DOJ investigating 'non-governmental organizations and individuals' as part of 'broad' probe into surveillance abuses
As part of its ongoing "multifaceted" and "broad" review into potential misconduct by U.S. intelligence agencies during the 2016 presidential campaign, the Justice Department revealed Monday it is also investigating the activities of several "non-governmental organizations and individuals."
Additionally, the DOJ announced that the probe, let by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham, was looking into the involvement of "foreign intelligence services." Former Trump aide George Papadopoulos told Fox News last month that an informant who was likely "CIA and affiliated with Turkish intel" had posed as a Cambridge University research assistant in September 2016 and tried to "seduce him" to obtain information linking the Trump team to Russia.
The information was contained in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., who had inquired as to the scope of Durham's investigation. The letter could indicate that the DOJ is looking closely at work done during the campaign by Fusion GPS , the firm retained by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee (DNC) to conduct opposition research against the Trump campaign.
Fusion GPS, in turn, hired British ex-spy Christopher Steele to produce an unverified and largely discredited dossier that the FBI went on to cite in secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court applications to surveil former Trump aide Carter Page.
Last week, reports indicated Steele had agreed to talk with Durham if certain preconditions were met. Multiple sources familiar with the matter told Fox News, meanwhile, that Durham is “very dialed in” and “asking all the right questions." Separately, sources within the Justice Department confirmed to Fox News that Barr has met “on multiple occasions in recent weeks” with Durham in Washington, D.C.
Numerous problems with the Steele dossier's reliability have surfaced, including several issues that were brought to the FBI' s attention before it cited the dossier in its FISA application and subsequent renewals. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report made plain, for example, that then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen did not travel to Prague to conspire with Russian hackers seeking to access Democrat files, as the dossier alleged.
Mueller also was unable to subtantiate the dossier's claims that Page had received a large payment relating to the sale of a share of Rosneft, a Russian oil giant.
North Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Meadows told Fox News on Sunday he has seen "additional documents" that demonstrate that “prior to the first FISA application, Peter Strzok , Andy McCabe , and others at the FBI knew that Christopher Steele's dossier was not credible.” Internal FBI text messages obtained by Fox News in March showed FBI brass scrambling to respond to a concern from a senior DOJ official about the potential "bias" of a key FISA source.
Meadows, speaking to "Fox News Sunday," pointed specifically to a report from The Hill's John Solomon, who found that Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Kilimnik , a key figure in Mueller's report, was actually a U.S. informant. In his report, Mueller linked Kilimnik to Russian intelligence, and did not mention Kilimnik's secretive ties to the U.S. in the report other court filings -- even as Mueller suggested former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's ties to Kilimnik were nefarious.
"The deeper the dive we take into the Mueller report, we're starting to find out some of the conclusions, and actually some of the facts they put forth in there, are a misrepresentation of what we actually know," Meadows said.
Meadows added that he expected DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation into potential FBI and DOJ surveillance misconduct to come out later than June, when it was originally expected. Meadows said more information has come to light that might necessitate the delay.
Solomon , reporting for the Hill, also recently unearthed a documented conversation Steele had with a State Department contact -- which were relayed to the FBI -- in which Steele claimed the Russians were running a “technical/human operation run out of Moscow targeting the election" and that "payments to those recruited are made out of the Russian Consulate in Miami."
There is no Russian consulate in Miami, a fact the State Department official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Kavalec, emphasized in her notes. Additionally, Steele had suggested his client was "keen" to see his information come to light prior to Election Day. Kavalec forwarded her notes to the FBI and other government officials several days before the FISA warrant was issued for Page. Fox News has confirmed The Hill's reporting.
Further, in its original FISA application and subequent renewals, the FBI told the FISA court that it "did not believe" Steele was the direct source for a Yahoo News article implicating Page in Russian collusion . Instead, the FBI suggested to the court, the September 2016 article by Michael Isikoff was independent corroboration of the dossier.
But London court records show that contrary to the FBI's assessments, Steele briefed Yahoo News and other reporters in the fall of 2016 at the direction of Fusion GPS.
Carter Page has not been charged with any wrongdoing, even though the FBI called him an "agent of a foreign power" in its October 2016 FISA application. On Sunday, Page told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that his actions had been "completely spun in the fake Mueller" report to help advance what he characterized as Democrats' "ridiculous" goal of impeachment.
Fox News' Catherine Herridge, Jake Gibson, Bret Baier, and Maria Bartiromo contributed to this report.
