Republicans are losing their credibility with every sane and rational person around the world who believes in facts, reason, equal opportunity and justice. I am concerned that our judicial system remain impartial and above politics. But that too seems to be eroding with new reality show politics that perhaps 1/3 of Americans are imposing on the rest of us.
The FBI, like the President and Congress should be held accountable. But in this political "climate change" where the President and Congress feel they are not accountable, how can we trust any indictment except those against the most obviously aggressive bullies who continue to blob bombs at everyone else? When the wolf cries wolf pointing at the sheep, you know you have problems.
4
GIven how Trump treats Putin in the most deferential manner possible, it is reasonable, given Putin's reputation, to assume Putin must have something very embarrassing to leak on Mr Trump. So my curiosity goes to the following question: What can Putin possibly have on Nunes? It must be a whopper.
3
Get to a Federal Court had have a Stay on the release. Then charge Nunes for Espionage and jail him. Include Trump if he does release the memo.
Does Trump really believe anyone really believes him? Except for the (now) 30% reprehensible.
3
Definitely agree with Director Wray! Nunes' determination to have this controversial memo released leaves me with the thought of whether Nunes is trying to derail the FBI's work because he was involved in transition team and may have vulnerabilities that may be uncovered if the investigation is allowed to take its normal course. Is he trying to obstruct justice by creating doubt. He should recuse himself from the intelligence committee given that he seems to have a conflict of interest of greater magnitude than MC Cabe had.
2
Why no leaks?
1
The Nunes memo is part of efforts to fire Rosenstein so someone can be installed to limit Mueller's scope, steer him away from Trump's finances.
There is a reason we will never see Trump's taxes. FOLLOW THE MONEY.
7
Nunes should be in jail. He is a conniving Trump kissup looking for new dirty job for Trump when he loses re-election in California this year.The same applies to Ryan whose re-election un Wisconsin is a bit shaky this time now that are honest candidates running.
8
We are a nation desperately in need of an intervention by those among us in business, academia, history, religion, former politics, etc. who are far enough from the ground level fray. They need to buy a simultaneous half hour on all the networks and say in unison: Stop This! This is where we're headed if we don't. Stop This!
2
We don't need Republican spin or Democratic spin.
RELEASE The WARRANT
And let's see exactly why Carter Page was"unmasked" as the American talking to the Russians that the FBI was spying on.
5
Yet another shred of US credibility goes POOF! That along some of the inner workings of US Intelligence. Putin has really struck gold with this Administration.
6
leadership of congressional republicans, including nunes, effectively have joined a conspiracy to obstruct justice. immunity from prosecution for congressmen, based upon the "speech or debate clause," is not unlimited or absolute, and actions outside the legislative process inside the capitol likely would subject at least some republicans to prosecution.
in other words, if/when dems re-take control of the government, expect a number of criminal investigations of republicans to begin. the entire party, in effect, is becoming a racketeering enterprise.
8
Please help me find an unbiased media report some where! This clearly isn't one. According to this report:
Releasing the memo clearly reflects Republican bias but the Democrat objection to its release does not reflect their political bias!
McCabe resigned because of pressure he had withstood for months, not because he was afraid of what was about to come out about his conduct and bias. Of course, he has no bias even though Hillary gave his wife $800,000 when she ran for office!
The exchange of emails between McCabe and at least one staff member clearly shows their bias against Trump and support for Hillary has no bearing or impact on their role in the Russian investigation or in the investigation of Hillary.
CNN even contends that since the author showing obvious bias against Trump also participated in writing the investigation document on Hillary, he isn't biased. Who in their right mind would let a person with obvious bias against one political candidate participate in writing the investigation parameters on the opposition candidate, who he supports, possible felony charge?
Come on people, use some common sense!
3
Looks like the brat is being confronted and says "Oh, look, a plane is falling out of the sky" so everyone will turn their heads another way. Wray is doing the right thing, bless him. Adam Schiff is also doing the right thing. Where in hay does Nunes get the idea that he should be "colluding" with the White House? I suggest they paint that house baby blue for the duration. I never, ever thought that this country could be so stupid as to elect someone who throws tantrums, plants decoys, and doesn't really read anything that crosses his desk, and if he did, would he understand it? I am so ashamed of him and what he has done to our country and allies. Send him home. Soon.
10
Must emphasize what the FBI said, "the memo has inaccuracies." The memo was written by Devin Nunes and staff, it's four pages long. And Rep. Squigley said last night on CNN, that the memo reads like it was written at the least minute by a freshman with two Redbulls in him! Rep. Squigley asked Nunes if the White House helped write the memo, Nunes didn't answer.
This memo is another attempt to deflect from the truth, that each day Mr. Mueller gets closer to the truth of Russian-Donald collusion!
What's very disturbing is watching the so-called-patriots aka Republicans enable Donald and turn a blind eye to the corruption in this administration!
I hope that the Democrats will leak the Minority Memo that they authored in response to the Nunes memo.
10
The Republicans refuse to allow the Dems' counter-memo to be released. What arguments do they have to defend such an utterly absurd position?
They must truly fear the worst from Mueller's investigation. What do they know?
6
The solution is simple, just "leak" the memo. That is the mode in Washington today. Having the FBI decide who should scrutinize the FBI is a conflict of interest.
2
Have you noticed how many Republicans Trump is attempting to destroy? He has already fired numerous highly respected Republicans while accusing them of crimes like conspiracy and treason. Trump will throw anyone under the bus to protect himself. Have you considered the possibility that he is guilty of actual crimes, and that he will sacrifice the entire Republican Party, our constitution, even the country to keep himself out of prison?
Is Trump really worth the risk? Are you ready to have Trump drive his bus over you? Do you really put loyalty to Trump above the FBI, the Judiciary, the rule of law, the constitution, the Republic itself.
Trump thinks he's the greatest president ever. Would Washington, who is one of the few conquering generals in history to turn down the crown, sacrifice the constitution to save his own skin?
8
Where is Senator Joe McCarthy now that we really need him?
1
I'm all for releasing this memo, just be sure it's properly redacted to protect sources and methods used.
3
Hopefully , this Wray is our ray of hope. A Trump appointee but he can turn the tables on Trump. He may be the appointee that Trump regrets. But then again he can be fired just like Comey. Rod Rosenstein has already been moved to cell 1. Hope he has the stomach like Rosenstein and Mueller. I hope the Justice Department and the Bureau work fast and furious to confirm the proof, the conclusion which is not hypothetical anymore.
4
Just remove Trump and Pence and Ryan and let's cut our losses. These craven cowards all hide behind their Gods, but in fact--think they are Gods themselves, the dyslexic version maybe--they are all dogs.
8
Mr. President, they had more than one opportunity to do what was right. It is now your turn, #DeplorablesToo and thank you.
1
Draining The Swamp...Winning.
1
“material omissions of fact”
The new slogan for the GOP
9
Following a double homicide, OJ Simpson walked through the blood of his victims and left a trail to his home, yet he was acquitted The case was an important one, for it proved categorically that the law in America does NOT apply to rich celebrities. Though we see this reality played out over and over and over and over, the American people still don't get it. They believe we are a society governed by laws in which even the President can be held to account. The only true statement Trump ever made was that he could shoot someone in front of a crowd of people and it would make no difference at all. Mueller should be honest and state the truth: Trump and all those like him are not subject to the laws governing the rest of us. America is a cast society.
4
I hope, now that what you say is in our face, Americans will rise to he challenge and save our Republic.
1
It appears F.B.I. director Wray may be on his way out unless he remembers he is dealing with America's first autocratic oligarch, Donald J. Trump. Trump is dragging America down to Banana Republic status and requires loyalty to Trump at all costs; America's system of governance be damned. It is important for the majority of Americans, which excludes Trump loyalists, to view that brief interview with Trump (Jr) back in 2016. The red flag in that interview was the phrase, and I paraphrase, the presidency is a step down for my father. That should have been the clincher to give Trump the bum's rush.
3
Seems that Benedict Arnold Nunez has been pulling some late night re-writes of team trump's deep state fantasy memo accusing the FBI and justice department and intelligence agencies? of a conspiracy to frame team trump and Putin for a fake election rigging to cover for what was actually Hillary Clinton directing the deep state's efforts to swing the popular vote her way. And it looks like Squeaker of the House lying Ayn Ryan is all in. BTW, does news of the hush money pay-off of at least one porn star sexually involved with our great leader while the First Lady was birthing their kid lend any credence to the believability of the "salacious" parts of the now almost entirely corroborated dossier?
4
The Democrats just aren't in Trump's league. He's milked this memo thing with a masterful sense of timing and built-up suspense, and now the Democrats can do nothing but blubber in complaint. Clueless Nancy Pelosi has sent a letter to House Speaker Ryan demanding Nunes's removal from the Intelligence Committee. How ridiculous can you get? She's turning herself into a parody of what an effective minority leader should be. At the State of the Union speech she wore black as if she was attending a funeral, her face fixed in an expression of grief. For the fate of the nation? More likely for the fate of the Democratic party which seems on the verge of extinction with her at the helm.
