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Grassley’s Letter to Susan Rice – Some Troubling Implications

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On February 12, 2018, Senators Charles Grassley and Lindsey Graham issued a press release regarding a February 8, 2018 letter sent to Susan Rice.

Grassley is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Graham is a Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism.

Grassley and Graham were the same Senators who referred Christopher Steele to the DOJ for criminal investigation – resulting in the Grassley Memo.

From their February 12, 2018 release:

Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) discovered a partially unclassified email sent by President Obama’s former National Security Advisor (NSA) Susan Rice to herself on January 20, 2017 – President Trump’s inauguration day.

Ambassador Rice appears to have used this email to document a January 5, 2017 Oval Office meeting between President Obama, former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates regarding Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.

Before proceeding further, it’s worth examining some excerpts from a larger timeline (at bottom):

  • October 7 2016 – James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), officially accuses the Russian government of hacking the DNC “to interfere with the US election process.”
  • October 21 2016 – DOJ & FBI sought and received a FISA probable cause order (Title I – not Title VII) authorizing electronic surveillance on Carter Page from the FISC.
  • October 26 2016 – NSA Rogers personally informs FISA Court of 702(17) violations.
  • Late October 2016 -Defense Secretary Ash Carter and DNI James Clapper recommend to Obama that Admiral Mike Rogers be removed as director of NSA.
  • December 9 2016 – The CIA tells Congress that Russia conducted hacking operations to prevent Hillary Clinton from winning presidency.
  • December 9 2016 – Obama orders a full review of Russian-election hacking.
  • December 15 2016 – James Clapper signs off on Executive Order 12333 changes impacting the NSA – Obama’s NSA Data-Sharing Order.
  • December 29 2016 – General Michael Flynn speaks to the Russian Ambassador.
  • January 3 2017 – Loretta Lynch signs Section 2.3 of Executive Order 12333 – Obama’s NSA Data-Sharing Order – making the Order effective.
  • January 5 2017 – Obama, James Comey, AG Sally Yates, Joe Biden and Susan Rice have follow-on conversation after briefing by IC leadership (likely Clapper & Brennan) on Russian hacking during 2016 election. Rice will document this meeting in an email to herself on January 20, 2017. It appears the primary topic was the Steele Dossier.
  • January 6 2017 – Comey briefs President-Elect Trump on existence of “salacious and unverified” Russian “Dossier”.
  • January 6 2017 – Within hours of Comey’s meeting with Trump, the Trump/Comey meeting and the existence of the Dossier was leaked (James Clapper named as possible leaker).
  • January 6 2017 – Clapper and Rogers testify before Senate Armed Services Committee. Clapper reaffirms his belief that Russians hacked the election. The formal “Russian Report” is released by DNI Clapper.
  • January 10 2017 – U.S. intelligence chiefs Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Rogers brief Obama on Russian “Dossier” and attempts to “influence” Trump.
  • January 10 2017 – Steele Dossier released by Buzzfeed and reported on by CNN.
  • January 12 2017 –  Mike Flynn’s Dec 29 2016 call is leaked to Washington Post. The article portrays Flynn as undermining Obama’s Russian sanctions.
  • January 12 2017 – The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General announces initiation of a review into actions taken by the DOJ and FBI in advance of the 2016 election.
  • January 19 2017 – The NYT reports that several agencies — the FBI, CIA, NSA and Treasury are monitoring several associates of the Trump campaign suspected of Russian ties.
  • January 19 2017 – Obama’s top intelligence and law-enforcement deputies meet to talk about Flynn’s conversation with Kislyak.
  • January 20 2017 – President Trump’s Inauguration.
  • January 20 2017 – Susan Rice sends email regarding January 5, 2017 meeting to herself.

Of particular note is the January 3, 2017 signing of NSA Data-Sharing Order Section 2.3 by AG Lynch.

The order contains some unusual language. As I note in The Strategic Delay of Section 2.3 of Executive Order 12333:

Prior to the formal signing of Section 2.3, greater latitude existed within the White House in regards to collection of information – especially in relation to the Trump Campaign.

Once signed into effect, Section 2.3 granted broad latitude to inter-agency sharing of information.

