Flotsam and Jetsam - Air Disasters Updates, Trump Storms Washington DC

While the tragedy value of the recent plane crashes has not diminished in any way, the news value has decreased sharply as the NTSB begins the agonizingly slow process of attempting to put together all the pieces (literally and figuratively) to figure out why they occurred. Meanwhile, at TownHall, Matt Vespa reveals that the Army Releases Name of the Female Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot in Reagan Air Disaster. Matt Margolis at PJM, Female Pilot on Doomed Black Hawk ID'd, Was Former Biden White House Aide, "Lobach also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration, Brown said. Just last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House when he was among those awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden." Not going to say it. Althouse, "'I was so distraught when I heard this news last night,' said Senator Tim Kaine... who for years has opposed adding flights at Reagan..." ""... and warned of the dangers posed by overcrowding the D.C. airspace. 'I will not be able to rewatch the speech I gave on the Senate floor about it because it would make me too upset.'" . . . From "Congress Approved More Flights at Reagan Despite Warnings of Danger/Lawmakers repeatedly added flights despite fears of delays and accidents" (NYT)(Congress has repeatedly voted to increase the number of daily flights at Reagan National Airport, adding departures that made life more convenient for lawmakers...)." He doesn't have to fly home after sessions of Congress. Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree, "1 year ago 11 Republican Attorneys General wrote a letter to the Biden administration, expressing their frustration with the new DEI practices affecting the Federal Aviation Administration. Nothing was ever done about their concerns by the Biden administration." TNP, Defense Sec Hegseth Backs Trump on DEI Following D.C. Air Disaster. RedState's Nick Arama sees Bill Maher Come to Trump's Defense on DCA Crash, Decimates Biden on Border, and How Broken Our Gov't Is and Sister Toldja remembers How Patty Murray Accidentally Helped Expose the Dangers of DEI Within the FAA Back in 2014. And, of course, Sarah Arnold at TownHall hears a Far-Left Squad Member Blames Trump for DC Plane Crash. And a totally bizarre one from the Philadelphia crash at Crankers, Chilling audio reveals Air Traffic Control trying to reach plane before Philadelphia crash, listen closely at 56 seconds.

At the Annapolis Cap Gaz, Federal workers have less than a week left to take Trump’s buyout. Maryland leaders are warning against it. "U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, went a step further during a speech on the Senate floor. “Don’t be fooled. He’s tricked hundreds of people with that offer,” Kaine said, referring to longtime reports that Trump sometimes refused to pay contractors who worked for his real estate company. “If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed the contractors. He doesn’t have any authority to do this.”" But ET reports Large Number of Federal Workers Taking Buyout Offer, White House Official Says "Millions of federal workers received deferred resignation offers in a memorandum distributed on Jan. 28." Capt. K's Corner, Census Director Abruptly Resigns: 3 Reasons Why This is Massive News. Remember, the census recently undercounted Red States, resulting in about a 12-13 swing in the House of Reps and Electoral College. 'Bonchie' at RedState, Trump-Subverting GSA Surrenders, and You Won't Believe Some of the Insane Stuff Being Deleted. At WUWT, “Draining the Swamp of Climate Hysteria: Trump’s USDA Scrubs Climate Change from Public Websites”. Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck "USAID essentially functions as one of many money laundering machines for Democrats in DC. Here’s how it works: • Activists create obscure NGO • Dems fund it lavishly • NGO does bare minimum (or actively hurts the United States) • Activists get paid and donate to Dems . . . That’s why Democrats are freaking out about the possibility that USAID’s being shut down by President Trump. It needs to be done." Latin Times, DHS Ends Funding Of NGOs Aiding Migrants, Says They 'Abused' Grants To 'Facilitate Illegal Immigration', ""We are not spending another dime to help the destruction of the U.S.," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an appearance on Fox News." Ward Clark at RedState, Pro-Illegal Alien Legal Aid Groups Sue After the Trump Admin. Ends Federal Gravy Train. Insty, "Actually, as many NGO flunkies and government bureaucrats lose their jobs in the coming months, it’s wise to remember Eric Hoffer’s words: “Nothing is so unsettling to a social order as the presence of a mass of scribes without suitable employment and an acknowledged status.” There needs to be a plan, as their response is likely to be drastic, and possibly dangerous." Maybe Homan can leave some room at Gitmo? Thomas Massie@RepThomasMassie, "I just reintroduced H.R. 899, a one sentence bill to TERMINATE the federal department of education and return power back to teachers and parents. This is it, the entire bill:" Short and to the point. Stephen Moore at Hat Hair has A Smart Way to Pay for the Trump Tax Cut: Auction Federal Assets. Buildings, land, old furniture and office equipment. I once visited the government surplus warehouse in Springfield VA. It's like the warehouse at the end of Indiana Jones I where they stuck the Ark of the Covenant. 

Scott Adams@ScottAdamsSays "We are entering the "WTF" discovery phase of DOGE." Quote Elon Musk@elonmusk, "The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. They literally never denied a payment in their entire career . . ." Off The Press @OffThePress1, "JUST IN: The federal government has saved over $1 BILLION by ending DEI-related contracts, according to a new breakdown released by @DOGE. That includes a staggering $228 million at USAID and $110 million at the Department of Agriculture." Da Wire, ‘Triggered’ No More: Federal Tech Arm Deletes ‘Inclusion Bot’ After Musk Takeover. "Federal office overrun by "they/thems" surrenders after resisting in Trump's first term." Luke Rosiak@lukerosiak, "DELETED: GSA's tech arm, a far-left agency that viciously subverted Trump during his first term, surrendered after an @elonmusk deputy took over. It deleted huge swaths of code dedicated to virtue-signaling rather than mission, such as its "inclusion bot" that lectured staff." Twitchy, DOGE Locks Out OPM Officials by Changing Their Passwords Ian Miles Cheong@stillgray "Incredible. DOGE has take command of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and changed all the passwords of every employee who has been working from home. These employees have lost all access to personnel databases and are no longer in control. This is the reckoning." Department of Government Efficiency@DOGE "This is the split of administrators vs. teaching staff at the top 25 endowed universities. We are investing in bureaucracy over actual education. Source: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacent" At Althouse, "Mr. Musk, who has been given wide latitude by President Trump to find ways to slash government spending, has recently fixated..." ""... on Treasury’s payment processes, criticizing the department in a social media post on Saturday for not rejecting more payments as fraudulent or improper. It is not clear whether the team led by Mr. Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, has blocked any payments since gaining access to the system." From "Elon Musk’s team has gotten access to the Treasury Department’s payments system" (NYT). This continues the story discussed earlier today in "What the DOGE team discovered."" At ET, Replace the Income Tax With Tariffs? "No matter how you do the math, there is simply no way that the tariff can make up the difference. The only solution, then, is massive cuts in government spending, which people like Elon Musk have promised but we are waiting to see the plans." 

