The Michael Flynn smoking gun: FBI headquarters altered interview summary

SWashington Examiner ^ | Nov. 5, 2019 | James Gagliano

[libstripper]

As a self-proclaimed adherent to Hanlon’s Razor, I once cynically viewed the frenzied focus on FBI actions during the 2016 Russian election-meddling investigation as partisan and overwrought. Hanlon’s Razor suggests that we never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity or incompetence. Having proudly served in the FBI for 25 years, I bristled at insulting accusations of an onerous deep state conspiracy. Some obvious mistakes made during the investigation of the Trump campaign were quite possibly the result of two ham-handedly overzealous FBI headquarters denizens, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, clumsily seeking to impress each other with ever-increasing levels of loathing for then-candidate Donald Trump.

* * *

Here’s me, acknowledging my mistake. I was dead wrong. It now seems there was a concerted effort, though isolated, within the upper-echelons of the FBI to influence the outcome of the Flynn investigation. By “dirtying up” Flynn, Comey’s FBI headquarters team of callow sycophants shortcut the investigative process. Arm-twisting Flynn through the “tweaked” version of his interview afforded him criminal exposure. The cocksure Comey team felt supremely confident that would inspire him “flipping” and give them the desperately sought-after evidence of Trump-Russia collusion that the wholly unverified Steele dossier was never remotely capable of providing.

[qaz123]

I think the President knows that anyone he fires, unless there’s legitimate cause and especially if they have any relationship to the Dem’s/Deep State/Media/GOPe/RINOs/Establishment(like FBI Dir Wray does), he’ll be roasted over the coals and accused of obstruction. While the man seems to be able to take his share of lumps and then some, sometimes he needs a break.

This impeachment thing is ripe for his enemies to tear into him. Better to let it play out a bit more and blow up in their faces, as did Mueller, IMHO.

Now, if about 2 million of his supporters showed up in DC one Friday afternoon for a rally and did so in major cities all over the country, I’m folks would take notice.

After his re-election next year, I’m thinking he’s going through there like a berzerker. At least I hope that’s what he does.

[Honest Nigerian]

Here’s me, acknowledging my mistake. I was dead wrong. It now seems there was a concerted effort, though isolated, within the upper-echelons of the FBI to influence the outcome of the Flynn investigation.
He’s just coming to this conclusion? Is he myopic, naive or just stupid? And to think the FBI is infested with these kind of agents.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
CaptainK -
you have summed this up and put it in juxtaposition most brilliantly.
If they closed this thread right now I would say “that is a good place to end the discussion”

[NTHockey]

If it was isolated, why then, out of all the FBI agents, office staff, janitors,etc. has there not been a SINGLE whistle blower? FIB is corrupt from top to bottom.

No name, no rank, no serial no., just repeat “LAWYER” to every question.

[gloryblaze]

I couldn’t figure out what you were referring to re: clerical errors. That was a new one on me. But take a gander at this subsequent thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3791982/posts

[CaptainK]

Thanks!

[Colinsky]

James Forrestal, “Consistency never has been a mark of stupidity. If the diplomats who have mishandled our relations with Russia were merely stupid, they would occasionally make a mistake in our favor.”

For remarks like this, Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense, was rewarded by being thrown out the window from the 16th floor.

[Oatka]

but to prosecute for lying to the FIB, there should be hard evidence beyond a written summary of the conversation.

I read somewhere that a guy said to bring a recorder to any IRS or FBI "interrogation", as the only thing the courts consider is a stenographic copy of the conversation, which can be "edited".

He said the FBI wanted to "interview' him, so he took along a recorder. Feds took one look and cancelled the interview. I would think, things being what they are, they would give themselves the power to confiscate it in those situations.

[fuzzylogic]

Lying lead to them chasing down information that is untrue...which is a waste of their time and our tax dollars.

It should be a crime but this is why you have the right to remain silent. Showing up for an interview may be required (?) but you’ve no obligation to say anything.

After seeing this I’ve taken note...

[Oatka]

302s are fine when you are canvasing potential witnesses during an investigation,

I wondered what they were and dug around. Found out THIS" about them.

[zeugma]

It's way past time for the FBI to record interviews, especially high profile interviews, instead of just relying on after-the-face 302s.

Trump could issue an executive order to do that today. The only reason not to record the interviews (any of them, not just 'high profile' ones) is to facilitate fraud on the part of the government. Let's see the them try to defend that.

[Jacquerie]

I want the worst sort of raw revenge . . . on Weissmann, for the lives he’s destroyed under color of law. There are few worse crimes than a public servant turning public enemy.