2
Wait till you find out the Clintons talked Trump into running to destroy the Republican Party from the inside.
How many Republicans can he fire and/or accuse of treason before he can't keep a straight face anymore?
2
Another diversion to keep a frightening story from being highlighted: Is it true that the Trump administration allowed three Russian spy chiefs into the country a few days ago, including one who is under sanctions and not supposed to be allowed in? What on earth were they doing here? What advice have they been giving the administration? Why were they allowed to meet here? Why is Trump refusing to abide by the Congress' voted sanctions?
4
I find it disturbing that the Times has chosen to characterize the Nunes document as a “memo”. Doing so implies that Republicans are “fighting” to simply set free a memo created in the normal course of government for the sake of transparency on behalf of the public good.
The reality is that this document is more appropriately characterized as a type of "hit piece" or campaign propaganda. Granted, those terms may seem extreme, but they are a closer approximation of this documents true character than casually calling it a memo.
I think the Times must give careful consideration to how it frames the identity of this document. Perhaps “Republican talking points”, or “Republican statement” is closer to the mark. To do otherwise remakes the tortured release of this document seem like a fight for transparency and truth rather than the base political maneuver which it really is.
5
Good point. Part of the strategy around this thing has been to pretend the "memo" wasn't written by them.
RELEASE the WARRANT
1
With all this back and forth in political football, which GOP are working hard at, we forget the overarching issue underlying the national security and political crisis.
The issue is the Russian interference in our electoral system. What Trump has done to investigate this threat? What resource he put in place to counter this obvious Russian act of war? Where are his reports on the progress in this effort? Why was he more interested in lifting sanctions against Russia than in investigating them?
Why Mueller has to do Trump's job and seriously investigate Russian interference in our elections?
Once we all get this broader view it is only logical to ask why Trump, and his lackeys, are not forthcoming to cooperate in those investigations? Why are they lying about virtually any important contacts with Russian officials? What are they trying to hide, and what are they trying to cover up?
4
The healthy and necessary relationships our Justice Dept., FBI and other security entities have with similar agencies in foreign governments is being betrayed and wrecked by the intimate relationship between a deranged President Trump and equally tormented republican congressmen/women.
2
wow, Nunes is investigating the FBI because the FBI has been infiltrated by anti-Trump operatives conspiring to overthrow an elected president.
Yes, and the conspiracy is being led by Trump's hand picked appointees to the justice department and FBI. You just can't get good help anymore.
You were being sarcastic, right?
2
"A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the law and steals on his authority is a swell snake. The worst type of these punks is the big politician. You can only get a little of his time because he spends so much time covering up that no one will know that he is a thief. A hard-working crook will-and can-get those birds by the dozen, but right down in his heart he won't depend on them-hates the sight of them." Al Capone
4
If the President of the United States proclaims the Justice Department and FBI to be corrupt can lawyers for people previously convicted e.g. Boston marathon bomber or other terrorists or mass murderers ask for their clients' verdicts to be overturned?
5
I would of I were them. If I were convicted by the justice department, FBI, and Federal courts, I would claim that the "deep state" conspired against me because I support Trump.
Trump supporters have no respect for the rule of law or the constitution. Like the Confederates, Nazis, Soviets, and other vanquished enemies of the USA that they worship, they only believe in strongmen and the force of arms, not the constitution (especially the Bill of Rights) ur the rule of law.
Every lying hypocrisy of the Republican Party (but the deficit, the terrorists, family values, law and order, blah blah blah) are all being thrown to the wind for Tax Cuts for billionaires and to save their orange supremacist.
1
The FBI say they Oppose Releasing the Memo because it could do harm to the reputation of the FBI and hurt confidence in Law Enforcement.
Someone should explain to the FBI that the actions of FBI Agents like Peter Strzok and his Mistress already have destroyed America's confidence and trust in the FBI.
Releasing the Memo might be painful for those who still work at the FBI, but it is the only way to rebuild confidence and trust in the FBI.
5
Republicans paid for the Steele dossier BEFORE the Democrats got involved. More republican lying.
5
Are you listening John Kelly?
3
And where is Sessions in all this? Hiding in a car outside a California marijuana dispensary, waiting to bust the next person who comes out of there?
5
John Kelly seems to have given up the position as one to bring order to the chaos at the White House and become a hyper-partisan, defending Trump, right or wrong.
It is clear that anyone who comes close to Trump gets soiled...and loses his/her integrity
5
We all know that famous Trump line, "When someone punches me, I punch back harder." Well? Now is the time to punch Trump back 10 times as hard as he punches.
With bully tyrants like Trump, the only real fear they ever have is getting their faces bashed in. Trump has NO fear of any investigation because for 3 decades he got a slap on the wrist every time he got caught.
Trump has no fear that he won't use Russian agents to spy on the Mueller investigation team all with Republican Party approval and consent.
Someone besides the Trump State Dept. knew Trump intended to violate the law bringing an Illegal Russian agent banned from the US into the country.
Russia is bragging about this and yet Trump kept it secret. If Trump has nothing to hide, why keep it a secret? It if wasn't illegal, he didn't need to sneak them into the US.
3
I initially thought Trump was nothing but a load mouth wanting publicity and his run for Presidency was a sham. I also thought that when he built his empire he would have many skeletons in his closet and he was stupid to want everyone investigate him. Then I saw the entire media and all Democrats and many Republicans try their best to knock him out of the race. They dug deep and found nothing illegal. Then I wondered if maybe Trump is basically honest, a blowhard but honest.If Meuller finds nothing be prepared for a huge backlash and then we will see if there was a political attack to take him out using the FBI/DOJ. This should be a concern for all but the hate Trump movement is strong, maybe too strong.
2
trump's war on the American legal system, and our other institutions, is done as quid pro quo for the Russian money he and his family and friends have received over the years. It is the treason that underlies the obstruction of justice crimes. The word is TREASON people, the media might want to start using it in its reporting.
PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
7
I am disgusted with Republicans. Releasing half-truths is as good as lying, and releasing classified information that undermines law enforcement is equivalent to traitorous behavior. There must be a reckoning at the polls. Democrats have to unite and throw these scoundrels out!
5
If the document is so flawed what's the harm in letting everyone see it? Maybe the public is tired of being told by bureaucrats how stupid and oblivious they are. At least the Greeks purported their gods to only be up in the heavens and stars. That's because they didn't have the New York Times.
3
Devin Nunes is a Benedict Arnold.
6
The FBI incessantly and monotonously rambles on about its reputation. Yet, here's how a veteran Senator describes the FBI's reputation: "Let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday evening on MSNBC after host Rachel Maddow informed him that intelligence sources told NBC news that the briefing had not been delayed. – Senator Chuck Shumer (Dem., NY). I'm sure the large majority of members of Congress along with the large majority of the public agree. Someone should ask Wray how it is that the 35,000 agents of the FBI whose professionalism and dedication he finds inspiring have gotten the reputation of being recognized as a standing threat and oppression to members of Congress, let alone the majority of the population. As the massive scandal of the FBI targeting me in Connecticut for my investigative writing into crimes and corruption throughout the state legal system, mostly top operatives and fundraisers of the Democratic Party, evidences, the FBI invests primarily in propping up its fake image with only minimal positive effects on criminal activities, which work is little more like a sideline for the FBI (see Prohibition, the drug trade). (For my civil lawsuits shedding light on FBI operational details by identifying assorted stooges and dupes in the Fairfield-Black Rock area, see the CT judicial website, Bridgeport, Henry Berry plaintiff.)
2
Why does the article not mention that Page has been on the FBI radar since 2013, and that a conservative group was the original funding source of the Steele dossier?
5
It is about time that someone stood up to the bully in the White House. Trump will try to fire him too. Trump is not above the law and probably flunked any government courses he took in school. This is not his show on TV this is about the U.S. and the world. Trump and the Republicans look like a bunch of fraternity boys.
6
Devon Nunes, and his cohorts, are traitors and should be dismissed from their leading positions, and charged by the justice dept. All the the WH targets are Republicans, including Wray, and they should be allowed to do their jobs, without tRumpist interference. Let's have none of this autocracy.
5
Personally i would be happy to see all the facts released. But congressional Republicans have taken the position that they can unilaterally release fragments of classified information chosen to support them politically while supressing the release of related information that does not advance their party objectives. Their allegiance is not to America, it is too themselves. As is Mr. Trump's. It's time for the Democrats to show leadership or let Mr. Sanders show it for them.
4
This memo from Benedict Nunes and his staff appears to be a cut-and-paste hit job created in the same spirit of dishonesty as right wing groups' use of doctored "undercover" videos to attack political opponents. And for what? To curry favor with a megalomaniac whose desire for adulation can never be sated? For short term political gain?