Hat Hai cites DoD, 'Identity Months Dead at the DoD' "Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours." From WokeSpy, Trump Reinstates Military Personnel Who Refused COVID Vax. Steve Hayward at Power Line, Trump and the First Rule of Politics "Trump never plays defense. Yesterday he issued a proclamation of Black History Month, and note who he singles out for recognition . . ." Twitchy, DEI Obsessed Lefty Political Activist Tells the Whole World She Has NO IDEA What the ADA Is or Does: Olivia Julianna@0liviajulianna "The man is literally disabled and in a wheelchair. DEI is literally the reason the Capitol building is accessible to him." Quote Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " JUST IN: Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs order to ensure DEI is nowhere to be found in all state agencies." NYPo, Trump administration removes transgender references from federal government websites. Jeff Charles at TownHall, Hospitals Are Pausing 'Gender-Affirming Care' for Minors After Trump Executive Order. Misty Severi at JTN reports Trump foreign aid freeze pulls over $1 million in funding for LGBT programs in Ireland, Serbia, "The revelations additionally come after the Trump administration found the USAID earmarked $15 million for contraceptives and condoms last year for Afghanistan." At Real Clear Markets, Stefan Padfield believes The Excuses For DEI Programs Get Worse and Worse.

At TCW, Robert F Kennedy Jr’s magnificent fight back against the demented Democrats. At Fox, GOP senator faces intraparty criticism after saying he is 'struggling' with RFK Jr's confirmation. "'RFK is going to run HHS whether you like it or not,' says GOP Rep Clay Higgins." Sara Arnold at TownHall, Why This Billionaire Is Putting Far-Left Sen. Warnock on Notice “Man do I regret ever helping you,” Shanahan said. “The only reason you’re in that seat is because I sent massive financial support to Shirley Sherrod’s c4 to mobilize rural Georgia during the 2020 runoff. I’ll be correcting that massive mistake asap. You’re awful.” Althouse, "I mean, when you talk to these Republican lawmakers privately, they all understand a vote against something that Donald Trump really cares about is a vote to end your career." "Said Jonathan Swan, on yesterday's episode of the NYT's "Daily" podcast, "Trump 2.0 Arrives in Force."" cold@coldhealing, "chevron using the term "gulf of america" repeatedly in their earnings press release is the equivalent of bank of america putting up their pride month flag profile picture but for our new antiwoke overlords."

From NewsMax, Venezuela Frees 6 Americans After Trump Envoy Visits, Ric Grenell. Breitbart sees Trump Double Down on U.S. Retaking Panama Canal: ‘They’ve Totally Violated the Agreement’. Hat Hair cites the AP, Quelle Surprise: Arab Nations Are a 'HELL, NO' on Accepting Palestinians From Gaza. Beege Welborn snarks "BWAHAhahahaha! I will lay a big, fat donut on the bet that Trump just threw that out there to prove the point that there ain't NOBODY wantin' these homicidal psychopaths anywhere near them. And now that we've established they're absolutely incorrigible, untrustworthy savages, plans can move forward from here how to deal with them." Rebeccah Heinrichs at NYPo, Trump is killing terrorists again and cleaning up Biden’s disastrous mistakes — it’s glorious. Althouse, "This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia." ""These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did! The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that 'WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'" Writes President Trump, at X, just now." Tom Knighton at TAW thinks Trump's strength highlights Biden's weakness.

Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms Brandon Herrera Has Interesting Take on What ATF Should Do. "In short, instead of making the ATF continue along the current track of pushing unconstitutional laws just to justify its existence, use the ATF to dismantle the gun regulatory scheme. He figures that it can be accomplished in a couple of years."

Susan Crabtree@susancrabtree, "Important Clarification: 88 is the number of FBI agents and top managers who ACTUALLY were walked out of their offices today, including those at the Washington Field Office, Palm Beach, and Miami FBI offices. That number also includes special agents in charge of various field offices around the country." At TNP, Trump’s FBI Cleans House, At Least 20 Senior Officials Dismissed. Bob Hoge at RedState, Friday Night Smackdown at the DOJ—Dozens of J6 Prosecutors Sent Packing. WaPoo whines the new D.C. U.S. attorney fires Jan. 6 prosecutors, launches new probes, "Ed Martin has fired Jan. 6 prosecutors, launched investigations of Capitol riot prosecutions and threatened the nation’s top elected Democrat with an inquiry." When you strike at a king . . . Beth Brelje at Da Fed sees the irony that Dems Worry Kash Patel Could Weaponize FBI Against Political Enemies Like They Did. At the 4th Rail, Former FBI Director Sucked at His Job, Now We're Vulnerable.

Matt Margolis is pleased This Top Senate Democrat Is Now Under Federal Investigation, Schumer. Roger Kimball at Am Great, Schumer Under Investigation While Trump Reshapes Washington. "Schumer faces scrutiny over past threats to justices, while Trump dismantles DEI, deports migrants, and strikes ISIS, signaling a shift in Washington’s priorities." Twitchy, 'The Hits Just Keep on Coming!' DOJ Hints About Probe of Chuck Schumer Over SCOTUS Threats. US Homeland Security News @defense_civil25, "Update: Senator Chuck Schumer is now officially under investigation by the Department of Justice for making threats against conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justices!" TMK @TheMagaKing2_0 ""I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard." – Donald J. Trump "We're going to fight it in the streets." – Hakeem Jeffries See the difference?"

At NewsMax, Ill. Gov. Pritzker Bars Jan. 6 Pardonees From State Jobs. Fox, Anthony Fauci may be deposed as GOP intensifies COVID investigations in new Congress. "'There are still questions to be answered,' Sen. Rand Paul said after announcing his plan to subpoena 14 agencies" Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley "Sen. Paul appears ready to take on Biden' s preemptive pardons with new demands for the deposition of Anthony Fauci. https://foxnews.com/politics/anthony-fauci-deposed-gop-covid-investigations-congress… As noted earlier, the pardon will not protect Fauci from new claims of false statements. Indeed, the pardon could make it more difficult to claim the privilege against self-incrimination."

Hat Hair reports The ICEman's Reach Is Long - Immigrant Arrests in Guam. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "ICE and HSI even arresting criminal aliens in Guam" Quote HSI Honolulu @HSIHonolulu, "In Guam on Jan. 30 HSI, ERO, and USMS Deputy Marshals conducted a joint operation to protect the community by apprehending immigrants with outstanding criminal warrants. @HSI_HQ." Breitbart has more ICE: Fentanyl-Dealing Tren de Aragua Gang Members Arrested in South Carolina.