By the time the new order was signed on January 3, 2017, all information was already in the Obama White House’s possession.

Keep the timing of the Data-Sharing Order – along with surrounding events – in mind as you continue.

Also recognize Clapper understands that NSA Rogers is now aware of the illegal surveillance – and almost certainly the larger plan.

Rogers has already informed President-Elect Trump:

  • October 20 2016 – NSA Rogers briefed by NSA compliance officer on 702 NSA compliance audit.
  • October 21 2016 – NSA Rogers shuts down all “About Query” activity. Permanently. Reports activity to DOJ and prepares to go before FISA Court.
  • October 26 2016 – NSA Rogers personally informs FISA Court of 702(17) violations.
  • Late October 2016 -Defense Secretary Ash Carter and DNI James Clapper recommend to Obama that Admiral Mike Rogers be removed as director of NSA. Rogers is not removed from his position.
  • November 17 2016 – NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers travels to see President-Elect Donald Trump. He does not inform DNI Clapper.
  • November 17 2016 – Trump Transition Team announces they are moving to Trump National Golf Club.

One last item:

  • January 5 2017 – Obama, James Comey, AG Sally Yates, Joe Biden and Susan Rice have follow-on conversation after briefing by IC leadership (likely Clapper & Brennan) on Russian hacking during 2016 election. Rice will document this meeting in an email to herself on January 20, 2017. It appears the primary topic was the Steele Dossier.
  • January 12 2017 – The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General announces initiation of a review into actions taken by the DOJ and FBI in advance of the 2016 election.
  • January 20 2017 – Susan Rice sends email regarding January 5, 2017 meeting to herself.

I’m guessing the announcement by Inspector General Horowitz may have gotten the attention of Ms. Rice & Company.

Here is the January 12, 2017 statement from the Office of Inspector General:

DOJ OIG Announces Initiation of Review

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today that, in response to requests from numerous Chairmen and Ranking Members of Congressional oversight committees, various organizations, and members of the public, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will initiate a review of allegations regarding certain actions by the Department of Justice (Department) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in advance of the 2016 election. Cognizant of the scope of the OIG’s jurisdiction under Section 8E of the Inspector General Act, the review will examine the following issues:

  • Allegations that Department or FBI policies or procedures were not followed in connection with, or in actions leading up to or related to, the FBI Director’s public announcement on July 5, 2016, and the Director’s letters to Congress on October 28 and November 6, 2016, and that certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations;
  • Allegations that the FBI Deputy Director should have been recused from participating in certain investigative matters;
  • Allegations that the Department’s Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign and/or should have been recused from participating in certain matters;
  • Allegations that Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information; and
  • Allegations that decisions regarding the timing of the FBI’s release of certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents on October 30 and November 1, 2016, and the use of a Twitter account to publicize same, were influenced by improper considerations.

The review will not substitute the OIG’s judgment for the judgments made by the FBI or the Department regarding the substantive merits of investigative or prosecutive decisions. Finally, if circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review.

The OIG makes it very clear – they will be looking at everything.

For more on Inspector General Michael Horowitz and his year-long Investigation see:

The Inspector General’s Quiet Investigation

An Introduction to Inspector General Michael Horowitz

Additional Inspector General reference information here, here, here and here.

On to the letter:

Chuck Grassley Letter to Susan Rice by The Conservative Treehouse on Scribd

From the Grassley/Graham letter:

The Committee received classified and unclassified versions of an email you sent to yourself on January 20, 2017 – President Trump’s inauguration day.  If the timestamp is correct, you sent this email to yourself at 12:15pm, presumably a very short time before you departed the White House for the last time.

In this email to yourself, you purport to document a meeting that had taken place more than two weeks before, on January 5, 2017.

You wrote:

On January 5, following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office.  Vice President Biden and I were also present.

That meeting reportedly included a discussion of the Steele dossier and the FBI’s investigation of its claims.

Your email continued:

President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities “by the book”.  The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective.  He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book.

From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia.

The next part of your email remains classified.  After that, you wrote:

The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team.  Comey said he would.

