Exclusive DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATING FBI, CIA, FISA COLLUSION

[MARIS61]

 

[MARIS61]

http://dailycaller.com/2018/05/27/giuliani-mueller-probe-illegitimate/

 

[barfo]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rudy-giuliani-booed-at-yankee-game-today-2018-05-28/

 

[MARIS61]

Demoted FBI agent Peter Strzok had larger role in Clinton, Russia probes than previously known

By Samuel Chamberlain, Catherine Herridge | Fox News

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Strzok's role in Clinton, Russia probes in focus
Peter Strzok, who was pulled off Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team last year, played a more central role than previously known in both the Russia and Hillary Clinton email probes, a lawmaker familiar with the matter told Fox News Tuesday.

The lawmaker's assessment of Strzok's role in both investigations was based on the most recent records and testimony, including a closed-door interview with FBI espionage chief Bill Priestap.

Priestap was interviewed Tuesday as part of an ongoing joint investigation by the House Judiciary and Oversight committees. Priestap was Strzok's supervisor and oversaw both the Russia and Clinton investigations.

The lawmaker described Priestap as a very cooperative witness, but added that unanswered questions remained about Priestap's overseas travel. One line of questioning Tuesday concerned a trip to London by Priestap in May 2016 and whether it was connected to the Russia case.

The trip was referenced by Strzok in a May 4, 2016 text message to FBI lawyer Lisa Page that said "Bill" would be "back from London next week."

On Jan. 30 of that year, Strzok emailed Priestap and another FBI colleague expressing dismay about statements made by then-White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest claiming Clinton was not a target of the FBI probe into her private email server that she kept while secretary of state.

"Below not helpful," Strzok wrote. "Certainly the WH is going to do whatever it wants, but there is a line they need to hold with regard to the appearance of non-interference."

Strzok was reassigned to the FBI's human resources division following revelations that he was romantically involved with Page and exchanged politically charged text messages. An FBI spokesperson told Fox News last month that Page had "resigned" to "pursue other opportunities."

In addition to his work on the Mueller probe, Strzok was the lead agent on the Clinton email case known inside the bureau by the code name "Mid Year Exam" or MYE.

Lawmakers are scheduled to interview two other FBI officials later this month: Michael Steinbach, former head of the agency’s national security division; and Steinbach’s predecessor, John Giacalone. They are also expected to interview Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is due to release a report on the FBI's conduct in the Clinton investigation.


Late Tuesday, Trump claimed on Twitter that texts exist between Strzok and Page "referring to a counter-intelligence operation into the Trump Campaign dating way back to December, 2015.

"SPYGATE is in full force!" the president added.

Fox News' Pamela K. Browne and Cyd Upson contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...nton-russia-probes-than-previously-known.html

 

[MARIS61]

McCabe asks for immunity ahead of congressional hearing on handling of Clinton case
By Paulina Dedaj | Fox News

Ousted FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is seeking immunity in exchange for his testimony related to a Justice Department watchdog’s referral for possible prosecution, ahead of a congressional hearing on the handling of the Clinton email probe during the 2016 presidential election.

Michael Bromwich, an attorney representing McCabe, sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Tuesday requesting that McCabe be granted immunity in exchange for testimony surrounding the inspector general’s report that he leaked information and lied about it to former FBI director James Comey.

Bromwich told the senator, “McCabe welcomes your invitation to testify and is eager to answer any questions that you or other members of the Committee have,” adding that because of his “criminal referral” by the inspector general, he could face prosecution.

“We hereby request that the Judiciary Committee authorize a grant of use immunity to Mr. McCabe,” adding that the “no testimony or other information provided by Mr. McCabe could be used against him in any criminal case.”


McCabe was fired in March just a few days shy of his retirement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it was reported that he leaked a self-serving story to the press and later lied about it to Comey.

But Bromwich provided, in his letter to Grassley, information about emails that “demonstrate that Mr. McCabe advised former Director Comey, in October 2016, that Mr. McCabe was working with FBI colleagues to correct inaccuracies before certain media stories were published.”

McCabe was prevented from providing the emails themselves because of a non-disclosure agreement he was forced to sign by the FBI upon his termination and more information surrounding his account is unlikely to be revealed unless he is granted immunity, his lawyer said.

“If this Committee is unwilling or unable to obtain such an order, then Mr. McCabe will have no choice but to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination,” Bromwich added.

Comey has claimed that McCabe never informed him of the leak.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Someone is seriously melting down here.....

 

[MARIS61]

Napolitano: It's 'Unheard Of' for FBI #2 Official to Request Immunity Before Testifying

Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe is seeking immunity in exchange for his testimony related to the Hillary Clinton email probe, something Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano said is "very, very unusual."

An attorney representing McCabe on Tuesday sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) requesting that McCabe be granted immunity in exchange for testimony surrounding the inspector general’s report that he leaked information about the Clinton investigation to the press and lied about it to former FBI Director James Comey.

"I have to tell you, it's unheard of for the number two person at the FBI saying, 'You want me to testify? Give me immunity,'" Napolitano said on "Fox & Friends First" on Wednesday.

He added that it's uncommon to seek immunity by writing a public letter, and these negotiations typically happen quietly behind the scenes.

"Giving immunity is so extreme, so unheard of, in this environment, so volatile, I can't imagine it happening," Napolitano said.

He said if McCabe privately tells Senate investigators what he knows and is willing to say under oath, they may find an immunity deal tempting, but he thinks that's unlikely.

"I don't think there's an appetite in Congress to grant this guy immunity. He is so disliked by Republicans, I just don't see it happening."

