DNI Ric Grenell Declassifying Flynn-Kislyak Transcripts: “The IC doesn’t have all the transcripts/summaries….it wasn’t our product”…

CONSERVATIVE TREEHOUSE ^ | 5/22/2020 | SUNDANCE

[bitt]

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard “Ric” Grenell announced today he is in the process of declassifying the transcripts of the calls between Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Within a twitter response by Grenell, part of the riddle behind the transcripts gets a little more clarity: “The IC doesn’t have all the transcripts/summaries…. it wasn’t our product.”

https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/grenell-kislyak-flynn-transcript.jpg

The implication here is the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) did not generate one of the transcripts; that evolved into an FBI equity, and was later used in their case against Lt. General Michael Flynn. The December 29, 2016, intercept was not exclusive to the U.S. intelligence apparatus, and the call summary became proprietary to the FBI; the agency exploiting the underlying content.

This makes sense and explains how the FBI was able to manipulate the framework of the call and keep the remaining U.S. intelligence system away from their internal plan.

There was more than one phone call and conversation between Flynn and Kislyak. Some immediately after the election and in/around mid-December 2016. Reports of those contacts and communications WERE in the U.S. IC network and those reports led to unmasking requests. However, the specific December 29th communication was not an exclusive intercept of the U.S. intelligence community and therefore easier for the FBI to shape.

[mass55th]

Thanks for the great reply. I had forgotten about Baker at the Pentagon, and the finger being pointed at him as the source of the leak. I also didn’t know that Jensen was former FBI. Barr made a good choice there. And thanks for the link to the Lee Smith article. I’m going to go read it now.

[Ann Archy]

Wray better get on this QUICKLY!/s

[conejo99]

I’m not sure I understand. We classify the transcript of the call between the incoming Trump administration and the Russian Ambassador to keep the Russians from knowing what was discussed?

[smvoice]

Bkmk

[norwaypinesavage]

It’s quite interesting that the IC doesn’t have the full transcript of the Flynn-Kislyak call, but the FBI does. It’s quite likely that Comey’s FBI ‘cut’ the transcript and then leaked it in order to make Flynn look worse than he really was.

Maybe it is this activity that has prompted ‘Come Late to the Party’ Wray to so belatedly investigate his agencies participation in the wrongdoing. Let’s hope.

[rlmorel]

I am working on a Flynn timeline which I plan to post on FR as soon as I can figure out the HTML code to present it in a table format, and this is some of the info from that.

Here is the significance, IMO:

The full transcripts have never been made public. And even the ones not made public appear to have been massaged by the FBI into "summaries" which is exactly the same dishonest practice they use with their 302 forms to memorialize their interviews, said 302 form content being derived from handwritten notes agents take.

• 01/24/2017: Flynn is interviewed at the White House by Strzok and Pientka
  
  
• 1/26/2017: Sally Yates tells White House Counsel McGahn that Flynn may have lied to Pence From Lee Smith’s “The Plot Against The President”: On January 26, acting Attorney General Sally Yates went to the White House to warn lawyer Donald McGahn the Flynn might have misled the vice president. She said that since the Russians knew that there were discrepancies between what Flynn had said to Kislyak and what he had apparently told Pence of their conversation, the national security advisor might be vulnerable to blackmail. Sally Yates is setting and baiting the trap. This is only two days after the infamous interview.
  
  
• 2/9/2017: Washington Post prints leaked parts of the Flynn-Kislyak call that appeared to contradict Flynn’s conversation with Pence. This is the first paragraph by the Washington Post article by Greg Miller, Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima. Again, this is a timed leak to the Washington Post, the publication of which appears to be done directly in advance of the meeting scheduled for the next day between Pence and McCabe.

The very first paragraph in the article states unequivocally:
“National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials, current and former U.S. officials said.”

In no uncertain terms, they state that Flynn lied." This is important, because it is a pattern of behavior by the Left in general, and the Obama Administration in particular. The Obama Administration is orchestrating public opinion and outcry with a willing and compliant media. This is another part of baiting and setting the trap. They want to whip people into an outrage with the media, plant seeds of discontent and doubt in politicians and people who might otherwise support Trump.
  
  
• 2/10/2017: McCabe shows portions of Flynn-Kislyak conversation at scheduled White House briefing with VP Pence "From Lee Smith’s “The Plot Against The President”: When McCabe appeared at the White House the next day, he was called into Pence’s office. Priebus and McGahn were there, watching news coverage of the leaked intercept. They were upset. They asked to see the information McCabe had on Flynn. “This is totally opposite,” said Pence. “It’s not what he said to me.” 

 To all intents and purposes, the loyal Obama officials in the FBI, DOJ, and compliant media set a trap, baited it perfectly, pitched the public framing of the issue in the media, drumming up that Flynn was a liar, untrustworthy, vulnerable to blackmail, backed up with fake information in the trap, and sprung the trap on VP Pence publicly.

