Agent Peter Strzok & FBI issues in investigations

[jimnyc]

The distrust and desire to investigate the investigators is what I wanted nearly a year ago. :)

They're centering in on this one guy for now, but I believe it's much larger than that of course, and some high officials likely involved.

---

Enough: FBI and Justice Department Corruption Needs to End

Last week nobody knew who Peter Strzok was. He’s certainly not anonymous anymore.

Very quietly this summer, Strzok was reassigned from Trump-Russia collusion probe special counsel Robert Mueller’s team after it was discovered that he’d sent anti-Trump text messages to a woman with whom he was having extramarital sexual congress (who also was a member of that team). That information didn’t reach the public eye until this weekend, and developments since offer a pretty damn good explanation why.

Peter Strzok is everything, as it turns out. Strzok looks like the man at the center of what can best be described as the complete collapse of the FBI and Justice Department’s trustworthiness and credibility, a collapse which is triggering a crisis in the public confidence in the federal government as an institution we consent to have power over us.

Strzok didn’t just serve as an investigator on the Trump-collusion probe, which has degenerated into, as Andrew McCarthy ably laid out at National Review on Monday, an “obstruction investigation” — for the unwashed among us that means it’s essentially a bug hunt for as many Scooter Libbys as Mueller and his team can smoke out. Oh, no. Strzok was involved in the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Heavily involved, in fact — so much so that it’s said it was Strzok who changed the language in then-FBI director James Comey’s exoneration speech to reflect “extreme carelessness” rather than “gross negligence” to describe Clinton’s behavior in running her government emails through that illegal bathroom closet server.

That’s a distinction with a difference, by the way, because it fueled the narrative that Clinton’s patently illegal behavior wasn’t punishable under a statute she clearly violated because an element of “intent” not necessary in that statute wasn’t met.

We’re just finding out about Strzok. It’s a great bet we’ll uncover a whole lot more about him — including, there are rumors, that it may have been Strzok who weaponized the Fusion GPS Pee Pee Dossier into the “collusion” investigation in the first place. Someone at the FBI apparently did that, and someone took that dossier to a FISA court in pursuit of warrants to surveil the Trump campaign in an effort by the Obama administration to spy on the political opposition during a presidential election. It might well have been him.

We’re also finding out about another hopelessly compromised member of the Mueller investigative team — namely, Andrew Weissmann. And what we’re finding out isn’t all that good. It turns out that Weissmann is the federal prosecutor who took down Enron, Arthur Anderson, and Merrill Lynch in separate cases, all of which resulted in convictions which were overturned all or in part due to prosecutorial misconduct. Weissmann was reportedly the genius behind the government’s armed pre-dawn raid at the home of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, in order to push an investigation resulting in charges of — essentially — consulting for a foreign political party and “laundering” money which was not illegal.

There are other questionable characters in Mueller’s cabal of Democrat partisans out for blood; to describe each would involve making this column into a book.

To summarize, the Mueller probe is rotten to the core. It’s been nearly a full year in existence and is no closer to finding evidence that Trump colluded with the Russians than he was when he started, and to date all he’s managed is a pair of guilty pleas based purely out of conduct during the investigation, with Flynn’s the most significant.

Understand that there was absolutely no underlying wrongdoing associated with Flynn’s guilty plea. As a member of the Trump transition team it was right and proper for him to communicate with his counterparts in foreign countries — whether Russian or otherwise. He was being spied upon by the intelligence community thanks to a FISA warrant issued, we assume, thanks to that Fusion GPS dossier being weaponized against Trump, and he was asked about things he said the FBI already had transcripts of. A perjury trap was set for Flynn and he fell into it. Just as Libby did when a different partisan Democrat prosecutor went fishing for process crimes after finding no underlying illegality.

This isn’t a banana republic, at least not yet. But it’ll become one on Trump’s watch if the president doesn’t act to put a stop to the runaway corruption in the Justice Department.

Rest - https://spectator.org/enough-of-the-fbi-and-justice-departments-corruption/

[jimnyc]

A special counsel needs to investigate the FBI and Justice Department. Now.

The Post reported that a former top FBI official, Peter Strzok, who had been assigned to and then removed from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation, had “exchanged politically charged texts disparaging [President] Trump and supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton” and that Strzok was “also a key player in the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server.”

This is a blockbuster revelation, carrying the possibility of shattering public confidence in a number of long-held assumptions about the criminal-justice system generally and the FBI and the Justice Department specifically. The Justice Department should appoint a special counsel to investigate Strzok’s actions as soon as possible.

The Strzok report comes on heels of the widely derided Justice Department investigation into IRS discrimination against conservative groups, including the disposition of allegations against IRS senior official Lois Lerner, and after the wildly erratic behavior of then-FBI Director James B. Comey during 2016. It also follows the vote to hold then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress — the first ever against a sitting member of the Cabinet — with 17 Democrats voting in support. Mix into this battering of the Justice Department’s and FBI’s reputations the still-murky charges and counter-charges of abuse of “unmasking” powers during the waning days of the Obama era.

As a result, a large swath of responsible center-right observers are now demanding a full review of the investigation and prosecution powers wielded by the Obama-era Justice Department and FBI. Former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy wrote in the National Review on Saturday that President Trump should call for a second independent counsel to investigate abuse of the counterintelligence authorities under President Barack Obama, abuses he suggests were undertaken to protect the controversial Iran deal on nuclear weapons.

This is an excellent idea. The new special counsel could also review Strzok’s texts and, more crucially, his conduct throughout 2015 and 2016. Strzok may be completely innocent of anything except an off-handed joke that the straight-laced Mueller deemed necessary to punish in a display of a “Caesar’s wife” sort of purity of purpose. But if his texts to FBI lawyer Lisa Page reveal a partisan animus towards Trump or admiration for Clinton, then the bureau and the department have a huge problem on their hands and not just with Strzok and Page.

Rest - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-special-counsel-needs-to-investigate-the-fbi-and-justice-department-now/2017/12/04/5ca1234c-d916-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.f93b0ceb77ff

[Kathianne]

It seems to me that the FBI, DOJ, and IRS have all been found to be extremely biased and guilty of using their powers to harm some and protect others.

I guess the question then becomes, should the tables be turned for x number of years to 'even the score?'

Conyers resigned effective today. If Franken does the same, does that make Moore Senate material still? None have had trials, but without a doubt if not for Moore, pretty sure Conyers would still be there, no? The whole 'bad boys are unacceptable' seems aimed more at Trump than Moore, but it's perplexing on what they hope to do about it.