The ultimate result of the Trump presidency will be to leave our country, and its intelligence community, weaker. This is just one more step in that direction.
5
Trump truly is trying to "Make America Great Again" by taking up Nixon's approach to governing, namely, "in order to get what you want, fire, intimidate, harass, obstruct, and do whatever it takes to win".
The difference between Trump and Nixon is that the Democrats controlled Congress under Nixon and the GOP is in coordination with the Trump White House. When checks and balances don't exist, democracies are threatened.
5
If material changes were made to a bomb, that bomb would probably not hit its target.
Likewise, if the language has been changed in the language of a memo, then that memo is not the same as it was written.
That the GOP would rewrite something and then say that it's the same as the original, then why just not use the original?
3
A couple of months ago when the Clinton campaign and DNC were busted for paying for the Steele Dossier the Democrats said..."it doesn't matter who paid for the information, let's just examine what's in the dossier." Now, with this secret memo they could care less about the contents. Hypocrisy?
If the edits to the memo were "minor" then it would not alter the outcome if the whole (unexpurgated) memo were published. The conclusion I draw is that the "minor" changes were anything but minor and were made for political reasons in order to affect the outcome.
3
Ooh, the memo contains classified material. Suddenly security and confidentiality are of the utmost importance although the numerous deep-state leakers didn't seem to care about that before now. I guess it depends on whose ox is gored. But wait a minute. As President Trump can declassify anything he wants. Impeach him! Impeach him!
1
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes issued the following statement today:
“Having stonewalled Congress’ demands for information for nearly a year, it’s no surprise to see the FBI and DOJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies. The FBI is intimately familiar with ‘material omissions’ with respect to their presentations to both Congress and the courts, and they are welcome to make public, to the greatest extent possible, all the information they have on these abuses. Regardless, it’s clear that top officials used unverified information in a court document to fuel a counter-intelligence investigation during an American political campaign. Once the truth gets out, we can begin taking steps to ensure our intelligence agencies and courts are never misused like this again.”
I wonder if any of these Republican's screaming about the private emails between FBI investigator regarding Trump and the election, find it a little hypocrite or odd that Donald Trump would be questioning FBI leadership as to who they voted for or asking them for their loyalty.
4
Last time this type of situation arose was when the bushies outed Valerie Plame. How'd you like that jail time Scooter?
4
Show us your tax returns you pathological liar. Show them now and then maybe I will think that your demand to show a cherry picked, misleading, Republican concocted memo is worth taking a look at. Now that's a great deal for you, you dealmaker you.
13
ok, show of hands:
how many think Trump's actions and statements in this matter, and the actions of his supporters such as Nunes, make him appear to be guilty... afraid, and trying to undercut he truth...and transparently obstructing justice?
this is getting to be like Bill Clinton's disquisition on the meansing of "is". Trump is telling us "fake" means something he doesn't like, "truth" means something that casts him in a flattering light, and "on my team" and "loyalty" mean the submission of vassls to their leige.
clearly, Trump wants Rosenstein to take a knee and kiss his ring - or he'll be out on his keester like the rest of the "disloyal".
coming soon, my new Trump bio: "The Schmuck Who Would Be King. "
7
Somewhere, Nixon is snickering.
9
If Nunes recused himself, why is he allowed to prepare partisan memo om Russia.
11
This is the handiwork of Paul " Choir Boy " Ryan. He is bending all rules , all norms to protect Donald Trump and Donald Trump's "new campaign manager " ,in the words of Joe Walsh, former conservative GOP Representative, Devin Nunes, from the clutches of Robert Mueller. Ryan is willing to trash the FBI and the Justice Department to accomplish his objective of enabling Donald Trump. Combine this with Ryan's successful efforts to keep Trump's tax returns out of public view, and you can only conclude that Paul Ryan has transformed from " Choir Boy" to Bag Man.
10
Having read the entire transcript of the committee meeting at which the memo's release was approved, appalling and pathetic as it is, I think the committee should start a 7-day clock on reviewing the minority memo. That way when the majority memo goes back to congress for modification, the minority memo will be on an even footing.
Gorilla Bob
3
It is not an honest piece of journalism. It is full of half-truths, insinuations, and intentionally misleading innuendos. The authors are trying to pub a good face on the game that is almost lost. The headline to this article is highly misleading.
Nowhere does it show Mr. Wray is actually in conflict with the president. The article is more about Mr. Schiff and other "usual suspects" that about Mr. Wray. It is obvious that the main push comes from Mr. Rosenstein who is a well-known supporter of the Mueller probe and whose career, just like the career of Mr. McCabe, is so obviously at stake. The last ditch effort to bring in Mr. Corollo is an indication that the Mueller investigation may very well be in its death throws. This article may mobilize the most ardent anti-Trump voices but it is nothing more than cheer-leading.
4
If we are at the point that classified information in an ongoing investigation can be treated with disregard for political gain, we are truly doomed. Bet every person who was ever charged with misdeeds wished they could manipulate and bully their way through the legal system by exerting their power to halt the investigation.
There is an old saw that says "the lady doth protest too much". If there is "no there, there", then why are Trump, his lackeys and the GOP so intent on discrediting the investigation?
November will soon be upon us, as will 2020. Energize yourself, America, and use your votes wisely.
7
Republicans are right in talking of conspiracies. But they've got the matter wrong. The clear and ongoing conspiracy, the one available for all to see, involves Trump, his White House, Nunes and his committee majority, Paul Ryan, a cabal of ultra-right Republicans in Congress, and the now-quasi official propaganda outlet called "Fox News).
Those of sufficient vintage cannot help but recall McCarthyism and Watergate, and how defenders of the associated indefensible activities spent subsequent years trying to excuse or justify their tainted "loyalty". Now, Trumpism provides another opportunity for self-debasement.
7
If I could stand back from this controversy and make some comment that would not offend anyone, it would be nice. However, this does not seem possible. The republican opposition to anything the democrats try to impose is a given. The democrats and their supporters in the FBI and the Justice departments' sympathizers appear to be stonewalling. One could choose to believe that anything the president says constitutes bluster and hyperbole because that's how he comes across at all times. The former FBI director was a grand stander and appeared to go far beyond what his role dictated. The latter was really the beginning of all this mistrust that now emanates from all sides. It is an unholy mess that needs maturity and some statesmanship to resolve it. Good luck with that!
3
Wray is a Republican. Mueller is a Republican. Comey is a Republican.
This is not Republicans versus Democrats, it's Republicans with integrity versus Republicans without.
5
The only reason Trump, Nunes, Kelly. et al want this memo released is because they know it has been edited,with information out of context, in order to discredit the FBI and the Mueller investigation. In the process of releasing this "information" they will quite possibly put valuable sources of information at serious, even deadly risk. They will be further aiding Putin and his minions (whom I believe we can count the Trump administration and his cohorts as part and parcel) in further damaging the democratic process. While Putin sees this as advantageous to his country, Trump's motives are purely personal.
5
Trump-Pence and their stalwart GOP supporters have transformed the Federal Government into a team sport suitable for 'reality TV' viewing. However, each player (Trump, Pence & GOP) have their own goals in mind.
Trump's being self-gratification and self-enrichment, Pence's furthering of fundamentalist Christian beliefs, GOP stalwarts' being shrinking government to a size that can be 'balled-up' and tossed into the trash bin while reducing taxes.
To date, they are all succeeding marvelously using whatever means necessary to placate and mesmerize their target audience.
3
Neither Trump and his partisans, nor his opponents, but America must prevail. That the USA be the open society envisaged by its founders is more important than the reputation of POTUS, Congress, the political parties or a grovernment agency. A plague on the Democrats and the Republicans. A pox on Trump and on Wray. Each is replaceable. America is not.
3
The purpose of the Republicans' "memo" public release is to sow doubt in the minds of the public and right-wing media as to whether the FBI acted within the law in it's request for a FISA warrant for Carter Page, in order to discredit the FBI and Special Counsel investigation. As the lawyers on Lawfare blog have pointed out, the possible omission of the political persuasion of those who were financing the "Steele Dossier" is irrelevant and the FISA judges had obviously considered it as such, as most judges would. However, the Republicans are counting on this legal nit-pick to stick in the minds of the public regardless of it's legal implications or lack thereof.
Lt. Manion: How can the jury disregard what they've already heard?
Paul Biegler: They can't.
3
What bothers me about this relationship that Trump has with Russian leaders and oligarchs is that, as President, Trump has taken an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath seems to have been tossed aside with little to no regard to its essential meaning and purpose. Instead, he seems more interested in appeasing Putin than in representing the genuine interests of the U.S. for which he was elected, especially where it concerns Russia. This is absolute heresy for an American president.
His refusal to enforce the sanctions that were designed to penalize Russia for injecting itself into our election machinery and social media in such a way so as to produce a predetermined outcome -- in this case the election of DJT and, perhaps, (God help us) his re-election. Don't you find it deeply disturbing that Trump continues to treat Putin and Russia with more respect than he does our beloved Constitution?!