They are still looking for that Russian consulate in Miami, that Steele referred to
'DOJ Investigating 'Non-Governmental Organizations And Individuals' As Part Of 'Broad' Probe Into Surveillance Abuses'
What surveillance abuses?
You can't spy on private citizens or an opposition political campaign without a legal, valid reason.
There was no spying going on.
Not even on John Papadopolous?
You mean George? Instead of believing liars, here is how George Papadopoulos walked into this.
Lol, Yes, you always get me on that. Whatever that kids name was.
Instead of believing liars, here is how George Papadopoulos walked into this.
Do you realize what you are posting?
"the F.B.I. started its investigation in July 2016, after Australia informed the United States that Mr. Papadopoulos claimed that Russia had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. The F.B.I. used an undercover investigator — the research assistant, who went by the name Azra Turk — and Stefan Halper, a professor in Britain and longtime informant, to make contact with Mr. Papadopoulos (Mr. Halper also made contact with two other campaign officials, Sam Clovis and Carter Page)."
Yup, the FBI provided him with info and then collected the info. A classic TRAP.
Thank you and the Times!
OMG, it never ends. I know exactly what I posted and you are still believing what you want, and only see the parts you think you like.
Exactly right.
here is how George Papadopoulos walked into this.
Your post doesn't explain how Papadapoulos walked into a meeting with a British agent who told him about the supposed Russian dirt months before the FBI supposedly opened it's investigation.
Figure it out for yourself. If Papadopolous travels outside the US and everyone he comes in contact with happens to be a US or allied spy - what does it tell you???
You can't possibly think we believe anything Papadopoulos or other Trump goons say. Especially Jordan and Meadows, FFS, they lost their marbles a few years ago and never got them back. Instead of continuing blind defense of the deep Russian ties and Trumpers, why don't you explain why Trump is still not working to protect the US from Russian interference in the upcoming election? And why are gopers like McConnell trying to stop action to help? Why are conservatives fine with all this Russian contact and the lies told about it when under oath? Why are they more interested in false narratives than the truth? After so many fake gop scandals, this is just more of the same. We don't believe liars and the lies they tell.
From the Mueller report:
Papadopoulos' contact with the FBI undercover investigators was in September 2016.
The report states that Misfud had connections to Russia, but has little else on Misfud.
Wasn't he an official of Malta's Ministry of foreign Affairs?
A negotiator for Malta's entry into the EU?
A Professor at Slovenia's Euro-Mediterranean University?
Director of London's Academy of Diplomacy, which trains diplomats?
A trainer of Albanian Diplomats?
The moderator of the 16th Doha Forum in Qatar?
A speaker at the 2017 meeting of global ties?
If Misfud has these Russian ties as the Mueller Report claims, then an incredibly wide range of western institutions and individuals may have been compromised by him. This could be a very serious matter for the west.
Why didn't Mueller charge Misfud with a crime?
Another mystery is how the FBI knew exactly what questions to ask Papadopolous, on numerous occasions, concerning Hillary Clinton's e-mails in 2016-217 even before they claim to have interviewed Misfud?
Could it be that Misfud was giving the FBI or another intelligence organization that info before Misfud's interview?
Lot's of questions here.
So the FBI and the State Dept. are leaking memos to John Solomon. When will Barr investigate that leak?
We know anything until we are finally willing to investigate the intelligence agencies. The good news is that day has arrived.
Investigate the investigators. That's ridiculous.
We should trust them at all times.....Got it!
So Hoover was right about everything!
That seems consistent.
accountability is not ridiculous. it is expected.
What about the Rump administration? How are they accountable for anything? Blocking all subpoenas?
What does the turd have to hide and his whole corrupt cabinet/administration? Hmmm?
Being responsible for the great depression is nothing to be proud of.
Wha?
Same thing Obama did. Sucks doesn't it? Or maybe they should try an age old Democrat tactic and declare the 5th on everything in the event they are forced to testify?
What did Obama have to hide and his whole corrupt cabinet/administration? Hmmm? Seems the left never bitched once about Obama abusing his EP powers.
The Dems had their investigation by a bunch of Hillary and Obama sycophants; but are now bitching about the results.
Wha?
Yet Trump and the GOP have been whining ad nauseam about 'leaks' and now it looks like Meadows is celebrating them.
You can beat that horse to kingdom come, but we are going to get to the truth, aren't we?
When did that horse die? Was it the second leaked material supported Trump?
Trump and many here whine about 'unnamed sources' and leaked documents but enthusiastically use them to bolster their own agenda.
It drips with hypocrisy.
Does it drip any more than the folks who believed every "unnamed" source if it was bad for Trump who now dismiss "unnamed" sources?