[jimnyc]

It seems to me that the FBI, DOJ, and IRS have all been found to be extremely biased and guilty of using their powers to harm some and protect others.

I guess the question then becomes, should the tables be turned for x number of years to 'even the score?'

Conyers resigned effective today. If Franken does the same, does that make Moore Senate material still? None have had trials, but without a doubt if not for Moore, pretty sure Conyers would still be there, no? The whole 'bad boys are unacceptable' seems aimed more at Trump than Moore, but it's perplexing on what they hope to do about it.

Unfortunately, it looks like a lot is being decided by what folks find believable and what they don't, without any type of trials or any type of due process, even within the government somehow. Franken is holding tight, but was harmed deeply with that picture. And then further so with his hugging comments. Without the picture and had he shut up, he could have remained out of sight to an extent. Hell, even I defended him in the beginning with just the picture.

Conyers is another that did himself in with the payouts, kind of hard to deny after that. And then a 'recent' staffer making one of the accusations makes it a little more believable.

Moore is another tough one. But his accusations don't seem to contain any factual proof at all, and are outdated. I can't say he's innocent, but the timing and lack of facts surely do make the whole thing suspect. And his lawyer outright refusing for a month now to have what they do call a "fact" shared and investigated makes it that much more suspect.

Back to the intel agencies. You know how I feel about that and how long I have had my suspicions. I think the IRS isn't much new, but of course confirms. But the FBI and DOJ issues seem to grow more and more. Of course the major things we think of are Hillary and Trump, and then of course targeting by the IRS. But my God, what else could they have been doing and/or controlling over the years? I had never had reason before to suspect or think about it. But with things coming out about them this year (all intel), and how things went with the Dems, and of course the Republicans were VERY far from being much different. I lost a lot of faith this year in a lot of things that I was unaware about. :(

[High_Plains_Drifter]

It seems to me that the FBI, DOJ, and IRS have all been found to be extremely biased and guilty of using their powers to harm some and protect others.

I guess the question then becomes, should the tables be turned for x number of years to 'even the score?'
No... I'd say more like time to DRAIN THE SWAMP, and DRAIN THE DEEP STATE.

"Justice" isn't about evening any score, it's about upholding the law and prosecuting those who break it.

[Kathianne]

Unfortunately, it looks like a lot is being decided by what folks find believable and what they don't, without any type of trials or any type of due process, even within the government somehow. Franken is holding tight, but was harmed deeply with that picture. And then further so with his hugging comments. Without the picture and had he shut up, he could have remained out of sight to an extent. Hell, even I defended him in the beginning with just the picture.

Conyers is another that did himself in with the payouts, kind of hard to deny after that. And then a 'recent' staffer making one of the accusations makes it a little more believable.

Moore is another tough one. But his accusations don't seem to contain any factual proof at all, and are outdated. I can't say he's innocent, but the timing and lack of facts surely do make the whole thing suspect. And his lawyer outright refusing for a month now to have what they do call a "fact" shared and investigated makes it that much more suspect.

Back to the intel agencies. You know how I feel about that and how long I have had my suspicions. I think the IRS isn't much new, but of course confirms. But the FBI and DOJ issues seem to grow more and more. Of course the major things we think of are Hillary and Trump, and then of course targeting by the IRS. But my God, what else could they have been doing and/or controlling over the years? I had never had reason before to suspect or think about it. But with things coming out about them this year (all intel), and how things went with the Dems, and of course the Republicans were VERY far from being much different. I lost a lot of faith this year in a lot of things that I was unaware about. :(


I lost 'faith' in the IRS many years ago. The FBI and DOJ for at least the past 8 years. I still wonder though, should there be some sort of 'leveling' of the field though? Say, a sort of 'hands off Conservative's possible wrongdoing' as there has been for all the Democrats for many years? No one is going to believe any of these agencies have the possibility of reform.

[Kathianne]

No... I'd say more like time to DRAIN THE SWAMP, and DRAIN THE DEEP STATE.

"Justice" isn't about evening any score, it's about upholding the law and prosecuting those who break it.
Won't and can't be done, so how about Conservative amnesty of wrongdoing. Mueller gone and any possibility of investigation. They've had their time, it's the other guys now.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

A special counsel needs to investigate the FBI and Justice Department. Now.

Rest - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-special-counsel-needs-to-investigate-the-fbi-and-justice-department-now/2017/12/04/5ca1234c-d916-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.f93b0ceb77ff

You know that when the WASHPO starts running stories like this, the DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA WING OUTLET the WASHPO? The shit is getting bad.

I think they see the writing on the wall. They see that this ENTIRE CHARADE, this FARCE of a COLLUSION investigation STARTED because of a FAKE DOSSIER, which in itself is ILLEGAL to do with a S.C., this whole leftist TAKE DOWN PRESIDENT TRUMP party is IMPLODING as we speak, and it won't be president Trump going anywhere, quite to the contrary, the light is now shining on the GLARING CORRUPTION in the FBI and the DOJ, and it ain't lookin' good. If Mueller was a smart man, he'd say "we're done here" and shut this thing down, but the longer he drags this thing out with the CLEAR LEFTIST TAKE DOWN PRESIDENT TRUMP MOTIVE on FULL DISPLAY for all to see, the harder he's going to fall. This is turning the hunter into the hunted, and ALL these PARTISAN DEEP STATE LEFTIST ASS WIPES better be thinking about the END GAME here, and COVERING THEIR ASS before it's too late.

That's my take.

[jimnyc]

I lost 'faith' in the IRS many years ago. The FBI and DOJ for at least the past 8 years. I still wonder though, should there be some sort of 'leveling' of the field though? Say, a sort of 'hands off Conservative's possible wrongdoing' as there has been for all the Democrats for many years? No one is going to believe any of these agencies have the possibility of reform.

Well thanks for warning me than woman!!! LOL I had complete faith in at least our intel agencies and their skills going into the election last year. And what's the odds that the guy I like winning AND I lose faith?

It's going to be very difficult for these agencies to gain respect and trust back, and rightfully so. But it's just a matter of doing what I thought they were doing up until this point - do their jobs and be the best. But it's going to take years, at least for me.

I know there needs to be reform. And I also agree with Pete, that you can't very well drop each and every person with each election, so it's definitely needs to be something else. Starting with the bosses, IMO, which I think is where things started getting lost currently - both with the FBI & DOJ - and easily from both sides, certainly not a partisan issue that I can see.

