Free Republic

Attorney General William Barr appointed a federal prosecutor to review so-called “unmasking” requests that Obama administration officials submitted against Trump associates, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department said Wednesday. Kerri Kupec, the Justice Department spokeswoman, said on Fox News that Barr appointed John Bash, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, to conduct the review. Bash will carry out the probe in coordination with U.S. attorneys John Durham and Jeff Jensen, who are looking into various aspects of the Trump-Russia investigation. “The attorney general determined that certain aspects of unmasking needed to be reviewed separately as a support...

U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday released a memo to federal prosecutors which sought to balance public safety measures with the preservation of “constitutional rights and civil liberties” during the coronavirus pandemic. The memo instructs U.S. Attorneys to “be on the lookout” for orders by state and local governments which encroach upon the rights of citizens. Barr said he is expanding the mandate on prosecutors previously directed to prioritize cases against persons accused of illegally profiting from PPE hoarding and price gouging to also encompass constitutional violations.“Now, I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be...

US Attorney General Bill Barr on Tuesday said he may go after Governors who insist on maintaining authoritarian Coronavirus lockdown orders.The DOJ could take legal action against Governors drunk on power and infringing on Constitutional rights, Bill Barr said according to Bloomberg News.Barr said on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” that state’s stay-at-home orders are justified up to a point, but the DOJ could target state and local officials by joining lawsuits filed by citizens over the authoritarian restrictions.“We have to give businesses more freedom to operate in a way that’s reasonably safe,” Barr said, according to Bloomberg. “To the extent that governors...

Tuesday, during an interview with nationally syndicated talker Hugh Hewitt, Attorney General William Barr touched on constitutional protections in a time of crisis related to what powers the executive branches of both state and federal governments. Barr acknowledged that amid this coronavirus pandemic, some “temporary and reasonable restrictions” were acceptable. However, he did argue those had to be targeted, adding it was a view “a better job” was needed to be done regarding those restrictions. “I do think that executive glance, whether it be in the federal system or the state system, you know, one of its capacities is to...

President Trump shared a report that said indictments could be coming this week in U.S. Attorney John Durham's review of the Russia investigation. Part of a flurry of retweets late Monday evening, Trump's verified Twitter account, which has 77.8 million followers, shared a post from Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett's personal website with the headline: "More Russia Spygate Indictments Coming ‘This Week.’" The post, authored by "staff" and shared by Jarrett's verified Twitter account, focused on a recent interview conducted by Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, during which investigative reporter John Solomon said that "some criminal investigative activity" indicated...

The Postal Service of the United States has apparently violated the federal law by allowing employees to work for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and their work was even funded by the union, a Fox News report states. The OSC determined that the USPS “engaged in systemic violations” of the Hatch Act, a federal law that limits some political activities of the federal employees. While they are allowed to do some political work while on leave, the report said the Postal Service showed a “bias” favouring the union’s 2016 campaign operation. The investigation was initiated several months ago, after Ron Johnson, who...

Attorney General William Barr expressed concerns in an interview on Wednesday that “draconian” measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus will come at the cost of freedom for the American people. “I’m very concerned about the slippery slope in terms of continuing encroachments on personal liberty,” Barr said. “I do think during the emergency, appropriate, reasonable steps are fine.” Barr said in the Fox interview that the Justice Department will continue to track any actions that “restrict people’s liberty.” The restrictions have not only limited personal freedom, but have also devastated the American economy, with millions of jobs lost...

U.S. Attorney John Durham’s review of the Russia investigation is putting increased scrutiny on former CIA Director John Brennan, searching for any undue influence he may have had during 2017’s intelligence community assessment of Russian interference. Durham, selected by Attorney General William Barr last year to lead this inquiry, drove to Washington, D.C., in March to ensure the investigation stayed on track during the coronavirus outbreak. The top Connecticut federal prosecutor is looking into highly sensitive issues, including whether Brennan took politicized actions to pressure the rest of the intelligence community to match his conclusions about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s...

As Americans are preoccupied with staying afloat amid a coronavirus-related shutdown, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has finally begun delivering on an investigation he promised months ago. The origins of the FBI’s politicized “Spygate” counterintelligence operation against the 2016 Trump campaign. With uncertainties over how badly the coronavirus shutdown will harm the economy and how long that harm will last taking up most of our time and the oxygen in news cycles, what Graham’s doing is important because the objective is to ensure that what happened to President Trump does not happen again. Ever. Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson interviewed Graham this...