All of this is the political theatre of the absurd, brought to you by a President who was elected with the help of our primary adversary in this world in which we live.
If anything, once the Democrats regain control of the House and the Senate in this year's November elections, with significant majorities in both, our first order of business should be to impeach this toxic Stephen King-like clown who is threatening all that we as a people hold near and dear to our hearts.
This Trump presidency is like a living nightmare.
8
The release of the this memo is obviously political. The Nunes and Trump are more interested in undermining the investigation then in fixing any problem in the way the FBI and DOJ work.
4
We have indeed come full circle. How ironic. There was a day, when few Congressmen, or for that matter, the resident of the Oval office would dare take the FBI. J Edgar Hoover would have made sure of that. Not that I was ever an admirer of J. Edgar Hoover, but I'd pay good money to see how Hoover would handle these scoundrels. I'll say this, I would bet money that I could get more honesty and integrity from of the many many good men and women at the Bureau that try and enforce the law of the land. Not dismissing the agency's historical sins, but it's ironic to see this corrupt Congress attacking its own law enforcement. With a memo they wrote themselves, declared it secret to bait the hook, then with mock declarations of transparency and honesty, issue their own talking points...Like I said, we have indeed come full circle in the irony department.
4
First of all, the FISA Warrant was NOT based on the dossier, so their entire case falls apart immediately, betraying a callous and crude diversion from the important business of determining possible treason in the US Government.
5
Nixon also went on a collision course with the FBI. Guess who lost....BIG!
Now if the FBI has a file on the Pornographer's past, this is the time to leak it out. It would be great!
2
The Fear and Loathing from the White House is astonishing! As a Natural Born Citizen of the U.S.A. I fully support the FBI and Director Wray. Are we not a nation of laws? I think this makes Nunes and his co-conspirators also guilty of Obstruction of Justice.
5
All of this would become crystal clear if Mr. Trump would realese his tax returns.
2
What are the democrats trying to hide? Are they still trying to protect Hillary? Hopefully Trump will release this information soon.
2
I hope Wray doesn't resign. The number of people with principles in the Trump administration is sparse enough. I prefer him to stay and help keep the FBI from becoming Trump's personal police force.
2
When did the pledge of allegiance change? I thought that the pledge was to the flag and the nation, not the president. Now it seems that blind loyalty to this president is required of all, even agencies that are supposed to be set apart from politics. If the FBI can’t investigate leads they can’t solve crimes. Any contacts with outside powers, especially during an election, are suspect and should be followed up no matter what the source. The Trump team should have goons straight to the FBI when offered dirt on Clinton, they didn’t. Oh, and only releasing one point of view on the matter, that’s seriously bent, if things are going to be released, release it all, not just the cherry picked, sanitized version.
4
If Trump permits the publication of the Nunes memo over the objections of the FBI, our intelligence agencies, and the Department of Justice, how does he expect any of them to respond if there is a national emergency or an international crisis requiring their help?
10
So if it's proven the FBI and DOJ had a few key bad actors, we should ignore that, and continue corrupt practices, because ooh-ooh! we don't want anybody mad?
Obama did that with terrorists around the world. That didn't work.
2
Umm... don’t they get paid to respond?
So if we get proof there were bad actors in the FBI and DOJ we're supposed to appease and ignore them so they don't get mad? Obama tried appeasing terrorists and they still got mad. Imagine that.
1
A question for the intelligence agencies that are under much criticism about how they have handled both the Trump/Russia and the Hillary's emails investigations: Are they applying the same level of review of emails, texts, and other records used in those cases to their critics in the current period, in particular to Rep. Nunes and those who prepared this memo?
Each side has attacked the motives of the other, from the firing of Comey or Flynn to the FBI going public about the Hillary emails on Anthony Wiener's laptop. Well, if we can ask how the investigators can be fair if they oppose Trump or their wife is a democratic candidate,
then I ask "What are the motives of Nunes and his cronies, based on their emails, tweets and social media?" Might they perhaps be just a little unfair to the FBI?
7
Old Ben, it is high time to leave Hillary alone.
Lets's talk basics. The bottom line is that Russians seriously interfered with US election, and it has been act of war. They still keep doing that! Why Trump is not putting extra resources to find out the scope of Russia interference? Where is the Trump's interest in protecting us from this interference? Where are his reports on the progress in this effort? Nowhere to find. Why was he more interested in lifting sanctions against Russia than investigating Russia?
Why is that Mueller has to do Trump's job?
When you have this broader view it is clear that Trump and some in GOP are involved in cover up. What do they try to cover up?
3
Intel chiefs Brennan and Clapper dismissed the DNC financed Steele dossier as inaccurate and unverifiable. Comey and the FBI nonetheless used it for the basis to attack Trump and Mueller used it for FISA warrants. FBI agents have had very damaging emails and texts released that exposed corruption at the highest levels while the Russian collusion scam is in tatters. Now let's see about Hillary's 150 million dollar bribe from the Russians.
3
That Nunes is working so hard to discredit the Mueller investigation makes me wonder what role he had in the Trump transition? Maybe he was in on approving the Flynn sanctions phone call?
10
With democrats working so hard to maintain a veil of scecracy, and repbublicans working to obatain public transpareny, one has to wonder what they are trying to hide. Was there criminal wrong doing and or bias in the DOJ to help Hillary and damage Trump. Or is this a nothing burger.
We need to find out if our DOJ leadership is corrupt. A cleansed 4 page memo designed for public consumption seems like a good solution.
If the DOJ is acting antidemocratically using covert surveillance powers, that is a huge danger to our republic and we need to know.
1
Wow, I thought the Times believes in transparency - at all levels of gov't. What will you do and say if it turns out that the memo, when released, has redacted info relating to sources and methods?
After all, the Times released the Pentagon Papers in the interest in transparency and the public's right to know. At the time many argued that act was an important national security breach.
The Times used to be suspicious of nat'l security and law enforcement agencies which used "national security" as a cover for not releasing information which likely was damaging to their own agencies. I wonder if we're going to find out shortly that's the case now with top DOJ and FBI officials?
3
When the American public was emotionally-manipulated with the Gulf of Tonkin Incident I thought we had learned our lesson. Nope. We then had Trickle-down, SDI/Star Wars, too many scandals and "WMD!", and they STILL have not learned.
Politics and religion have turned us into folk living in fantasies, eager to blame others for failures in life. Now, their fury of failure is turned against those who protect them.
How do we stop them from killing Democracy?
2
If Trump likes to release things so much, still waiting for those tax returns, Don The Con.
15
I guess it would be safe to say that this is a Trumped up memo, no pun intended.
8
Only a desperate individual would take such a step, someone who knows the walls are closing in, that his crimes are about to be revealed, a dirty "president", enabled by a crooked GOP Congress.
13
If the media abrogates their responsibility and milks for ratings this "Secret Memo" garbage, our culture is toast, done, barbarians at the gates and all that. Time to move to Mexico.
3
Democrats only want the sun to shine when it regards the Republicans. It's time for the truth to come out. Clinton and Obama minions were hard at work trying to fix the election. Feathering their own nests, thinking it would be of no consequence because Hillary would surely win. Now they're spewing whatever lies they can come up with to conceal the truth. Time to pay the piper.
5
If sunshine is the best disinfectant, according to Ryan, start with the release of his lying majesty's taxes!!!! Next, what intel about Russia's money does Ryan want to "stay in the family?" What did Nunes, who had to recuse himself from the committee, tell the WH about the state of the investigation in his nightly visits there ??? Yes, let the sun shine, Mr. Mueller, add two more suspects in the collusion and cover up, at the minimum. Actually, as all the GOP roused and applauded their traitor in chief two nights ago, they should all be held accountable "aiding and abetting" treason to United States.
12
The appearance of those trained seals under Nunez, barking interference for a foreign-tainted crook and would-be monarch, tilts the balance toward emergency. The Republican remnant retire to gated communities. Their party is now infected and close to extinction. Only Justice and National Security stand between us and foreign-inspired anarchy. There's no way the next election cycle can proceed with Russia poised to attack it. Donald just 'declined' to apply the Russia sanctions. Aha, that's reality.
It does't matter anyway, Trumpites will announce that they're going to "respect the results... only if we win." At some point, the loyal American state is going to have to take stock.
8
Another major win for the Republicans in the direction of increasing chaos and dismantling democracy - brilliant - regardless the absurdity that will ensue as the public tires to vet the actions of the FBI, coloured by partisan politics and misinformation no less, its reputation is inevitably, seriously, damaged.
SHAME ON EVERYONE
3
Well, it's time the country took stock that the President, the GOP congressmen and women and Fake News, read Fox News all are complicit in highly traitorous misdemeanors. The 2018 elections can't come fast enough but by then this trio would have done enough damage to the country.
7
Now I wouldn't be surprised that a government agency abused their power to, in their mind, protect the State. That's pretty common.