I honestly don't understand, with these agencies, how it ever worked up to the point that the Democrats got more protection from these agencies, or what some of us see as unfair or whatever wrongdoings.

[jimnyc]

You know that when the WASHPO starts running stories like this, the DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA WING OUTLET the WASHPO? The shit is getting bad.

I think they see the writing on the wall. They see that this ENTIRE CHARADE, this FARCE of a COLLUSION investigation STARTED because of a FAKE DOSSIER, which in itself is ILLEGAL to do with a S.C., this whole leftist TAKE DOWN PRESIDENT TRUMP party is IMPLODING as we speak, and it won't be president Trump going anywhere, quite to the contrary, the light is now shining on the GLARING CORRUPTION in the FBI and the DOJ, and it ain't lookin' good. If Mueller was a smart man, he'd say "we done here" and shut this thing down, but the longer he drags this thing out with CLEAR LEFTIST TAKE DOWN PRESIDENT TRUMP MOTIVE on FULL DISPLAY for all to see, the harder he's going to fall. This is turning the hunter being the hunted, and ALL these PARTISAN DEEP STATE LEFTIST ASS WIPES better be thinking about the END GAME here, and COVERING THEIR ASS before it's too late.

That's my take.

I thought the same thing, this article was linked to from elsewhere. Not used to seeing this kind of stuff coming from them. Keep in mind though, this was some sort of op-ed, so don't think it came from their typical writers.

[Kathianne]

Well thanks for warning me than woman!!! LOL I had complete faith in at least our intel agencies and their skills going into the election last year. And what's the odds that the guy I like winning AND I lose faith?

It's going to be very difficult for these agencies to gain respect and trust back, and rightfully so. But it's just a matter of doing what I thought they were doing up until this point - do their jobs and be the best. But it's going to take years, at least for me.

I know there needs to be reform. And I also agree with Pete, that you can't very well drop each and every person with each election, so it's definitely needs to be something else. Starting with the bosses, IMO, which I think is where things started getting lost currently - both with the FBI & DOJ - and easily from both sides, certainly not a partisan issue that I can see.

I honestly don't understand, with these agencies, how it ever worked up to the point that the Democrats got more protection from these agencies, or what some of us see as unfair or whatever wrongdoings.


Holder comes to mind. The IRS has been corrupt for decades, they just got fully exposed with the 'tea party' stuff. There is no reform possible, I truly believe that. There's no 'draining the swamp' nor any serious attempts to do so, from either party. Banks, financial services, and corporations were well represented in the last administration and still are so.

Seems like there needs to be some leveling, then we go for what system of government and economics we're going to go with. This system stopped working.

[Kathianne]

Guys it's Hugh Hewitt, an opinion piece.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Won't and can't be done,
IDK... it might be doable if conservatives are in charge long enough, like two republican presidents, two terms back to back might do it.


... so how about Conservative amnesty of wrongdoing. Mueller gone and any possibility of investigation. They've had their time, it's the other guys now.
That'll never happen either, Kath.

[jimnyc]

Holder comes to mind. The IRS has been corrupt for decades, they just got fully exposed with the 'tea party' stuff. There is no reform possible, I truly believe that. There's no 'draining the swamp' nor any serious attempts to do so, from either party. Banks, financial services, and corporations were well represented in the last administration and still are so.

Seems like there needs to be some leveling, then we go for what system of government and economics we're going to go with. This system stopped working.

Holder, Lynch, Yates - all sucked, IMO. Janet Reno? Oh jeez. And now we have Sessions. While nothing 'wrong' that I can see to date - he's dang AWOL!!

[jimnyc]

Guys it's Hugh Hewitt, an opinion piece.

That's what I was saying, it's ain't your normal WaPo.

[Kathianne]

IDK... it might be doable if conservatives are in charge long enough, like two republican presidents, two terms back to back might do it.


It's not just the Democrats who have corrupt members. It's the breakdown of the citizenry that stopped working for what was charmingly once referred to as the common weal. There's 'nothing good' not a bit, about the other side.

[Kathianne]

That's what I was saying, it's ain't your normal WaPo.

They've always had editorials from both sides, usually with an alternative voice on the same page.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

That's what I was saying, it's ain't your normal WaPo.
Yeah but it had to clear the channels at the WashPo to get onto their website.

Read some of the comments from their radical prog followers about that article... they're having their usual meltdown.

Sometimes it's hard to fathom how anyone can get so radical. It DOES appear these people have been BRAIN WASHED.

[Kathianne]

Yeah but it had to clear the channels at the WashPo to get onto their website.

Read some of the comments from their radical prog followers about that article... they're having their usual meltdown.

Sometimes it's hard to fathom how anyone can get so radical. It DOES appear these people have been BRAIN WASHED.

and you don't think that 'the other side' doesn't feel the same when they read comments from 'conservative sites?' I know, the right doesn't control the networks or the NYT and WaPo, yet somehow they do manage to keep their side informed.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

It's not just the Democrats who have corrupt members. It's the breakdown of the citizenry that stopped working for what was charmingly once referred to as the common weal. There's 'nothing good' not a bit, about the other side.
True, but when it's made known that just within the DOJ there's 97% card carrying, donating, Hitlery supporting democrats, "THE OTHER SIDE" is almost IRRELEVANT.

[Kathianne]

True, but when it's made known that just within the DOJ there's 97% card carrying, donating, Hitlery supporting democrats, "THE OTHER SIDE" is almost IRRELEVANT.

Which comes back to the amnesty for the right. How many years of no investigations?

[High_Plains_Drifter]

and you don't think that 'the other side' doesn't feel the same when they read comments from 'conservative sites?' I know, the right doesn't control the networks or the NYT and WaPo, yet somehow they do manage to keep their side informed.
I didn't say that.

I know damn well the divide in this country is a boiling pot right now, and I'm part of it.

I see far more corruption on the side of the democrats than I do republicans, and that's not because I'm a conservative. ANYONE can see that because it's a fact.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Which comes back to the amnesty for the right. How many years of no investigations?
That won't work, or ever happen.

Prosecute those who break the law, period... start with Hitlery.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

You're right about one thing though, Kath, Washington is broke. The whole damn town should be cleaned out from top to bottom, FBI, DOJ, IRS, the whole stinking toilet, then start fresh with new laws and regs in place that if you're caught bringing your political bias to work and using your position to target someone, YOU... GO... TO... JAIL...