Althouse, The Democrats have elected their party chair. See my discussion of the race for the chair, earlier today, here. ADDED: Here's the NYT article on the subject, "Democrats Elect Ken Martin, a Party Insider, to Lead the D.N.C./The Democratic National Committee chose Mr. Martin, the leader of the Minnesota Democrats, to help oversee a demoralized national party split over its future and its response to President Trump." Mr. Martin defeated seven other candidates, including his top rival, Ben Wikler, the energetic chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Mr. Wikler’s base of support came from the party’s biggest donors and institutional players in Washington.... There's a lot of room between starting over and denying that you've got anything wrong with you. Defending former Vice President Kamala Harris’s performance as a candidate reminds me of a big flaw in her performance: defending Joe Biden's performance as President." Buck Sexton@BuckSexton "Whenever you think Democrats have screwed up so badly, they’ll finally learn their lesson- they dig in and find a way to make it worse." At RVN, Kamala Was ‘Traumatized’ By Joe Rogan Interviewing Donald Trump: Report. “Trump spent three hours with Rogan in an interview that instantly went viral. The contrast amounted to a ‘traumatic event,’ said one Harris aide, ‘that I will never forget,’” Allen and Parnes wrote." WUWT sees a ‘Revolving Door’: Biden’s Ocean Energy Chief Went To Work For Major Offshore Wind Company After Admin Boosted Industry.

George@BehizyTweets, "BREAKING: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just kicked The New York Times, NBC, NPR, and Politico out of their Pentagon press offices to give space to the New York Post, Breitbart, OANN, and HuffPost. Hegseth must be attempting to set the world record for the most transformational changes made in a single month. WOW!" At Da Caller, Defense Department Orders ‘Unique’ Move Against Media Establishment Entrenched In Halls Of Pentagon.

From the Free Bacon, Contrarians, Assemble: Chuck Todd's Exit From NBC Fuels Speculation of Resistance 'Dream Team.' "Gonna take misinformation down to zero." At Da Fed, Elle Purnell lists The 12 Worst Fails Of Media Propagandist And Toilet Paper Bandit Chuck Todd’s Career. Phil Kerpen @kerpen, "Harwood is a known moron, but there is an interesting insight here. The left thinks it's fascism when their unelected permanent bureaucracy is placed under the control of the people's elected chief executive." Quote John Harwood@JohnJHarwood, "Trump is plunging the United States into fascism x.com/brianschatz/st…" At Twitchy, Mollie Hemingway & Others Point and Laugh at Defense of Continued Funding for 'Unbiased' NPR. Shashi Bellamkonda @shashib "NPR is a crucial resource for listeners of all economic groups and ages because it provides unbiased news, fosters thoughtful discussion, and covers important stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Its coverage of remote American communities and global issues is essential Show more" Mollie @MZHemingway, "You meant to say "spews daily propaganda, shuts down thoughtful debate, and censors important stories."" Jon Levine at NYPo is pretty happy that CBS agrees to hand over ’60 Minutes’ Harris interview transcripts to FCC. Matt Taibbi at Racket, About Those Onesies "A brief note to Senator Bernie Sanders." "Regarding your “Are you supportive of these onesies?” questioning: the organization that makes those products, Children’s Health Defense, does indeed list Kennedy as a founder and former CEO. It’s also one of the most censored organizations in the world, a distinction the group shares with Kennedy, one of the most censored individuals. You and Mr. Kennedy were both cited by one of the leading government-partnered “anti-disinformation” groups during the pandemic, the Stanford-based “Virality Project.”"

At the College Fix, Professor says monuments to American pioneers ‘reinforce white supremacy. Toni Airakinsen, finds a STUDY: Objectivity and Rationalism Now Signs of "White Supremacy." The Victory Girls sees Columbia: Ivy League Communist Fangirls Strike Again. 

John Sexton at Hat Hair enjoys his schadenfreude as The First Trans Person Nominated for an Oscar is Being Canceled Over Tweets.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Return to Mediocrity up and running at The Other McCain.

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Some Morning Russiagate

Action on the Flynn Affair is still progressing as ‘Takeover’: Michael Flynn team and DOJ clash with federal judge, asking appeals court to dismiss case (Jerry Dunleavy, WaEx):

The legal team for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and lawyers for the Justice Department clashed with the judge presiding over the case against the former Trump national security adviser, asking an appeals court to direct the lower court to drop all charges.

The Justice Department told a U.S. district court last month “that continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice” as it sought to drop the false statements charges against Flynn, but instead, Judge Emmet Sullivan, a Bill Clinton appointee who has been handling the Flynn case since December 2017, appointed retired New York federal Judge John Gleeson to serve as an amicus curiae to present arguments in opposition to the Justice Department’s motion and to explore whether Flynn should be charged with perjury.

Flynn’s attorneys were joined by the Justice Department last month in asking the D.C. Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals to issue a writ of mandamus instructing Sullivan to dismiss the case, but Sullivan hired an outside lawyer to argue that he is not a “rubber stamp.”

Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor who took over Flynn’s representation last summer, filed a 26-page brief with the appeals court on Wednesday, arguing that Sullivan “has exceeded his power now precisely because General Flynn proclaimed his innocence and pursued a vigorous defense of his constitutional rights as soon as he retained unconflicted counsel.” In a reference to Sullivan’s 2018 suggestion that Flynn had committed treason, which the judge walked back with an apology, Powell argued the judge’s “proclivity for grabbing world-wide headlines by suggesting General Flynn has committed heinous crimes that don’t exist is once again on display.”

“Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution vests the power to execute the laws solely in the Executive Branch,” Powell argued. “Accordingly, the power to prosecute — to decide who, when, where, and how someone is charged with a federal crime — rests entirely with the Department of Justice.”

Powell said the appeal’s court’s “intervention is needed now — not after Respondent and his Amicus create a circus and sentence an innocent man.” She argued that “to allow Respondent to do anything other than grant the Motion to Dismiss would erode the authority of this Court, its precedent, the Constitution, and the Article II power” of the Justice Department.

“This Court must stop him before he further jeopardizes the legitimacy of the federal judiciary,” Powell said of Sullivan. “Accordingly, mandamus should issue to dismiss this case with prejudice, vacate the plea, and order any further proceedings conducted by a different judge.”

At Town Hall Matt Vespa says The Second Act of the Flynn Case Has Begun...and It's a Total Circus, which is being kind to circuses.

I, for one, am shocked that some retired judge who is working for the law firm representing the Department of Justice’s top Trump resister, Sally Yates, said that Michael Flynn committed perjury and is a bad, bad, man (sarc.). John Gleeson laid out his case for his besieged colleague Judge Emmet Sullivan over the fiasco that has become the Michael Flynn case (via WaPo). . .

