Did the FBI Mislead the Senate Intelligence Committee on the Steele Dossier? The Media is Not Interested

jonathanturley.org ^ | August 10, 2020 | Jonathan Turley

[Red Badger]

I recently wrote a column concerning a pattern of willful blindness by the media as new evidence emerges of serious wrongdoing by the FBI in the origin and continuation of the Russian collusion investigation. The latest information comes from the Senate Intelligence Committee which released a declassified briefing report to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2018 on the Steele dossier’s Primary Sub-source. It is hard to read the document linked below and not conclude that the FBI misled the Congress on the subject. This occurred after the FBI misled the FISA court, including the submission of falsified documents to continue the surveillance.

The statement that most stands out from the briefing is that the Primary Sub-source “did not cite any significant concerns with the way his reporting was characterized in the dossier to the extent he could identify it.”

Keep in mind that this is a statement made in 2018. FBI agents had already warned that dossier author Christopher Steele may have been used by Russian intelligence to plant false information to disrupt the election. Indeed, Steele’s allegations were quickly discredited by the FBI. In 2017, key agents were aware that the basis for the FISA applications were dubious and likely false. Yet it continued the investigation, and then someone leaked its existence to the media. Both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified that they would not have signed off on surveillance if they knew this information at the time. Yet, the media seems uninterested in how this countervailing information was buried, even in briefings to the intelligence committees.

Another declassified document shows that, after the New York Times ran a leaked story on the investigation, even Strzok had balked at the account as misleading and inaccurate the year before. His early 2017 memo affirmed that there was no evidence of any individuals in collusion with Russians. This information came as the collusion stories were turning into a frenzy that would last years.

The reference to the sub-source in the new document is particularly troubling because that individual told the FBI that he “has no idea” where some of the language attributed to him came from in the Steele report. He expressly denied being the source for some of the information. That would seem a tad more than even a “significant concern.” Yet, the Senate was told he had no significant concerns. In fact, he said that he “never mentioned” the information and “did not know the origins” of information. On some point, he said he had no recollection of ever giving the information to Steele. He also directly contradicted Steele in how he characterized the information.

The report also states that “[a]t minimum, our discussions with [the Primary Sub-source] confirm that the dossier was not fabricated by Steele.”

However, again, the sub-source said that he had no idea where some of the information attributed to him came from. That would seem to contradict this statement directly. He said that he has “zero” corroboration for some of the information while other claims were just stuff that he heard over drinks or was meant in “jest.”

The point is not that this source is clearly telling the truth or that this proves a deep-state conspiracy. Rather, the question is why this document has received virtually no media attention — as with earlier declassified documents. It is at best misleading by omission and at worse intentionally false in its briefing of a congressional intelligence committee. The media spent years exploring every possible claim of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, which were found to be baseless. Yet, these recent documents raise serious questions of false statements to Congress to keep that investigation going. These serious allegations of false statements and false evidence in an investigation that targeted figures associated with the opposing party and its presidential campaign. Indeed, the recent documents show, in direct contradiction of prior statements, the FBI used briefings with Trump as part of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The response from the media? Crickets. Nada. Not interested.

We should be interested. This is why I continue to support the investigation by John Durham and why former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has called for continuing these investigations. The problem is that there seems a virtual new blackout on the new evidence being declassified. After using tanker loads of ink on the unfounded collusion theories, the media seems unwilling to use a drop of ink on the evidence of misconduct in pursuing that investigation. In today’s echo-journalistic world, there is no place for such stories that challenge the prior narrative.

This declassified document and other related material may be accessed at the following link:

judiciary.senate.gov/fisa-investigation

[RoosterRedux]

I wish writers like Jonathan Turley would quit saying things like "the media isn't interested" when it comes to reporting negative things about the Left.

Of course the media isn't interested!!! Everyone knows that.

The media is bought and paid for by the Left and is chock full of professionals who are commies.

[blackdog]

That would be because the FBI used the media to spread leaked bull $hit to then use the stories as a basis for FISA COURT requests for spying. The FISA Court needs to go to jail for not reviewing what were obviously political hit jobs brought before the court. The judges didn’t care because Hillary was gonna win.........

[laconic]

Where the hell is the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee? Oh, its Dick Burr. ‘Nuff said.

[Seruzawa]

Really. It’s so tiring. And it won’t get me to click on these things any more. They have to come up with a new hook to get hits.

[PGalt]

F.I.B. lie? Where’s jimmiecommie? He can splain it.

[Travis McGee]

It appears that the dam is about to burst on Russiagate.

I think that Steven Schrage has been working closely with Durham, and he must have been given permission to publish this via Matt Taibbi.

The timing of this blockbuster insider piece comes just before the next Flynn hearing, and I think it’s a setup for the release of Durham’s report/indictments.

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-spies-who-hijacked-america/

[datricker]

Exactly these judges are either the dumbest most guilible people in the world (how would they ever get in this position were that true?) or complicit. Why these judges haven't been excoriated is nutzo too.

Corrupt Secret Court judges shilling for the secret police providing cover for the political espionage operations for those who would attack the deep state - yeah no story there

[Gahanna Bob]

Burr is no longer the chairman. It is Marco Rubio. Same difference.

[thinden]

It appears that the dam is about to burst on Russiagate.