[Kathianne]

You're right about one thing though, Kath, Washington is broke. The whole damn town should be cleaned out from top to bottom, FBI, DOJ, IRS, the whole stinking toilet, then start fresh with new laws and regs in place that if you're caught bringing your political bias to work and using your position to target someone, YOU... GO... TO... JAIL...

You're railing to a rock, only those who agree with your pov are agreeing. The other side feels exactly the same. Both sides will gleefully find reasons, excuses for any possible wrongdoings with those that agree with them.

Right now the left is citing polls to show they feel stongly against harassers, unlike conservatives. A joke, but one their believers will willingly embrace, to claim moral high ground. It's just a different version though of what has been happening on many fronts on both sides.

It's all about winning, not about good.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

You're railing to a rock, only those who agree with your pov are agreeing. The other side feels exactly the same. Both sides will gleefully find reasons, excuses for any possible wrongdoings with those that agree with them.

Right now the left is citing polls to show they feel stongly against harassers, unlike conservatives. A joke, but one their believers will willingly embrace, to claim moral high ground. It's just a different version though of what has been happening on many fronts on both sides.

It's all about winning, not about good.
I know you can't slip a sheet of paper in between the difference of deep state establishment dems and repubs, that's why I said clean the whole dang town out.

That still doesn't change what I see though, and I see epic, monumental corruption and political hackery on the dems side, mainly within the obama administration, to a level that has never been seen before, and I believe more and more Americans are seeing it too. I honestly think the dems have CORRUPTED themselves so far, and turned their party into such a RADICAL bunch of misfits, that their day is coming, and it's all going to come crashing down.

[jimnyc]

It's almost like it's a waste of time. Seems like anytime that Grassley requests anything of major importance, that it goes unanswered or ignored or denied or whatever.

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DOJ Watchdog Faces Questions Over Investigation Of Anti-Trump FBI Agent

Two top Republican senators are pressing the Department of Justice’s inspector general over its investigation of an FBI agent who worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation as well as on the Hillary Clinton email probe.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter on Wednesday to Michael Horowitz, the DOJ watchdog, seeking information about its investigation of Peter Strzok.

Strzok was kicked off of Mueller’s team over the summer after the inspector general discovered that he had exchanged anti-Trump and pro-Clinton text messages with Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer with whom he was having an affair.

Page worked on the Mueller team through July.

The circumstances of Strzok’s demotion — he now works in the FBI’s human resources division — remained a mystery for nearly four months and came to light through leaks reported on over the weekend.

Strzok’s political leanings are especially significant because of his central role in both the investigation into Russian interference in the presidential campaign and the Hillary Clinton email probe.

As the FBI’s No. 2 counterintelligence official, Strzok helped open both the Clinton and Russia investigations. He was tapped at the end of July 2016 to lead the Russia probe, which involved an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Kremlin.

Strzok conducted many of the biggest interviews in both of the cases, though the outcomes have been starkly different.

He helped interview Michael Flynn on Jan. 24. The former national security adviser pleaded guilty last Friday to lying during that interview about contacts he had last December with Russia’s ambassador.

Rest - http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/06/doj-watchdog-faces-questions-over-investigation-of-anti-trump-fbi-agent/

[High_Plains_Drifter]

https://image.ibb.co/dkbGF6/sessions_idiot.jpg

[jimnyc]

Let's hope they start getting some answers!!

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Sen. Grassley Turns Up Heat on FBI to 'Cough Up' Strzok Documents

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is demanding that the FBI turn over documents relating to the activities of Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team last July after he became a political liability.

Strzok was demoted to human resources after the Justice Department’s inspector general discovered he had exchanged anti-Trump, pro-Clinton text messages with his paramour, an FBI lawyer who also worked for Mueller. Lisa Page, the lawyer with whom Strzok was having an extramarital affair, reportedly remained on Mueller's team for nearly two months after Strzok was reassigned.

Before joining Mueller's Russia probe, Strzok led the Clinton email investigation and helped to "draft her exoneration months in advance of her July 2, 2016, interview, which he personally supervised," according to the New York Post."He was the agent responsible for softening language then-FBI Director James Comey used in his July 5, 2016, statement clearing Clinton just ahead of the Democratic convention. He changed the rough draft of Comey’s announcement describing Clinton’s behavior as 'grossly negligent' (a possible crime) to 'extremely careless.'"

Strzok is also the agent who interrogated then-national security adviser Michael Flynn at the White House just days after Flynn took office.

The FBI, shockingly enough, has not been cooperating with requests from congressional Republicans to pony up documents related to Strzok's involvement with both cases.

It appears that Sen. Grassley is getting almost as frustrated with the FBI stonewall as House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray Wednesday he requested all text messages at issue and the related communications.

Rest - https://pjmedia.com/trending/sen-grassley-turns-heat-fbi-cough-strzok-documents/

[jimnyc]

I think we're going to eventually find out that this 'Dossier' was full of shit, perhaps even made up. And that even perhaps the FBI knew about it and did nothing. I had this pegged a long time back.

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DOJ Demotes Official Over Trump Dossier Contacts

The Department of Justice has demoted a top official over his contacts with the former British spy who authored the Trump dossier as well as with Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm that commissioned the salacious document.

Fox News reports that Bruce G. Ohr was removed from his position as associate deputy attorney general on Wednesday. Ohr, who worked in close proximity to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, had contacts last year with dossier author Christopher Steele as well as with Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS.

According to Fox News, Ohr met Steele at some point during the presidential campaign. He met Simpson around Thanksgiving 2016. During that coffee meeting, Simpson and Ohr reportedly discussed the dossier, the Trump investigation and Simpson’s frustration with Trump’s electoral victory.

Ohr’s demotion is the second major personnel change known so far in the Russia investigation. It was reported on Saturday that former counterintelligence official Peter Strzok was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia team after the Department of Justice’s inspector general found that he exchanged anti-Trump and pro-Clinton text messages with FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

It is not known what comments Strzok made in those text messages. He was on the ground floor of the Russia investigation, having been tapped in July 2016 to lead the FBI’s investigation into possible campaign collusion. He was also a central figure in the Clinton email investigation.

Rest - http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/07/doj-demotes-official-over-trump-dossier-contacts/

[jimnyc]

I am going to swoop in shortly and make a new thread about the wrongdoings of Strzok and/or others within the FBI and this case.

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Rep. Gowdy: Why Was Anti-Trump FBI Agent Interviewing Hillary?

Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, questioned why an anti-Trump FBI agent had supervision over the Clinton email investigation.

