Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

SCOOP: CIA, FBI Informant Was Washington Post Source For Russiagate Smears
The Federalist ^ | 11/04/2019 | Margot Cleveland

Posted on 11/04/2019 8:28:30 AM PST by SeekAndFind

The Federalist has learned that the now-outed CIA and FBI informant Stefan Halper served as a source for Washington Post reporter David Ignatius, providing more evidence that the intelligence community has co-opted the press to push anti-Trump conspiracy theories. In addition, an email recently obtained by The Federalist from the MI5-connected Christopher Andrew bragging that his long-time friend Ignatius has the “‘inside track’ on Flynn” adds further confirmation of this conclusion.

Svetlana Lokhova, the Russian-born English citizen and Soviet-era scholar, told The Federalist that she only realized the significance of her communications with and about Ignatius following the filing of attorney Sidney Powell’s reply brief in the Michael Flynn case.

In last week’s court filing, Powell highlighted how the CIA, FBI, Halper, and possibly James Baker used the unnamed and unaware Lokhova and the complicit Ignatius to destroy Flynn. This James Baker is not the one who worked under James Comey at the FBI, but a James Baker in the Department of Defense Office of National Assessment.

Powell wrote:

Stefan Halper is a known long-time operative for the CIA/FBI. He was paid exorbitant sums by the FBI/CIA/DOD through the Department of Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment in 2016. His tasks seem to have included slandering Mr. Flynn with accusations of having an affair with a young professor (a British national of Russian descent) Flynn met at an official dinner at Cambridge University when he was head of DIA in 2014. Flynn has requested the records of Col. James Baker because he was Halper’s ‘handler’ in the Office of Net Assessment in the Pentagon, and ONA Director Baker regularly lunched with Washington Post Reporter David Ignatius. Baker is believed to be the person who illegally leaked the transcript of Mr. Flynn’s calls to Ignatius. The defense has requested the phone records of James Clapper to confirm his contacts with Washington Post reporter Ignatius—especially on January 10, 2017, when Clapper told Ignatius in words to the effect of ‘take the kill shot on Flynn.’ It cannot escape mention that the press has long had transcripts of the Kislyak calls that the government has denied to the defense.

Lokhova has known of Halper’s role in targeting Flynn since Halper was outed as a CIA and FBI informant in May 2018. She then sued Halper and several media outlets for defamation after they falsely repeated Halper’s lies that she was a Russian spy engaged in an intrigue with Flynn.

This honey pot storyline originated with Lokhova’s mentor at Cambridge, the official MI5 historian, Professor Christopher Andrew, when on February 19, 2017, Andrew penned an article for the London Sunday Times, “Impulsive General Misha Shoots Himself in the Foot.” That article portrayed the unnamed Lokhova’s brief meeting with Flynn during a dinner event two years prior at Cambridge as the beginning of a compromising relationship between Flynn and a Russian spy.

Andrew’s article later served as the second confirmation needed for outlets like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post to run stories about Flynn and a supposed Russian spy. But before those pieces hit the press, Lokhova remained in the dark about the media’s interest in her.

“Halper had been pushing the story that I was a Russian spy and Flynn’s mistress since December of 2016,” Lokhova told me. “The New York Times’ Mathew Rosenberg told me a source had been circulating these stories since December 2016,” Lokhova said, “but they held the story until they could find a second source and someone at the Cambridge dinner.”

In his book “The Plot Against the President,” Lee Smith confirms that the story about a Flynn-Lokhova intrigue was circulated to the press starting in December 2016.

But it wasn’t until the Wall Street Journal published its March 17, 2017, article suggesting she had inappropriate contacts with Flynn that Lokhova discovered the earlier article Andrew had written about her for the Sunday Times, Lokhova said. Before then, within days of February 28, 2017, several journalists reached out to her for comment, including two working for the Wall Street Journal, but Lokhova didn’t know why.

She also didn’t comprehend who the inquiring journalists were at the time. That remained true even after her mentor and unknown betrayer, Andrew, wrote Lokhova telling her that “David Ignatius of Washington Post is in UK at moment. I’ve known him for years and trust him. I’ve given him your email and he accepts that if you don’t wish to respond, that an end to it.”