It strikes us as odd that, among your activities in the final moments on the final day of the Obama administration, you would feel the need to send yourself such an unusual email purporting to document a conversation involving President Obama and his interactions with the FBI regarding the Trump/Russia investigation.

In addition, despite your claim that President Obama repeatedly told Mr. Comey to proceed “by the book,” substantial questions have arisen about whether officials at the FBI, as well as at the Justice Department and the State Department, actually did proceed “by the book.”

Grassley and Graham then ask a series of twelve questions:

  1. Did you send the email attached to this letter to yourself?  Do you have any reason to dispute the timestamp of the email?
  1. When did you first become aware of the FBI’s investigation into allegations of collusion between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia?
  1. When did you become aware of any surveillance activities, including FISA applications, undertaken by the FBI in conducting that investigation?  At the time you wrote this email to yourself, were you aware of either the October 2016 FISA application for surveillance of Carter Page or the January 2017 renewal?
  1. Did anyone instruct, request, suggest, or imply that you should send yourself the aforementioned Inauguration Day email memorializing President Obama’s meeting with Mr. Comey about the Trump/Russia investigation?  If so, who and why?
  1. Is the account of the January 5, 2017 meeting presented in your email accurate?  Did you omit any other portions of the conversation?
  1. Other than that email, did you document the January 5, 2017 meeting in any way, such as contemporaneous notes or a formal memo?  To the best of your knowledge, did anyone else at that meeting take notes or otherwise memorialize the meeting?
  1. During the meeting, did Mr. Comey or Ms. Yates mention potential press coverage of the Steele dossier?  If so, what did they say?
  1. During the meeting, did Mr. Comey describe the status of the FBI’s relationship with Mr. Steele, or the basis for that status?
  1. When and how did you first become aware of the allegations made by Christopher Steele?
  1. When and how did you first become aware that the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic National Committee funded Mr. Steele’s efforts?
  1. You wrote that President Obama stressed that he was “not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective.”  Did President Obama ask about, initiate, or instruct anything from any other perspective relating to the FBI’s investigation?
  1. Did President Obama have any other meetings with Mr. Comey, Ms. Yates, or other government officials about the FBI’s investigation of allegations of collusion between Trump associates and Russia?  If so, when did these occur, who participated, and what was discussed?

I’m fairly confident Grassley already knows the answers to these questions.

The Grassley/Graham letter contains a footnote which references two articles; one from CNN and one from the AP. These articles prove important.

Both articles are from January 12, 2017 – one week after the Obama Meeting.

The CNN article was originally written on January 10, 2017 but has been updated.

From the CNN article:

Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.

The January 5, 2017 Obama Meeting was about the Steele Dossier – and covering the Obama Administration’s actions. The meeting appears to have been the activation of the “Insurance Policy”.

On January 6, 2017 – the day following the Obama Meeting – James Comey met with President-Elect Trump to inform him of the Dossier’s existence. Hours later, President-Elect Trump’s meeting with Comey and the existence of the Dossier was leaked.

The Dossier went public on January 10, 2017 – although CNN had reported its existence earlier.

Also on January 6, 2017, DNI James Clapper and NSA Mike Rogers testify before Senate Armed Services Committee. Clapper reaffirms his belief that Russians hacked the election.

The formal “Russian Report” is released by DNI Clapper the same day.

The DNI’s report was subjected to assessments by the CIA (Brennan), FBI (Comey) and the NSA (Rogers). The NSA’s (Rogers) assessment differed markedly from the CIA & FBI and expressed a much lower confidence (more here and here).

More from the CNN article:

The allegations were presented in a two-page synopsis that was appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible. The FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Mr. Trump.

The Dossier remained almost fully uncorroborated.

One reason the nation’s intelligence chiefs took the extraordinary step of including the synopsis in the briefing documents was to make the President-elect aware that such allegations involving him are circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress and other government officials in Washington.

The primary reason was to officially push the Steele Dossier into public circulation.

This synopsis was not an official part of the report from the intelligence community case about Russian hacks, but some officials said it augmented the evidence that Moscow intended to harm Clinton’s candidacy and help Trump’s.

Of course it was not official. The report was based on evidence provided by the Clinton Campaign and used Circular Reporting by Steele as validation.