During a Thursday interview with Fox News, Gowdy pointed out the various problematic things that Agent Peter Strzok had done while overseeing the Clinton and Trump-Russia investigations.

Gowdy blasted Strozk’s decision to change the wording of Clinton’s behavior with her private email server from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless.”

“It’s really difficult to say, ‘we’re not gonna prosecute you’ when we use the precise words, so he changed it to extremely careless,” he explained. “There is no difference–the only difference is they didn’t want to use the wording in the statute.”

Then Gowdy trashed the idea that Strzok would be responsible for interviewing key witnesses in the Clinton probe.

“If he had pro-Clinton or anti-Trump bias, what the hell was he doing interviewing Hillary Clinton?”

http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/07/rep-gowdy-why-was-anti-trump-fbi-agent-interviewing-hillary-video/

[jimnyc]

Agents involved in the Russia investigation, prior to the election and after. It also potentially includes the same folks with perhaps the Clinton email investigation... Making this as to be able to move over other threads into this one.

[Black Diamond]

Maybe they all met with Clintons on air strips.

[jimnyc]

A hunch, huh? Wow. I think this is going to grow and grow and grow. These FISA warrants, the Steele Dossier and the FBI's involvement. And then how it was all used to deliver to the Democrats. And who all was involved in helping? This can go all the way to the top, or very near it, some strikingly high officials. Nowadays every tiny little thing comes back. But somehow, when it was the Dems running the show, things were tight as a noose and shit way too hard to find. That tells me a lot about who is in charge, who may have a ton of layovers... They need some serious investigations into this. All these investigations will be tying us up forever. But maybe rightfully so. They need to get to the very bottom of this, I am convinced 99999999999.99999999999% that there are some seriously guilty folks - and it's not Trump and his administration.

---

FBI Director Grilled On Anti-Trump Agent’s Involvement In Steele Dossier

FBI Director Christopher Wray was grilled on Capitol Hill Thursday about embattled FBI agent Peter Strzok’s involvement in handling the infamous Steele dossier.

During a tense line of questioning in a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan pressed Wray to release the FBI’s application for a secret surveillance court warrant taken out last year on a former Trump campaign adviser.

Jordan said that he had a strong “hunch” that Strzok, as a top FBI counterintelligence official, was the agent who handled the dossier and used it as part of the evidence for warrants submitted last year to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).

Strzok is in the news because it was revealed on Saturday that he was kicked off of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation for exchanging anti-Trump and pro-Clinton text messages with his mistress, an FBI lawyer named Lisa Page who also worked on Mueller’s team.

Strzok was tapped to supervise the Russia investigation at the end of July 2016. Several weeks earlier he had been working as a central investigator on the Hillary Clinton email probe. After the discovery of his texts, Strzok was demoted to the FBI’s human resources department.

Jordan questioned why Strzok would be removed from the Mueller investigation considering that at least nine of the prosecutors working on the team have been found to have contributed to Democratic political candidates, including Clinton.

“If you kicked everybody off Mueller’s team who was anti-Trump there wouldn’t be anybody left,” Jordan said to Wray, who took over as FBI director in August.

“There’s got to be something more, and I’m trying to figure out what it is. But my hunch is, it has something to do with the dossier,” continued Jordan, who referred to the dossier as “National Enquirer garbage.”

Wray refused to answer questions about Strzok, the dossier, or the FBI application for the FISC warrant.

“I’m not prepared to discuss anything about a [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] process in this setting,” he said.

It has been reported that the FBI obtained a warrant in Sept. 2016 against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser who is a prominent figure in the dossier, which was compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.

Page, who refers to the Steele report as the “dodgy dossier,” also recently questioned whether Strzok was involved in taking out the surveillance warrant against him.

Rest - http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/07/fbi-director-grilled-on-anti-trump-agents-involvement-in-steele-dossier/

[jimnyc]

I certainly cannot agree anymore with Jim Jordan on this one!! I think he nailed it dead on.

---

BOOM! Rep. Jim Jordan Goes Scorched Earth On FBI Director Over Trump-Hater Peter Strzok

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) grilled FBI director Christopher Wray Thursday morning. The conservative firebrand demanded Wray confirm whether or not Trump-hating FBI agent Peter Strzok applied for the FISA warrant to spy on Trump officials.

Jordan kicked off his line of questioning with the following, “Director, did Peter Strozk help produce and present the application to the FISA court to secure a warrant to spy on Americans associated with the Trump campaign?”

Wray didn’t want to go there.

Jordan’s partial transcript via Washington Times: (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/7/jim-jordans-masterful-judiciary-performance/)


“Let’s remember a couple of things about the dossier,” he said. “The Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign, which we now know were one and the same, paid the law firm who paid Fusion GPS who paid Christopher Steele who then paid Russians to put together a report that we call a dossier full of all kinds of fake news, National Enquirer garbage and it’s been reported that this dossier was all dressed up by the FBI, taken to the FISA court and presented as a legitimate intelligence document — that it became the basis for a warrant to spy on Americans.” […]

“The easiest way to clear it up is tell us what’s in that application and who took it there,” Jordan said. […]

Jordan finished with this: “Here’s what I think — I think Peter Strozk … Mr. Super Agent at the FBI, I think he’s the guy who took the application to the FISA court and if that happened, if this happened, if you have the FBI working with a campaign, the Democrats’ campaign, taking opposition research, dressing it all up and turning it into an intelligence document so they can take it to the FISA court so they can spy on the other campaign, if that happened, that is as wrong as it gets.”

The grilling comes amid reports Trump-hating FBI agent Peter Strzok played a key role in analyzing the infamous ‘Trump dossier,’ supplied by shady research firm Fusion GPS.

Fox News’ James Rosen also reveals Strzok played a key role in agreeing to pay ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele $50,000 to find evidence to further support the dossier’s explosive claims. FBI officials were uncomfortable with the validity of Steele’s findings, yet they moved forward with FISA surveillance anyways.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/__trashed-19/

[jimnyc]

WOW! DOJ Officials Reading Through Over 10,000 Texts Between Anti-Trump Investigator Strzok and His FBI Mistress

Justice Department officials are reading over 10,000 text messages former anti-Trump investigator Peter Strzok sent to his mistress and FBI attorney Lisa Page over the past several months.

Unreal.
That’s over 27 text messages a day if the affair lasted for over a year.

Strzok who investigated and pardoned Crooked Hillary set up General Flynn is a huge Trump basher.

This is Deep State at its best.

FOX News reported:


Justice Department officials are reading through “over 10,000 texts” between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, Fox News has learned, after it emerged Strzok was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe following the discovery of anti-Trump messages between them.

Department of Justice officials told Fox News they are in the process of going through the texts so they can hand them over to the House Intelligence Committee.

Strzok, who was an FBI counterintelligence agent, had worked on the Mueller probe, but was reassigned to the FBI’s human resources department after the discovery of anti-Trump text messages with Page, with whom he was having an affair. Page was briefly on Mueller’s team, but since has returned to the FBI.

The disclosure of those messages revived Republican concerns about the objectivity of Mueller’s probe.

It’s unclear whether a significant number of the 10,000 texts have anything to do with Trump or the probe itself.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/wow-doj-officials-reading-10000-texts-anti-trump-investigator-strzok-fbi-mistress/

[jimnyc]

Rep. Jordan Presses FBI Director to Release FISA Application for Trump Surveillance

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) drew blood this morning during his pointed questioning of FBI Director Christopher Wray at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Jordan's line of questioning concerned Peter Strzok, who was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team last July after he became a political liability to Mueller's investigation. Jordan was particularly interested in seeing the FBI's application to the FISA court that allowed the Obama administration to surveil the Trump campaign.

As Jordan pointed out, it was Strzok who changed the criminal term “gross negligence” to the legally inconsequential “extreme carelessness” in former FBI Director James Comey’s statement of findings on Hillary Clinton’s email server. Strzok also played a key role in Mueller's Russia investigation.

"The same Peter Strzok that we learned this past weekend was removed from the special counsel team because he exchanged text messages with a colleague at the FBI that ... displayed a pro-Clinton bias?" Jordan asked.

Wray answered in the affirmative.

“Well here’s what I’m not getting," Jordan continued. "Peter Strozk is selected to be on Mueller’s team -- after all this history, put on Mueller’s team -- and then he’s removed for some pro-Clinton text messages. I mean there are all kinds of people on Mueller’s team who are pro-Clinton.”

Jordan pointed out that the vast majority of Mueller’s investigators are Democratic donors.

"Politifact reported 96% of the top lawyers' contributions went to Clinton or Obama," he said. "But Peter Strzok, the guy who ran the Clinton investigation, interviewed Mills, Abedin, interviewed Secretary Clinton, changed "gross negligence" -- a crime -- to the term "extreme carelessness," ran the Russia investigation, who interviewed Mike Flynn, gets put on Mueller's team, and then he gets kicked off for a text message that's anti-Trump."

Rest - https://pjmedia.com/video/rep-jordan-presses-fbi-director-release-fisa-application-trump-surveillance/

[jimnyc]

Nice to know that the overwhelming majority of the lawyers on Mueller's team have donated to the Clinton campaign or other Democrats. And to know that they party with them. :)

--

Mueller’s ‘Pit Bull’ Attended Clinton’s Election Night Party

An attorney for special counsel Robert Mueller attended Hillary Clinton’s election night party in New York City, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Andrew Weissmann’s attendance at the party is one of many signs pointing to a troubling bias from the attorney. Weissmann has been described by The New York Times as Mueller’s “lieutenant” and “pit bull.”

Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch obtained an email Tuesday that reveled Weissmann praised former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ defiance of Trump.

“I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects,” Weissmann wrote to Yates on Jan. 30. The email followed Yates’ instruction to the DOJ not to defend an executive order banning immigration from seven nations, an act that led to her dismissal by President Trump.

Weissmann is one of several Democratic donors that have been hired by Mueller, a registered Republican. The special counsel’s “pit bull” donated a combined $6,600 to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The special counsel’s probe has been criticized by Trump’s allies, but the White House maintains Trump has no intention to fire Mueller.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in October that Mueller’s investigation would end “soon.”

However, it appears the wide-ranging probe will last into 2018.

“The president’s lawyers are sleepwalking their client into the abyss,” Roger Stone, a Trump confidant, told the Journal.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/08/muellers-pit-bull-attended-clintons-election-night-party/

[jimnyc]

Strzok/Page Text Messages Are Even Worse Than You Thought

Newly released text messages between Peter Strzok (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/doj-provides-congress-with-hundreds-of-texts-between-peter-strzok-and-lisa-page/article/2643321), the recently demoted FBI agent on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, and his alleged mistress Lisa Page may be worse than anyone imagined. The Justice Department provided congressional committees with thousands of text messages between the pair late Tuesday night, and many of them are highly critical of the president.

Throughout the 2016 campaign, Strzok and Page referred to then-candidate Trump as a "loathsome human being," "an idiot," "awful," and a "douche," among other insults. Strzok also indicated that he would vote for Hillary Clinton, even as he was leading the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's improper use of a private server while secretary of State.

Strzok was reassigned to human resources in July 2017 after the Justice Department's inspector general discovered the disparaging messages.

Page, a lawyer who was also assigned to the Russia probe, completed her detail before the special counsel's office became aware of the texts, CBS reported.

The text messages provided to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees indicate that Strzok and Page began sharing their intense political opinions via text message sometime in 2015. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) asked the Justice Department to produce copies of the communications earlier this month.

In November 2015, Page wrote that she hoped House Speaker Paul Ryan “falls and crashes in a blaze of glory,” to which Strzok replied: “Yes, And me too. At some point the Rep party needs to pull their head out of their ass. Shows no sign of occurring any time soon.”

Here, Strzok seemed certain that the woman he was supposed to be investigating would win:


More Strzok / Page texts. These are people at the FBI and on Mueller's team.

PETER STRZOK: "God Hillary should win 100,000,000 - 0."

LISA PAGE: "Also did you hear him (Trump) make a comment about the size of his d**k earlier? This man can not be president."

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) December 13, 2017

In one message, Page sent Strzok a link to a story about Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, with the text: “What an utter idiot.”

In March 2016, Page texted Strzok: “God trump is a loathsome human,” to which Strzok replied: “Yet he may win.”

Strzok later asked Page whether she thought Trump would be a worse president than Sen. Ted Cruz. She replied, “Trump? Yes, I think so.”

Also in March 2016, Strzok and Page discussed who they would vote for in the coming presidential election. Strzok said, “I suppose Hillary,” and then moments later texted: “I would D[Democrat.”

“He doesn’t think you’re an R, does he?” Page asked Strzok. (It is unclear who “he" is.)

Strzok replied in a series of texts: “He think I wouldn’t vote for her right now. He knows I’m a conservative Dem. But now I wonder.”

Also in March, Page seemed to be concerned about whether their texts about Trump could be discovered. "So look, you say we can text on that phone when we talk about Hillary because it cant be traced," she wrote.

In a text some are calling a "smoking gun," Page linked to a New York Times article and said: "maybe you’re meant to stay where you are because you’re meant to protect the country from that menace."

Strzok replied: "I can protect our country at many levels, not sure if that helps."

The two traded disparaging messages about the Republican National Convention in July 2016, mocking the Trump campaign and the Republican speakers. "Its PATHETIC!" Strzok wrote to Page.

“TURN IT ON, TURN IT ON!!! THE DOUCHEBAGS ARE ABOUT TO COME OUT,” Strzok messaged Page on July 19, 2016.

Page replied moments later: "And wow, Donald Trump is an enormous d*uche."

“Hi. How was Trump, other than a douche? Melania?" Strzok texted roughly eight hours later.

“Trump barely spoke, but the first thing out of his mouth was 'we’re going to win sooo big.' The whole thing is like living in a bad dream,” Page wrote back.

Also in July 2016, Page texted: "God, it’s just a two-bit organization. I do so hope his disorganization comes to bite him hard in November." Strzok wrote back: "It HAS to, right? Right?!? Panicked"

Rest - https://pjmedia.com/trending/strzok-page-text-messages-even-worse-thought/


DOJ provides Congress with hundreds of texts between ex-Mueller team agent Peter Strzok and alleged mistress Lisa Page

The Justice Department provided congressional committees with hundreds of text messages between Peter Strzok — the agent on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team who was demoted for critical messages about President Trump — and his alleged mistress Lisa Page, a lawyer also assigned to the probe.

Those text messages were obtained by the Washington Examiner, and show extreme political opinions shared about the two dating back to 2015.

The release comes roughly 12 hours before Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appears before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about Mueller’s investigation. Rosenstein — who appointed Mueller in May and is the only one with the power to fire him — has praised the investigation thus far, despite calls from Republicans that has become too biased.

One message from Page to Strzok is a link to a story about Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, with the text “What an utter idiot.”

In November 2015, Page said she hopes House Speaker Paul Ryan “falls and crashes in a blaze of glory,” to which Strzok replied: “Yes, And me too. At some point the Rep party needs to pull their head out of their *ss. Shows no sign of occurring any time soon.”

“Martin O’Malley’s a freak show,” Strzok messaged Page in January 2016, a reference to the former governor of Maryland who ran a brief campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

In March 2016, Strzok and Page discuss telling someone who they will vote for in the coming 2016 presidential election.

Strzok texted Page, “I suppose Hillary,” and then moments later, “I would D [Democrat.”

“He doesn’t think you’re an R, does he?” Page asked Strzok, but it is unclear who “he is.

Strzok replied in a series of texts, “He think I wouldn’t vote for her right now. He knows I’m a conservative Dem. But now I wonder.”

Days after the exchange — March 2016 — Page texted Strzok, “God trump is a loathsome human,” to which Strzok replies, “Yet he may win.”

Moments later, Strzok asked whether Trump would be a worse president than Sen. Ted Cruz, to which Page says, “Trump? Yes, I think so.”

The text messages were provided late Tuesday night to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees after multiple requests.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., requested earlier this month the Justice Department provide copies of communications between Strzok and Page.

The communications between the two were part of a broader investigation by the Justice Department’s Offie of Inspector General announced in January 2017 to review allegations that department “policies or procedures were not followed in connection with, or in actions leading up to or related to” former FBI Director Jim Comey’s July 2016 announcement that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would not be charged in her use of a private email server while secretary of state.

In letters to Goodlatte and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote the Justice Department expected the documents turned over "to be provided as part of a completed OIG report.”

"However, public reporting about the existence of the text messages prompted Congressional Committee requests for the text messages," Boyd wrote.

Mueller was informed of the text messages on July 27, 2017, Boyd wrote, adding Mueller "immediately concluded that Mr. Strzok could no longer participate in the investigation and he was removed from the team."

In May 2016, when Cruz dropped out of the race, Page told Strzok she thought it was “unbelievable” that it was going to be a Trump-Cruz race.

As the primary heated up in July 2016, Strzok and Page continued unabashed comments about politics ranging from Congress.

As the primary heated up in July 2016, Strzok and Page continue unabashed comments about politics ranging from Congress — “How we make law in this country is offensive and irresponsible,” Page said — to former Attorney General Eric Holder — whose portrait Strzok called “wildly offensive."

On July 14, 2016, Page sent Strzok an article in the New York Times on how Trump’s often controversial rhetoric about race is resonating well with white voters.

“It’s really frightening,” Page sad about the article, later adding, “Yeah, it’s not good.”

During the Republican National Convention, the two goaded each other to flip it on.

“TURN IT ON, TURN IT ON!!! THE DOUCHEBAGS ARE ABOUT TO COME OUT,” Strzok messaged Page on July 19, 2016.

Page replied moments later: "And wow, Donald Trump is an enormous d*uche."

“Hi. How was Trump, other than a douche? Melania?" Strzok replied roughly eight hours later.

“Trump barely spoke, but the first thing out of his mouth was 'we’re going to win sooo big.' The whole thing is like living in a bad dream,” Page replied back.

The two go on to say they hope Trump’s “disorganization comes back to bite him hard in November,” with Strzok saying he feels “Panicked” about the election.

Strzok and Page also traded barbs about other Republican leaders, calling Ben Carson “crazy-ass grain storage pyramid Ben Carson,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “a turtle,” and Ryan “a jerky.”

“This campaign is like watching a train wreck happen over and over again,” Page messaged Strzok on July 21, 2016.

Just a week later, Strzok called Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders supporters “stupid*ass” and “idiots,” to which Page said she “really really” likes former Vice President Joe Biden.

In August 2016, Page sent Strzok an article about Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who famously spoke out against Trump at the Democratic National Convention.

“Jesus. You should read this. And Trump should go f himself,” she said.

Strzok replied, “God that’s a great article. Thanks for sharing. And F Trump.”

Days later, Page asked Strzok to reassure her that “He’s not ever going to become president, right? Right?!”

In mid-August 2016, they continued to question how Trump became the Republican presidential nominee.

“What the hell has happened to our country!?!?!??” Strzok said, days later adding he is “worried about what Trump is encouraging in our behavior.”

On August 26, 2016, Strzok told Page he went to a Walmart in southern Virginia and he could “SMELL the Trump support.…”

Page said she is out to lunch with someone whose name is redacted, and added they both “hate everyone and everything.”

“I want to be there and hate with you, or charm you back to happy,” Strzok replied.

“Just riffing on the hot mess that is our country,” said Page.

In October 2016, Page praised the Obama family: “I’m proud to have had [Barack Obama] as my president.”

The Justice Department provided congressional committees with hundreds of text messages between Peter Strzok — the agent on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team who was demoted for critical messages about President Trump — and his alleged mistress Lisa Page, a lawyer also assigned to the probe.

Those text messages were obtained by the Washington Examiner, and show extreme political opinions shared about the two dating back to 2015.

One message from Page to Strzok is a link to a story about Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, with the text “What an utter idiot.”

In Nov. 2015, Page said she hopes House Speaker Paul Ryan “falls and crashes in a blaze of glory,” to which Strzok replied: “Yes, And me too. At some point the Rep party needs to pull their head out of their *ss. Shows no sign of occurring any time soon.”

“Martin O’Malley’s a freak show,” Strzok messaged Page in Jan. 2016, a reference to the former governor of Maryland who ran a brief campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

In March 2016, Strzok and Page discuss telling someone who they will vote for in the coming 2016 presidential election.

Strzok texted Page, “I suppose Hillary,” and then moments later, “I would D [Democrat.”

“He doesn’t think you’re an R, does he?” Page asked Strzok, but it is unclear who "he" is.

Strzok replied in a series of texts, “He think I wouldn’t vote for her right now. He knows I’m a conservative Dem. But now I wonder.”

Days after the exchange — March 2016 — Page texted Strzok, “God trump is a loathsome human,” to which Strzok replies, “Yet he may win.”

Moments later, Strzok asked whether Trump would be a worse president than Sen. Ted Cruz, to which Page says, “Trump? Yes, I think so.”

The text messages were provided late Tuesday night to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees after multiple requests.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., requested earlier this month the Justice Department provide copies of communications between Strzok and Page.

The communications between the two were part of a broader investigation by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General announced in Jan. 2017 to review allegations that department “policies or procedures were not followed in connection with, or in actions leading up to or related to” former FBI Director Jim Comey’s July 2016 announcement that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would not be charged in her use of a private email server while secretary of state.

In letters to Goodlatte and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote the Justice Department expected the documents turned over "to be provided as part of a completed OIG report.”

"However, public reporting about the existence of the text messages prompted Congressional Committee requests for the text messages," Boyd wrote.

Mueller was informed of the text messages on July 27, 2017, Boyd wrote, adding Mueller "immediately concluded that Mr. Strzok could no longer participate in the investigation and he was removed from the team."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/doj-provides-congress-with-hundreds-of-texts-between-peter-strzok-and-lisa-page/article/2643321

[Black Diamond]

Anyone going into government needs to wear a chastity belt and stay off their phones

[jimnyc]

The FBI's Ship of Fools

Of the many astonishing revelations now emerging from the Russia investigation, not enough has been made of the fact that -- that Zelig of the FBI who mysteriously appeared at every controversial moment -- was second in command for counterintelligence.

That's right, counterintelligence -- that activity "designed to prevent or thwart spying, intelligence gathering, and sabotage by an enemy or other foreign entity."

And yet that same Mr. Strzok was conducting a clandestine extra-marital affair with an FBI colleague over thousands of text messages that could be and likely were (more of that in a moment) intercepted by those same foreign intelligence agencies -- or were, at the very least, recklessly exposed to them.

Now you don't have to be James Jesus Angleton or even have read a novel by John le Carré to know one of the most important vulnerabilities in the intel world is just such dangerous liaisons, frequently used for blackmail of all sorts.

Yet, our second in command in counterintelligence conducted his in full digital view of anyone and did so replete with idiotically extreme comments about the president of the United States that would make our Peter a prime candidate for blackmail.

How exactly do you spell D-O-O-F-U-S?

Or, come to think of it, didn't someone else do something just that dumb? Oh, yes, the very Mrs. Clinton who moved the entire email correspondence of the secretary of State onto a homebrew server stashed in a bathroom.

No wonder Strzok went easy on her and on her buddies Cheryl and Huma. It wasn't just the extreme bias they all shared, it was the extreme cyber-stupidity they also shared. How could he call them "grossly negligent" when he was so "grossly negligent" himself? (He was also "grossly negligent" with his wife, but that's another matter. Someone should get a good interview with her. She might have an interesting story to tell at this point.)

Rest - https://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/fbis-ship-fools/

[jimnyc]

Everyone has an opinion.

---

Laura Ingraham: Unless Investigated, Mueller’s ‘Irreparably Tainted’ Russia Probe ‘Will and Should’ Collapse

Laura Ingraham ripped into the “irreparably tainted” Mueller investigation into Russian collusion with the claim that it is now an example of “how big government can end up becoming a threat to a representative democracy.”

On her Thursday night edition of The Ingraham Angle, Fox News’s latest primetime star opened with a blistering breakdown of the gobsmacking corruption and conflict of interest that has fueled, not only Hillary Clinton’s exoneration over her email scandal, but Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into Russian collusion.

Specifically, Ingraham pointed to text messages written FBI Agent Peter Strzok in August of 2016 that read: “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office — that there’s no way [Trump] gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.”

Strzok is referring to what was obviously a political meeting in FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s office.

Worse still, earlier that same month, Lisa Page (a key player in Mueller’s Russia probe) texted to Strzok: “Maybe you’re meant to stay where you are because you’re meant to protect the country from that menace [Trump].”

“I can protect our country at many levels,” Strzok replied.

Rest - http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/15/laura-ingraham-irreparably-tainted-mueller-investigation-threat-representative-democracy/

[jimnyc]

Growing Evidence Of A Politically Tainted Clinton Investigation

A series of new revelations about the FBI under James Comey has provided more evidence that partisan agents may have abused their agency positions for political purposes during the Hillary Clinton email investigation and 2016 presidential campaign.

Top FBI agent Peter Strzok, the public now knows, was removed from the Mueller investigation after a Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (IG) investigation revealed damning text messages between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

The messages show Strzok and Page praising Clinton, discussing whether Strzok could use his position to protect the country from Donald Trump — whom they described as “that menace” — and referring to an unnamed “insurance policy” in case Trump beat Clinton.

“I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office – that there’s no way he gets elected – but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40” Strzok said of Trump in one message to Page. “Andy” referred to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who has close ties to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally.

Rest - http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/14/fbi-hillary-clinton-email-investigation-peter-strzok-lisa-page-james-comey/