Dispute erupts over whether Brennan, Comey pushed Steele dossier, as DOJ probe into misconduct begins
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A high-level dispute over which senior government officials pushed the unverified Steele dossier amid efforts to surveil the Trump campaign has broken out into the open again, after it emerged that Attorney General William Barr appointed a U.S. attorney to examine the origins of the Russia investigation and determine if the FBI and DOJ's actions were "lawful and appropriate."
Sources familiar with the records told Fox News that a late-2016 email chain indicated then-FBI Director James Comey told bureau subordinates that then-CIA Director John Brennan insisted the dossier be included in the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference, known as the ICA.
Fox News was told that the email chain – not yet public -- referred to the dossier as "crown material," but it was not clear why this apparent code was used. On Tuesday night, former GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy said on Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" that "Comey has a better argument than Brennan, based on what I've seen."
The light has been turned on and the cockroaches are now scurrying for cover .....
One can only hope they all get stepped on before they find cover.
Unfortunately while the bickering between the higher ups goes on, they will use the time to settle on some underlings to take the fall. No one too important- just high enough up the food chain to placate the Republicans in Congress. Then it will be back to business as usual.
I hope you're wrong but suspect you're right.
The swamp has no political party boundaries .....
We should get some answers from the Inspector General pretty soon.
What blows me away about all this is the complaining and whining over the investigations. I've been hearing for 2 1/2 years that any time Trump complains about people investigating him, it's an attack on democracy and the rule of law. It's obstruction of justice. It's also proof he committed the underlying crime. Somehow none of that applies when the shoe is on the other foot.
Thats because it's all Putin's fault.
All of it ......
Which of the players responsible for starting this mess remain in government? It's far too late to impeach President Obama or remove Attorney General Lynch.
While the unbiased news organizations will portray this as some sort of political payback, the reality is that William Barr's appointment of a special counsel goes beyond politics. Yes, John Durham is a special counsel just as Robert Mueller was a special counsel. However, it appears that Durham wasn't given a blank check like Mueller.
The difference is that Durham will be investigating agencies rather than specific political targets. Few, if any, of the political players remain in government. Durham won't be investigating James Comey; Durham will be investigating the FBI. An institutional investigation is far more serious and far less political than Robert Mueller's investigation. So, the purpose of the investigation would appear to be focusing on weaknesses in agency procedure and management structure that could have allowed abuses.
This investigation really is different. The mythologized Deep State is on trial.
Let it play out.
Hopefully it plays out fairly and we finally learn the real truth.
Whatever that might be.