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The FBI Needs a Grand Jury
Wall Street Journal ^ | April 15, 2019 | William McGurn

Posted on 04/16/2019 3:19:40 AM PDT by reaganaut1

If the Federal Bureau of Investigation is to recover its lost reputation, the first item on Attorney General William Barr’s agenda must be to make good on something that set off a frenzy when he proposed it last week: an honest accounting of the FBI’s spying on the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. To do it, Mr. Barr would be well advised to use a grand jury, the same tool used by special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation.

Right now the American people don’t even know when the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign really started. Officially it began July 31, 2016, set off by a tip from Australia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Alexander Downer, that Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos had told him Russia had damaging information on Hillary Clinton. But the accumulating evidence—confidential informants were reportedly reaching out to Trump campaign officials well before July 31—casts doubt on the party line.

Mr. Mueller showed how to get answers. A grand jury, with the powers to subpoena and indict, would wonderfully concentrate many Beltway minds now not inclined to cooperate.

...

Today the best candidate for a grand jury appearance may be former FBI general counsel James Baker. In closed testimony before the House Judiciary Committee released last week by Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins, Mr. Baker acknowledged his role in channeling Trump-Russia dirt commissioned by Clinton operatives to the FBI.

Under questioning, Mr. Baker agreed that the way the FBI handed the Russia investigation was “abnormal.” He further revealed he is under criminal investigation for leaks. On the advice of lawyers, he refused to answer questions about his contacts with reporters or whether Mr. Papadopoulos had been spied on via a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fbi
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1 posted on 04/16/2019 3:19:40 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

WSJ seems surprised


2 posted on 04/16/2019 3:28:58 AM PDT by Principled (No one will conquer America, from within or without, until its citizenry are disarmed.)
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To: Principled
Of course they're surprised. They've been anti-Trump from the get-go and they're being dragged to the truth.

I'm personally shocked to see this in the WSJ.

3 posted on 04/16/2019 3:33:16 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Principled

Good manners and good sense require that they pretend to be surprised. The WSJ does not want to see the US lose its surveillance capabilities because of gross political abuse under Obama.


4 posted on 04/16/2019 3:40:10 AM PDT by Rockingham (W)
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To: Rockingham
The WSJ does not want to see the US lose its surveillance capabilities

I want the FBI disbanded and sent to the dustbin of history. I want the truth to come out, all of it. That is more important than the punishment phase.

5 posted on 04/16/2019 3:50:41 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: All

This is a strong article. Without convictions and prison time for the conspirators, the rule of law, as it pertains to our elites, is meaningless.


6 posted on 04/16/2019 4:06:59 AM PDT by JonPreston ( The GOPe is on board with the North American Union and the European Union.)
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To: reaganaut1

What the American people want is revenge and by his I mean they picked this fight and we will end it. How many times have we sat and watch the talking heads tell us all the info we need to know about these criminals and no one goes to jail let alone be indicted. We are sick and tired of being played! Now we want justice, real justice! They all need to go to jail or our system means nothing


7 posted on 04/16/2019 4:25:12 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (nic dip.com)
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To: central_va

Unfortunately, it is the hard coin of criminal and civil punishment of individuals that best changes behavior. The FBI is not going to be dismantled, but it can be reformed to a degree.


8 posted on 04/16/2019 4:36:44 AM PDT by Rockingham (W)
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To: central_va

So funny! To hear people talk about “restoring” the DOJ or FBI. Please. And those folks who say “...not the rank and file...”, please. How do you say nothing when your boss is corrupt? There are no innocents in the DOJ. You cannot “restore honor” after what has been done any more than you can restore virginity. You can’t restore integrity to a banker who has embezzled or a merchant who cheats. If anyone was serious about preserving the country they would acknowledge these institutions cannot be saved and like a cancer must be removed to save the patient. Of course, no one is serious about saving the country, everyone is just trying to stay in a position they can catch a good chunk as it falls.


9 posted on 04/16/2019 4:37:35 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: reaganaut1

A grand jury composed of DC people. Pass the crack pipe.


10 posted on 04/16/2019 4:39:49 AM PDT by King Moonracer (Bad lighting and cheap fabric, that's how you sell clothing.)
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To: reaganaut1

Re: “The FBI Needs a Grand Jury”

LOL!

In Washington D.C., 96% of the potential jurors voted against Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Maybe someone will get indicted.