Vs what/ TWO YEARS OF LEAKS TO OUST TRUMP?
It drips with hypocrisy.
Only if the three investigations of the rogue agents comes up as empty as the Mueller Report
Since they aren't the ones who demanded the standard, yes.
Referring to Herbert Hoover and the great depression.
Why are you answering my question with a question Vic?
The results of those 'investigations' has nothing to do with whether this seed illustrates hypocrisy.
Herbert Hoover didn't cause the Great Depression. The Federal Reserve had a lot to do with it.
I just thought I would ask the questions that you don't want to answer. Would you prefer that I answer them?
The results of those 'investigations' has nothing to do with whether this seed illustrates hypocrisy.
That's right, you do have a sense of what's coming!
He certainly accelerated it.
We will do one on the Great Depression, I promise.
Actually, you comment illustrates what YOU don't want to answer. It's a deflection.
I'd prefer that you answer the question I asked.
I'm glad you acknowledge the hypocrisy of your seed.
Yes I do but I 'sense' that it isn't what you 'sense'.
Then wouldn't you be expected to be held to the same standard?
Or hypocrisy is okay for you but no one else?
Since the standard was set at NOT answering the question, it's not much of standard, is it?
NOT answering the question isn't hypocritical at all. But just for you Tex, I'll answer it.
The answer is no.
Happy?
I am always happy, and it never once has had a single thing to do with you.
You happy?
Yep.
the left had almost 3 yrs attacking trump with fabricated bs and now it is time for justice.
it actually does not matter how any of us feel about it... LOL
nobody can stop what is coming.
The right had eight years attacking Obama with fabricated bs and now it's time for justice.
Do you even hear how what you are saying sounds? To me it just sounds like wanting retribution and using offices to that affect.
Not necessarily just remember the AG eats trump truds.
obviously, you should think again.
try only using the words I typed and not the words floating around in your head.
cheers
I did use the words you typed. If you do not think it is retribution, you could have easily said so.
bs. did you see the word "retribution in my post? no... LOL
I do not jump thru hoops,
and if I thought it was retribution? I would have said so.... but I did not.
if you only used "my words" you would have already known that.
take your bs elsewhere... tks.
What does that sound like to you? It is saying that you think the investigations were bullshit and want 'justice'.
The only bullshit here is your inability to own up to what you say.
yes the definitions of justice and retribution are similar but the actions are not the same... so,
and
that is fine by me.
I actually do not care what anyone thinks. I call that a personal problem, not mine.
so, have fun with the semantics . it will not change the future.
all that really matters is, those involved in creating and perpetuating fisa-gate will be going to jail
cheers
Good luck with that. I guess some need something to pin their hopes on, even if it is make believe.
His whackjob prophecies will never come true.
That's just whack!
Barr and Durham are going to investigate anywhere there is good evidence of lying and spying occurring. No trail of bread crumb clues will be overlooked. This could work its way to Hillary's illegal use of a private server. She never was really cleared of wrong doing.
That's a lot of words that fail to address my question. Well done.
Your question dosen't deserve an answer. For two years with flagrant damaging leaks, you were silent. Now you want somebody punished for leaking something to John Solomon.
I got an idea, how about a comment on the article?
Too early to defend the rats?
I noticed not one has answered your question.
Leaks are bad, they should be stopped, need to be investigated and prosecuted, ad nauseam.
Now leaks are, see I told you it was this way.....
I guess they are good when it is something agreed with and bad when not.
Not to mention it's 'according to FBI and State Department memos I reviewed.' with NO links.
Let us all answer question #1. Did the FBI know the Steele Dossier was nothing more than campaign research when they used it to get a FISA warrant?
Which leads to:
Question # 2 - Shouldn't they have tried to verify that document?
Question # 3 - Did the FBI willfully deceive the FISA Judges?
Then we get to the FBI premise that it was the actions of John Papadopolous that led to a counter intelligence investigation.
Is that really true, or merely a diversion from the use of the Steele Dossier to launch the investigation?
How many people that Papadopolous coincidentally ran into were actually spies working for either US intelligence or that of our allies?
These are some of the many initial questions that need answering, just for starters
1: yes
2: yes
3: yes
this could open a can of worms... LOL
It just might be that AG Barr could be the left's worst nightmare. It is he who could cause the downfall of the "deep state". They never thought they would be caught and NEVER EVER expeted to be punished.
that may be true enough but I reckon enough on the right are mixed up in this also. so I prefer to think "globalists will be having nightmares for yrs.
going after ngo's is awesome. can ya say soros? LOL
cheers
What is the deep state?