Weird how you left out that it was co-written by the defense attorney for Sally Yates, who is being investigated by federal authorities for her role in the Russia Collusion Hoax. https://t.co/s0inpjcdZN

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 10, 2020

"Shipwreckedcrew", the pseudonym for a legal writer at Red State  calls The Highly Anticipated Brief From Judge Gleeson on the Flynn Case — Mueller Report Redux

The brief filed by Judge Gleeson is in excess of 80 pages long. For me to write a comprehensive take-down of what he has filed would take me at last 12,000 words, and a week to research and write. That’s what I would do if I was involved in the case and preparing a response. I can’t do that here.

Instead I’m going to simply isolate a few areas in the brief that I find worthy of comment, and deal with them in separate articles.
So, in referring to what’s “worthy of comment” I should begin with my first “hot take” on Twitter this morning when I called the brief “trash” — and then got critical.

A couple observations right off the top based on my LIMITED analysis so far — which I hope to build upon in later articles.
For the “Factual Basis” Judge Gleeson includes references to 1) media reporting and accounts, 2) the Inspector General’s report on Four FISAs, and 3) the Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

As for the media, Gleenson references articles that are sourced to anonymous former government officials, which we now know were mostly former Obama Administration officials who fed the entire false fantasy “Trump-Russian” collusion narrative to gullible and willing anti-Trump media for the past nearly four years.

As for the IG Report, Gleeson never addresses the issue that the IG’s ability to collect factual information was limited by his lack of authority to compel answers from anyone not currently employed by the DOJ, and by the fact that the IG lacks subpoena or GJ authority to collect both documentary and testimonial evidence. The result is that the IG’s “window’ into events surrounding the investigation of the Trump campaign and individuals such as General Flynn was always limited — and there is absolutely NO DOUBT that DOJ has more information available to it than the information reported in the IG Report that Gleeson relies upon.

Finally, as for the IC Assessment, this was a product commissioned by former CIA Director John Brennan, hastily assembled in the closing days of the Obama Administration, which reached certain “conclusions” that have been determined to not have been factually accurate. When the Mueller Report came out finding that no Americans had assisted the Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election campaign, and there was no evidence of “collusion” between anyone in the Trump Campaign and the Russian Government, John Brennan’s reaction was as follows:

Former CIA Director John Brennan said Monday that he “suspected there was more than there actually was” in regard to collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election. “I don’t know if I received bad information, but I think I suspected there was more than there actually was…. I am relieved that it’s been determined there was not a criminal conspiracy with the Russian government over our election.”

Yet the IC Assessment that he commissioned and oversaw, finding the existence of such nefarious activity, is what Judge Gleeson relies upon for some of the facts he sets forth in his briefing.

 'This is how the Left operates': Jim Jordan slams 'crazy' attempt to continue Flynn case (WaEx)

"This judge is talking about abuse of power now?" the Ohio Republican exclaimed. "The abuse of power was then. This is how the Left operates, and I think the American people see this for what it is."

Presiding Judge Emmet Sullivan, a Clinton appointee who has overseen the case since 2017, tasked Gleeson with acting as an amicus curiae to review the case and present arguments in opposition to the DOJ's motion to drop the false statement charges against the former national security adviser.

"What's rich here is Judge Gleeson using the term 'abuse of power.' Are you kidding me?" said Jordan. "First of all, a few years ago, Judge Gleeson said a prosecutor can drop the case at any time for any reason. Now, he's suddenly changed, which shows how political this is from his perspective and, I think, from Judge Sullivan's perspective."

John Solomon at JTN,  FBI knew Steele’s Russia research connected to Clinton, Dems from earliest interactions. I remember Comey, testifying before Congress claiming it was funded by Republicans. Lock Him Up!

Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx, Judge who reviewed full Mueller report asks DOJ about 'merits' of redactions

The federal judge who reviewed the full, unredacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller said he has questions about the reasoning for the Justice Department's redactions and ordered the agency to provide the court with answers.

“Having reviewed the unredacted version of the Mueller Report, the Court cannot assess the merits of certain redactions without further representations from the Department,” Judge Reggie Walton said in a court order this week.
. . .
Walton said Monday that he “must discuss the substance of the redactions” with the Justice Department, but that the conversation “cannot occur remotely due to the lack of a secure connection between the Court and the Department necessary to avoid disclosure of the redacted information” and cannot immediately occur in-person due to social-distancing guidelines issued by D.C. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell related to the coronavirus pandemic.

James Durso at RCPolicy, America Deserves a New FBI. Yep, the takeover of the top echelon by the leftists has gutted it. Transfer the workers to the US Marshalls, and kill the agency.

It would be one thing if the FBI’s behavior in l'affaire Trump was a one-off, but it’s really standard operating procedure.

Since its founding in 1908, the Bureau has regularly infringed on Americans’ civil rights or just failed to do its job, to wit: the internment of Japanese-American citizens; the harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders; the shooting of innocent citizens at Ruby Ridge and Waco; the takeover of the Boston Field Office by organized crime boss Whitey Bulger; the betrayals by FBI agent Robert Hanssen; misunderstanding the significance that persons connected to Osama bin laden were enrolled in U.S. flight schools; pursuing and publicly naming the wrong suspect in the 2001 Anthrax attacks; ignoring a Russian warning about the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing; concocting fake terror plots; and ignoring an advance tip about the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

If these abuses happened in, say, Belarus, we’d have congressional hearings, a flood of op-eds; think tank panels featuring government officials and activists with “concerns,” and sanctions galore for the miscreants.

ET, House Intel Relied on Sources Besides CrowdStrike to Conclude Russians Stole DNC Emails, Source Says. So, something is better than nothing? But it's not really all that convincing.

The information provided by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike wasn’t the most compelling piece of evidence examined by a House committee to reach the conclusion that Russian hackers stole thousands of emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) server in late May 2016, according to a Republican on the panel who was directly involved in the investigation.

The House Intelligence Committee reviewed multiple independent sources, all of which were more compelling than the evidence handed over by CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that the DNC hired to deal with the breach of its systems. The evidence for the exfiltration of the emails from the DNC server was as convincing as the evidence for the rest of the cyberattack, the source told The Epoch Times.

“The evidence on exfiltration was not weaker than for any other parts of the hacking operation. CrowdStrike’s evidence was not the most compelling thing we had—it was the independent sources of information that also indicated Russian exfiltration. Unfortunately, those details are classified and were redacted from official reports on the hack,” the source said.

The committee disclosed the new information in response to questions that arose from the recently declassified testimony of Shawn Henry, the president of CrowdStrike Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of CrowdStrike. Henry told the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 that CrowdStrike had no direct evidence that Russian hackers exfiltrated emails from the DNC email server.

According to special counsel Robert Mueller, Russian hackers breached the DNC’s Microsoft Exchange Server and stole thousands of emails sometime between May 25 and June 1, 2016, more than three weeks after the DNC hired CrowdStrike to protect itself from the hackers and oust them from its network.

