RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN 2016 US ELECTION & SPIN-OFF INVESTIGATIONS

[Duchess]

Flynn was exonerated. 

Wooooo. Did that happen overnight while I was sleeping? I ask because I can find no record of that.

[BlueTiki]

I do believe he's holding Mockers to a higher standard than the President of the United States. How 'bout that shit.

Who is holding Mockers to a higher standard than the President of the United States?  And what standard is that?  Fact versus opinion?

Barr dropped the charges against Flynn and the shit hit the fan.  Why?

Is it because it is because of Barr's "repeated assaults on the rule of law in doing the President’s personal bidding rather than acting in the public interest.”?

Or is it because it is “extraordinarily rare, if not unprecedented”—was completely unwarranted, and the Justice Department’s justification “does not hold up to scrutiny.”?

These were statements from former Justice alums (2,000 of them) in an open letter calling for Barr's resignation.

President Obama also chimed in stating “And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That’s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk . . . when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we’ve seen in other places.”

To be clear, Flynn was not convicted of perjury. Obama is incorrect.

However, since Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI UNDER OATH IN OPEN COURT and now claims what he said he did isn't true, that sounds like a possible future charge of perjury, to me.

"Extraordinarily rare . . . if not unprecedented". "No precedent anyone can find . . . ".

How about Eric Holder?  And coincidentally, Eric Holder with Judge Emmet Sullivan?  Obama's AG, Eric Holder and Flynn trial judge, Emmet Sullivan.

This was the Senator Stevens case.  Like Flynn's new assertions of innocence, it, too, involved Brady material.

Holder overturned Stevens' conviction and stopped any additional prosecution . . . Stevens was convicted while always maintaining his innocence.

So . . . here is a perfect example of precedent by an acting Attorney General, believing a defendant's Brady rights were violated, to vacate a conviction and cease future prosecution.

Rule of Law at risk or applying the Rule of Law as interpreted by an Attorney General?

There was a precedent.  To deny this is a lie.  Was it a deliberate lie, hyperbole or a gaff?  Who knows?

And now, Barr can defend his decision, based on evidence and precedent (including but not limited to Brady) and defend his position . . . in court.

That, to me, is the Rule of Law.

[Duchess]

I had to scroll back & check. I must have been referring to Mark's post regarding anger & hyperbole. It referred to his tolerance and silence when trump does it, yet he is quick to call it out when he sees others do it.

Speaking only for myself, I think the shit hit the fan because it was viewed as the AG doing trump's bidding. He's doing the job he was hired to do.

I don't know anything about Eric Holder, Judge Sullivan and the Stevens case.

I look forward to Barr defending his decision and it's my hope that Judge Sullivan will call him before the court to do so.

[Maggot]

Partisan politics and policies. I guess it all depends who is on the cheer-leading squad. Holder can do it but not Barr.

[Maggot]

Flynn should have known that his first lawyers Covington and Burling with Eric Holder in it's letterhead might be a bad group of lawyers to represent him in the beginning. 

You cannot make this up! 

Holder

[Duchess]

Flynn should have known that his first lawyers Covington and Burling with Eric Holder in it's letterhead might be a bad group of lawyers to represent him in the beginning. 

You cannot make this up! 

Holder

He choose them and told the judge, under oath, that he was satisfied with their representation.  

[BigMark]

[BlueTiki]

Flynn should have known that his first lawyers Covington and Burling with Eric Holder in it's letterhead might be a bad group of lawyers to represent him in the beginning. 

You cannot make this up!

Personally, I thought Flynn's original choice to hire the firm was strategically brilliant.

The Senator Ted Steven's case caused investigations from both the DOJ and Judge Sullivan.

The DOJ's investigation primarily focused on the conduct of the FBI agents in charge of the investigation.  Sullivan's investigation focused on the issue of prosecutorial misconduct by the DOJ attorneys.

Mueller was head of the FBI during the Steven's investigation and prosecution (2008).  By the time the reports were completed (2012), Mueller was phasing out and Holder was the AG. The responsibility to address any wrongdoing was now the responsibility of new FBI Director Comey and Holder. 

Wrongdoing was discovered in both reports.

Here's a few of the findings:

Sullivan's investigation (500+ pages): 

The prosecution was "permeated by the systemic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence which would have independently corroborated Senator Steven's defense and his testimony, and seriously damaged the testimony and credibility of the government's key witnesses."

"The government lied to protect its chief witness . . . Prosecutors . . . did not conduct or supervise a full and comprehensive effective review of information for items that should have been provided to the defense, or Brady information . . . by the FBI and IRS."
 
DOJ investigation (672 pages):
 
Lead FBI investigator Mary Beth Kepner -

Failed to memorialize key witness 302 interviews  (at least eight)

Backdated 302 interviews (one was created 2 years AFTER the trial - denied this when interviewed by investigators then changed her story when presented with the "facts")

Omissions and discrepancies with 302 interviews (damning evidence to governments case deliberately omitted - included knowingly false statements by witnesses positive to governments case - created false statements by witnesses to bolster government's case)

Worked with prosecution team to suppress Brady material

Leaked grand jury testimony to media

So . . . with both a former AG involved in rooting out "bad behavior" in the DOJ and a judge, who was furious with prosecutorial misconduct, I think Flynn was on solid ground with his choice of legal representation.  I mean, c'mon . . . these guys were forced to deal with the same stuff Flynn is protesting now!

