Free Republic

The FBI deceived the House, Senate and the Justice Department about the substance and strength of evidence undergirding its counterintelligence investigation of President Trump, according to a recently declassified document and other material. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta A seven-page internal FBI memo dated March 8, 2017, shows that “talking points” prepared for then-FBI Director James Comey for his meeting the next day with the congressional leadership were riddled with half-truths, outright falsehoods, and critical omissions. Both the Senate and the House opened investigations and held hearings based in part on the misrepresentations made in those FBI briefings, one of which...

Newly released notes taken by high-level Department of Justice (DOJ) officials during a March 6, 2017, meeting with FBI leadership expose some of the lengths the FBI engaged in to cover up its spying on the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump. The notes were released on May 8 by lawyers representing former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann as part of an effort to clear him on charges of having lied to the FBI. The notes, in reality, appear to do little to exonerate Sussmann but do provide quite a bit of information on the FBI. The meeting at...

FISA Abuse InvestigationJanuary 15, 2021Chairman Graham released 11 transcripts of interviews conducted during the Senate Judiciary Committee's inquiry into the origins and aftermath of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation. (press release)Handling Agent 1: Interviewed on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 (Transcript)Michael B. Steinbach: Interviewed on Friday, June 12, 2020 (Transcript)Stephen C. Laycock: Interviewed on Monday, June 15, 2020 (Transcript)Dana J. Boente: Interviewed on Monday, June 22, 2020 (Transcript)Bruce Ohr: Interviewed on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 (Transcript)Stuart Evans: Interviewed on Friday, July 31, 2020 (Transcript)Supervisory Special Agent 1: Thursday, August 27, 2020 (Transcript)Jonathan Moffa: Interviewed on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 (Transcript)Deputy Chief, Counterintelligence...

Amid Thursday’s over-hyped brouhaha about Jeff Sessions meeting with the Russian ambassador, a curious detail emerged. In Sessions's recusal memo, it was explained who at the Justice Department would be handling any investigations into the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia. "Consistent with the succession order for the Department of Justice, Acting Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana Boente shall act as and perform the functions of the Attorney General with respect to any matters from which I have recused myself to the extent they exist," reads Sessions's official statement on the matter....

William Barr’s big adventure took two huge steps on Saturday. First, Attorney General Barr went out of his way to call out the domestic terrorist and Democrat support group Antifa as one of the main organizers behind the nationwide set of riots happening in Democrat-controlled big cities this weekend. He also took great pains to note that the crossing of state lines to organize or participate in riots is a federal crime Here’s an outtake from his speech: “Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda. In many places, it...

After a 38-year career with the Justice Department, the FBI's top lawyer Dana Boente was asked to resign on Friday. Two sources familiar with the decision to dismiss Boente said it came from high levels of the Justice Department rather than directly from FBI Director Christopher Wray. His departure comes on the heels of recent criticism by Fox News for his role in the investigation of former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. A spokesman for the FBI confirmed to NBC News that Boente did in fact resign on Friday...

A very interesting development that could prove to be quite important. Today Michael Flynn’s counsel received a letter from the DOJ notifying his defense the Missouri U.S. Attorney, who was brought in to review all of the evidence in the case, has delivered new evidence and information on the case filed under seal. Here’s the letter: https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/flynn-case-april-24-2020.jpg Further reporting from Sean Davis at the Federalist gives some background on the sealed evidence that indicates the provided information is exculpatory. According to Davis’s sources the internal investigative documents “will reflect poorly on the FBI.” […] The new documents, which were filed...

The FISA court has awakened from its deep slumber. Too damned late… and not enough. Finally, the FISA court has awakened from its deep slumber. Too damned late… and not enough. On Tuesday, presiding judge Rosemary Collyer issued an order slamming fired director James Comey’s FBI for presenting “false information,” concealing exculpatory evidence, and misleading the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But her judicial fix is feckless. She is now demanding that the FBI present the steps it will take to remedy these problems in future surveillance warrant applications. If this is her idea of a solution, it’s a joke. And...

diGenova said Inspector General Michael Horowitz has determined all four FISA warrants against one-time Trump campaign aide Carter Page were illegally obtained. ... DiGenova said if he were attorney general, any officials involved in obtaining the Page FISA warrants who are still in the department would be "gone." He singled out Dana Boente, who is the general counsel now under FBI Director Christopher Wray. The April 2017 FISA renewal was approved by Boente and former FBI Director James Comey, ... DiGenova also discussed the two people he wants to hear from after the FISA report is released. He said he...

