Posted on 05/22/2020 2:45:45 PM PDT by jazusamo
Judicial Watch Lawsuit Forces Release of Infamous FBI Memo Used to Launch Obama Administration’s Spy Operation on President Trump’s 2016 Campaign
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Judicial Watch Lawsuit Forces Release of Infamous FBI Memo Used to Launch Obama Administration’s Spy Operation on President Trump’s 2016 Campaign
In a major development, Judicial Watch forced the declassification and release of an FBI memo or “electronic communication” (EC) that officially launched the counterintelligence investigation, termed “Crossfire Hurricane,” of President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
We obtained the document that disgraced FBI official Peter Strzok wrote in our FOIA suit against the FBI and DOJ for: “The Electronic Communication that initiated the counterintelligence investigation of President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.” ( Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:19-cv-02743)).
The redacted document details seemingly third hand information that the Russian government “had been seeking prominent members of the Donald Trump campaign in which to engage to prepare for potential post-election relations should Trump be elected U.S. President.” The document also alleges Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos claimed to an unnamed party that “they (the Russians) could assist the Trump campaign with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton.”
The document notes, “It was unclear whether he [Papadopoulos] or the Russians were referring to material acquired publicly of [sic] through other means. It was unclear how Mr. Trump’s team reacted to the offer. We note the Trump team’s reaction could, in the end, have little bearing of what Russia decides to do, with or without Mr. Trump’s cooperation.”
The document is dated July 31, 2016. Here is the text of the “electronic communication” :
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Electronic Communication
Title: Crossfire Hurricane Date: 07/31/2016
Cc: [Redacted]
Strzok Peter P II
From: COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
[Redacted]
Contact: Strzok Peter P II, [Redacted]
Approved by: Strzok Peter P II
Drafed by: Strzok Peter P II
Case ID #: [Redacted]
CROSSFIRE HURRICANE;
FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT –
RUSSIA;
SENSITIVE INVESTIGATIVE MATTER
This document contains information that is restricted to case participants
Synopsis: (S/ / ) Opens and assigns investigation
Reason 1.4 (b)
Derived from: FBI
NSISC-20090615
Declassify On: 20411231
[Redacted]
(S/) An investigation is being opened based on information received by Legat [Redacted] on 07/29/2016. The text of that email follows:
SECRET/
[Redacted]
Title: (S/ / CC/NF) CROSSFIRE HURRICANE
Re: [Redacted] 07/31/2016
BEGIN EMAIL
(U/ /) Legat [Redacted] information from [Redacted] Deputy Chief of Mission
Synopsis:
(U/ /) Legat [Redacted] received information from the [Redacted] Deputy Chief of Mission related to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s website/server.
Details:
(S/ /[Redacted] On Wednesday, July 27, 2016, Legal Attaché (Legat) [Redacted] was summoned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) for the [Redacted] who will be leaving [Redacted] post Saturday July 30, 2016 and set to soon thereafter retire from government service, advised [Redacted] was called by [Redacted] about an urgent matter requiring an in person meeting with the U.S. Ambassador. [Note: [Redacted]. The [Redacted] was scheduled to be away from post until mid-August, therefore [Redacted] attended the meeting.
(S/ [Redacted]) [Redacted] advised that [Redacted] government had been seeking prominent members of the Donald Trump campaign in which to engage to prepare for potential post-election relations should Trump be elected U.S. President. One of the people identified was George Papadopolous (although public media sources provide a spelling of Papadopoulos), who was believed to be one of Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisers. Mr. Papdopoulos was located in [Redacted] so the [Redacted] met with him on several occasions, with [Redacted] attending at least one of the meetings.
(S/ [Redacted]) [Redacted] recalled [Redacted] of the meetings between Mr. Papdopolous and [Redacted] concerning statements Mr. Papadopolous made about suggestions from the Russians that they (the Russians) could assist the Trump campaign with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton. [Redacted] provided a copy of the reporting that was provided to [Redacted] from [Redacted] to Legal [Redacted]. The text is exactly as follows:
(Begin Text)
(S/ [Redacted]) 5. Mr. Papadopolous [Redacted] also suggested the Trump team had received some kind of suggestion from Russia that it could assist this process with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Mrs. Clinton (and President Obama). It was unclear whether he or the Russians were referring to material acquired publicly of through other means. It was also unclear how Mr. Trump’s team reacted to the offer. We note the Trump team’s reaction could, in the end, have little bearing of what Russia decides to do, with or without Mr. Trump’s cooperation.
(End Text)
(s/ [Redacted]
[Redacted]
(s/ [Redacted] Legat requests that further action on this information should consider the sensitivity that this information was provided through informal diplomatic channels from [Redacted] to the U.S. Embassy’s DCM. It was clear from the conversation Legal [Redacted]
had with DCM that [Redacted] knew follow-up by the U.S. government would be necessary, but extraordinary efforts should be made to protect the source of this information until such a time that a request from our organization can be made to [Redacted] to obtain this information through formal channels.
