Posted on 03/08/2018 4:00:36 PM PST by EyesOfTX
The Evening Campaign Update (Because The Campaign Never Ends)
I’ve been traveling this week, so I just noticed this myself this afternoon. In an interview with Fox New’s Shannon Bream Wednesday night, Attorney General Jeff Sessions dropped a bomb when, after asked about allegations that officials within the FBI and the DOJ had violated the FISA process in order to spy on the Trump Campaign, he said the following:
“I have appointed a person outside of Washington, many years in the Department of Justice (DOJ), to look at all the allegations that the House Judiciary Committee members sent to us; and we’re conducting that investigation.”
Wait, what? When did that happen? Why all the secrecy? What is this person’s name? What else might the person be looking at? Here are some thoughts on what the answers to those questions might be.
First, you have to look at this from Sessions’ point of view: He leads the DOJ, and thus the FBI as well. Having his own DOJ lawyers investigate the FBI and DOJ anti-Trump cabal’s abuses would present a clear conflict of interest, as I pointed out last week.
My bet is that he took this action after he became aware of potential FISA abuses shortly after he assumed office in March of last year. At that point, during his first briefing with DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, he would have been made aware of the IG’s investigation into the FISA and other related matters, and thus would have become aware that he had a set of truly bad actors in his midst. That is likely something Sessions already suspected, since it had become obvious during his confirmation hearing that he had personally been under illegal surveillance, but a briefing from Horowitz would have confirmed that reality.
Sessions would not have wanted to formally appoint a special counsel at that time, because that is a very public act, one which requires the public identification of the person who was being named. Remember also that, at that time, Horowitz’s own investigation had only been up and running for a few months, meaning that some of the bad actors we know about today had not yet been identified, or had cases fully developed against them.
Formally appointing a special counsel at that time would have given all of these people the chance to either flee, cover their tracks, or even lawyer up before cases could have been fully developed. Remember that we have only begun to publicly find out people like Strzok, Ohr, Page, McCabe and Baker since the first of December. Remember also that the disciplinary actions taken against them have been designed to keep them close and controlled.
It is also very interesting to note that none of these and others who have been identified as bad actors have been quoted in the press at all. This is in direct contrast to James Comey, who went around leaking and singing like a jaybird for a few months after President Trump fired his sorry butt, and who is about to release a book next month.
This silence by the other bad actors most likely means one of two things: Either these people have lawyered up and are keeping quiet to protect themselves in preparation for being prosecuted, or they are actually cooperating with Horowitz and Sessions’ unnamed outside lawyer in their ongoing investigations.
The quote from Mr. Sessions is a clever reference to the fact that he has had an outside prosecutor working on all of this stuff for quite some time now. It is also most likely another move to set the stage for the impending release of IG Horowitz’s own report. Unlike Horowitz, this unidentified special prosecutor would have the power to convene a grand jury – and may have already done so – and quickly begin issuing subpoenas based on the recommendations contain in the Horowitz report.
Thus, Sessions next statement from the interview:
I am well aware we have a responsibility to insure the integrity of the FISA process. We’re not afraid to look at that. The inspector general — some think that our inspector general is not very strong; but he has almost 500 [employees], most of which are lawyers and prosecutors; and they are looking at the FISA process. We must make sure that it’s done properly, and we’re going to do that. And I’ll consider their request.”
He’ll not only consider their request, he’s had a special prosecutor preparing the playing field for quick action on those requests for months now.
Clever. Boom.
That is all.
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If he, she or it has many years at the DOJ they are not "outside Washington".
He, she or it is a Washington insider.
Who is doing the investigation and did it have to be approved by Rod Rosenstein? If this is really on the up and up I will also apologize.
My money is on Inspector Clousseau.
Sessions would not have wanted to formally appoint a special counsel at that time, because that is a very public act, one which requires the public identification of the person who was being named.
That is MISLEADING. The SC regulations contemplate appointing an SC in secret. Not been done that we know of, but this case presents darn good justification for doing so.
28 CFR 600.9 - Notification and reports by the Attorney General.
(a) The Attorney General will notify the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Judiciary Committees of each House of Congress, with an explanation for each action -(1) Upon appointing a Special Counsel ...
(b) The notification requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this section may be tolled by the Attorney General upon a finding that legitimate investigative or privacy concerns require confidentiality. At such time as confidentiality is no longer needed, the notification will be provided.
Frank Dremmund.
Zzzzzzzzzz
This is Sessions doing CYA against conservatives.
How many booms so far? Sagan would say billions and billions of booms.
The Legacy Media, the Democrat Party and about 50 - 60% of the people
who voted for Trump have yet to figure out that whatever the headlines
might be they have next to nothing to do with the “real play.”
And yes - I’m including his recent “bait and switch” statements about gun laws.
I dunno...Rudy Giuliani would fit that description.
Wait and see....
I'd laugh if it was Comey.
I see an "October Surprise".
Or you could just knock the anti-Sessions crap off right now.
Neiter you nor any of the anti-Sessions crap posters have an iota of proof of what he has or has not been doing. You’ve just been chiming in with the meme and frankly it demeans Free Republic.
For once we have a professional, experiencest prosecutor and former US Senator who takes a backseat to no one when it comes to conservativism and traditional American values. A man who supported Trump when it was politically dangerous to do so, because he saw the potential for reversing the disastrous path the country was on, and gave up a Senate seat to help.
And you guys talk shit about him every damn thread. You should be ashamed.
True professionals do not conduct their business in the media and hang out near TV cameras. AG Sessions has been quietly doing the job he was hired and maintaining confidentiality and secrecy as all good investigators are trained to do. We finally have a truly professional AG and you guys just can’t stand it.
“No Dept. is perfect....”
I called it. His silence, his experience told me an L-shaped ambush was being prepared. It’s going to get ugly when everyone is in the kill zone. Going to need a Ryder truck to get them to the courthouse.
Giuliani was at Justice for awhile, and is now outside of Washington.
Interesting, but can DC actually hang its own?
Sessions has certainly not been reigning in the crazed Bunkerville/Malheur Federal persecutors.
RosenWeasel apparently signed the 4th FISA warrant application using the fake dossier info (yet again) to perpetrate a fraud upon the Court after Trump was elected and RosenWeasel Senate approved. Sessions thinks RosenWeael is just the kinda guy America needs in the DoJ.
p
Thank you, Sessions!
Very interesting piece, EOT. (Also, good writing.)
It’d be an understatement to say that I’ve been very disappointed in Sessions. But perhaps he has a pleasant surprise coming for us. I hope so.
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