The two-page synopsis also included allegations that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government, according to two national security officials.

This relates to the allegations made against Carter Page.

Some of the memos were circulating as far back as last summer. What has changed since then is that US intelligence agencies have now checked out the former British intelligence operative and his vast network throughout Europe and find him and his sources to be credible enough to include some of the information in the presentations to the President and President-elect a few days ago.

This was never done. The report remained uncorroborated.

The two-page summary was written without the detailed specifics and information about sources and methods included in the memos by the former British intelligence official. That said, the synopsis was considered so sensitive it was not included in the classified report about Russian hacking that was more widely distributed, but rather in an annex only shared at the most senior levels of the government: President Obama, the President-elect, and the eight Congressional leaders.

The summary did not contain “the detailed specifics and information about sources and methods included in the memos” because there essentially were none. But the Dossier was treated as the highest level of security classification.

One high level administration official told CNN, “I have a sense the outgoing administration and intelligence community is setting down the pieces so this must be investigated seriously and run down. I think [the] concern was to be sure that whatever information was out there is put into the system so it is evaluated as it should be and acted upon as necessary.”

The “Insurance Policy” had been fully activated.

From the AP article:

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that top intelligence leaders told him and President Barack Obama they felt obligated to inform them about uncorroborated allegations about President-elect Donald Trump out of concern the information would become public and catch them off-guard.

Clapper and Brennan felt “obligated” because this was one of their roles in the overall plan.

In an interview, Biden said neither he nor Obama asked U.S. intelligence agencies to try to corroborate the unverified claims that Russia had obtained compromising sexual and financial allegations about Trump.

Everyone involved in the creation and/or dissemination of the Dossier knew it was uncorroborated. Clapper stated this himself.

Biden said that in the briefing he and Obama received from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and others, there were “no conclusions drawn” from the uncorroborated dossier, which was produced in August and then released publicly this week by the media.

Bear in mind that Clapper would later testify he didn’t even know of the FBI Investigation into the Trump Campaign until March 2017.

John Brennan and James Clapper have every right to be concerned. They are both complicit in all this. See, John Brennan & James Clapper – Complicity, Lies & Bill Priestap.

Lindsey Graham discusses his thoughts on Rice’s letter:

From the Graham interview:

The question is did the president [Obama] know anything about the FISA warrant application? Did Susan Rice know that the warrant application included a dossier from Mr. Steele when he was on the payroll of the Democratic Party, coming from Russian sources that he was a political operative being paid by the Democratic Party, and that the information in the FISA warrant application was a dossier that was political in nature and that Mr. Steele hated . . . candidate Trump . . . That’s not exactly by the book.

What did Comey say when the president allegedly told him, ‘I want you to do it by the book?’ Do you think Comey mentioned to the president that the chief source of information regarding a FISA warrant on Carter Page came from a paid operative of the Democratic party, Mr. Steele who is on the payroll of Fusion GPS that was being paid by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party; that the dossier came from Russian sources, very unreliable and still hasn’t been verified; that the number four guy in the FBI, Mr. Ohr’s wife worked at Fusion GPS who did the research for Mr. Steele?

Do you think he told the president any of that? This is the oddest conversation I can imagine. Why are they talking about doing things by the book on January the 5th and what did Comey say when he was told to do it by the book?

Some good questions. But, of course, we already know the answers.

Based on what we now know, that March 2, 2017 interview with Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas makes ever more sense. From an April 2, 2017 piece:

Lastly, a March 2, 2017 MSNBC interview with Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas began to get some belated attention – although it appears clear it had been getting attention at the White House earlier. In the interview, Farkas detailed how the Obama Administration gathered and disseminated intelligence on the Trump Team.

The Trump folks, if they found out how we knew what we knew about the Trump staff dealing with Russians, that they would try to compromise those sources and methods, meaning we would not longer have access to that intelligence.

That’s why you have the leaking.

Note that Farkas said “how we knew” not “what we knew”. A crucial distinction. The fact that she had left the Obama Administration to work on Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign only makes it more interesting. This also resulted in a letter from White House counsel – asking for investigation into Farkas’ comments.