All coordinated precisely to bring the public and unknowing dupes in the administration into full throated calls to fire Flynn for lying. I pointed out that the day before, the Washington Post, through a timed leak was intent on fomenting doubt and discord in their foes. Note what McCabe pointed out when he arrived at the White House: Priebus and McGahn were glued to the television in a high state of emotional disturbance, which is exactly what they wanted with the timed leak.
  
  
• 2/13/2017: Trump fires General Flynn

They key of it all is that they (Comey, McCabe, Yates, et al) very likely couldn't have done this if there had been an exact, unedited transcript of the call. Note the reaction of VP Pence when shown what was likely a selectively edited summary that may have been missing context: "...This is totally opposite. It’s not what he said to me...”

Much of this boils down to what was actually said, and there is a VITAL and IMPORTANT distinction. Flynn said he didn't discuss sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn even knew that his conversations were being monitored. In his account, Flynn said to both the FBI interviewers AND VP Pence that he NEVER discussed sanctions, either the 2014 sanctions for the Ukraine invasion or sanctions being considered in the future after the Russian. diplomats were ejected on 12/29/2016.

However, Flynn openly said he DID discuss the Persona Non Grata ejection of the Russian diplomats.

Here is the important distinction: Persona Non Grata ejections and Sanctions are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. The "Countering Russian Hostilities Act of 2017" wasn't introduced in Congress until 1/11/2017 (and was never passed).

The Sanctions Act was introduced 13 days after the Flynn-Kislyak call in which Flynn was accused of discussing sanctions. Compare this text to the text of Executive Order 13694 which discusses the actions taken against Russian nationals on US territory accused of cybercrimes. This bill outlined below had not even been thought of or introduced on 12/29/2016, and even if it had, Flynn would not have been privy to the construction or discussion of it.

[Magnatron]

...Wray knows it...

Wray’s days are numbered and he knows it.

He will be fired immediately after the election — by Trump for his corruption, or Biden because he’ll want his own, either Harris or Holder.

Wray is in a hunker-down mode right now. He’ll need friends in the Deep State when he’s gone. He’s biding his time and waiting for the inevitable.

[stylin19a]

There was more than one phone call and conversation between Flynn and Kislyak.

Rice said that in the redacted part of her Email that threw Comey under the bus.

I wonder if there were different conversations used for different things.

Rice talked about law enforcement and the intelligence.

[shooter223]

In theory, we classify the transcript to keep the Russians from knowing that we know what was discussed. In fact, the transcript is classified to keep the American public in the dark about what is going on.

[Shark24]

I am interested in where is Adm Rodgers in all this? Should he not be a part of this revelation? Anyhow....

[volunbeer]

Excellent post @26

It is becoming pretty clear that Flynn was set up by everyone. DOJ, FBI, the Mueller crew, and a willing and complicit media.

At some point in the future I expect Pence to come out and say something publicly along with Trump about what happened.

I think the story will eventually be -

Flynn did not lie. The cabal leaked a selectively edited transcript of the call and pitched the media that Flynn was somehow compromised. They purposely twisted it so that they could tell the White House (and media) that what Flynn told the Russians was different than what Pence said on the Sunday news shows. Gee, I wonder who fed the reporters the questions for Pence?

Pence believed McCabe and Yates and likely could not imagine they would lie to him. I don’t think Flynn remembered the details of the call (he was on the beach in the DR with his wife on vacation). The White House faced its first crisis and the intel community was blowing them up over Flynn.

Trump fires him to deal with the crisis.

It all appears quite clever in hindsight and it relied on the belief of the administration that the “professionals” would not lie to them or play some game to manipulate them.

[Bob Ireland]

***“The IC doesn’t have all the transcripts/summaries….it wasn’t our product”…***

If it wasn't the IC's product AND Flynn was NOT unmasked - was the source a foreign intel agency?     ...FVEY?     Iti?     ...? Inquiring minds want to know! 😕

[Bob Ireland]

Thanks for working on the Flynn timeline. Ping me on updates, please.

I think a more thorough exposition is in order. For example, whatever dates you have for Flynn/Kysliak phone conversations might be grouped together. However, the phone conversation used as the basis for investigation & prosecution of Gen. Flynn - December 29, 2016, with Flynn in the Dominican Republic - would seem essential to the timeline of FBI legal actions.

Also see my post below concerning Grenell's quote that the Dec 29 phone transcript is not 'our product' - and other statements that Flynn's part in this conversation was not 'unmasked' - obviously implies some outside source for the call or the transcript, possibly a foreign source. Dates connected with this nuance and its implications might prove useful. Indeed, an in-depth timeline might prove conclusive as to exposure to the truth as to what happened. :^)

[rlmorel]

I agree, and will plant to put something in there...thanks for reminding me of that.

[M Kehoe]

Hey Adam Schiff for brains! Heads up!

5.56mm