 

[Lanny]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...l-reviews-alleged-fisa-abuses-by-doj-fbi.html

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Wednesday he will review potential Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses by both the Justice Department and the FBI, following requests from Congress and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Office of the Inspector General released a statement Wednesday outlining the start of the review.

“The OIG will initiate a review that will examine the Justice Department’s and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s compliance with legal requirements, and with applicable DOJ and FBI policies and procedures, in applications filed with the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) relating to a certain U.S. person,” the statement obtained by Fox News read. “As part of this examination, the OIG also will review information that was known to the DOJ and the FBI at the time the applications were filed from or about an alleged FBI confidential source.”

Video
Sexton: DOJ has been trying to hide information about FISA
The OIG statement added that Horowitz also would “review the DOJ’s and FBI’s relationship and communications with the alleged source as they relate to the FISC applications.”

The statement continued, “If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review.”

Last month, Sessions directed Horowitz to probe the allegations of government surveillance abuse, in light of memos released on Capitol Hill by the House Intelligence Committee about FBI and DOJ efforts to obtain FISA warrants to surveil Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

“We believe the Department of Justice must adhere to the high standards in the FISA court,” Sessions said in February at a news conference. “Yes it will be investigated. And I think that’s just the appropriate thing the inspector general will take that as one of the matters he’ll deal with.”

House Intel Republicans released a memo in late February detailing the DOJ's and FBI’s surveillance of Page, saying the infamous anti-Trump dossier funded by Democrats “formed an essential part” of the application to spy on him.

Video
Lewandowski talks investigation into potential FISA abuses
The dossier, authored by former British spy Christopher Steele and commissioned by Fusion GPS, was funded in part by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign through the law firm Perkins Coie. It included salacious and unverified allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia.

The Republican memo stated that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified that “no surveillance warrant would have been sought” from the FISA court “without the Steele dossier information.”

The memo also said Steele, who worked as an FBI informant, eventually was cut off from the bureau for what the FBI described as the most serious of violations, “an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI.”

The memo noted that the FBI and DOJ obtained “one initial FISA warrant” targeting Page and three FISA renewals from the FISC. The statute required that every 90 days, a FISA order on an American citizen “must be reviewed.”

Former FBI Director James Comey signed three FISA applications for Page, while McCabe, current Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who leads the Russia probe, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and former Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente signed at least one, according the Republican memo.

Democrats, then, released a rebuttal memo.

Nunes on Russia probe, FISA abuse, media coverage
The White House said the GOP memo raised “serious concerns about the integrity of decisions made at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and the FBI to use the government’s most intrusive surveillance tools against American citizens.”

Republican lawmakers and Sessions had been pressing Horowitz to probe the alleged FISA abuses.

Just this week, FBI Director Wray announced plans to “double the number” of agents handing records for the House Judiciary Committee after it subpoenaed the Justice Department for documents on FISA, the Clinton email investigation and the firing of McCabe.

Over the last year, Horowitz has been conducting a review of the FBI's and DOJ’s actions related to the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. A final report on the investigation is expected in several months.

And why is this. It's not because it's got merit, I can tell you that. Even 'Spygate' is denounced by Trey Gowdy and Paul Ryan.

Also, the request from 'Congress' strictly comes from the Right.

 

[Lanny]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ions-should-be-held-in-contempt-congress.html

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is going to push Congress to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt of Congress.

The Californian Republican’s committee has been looking into allegations that the Justice Department and the FBI abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in their scrutiny of the Trump campaign.

"On Thursday we discovered that they are not going to comply with our subpoena," Nunes said on "Fox and Friends," adding, "The only thing left to do is we have to move quickly to hold the attorney general of the United States in contempt and that is what I will press for this week."

Two weeks ago, Nunes sent to Sessions a classified letter, which he said was not acknowledged, and then he sent a subpoena.

GOP Rep. Devin Nunes of California is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP)

However, the Justice Department said it responded to Nunes' letter, as Maria Bartiromo reported on "Sunday Morning Futures."

"The Department has determined that, consistent with applicable law and longstanding Executive Branch policy, it is not in a position to provide information responsive to your request regarding a specific individual," Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd wrote in the signed letter. "The Department and its intelligence community partners would welcome the opportunity to discuss whether there are other ways to accommodate the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence's oversight inquiry."

Nunes, who did concede that it’s possible Sessions personally is unaware of the subpoena, told "Fox and Friends" he wouldn’t accept "excuses" relating to national security concerns in terms of his ongoing investigation of how the Russia probe was handled.

"How many times have we heard this argument throughout this investigation?" he asked.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana, expressed support for Nunes on "Fox and Friends."

"I have deeper and deeper concerns the more I see some of this, not only the stonewalling, but what’s been in some of these memos," said Scalise. "We’re also trying to get a lot of other information from the Department of Justice about this investigation, and everything that we uncover raises even deeper concerns about the direction."

As Fox News has reported, Nunes called the FBI and Justice Department redaction of his committee's Russia report "excessive and sloppy." The House committee's report found that FBI agents "did not detect any deception during [Michael] Flynn's interview.”

Flynn, who pleaded guilty to a single count of making "false, ficitious or fraudulent" statements to the FBI under Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian probe, served as President Trump's national security adviser.

"This just cannot continue where we don't get information in a timely manner. Like I said, everything we have tried to get they tried to stop us from getting,” Nunes said.

Fox News' Jake Gibson and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.

Indictments will follow any say now.

 

[andalusian]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/06/politics/paul-ryan-fbi-trey-gowdy/index.html

 

[MarAzul]

Indictments will follow any say now.

For what crime?