Here’s the Farkas interview:

There are a couple other immediate issues with Rice’s letter:

“As we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share info fully.”

The Obama Administration tried to cover their actions.

Obama knew everything.

Said another way – Obama knew everything.

Comey specifically hid this meeting from Congress in his testimony – despite the meeting coming one day before he “briefed” President-Elect Trump on the Dossier.

It would seem the evidence is beginning to move up the food chain.

A Partial (but detailed) Timeline:

  • November 2015-April 2016 – The FBI and NSD uses private contractors to access raw FISA information using “To” and “From” FISA-702(16) & “About” FISA-702(17) queries.
  • February/March 2016 – Trump’s securing of GOP nomination seen as probable.
  • Early March 2016 – Fusion approaches DNC law firm Perkins Coie about being hired to continue opposition research into the Trump Campaign.
  • March 21 2016 – Carter Page joins the Trump Campaign as an advisor on foreign policy.
  • March 28 2016 – Paul Manafort joins Trump Campaign as campaign convention manager.
  • April 2016 – National Security Agency (NSA) Director Rogers orders NSA compliance officer to run full audit on 702 NSA compliance.
  • April 2016 – Fusion GPS hired by Perkins Coie on behalf of the DNC.
  • April 18 2016 -Mike Rogers shuts down FBI/DOJ contractor access to the FISA Search System.
  • April 18 2016 – The FBI discontinues private contractor access to raw FISA information.
  • April 19 2016 – Wife of Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS) Mary Jacoby visits White House.
  • April 25 2016 – Two WH meetings between FBI Counsel James Baker and Trisha B Anderson (FBI), Tashina Guahar( DOJ), John T Lynch (DOJ), John (Brad) Wiegmann (DOJ), Alan Rozenshtein (DOJ), Norman (Christopher) Hardee (DOJ), and Iris Lan (DOJ). DOJ attorneys Tashina Guahar, Christopher Hardee, Brad Wiegmann are FISA attorneys.
  • April 30 2016 – DNC IT staff reports suspected hacking on its server(s) to FBI but refuses to grant FBI access.
  • Late April 2016 – Clinton Campaign begins paying Fusion GPS.
  • April/May 2016 – Surveillance of Paul Manafort possibly begins. FISA warrant issued?
  • 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 19 2016 – Paul Manafort promoted to campaign chairman and chief strategist for Trump Campaign.
  • 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.
  • July 5 2016 – Date that forensics indicate DNC emails were copied by an insider via USB and not hacked.
  • June 9 2016 – Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS) meets with Natalia Veselnitskaya before Trump Jr. meeting.
  • June 9 2016 – meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, Rinat Akhmetshin and Natalia Veselnitskaya.
  • June 9 2016 – Glenn Simpson meets again with Natalia Veselnitskaya after Trump Jr. meeting.
  • June 15 2016 – FBI Agent Strzok changes wording of Clinton charges from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless”.
  • June 27 2016 – AG Loretta Lynch has secret meeting with Bill Clinton on tarmac.
  • Late June 2016 – First draft of Trump Dossier shared w/Fusion & possibly FBI’s Strzok.
  • Late June 2016 – First FISA 702 Surveillance Authority request made. It is denied. This event is now in question.
  • July 2 2016 – FBI Agent Strzok interviews Hillary Clinton.
  • July 5 2016 – FBI Director Comey exonerates Clinton.
  • July 8 2016 – Andrew McCabe files financial disclosure but does not disclose Democratic PAC donations to wife’s campaign.
  • July 19 2016 – Trump officially becomes GOP Nominee.
  • July 22 2016 – WikiLeaks publishes DNC emails that show an effort to prevent Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic presidential nomination.
  • July 24 2016 – Clinton Campaign manager Robbie Mook suggests Russian Government is behind release of DNC emails.
  • Mid/Late July 2016 – FBI begins counter-intelligence investigation into Russia and Trump.
  • Late July – Second draft of Trump Dossier shared with FBI.
  • August 2016 – Strzok sends “insurance policy” text referencing Deputy FBI Director McCabe.
  • August 19 2016 – Paul Manafort “resigns” from Trump Campaign amidst reports of foreign lobbying efforts.
  • August/September 2016 – CIA Director Brennan meets with Gang of Eight suggesting Russia is helping Trump.
  • September 2016 – Carter Page resigns from Trump Campaign after a Trip to Moscow in July.
  • September 5 2016 – Hillary Clinton accuses Russia of interfering with U.S. election.
