Russiagate - Flynn and Beyond

Between the still barely ongoing Flynn saga, and the pundits prowling through the newly released transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee, I'm drowning in links here. Lets see if I can't get to the bottom.

First, I got to Da Caller a little late to the story on Flynn's still potential relief from the perjury charge. Chuck Ross, DOJ Drops Case Against Michael Flynn. But wait, according to Reuters, Skeptical judge could hold up Trump administration's bid to clear Flynn, legal experts say. But why would he? Would he imagine Flynn still guilty, or would he like to find out how Mueller's team forced an innocent man to plead guilty? The left/MSN complaint is that he plead guilty, sentence him already; we had this victory in the bag! News Thud, Nancy Pelosi Accuses Bill Barr of Covering Up For Trump In Angry Statement On Flynn Case. Althouse takes on this argument in "Some may wonder why an innocent man would ever plead guilty. Anyone who knows how the system works in practice..."

"... would understand why an innocent man—or a defendant in a close case—might be coerced into pleading guilty. The cruel reality is that if a defendant pleads not guilty and is found guilty, the sentence will be far greater than if he had pled guilty—perhaps even 10 times greater. Moreover, in this case, it is alleged that the government threatened, if Flynn did not plead guilty, to indict his son. These are the kinds of pressures routinely used by prosecutors. Civil libertarians have long been critical of these pressures, but fair-weather civil libertarians refuse to object when these improper tactics are used against Trump's associates. Partisan hypocrisy reigns."

Writes Alan Dershowitz in "Flynn Was Innocent All Along: He Was Pressured to Plead Guilt" (Gatestone Institute).

At Ace's the Morning Rant Ape,

Watching the Democratic meltdown over the DOJ moving to drop the criminal case against General Flynn has been amusing. "But he's GUILTY! HE EVEN ADMITTED HE WAS GUILTY!!" they shriek. Conveniently forgetting obvious fact that plea deals are a regular occurrence in our justice system, so that happens quite a lot. Also, in this case, they threatened to go after the guy's family if he didn't cut a deal, so maybe that had something to do with it, too.

And the reason why the DOJ dropped the case, that they couldn't find a "legitimate investigative basis" for the Flynn prosecution, is simply ignored. They don't address it, other than to holler that WAG Barr is a 'traitor'.

And then it's "Flynn colluded with a foreign power to influence the election." So now we're back to the Russian collusion hoax. The continual gaslighting is astounding.

Capt. Ed at Hot Air looks to Jonathan Turley, McCabe’s “Bizarre” Defense Notwithstanding, The FBI Had No Business Targeting Flynn. and Barr: FBI Set Flynn Up In An Illegitimate “Perjury Trap” — Directed By Top Brass



Da Wire, AG Barr: FBI Tried To ‘Trap’ Flynn, I Believe Comey Was Driving It, Was ‘Part Of’ Pattern Against Trump.  Sundance at CTH has the full transcript at MUST READ – Full Interview Transcript of AG Barr Discussing Dropping the Flynn Case…. Mark Hemingway, New Red Flags Emerging From FBI's Handling of Michael Flynn's Case. But they're pretty hard to see in a sea of red flags.

Dr. John at Flopping Aces, Who framed Michael Flynn? All of the pieces are in place and they lead right into the obama White House. Dave Goldman, PJ Media, Don't Forget Why the Deep State Targeted Mike Flynn. Well, McCabe hated his guts for personal reasons, Obama hated him for his open disagreements on policy matters, and a chance to hurt Trump? That's a "threefor." Now, Obama whines Exclusive: Obama says in private call that 'rule of law is at risk' in Michael Flynn case. More like the fact that they bent to the point of breaking the rule of law to target Trump and Flynn is emerging, and he wants to misdirect attention. Sundance,  Obama Panics – President Obama Gives Political Operatives and Media Talking Points to Protect Him…  Matt Vespa at TH, A Key Obama Meeting Was Held to Ensure FBI Russia Collusion Probe Wasn't Discovered by the Trump Administration and Mollie Hemingway at Da Fed, Obama, Biden Oval Office Meeting On January 5 Was Key To Entire Anti-Trump Operation

“President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia,” National Security Advisor Susan Rice wrote in an unusual email to herself about the meeting that was also attended by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, FBI Director James Comey, and Vice President Joe Biden.

A clearer picture is emerging of the drastic steps that were taken to accomplish Obama’s goal in the following weeks and months. Shortly thereafter, high-level operatives began intensely leaking selective information supporting a supposed Russia-Trump conspiracy theory, the incoming National Security Advisor was ambushed, and the incoming Attorney General was forced to recuse himself from oversight of investigations of President Trump. At each major point in the operation, explosive media leaks were a key strategy in the operation to take down Trump.

She also wrote that Obama told them to make sure it was done "by the book." Which book? The Prince?  Matt Vespa again, Oh, Look Whose Names Popped Up in These New Docs About the FBI's Michael Flynn Fiasco. The lovebirds at work.

Fox, Graham wants Flynn to appear before Senate: We must explain to Americans 'how and why the system failed'. If Flynn wants to, but he should get a lot of money for it. Lindsey talks a good game, but doesn't deliver.

Stepping away from Flynn, and to the also likely wrongly accused Papadopoulos Transcript – FBI Spy Targeting Papadopoulos: Israelis Are ‘All F***ing Spies,’ ‘Execute Them All’ If you can't find the crime, create one.

Tyler Olson and Ed Henry at Fox, Trump says 'more to come' on Russia probe documents, in 'Fox & Friends' interview. Matt Margolis at PJ Media, What Does Trump Know About the Russia Hoax That Is About to Come Out? Front Page Mag, Taking the Coup Clan to the Cleaners "Trump's Director of National Intelligence nominee will “speak the truth to power.”" Larry O'Conner at TH calls for a Reckoning.

Matt Vespa, Liberal Journalist Calls Out Anti-Trumpers For Missing This Key Part of the Whole Michael Flynn Fiasco Among others,

As usual, liberal pundits crying about big bad Bill Barr instead of grappling with how shockingly baseless the entire FBI Russia investigation was

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 7, 2020

Politico whines that Republican frustrations mount with FBI chief. Sundance, President Trump Lengthy Interview With Fox and Friends – FBI Director Chris Wray Skating on Thin Ice…. Sundance offers Differing Perspectives: President Trump -vs- AG Bill Barr… Barr is still pretty happy with Wray and some red on red action as Matt Gaetz Goes Full Wolverine on Trey Gowdy – Exposes Gowdy and Paul Ryan Working on Coup Effort…



All of which brings us around to the matter of the release of the 53 transcripts from the House Intel Committee. Setting the stage, Breitbart, Adam Schiff Changed Russia Document Release Strategy Because Grenell Forced His Hand.

The result, as Stacy McCain so rightly puts it Transcripts Prove Adam Schiff Lied; More Releases Expected From DNI Grenell. Brooke Singman at Fox, House intel transcripts show top Obama officials had no 'empirical evidence' of Trump-Russia collusion. Da Wire, New Russia Transcripts Appear To Show Schiff, Obama Officials Knew Trump Was Not Colluding With Russia. And you wonder why Schiffty was holding them back.

Some specific, and egregious liars. Althouse, "So when you say, 'We knew,' the reality is you knew nothing"/"Correct."

From "Obama Defense Official Evelyn Farkas Admitted She Lied On MSNBC About Having Evidence Of Collusion/'I didn't know anything'" (The Federalist)("Former Obama administration defense official Evelyn Farkas testified under oath that she lied during an MSNBC interview when she claimed to have evidence of alleged collusion, a newly declassified congressional transcript of her testimony shows").

I looked for the story in the NYT and the Washington Post — search term "Evelyn Farkas" — and found nothing.

There are stories at Fox News — "Ex-Obama official, in released transcript, admits she didn't know about Trump-Russia collusion despite prior claims" — and the NY Post — "Adam Schiff lied about the Trump investigation — and the media let him."

Sean Davis at Da Fed, Obama Defense Official Evelyn Farkas Admitted She Lied On MSNBC About Having Evidence Of Collusion

Ace, Crowdstrike, Under Oath: Actually, We Had No Evidence Russia Stole the DNC Emails

But I thought all of this was proven by science and that only Conspiracy Theorists and Russian Agents would even doubt the DNC-connected firm's story.

Is anyone seeing a pattern yet?

And of course,

James Clapper was willfully lying to our faces.

The left was in public from June 7, 2017. The right was under oath from his hearing on July 17, 2017. pic.twitter.com/pbe8lkcmtq

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 8, 2020

Althouse, Greenwald: "The abuse of power... by the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA... is a vastly more serious scandal than 'Russiagate' ever could dream of being."

The abuse of power during the 2016 election by the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA -- and the subsequent Schiff-led lies repeatedly disseminated in the media to justify that abuse -- is a vastly more serious scandal than "Russiagate" ever could dream of being: https://t.co/hOF0K1F44E

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 9, 2020

Insty, IT WASN’T AN ACCIDENT, AN ERROR, A BOTCH, OR A STUMBLE: IT WAS A CONSCIOUSLY COORDINATED DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN, WITH THE MEDIA AS WILLING ACCOMPLICES. And its purpose was to overturn an American election via illegal means.

News Thud, Trump’s Lawyer Calls Adam Schiff ‘Nancy’s Liar,’ Predicts Adam Will be Run Out of DC And Exposed, "John Dowd told Brian Kilmeade that he found it “staggering” that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller “put on such a fraud” and as reported by sundance, Trump's new cute Press Secretary did an excellent job of calling them out, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Press Briefing – Video and Transcript..

At WaFreeBee a preview of the next fight?, Trump Administration Presses Supreme Court to Stop Release of Secret Mueller Files

The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to delay transmission of secret grand jury materials from former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to House Democrats.

The request follows a March decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which said Congress can access the materials under a rule allowing disclosure "in connection with a judicial proceeding," meaning an impeachment trial in this instance. Democrats have left open the possibility of a second impeachment push depending on the contents of the Mueller files.

President Donald Trump outright refused to cooperate with congressional requests for information. Speaking to reporters in April 2019, a defiant Trump promised his administration would be "fighting all subpoenas." The D.C. Circuit said the administration's stonewalling made the House Judiciary Committee's need for the grand jury materials "especially compelling."

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. Linked by EBL in Phyllis George, RIP 😢, Rigoletto 🎭, World on Fire 🔥, Lucia di Lammermoor 🎭 Joan Sutherland, Peter Grimes 🎭, Ariadne auf Naxos 🎭, The Tempest 🎭, Werther 🎭 with Sophie Koch, Cavalleria Rusticana and Paglacci 🎭.