Douglas Caddy Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 FBI lawyer, accused of falsifying document in probe of Trump’s campaign, to plead guilty A former FBI lawyer has agreed to plead guilty to altering an email that helped justify surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser as part of the 2016 investigation into Russian interference in the election, according to his lawyer and a person familiar with the matter. Kevin Clinesmith, who worked in the FBI general counsel’s office, is expected to admit he doctored an email so it said that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page was not a source for the CIA, even though Page previously had a relationship with the agency. Relying on what Clinesmith had said, the FBI ultimately did not disclose Page’s relationship with the CIA as it applied to renew a warrant to monitor him as a possible agent of a foreign power. The case is the first against someone involved in the Russia probe brought by U.S. Attorney John Durham, who was specially tapped by Attorney General William P. Barr to broadly look into how the FBI handled that matter. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/kevin-clinesmith-fbi-trump-russia-john-durham/2020/08/14/2f579994-de26-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fbiprobe-1215pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans&itid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fbiprobe-1215pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Breaking New York Times story: Top Homeland Security Officials Are Serving Illegally, G.A.O. Says The acting secretary of homeland security, Chad F. Wolf, and his deputy, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, were appointed to their posts in violation of federal law, Congress’s watchdog determined. WASHINGTON — President Trump’s top two officials at the Department of Homeland Security are illegally serving in their positions, with appointments that violated the laws governing who can fill Senate-confirmed positions, according to a report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office. Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security, and Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, his deputy at the sprawling agency, are serving in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which lays out specific orders of succession when senior officials resign, according to the G.A.O., Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog. The report said the improper appointments began after Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of office as the department’s secretary in April 2019. “Because the incorrect official assumed the title of acting secretary at that time, subsequent amendments to the order of succession made by that official were invalid,” the Government Accountability Office said on Friday. The agency said that Mr. Wolf and Mr. Cuccinelli “are serving under an invalid order of succession.” The report follows a similar finding in March by a federal judge, who ruled that Mr. Cuccinelli’s appointment violated federal law and that two policies he put in place while he served in the position should be nullified Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 David Talbot wrote on Facebook today: Lock them up! Joe Biden is touting his VP pick Kamala Harris as the prosecutor to make the case against Trump. In her debut speech as America's next VP, Harris herself called that case "open and shut." But it must not be shut when Democrats take over Washington next year. Unlike President Obama, who declined to prosecute George W. Bush administration officials for war crimes, even though he acknowledged "we tortured some folks," the Biden-Harris administration must hold the T...rump administration accountable for its crime streak. High on this future indictment list must be Trump himself, as well as his top accomplices in subverting the Constitution: Attorney General William Barr, White House white nationalist Stephen Miller and Homeland Security stormtrooper Chad Wolf. The problem, of course, is that Bipartisan Biden has already signaled he has no desire to prosecute the crime lord now occupying the White House. Doing so, he stated, must be "a very, very unusual thing and probably not very, how can I say it? good for democracy — to be talking about prosecuting former presidents." If this Biden reticence prevails, America will continue to sleepwalk into the future, never coming to grips with its dark past. This is why our country's leaders never learn from our monumental mistakes -- or crimes. Fortunately, the Biden-Harris administration will face a new Congress next year that has much more investigative zeal. Forget the racist and sexist spluttering against Kamala Harris already erupting from the White House and Fox News. These are dead men walking and they are flailing their way to November. The nation's real political future is with young leaders like Mondaire Jones, who is headed to Congress from New York. This new wave is aimed at washing Washington clean of all Trumpism. They will also be pushing hard on the new Democratic administration for expanded health coverage, the Green New Deal, criminal justice reform, judicial appointments, reproductive rights, etc. Here's what Jones just stated: “The left in recent years has never shied away from a fight with members of the Democratic Party, and I see no reason why we won’t flex our newfound muscle in a Biden-Harris administration. Biden and Harris would be working with the most progressive Congress we’ve seen. And I’m ready to make sure they’re sticking to their promises and will be part of the effort to push them to be more in line with progressive values.” There's no way to paper over the monstrosity of the Trump years. To truly move forward, our nation must investigate and prosecute the high crimes of the current government. Let justice reign in 2021. See More Experts said any decision about how a Biden Justice Department might handle a case against President Trump will pose huge legal and political challenges. About this website npr.org One Tough Question For DOJ If Biden Is Elected: Whether To Prosecute Trump Experts said any decision about how a Biden Justice Department might handle a case against President Trump will pose huge legal and political challenges. Experts said any decision about how Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ecker Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Douglas Caddy said: Breaking New York Times story: Top Homeland Security Officials Are Serving Illegally, G.A.O. Says The acting secretary of homeland security, Chad F. Wolf, and his deputy, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, were appointed to their posts in violation of federal law, Congress’s watchdog determined. WASHINGTON — President Trump’s top two officials at the Department of Homeland Security are illegally serving in their positions, with appointments that violated the laws governing who can fill Senate-confirmed positions, according to a report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office. Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security, and Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, his deputy at the sprawling agency, are serving in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which lays out specific orders of succession when senior officials resign, according to the G.A.O., Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog. The report said the improper appointments began after Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of office as the department’s secretary in April 2019. “Because the incorrect official assumed the title of acting secretary at that time, subsequent amendments to the order of succession made by that official were invalid,” the Government Accountability Office said on Friday. The agency said that Mr. Wolf and Mr. Cuccinelli “are serving under an invalid order of succession.” The report follows a similar finding in March by a federal judge, who ruled that Mr. Cuccinelli’s appointment violated federal law and that two policies he put in place while he served in the position should be nullified SO WHAT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 21 minutes ago, Ron Ecker said: SO WHAT? Ron, That would mean that any orders they give are invalid. Wolf has been spearheading the paramilitary forces deployed in Portland. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ecker Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 20 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said: Ron, That would mean that any orders they give are invalid. So who's going to disobey them? Who's going to do something about it? Are there going to be mass resignations at Homeland Security? Trump is in dictator training, and this is just part of laying the foundation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W. Niederhut Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 4 hours ago, Douglas Caddy said: FBI lawyer, accused of falsifying document in probe of Trump’s campaign, to plead guilty A former FBI lawyer has agreed to plead guilty to altering an email that helped justify surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser as part of the 2016 investigation into Russian interference in the election, according to his lawyer and a person familiar with the matter. Kevin Clinesmith, who worked in the FBI general counsel’s office, is expected to admit he doctored an email so it said that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page was not a source for the CIA, even though Page previously had a relationship with the agency. Relying on what Clinesmith had said, the FBI ultimately did not disclose Page’s relationship with the CIA as it applied to renew a warrant to monitor him as a possible agent of a foreign power. The case is the first against someone involved in the Russia probe brought by U.S. Attorney John Durham, who was specially tapped by Attorney General William P. Barr to broadly look into how the FBI handled that matter. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/kevin-clinesmith-fbi-trump-russia-john-durham/2020/08/14/2f579994-de26-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fbiprobe-1215pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans&itid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fbiprobe-1215pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans Ah, yes... Bill Barr's latest "Obamagate" nothing burger. Clinesmith correctly confirmed that Carter Page had not been reporting to the CIA after 2013. The FISA warrants were, essentially, kosher. My question. Why is another Trump/Barr "Obamagate" nothing burger getting misleading headlines in the M$M? It reminds me of the incessant, misleading M$M coverage of the "Email-gate" nothing burger from August to November of 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Looks like Trump is guaranteeing he gets four more years. In broad daylight: https://crooksandliars.com/2020/08/now-theyre-illegally-taking-mailboxes-away?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_content=34653 In addition MSNBC got the memo that the USPS is removing their high speed mail sorters. When I say high speed, its 35,000 pieces of mail per hour at a 99 percent efficiency rate. Trump knows if mail ins are allowed, he loses. The whole Bezos thing was a chimera. Unless somebody does something, with CV 19 raging, I think Trump will now have. a good chance to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Jim: I think this will turn out to be a gift to the Democrats. Trump will have to back down on this as everyone is affected adversely. Trump’s assault on the U.S. Postal Service gives Democrats a new campaign message http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-assault-on-the-us-postal-service-gives-democrats-a-new-campaign-message/ar-BB17Yyrq?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=UE07DHP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 6 hours ago, Ron Ecker said: SO WHAT? Chad Wolf’s authority is ‘illegitimate’: Hispanic Caucus chairman demands DHS chief ‘resign in disgrace’ https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/chad-wolfs-authority-is-illegitimate-hispanic-caucus-chairman-demands-dhs-chief-resign-in-disgrace/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 (edited) Robert: The post office is delaying delivery of my decoder ring, so I am unable to decode what the hell you wrote above the video. But if it makes you happy to post it, that is all that counts in the end (at least for you.) Edited August 15, 2020 by Douglas Caddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Varnell Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said: Looks like Trump is guaranteeing he gets four more years. In broad daylight: https://crooksandliars.com/2020/08/now-theyre-illegally-taking-mailboxes-away?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_content=34653 In addition MSNBC got the memo that the USPS is removing their high speed mail sorters. When I say high speed, its 35,000 pieces of mail per hour at a 99 percent efficiency rate. Trump knows if mail ins are allowed, he loses. The whole Bezos thing was a chimera. Unless somebody does something, with CV 19 raging, Jim DiEugenio has been self-righteously denouncing Barack Obama for not ordering the prosecution of Bush for Iraq war crimes. Is there anything in the above post that registers as outrage over Trump’s Pearl Harbor level attack on the American people? Not surprising. DiEugenio routinely attacks Democrats. It took Kennedys and King 5 years to get around to denouncing Trump’s white supremacy. I think Trump will now have. a good chance to win. Sounds hopeful, doesn’t he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James DiEugenio Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Read it and weep. This is the problem I have with Biden. https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/10/bidens-ukrainegate-problem/?fbclid=IwAR0aEDswGdSngZ1NR78y8-Zu1Xg31YbSnGrPY7xILwetjFvsA0ng-1L47iw He is a neoliberal. Maybe even a neocon in foreign policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Caddy Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Trump officials could face criminal charges for USPS sabotage — and the president may not be able to pardon them https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/trump-officials-could-face-criminal-charges-for-usps-sabotage-and-the-president-may-not-be-able-to-pardon-them/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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