END EMAIL
(S/ / ) Based on the information provided by Legat [Redacted] this investigation is being opened to determine whether individual(s) associated with the Trump campaign are witting of and/or coordinating activities with the Government of Russia.
And so the document ends.
No wonder the DOJ and FBI resisted the public release of this infamous “electronic communication” that “opened” Crossfire Hurricane – it shows there was no serious basis for the Obama administration to launch an unprecedented spy operation on the Trump campaign. We now have more proof that Crossfire Hurricane was a scam, based on absurd gossip and innuendo. This document is Exhibit A to Obamagate, the worst corruption scandal in American history. This document shows how Attorney General Barr and U.S. Attorney Durham are right to question the predicate of this spy operation.
Included with each of our July, 2019 FOIA requests to the FBI and DOJ, which led to the production of this Electronic Communication document, was an April 2018 letter from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to the DOJ concerning a congressional subpoena for the same record.
The DOJ initially provided the Intelligence Committee a heavily redacted copy of the Electronic Communication it sought. Only after the Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena did the DOJ, on April 10, 2018, provide a less redacted version, which has not been released publicly.
The DOJ IG also referenced and quoted the EC in its December report on FISA abuse targeting President Trump and Carter Page. The IG report, FBI texts, and testimony show President Obama was aware of Crossfire Hurricane.
We had previously received a production of 144 pages of emails between Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page in which the Electronic Communication was discussed.
On July 31, 2016, Strzok sent an email under the subject line “Opening EC” to Jonathan Moffa, a deputy assistant director in the bureau’s Counterintelligence Division, Lisa Page and an unidentified FBI Office of General Counsel official.
Strzok: Hey just realized I need a succinct statement for the Opening EC. To open bidding I propose: [redacted]. Comments, please.
Moffa: I would recommend: [redacted].
Page: I like Jon’s additions and subtraction.
Strzok: Thanks. So: [redacted].
We’re now seeing the corrupt origins of Obamagate.
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Off the Wall Ping!
Contact to be added.
“We now have more proof that Crossfire Hurricane was a scam.”
Just like the Scamdemic and the Ukraine phone call scam.
The Democrat Party’s legacy.
Judicial Watch has done more to see real justice done over the past 12 years than the so called Department of Justice has.
Papa was hardly a prominent member of the Trump campaign. The only contact Russians had with Papa was Russians who were US intelligence officers.
Redacted is in a lot of trouble!
To think I just got an email from jeff sessions touting his deep integrity. A lot that got us.
Wonder how many of those Redacteds are John McCain and his close minions.
Sorry to hijack your thread, but this has been bugging me for a long time. What’s in a name? Has anyone asked how “Crossfire Hurricane” came to be the name of this shenanigan? It would seem to indicate that there is and will be so much incoming fire from all directions that the Trump campaign, and later, the Trump administration, would be so pinned down and overwhelmed by the swirling and gusting wind and rain of things that they’d be paralyzed and frozen into a neutered and confused mess of chaotic inactivity. If the people involved in this mess were actually acting in an altruistic and professional way, why on earth would they name their investigation, “Crossfire Hurricane?” It sounds like the real motive of their actions was spelled out clearly for all to see from the very beginning. Pin them down. Keep them ducking and scared. Confused. Disoriented. Frustrated, etc.
Thanks
It’s the first line of “Jumping Jack Flash.”
“I was born in a crossfire hurricane.”
No idea why they chose that, except that Trump always closes his rallies with another Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Obama is going to be shocked to hear this went on without his knowledge./s
bbb
Interesting observations. The choice of such a name does signify a deliberate effort to subvert the incoming administration and sow chaos.
We need to see a full list of everyone who was read into the Crossfire Hurricane program. Every single person who knew about or was involved in it.
When I first heard the name it reminded me of an old Bob Dylan song.
Here comes the story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Why Crossfire Hurricane?
Or maybe someone was a Stones fan.
And that's WHY I contribute to them monthly. I have a few shares of stock that are doing well and look like they will do very well as President Trump gets things going again. I'll split some of the $$ between Judicial Watch and FR.
If I make too much, I might after to buy another sail boat.
Maybe. I guess like so much of the stuff that captures our interest here, year after year, we’ll most likely never really know the truth of what really happened or why. Every “answer” simply leads to another mystery, dead end, etc. My gut tells me that “Crossfire Hurricane” is a very problematic and troubling name to give to an investigation at such a high level of things. They might as well have called it, “Let’s get that F<€4er.”
The earlier Flynn case was dubbed Crossfire Razor... I don’t think there was a Stones song named that.
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