Posted on 05/23/2020 8:20:23 AM PDT by AndyJackson
People ask me how long I've known FBI Director Wray was a problem.
The answer: For two years, it's been perfectly obvious.
Rod Rosenstein and Christopher Wray went up to Capitol Hill on Thursday to tell the House Intelligence Committee that neither one of them had noticed anything wrong with Robert Mueller’s special probe or with the anti-Trump bias of its staff.
No matter what Congress and the public had read in the massive inspector general’s report recently, they wanted everyone to know that the deputy attorney general and the FBI director had the Bureau under control now, and that Rosenstein had Wray and Mueller under control, too. Everything is fine. Nothing to see here. Couldn’t Congress just leave them alone? Here were two men metaphorically standing outside their houses now burnt to the ground, and asking the firemen inside for coffee. Should we pity them or lock them up as madmen?
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) pointed out that Rosenstein had conflicts everywhere you turned. How could he oversee the Mueller probe when he had written the memo to President Trump recommending former FBI Director James Comey be fired in the first place? If reports were true that Mueller was investigating the president for “obstruction” related to firing Comey, then hadn’t Rosenstein set up a loop to investigate himself? Wasn’t he the origin point of the whole mess?
“Congressman, I can assure you that if it were appropriate for me to recuse, I would be more than happy to do so,” Rosenstein said. “But it’s my responsibility to do it.” Apparently, he felt comfortable being the responsible party for the whole mess. That air of supreme confidence would not last long.
Then Rosenstein assured Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), “There is no one more committed to rooting out abuse and misconduct than I. We look to find any credible evidence, and we give it to Chairman Nunes.” That was a soothing answer, except for the fact it was untrue. Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) has told the world repeatedly that Rosenstein is obstructing his investigation. Nunes had even appeared on Sean Hannity’s show to tell the public that his staff felt threatened by Rosenstein.
When Gaetz pressed Rosenstein on whether he had even read the FISA warrant that he had signed to continue the surveillance of the Trump campaign, Rosenstein’s reply was oddly procedural. “We sit down with a team of attorneys from the Justice Department who all review it and provide a briefing for us of what is in it,” he explained. “I have reviewed that one in some detail, and I can tell you sir that the information that is public about that doesn’t match with my understanding of the one that I signed. I don’t do the investigation. I am reviewing the finished product.”
This garbled response meant what exactly? Had he read the Carter Page warrant or not? He was asserting, simultaneously, that the Justice Department had told him what the FISA warrant was about and that the “finished product” had nothing to do with him. How did the public’s information not match Rosenstein’s information exactly? He didn’t seem interested in elaborating on that mystery.
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) used his time not to ask questions but to ridicule the Mueller probe as a farce. “You have a counterintelligence investigation that’s become public. You have a criminal investigation that has become political. You have more bias than I have ever seen manifest in a law enforcement officer in the 20 years I used to do it for a living.”
Once Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) started to ask questions, the cordiality ended. “We have caught you hiding information,” he told Rosenstein. “Why did you hide the fact that Peter Strozk and Judge Contreras were friends? Why did you redact that in the documents you gave to us?”
Rosenstein was flustered. “I’ve heard you make those allegations publicly, on TV. Mr. Jordan, I am the deputy attorney general of the United States, OK? I am not the person doing the redacting. I’m responsible for responding to your concerns as I have. I have a team with them, sir, just a fraction of the team that’s doing this work and when you have brought issues to my attention I have taken appropriate steps to remedy them. So your statement that I am personally withholding information from you . . .”
Jordan cut him off: “You’re the boss, Mr. Rosenstein.” Rosenstein continued: “That’s correct. And my job is to make sure that we respond to your concerns. We have. I appointed [John] Lausch, who’s managing production, and it’s my understanding that it’s actually going very well, sir.”
Since Rosenstein and Wray had been called to appear because they were slow-walking documents, Jordan chuckled: “And yet I think the House of Representatives is going to say otherwise.”