Sundance,  It’s Worse Than We Thought – DNI Ratcliffe Declassifies “Annex A” The Supportive Documents For 2017 Intel Community Assessment…

DNI John Ratcliffe has declassified the Appendix to the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). [Source Document Here] The appendix known as “Annex A” was the material the FBI and CIA did not include in the body of the ICA; however, it was used to brief congress. [NOTE: the document quality/clarity is very poor as released]

There was always suspicion that “Annex A” was the ridiculous claims by FBI source Christopher Steele; those suspicions are confirmed today. The ICA was written in late December ’16 & early January 2017, and the purpose was to politicize intelligence by making outlandish claims of the Trump-Russia conspiracy the official position of the U.S intelligence apparatus (CIA, FBI, DOJ and NSA). . . .

I'm happy to see Ratcliffe following going beyond Ric Grenell's footsteps and continuing to turn over rocks to find the creepy creatures underneath: Grenell on Point – The DC Structure Will Never ‘Willingly’ Accept a People’s President…

• When Democrats won the White House in ’92 Republicans helped the transition.
• When Democrats lost the White House in ’00 they created chaos. They destroyed the telephones and computers, punched holes in the walls, spray painted and cut the furniture, and the Clinton’s even stole the furnishings down to the dishes.
• When Democrats won the White House in ’08 Republicans helped the transition.
• When Democrats lost the White House in ’16 they weaponized the intelligence apparatus to destroy the incoming administration. Leaked intelligence to the media; and unmasked incoming officials to create chaos and fabricate lies.

Notice a pattern?

And rules? They're just for us little people, WaFreeBee,  Fired State Department IG Sent Confidential Info to His Personal Email Accounts

The State Department inspector general whose recent dismissal ignited a political firestorm sent copies detailing a sensitive investigation to his personal email account, according to a probe into his conduct run by the Defense Department's inspector general.

The inquiry report, dated March 17, confirms that fired State Department inspector general Steve Linick was the subject of a broad investigation related to the leaks of politically charged materials to journalists, specifically a draft evaluation report into Brian Hook, the State Department’s top Iran official. The report, which was provided to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, concluded that while Linick was permitted to send information to his personal email account to facilitate access while traveling, he was the only official in that office to have done so. The disclosure is likely to raise new questions about Linick’s suspected role in leaking sensitive information to the press.

Linick’s firing generated harsh criticism from Democrats and many in the media, with opponents of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleging the former IG was canned for his efforts to investigate allegations of impropriety related to Pompeo and his staff. The Trump administration, however, has maintained that Linick’s firing was justified.

Details of the highly sensitive investigation into Hook—involving unsubstantiated allegations that Hook fired officials he saw as insufficiently hawkish on Iran—were leaked to the media without authorization, according to the DOD investigation.

The DOD investigation into Linick found that between March 2019 and September 2019 Linick sent 23 emails containing confidential work products from inside the State Department email system to his personal Gmail account. Eight of the emails Linick sent to himself, which were forwarded over a six-day period, contained copies of the incomplete probe into Hook. Linick was the only State Department employee from the IG’s office to email drafts of the evaluation outside the department, according to the report.

Burn out "The Resistance", root and branch!

The Inevitable Russiagate Post

So this shit is going to last through the Trump presidency, isn't it?

Jonathon Moseley at AmThink writes on how the Michael Flynn Prosecution Turned on Logan Act Hoax. The original purpose of the Logan Act was to suppress dissent on foreign policy, and it's widely acknowledged on both sides of the aisle (all sides of the aisle?) to be unconstitutional when people are being reasonable, but it keeps getting dragged out like Count Dracula's corpse to be used against political opponents when they're not. It should be officially repealed, but that won't happen for various reasons, chiefly that Democrats anticipate whacking Republicans with it in the future. It must be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The best way for that to happen would be to charge John Kerry, who clearly violates it, and force him to spend Teresa's cash to appeal to all the way to the top.

Related, from Daniel Greenfield at Front Page, Obama Used National Security to Spy on Americans Opposed to Islamic Terrorists "Obamagate redefined opposition to Islamic terrorism as a national security threat." How dare one threaten the goals of the saint of creased pants!

Fox, Flynn judge Emmet Sullivan set to explain why he has not dismissed case. Oh goody, I can't wait to hear what logic straining excuses the Lawfare folk write up for him.

"Adam Mill" at AmGreat writes of how Senate Fumbles Chance to Hold Rosenstein Accountable. Yes, but to fair, you could just put the period after "fumbles" generally when it comes to the Senate. To wit, Chuck Ross at Da Caller echo's Lindsey Graham Saying He’s Been Denied Access To FBI Employees Who Interviewed Key Dossier Source "Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not say whether the FBI or the Justice Department have blocked his request to interview the FBI employees." In other words, is it Bill Barr's fault, or Chris Wray's? But as John Solomon reports at JTN, Lindsey is calling an impressive array of malefactors; In the crosshairs: 33 Russia collusion probe witnesses who could be subpoenaed in the Senate "You can view the entire subpoena list here. Subpoena Motion - Schedule A (20200602).pdf". Will anything come of it? History suggests lots of noise, little progress.

On the other hand, Tyler O'Neil thinks Justice Is Coming: 'As Many as 16-17' Obamagate Criminal Referrals Headed to DOJ

Criminal referrals have already been sent to the Justice Department and the overall number may reach as many as 16-17 by the end of next week. Investigators are working on additional ones as we speak and some are targeting the Mueller probe and how @GenFlynn investigated.

— Adam Housley (@adamhousley) June 8, 2020

I'll believe it when it happens.

From sundance at CTH, Tucker Carlson Interviews Richard Grenell About His Experience as Acting Director of National Intelligence…



Not as thorough as the interview from yesterday's post, but I'm glad to see him continue to push the issue to a wider audience; now if only the rest of the MSN would show some interest. Remember, if you hate Ric Grenell, you're homophobic.

And some news from that unfortunate Russiagate alumnus, Prosecutors allege Avenatti may have violated terms of prison release

Prosecutors alleged Sunday that Michael Avenatti, former attorney to Stormy Daniels, may have violated his temporary prison release agreement by using a computer with internet access.

CNN reported that court filings from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California accused the celebrity lawyer of violating "the conditions of his temporary release by using his third-party custodian Jay Manheimer's internet-accessible computer to draft his last five filings in this case."

"At a minimum, defendant and his counsel have not been candid with this Court," prosecutors continued, alleging that Avenatti used a computer owned by his friend, Jay Manheimer, to access the internet in order to write and file motions in his case.

Avenatti's attorney Dean Steward responded in a filing denying the government's allegations, claiming that the prosecution's accusations were based on an erroneous understanding of metadata information and rejecting the idea that Avenatti's team had misled the court about his access to a computer.

"Mr. Avenatti has not violated any of his conditions of release," the filings read. "Mr. Avenatti is able to review documents with his counsel via email between Mr. Manheimer and counsel. Mr. Manheimer is then able to print those documents for Mr. Avenatti to review."