2
This has been a tried and true republican tactic since the FDR administration; run against the government. It took a little time for this strategy to spread to law enforcement but it was inevitable given the FBI's mission to investigate criminal activity. Most lawcenforcement people I know are very conservative, even radically conservative. I can't imagine a liberal agent having the authority or audacity to single-handedly derail an investigation of a liberal politician. The question for republicans is; after they destroy the people's confidence in their government, what do they put in its place?
7
Who are Nunes and Ryan working for? Evan Trump is not valuable enough to have them behave contrary to their duty to uphold and defend the Constitution and laws of the US. In plain sight, they have also betrayed the interests of accurate representations to the American people, especially under the very sensitive intelligence collection procedures established under FISA/Patriot Act.
Their behavior can be considered treasonous. They have been repeatedly warned by the head of the FBI about the dangers to our intelligence gathering if they release the memo. There is no clear vetting of the information that supports (or not) the memo's story they plan to divulge to the public. This is a purposeful effort to obstruct the Mueller investigation, a person supported by both parties to bring fairness and justice to an investigation that Trump himself brought to the table. What gives?
12
Keep it up Trump and you'll get that revolution you've been trying to instigate. It just won't be the one you and Bannon foresaw.
It will be by those hungry for justice, pulling an autocratic pathological liar along with his family who have deep dark ties to a foreign country that attacked us and their political stooges in congress out of the Whitehouse and the Capital buildings.
10
Since when does a law enforcement agency publically enter a political frey and try not to do what their masters tell them? The FBI Director must have something to hide or loose by making such an embarrassing spectacle of the organization he leads. He should resign now.
2
Coming from the top floor of inner sanctum of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building the perfidy of the tiny tinny tyrant wannabe likes of Chris Wray, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Rod Rosenstein and Jeff Sessions must have Hoover smiling from Hades. When Hillary was their target Republicans including Trump were orgasmic. Then Rosenstein, McCabe and Sessions concocted the fiction that Comey was fired due to his mishandling the Clinton e-mail inquiry. Forever blind and ignorant is the traditional modus operandi of the F.B.I..
2
I'd like see Rep. Nunes testify under oath what he knows about the highly classified documents on which the memo is based, since he does not belong to the small circle of persons who were allowed to review. The Boyd letter from last week, as reported by the NYT on Mondy (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/us/politics/republican-nunes-memo-que... mentions very clearly that only two HPSCI members and two staffers for each were allowd to review the FBI documents sent to the HPSCI, and those two were Mr. Gowdy and Mr. Schiff, not Mr. Nunes who had "stepped aside" from the investigation in April last year until December. He should have recused himself, or been replaced as chair of this committee, but obviously he is indispensable for some other people.
6
The President and the House Committee have breached rules of the House and the President's involvement runs against the Justice Dept pleading due to intelligence sources in the "memo".
The separation of powers is being breached once again, and the President has "channeled" Pres. Nixon. My wife's father (Repub)knew Elliott Richardson at the time Mr Nixon fired everyone he could. (Pres Trump is just spreading out the dessimation)
A law professor and later a Judge in MA, my father-in-law lectured about the law and constitutional import breached by Pres Nixon.
40 years later Pres. Trump is trying to duplicate Nixon's way to attempt to stay in office. His firings cemented Nixon's impeachment. Pres. Ford pardoned Former Pres Nixon to keep the Nation together, knowing it would mean he, Pres. Ford would never get another term. He was a true patriot.
Pres. Trump seems to take whatever it takes to hold on to his office. That alone shows his motives and lack of character.
8
President Trump said he would fire any federal employee we aren't happy with. Please start at the top.
8
How long will it be before Wray is fired or resigned.
1
This is appalling. If I believed in God I would be praying for divine intervention to put an end to the misery that is this administration. I don't know if mere humans--even ones like Robert Mueller--will ever be able to make things right.
8
The Robert Mueller investigation into "collusion" with Russia and "obstruction of justice" is a complete waste of tens of millions of taxpayer-funded dollars. If the infamous memo has the effect of undermining the investigation, that is a good thing.
2
I would like to see someone ask Speaker Paul Ryan this one question every time he gets in front of the microphone, "Who do you serve the President or the Constitution and the country?"
15
Paul will have to check with the Koch brothers before answering.
6
All Americans should be horrified that this memo will be released against the strong recommendation of the FBI that it not. The fact that the president puts his own need to kill the Mueller investigation above the need to protect all Americans from intrusion by foreign powers in our democracy should be called out for what it is - an act of treason.
The fact that this memo will give Putin and the KGB information and insight into investigation techniques used by the FBI is treasonous. The fact that the Republicans are willing put party above principle and give Trump cover shows that their tribalism is more important then the need to protect our democracy.
We have a president who is a clear and present danger to all Americans and that includes his base of supporters. HE MUST GO!
12
When Trump fires his own appointed FBI director and then Rosenstein either resigns or is fired, then what? I am not sure how Trump supporters would think that it is okay to go against your own Justice officials, when you are under investigation. Something stinks and it is not the FBI.
10
Trump's base supporters would just cheer him on, grab their tiki torches, and march out of their decrepit trailer courts on the edges of dying midWestern towns on a ramoage against progressives and the deep state.
classified ad: now seeking investors for new brown shirt factory. great opportunity!
1
Trump never has been about this Country, so I get that, But General Kelly who did serve this country honorably for many years to protect our land our freedoms, has now turned his back on us. To not stand up to this President when he knows what's happening is going to do more harm than good, I say I say SHAME on you sir!!
11
Remember when Trump invited the Russians, including Russian media, to the oval office the day after he fired FBI Director Comey? At that meeting, from which the American press was excluded, Trump released top secret information that resulted in the outing of an Israeli agent in Syria.
Trump cares nothing for sensitive intelligence information, unless it helps him promote himself. That's what this huckster is about. Shameful!
13
So wait, Carter Page who has been under investigation for many years, including prior to his work on the Trump campaign, for being a RUSSIAN AGENT and the Republicans think there's something fishy in the FBI? So what do these uber patriotic Republicans want the FBI to investigate? Potential Russian agents who were working on a presidential campaign or BLM protesters, participants of the Women's March, Democrats, gay people, women taking birth control, atheists, ... ?
8
Minor conspiracies aren't good enough for Donald. His conspiracies are the biggest and best ever, kind of like inauguration crowd sizes. They are even passed along from one administration to the next like a virus. Not even his own appointees are immune. He needs to go ahead and appoint Alex Jones to run the FBI. After all, he only hires the best people.
6
For several decades, Republican oligarchs and white supremacists have been warring against American democracy.
Trump Republicans are broadening their offensive to an attack on the Constitution, laws and law enforcement agencies that have been protecting America from Russian-Republican tyranny.
Once a modern Republican, never again a loyal American.
5
Our 'New American Moment' includes, I fear, the breakdown of the separation of powers and an unchecked executive colluding with the GOP Congress to cover up crimes. The blatant propaganda Nunes had thrown together will have no credibility except for Trump supporters, who of course feel that credible news is fake news because their Dear Leader said so, and so did Faux News.
Dangerous, dangerous times. I hope this nightmare is over soon, please vote out the GOP majority in November!!!!!! We need some checks and balances!!!!
8
How to deceive; Hypothetically, say there are three witnesses who testify they saw someone meeting with a foreign agent. One is an ambassador who saw the the two meet and shake hands before getting into an elivator together. The second was a secratary who set up the meeting and the third was a hotel maid who witnessed them going into a room together. A congress man then writes a memo claiming abuse because a warrant was issued based on the testamony of a maid who didn't even know who the men were.
3
The Left sure is terrified.
If there is inaccurate information in the memo, let's have proof to back up the disagreements. That should be no problem, right?
Somehow the Wolff garbage book is taken as gospel truth, but the memo is all lies? Really? Really?
Let's get the democrats' memo out there. Let's get all the underlying documents used for both these memos out there. Redact what needs to be redacted, use "John Doe" for sensitive names, let's get it ALL out.
We'll learn about some of the activities the Fourth estate swept under the rug. Then the Left will be really be terrified. Bye-Bye DNC and corrupted DOJ and FBI bad actors. Bring on the orange jumpsuits.
5
Let's see. State Department neutralized. Disloyal Republicans all retiring, to be replaced by loyalists. Remaining Republicans all compromised. Loyalty oaths to be introduced throughout entire US government in the next month or so.
Upper classes and corporate interests bought off with tax cut. One third of the public totally brainwashed by Fox News / hate radio.
In the next week or so the FBI will be neutralized and the final impediment to our takeover, the Mueller Investigation will be terminated.
How am my doing, Vlad?
6
Leak the Democratic memo.
Play the game that Republicans play: for once cheat!