'They never thought they would be caught and NEVER EVER expeted to be punished.'
Who are They and what is it that they should be punished for?
Don't know? Let me be the first to tell you. They are the agencies of the federal government, which have become extremely powerful over time. Some make rules which have the weight of law, such as the EPA, others have taken certain prerogatives, which may violate civil liberties.
'They never thought they would be caught and NEVER EVER expeted to be punished.'
Who are They and what is it that they should be punished for?
They are the highest ranking officials at CIA and the FBI and they should be punished for leaking classified information, spying on US citizens and providing misleading information to a FISA Court.
I hope I'm not being too redundant.
Redundant? No. Pushing batshit crazy conspiracy theories while pretending Trump is above it all and a victim? God yes. Just stop, please. It would be one thing if republicans allowed the original investigation to be done with full cooperation instead of .....obstruction. Then trying to ignore or outright gaslight what the report said, now making another fake investigation (Benghazi anyone) to earn political capital. Can't hide the crimes any more, they are coming out.
How did they get that way Vic? Who gave them the authority to make those rules? What has Mark Meadows, or anyone in the 'Freedom Caucus' done to address that 'issue'?
You forgot the State Dept. that leaked to the author of your seed. BTW, Meadows and Fox News seem to support that leak.
Well, please tell us why all those top officials at the FBI lost their jobs and specifically why Andrew McCabe has a criminal referral on him?
Don't know, but I know who benefited greatly from it.
You forgot the State Dept. that leaked to the author of your seed.
That's why we have you. I think we heard ya
So you have no clue about how the government works and how the 'issue' you have can be fixed. Got ya.
Perhaps the ones who benefited has something to do with how it got this way. Who do you think benefited?
Is it?
Doubt it.
you have asked before and been told before.... several times.
might you have memory problems?
Let’s see what’s inside!
How about This question - Was Carter Page talking to Russian Agents already under FBI watch? The answer would be yes.
They knew about Carter Page for years, but never bothered with him until he went to work as a member of the Trump campaign.
Especially since Page consulted for the State Department, FBI, and CIA.
Some "master spy". Next time the idiots might think about bringing the reason for the FISA warrants in for questioning, maybe even charging them with something? Comey and Mueller did neither; because they didn't have shit on him. They also didn't want to draw attention to that fact.
So they ruined the life of an innocent man? That is so tiresome.
He was talking to known Russian agents while working for the Trump campaign. Russians they already knew were trying to fuck around in US politics.
The REASON that they knew about Carter Page is that his interactions with Russians were documented through surveillance and in 2014 they got a FISA warrant to surveil him, which I think qualifies as 'bothering with him'.
Pretty sure he felt that way.
No and you can't prove anything you said
not my job. the doj is all over that.
cheers
Perhaps the Republican controlled Congress should have changed the FISA rules and narrowed the scope of the Patriot Act when they had the chance?
I don't think the problem lies with the rules. I think the FISA judges came to trust the intelligence agencies and never held their feet to the fire. It's all too rare for a FISA request to be turned down.
Over the entire 33-year period, the FISA court granted 33,942 warrants, with only 12 denials – a rejection rate of 0.03 percent of the total requests.
That is not evidence of malfeasance. It's not like we didn't know these numbers prior to the Special Council Investigation either. My point is no one cared then.
Nor, is evidence of FISA Judges performing due diligence! We will find out, though, won't we?
My point is no one cared then.
Then you must feel relieved with Barr taking over as AG!
Barr history of covering up problems during the Reagan and Bush years speaks for itself. Now he's doing Trump's dirty work.
Revisionist history? Smear Barr now because of what is about to come out?
"As I know you know, but others should know, too, I truly enjoyed working with you when you were attorney general," Biden told Barr, who had served as President George H.W. Bush's attorney general in the early 1990s. "You were one of the best I have ever worked with, and there have been a lot of attorneys general since I have been here, and I mean that sincerely."
When Biden made that remark, he was the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Barr, who had moved to the private sector after Bush was defeated in the 1992 election, was testifying at a hearing on "enhancing the effectiveness of incarceration."
Not a smear, the truth.
What is about to come out?
FISA abuse, leaking of classified info, unmasking for political purposes, just for a few examples. I hate repeating myself. I think you get it.
'FISA abuse, leaking of classified info, unmasking for political purposes'
Riiiiiigggghhhhhhtttttttttt!
It's fact no matter what comes out. I have no dog in this fight whatever happens. If they find abuses then people should be held accountable. So far I've heard nothing that points to anything close to it. They keep bitching about the Steel report, but fail to mention Carter Page was talking to Russians agents already under FISA warrant surveillance.
Oh, it sounded like you did.
So far I've heard nothing that points to anything close to it.
Would you be getting results before the investigation was concluded?
They keep bitching about the Steel report, but fail to mention Carter Page was talking to Russians agents already under FISA warrant surveillance.
The reason for the bitching is that Andy McCabe admitted that without the Steele Dossier there would be no FISA warrant. And for those still in denial, the Steele Dossier was a work of fiction!
Will we? Barr has NO authority to investigate the procedures of the FISC or it's Judges. NONE.
There is this thingy called 'separation of powers' and the Judiciary is a co-equal branch of the government. The ONLY person that has authority over the FISC is Chief Justice John Roberts. PERIOD, full stop.
Perhaps you can point to correspondence from either the Congress or the WH requesting that Roberts investigate the FISC or at least the Judges who authorized the Page warrant.
If not, it's pretty clear that neither have any REAL questions about the due diligence of the FISC. It's just bullshit being thrown at the wall.
You seem to have everyone already convicted. Chants at Trump rallies have changed from, "Locker her up!" to "Lock them up!" It didn't work out well for Clinton haters and I don't think it's going to work out well in this investigation.
Much of it we will most likely never be able to corroborate, but to say it's a work of fiction is patently false. The Mueller investigation is now on public record confirming several pieces of information including indicting 12 Russians, Manifort and Cohen.
.
Bullshit?
Don't look now, but....
there's somebody out there who always gets it done!
That's all they have.
Again, WTF do you think that a DOJ Prosecutor is going to do about the due diligence of the FISC?
You think the FBI is gonna get away with that?
Much of it we will most likely never be able to corroborate, but to say it's a work of fiction is patently false.
Ya. liberals have been trying to do just that since McCabe made that statement.
The Mueller investigation is now on public record confirming several pieces of information including indicting 12 Russians, Manifort and Cohen.
And as the Mueller Report admitted no Americans conspired with the Russians. Those Americans you listed were all prosecuted for unrelated crimes. Wev'e had to say it here about a thousand times.
As a raw intelligence document, the Steele dossier, we believe, holds up well so far.
Yet, those lawfare liars can't find a way to specifically show us what is true. Neither has the liberal media who knew of it long before the general public ever heard of it. Nope they couldn't verify any of it and were petrified of going to print with it. That's Ok, John Durham is expected to be sitting down with the author, himself.
'Bullshit?
Don't look now, but....
there's somebody out there who always gets it done!'
I'm sure the parties who he is allegedly investigating are quaking in their shoes/boots.
Please post a link to the transcript of McCabe's testimony.
This "Deep State" bullshit is foolish.
Stop moving the goalposts. What was in the Steel reports about them have been proven true.
They lay out their evidence with proof. Calling them liars without rebutting the evidence is hilariously funny, but not helpful to your case.
You can bet on it Tess.
You know that his testimony was in a private session. We went through this before, remember?
'You can bet on it Tess.'
Yes I do which is why I'm surprised that you are still claiming that you know what McCabe stated, when you KNOW that you don't.
Who am I kidding, I'm actually not surprised at all.
And so? Trying to make something out of nothing Vic
I don't think you do get it because your "example" do nothing to bolster anything.
Good lord that comment is factually stupid
So, you are going to make a case that he might not have said it? Simply because the information is still private testimony.
Just like you defended the McClatchy Report's wild claim that a nonymous sources told them Cohen’s cell phone pinged in or near Prague? You clung to that right up until Cohen denied it under oath and later when the Mueller Report stated unequivocally: “Cohen had never traveled to Prague and was not concerned about those allegations, which he believed were provably false.”
Of course that was a huge repudiation of the Steele Dossier, because that's where that FALSE claim about Cohen being in Prague came from! There again you were questioning the facts when they first came out. You were out there first contesting whether the Steele Dossier was used by itself to get a FISA warrant (which it was - the extra material also came from the Dossier), then when that was eventually was proven you began to make a case that the Dossier was actually "credible"!!!
Others may have forgotten those arguments. I haven't.
That's quite a feat. Even Clarence Darrow wouldn't take on those arguments!
'Using foreign Intelligence agencies to spy on an American political campaign? It's becoming undeniable, there was a soft coup attempt and it's going to see the light. Biggest scandal in US history.'
I cannot wait to see the proof!!
I guess we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for that though.
Back in a few. Keep it civil