Then, significantly, Andrew noted that “Flynn’;s [sic] career for years past is obviously going to continue to be investigated. David has an inside track on that which I think he’d share with you if you’re interested.”

alt

What “inside track” Andrew meant is unknown—and when asked what his “inside track” on Flynn was, Ignatius did not respond—but his note came a mere month after Ignatius reported the illegally leaked details of Flynn’s conversation with the Russian ambassador, which eventually led to Flynn’s firing.

Ignatius’ introductory email to Lokhova also proves informative, with the long-time Washington Post journalist branding the MI5-connected Andrew “my friend,” and stressing that Andrew invited him “to speak to his seminar a dozen years ago.”

alt

Lokhova did not talk to Ignatius at the time, but her partner, David North, later forwarded Ignatius an email he had sent to the Wall Street Journal on March 1 2017, making clear that Lokhova had no relationship with Flynn, having “met General Flynn on only one occasion at a dinner in Cambridge in February 2014. The dinner was attended by upwards of a dozen people, and she had a twenty-minute public conversation with General Flynn and others. They have not met or spoke since then.”

Nonetheless, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about Flynn meeting Lokhova at Cambridge, and for that she is now suing the media mogul for defamation.

When the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets picked up on the story, Lokhova also did not know Halper’s role in the rumor-mongering. “I had known Halper at Cambridge,” Lokhova told me for a previous story, “but he was just a boring old academic. I couldn’t see why he was painting me as a Russian spy until Halper was exposed as an informant. Then the pieces all fit together.”

After Halper was outed as a CIA and FBI informant in May 2018, Lokhova contacted Ignatius. In an email recently obtained by The Federalist, Ignatius replied to Lokhova that he’d “like very much to ask you about Stefan Halper.” When they spoke, Lokhova registered surprise about Halper’s role. That prompted Ignatius to say “he always found Halper reliable as a source,” Lokhova told me. “When I said ‘Wow, he was your source,’ Ignatius hung up. We never spoke again.” Ignatius also did not respond to questions about his use of Halper as a source.

alt

These close connections between the Washington Post’s Ignatius and individuals connected to the American and British intelligence communities, and the false reporting that has taken place over the last three-plus years, raise grave concerns that the warfare of the soft coup aimed at President Trump includes using the media to push propaganda.


Margot Cleveland is a senior contributor to The Federalist. Cleveland served nearly 25 years as a permanent law clerk to a federal appellate judge and is a former full-time faculty member and current adjunct instructor at the college of business at the University of Notre Dame. The views expressed here are those of Cleveland in her private capacity.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: 201506; 20150604; 20150611; 201612; 201702; 20170219; 20170228; 20170317; 201805; 20180522; ashtoncarter; braking; christopherandrew; cia; davidignatius; fakenews; fbi; flynn; halper; honeypot; ignatious; ignatius; jamesbaker; leaks; lokhova; lovinger; margotcleveland; margotcleveleand; mi5; mi6; ona; russia; spygate; stefanhalper; storylaundering; svetlanalokhova; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-116 last
To: SeekAndFind
Halper has been a Gitmo candidate all along.

He was (and probably still is) the biggest leaker to date since PDJT has been elected.

And Epstein did not commit suicide.....

101 posted on 11/05/2019 7:18:33 AM PST by eartick (Stupidity is expecting the government that broke itself to go out and fix itself. Texan for TEXIT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Scoop my arse... Dan Bongino covered this YEARS AGO!!!


102 posted on 11/05/2019 8:55:46 AM PST by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: timestax

bttt


103 posted on 11/05/2019 10:35:02 AM PST by timestax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: Lurkinanloomin; All
When George HW Bush first spoke about his New World Order...

This is when I realized how corrupt our government had become and how he was shoving it in our faces.

He was grinning from ear to ear in that speech because he knew that Americans still loved and cared about their country/worldview and would not put together what he had just spoke but his masters knew very well what he meant.

It was a big FU to Ronald Reagan too.

I'd loved to have slapped that evil grin right off his face that night.