Avenatti was released from jail in April after a judge granted him temporary release due to concerns brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. Under the agreement, he was not supposed to leave his house or access the internet.

I remember the good old days when we barely had an computers or the internet. Stuff still got done. But to fuck a lot of things up really fast, it helps to have a computer.

Russiagate: The Flaying of Gen. Flynn

Still mostly Flynn. Margot Cleveland at Da Fed has a good review on how it all went down at Your Guide To The Obama Administration’s Hit On Michael Flynn to rev up your outrage for the remainder. Jack Cashill at Am Think's  How Michael Flynn Became Target Zero in Obama’s Russia Collusion Plot deals more with the motives than the mechanics.

Dan Chaitin at WaEx cites Devin Nunes who  suspects FBI cover-up of information. That's an understatement. It's been clear for some time that the FBI has been holding back evidence that doesn't paint it in a good light. Sundance at CTH finds Jeff Sessions a bit late to the party, too, Jeff Sessions Wonders if There Was Sufficient Evidence for Trump-Russia Investigation…. You'd know, if you hadn't recused yourself, asshole.

Agreed—FBI crimes & abuses could’ve been addressed promptly w 8/17 confirmation of Director Christopher Wray. That FBI sat for 3 years on info clearing Flynn & others shows, at best, Wray has no handle on now compromised bureau. Likely much worse. https://t.co/6FybZLFcdk

— Lee Smith (@LeeSmithDC) May 4, 2020

More via sundance, Jim Jordan Blasts FBI Director Chris Wray in Letter Demanding Answers and Interviews With Bill Priestap and Joe Pientka…

“We write to request that you immediately review the actions of the FBI in targeting LTG Flynn. The American people continue to learn troubling details about the politicization and misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI during the Obama-Biden Administration.

Even more concerning, we continue to learn these new details from litigation and investigations—not from you. It is well past time that you show the leadership necessary to bring the FBI past the abuses of the Obama-Biden era.”

“Please facilitate making former FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap and FBI Agent Joe Pientka available for transcribed interviews about their actions related to LTG Flynn.” . . .

Good luck getting that past Schitt. Here’s the full six page letter.  From one Barr to another (via Da Caller, Bob Barr: Michael Flynn’s Legal Tormentors Should Be Prosecuted

Some hyperbole from Kurt Schlicter at Town Hall, America Doesn’t Have A Justice System Anymore

The good news is that you might get out of future jury duty, because when you are asked under oath about your own biases during a federal criminal case jury selection you would have to answer honestly by responding, “Your Honor, I don’t trust a damn thing anyone in the FBI says.”

If the heirs of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., were to go up on the stand and testify, the recent disgraceful revelations about how their bosses tried to frame LTG Mike Flynn mean you would be entirely correct to grant them the same credibility as the dude caught wearing a black cape, a Lone Ranger mask, and a nametag that says “Willie Sutton” while tip-toeing out of First National carrying a big sack with a dollar sign on it as the alarm goes off.

Oh, and if an FBI agent asks if he can ask you some questions, try not to burst into laughter before you reply, “No, I assert my right to remain silent” and call your lawyer.

And this sorry state of affairs is all the FBI’s fault.

Every bit of it. At one time it was the pride of American law enforcement, a symbol of integrity, honesty and incredible courage under fire. But now when we think of the FBI in “action,” we think of a couple dozen special agents decked out in full Delta Farce chic dragging an elderly gadfly out of bed in his PJs after making sure to tip-off CNN that this high-risk op was about to go down.

Way to go, guys.

The FBI had an incredible legacy of honor and respect and took a giant Schiff on it.

From ET,  CIA Watchdog Sitting on Secret House Report Allegedly Critical of Brennan’s Role in Russian Meddling Assessment

The CIA Inspector General has taken more than a year to clear the release of a House Intelligence Committee report which contradicts the key conclusion of the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to the former chief of staff of the National Security Council.

The January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), prepared at the behest of President Barack Obama, claimed that Russia interfered in the presidential election in order to help candidate Donald Trump. The House Intelligence Committee’s public report (pdf) on Russia had already challenged the analytic tradecraft behind this central claim and suggested that the process of arriving at the assessment was not free of political interference.

A separate, classified report holed up at the office of the CIA Inspector General (IG) sheds damning light on the role then-CIA Director John Brennan played in the preparation of the report, former National Security Council Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz learned from House Intelligence Committee staff. A source familiar with the report’s fate would not deny that the report went to the office of the CIA IG.

The report states that Brennan overruled agency analysts who wanted to include strong intelligence in the assessment to show that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted Hillary Clinton to win the election, Fleitz says, citing conversations with House Intelligence Committee staffers. Brennan had also rejected analysts who wanted to strike weak intelligence from the report which suggested that Russia favored Trump, Fleitz said.

“So Brennan actually slanted this analysis, choosing anti-Trump intelligence and excluding anti-Clinton intelligence,” Fleitz told The Epoch Times.

Ace, Epoch Times: CIA Inspector General Is Sitting On a Report That the IC Wanted to Conclude That Vladimir Putin Favored Hillary Clinton in 2016, But John Brennan Overruled Them

This was a set-up from the start.

The claim that "Putin wanted Trump" was absolutely fundamental and central to their coup effort -- and it was all a lie concocted by former (?) Communist Brennan.

A lot of people need to go to jail.

WaPoo, Rep. John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick for intelligence chief, faces grilling by Democrats in confirmation hearing Tuesday, and sundance is almost giddy with delight: Delicious Dynamic – John Ratcliffe ODNI Confirmation Hearing Tomorrow – Senate Intel Committee 9:30am ET

The SSCI hates Grennel with the ferocity of a thousand supernovas because Grenell doesn’t give a f**k about their swamp life. Better yet, Grenell smacks them around publicly on Twitter whenever the SSCI dispatch the orcs from the deep swamp intelligence apparatus. Every time orcs poke their heads out of the DC labyrinth, Grenell smacks them with a billion mega-watt sunlight hammer. They shriek and retreat to the dungeon.

The good news for the SSCI is that Grenell can only stay in the ‘acting’ role until September of this year. However, the bad news is if the SSCI rejects John Ratcliffe then Ric Grenell gets another year to antagonize the corrupt senators, swing the sunlight hammer & expose the darkest secrets of their beloved swamp. {{Grumble – Grumble}}

As a result President Trump has pinned the SSCI into the corner of their cave. If the SSCI rejects Ratcliffe, they are stuck with Grenell; and Ric really is a guy who doesn’t give a f**k about the SSCI’s indulgent self-interest and thirst for power.

As Senator Angus King said: “If we vote down Ratcliffe, we’re stuck with Grenell.”

Sunday Morning in Russiagate

A surprising dearth after the last couple of bountiful days. First, Andy McCarthy's actual article on the motives to get Flynn, which he thinks was to clear the way for the investigation of Russiagate, and eventually the Mueller mess. NR, The FBI Set Flynn Up to Preserve the Trump–Russia Probe

But why did they do it? That has been the baffling question. Oh, there have been plenty of indications that the Obama administration could not abide Flynn. The White House and the intelligence agencies had their reasons, mostly vindictive. But while that may explain their gleefulness over his fall from grace, it has never been a satisfying explanation for the extraordinary measures the FBI took to orchestrate that fall.

To understand what happened here, you have to understand what the FBI’s objective was, first formed in collaboration with Obama-administration officials. That includes President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Flynn’s predecessor, national-security adviser Susan Rice, with whom then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and then-FBI director James Comey met at the White House on January 5, 2017 — smack in the middle of the chain-of-events that led to Flynn’s ouster. Recall Rice’s CYA memo about the meeting: “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” (emphasis added). Rice wrote those words on January 20, at the very time the FBI was making its plan to push Flynn out.

The objective of the Obama administration and its FBI hierarchy was to continue the Trump–Russia investigation, even after President Trump took office, and even though President Trump was the quarry. The investigation would hamstring Trump’s capacity to govern and reverse Obama policies. Continuing it would allow the FBI to keep digging until it finally came up with a crime or impeachable offense that they were then confident they would find. Remember, even then, the bureau was telling the FISA court that Trump’s campaign was suspected of collaborating in Russia’s election interference. FBI brass had also pushed for the intelligence community to include the Steele dossier — the bogus compendium of Trump–Russia collusion allegations — in its report assessing Russia’s meddling in the campaign.

But how could the FBI sustain an investigation targeting the president when the president would have the power to shut the investigation down?

The only way the bureau could pull that off would be to conceal from the president the fullness of the Russia investigation — in particular, the fact that Trump was the target.

That is why Flynn had to go.

Via Weasel Zippers, McCarthy explains to Tucker:

PLEASE WATCH @AndrewCMcCarthy @TuckerCarlson
"Flynn was not the objective he was the obstacle.
He’s going to find out that we investigated the Trump campaign; if you tell him about the investigation it is over.
The perjury trap is what has the chance of getting him removed." https://t.co/mrxI3pfs5Z pic.twitter.com/3eriejFT72

— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) May 1, 2020

I'm still convinced McCabe was more than happy to put out a hit on his old nemesis. Embrace the healing power of "and".

For a counterpoint, former conservative commentator, now never-Trumper Patterico, a California prosecutor, Why Flynn Is Not Vindicated, Part Two: The Evidence Does Not Suggest a Plot to Get Flynn Fired. You can always find a lawyer to take any side. For the most part, the people involved were all high powered lawyers, and for the most part they were smart enough not to put their true motives on paper, and have a least some rationalization for their actions. That doesn't mean those actions aren't actionable, but it's going to be a tough case with a DC jury.

And a bit of non-Flynn-sense, the eyeball worries that Acting Intelligence Chief says he's "increasingly concerned" over handling of sensitive U.S. person information among agencies and orders broad review

The acting Director of National Intelligence has ordered all 17 of the intelligence community agencies to immediately review whether their handling and sharing of information that identifies U.S. persons — such as citizens and those with permanent residency — are in compliance with strict privacy policies and procedures, according to a memorandum exclusively reviewed by CBS News.

Richard Grenell, who became the acting intelligence chief in February, signed the memorandum with the subject, "Protecting the Privacy and Civil Liberties of U.S. Persons," on April 29. It directs agencies including the CIA, the NSA, military intelligence and Homeland Security to report back findings, and identify specific actions that will ensure the rules are followed, within 30 days.

The memo does not make clear the catalyst for the broad review. But Grenell wrote, "As the Acting Director of National Intelligence, I serve as the approving official for dissemination of unmasked congressional identity information...I have become increasingly concerned with intelligence reports that inconsistently apply the policies and procedures governing how U.S. person identities are masked."

Grenell continued, "To that end, I am directing all IC (Intelligence Community) elements to review their implementation of the applicable standard for disseminating U.S. person identifying information and, as necessary, modify internal procedures to ensure the rules..are consistently applied."

A senior administration official said the goal is to set uniform standards across the 17 agencies for identifying or "unmasking" U.S. person information, eliminating varying standards to protect privacy. The official added that the review reflects ongoing concern over the handling of such information during the last election cycle.

In the course of intelligence collection, an agency may conduct surveillance on a target or gather their communications. In the process, the intelligence may also incidentally capture an American citizen's name or job title, and there is an obligation to "minimize" or hide it.

Grenell wrote that while the "guidelines might use slightly different words and phases, the rules generally provide that our disseminated intelligence products should only include U.S. person identifying information if it is necessary, or reasonably believed to become necessary, for the recipient to understand, assess or act on the information."

In 2017, the House Intelligence Committee, then led by Republican Devin Nunes, launched an investigation into these identifications or so-called "unmasking." Among witnesses called were former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power. All transcripts from the closed door sessions have not been publicly released by the committee's current Democratic Chairman Adam Schiff.

Gosh, I wonder why. Anything damaging to Trump leaks out of Schiff's committee like water through a sieve.

Today's Episode of Russiagate, Starring Our Man Flynn

News in the Flynn atrocity today. From John Solomon's site, Just the News, Flynn attorney seeks immediate dismissal, saying new evidence shows Trump adviser was 'framed'

Attorneys for retired Gen. Michael Flynn asked a judge Friday to dismiss his criminal conviction immediately, saying new evidence belatedly turned over by federal prosecutors proves the former national security adviser to President Trump was framed in the Russia investigation.

“This afternoon, the government produced to Mr. Flynn stunning Brady evidence that proves Mr. Flynn’s allegations of having been deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI,” Flynn’s attorneys said in an eight page filing
Brady evidence is pretrial information that could exonerate a defendant.

The attorneys also argued in the filings that the long-awaited evidence defeats any argument that a key interview with Flynn on January 24, 2017, was material to any “investigation.”

The redacted documents were filed in a District of Columbia federal court as a supplement to Flynn’s court motion in January to dismiss charges against him. You can read the filing here.

But of course, you can't actually see the evidence. Da Caller,  Source Says FBI Director Christopher Wray Pushed To Withhold Exculpatory Evidence In Mike Flynn Case. He'd rather see an innocent man go to prison that to see the FBI look bad.

“This afternoon, the government produced to Mr. Flynn stunning Brady evidence that proves Mr. Flynn’s allegations of having been deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI,” Powell wrote in an additional filing. “The government has deliberately suppressed this evidence from the inception of this prosecution—knowing there was no crime by Mr. Flynn.”

