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Some Updates & the Participants

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I’ve been working on another more lengthy post, but decided it worthy to pause for a quick update as much is transpiring.

The Daily Caller is reporting that Devin Nunes has received all Department of Justice and FBI documents it possesses on the Trump Dossier. I’ve not yet seen secondary confirmation.

The committee was able to review Friday all FBI and DOJ documents on the Trump dossier, former MI-6 British agent Christopher Steele who authored the dossier, and Fusion GPS, the political opposition firm that hired Steele. DOJ also provided any Obama administration applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court based on the dossier, which could approve the surveillance of the Trump transition team or Trump associates, according to a source with direct knowledge of the case.

The only exception to the release was an FBI one FD-302 document that FBI Director Christopher Wray showed only to House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes. The document pertains to interviews of sources or suspects.

I discussed the pending release of these documents previously:

Committee investigators and staff will be provided access to all remaining investigative documents, in unredacted form, for review at DOJ. The documents will include all FBI FD-1023s and FD-302s.

Form 302s are used to report or summarize FBI interviews. Form 1023s are used to document meetings between FBI officials and FBI confidential human sources.

The exception pertains to a single FD-302, which due to national security interests, will be shown separately by Director Wray to Nunes.

These materials will provide notes and documents from any meeting between the FBI and Trump Dossier author Christopher Steele. They will also expose all materials (and participants) used to obtain a FISA warrant.

Importantly, this should provide further sunlight on participants, contacts, origins and sources. Previously unknown names may surface from these materials.

To be made available for interviews in January – former DOJ Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr; FBI Supervisory Special Agent Peter Strzok; former FBI General Counsel James Baker; FBI Attorney Lisa Page; FBI Attorney Sally Moyer; FBI Assistant Director Greg Brower; FBI Assistant Director Bill Priestap; and FBI Special Agent James Rybicki.

Neither Priestap nor Rybicki had been listed by Nunes in his December 28, 2017 letter. They are new – and much needed – interview additions provided by Rosenstein and/or IG Michael Horowitz.

The remaining 9,500 text messages between FBI Supervisory Special Agent Strzok and his mistress, FBI Attorney Lisa Page will be provided no later than January 11, 2018.

Nunes may already have these texts in his possession.

The Hill is reporting the following:

Republican-led House and Senate committees are investigating whether leaders of the Russia counterintelligence investigation had contacts with the news media that resulted in improper leaks, prompted in part by text messages amongst senior FBI officials mentioning specific reporters, news organizations and articles.

The texts leaked to the Hill seem to imply leaking to the media and knowledge of forthcoming articles.

“Sorry, Rybicki called. Time line article in the post (sic) is super specific and not good. Doesn’t make sense because I didn’t have specific information to give.”

“Makes me feel WAY less bad about throwing him under the bus to the forthcoming CF article,” she texted. Congressional investigators are still trying to determine what the “CF article” reference means and who the agents thought they were trying to throw “under the bus.”

This is a likely answer:

You may find the Washington Post article here.

As I’ve noted previously, the information flow and exposure of events appears to be increasing at an almost exponential rate. Events, participants and opposing sides are rapidly taking shape.

As a result, I thought it worthwhile to provide a partial list of those involved (titles at time of participation). Known actions taken by these individuals follows:

Clinton Campaign:

  • Hillary Clinton
  • John Podesta, et al

Fusion GPS:

  • Glenn Simpson (co-founder)
  • Peter Fritsch (co-founder)
  • Mary Jacoby (Simpson’s wife)
  • Nellie Ohr (wife of DOJ Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr)

Christopher Steele (Independent Agent for hire – Created Trump Dossier for Fusion GPS)

FBI:

  • James Comey (FBI Director)
  • Andrew McCabe (FBI Deputy Director)
  • James Baker (FBI Lead/General Council)
  • Bill Priestap (FBI Assistant Director – Counter-Intelligence Head)
  • James Rybicki (FBI Special Agent – Comey’s Chief of Staff and senior counselor)
  • Peter Strzok (FBI Supervisory Special Agent)
  • Lisa Page (FBI Lawyer – advising Deputy FBI Director McCabe)

DOJ:

  • Loretta Lynch (Attorney General)
  • Sally Yates (Deputy Attorney General)
  • Bruce Ohr (Associate Deputy Attorney General)
  • John Carlin (Assistant Attorney General for National Security Department w/in DOJ & former Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to then-FBI Director Robert Mueller)

Carlin is a newer name. He assisted in the processing of Section 702 Upstream “About” Inquiries. Carlin will be revisited in the post I am currently working on.

Listed on Nunes Interview List – actions unknown:

  • Greg Bower (FBI Assistant Director – Office of Congressional Affairs)
  • Sally Moyer (FBI Lawyer)

Suspected – but unconfirmed – participants:

  • James Clapper – (Director of National Intelligence – DNI)
  • John Brennan (Director of the CIA)

The Russia Report – Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections was written by James Clapper (DNI). Clapper’s report was then subjected to assessments by the CIA (Brennan), FBI (Comey) and the NSA (Rogers).

NSA Director Mike Rogers publicly stated a differing confidence level in the report than the FBI (Comey) and CIA (Brennan) – qualifying the report with an assessment of only “moderate” confidence.

You can find more information here.

Honorable Mention:

  • Barack Hussein Obama – How much Obama actually knew is unknown. I find it illogical and unlikely that Obama had no knowledge.