The Spygate scandal is shaping up to be the most significant political abuse of government power in history. And it may be even larger than people expect. The investigation by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the origins of the FBI’s Russian collusion investigation – or as President Trump prefers to call it, the witch hunt – continues to expand. Durham reportedly opened criminal investigations last fall. And unlike the narrow Justice Department Inspector General’s review of the abuse of the FISA process, Durham is looking into the questionable activities of other government agencies, in particular the CIA and its former...

U.S. Attorney John Durham is expected to wrap up his investigation into the origins of the Russia probe by the end of the summer, sources confirmed to Fox News. One source suggested the investigation could end as soon as July, while another said it could be closer to September, based on Durham's progress, which could be hindered by the coronavirus pandemic rocking the nation and the globe. TOP GOP REP SUGGESTS DURHAM PROBE WILL LEAD TO CHARGES Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, relayed the same timeline during a House Rules Committee meeting focused on reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act...

Department of Justice appointed federal prosecutor John Durham’s expanded criminal probe into the FBI’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign is focusing on a slew of government documents that surfaced during the first several months of Trump’s presidency. The documents, which are being kept close hold, were hinted at by Attorney General William Barr in an interview he did with NBC in December and reported on by CBS News Friday. On Friday, Catherine Herridge senior national security reporter with CBS first reported that a ‘strong paper trail’ of documents is being reviewed by Durham. Those documents span a time period...

The Senate is poised to launch into an impeachment trial for President Trump as early as next Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, as warring factions on Capitol Hill ended an impasse that had left the entire process in limbo for nearly four weeks.

On Tuesday, attorneys for Michael Flynn filed a sentencing memorandum and letters of support for the former Army lieutenant general in federal court. The sentencing memorandum reveals for the first time concrete evidence that the FBI created multiple 302 interview summaries of Flynn’s questioning by now-former FBI agent Peter Strzok and a second unnamed agent, reported to be FBI Special Agent Joe Pientka. Further revelations may be forthcoming soon following an order entered late yesterday by presiding judge Emmet Sullivan, directing the special counsel’s office to file with the court any 302s or memorandum relevant to Flynn’s interview. .....

Both Democrats and Republicans are reportedly avoiding Giuliani, concerned that his sources are the same ones who've been known for spinning the truth and outright lies. 'He has not shared any of this information with me', Graham, the Senate majority leader told the Daily Beast about the intelligence Giuliani brought back from his latest trip. 'My advice to Giuiliani would be to share what he got from Ukriane with the IC [Intelligence Community] to make sure it's not Russian propaganda,' Graham said. 'I'm very suspicious of what the Russians are up to all over the world'.

John Guandolo is the President and Founder of Understanding The Threat http://understandingthethreat.com , an organization dedicated to providing strategic and operational threat-focused consultation, education, and training for federal, state and local leadership and agencies. n 1996, Mr. Guandolo joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving at the Washington Field Office. From 1996-2000, he primarily conducted narcotics investigations domestically and overseas. In 2001, he served as the FBI Liaison to the U.S. Capitol Police investigating threats on the President, Vice-President, Members of Congress and other high-level government officials. Shortly after 9/11, Mr. Guandolo began an assignment to the Counterterrorism...

United States Attorney John H. Durham has kept such a low profile while handling some of the country's most infamous criminal investigations that he once made New Republic magazine's list of Washington's "most powerful, least famous people." Durham "made his bones," as he would say, prosecuting mobsters, corrupt federal agents and former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland. He's been tapped by United States attorneys general to investigate topics as touchy as alleged torture and coverups during CIA investigations. The 67-year-old Groton resident, nominated as Connecticut's top federal prosecutor by President Donald Trump and endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike, has...

US Attorney General Bill Barr spoke with Martha MacCallum on FOX News. Bill Barr called out George Soros for subverting the legal system in the US and creating more crime and violence.

Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani says he’s uncovered proof of “extensive” corruption in Ukraine, including “clear” proof of money laundering by Burisma energy company and Hunter and Joseph R. Biden. In a series of tweets, Mr. Giuliani said his trip earlier this month to Ukraine “garnered witnesses & documents which reveal the truth behind this impeachment,” which he said includes no wrongdoing by President Trump. “Evidence revealed that corruption in 2016 was so extensive it was POTUS’s DUTY to ask for US-Ukraine investigation,” Mr. Giuliani tweeted, days before the House prepares to vote on impeaching the president. He said impeachment...

"I think our nation was turned on its head for 3 years based on a bogus narrative," said the attorney general in an exclusive interview with Pete Williams.