5
History is going to have a ball writing about these times. Because the GOP is now filled with cowards and corrupt brown nosers (Nunes first comes to mind), the politicians and officials who are not retiring are enabling a bully to dismantle and destroy our democratic institutions. Trump is making fools not only of our leaders, but also the American people who support him. If and when Putin ever takes over our country (don't laugh), the first thing he'd do would be to dump Trump.
3
All this and The Liar-In-Chief's approval ratings jump to about 40% from 32%. Nice going you Trump fans, Russia sends its thanks.
7
Chris, You should have signed the Loyalty Oath in blood like Trump asked you very politely. You could have been FBI chief for many, many profitable years.
Now look at you:
Trump hates you, Fox hates you, Sean Hannity hates you. You've got so many enemies, it's hard to keep track.
Look at John Kelly sitting there in his comfortable office in the White House.
You coulda been a contender !!
2
Devin Nunes is either a Trump Stooge, a Putin Stooge or both.
11
Paul Ryan is showing himself to be a complete idiot, a bigger coward and Trump sycophant than I thought, he should be voted out of office.
My question to Paul Ryan would be is Devin Nunes on the Russian payroll or he is a Russian Dupe?
I think Devin Nunes should be investigated for treason.
Paul Ryann is a disgrace as a public servant, he is more interested in lining his pockets with Koch money than serving this country.
10
I hope voters in Nunes's district send him packing in November. Better yet, get him fitted a new orange wardrobe.
8
It is truly a "through the looking glass" moment when one of our two primary political parties has now firmly staked itself to the following positions:
1. Do not trust anyone in law enforcement.
2. Do not trust anyone in the judicial system.
3. Do not trust anyone in the media.
The only possible conclusion to be drawn is that the Republican Party no longer supports our system of governance as constructed. Given their whole-hearted embrace of leaders such as Putin & Duterte, it is clear what system of government they find preferable. It is implausible that they will cede power peacefully.
8
Nope. We are being ruled by a fascist entity, what we avoided by all out war against Nazi Germany and a Cold War vs Soviet Union.
Now we have yielded to the fascists with nary a whimper. And so ends another empire.Fascinating to be able to witness this real time. Great entertainment though quite bewildering. I believe this is compelling evidence I am trapped in an alternate universe. It was inconceivable that any entity could successfully attack the FBI.
3
If the concern about abuse of surveillance power were legitimate in any way, there is an easy way to address that without a politically driven, public release of classified information that can only benefit the Kremlin and its stooges. Convene a panel of FISA judges to review all the allegations, and Democratic rebuttals, in strict confidence. Once this memo is released, there's no calling it back. Delaying release to allow a confidential FISA panel review does no harm and could prevent serious damage to our intelligence community.
I am truly alarmed by the Russian manipulation of this situation and the lack of will among GOP members of the House to resist both that and Trump's eager embrace of any means to discredit our nation's top law enforcement agency. If there are any left in the GOP who will actually defend our Constitution and our nation even when their corrupt leadership demands otherwise, NOW is the time for them to step up. This is the beginning of a true constitutional crisis. We are on that road. Now is the time to slam on the brakes.
7
The Steele dossier was initially funded, during the Republican primary season, by a Never Trump Republican. Shouldn't this be part of all articles on this, instead of accepting the Republican line that it's a Clinton-funded masterstroke?
6
The word for this, and few use this term any more because we're used to saying "fake news," is "forgery". The memo is very likely a direct forgery to embarrass the FBI and by extension Robert Mueller, and forgeries have been used before to achieve all sorts of dark ends. I smell a deliberate forgery here, not just a disputed memo.
9
There is a reason that, in a court of law, a witness is required to tell "the whole truth." I assume that means that material omissions risk a charge of perjury.
8
I don't understand how Democrats & the "Establishment" are so quick to defer to the FBI when a real scandal is at stake, political boon for Trump or not. The long-term health of our democracy is most important. One can disagree with Trump while still holding the FBI's feet to the fire. We live in a democracy, right? Not a country run by entrenched state mechanisms that work in cohorts with Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and establishment politicians, right?
I don't think President Trump has any integrity. I'm a Democrat. I also think that the FBI is full of it on this one.
6
So you don't think it odd that Nunes will release the partisan GOP 'memo' but refuses the Dem rebuttal? Remember, this 'memo' is apparently cherry picked information, I"m sure the Dem one is too. But it might provide balance since we can't see the source information.
Don't you think it odd that Nunes appears to get his marching orders from the White House, and not we the people????
That concerns me far more than the FBI. Look up the word "coup."
7
America's system of checks and balances involves 3 separate, and independent branches of government, Executive, Legislative and Judicial. My understanding is that the DOJ is an independent part of the Judicial branch and warrants are issued by judges only when enough evidence of wrong doing justifies them. Why then does a memo, which even I can write, carry any weight in the investigative process. I don't get it, why did I have to take civics in High School?
8
RE: "I support President Trump" - no matter what is what you've said and in other postings. Closed off to any other information or possibilities by dint of "no way." This puts lie to the original statement that you want "the truth be heard as the case may be". You can't be closed off in absolute support and be open to truth. What you seemed to mean was "let Trump's truth be heard whatever he says it is."
8
The Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee are issuing an incomplete and misleading memo. As stated by the FBI, the memo contains "material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy."
Muller needs to investigate this matter to determine if Chairman Devin Nunes and the others Republicans on the Committee are acting to obstruct justice. Being elected to Congress does not give these representatives immunity from breaking the law in pursuit of partisan politics.
8
What the Republicans do not realize is that the Judge who approved the surveillance would not have done so without the FBI having demonstrated reasonable cause. The actions of Nunes and Trump to release this memo strongly indicate an intent to obstruct the ongoing investigation which, should give Robert Mueller reasonable cause to prosecute them for obstruction.
7
That's the whole point, Paul. The FBI cooked up a garbage dossier in order to get the warrant. With the help of people in the DOJ.
4
Trump is not a neutral party presiding over a crucial legal investigation here. Trump has his skin in the game. His actions and preferences are thinly veiled, if at all. Nothing less than the rule of law under a democracy is on trial here. Trump and the GOP’s intent to impugn the FBI is purely political and likely obstructionist. I almost welcome their tampering as it is on full display before the people. Trump is nothing unless enabled and Mr. Wray (like Mr. Comey, Mr. Mueller, Preet Bharara, and Ms. Sally Yates) are not disposed to servicing him that way.
In contrast, Trump sets Sessions loose to arbitrarily harass and prosecute any factions perceived as ‘enemies’ except, of course, violent white nationalist terrorists and Big Pharma oligarchs trafficking opioids. Shades of Nixon?
If Trump is innocent until proven guilty under the American rule of law, his behavior, and that of his handlers, does not suggest it.
Trump never actually wanted this job but now he will marshal all of his dirty and sophomoric tricks to hold onto it. This is the true test of American democracy! I hope we win it!
8
Mr. Trump, quid pro quo. Release your Income Tax returns to the Public FIRST and then you can release the Memo. You know, you CAN override any suggestions or recommendations by the IRS or your lawyers or any auditors that your returns CAN'T be released, for any reason. So, release your tax returns and then you can release the Memo.
6
It seems like Director Wray is a man of integrity. How did he get past Trump's team of minions into a position of power?
7
I smell McCarthyism witch hunting and it's leaders are Ryan and Nunes. It appears that they will do anything, even put FISA process at risk and the information gathering that has worked to protect us since 9/11, to find a new pathway to new levels of corrupt power and control of government that has little to do with our democratic foundation of governance.
The appropriate way to fix things is to eliminate illegal gerrymandering and pass a Constitutional amendment to place term limits on Congress and the Senate. The extreme posturing of each party has little to do with their duty to govern the people who voted for them. Rather, the importance of special interests become paramount to the support of opportunistic representatives who serve with the prospect of an unlimited term timeline. The needs of the general public fades with each successive term.
6
What is being overlooked in all the apparent focus on the memo is who ordered the investigation into the so-called Russia/Trumo collusion, why the whole idea was cooked up in the first place , who in DOJ and FBI agreed to go along with the order and why the dossier was created. The fact that the FBI and DOJ went along with the order to investigate Trump and other private citizens is the real nub in this whole matter not whether Nunes or Schiff are protecting their front. If the former administration or the current administration is involved then the American people are entitled to know just where the origin of the whole matter started, who was behind it, who supported and paid for it and those involved should be brought to justice. Right now we have the foxes guarding their respective henhouses.
2
OK. Let’s start with who contracted to create the original dossier: Republican Presidential candidate.
4
The constitutional crisis officially begins the moment that memo is released.
5
So according to Donald, anyone he appoints to the DOJ or the FBI automatically becomes part of a grand conspiracy against him. They must past through a magic portal that makes them inherit the grand conspiracy started by the Obama administration. Or maybe there's something about upholding the law that makes people natural enemies of Donald. That seems to be the pattern.
10
If it is established that this Nunes memo has been constructed for the sole purpose of interfering in the FBI/Justice investigation can Nunes be prosecuted on a charge of obstruction?
