Russiagate: Rosenstein in the Warm Seat

It's hard to call it the hot seat. Sundance at CTH, Rod Rosenstein Testifies to Senate Judiciary Committee – 10:00am Livestream…. 3 hour video of the whole thing at the link... Sundance wasn't hopeful to begin with: Four Issues Highlight How Lindsey Graham’s Senate Hearings Are a Deep State Cover Operation…

The testimony of former Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein is now complete and we are able to make an honest assessment into the motives and intents of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and specifically Chairman Lindsey Graham.

Without a doubt, it is now clear Senator Lindsey Graham is executing the familiar chaff and countermeasure approach to cover-up the former administration surveillance abuses.

Here are four specific reasons that clarity is assured. Ranked in order of brutality:

 ♦ Number Four : . . .Who specifically identified the targets; what justification was provided by the special counsel to target the officials; why were those specific persons selected; and under what predicate was Rosenstein authorized to expand the Mueller investigation?

♦ Number Three: . . . There was ZERO inquiry from the Senate Judiciary Committee into a known issue that was/is relevant to the ongoing prosecution of General Michael Flynn; and the underlying evidence, first uncovered within the report; highlighting how Rod Rosenstein authorized a hidden memorandum to target Michael Flynn Jr. as leverage to force a guilty plea from the original target that Rosenstein authorized. This was completely ignored. . .

♦ Number Two: Despite the former Deputy AG stating twice that he was troubled by the leaking of the highly classified FISA application to the media, the committee intentionally and purposefully avoided asking the obvious question . . .If DAG Rod Rosenstein was so concerned about the leak of the Carter Page FISA, then why did the DOJ under Rosenstein’s tenure purposefully refuse to indict SSCI Security Director James Wolfe for leaking the FISA application?

♦ Number One: The Senate Judiciary Committee was recently made aware of a letter from the DOJ to the FISA Court written in July of 2018. The letter was/is a specific example of fraud upon the court during the tenure of Rod Rosenstein. It is inexcusable that Rod Rosenstein was not asked about the July 12, 2018, material lie to the court.

Please notice this DOJ cover letter (making the committee aware) was personally sent to Chairman Lindsey Graham by the DOJ as ORDERED by the FISA Court.

Still, it wasn't exactly a friendly grilling, at least from the Republicans. Fox News, Rosenstein testifies he would not have signed FISA warrant for Trump aide if he knew of problems  From JTN Rosenstein agrees that by August of 2017 there was no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion

Addressing Rosenstein during the hearing, committee member Sen. Lindsey Graham asked him: "The whole concept, that the campaign was colluding with the Russians, there was no 'there' there in August of 2017, do you agree or not?"

"I agree with the general statement," Rosenstein replied.

And yet, he appointed the Mueller team and allowed them to pursue the Trump administration on this charge, with the hope of creating obstruction of justice charges.

He also told the committee he was unaware that an F.B.I. field office had recommended that Gen. Michael Flynn be dropped from the investigation. Rosenstein was asked by Graham if he knew that "in January of 2017, the F.B.I. field office said, 'we recommend General Flynn be removed'" from the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"I did not," Rosenstein responded.

"Would that have mattered?" Graham asked, to which Rosenstein responded: "Yes."

Rosenstein also told senators that he would not have signed the renewal of the FISA warrant for Trump associate Carter Page if he had been aware of exculpatory information withheld from the FISA court. "If you knew then what you knew now, would you have signed the warrant application?" Graham asked him.

"No, I would not," Rosenstein said.

Rosenstein later indicated that he was not familiar with the full contents of that renewal request. Though he earlier claimed to have read it, he later conceded that he hadn’t read “every page” but that he had reviewed it and was familiar with its contents.

“My recollection of it … it was actually fairly persuasive,” he said. “It had already been approved three times. This was just a re-authorization.”

It was OK because it was approved 3 times previously, based on lies. Which really confirms my feelings that Rod is a company guy, and more concerned that the wheels turned in the DOJ, and not whether justice was served. Fox, Cruz slams Rosenstein on Russia probe, says he was 'complicit' or 'grossly negligent’. Capt. Ed at Hot Air, Cruz To Rosenstein: Crossfire Hurricane Makes Watergate Pale In Comparison. And just for the taste:

Sen. @TedCruz GRILLS Rod Rosenstein pic.twitter.com/66EvNMGGml

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 3, 2020

The WaPoo, naturally chose a "Republicans seized" line in Rosenstein says, in hindsight, he would not have signed application to surveil former Trump campaign adviser

Conservatives are likely to seize on the admission, and others from Rosenstein, as more ammunition for their attacks on the Russia investigation. Rosenstein offered some defense of steps he took in the took in the case — particularly his appointment of Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel to lead it — but at times he was conciliatory toward Republicans skeptical of the investigation.

Following up on the Flynn fiasco, which is basically in stasis until Judge Sullivan, the DOJ, and the Flynn defense team face the appeals court next week. Da Wire, Flynn Case Comes To A Head: Judge Asks Court For More Time; DOJ: You Don’t Have The Authority. Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, Judge Sullivan Finally Responds To Mandamus Petition In Flynn Case, Proving Why It Was Necessary. Amicus! We have amicus! Gohmert Files Amicus Brief Supporting Dismissal of the Flynn Case.

Paul Bedard at WaEx, Trump thanks Richard Grenell, 'a big deal'

Richard Grenell, the now-resigned acting intelligence chief, will always have a White House Cabinet Room seat thanks to President Trump.

In a unique sign of appreciation for all Grenell did in just a few months to tear down the wall of secrecy hiding the flaws of the Russia investigation against Trump and to implement rare transparency in the intelligence world, Trump gave the longtime U.S. diplomat his actual Cabinet Room chair.

and Democrat smears Richard Grenell as Nazi 'Goebbels with a Twitter account' for defending Trump

I was at the protest, genius, not watching it on TV. Please correct your erroneous reporting. https://t.co/8v8UcB5Mh7

— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) June 2, 2020

And by Godwin's Law, Swallwell loses the argument by calling him a Nazi. Remember, if you hate Ric Grenell, you're homophobic.

News Thud, Jerry Nadler Throws Temper Tantrum, Tries To Strip Bill Barr’s DOJ Funding After Barr Told Jerry To Go Pound sand