Do Not Pass Go, Go Directly to Jail

Rep. Gohmert: ‘Duped’ FISA Judge ‘Should Be Livid,' Jail Anyone Who Manipulated Him

If the FISA judge who signed the warrant to spy on a member of the Trump campaign was “duped” into doing it, he can and should jail the culprits for contempt – without a hearing – Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Wednesday.

Appearing on “Fox and Friends,” former-judge Gohmert also repeated his ongoing call for full release of the FISA court transcripts, saying that the issuing judge was either “duped” – or complicit in signing the unjustified surveillance warrant:

“One of two things – either the judge was duped with false information with the lies into signing a warrant or the judge is just so worthless he was part of all this and didn't care if he didn't have the facts.”

“As a former judge, I could tell you and I was talking to John Carter, a former district judge, if somebody lied to us in court and especially a lawyer, we would be after their license to practice law. And I find out –that if you put one lawyer in jail one time for contempt, then the lawyers work really well with you after that and they are very honest and straightforward.”

“Either way, the judge should be livid in the fact that these guys didn’t go to jail for contempt. “And, there are a couple kinds of contempt. You can have a contempt where a judge has to have a hearing, sort out the facts. “But, if a fraud is presented to the court and the court’s manipulated, you don’t have to have a hearing – you can just order them in contempt for six months in jail and these people should be in jail for what they did.”

Rush Limbaugh: Why Aren’t the FISA Judges Outraged?

Now, we’ve heard that the application process is rigorous, that you just can’t put anything over on these judges. And these applications have to be vetted, signed off on, edited, reviewed by who knows how many people. (Have you heard all that?) Well, how many people does this incriminate, then? How many people passed this on to the next level? This phony, fake opposition research document. We’re being told, “Nah, Rush. You’re wrong. There couldn’t have been any shenanigans there. The process is too vigorous and demanding.”

It just means to me that everybody that looked at it passed it on up to the next level until it got to the judge. We know. Folks, we don’t know. This is why this is inherently bad in a nation where the rule of law is literally the glue that six everything together. Can I ask you another question? I like to do this now and then, to try to focus on the — what would it be? — the sheer luck that we still exist as founded. What is it that continues to define the kind of country we have? It’s the Constitution.

But what is that? It is a bunch of pieces of paper, and yet the words on however many pieces of paper are required to write the Constitution have been — for the most part — obeyed, respected, adhered to by 42, 43 presidents and by any number of other people in power, for over 200-plus years. Stop and think. To me, it is a testament to the power of the document, yes; but at the same time, it’s an illustration of how precarious the structure of the nation is. It is the honor system that has kept the Constitution adhered to and abided by.

The honor system.

Which doesn't work when the men leading the system have no honor. And I believe we can safely say that Comey, McCabe, Strzok and maybe Rosenstein have none.

You can see the composition of the FISA court here. Note that 10 of 11 judges were appointed during the Obama administration (which makes sense, since they appear to be appointed to 8 year terms). Are the judges honorable men and women?