6
There is talk that the Trump Administration helped him draft the memo, which should be criminal.
7
Donald has already attempted to obstruct on several occasions. He is institutionalizing the process by enlisting Nunes to help. If this doesn't qualify as "high crimes and misdemeanors" then nothing does.
1
Why does Trump keep asking whether or not people are "on his team"?
Why do the Republicans want to discredit the FBI?
If Trump did nothing wrong, why not simply wait for the various investigations to prove his innocence?
Trump is a Russian asset in the White House. This is why we have this storm of obfuscation, loyalty pledges, and GOP interference. The question is: what does Russia have on Trump? I hope this is what Mueller will tell US.
In the meantime, We the People ought to give control of Congress to the Democrats in November to put a check on Trump, the Russian asset.
The United States is US. We get the government we deserve.
13
The Silence of the GOP in the face of Trump's rolling 'Saturday Night Massacre' is troubling. Of course, those in power want to hold on to power. But with Trump, anyone close to him has thus far suffered indignity after indignity in exchange for loyalty: that is, Trump's lackeys do not get 'loyalty' in return from their 'lord and master.'
So why does the GOP cowtow to Trump? Why would Paul Ryan suddenly flip, to support an investigation of a conservative FBI?
I have the sinking feeling that the GOP knows more than it leads on...And that what Trump has done, not only politically but also in the business world, is likely so heinous that the GOP has to continually muddy the waters lest they be taken down in flames.
I do have faith that the 'truth will out.' What is going on is a nightmare circus, and will likely leave the Republicans so damaged and so tethered to Trump that if they survive as a party, it will be a miracle.
In other words: some just desserts are on their way.
8
I interpret the Herculean efforts by Mr. Nunes and the Republicans to find a "technicality" as nothing short of an admission of guilt by the White House.
9
We won’t be any the wiser when the memo is released.
The FBI are complaining that they had reasons others than those provided by the Democratic Party financed Christopher Steele dossier to ask for surveillance of Carter Page. They claim not to be able to make public those reasons because of potential damage to agents, surveillance methods etc.
They really didn’t have any “real” information other than the Steele dossier. The FBI had expressed little interest in investigating links between Trump’s people and the Russians.
Page, like George Papadopoulos, was an chancer/opportunist with oil industry connections who managed to get appointed to Trump’s hastily assembled foreign policy advisory team in March 2016. He gave a speech in Moscow in July and also he “met” with Russian oil industry execs tight to Putin.
Page left the Trump campaign and then two months later the FBI applied for the warrant to put Page under surveillance. Why? And why didn’t the FBI make such an investigation public, as they did with the one concerning Hillary Clinton’s e-mails.
We’ll never know. Republicans have perceived a weakness here in the FBI’s investigation into possible Trump-Russia collusion and they are exploiting it to the hilt. That’s politics.
As for the Dems, if Mueller’s investigation is hobbled because part of it is deemed to rely on information solicited from the Russians by the DNC with the intention of hurting Trump – oops!
1
What is the motive behind releasing the memo? Is it to protect America or to disrupt the investigation? Putin and the Russians are runnings rings around Trump, and they must be finding this all very amusing.
5
Were the Republicans on the committee suspicious of FBI motives based upon the Strzok emails or was the IG suspicious of FBI motives? Was it not the IG's office which released the emails to the committee? After all, they have legitimate oversight.
And why did the FBI stonewall the congressional committee's subpoena? Then only release under imminent threat of Contempt of Congress and possible arrest to compel their release?
And why did Wray fire McCabe within 24 hours of reading the memo if he now has "grave concerns"?
And why did the Director of the FBI go outside his chain of command to make public his "grave concerns"?
Douglas MacArthur was fired by President Truman for that (insubordination).
Who does the FBI think they are?
The CFPB?
1
Who does the FBI think they are? Here is there missions statement from the DOJ website:
The mission of the FBI is to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners; and to perform these responsibilities in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and is faithful to the Constitution of the United States.
That's who they think they are.
6
Should one believe the FBI or Trump and friends? The answer is not to be found at Fox "news", but in the observable record. To briefly summarize, Trump clearly fears what is transpiring, what Mueller apparently knows, and, then, Trump lies. None are the characteristics of an innocent. The only matter left for the public record is exactly what Trump is attempting to hide (in addition to, or including, his tax returns),
The problem here is not a "secret society" or "deep state", it's Trump.
6
Once upon a time, not long ago, everyone believed in law and order, the independence of the FBI and Justice Department. Republicans seemingly more so from their hard rhetoric around character and justice.
Apparently it was all a ruse, window-dressing if you will: it appears now democrats were all along consistently more deeply committed to the rule of law with reasonable, balanced oversight and an eye towards defending personal liberty.
And where did the republicans self righteous defense of law and order go? Defense of the FBI and Department of Justice?
Obviously out the window to conveniently allow for their complete usurpation of power and the slow, unceasing destruction and dismantling of our pillars of justice.
Guess, to their big surprise, they realize they can not govern with control of the house, senate and presidency, and so they eagerly grasp at power by any means at the peril of us all.
A real shame.
7
Trump and the Republicans lie so often that I no longer believe anything they say. I doubt even Shawn Hannity will really believe what the memo says is true. Being the apparachnic mouthpiece of Trump that he is, however, I expect him to breathlessly report on it in a fashion commensurate with his Benghazi days.
At this point, the duplicitous conduct of Trump and the Republicans makes it impossible to trust any memo that they might use to try to impeach anyone in the DOJ or FBI.
6
Trump should be censured or impeached for his treatment of the national intelligence services and the FBI. These organizations are two of the critical pieces of a "wall" that protects the USA. Trump's disgusting vendettas against these organizations are personally motivated. He is willing to destroy a major part of our defense against crime and terrorism to protect himself. And the GOP is letting him do it.
What happened to country before party, GOP?
6
The amount of protesting by the left over the release of the memo indicates that it must be correct and extremely damaging to the entire Russian investigation fraud. "I think he doth protest too much"
2
Christopher Wray and Rod Rosenstein should be fired. They are trying to cover up misconduct at the leadership level of the FBI about which the public has a right to know. Both Wray and Rosenstein are Bush Establishment Republicans who are part of the anti-Trump group. There are plenty of Republican lawyers who will be willing to serve faithfully the Trump Administration.
2
I don't know if this has been brought up -- but -- assuming the memo was altered (and apparently it was according to this report), surely IF this was the original memo, then there have to be copies -- right? Or, if this was a copy, then there has to be an original. And if neither of the above applies, "something is rotten in Denmark!"
The FBI is the subject of the memo. Its dire warnings about its release are not only a desperate cover-up but an attempted coup engineered by disgruntled Democrats and deep-staters against the President of the United States. The only cure for this traitorous assault on our system of government and its institutions is for the memo to be released so that the American people can judge for themselves.
2
The career FBI and DOJ democrat bureaucrats are nervous. They should be. Light is the best disinfectant. Everything in the memo is likely true. If the allegations were false, there would be no need for concern. The hatred and disdain for Trump at FBI and DOJ will erode what is left of the sinking sand foundation of Mueller's corrupt investigation into the fake Russia collusion story. Stay tuned.
2
The provenance of the so-called memo is now also looking a bit dodgy. It is likely that Republican Intel Committee staffers put it together with White House help, which is, of course, a big no-no. Other House Intel Committee members are saying tonight that Nunes gave evasive answers when questioned and simply would not answer when he was asked whether his own staff had worked with the White House on the memo. If I remember correctly, this is exactly what eventually came out vis-a-vis the other such document that Nunes was involved in. At best, dirty tricks. Is this also abuse of power?
3
This attack on the nation's leading law enforcement agency is blatantly duplicitous and an obvious ploy to discredit the FBI and by association, Robert Mueller. Everything Trump and his minions have done since this investigation began is an attempt to delay, obstruct and sabotage the path of justice. Does that sound like the actions of an innocent man?
5
I've just read the transcript from Monday's Select Committee on Intelligence. It actually made me queasy to see the blatant disregard for the rule of law, democracy and our national security that Mr. Nunes and his majority members of the committee demonstrated in this committee meeting. The question of whether our system of checks and balances can withstand is answered and the answer is no - not with this current bunch of fools in power.
2
I am completely opposed to President Trump's policies. But is the only alternative a police State?
In the United States, the people elect the President--who appoints the Attorney General--who appoints the Director of the FBI. The head of the Federal secret police should not give orders to the President. The sinister J. Edgar Hoover did for decades--but that was because he was the much-feared, national blackmailer-in-chief. Do we really wish to return to those days?
It does not matter whether you agree with the President or not.
In times to come, when a left wing President gives an order to the Bureau and they refuse, the liberals can not justly complain, having already accepted the idea that the FBI is above the elected President.
Wray is a honorable man and the FBI is a worthy institution. No doubt of that.
What is unworthy is our corrupt Republican administration, especially the conniving Nunes, Ryan and the president. These three are especially desperate to cover their lying corrupt politics.