But, no Democrat will ever be convicted of a politically related crime in that city.


11 posted on 04/16/2019 4:47:43 AM PDT by zeestephen
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To: wastoute; central_va

>
So funny! To hear people talk about “restoring” the DOJ or FBI. Please. And those folks who say “...not the rank and file...”, please. How do you say nothing when your boss is corrupt? There are no innocents in the DOJ. You cannot “restore honor” after what has been done any more than you can restore virginity. You can’t restore integrity to a banker who has embezzled or a merchant who cheats. If anyone was serious about preserving the country they would acknowledge these institutions cannot be saved and like a cancer must be removed to save the patient. Of course, no one is serious about saving the country, everyone is just trying to stay in a position they can catch a good chunk as it falls.
>

BWAHAHAHA. I find your post highly hypocritical of many here on FR. Perfectly on point.

Just swap “(R)N(C)” for “FBI\DOJ”.

Yet, every election cycle, there’s their continued support (financially and electorally) for more of the same.


12 posted on 04/16/2019 5:20:09 AM PDT by i_robot73 (One could not count the number of *solutions*, if only govt followed\enforced the Constitution.)
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To: ronnie raygun
What the American people want is revenge and by his I mean they picked this fight and we will end it. How many times have we sat and watch the talking heads tell us all the info we need to know about these criminals and no one goes to jail let alone be indicted. We are sick and tired of being played! Now we want justice, real justice! They all need to go to jail or our system means nothing


So many times that I will believe we have justice when I see it.

We have become lawless. If there is no justice, this situation will repeat, sooner rather than later.

13 posted on 04/16/2019 5:47:31 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie ("The media is the enemy of the American people." Democrat Pat Caddell)
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To: i_robot73; wastoute; central_va
Just swap “(R)N(C)” for “FBI\DOJ”.

Just swap FBi/DOJ with IRS.

14 posted on 04/16/2019 5:50:36 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: zeestephen

“In Washington D.C., 96% of the potential jurors voted against Donald Trump in the 2016 election.”

Convene one in Texas.


15 posted on 04/16/2019 6:33:23 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Trump is the best project/program/portfolio manager in the world!!!!)
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To: reaganaut1
To do it, Mr. Barr would be well advised to use a grand jury...
What a crock! The IG and Huber are the only tools that are needed and they're already at work.

Besides, testimony has already been made public so a grand jury would be going backwards, not forward.
Any US Attorney can now be assigned to handle anything that needs to be prosecuted.

This is a nothing more than an overt call for more delay.

16 posted on 04/16/2019 6:56:04 AM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: unixfox

>
>>
Just swap “(R)N(C)” for “FBI\DOJ”.
>>
Just swap FBi/DOJ with IRS.
>

Doesn’t matter what govt dept/agency+ you plug in, it’s been the “false prophets” of the (R)N(C), and their zealots\knee-pad-brigade, that run on “Elect ME (us) and we’ll....” (lie through out teeth and consolidate power and line our own pockets w/ the public treasury while back-stabbing the dupes that put us here). Yet, they continue to get voted for again, and again, and....

And the (R)N(C) electorate believe they don’t live on the plantation *SMH* /rant over


17 posted on 04/16/2019 6:59:17 AM PDT by i_robot73 (One could not count the number of *solutions*, if only govt followed\enforced the Constitution.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

A grand jury convened in Texas can only prosecute crimes committed in Texas.


18 posted on 04/16/2019 8:19:45 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: philman_36

“What a crock! The IG and Huber are the only tools that are needed and they’re already at work.”

Ah yes, the tag-team of Obama appointees that super-effective Jeff Sessions set to covering for, I mean “investigating” Obama cronies. How could we forget! I mean they have produced so many results so far.


19 posted on 04/16/2019 8:22:29 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: central_va; JonPreston; ronnie raygun; wastoute; The_Media_never_lie

I want the FBI disbanded and sent to the dustbin of history. I want the truth to come out, all of it.

Without convictions and prison time for the conspirators, the rule of law, as it pertains to our elites, is meaningless.

We are sick and tired of being played! Now we want justice, real justice! They all need to go to jail or our system means nothing.

If anyone was serious about preserving the country they would acknowledge these institutions cannot be saved and like a cancer must be removed to save the patient.

We have become lawless.


20 posted on 04/16/2019 8:23:26 AM PDT by PGalt
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