  • Late September 2016 – Second FISA 702 Surveillance Authority request made.
  • September 23 2016 – A Yahoo News article is published by Michael Isikoff based on leaks by Christopher Steele. The article is later used to corroborate the Steele Dossier.
  • September 26 2016 – John Carlin, head of 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. Mary McCord assumes his role.
  • September 28 2016 – Comey claims decision to exonerate Clinton was not made until after her interview with FBI agents.
  • September 28 2016 – Comey refuses to answer if FBI is investigating possible connections between members of the Trump campaign and Russia.
  • Late September/Early October 2016 – DOJ’s Bruce Ohr provides the FBI with his wife’s opposition research – paid for by the DNC and Clinton campaign via Fusion GPS.
  • Late September/Mid-October 2016 – Trump Dossier shopped.
  • Early October 2016 – Bruce Ohr meets with Dossier author Christopher Steele.
  • Early October 2016 – Bruce Ohr meets with Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS).
  • October 7 2016 – Homeland Security and James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), officially accuse the Russian government of hacking the DNC “to interfere with the US election process.”
  • October 20 2016 – NSA Rogers briefed by NSA compliance officer on 702 NSA compliance audit.
  • October 21 2016 – NSA Rogers shuts down all “About Query” activity. Permanently. Reports activity to DOJ and prepares to go before FISA Court.
  • October 21 2016 – DOJ & FBI sought and received a FISA probable cause order (not under Title VII) authorizing electronic surveillance on Carter Page from the FISC.
  • October 26 2016 – NSA Rogers personally informs FISA Court of 702(17) violations.
  • October 30 2016 – Steele discloses his relationship with the FBI in an October 30, 2016, Mother Jones article by David Corn. The FBI will terminate Steele for this violation.
  • Late October 2016 -Defense Secretary Ash Carter and DNI James Clapper recommend to Obama that Admiral Mike Rogers be removed as director of NSA.
  • 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 18 2016 – Sen. John McCain told of the Russian Dossier. A copy is sent to McCain and key aides.
  • November 19 2016 – Washington Post reports a recommendation made by DNI James Clapper in October that Mike Rogers be removed from his NSA position.
  • December 2 2016 – Kushner discusses back-channel communications with Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
  • December 9 2016 – The CIA tells Congress that Russia conducted hacking operations to prevent Hillary Clinton from winning presidency.
  • December 9 2016 – Obama orders a full review of Russian-election hacking.
  • December 15 2016 – James Clapper signs off on Executive Order 12333 changes impacting the NSA – Obama’s NSA Data-Sharing Order.
  • December 22 2016 – General Michael Flynn speaks to unknown Russian officials regarding the Israel resolution.
  • December 29 2016 – General Michael Flynn speaks to the Russian Ambassador.
  • January 3 2017 – Loretta Lynch signs Section 2.3 of Executive Order 12333 – Obama’s NSA Data-Sharing Order.
  • January 5 2017 – Obama, James Comey, AG Sally Yates, Joe Biden and Susan Rice have follow-on conversation after briefing by IC leadership (likely Clapper & Brennan) on Russian hacking during 2016 election. Rice will document this meeting in an email to herself on January 20, 2017.
  • January 6 2017 – Comey briefs President-Elect Trump on existence of “salacious and unverified” Russian “Dossier”.
  • January 6 2017 – Within hours of Comey’s meeting with Trump, the Trump/Comey meeting and the existence of the Dossier was leaked (James Clapper named as possible leaker).
  • January 6 2017 – Clapper and Rogers testify before Senate Armed Services Committee. Clapper reaffirms his belief that Russians hacked the election.
  • January 10 2017 – U.S. intelligence chiefs Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Rogers brief Obama on Russian “Dossier” and attempts to “influence” Trump.
  • January 10 2017 – Steele Dossier released by Buzzfeed and reported on by CNN.
  • January 12 2017 – The NYT reports on Loretta Lynch’s signing of new NSA Rules – and the increased latitude of the NSA to share intercepted communications.
  • January 12 2017 –  Mike Flynn’s Dec 29 2016 call is leaked to Washington Post. The article portrays Flynn as undermining Obama’s Russian sanctions.