I think that Steven Schrage has been working closely with Durham, and he must have been given permission to publish this via Matt Taibbi.

The timing of this blockbuster insider piece comes just before the next Flynn hearing, and I think it’s a setup for the release of Durham’s report/indictments.

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-spies-who-hijacked-america/

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

that timing thing with schrage is getting out.

btw, when will flynn & powell team turn up the original 302?

[high info voter]

Of course the MSM isn’t going to report on this..... cuz they know that Hillary and the DNC and OBAMA where the beginning of it all!!

[b4its2late]

They misled a court, so why would the Senate be immune? They had to cover everything up.

[Mat_Helm]

ABCNNBCBS = (Disney, Comcast, Viacom, ATT Warners) These companies can all go to Hell!

[Red Badger]

the original 302?............Jimmy Hoffa has it..........

[Political Junkie Too]

I wish writers like Jonathan Turley would quit saying things like "the media isn't interested" when it comes to reporting negative things about the Left.

It's time for writers like Turley to outright accuse the media of being a knowing outright participant in the plot to oust President Trump.

Let their actions (or inactions) when reporting on the events stand as his evidence.

-PJ

[Joe Boucher]

John Edgar Hoover would not be pleased.

[eyeamok]

The Media are Co Conspirators in the Seditious Conspiracy to Overthrow the United States Government, why would they confess or shine the light on their very own Criminal Acts??

[Bratch]

Sunday Talks: Steven Schrage Appears to Discuss His Role in “Spygate”…

Posted on August 9, 2020 by sundance

We have a saying in the south: ‘hang around a one-legged man long enough and eventually you’re gonna start limping‘.  This interview is an example of how that cuts through the BS, spin and political chaff and countermeasures.  Steven Schrage should be trusted as far as you can spit into a hurricane – which is to say, not at all.

First, in an article to accompany his media effort, Schrage waxes philosophical and woefully about how his years-long good friend and phd supervisor, Stephan Halper, the one-legged character in the metaphor, turned out to be a politically motivated snake and spy.  Oh, but all the years previous this wasn’t noticed?  Not buying it.

Second, Schrage sat and watched Michael Flynn and Svetlana Lokhova get raked over the coals for three+ years only now, right now, to find his conscience bothered by his participation in assisting the lies pushed by his friend against them?  Isn’t that convenient timing?… Yeah, sure. I might have been born at night, but I wasn’t born last night.

Third, Schrage notes he was interviewed by John Durham. Horsepucky. Durham doesn’t interview anyone; someone else does, someone very specific; and the fact that Schrage has no clue who that person is implies an aspect to the side-show he now presents as total nonsense.  In short, this is a distraction story…. Look over there…. shiny things.

Steven Schrage With Maria Bartiromo

I’ve watched and researched these intelligence characters for so long their M.O. screams like visible strings on marionettes. And yes, once you see the strings it’s impossible to return to a time when you did not see them. This interview is a purposeful ruse.

[His article here]

I also do not fault Matt Taibbi or Maria Bartiromo for falling for it.

Devin Nunes was right about Schrage a YEAR AGO:

[…] What you have there is, you have an American citizen, somebody who’s long been involved in politics, and the guy’s name is Steven Schrage. Now, knows that the House Intelligence Committee, the Senate Intelligence Committee, the FBI, we want to talk to anyone and everyone who was dealing with Carter Page and other Trump associates, especially in early 2016.

Schrage is the one who invited Carter Page to this event. Schrage is the one who organized this event. So — but instead of coming forward, a guy who’s been involved in politics for this long doesn’t come forward? I want to know, did he know about the Steele dossier at that time? When did he find out about the Steele dossier? Did he have control of the Steele dossier at any time? Did he give it to anyone?

Those are the types of things that Steven Schrage needs to come clean on, because, you know, look, maybe he was just a guy working for minimum wage sweeping the floors around Cambridge. I highly doubt it.

And the fact that he hasn’t come forward in two-and-a-half years is highly suspect. Now, when you look at the other Brits that were involved there, Maria, if you — this also ties in with General Flynn, because these Brits were the ones who went public and said — specifically, Christopher Andrew said that General Flynn had a Russian girlfriend.  (more)

Nice try…

[Red Badger]

I suspect some in the media were complicit and in on the scam from the beginning.

Those are the ones I’m interested in.................

[Bratch]

Sunday Talks: Senator Graham Defends The Senate Role in Trying to Remove President Trump…

Posted on August 9, 2020 by sundance

Senator Lindsay Graham appears on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo to profess his public outrage about the senate being lied to by the FBI in 2018. {Go Deep}

In essence what Graham is doing is establishing the defense of the Senate for their role in attempting to remove President Donald Trump. ie. Selective Outrage.

The simple way to identify Graham’s motive is this way:…  The SSCI was aware of this briefing in 2018 right?  So why didn’t any SSCI member step forth after the Horowitz report in 2019 and say they were mislead?… or at any time after the truth of the primary sub-source was evident?   It does not take the public release of briefing material, two years later, to initiate senate outrage if senate outrage was genuine.

Graham wasn’t outraged when the senate knew about it, he becomes outraged when the public knows about it.  See how the application of common sense works?

Sen Graham reveals new declassified documents on Russia probe origins

Methinks Graham doth protest too much. The more he spoke of his honor, the faster we counted the spoons.