt it was justified. I also believe that if it was a democrat it would never have happened.

[BigMark]

Oh my little maggot, isn't a little early in the day to be wearing a tinfoil hat?

[HairOfTheDog]

I believe it shows that the FICA warrants were not justified with the evidence that was used to get them. But it was Trump so they felt it was justified. I also believe that if it was a democrat it would never have happened.

The impression I got is that the FBI's FICA fuck-ups occurred because the subject was Carter Page, who'd already been on the FBI's radar for his Russia dealings before his time as a Trump campaign adviser. 

While the surveillance of Carter Page doesn't appear to have netted anything of value in the election interference investigation, based on the Mueller and Horowitz conclusions,  I agree with you that the FICA warrants for Carter Page were likely not justified. 

And, I don't believe that the FBI was exonerated by IG Horowitz's report just because the investigation into 2016 election interference itself was deemed appropriate, justified, and not biased against Trump by both Mueller and Horowitz.

[HairOfTheDog]

The 2016 election interference investigation was already underway for cause before the Steele dossier. Steele's research was officially pushed aside by the FBI as a whole, due to non-verifiable content.  

However, the IG's investigation concluded that some of that unverified content was used by some agents to justify additional surveillance of Carter Page anyway.  It should not have been.

Those FBI agents concealed and misled the FICA court in regard to the source for some of the justifications behind the Page FICA warrants.  

It's since been confirmed that associate deputy AG at the time, Bruce Ohr, was feeding Steele's claims to the FBI in an unofficial back channel that he kept from his boss (Sally Yates).  

While none of that has been deemed illegal, it was definitely a serious breach of ethics, protocol, and good judgment (regardless of Ohr's and the FBI agents' intentions) and why Ohr has been demoted twice in recent years.  

Anyway, FBI Director Wray has some serious clean-up and reform to undertake in regards to the agency's surveillance tactics.  

Also, I won't be surprised if Ohr gets shit-canned from government service altogether as a result of IG Horowitz's findings and recommendations and Carter Page takes legal action against the government.

[Duchess]

It is so bizarre to see Lindsey Graham running around supporting trump's bullshit in regards to the IG report given he was someone who encouraged John McCain to turn over the Steele dossier to Comey. At one time he detested trump and said he would be the death of the republican party and they would deserve that if trump were elected.

[Rootilda]

Isn't there something about Carter Page being a CIA informant or something?  Hiding his involvement jacked up the FICA FISA justification.

[Duchess]

Hogan Gidley, trump's deputy press secretary, just said that when trump invites the Russian into the Oval Office today they will be discussing election security. Are you fuckin' kidding me.

[Maggot]

I really should speed read that report its freaking 400 pages long!

[BigMark]

Why bother, your corrupted brain will just skip over that vile dictator commiting treason time after fucking time, have you no shame?

[HairOfTheDog]

Isn't there something about Carter Page being a CIA informant or something?  Hiding his involvement jacked up the FICA justification.

Yeah, Page had been a CIA informant about Russia.

The FBI reportedly knew about it, but failed to disclose that in its FISA applications.

Worse, the IG report shows that when a Justice Department official followed up on this information, an FBI attorney doctored an email so that it indicated Page was not a source for the CIA.  That attorney has been referred to US prosecutor John Durham’s criminal probe.

[Rootilda]

That isn't getting a lot of coverage. Carter Page has been the poster boy for the abuse of FISA and it turns out the guy was an informant. Funny Trump hasn't tweeted about it.

[HairOfTheDog]

That isn't getting a lot of coverage.  Carter Page has been the poster boy for the abuse of FISA and it turns out the guy was an informant.  Funny Trump hasn't tweeted about it.

 
I don't get your point Rootilda?

The fact that Page had been an informant for the CIA (the circumstances about which have not been revealed, to the best of my knowledge) might have resulted in the FISA application being denied.

So, the FBI failed to disclose the relationship in the FISA application and then an FBI attorney doctored an email to make it appear that Page was not a CIA informant when the Justice Department was following up on the matter.

Any way you objectively look at it, it's bad for the FBI, not Page or Trump.  I suspect it will be getting its share of coverage (if it isn't already) by media and Trump's allies in government.

I remember Trump tweeting about his objections to the Page FISA warrants many months back.  I don't know if he'll do it again with reference to the new IG report, but it seems likely to me.

[Rootilda]

You don't think Page working for the CIA is big news? I can't imagine Trump and Co would be too happy about his involvement with the deep state.

[Maggot]

The FBI knew he was working for the CIA but changed the wording on the FICA document with one word "not".  They then got the warrant.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don’t know for sure Rootilda.

But I strongly suspect, based on recent history, that Carter Page will be supported rather than condemned by President Trump.

To date, people working for or with government agencies are only ‘snitches’ and ‘deep state’ losers to Trump and company if they criticize Trump, turn on him, or present evidence of wrongdoing by Trump.

[Duchess]

President nitwit is going to sign an executive order defining Jewishness as a nationality. Jesus Christ.

[BigMark]

Would Hitler be for or against?

[Duchess]

Given that's exactly what he did I'll take a wild guess and say he'd be all for it.

[HairOfTheDog]

President nitwit is going to sign an executive order defining Jewishness as a nationality. Jesus Christ.

That's bizarre and off-base, in my opinion.  Judaism is a religion, not a nationality.  Americans who practice Judaism are just 'Americans' in nationality, same as Americans who practice any other religion.

I guess it's not all that surprising though, considering the many other actions President Trump has taken to bolster Israeli in its conflicts with the Palestinians and in light of Trump and Jared Kushner's close alliance with Israeli PM Netanyahu.

I see lots of comments and claims from people on the far right that criticism of Israel's policies and/or Netanyahu's leadership is 'anti-Semitic', which is obviously horse shit.  But, that narrative seems to play into the motivation for this Executive Order.

[HairOfTheDog]

According to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Education Department can withhold funding from any educational institution that discriminates “on the ground of race, color, or national origin."  However, religious discrimination is not covered.  

With this Executive Order, the Trump Administration is seeking legal grounds to withhold federal funding from colleges that allow protests against Israel's policies/treatment of Palestinians and against the U.S.'s support of them.  

Once 'Jewish' is legally declared a nationality, Trump and company will claim that the student protests (called the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement) constitute "discrimination based on national origin", a civil rights violation.  

Ref:  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-...s-n1099601