  • January 12 2017 – The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General announces initiation of a review into actions taken by the DOJ and FBI in advance of the 2016 election.
  • January 12 2017 – The Clinton Global Initiative announces it will close for good on April 15 2017 as donations dry up.
  • January 19 2017 – The NYT reports that several agencies — the FBI, CIA, NSA and Treasury are monitoring several associates of the Trump campaign suspected of Russian ties.
  • January 19 2017 – Obama’s top intelligence and law-enforcement deputies meet to talk about Flynn’s conversation with Kislyak.
  • January 20 2017 – President Trump’s Inauguration.
  • January 20 2017 – Susan Rice sends email regarding January 5, 2017 meeting to herself.
  • January 25 2017 –  The Department of Justice receives a detailed briefing on Flynn from the FBI.
  • January 26 2017 – Sally Yates travels to the White House along with Mary McCord of the DOJ’s National Security Division to discuss Mike Flynn.
  • January 27 2016 – Sally Yates returns to the White House for a second discussion.
  • January 27 2017 – President Trump has dinner with FBI Director James Comey.
  • January 27 2017 – Former Clinton State Dept. representative George Papadopoulos interviewed by FBI, which results in his eventual indictment.
  • January 30 2017 – President Trump fires Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to enforce the Travel Ban.
  • February 2 2017 – Five House Democrat employees (Awans) come under criminal investigation amid allegations they accessed House IT systems.
  • February 8 2017 – Jeff Sessions is confirmed as Attorney General.
  • February 9 2017 – The NYT and the Post publish articles claiming that General Michael Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador Kislyak.
  • February 13 2017 – Mike Flynn resigns/fired as National Security Advisor.
  • February 14 2017 – House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes says FBI must explain why Flynn was unmasked, recorded and leaked to press.
  • February 14 2017 – The NYT – quoting anonymous sources – reports that members of Trump Campaign had “repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials”.
  • February 14 2017 – FBI Director Comey has Oval Office meeting with President Trump.
  • February 14 2017 – Comey supposedly writes memo claiming President Trump asked Comey to stop the investigation into General Flynn.
  • February 16 2017 – President Trump gives solo press conference. Appears to admit to internal sting operation to identify leakers.
  • February 27 2017 – House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes says he has seen absolutely no evidence of Russia-Trump collusion.
  • March 1 2017 – NYT inadvertently reports on why Obama Administration wanted last minute NSA Data-Sharing Order – allowed for intra-agency sharing of globally intercepted personal communications.
  • March 1 2017 – The Washington Post reports that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had contact twice with the Russian ambassador during the campaign.
  • March 2 2017 – Jeff Sessions recuses himself from Russia Inquiry.
  • March 2 2017 – The New York Times reports that Mike Flynn and Jared Kushner met with Sergey Kislyak.
  • March 2 2017 – MSNBC interview with Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas. Farkas details how intelligence on the Trump Campaign/Team is being gathered and disseminated by the Obama Administration and intelligence agencies
  • March 4 2017 – President Trump tweets his now infamous claim that Obama had him wiretapped.
  • March 5 2017 – ODNI James Clapper states that he knows of no FISA Warrant approval for Trump Campaign. He would repeat this claim in September.
  • March 5 2017 – FBI Director Comey asks the DOJ to refute President Trump’s wiretapping claims. DOJ does not do so.
  • March 20 2017 – Comey testifies that he intentionally withheld congressional notification of counter-intelligence investigation into Russia-Trump that began in July of 2016.
  • March 21 2017 – Devin Nunes meets a classified source and is shown direct evidence of illegal surveillance on President Trump and Staff.
  • March 22 2017 – House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes informs President Trump that he believes Trump and Staff were illegally surveilled and unmasked.
  • March 22 2017- House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes demands that the CIA, FBI and NSA disclose the nature of the unlawful surveillance he had uncovered.

 

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