Why was Rosenstein blaming his staff? Why had he threatened House Intelligence Committee staffers? Why couldn’t these officials find and produce all of Peter Strzok’s texts? What were they hiding? The best they could say was that they were trying to follow the rules and procedures of the FBI and the Justice Department. The idea that America’s top law enforcement officials consider the internal guidelines and policies of their institutions to be superior to Congressional oversight is an absurdity that was passed over in silence.
Wray chimed in from time to time with his usual I really can’t talk about this sort of thing for [redacted] reasons but, rest assured, “we have referred a number of employees to the FBI’s Office of Personal Responsibility.” And what could be more reassuring than that?
It fell to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to deliver the knockout blow. There’s “a double standard: the standard that the American people live under, and the standard that all of you live under.” He treated Rosenstein and Wray’s contempt citations now as a foregone conclusion. “If either of you are held in contempt, will you allow the U.S. attorney to bring that case before a grand jury pursuant to the law or will you, like your predecessors, object?” Rosenstein said that he would not block such a case, and so the trap closed over the deputy attorney general. If the House decided to hold them in contempt, they were in trouble.
By the time Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) was slated to ask his questions, Rosenstein’s self-confidence was long gone. In short order, Gohmert had Rosenstein admitting he didn’t know what former Assistant Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr was doing a few doors down from him; he didn’t know that Ohr’s wife was working for Fusion GPS; and he wasn’t sure which of his staff members had revised or reviewed the FISA warrants. Was this the same man who had his fingers in all the important pies? Really?
Of course, Rosenstein wanted to assure Gohmert that he really did understand his concerns. He provided a non-apology for not reading the FISA warrant: “What I signed was a renewal application. It had already been approved three different times by a federal judge. It was signed under oath by a FBI agent who attested that it was true. Now if he was wrong, we will hold him accountable. Let’s allow the process to conclude before we jump to conclusions.” What process was Rosenstein talking about? Was he referring to the inspector general’s reports that he was busy watering down?
The problem is that Rosenstein and Wray have too many scandals and not enough fingers. Were they the cream of law enforcement on top of all those pies, or were they hardly sure what was happening?
To assert simultaneously to Congress that you don’t know what’s going on under your watch; that you don’t read FISA warrants that you sign; that you cannot find the text messages of your lead FBI investigator; but that you’re sure that your staff is “first-rate” and that your “process” is so above reproach that you would counsel Congress against speculating is to enter the Bermuda Triangle of bureaucratic stupidity. Anywhere you turn, you get lost in answers that are not credible and in nonanswers that are incredible.
Ever since I first heard, “Trust Wray”.
Yes, day one for me. Trump himself was obtuse in his judgment of character. Why he didn’t he clean house totally, immediately upon his swearing in? I will never understand it.
He will be gone after November. So will Dr. Fauchi.
One of the worst kinds of bad judgment is to know the integrity of the public actions of this president—the entirety of them—and think you can derive knowledge that his private judgments must be deficient.
“Why he didn’t he clean house totally, immediately upon his swearing in? “
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That is the easiest question to answer, alstewartfan, of all the questions being asked during/about this mess.
Pres Trump did not have enough politically astute allies actually in power to guide him.
He, being merely human, was flawed in his belief that while some may personally dislike him, they would RESPECT the office of the President of the United States, once he was sworn into said office.
The fact that those humans were and are so corrupt as to hate the true concept and intention of the United States is a tool they used against him.
He is a very fast learner, and is making up time for time lost.
That said, it’s still not a very deep pool of those in political power who love this country enough to work with him. Their fault, not his, mind you. :(
Trump’s accomplishments are beginning to rival those of Lincoln. The best conclusion we can make is that behind the scenes Trump knows what he’s doing, and that our ignorance of those hidden events is a natural occurrence of the system.
I do believe many of us were pissed at Wray during his confirmation hearings. He’s a phony crook. General Flynn for Director of the new FBI
He was the first President in modern times who isn’t a politician. He didn’t have years to build up a political team like all the deadbeat politicians that usually get the office.