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI General Counsel Dana Boente on Tuesday, saying they have received no response from the FBI after offering Ford’s full cooperation with the investigation last Friday. Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich say they have sent the FBI multiple letters and emails that include names of witnesses and evidence “that would likely assist the FBI” in its investigation. They also write, “This afternoon, we learned of media reports that the FBI does not intend to interview either Dr. Ford or Judge Kavanaugh. We hope that this reporting...

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - Federal prosecutors moved Friday to dismiss espionage-related charges against two former pro-Israel lobbyists accused of disclosing classified U.S. defense information, ending a tortuous inside-the-Beltway legal battle rife with national security intrigue. Critics of the prosecution of Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee accused the federal government of trying to criminalize the sort of back-channel discussions between government officials, lobbyists and reporters that are commonplace in Washington. AIPAC is an influential pro-Israel lobbying group. The indictment had alleged that Rosen and Weissman conspired to obtain and then disclose to journalists and the...

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has disclosed a previously top-secret set of documents related to the wiretapping of Carter Page, the onetime Trump campaign adviser who was at the center of highly contentious accusations by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee that the F.B.I. had abused its surveillance powers. [Read the documents here.]

Former FBI Director James Comey said on Sunday that he did not believe President Trump was aware of the explosive allegations made against him in the "Steele dossier." Comey briefed Trump on the unverified document, compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, last year. "When you told him the contents of the Steele dossier, did you get the impression it was the first time he'd ever heard those allegations?" NBC's Chuck Todd asked Comey on "Meet the Press." "Yes," Comey said, "And I didn't give him the briefing on the whole Steele dossier. My assignment was to brief him...

The Nunes Memo confirms that the basis for the FISA warrants to spy on Trump associates was the Steele “dossier,” paid for by the DNC and Hillary Clinton. The Memo reveals that the FBI also paid for it. The persons who signed the FISA applications are James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Sally Yates, Rod Rosenstein, and Dana Boente. The Memo confirms that the political origins of the Steele Dossier, that it was bought and paid for by Hillary and the DNC, were not disclosed to the FISA court. The legal standard for a search warrant was stated by the Supreme Court...

With the resignation of Dana Boente on Friday as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, President Donald Trump has an opportunity to replace another Obama-era holdover in the Department of Justice line of succession. If Trump demands that the department fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and if enough officials resign or get fired rather than carry out his order, the decision to do so could fall to Boente’s successor. As Attorney General Jeff Sessions has told the Senate Judiciary Committee, Trump has been interviewing candidates for some of the 93 open U.S. attorney positions. Democratic lawmakers and legal...

President Donald Trump said Friday that he agreed with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that no special prosecutor was needed for the Russian probe because it's already under investigation by Congress. "You have it before the House," Trump told Jeanine Pirro on Fox News in an interview to be aired on Saturday. "You have it before the Senate." Separate inquiries are being conducted by the intelligence committees of both chambers. CNN reported Friday that Rosenstein had said that no special counsel was needed.

The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee have formally asked the Justice Department to turn over any documentary evidence -- applications, orders or warrants -- related to alleged wiretaps of President Donald Trump and his associates during the campaign, two congressional aides confirm to ABC News. They have asked DOJ officials to provide information -- if it exists -- by March 13, one aide said. The request was submitted to acting deputy general Dana Boente, who stepped in for Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he recused himself. The request from House Intel Committee Chairs Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Adam Schiff...

On his way out the door, Obama also rewrote the line of succession in cases where the AG recuses himself. (I didn't know there was such a previously-planned chain of succession.) He specifically wrote one senior guy out of the succession, and re-routed the succession to go right to his friendlies. Amid Thursday;s over-hyped brouhaha about Jeff Sessions meeting with the Russian ambassador, a curious detail emerged. In Sessions's recusal memo, it was explained who at the Justice Department would be handling any investigations into the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia. "Consistent with the succession order for the Department...

President Donald Trump fired acting US Attorney General Sally Yates after she defied him on his controversial executive order on immigrants and refugees, according to a statement White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer issued Monday night. "The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States," the statement read in part. Trump named Dana Boente, a US district attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve in Yates's place until the president's attorney general appointee Jeff Sessions is confirmed. Earlier Monday,...

President Trump fired his acting attorney general on Monday after she defiantly refused to defend his immigration executive order, accusing the Democratic holdover of trying to obstruct his agenda for political reasons. Taking action in an escalating crisis for his 10-day-old administration, Mr. Trump declared that Sally Q. Yates had “betrayed” the administration, the White House said in a statement. The president appointed Dana J. Boente, United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting attorney general until Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama is confirmed. Ms. Yates’s decision confronted the president with a stinging challenge to...