“Since August 2016 at the latest, partisan FBI and DOJ leaders conspired to destroy Mr. Flynn,” she continued. “These documents show in their own handwriting and emails that they intended either to create an offense they could prosecute or at least get him fired.”
Powell claimed that more exculpatory evidence in the case will surface in the future.

An FBI official told The Federalist that FBI general counsel Dana Boente was behind the effort to block the release of the Brady Material, yet Daily Caller’s source explained Boente was acting in coordination with Wray.

Sundance at CTH is on it, with  Flynn Case Update – Reviewing Missouri U.S. Attorney Provides Exculpatory Evidence Under Seal…, Flynn Defense Files Supplement For Motion to Dismiss – New Evidence of Mueller Blackmail Using Threat Against Flynn Jr… and The Ladder Truck Arrived Today – DOJ Disputes Independent Sources Who Affirm Boente and Wray Tried to Block Flynn Release…. The last is long and detailed with lots of back history. It tries to imagine what Barr thinks of all this.

So who are we going to believe?

Two independent FBI insider sources who tell two independent U.S. media outlets…. or one U.S. Attorney General who had previously attached his credibility to the corrupt head of a corrupt institution who is now under a FISA court microscope?

Bueller?….

Here’s my strong spidey sense. Remember that FISA Court-ordered sequestration of evidence from the FBI exploitation of the FISA application?

My hunch is that’s likely part and parcel of the motive for Bill Barr to bring in the Missouri Attorney to look at the Flynn case. The timing doesn’t seem coincidental. It was immediately after the FISC order when AG Barr had the US Attorney start looking through the evidence against Flynn.

I suspect the Flynn release today is a consequence of that FISC order and not a sudden change of heart by AG Bill Barr to begin some magnanimous review of a case that he allowed Brandon Van Grack to retain control over…. and did nothing about… for over a year since Barr was confirmed.

I’d be willing to bet a donut on that suspicion.

Fred Fleitz at Fox,  Here's what's behind the Senate-House disputes on Russian meddling in 2016 election

Accusing the intelligence community of improper “analytic tradecraft” in analyzing Russia’s strategic intentions is an extremely grave indictment for a congressional oversight committee to make. In my opinion, there is no question the House Intelligence Committee is right for the reasons in its 2018 report and other subsequent findings.

The House committee found the intelligence community assessment violated protocols for drafting such assessments. This major finding shows why America needs strong legislative oversight over the intelligence services.

For example, although the protocols require intelligence community assessments to be “community products” and vetted with all intelligence agencies and analysts with equities in a given subject, only three intelligence agencies were asked to draft this assessment: the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI.

With the 14 other intelligence agencies left out, the three participating agencies included only two dozen “handpicked” analysts. Other intelligence agencies working on this issue, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, were excluded. In addition, House Intelligence Committee staff revealed the actual drafting of the intelligence community assessment was done by three close associates of former CIA Director Brennan, who has proven to be the most politicized intelligence chief in American history.

Contrary to common practice for controversial intelligence community assessments, Brennan’s team allowed no dissenting views or even an annex with reviews by outside experts.

These were extraordinary violations of intelligence community rules to ensure that analysis is accurate and trusted. The Senate committee reports ignored these foundational violations.
. . .
So what happens next? Acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell is trying to get to the bottom of problems with the 2017 Russia intelligence community assessment. He has asked to see all of the intelligence on which it is based.

Nunes' team has a pretty good history of being right. Which is unusual in Congress. At Just The News, Former top CIA spy blasts old boss John Brennan’s ‘unpatriotic’ conduct as 'dereliction of duty'

"One of the things that bothers me the most is when someone kind of starts with their answer, and then they try to twist the facts to fit it," Hoffman said Tuesday. "I saw Brennan do that when I served under him CIA. And I saw him do it when he was, you know, a contributor at MSNBC accusing the president of treason with nothing whatsoever to back it up."

The former station chief said that Brennan's behavior related to the Russia collusion narrative was not much different than what he witnessed during his time serving under him at the CIA, the country's top spy agency.

"There were policies he supported, whether it was the policy in Syria or Iran. And when you told him something that would force him to challenge his assumptions, his response was just to get mad at you and not really want to hear what you have to say," Hoffman said.

Hoffman called Brennan's public behavior since leaving his CIA post an "extraordinary dereliction of duty."
. . .
"I just find his behavior to be abysmal, unpatriotic in retirement. I just, I think he's done a real disservice to the national dialogue on national security but on Russia in particular, and if you're concerned about about partisanship, he's just made it worse."

John Sexton at Hot Air reacts to finding that Christopher Steele Deleted His Notes And Records Related To The Dossier

Earlier this month, declassified footnotes from IG Horowitz’ report revealed that the FBI believed in 2017 that Steele’s dossier was at least partly based on Russian disinformation. At the time I wrote about it, the exact dates of some of the events in question were still redacted. However, those redactions were later removed. They show that despite evidence the dossier was compromised with misinformation it was used as a key part of a FISA warrant application renewal targeting Trump campaign aide Carter Page. In fact, the FBI never mentioned the potential compromise to the court.

The FBI accused an American citizen of being a foreign agent based on a document which likely contained Russian disinformation. And now we know that any effort to double-check Steele’s work appears to be lost because he deleted all of his own notes and recordings.

Ace is more direct, Wiped, Like With a Cloth? Christopher Steele Testifies He Cannot Produce Records Of His Alleged Conversations With His Alleged Single Source Because They've All Been... 

Wiped

Oh.

Wiped.

Lot of that goin' round, huh?
. . .
I think this is a good time to recall that the Senate issued a criminal referral to the DOJ over Steele's apparent perjury to Congress.

And the feel good story of the day, Michael Avenatti released from jail after quarantine due to coronavirus threat. Keep closer track of your wallet.

Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti walked out of a New York City federal jail Friday morning after a judge ordered his temporary release due to coronavirus fears.

The onetime agitator of President Trump left the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan at around 11 a.m., his attorney Dean Steward said. Avenatti is required to return to the facility in 90 days.

Avenatti has been in quarantine for the past 14 days at the facility to make sure he doesn't have signs of the novel coronavirus that has infected 2.7 million people worldwide.

Linked by EBL in World Naked Gardening Day 🌱🤭, Katee Sackhoff, Luisa Miller 🎭, 01 May 2020 Kayleigh McEnany's White House Press Secretary Briefing, Aida 🎭 Leontyne Price's Farewell Performance,  Marnie 🎭 with Isabel Leonard,  Julie London: I'll Remember April, Roberto Devereux 🎭 with Elīna Garanča, 28 April 2020 White House Paycheck Protection Plan Briefing, Maria Stuarda 🎭, Patti Smith: April Fool, Anna Bolena 🎭, Waco: A Review, Kim Yo Jong 🇰🇵 and Isabell Leonard: Somewhere (Met Stay At Home Gala) and Elīna Garanča.