Add to that the fact that every person he wanted was torn to pieces by the deep state, the uniparty and the corrupt media.
It’s not easy to staff an entire government with no cooperation from anyone.
How stupid would it be for us to think that Trump’s draining of the swamp would only be done in broad daylight for all to see?
It is impossible for me to believe that Rosenstein was not a willing part of the coup attempt.
Impossible.
He had FAR more conflicts than Sessions did, yet he and his comrades advised Sessions that he had to recuse himself.
There were some in the house that tried to wrap their heads around what was happening (a coup attempt and a criminal persecution), but they were NOT supported by their leaders and their efforts were thwarted repeatedly.
We have to take back the house this fall. It is probably unlikely at the moment, but the GOP and Trump have to make a full court press to gain seats in congress or we may never know exactly what happened or more accurately see them admit it.
What happened was that a small group in charge of our institutions attempted a coup. They lied, played dirty tricks, and conspired to overturn an election. They leaked, whispered, and played games with a willing media to undermine an administration.
Now it appears that those in charge, who were not present when this occurred, are mostly interested in hiding the truth to protect the institutions when the only real answer would be to tell the truth about what happened and let the chips fall where they will.
We cannot blame Wray for what Comey did. We cannot blame Barr for what Rosenstein and Co. did.
However, we can blame them for not telling us.
I've heard that many times, that he was not a career politician versed in the filthy gutter politics of Washington. But that does not square with his experience as a real estate developer in New York City where you don't make it unless you know how to deal with crooked pols at every level of city government. Plus, his advisors HAD to have known how previous administrations cleaned house when they arrived. I think it was more likely a case that he arrived without any political capital, didn't have any strong allies in Washington (especially in Congress), he had made a lot more enemies during the bitter campaign, and he had beaten the anointed one.
I voted to drain the swamp, not refill it with larger creatures.
Lord help us if President Trump fails to get re-elected which can only happen they voter fraud.
Rosenstein was flustered. “I’ve heard you make those allegations publicly, on TV. Mr. Jordan, I am the deputy attorney general of the United States, OK? I am not the person doing the redacting.
If Rosenstein didn't redact the fact that Strozk and Contreras were friends, who did? That person should be identified and forced to come testify. Why was that vital information redacted and withheld from the investigators? It was not a matter of national security.
“Trust Wray. 2018 is going to be glorious.”
Qball fools.
L
Because you cant convict people of previously pardoned crimes. You have to give them the benefit of the doubt at first, or as some would say “give them some slack.” Its often just enough for them to wrap it around their own neck.
Average Americans assume that our organs of executive power (the FBI, the EPA, the Forest service, etc…) are “perfect servants” of both the President and ultimately, the Republic.
This is not at all true. Ideology, bureaucratic insularity, and pure power and self-interest create organizations that have lives and interests of their own. Wray may be better than Comey, but he’s still committed to serving his organization and his/its ideology more than he is committed to serving the President.
So, why did Trump appoint him? I would say - imperfect knowledge, and politics. Trump didn’t know exactly how Wray would operate. He really only needed him and the FBI to not be actively opposed to the his Administration, and that’s probably good enough for now.
What becomes obvious to people is granted by GOD.
I have no other way to explain the mess called a democrat.
“Why he didn’t he clean house totally, immediately upon his swearing in? I will never understand it.”
Trump’s strength is that he is a total outsider, owes no one in DC anything, not even respect. They’ve got nothing on him.
Trump’s weakness is that he is a total outsider. He had to learn on the job how things really “work” in DC. He couldn’t just shut down the government.
The sad thing is that the GOP gave him lukewarm-cool support in his first two years of the coup attempt. After Kavanaugh incited the GOP that playing nice with the lying demokraps was over. However, putting that realization into practice has been dialed back. One would think what has come out on the Flynn case and the whole Russian hoax would have the GOP up in arms and shut everything down until justice is served and the demonkraps be made to take back all their lies. HA!
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