But then, the firm hired Trisha Anderson in September of 2018 . . . less than a month after she testified, behind closed doors, in front of Congress.

Anderson was the number two lawyer at the Office of the FBI's General Counsel.

Her testimony revealed:

She was one of about 10 people who had known about the Trump-Russia investigation prior to its official opening

She read all of the FBI's 302 forms detailing information contained within the Steele "dossier" provided by Bruce Ohr

She personally signed off on the original FISA warrant against Carter Page without having read it

She was a part of a "small group" who read Jim Comey's memos about conversations he had with Trump

I dunno . . . this sounds like a conflict of interest to me.  However, if it was disclosed that Anderson was hired, to Flynn, (and he signed a waiver) no harm no foul.

Me . . . this is when I would have cut and run . . . September 2018.

[Maggot]

IDK I think Obama got the FBI to record Flynns phone calls even after they said he was not a suspect. There was no accidental unmasking.

[BlueTiki]

IDK I think Obama got the FBI to record Flynns phone calls even after they said he was not a suspect. There was no accidental unmasking.

It is absolutely possible this is the case, knowing how Obama loathed Flynn.  Chocolate Jesus sticking it to the Big Mean Orange Man!

I'm not ready to drink the Obama Flavor-Aid Theory ("Obamagate") at this point in time.

Flynn was not masked regarding his December 29, 2016 call with Kislyak.

At this time, there is no info on who was recording the conversation.  As such, the call could have been monitored by an ally and then passed on to one of our intelligence agencies. 

It could have been monitored by the CIA, as they do not need a FISA warrant.  Many options out there as to the call monitoring.  Who knows? 

Just sayin' . . . the full details surrounding Flynn's surveillance remain as hidden as Schiff's evidence of Russian criminal collusion and conspiracy.

McCabe met with the Justice Department's National Security Division's head, Mary McCord on January 3, 2017.  This meeting was a briefing regarding Flynn's December 29 call.

However, no unmasking requests were made for the December 29 phone call until Jan. 5, 2017.  That request was made by Obama's Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough.

So the question is:  If no requests were made, for the December 29, 2016 phone call prior to January 5, 2017 . . . how was McCabe able to brief the DOJ's Security Division head about the call, identifying Flynn specifically, on January 3, 2017?

Obviously, it came unmasked and from somewhere . . . prior to Obama's January 5, 2017 meeting . . . the question is where. 

I believe Mary McCord just might be the "legitimate" Carter Page counterpart in an Obamagate investigation.

I believe she was a (if not the) key player for the impeachment allegations against Trump.

Again . . . who knows?

[Maggot]

Don't forget the "leaking" of information to the news sources. That in itself was wrong as much as CNN knowing that Stone would be frogwalked. CNN actually called Stone and dbl checked his address the day before. He knew they would be picking him up the next day. What he didn't know was that Helicopters, SWAT teams, dogs and frogmen would be surrounding his house under the pretense that he was a flight risk.

[aussiefriend]

Why does Roger Stone call LBJ a murderer?

[aussiefriend]

Anybody? Anybody? I don't live in the USA, but if I did I would know. I watched the inaugural speech of LBJ, he clapped after everyone else started clapping, and his body language looked as though he loathed being there.

I watch a documentary 3 days ago called "Who was Lee Harvey Oswald?" He came from a disadvantaged background, but whilst serving in the marines he became a sharp shooter. He needed a proper education so that he wouldn't go off on some half baked wacko conclusion. He was a blatant liar. He hit his wife, he had children, and still stupidly thought violence was the answer. It was surprising to me that there was so much film footage of him pre his senseless actions. I say actions because he also killed a police officer. What an idiot what a waste of life. He lived in the USA, he was a man, he could have risen above his station in life if he worked hard, but he drifted from job to job. Low IQ

[BigMark]

You tell her.

[aussiefriend]

Oh come on Mark, you must know something about this shit, you must have some insight. They believe the lack of education and limited reading matter meant he was ripe for exploitation and the anger of his childhood left him with a chip on his shoulder. Give me a break, insight and opinion would help me understand the complete deficit he was operating under.

[BigMark]

It was the grassy knoll.

[Maggot]

A few things about LBJ. He would go around and whenever he had the opportunity he would flash his pecker. Especially when golfing. He had a big one and would flaunt it. He is the one that said that raiding the social security fund and using it on welfare and medicare and quite a few things would eliminate poverty. It didn't happen and now the S.S. is underfunded. Jackie O hated him. As did quite a few Americans. He was a pompous ass and many thought he had something to do with Jacks assassination although nothing was proven. He also swore like a sailor and there are transcripts and audio out there.

Does that answer your question?

[aussiefriend]

No, all you have done is thrown out some weak rumors. You should know Roger Stone well, why is he so adamant LBJ is a murderer, he was close to Nixon it's like he is in the know. How about giving me a straight answer, even in fluent Maggot?

[Maggot]

No, all you have done is thrown out some weak rumors. You should know Roger Stone well, why is he so adamant LBJ is a murderer, he was close to Nixon it's like he is in the know. How about giving me a straight answer, even in fluent Maggot?

Any answer I give will get this type reply, that is until my reply is what you want to hear. How bout this, tell me what you want to hear and I will just say yes. That way you can just shut your pie hole.

[Maggot]

Anyways.............I'm glad the "real" truth is finally coming out. Hopefully it gets put in a bunch of headlines but probably not.