104 posted on 11/05/2019 11:02:55 AM PST by ssfromla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Trumpisourlastchance

Because the Soviet Union would have had them all shot immediately, no trial just bang.


105 posted on 11/05/2019 11:08:39 AM PST by Coffee_drinker (Drain The Swamp.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave
newsmeme
106 posted on 11/05/2019 11:12:00 AM PST by timestax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

“Let’s be realistic here. Does anyone really believe the CIA only started using their coopted....”

Does anyone believe the MSM wouldn’t have made up the conspiracies on their own? DOn’t give the CIA too much creit here


107 posted on 11/05/2019 2:48:52 PM PST by Fai Mao (There is no rule of law in the US until The PIAPS is executed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; 2ndDivisionVet; azishot; ...

and Epstein did not kill himself...


108 posted on 11/05/2019 3:16:41 PM PST by bitt ((Epstein didn't kill himself!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
"Their self-assigned primary mission seems to be to overthrow governments around the world that they don’t like, including our own."

There was a time a few years back I would have considered this tin foil hat stuff. Those days are long gone. You would have to be living in a cave and willfully ignorant to not see things this ever more blatantly obvious.

109 posted on 11/05/2019 3:21:46 PM PST by Desron13 (You may choose to ignore reality but you can't force reality to ignore you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Coffee_drinker
"He was grinning from ear to ear in that speech because he knew that Americans still loved and cared about their country/worldview and would not put together what he had just spoke but his masters knew very well what he meant."

I believe you are exactly correct and suspect that every president between Reagan and Trump have been in on it to one extent or another.

110 posted on 11/05/2019 4:08:35 PM PST by Desron13 (You may choose to ignore reality but you can't force reality to ignore you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head
She also didn’t comprehend who the inquiring journalists were at the time. That remained true even after her mentor and unknown betrayer, Andrew, wrote Lokhova telling her that “David Ignatius of Washington Post is in UK at moment. I’ve known him for years and trust him. I’ve given him your email and he accepts that if you don’t wish to respond, that an end to it.”

Then, significantly, Andrew noted that “Flynn’;s [sic] career for years past is obviously going to continue to be investigated. David has an inside track on that which I think he’d share with you if you’re interested.” In an email recently obtained by The Federalist, Ignatius replied to Lokhova that he’d “like very much to ask you about Stefan Halper.” When they spoke, Lokhova registered surprise about Halper’s role. That prompted Ignatius to say “he always found Halper reliable as a source,” Lokhova told me. “When I said ‘Wow, he was your source,’ Ignatius hung up. We never spoke again.” Ignatius also did not respond to questions about his use of Halper as a source.

Ignatius/Flynn ping

111 posted on 11/05/2019 4:19:43 PM PST by GOPJ (Ted Kennedy killed a girl and they had no problem defending him. - - Tucker Carlson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Magnum44
"But rather than fight against one party or the other, he chose to fight as a third party. That is a loser strategy."

Absolutely correct.

Think of it this way; if Perot was unable to convince a majority of either party in the primaries to support him as candidate, what justification could there possibly be for running as a third party candidate, knowing that he would not receive a majority of EITHER party in the general election?

112 posted on 11/05/2019 6:22:41 PM PST by William Tell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Liz
So isn’t the Obama administration guilty of everything the media is saying Trump is guilty of? They clearly interfered in an election by targeting their candidate’s opponent. When will Schitt for Brains start to investigate this new development? 🤣
113 posted on 11/05/2019 6:28:39 PM PST by Prince of Space (WhereÂ’s Hunter?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: bitt

You sure? I heard epstien really didnt kill himself, he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.


114 posted on 11/05/2019 7:38:16 PM PST by CJ Wolf (Freedom, if you can keep it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

It is called a palace coup.....

Palace Coup = The nonviolent overthrow attempt of a sovereign or government by senior officials within the ruling group.


115 posted on 11/05/2019 10:12:57 PM PST by Swarthy Greek Immigrant (MAGA! Deep State Delenda Est.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bitt
"and Epstein did not kill himself..."

________

Signed,

Epstein's Mother

116 posted on 11/06/2019 3:37:07 AM PST by a little elbow grease (... to err is human, to admit it divine ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-116 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson