Posted on 11/01/2019 10:16:25 AM PDT by ransomnote
Two of the people believed to be at the center of a criminal investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation defended that investigation's legitimacy.
“There is nothing wrong with, especially a new attorney general, coming in at the conclusion of a tumultuous, high-profile, controversial case and asking questions about how that all began and what was the factual predication that led to the initiation of that investigation and how was it conducted. Those sorts of reviews take place all the time,” former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said a George Mason University event Wednesday at the National Press Club.
And former CIA Director John Brennan said investigators working with U.S. Attorney John Durham, who is leading the investigation, will "try to ensure that this is done appropriately."
"I would like to believe that any such review or investigation will be conducted in a professional, fair, and apolitical manner," Brennan said. "And John Durham has a very good reputation."
Earlier this year, Attorney General William Barr tapped Durham to look into the early stages of the Russia investigation through the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller in 2017.
The investigation has since transitioned into a criminal investigation, but McCabe said that’s not unusual.
“It would be odd to expect Mr. Durham to conduct that sort of inquiry without having subpoena power and stuff like that," he said.
Both McCabe and Brennan, who has been highly critical of the Trump administration, said they had not been contacted by investigators, though McCabe expects to be.
"I look back on it and I feel good about what it is we did as an intelligence community, and I feel very confident and comfortable with what I did, so I have no qualms whatsoever about talking with investigators who are going to be looking at this in a fair and appropriate manner," Brennan said. "And so if I’m called, I will be happy to talk."
But both hinted at a fear Durham's investigation could be tainted by politics.
Durham's investigation could be justified "if the effort is to try to look back and to ensure that things were done appropriately," Brennan said, "as opposed to questioning the analytical assessment that was done and the judgments that came out of it."
"The problem with this is when you have a factual scenario, which I think we have now, that indicates that some folks, and possibly even the attorney general, are bringing a set of preconceived notions and biases to that investigation," McCabe said. "And if that’s the case, I don’t know that it is, but there’s certainly some indicators that it might be, or that the purpose of the investigation is not really to get to the bottom of what did we know and why did we make the decisions that we did, but it’s more to run out theories, political conspiracy theories, and things of that nature."
The former FBI leader said "that causes me great concern — not me personally — but of course about the state of the department and the intelligence community that’s currently under investigation."
Brennan also pointed a finger at Trump.
Whether there are political motivations, there's the appearance "at least in the minds of some that this is politically motivated, because of the continued insistence by Mr. Trump that this is all a grand hoax and the former leaders of the intelligence and law enforcement community were involved in this effort to subvert the candidacy and the electoral prospects of Mr. Trump, which is the furthest from the truth that it could be," he said.
Brennan also made a reference to the attorney general telling the Senate in April "spying did occur" during the Obama administration's Trump-Russia investigation.
"There were some things that Mr. Barr said in testimony that raised questions in my own mind about whether or not he was looking at this, again, through the prism of what an attorney general should be doing as opposed to looking at it from the standpoint of Mr. Trump’s lawyer," he said.
Michael Morell, who served as acting director of the CIA during the Obama administration, said he had “deep concerns” about Durham’s investigation, which he said could have a “chilling effect” on how analysts do their jobs.
“It’s highly inappropriate, because the Justice Department doesn’t have a lot of experience understanding the analytical process. They’re not experts. John Durham, as good as he is, as good of a prosecutor as he is, doesn’t understand how we do analysis, doesn’t understand how we evaluate information, doesn’t understand how we evaluate sources, doesn’t understand how we come to conclusions, doesn’t understand how we put confidence levels on them. He doesn’t understand that. He doesn’t do that for a living. He looks at issues and decides whether a crime has been committed,” Morell said.
Since these are CIA spooks, they know how it looks if they praise Durham, that’s why they did it. Some people will believe a murderous liar Brennan and therefore equate Durham, Brennan and Clapper. To look innocent, Brennan HAS to look comfortable with Durham.
It also sets up Durham - when he does something they don’t like, Brennan is going to behave as if he is SHOCKED! SHOCKED! and then ask aloud “Who got to him???” and then conclude (aloud) “Oh! Obviously Durham is Trump’s man now!” and then “Tsk, tsk tsk....how the might (durham) has fallen).
They will show him on the doll where Orange Man touched them.
That might be his whole intent.
Personally, I don’t buy anything that comes from his blow hole.
I still believe that they (Brennan, Clapper, Comey and McCabe for starters) need to be taken to a secure location and subjected to some very serious and intense interrogation. And yeah, waterboarding should be included.
One way or another we need to get to the very bottom of who has been involved with this assault on our Constitution and our President. If it means some of these actors get hurt in the process, so what?
In other words, Durham doesn't understand their conclusions of "orange bad man" LOL.
CGato
Brennan has no problem lying, but he’s not effective.
McCabe thinks he has his “Story” all worked out,
But they usually are not termed "Criminal investigations"
Sounds like they see the hand writing on the wall and are ready to start signing like Willie Nelson at Giant Stadium...
USED pig food!
Brennan and McCabe are screwed and will probably spend the rest of their lives in jail as they are the fall guys and Durham has them dead to rights.
They are also very high level people who would normally be the guys who would be the where the buck stops targets of the investigation
This would imply that they have higher level people who they were taking orders from that they can implicate.
Clapper has already went on record that he only did what he was told
McCabe and Comey I can see being arrogant enough to act on their own to some degree but both Brennan and Clapper are just scum bags who got where they were by being willing to do what they were told, even if the work was dirty and illegal.
They do what they are told so it probable that they were working at Obama’s direction in a well scripted and organized conspiracy. Lots of parallels with other Obama scandals of which Brennan and Clapper were involved in so it’s probably not the first time. The parallel with Benghazi are especially compelling
A neck measurement is required, I hope they cooperate.
And if they do testify how much of their ‘testimony’ will be ‘On the advice of council I wish to invoke my fifth amendment right against self-incrimination and not answer questions’.
Smug and arrogant. I say hang em’ both. Go after the Kenyan but no time in the Graybar Hotel. Take his passport and move him to Kenya.
Here come the fear.
Could not agree more. But don’t hold your breath waiting for Brennan and his to be dragged out their house ransacked at 4:00 am
Perfect.
NO DEALS WITH SCUM
Yeah, and let’s see how fast they start pleading the Fifth.
Yes...but I believe they REALLY believe their own lies. It’s unreal!
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