Known Actions:

The Clinton Campaign and the DNC hired Fusion GPS and paid for the Trump Dossier.

Fusion GPS (Simpson, Jacoby, Nellie Ohr) orchestrated the Trump Dossier.

Chris Steele was paid by Fusion GPS to create the Trump Dossier.

Peter Strzok (FBI), Bruce Ohr (DOJ) and Lisa Page (FBI) constructed the FISA Application – using Trump Dossier & Section 702 surveillance product.

Bill Priestap (FBI) began the FBI Investigation into Trump Campaign using FBI Counterintelligence Division. Oversaw Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

John Carlin (DOJ) provided Section 702 upstream (“About”) inquiries on members of Trump Campaign.

Loretta Lynch (DOJ), Sally Yates (DOJ), James Comey (FBI), Andrew McCabe (FBI) – provided oversight and political cover to participants.

Comey exonerated Clinton, Lynch accepted Comey’s judgment.

Sally Yates and Bill Priestap visited White House Counsel Don McGahn about General Michael Flynn’s phone calls with Russian Ambassador.

The Investigators:

DOJ:

  • Jeff Sessions – Attorney General
  • Rod Rosenstein – Deputy Attorney General
  • Michael Horowitz – Inspector General for the Department of Justice

Congress:

  • Devin Nunes – House Intelligence Chairman
  • Chuck Grassley – Senate Judiciary Chairman
  • Bob Goodlatte – House Judiciary Chairman

Honorable Mention:

  • Jim Jordan – House Representative
  • Lindsey Graham – Senator (It hurt me to write this but credit where it’s due)

The Inspector General’s Investigation began on  January 12, 2017 but has origins that extend back to October 2016. Inspector General Michael Horowitz has 500 employees, a $100 million budget and 1.2 million documents already in his possession.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered the formation of a new counter-intelligence unit to specifically target leakers. The Unit is jointly headed by Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and new FBI Director Christopher Wray. The counter-intelligence investigation began sometime in July 2017.

We are witnessing the execution of a pincer movement – coordinated between the DOJ and Congress – and centered around Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s Investigation and pending report.

Congress will likely prove the conduit by which most information is disseminated to the public.

For those needing a refresher, I discuss the Inspector General’s Investigation here. I discuss the Inspector General himself, here.

A compressed timeline:

  • February/March 2016 – Trump’s securing of GOP nomination seen as probable.
  • April 19 2016 – Wife of Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS) Mary Jacoby visits White House.
  • Late April 2016 – Clinton Campaign begins paying Fusion GPS.
  • April/May 2016 – Fusion GPS hires Christopher Steele.
  • April/May 2016 – Fusion GPS hires Nellie Ohr, wife of DOJ Assoc. Deputy AG Bruce Ohr.
  • May 2016 – Trump becomes presumptive GOP Nominee.
  • May 23 2016 – Nellie Ohr applies for a HAM Radio license.
  • June 2016 – FBI Agent Peter Strzok – and possibly DOJ’s Bruce Ohr – meet with Christopher Steel.
  • Late June 2016 – First draft of Trump Dossier shared w/Fusion & possibly FBI’s Strzok.
  • Late June 2016 – First FISA request made. It is denied.
  • July 2 2016 – FBI Agent Strzok interviews Hillary Clinton.
  • July 5 2016 – FBI Director Comey exonerates Clinton.
  • July 19, 2016 – Trump officially becomes GOP Nominee.
  • Mid/Late July 2016 – FBI begins counter-intelligence investigation into Russia and Trump.
  • Mid-2016, NSA Director Rogers orders NSA compliance officer to run full audit on 702 NSA compliance.
  • Late July – Second draft of Trump Dossier shared with FBI.
  • August 2016 – Strzok sends “insurance policy” text referencing Deputy FBI Director McCabe.
  • August/September 2016 – CIA Director Brennan meets with Gang of Eight suggesting Russia is helping Trump.
  • Late Summer/Early Fall 2016 – Trump Dossier shopped.
  • Mid/Late September 2016 – Second FISA request made.
  • September 26 2016 – DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) admits to FISC that surveillance included Obama’s political opponents.
  • September 27 2016 – John Carlin, head of DOJ’s NSD and involved with FISA requests, announces he is resigning.
  • Early October 2016 – Bruce Ohr meets with Dossier author Christopher Steele.
  • Early October 2016 – Bruce Ohr meets with Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS).
  • October 2016 – FISA request is granted. No evidence is found but surveillance continues – ostensibly for national security reasons.
  • October 20 2016 – NSA Rogers briefed by NSA compliance officer on 702 NSA compliance audit.
  • October 21 2016 – NSA Rogers orders “About Query” activity to stop, reports activity to DOJ.
  • October 26 2016 – NSA Rogers personally informs FISA Court of 702(17) violations.
  • October 2016 – The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using federal intelligence services.
  • November 17 2016 – NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers travels to see President-Elect Donald Trump.
  • November 17 2016 – Trump Transition Team announces they are moving to Trump National Golf Club.
  • November 19 2016 – Washington Post reports a recommendation made by DNI Clapper in October that Mike Rogers be removed from his NSA position.

The story is finally beginning to break into the mainstream. In a reasonably short period of time it will become impossible to contain.

 

newer post  An American Hero & the Death of a FISA Narrative

older post  A Strategic Tightening – The DOJ’s Rewarding Reply to Nunes & a Letter from Grassley