Both Ryan and Nunes are up for re-election. May the good people of Wisconsin and California give these last two the boot. And pray that Trump is impeached before he does more damage to the health and peace of mind of Americans. He is detestable.
2
Such clashes might have been commonplace back in the 1930s between J. Edgar Hoover and Al Capone. The difference here is that, in today's situation, J. Edgar Hoover is Al Capone's subordinate.
They don't cal him "The Don" for nuthin'.
I pray that the checks and balances of our democracy will get us through this. That Trump and his supporters in congress and the country are more concerned with their agenda and being right than getting to the bottom of Russian involvement in the election is truly frightening. They are plugging their ears and closing their eyes to the obvious manipulator who has spent his entire life getting what he wants no matter what. He is never wrong and he is relentless, powered by his ego, bigly - the best ego, the strongest ego, the most undefeatable ego ever!
1
Maybe the FBI should release the full memo, redacted, so we can all see for ourselves.... my guess is every page will be full of blacked out lines but somehow/someway a counter-punch needs to happen... and not the democrats response
1
Mr Trump is not immortal. His political life is even more finite. He’ll be gone someday. Probably sooner than he hopes he will. It’s sad to see how willing he is to leave behind a nation divided, and to manipulate his version of reality for the sake of some minority sticking to their allegiance to him—all the way to their end, as a group. That will follow, sooner or later, behind the reckless, arrogant, special interest plunderers that purport to represent them.
1
Tom Clancy must be rolling in his grave as our frontline defense against espionage inside our country is being torn apart by lies and the heads of Russia's intelligence agencies are meeting inside the White House unattended and off the record. Collusion? Trump was right. No collusion. Conspiracy against American interests? Certainly!
This country does need to have secrete agencies ala KGB. The FBI should be more forthcoming unless they have something to hide.
2
So many Democratic partisans who have such confidence in the reliability of the Russian dossier and even in Wolff's trashy gossip rag now attack the memo for being politically motivated. It's actually funny to hear Schiff piously proclaim that it is part of a Republican plot to destroy our "democratic institutions" as if they weren't already rife with scandal and corruption and, most laughably. needed to be saved by the Democrats and their deep-state counterparts who are the very source of the problem.Their criticisms are obviously nothing but smokescreens thrown up in order to prevent the truth from coming out. The more they shout and scream the greater the anticipation for the memo's release. P.T. Barnum couldn't ask for better advance publicity.
3
Think about it from my viewpoint.
A political oppo paper is written with the sole purpose to defeat your political opponent.
It has been reported that this oppo memo, based on hearsay and double hearsay, was dressed up and presented to a FISA judge as the underlying basis to get a FISA warrant that allowed the outgoing administration to spy on its political opponent. It's shocking.
So you tell me there was more evidence than just the political oppo memo? Yes, there was the FBI testimony of Sidney Bloomenthal. Let that sink in too. Shock turns into a nightmare.
The 4th Amendment PC ramifications here are enormous. There was no underlying crime, just the opposing party's political oppo paper and self-serving affidavit of a long-time Hillary confidant, yet a FISA judge issued an order allowing a presidential political campaign to be spied on and a special prosecutor unleashed without any reference to a crime to investigate in the referral.
Where we are now is an overall consensus that there was no collusion. But you want the investigation to continue because Trump had past business dealings in Russia? You can't go back in time looking for crimes with a special prosecutor. Past bad acts (if any) must be adjudicated through the courts. This needs to go back to DOJ. We need an attorney general that is not recused.
Please #ReleasetheMemo. This can never happen again. Next time it will be your party, and you will be screaming your head off too.
3
The Obama administration has politicized the immense power of the federal government to spy on adversaries and this memo documents this action.
Recall the AP spying scandal where investigative reporters were harassed, jailed and perhaps even murdered in the case of Michael Hastings?
The key reason the democrats do not want the memo released is that it documents unconstitutional crminal action by Obama and the Democrat party.
1
Of course the FBI doesn't want the memo released. Because it shows a politicized 'deep state' within our government. And of course they are making that ubiquitous argument that the memo shouldn't be released for 'security' reasons. That's all nonsense. The memo shows a terrible misuse of power for political gain. The FBI used a fake dossier to get the FISA court to allow them to tap Trump's campaign. FISA is an abomination and must go. This is a clear example of what happens when there is no accountability to the people.
4
Release the memo and let the American people decide. Americans are tired of having corrupt government determining what is good,.. and what is not good for them.
3
I can hardly believe this is happening. Boy I cannot wait for the midterms, should Trump still allow them to happen.
2
The world is upside down.
Democrats and the NYT argue that the Anerican people should not be allowed to view possible evidence of police state malfeasance due to national security or some such nonsense. In fact, Democrats are so security conscious that en masse they, ostrich like, refused to even view the material themselves.
Release everything. Release the Democrat excuses memo, too.
The American people are not so sensitive that we will melt.
I have a feeling rebellion is more the fear.
4
Everything Trump does is to protect Trump, either because of his fragile ego or to cover up evidence of actual crimes. He has spent his life engaging in illegal, fraudulent and unethical business practices and hid behind a battery of lawyers and avalanches of lawsuits. Well, he can't do that anymore so now he has to enlist astonishingly weak-willed Republicans to do his dirty work. Our only relief will be to take back the House and Senate in 9 months.
1
Trump and the GOP are clearly breaking laws. They feel entitled to falsify any memo to say the least.
They must convince themselves they are entitled. Trump, Pence, Ryan, McConnell, Rand, Nunes and the entire GOP are a disgrace. We knew with Charlottesville that any thing goes with Trump. Cruz and “I’m not standing up Rubio” are a joke. After his merciless personal attack’s in them pre election one wonders if they have any decency, courage because they are right in the fold of the GOP power trip with Trump.
1
There once was a misleading memo
That gave some Republicans ammo
To cause much confusion
And give the illusion
They’re probing for the truth with gusto
This guy Devin Nunes has to be without doubt, the most dishonest man in government. How do the folks that voted him can see anything honest or decent about this man is beyond me. California is suppose to be a progressive state, not a backward town in a rural mining state. Maybe his Congressional district is made up of small minds who can't see the embarrassment this guy is. Never seen a more spineless man ever.
7
Every progressive state has enclaves of right wingers. Republicans have held sway in the state of Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger before.
This seems to be turning into a bureaucratic version of that great 1949 gangster movie "White Heat". Is Donald Trump turning into James Cagney's brilliantly played Cody Jarrett? Maybe I missed that part of the STOU when he said, "Made it ma, top of the world!"
1
It seems to me that Nunes, himself, as well as everyone else who is trying to undermine the FBI's credibility with respect to the Russia investigation, is merely trying to torpedo that investigation and that, their statements and actions, themselves, are tantamount to obstruction of justice. I hope that FBI and the Justice Department will investigate these traitors and charge them obstruction of justice and, if warranted, treason against the United States.
8
Remember:
1. Christopher Wray defended Gov. Chris Christie in the Bridgegate scandal. Only underlings were convicted. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lee_lane_closure_scandal
2. Wray was recommended to Trump by Gov. Chris Christie.
3. Wray was appointed by Trump to head FBI.
4. Time will tell what Wray will do..
2
It is my understanding that the ranking Democrat member of the House Intelligence Committee discovered that Chairman Nunes made material changes to the memo he sent to White House – changes not approved by the Committee. White House therefore reviewing a document the Committee has not approved for release.
Sounds like this might be a criminal violation. Maybe the F.B.I. will come knocking at his door to arrest him. Sad!
4
Whatever possessed Trump to think that he could take on the FBI and succeed where every other president who tried has failed?
As Steve Bannon observed, firing Comey was the dumbest move in modern history. Firing Wray, Rosenstein or Mueller would raise the bar, to say the least of it.
No wonder so many Republican Congressmen are retiring. Devin Nunes would be well advised to follow their example.
4
Eventually we may find out that some of those "good, white-shirted, FBI men" have incredibly bad sweat stains around their collars if / when everything get released. It may be determined the election scandal is equally big on both sides of the fence.
3
so, the Democrats are dirty. the FBI is dirty. the SCOTUS is dirty. the DOJ is dirty. I firmly expect more fingers pointed at "dirt." the only ones clean are Trump and the GOP? I think not. in fact, I think exactly the reverse.
6
This episode reminds me of the tactic used by the Nazis to invade Poland and start WWII. The Russians are, and always have been, masters of disinformation. That Paul Ryan does not see that demonstrates to me why he needs to be gone after November. He will be and hopefully, never heard from again.
3
Since we are discussing the FBI:
CNN is now reporting that FBI Agent Peter Strzok, the SAME Peter Strzok that the GOP is slamming as BIASED against Trump, was one of the drafters of the October 28, 2016 letter that Comey sent to Congress in which he reported that the Weiner laptop was found to have HRC emails and had to be investigated. (They could have gotten a search warrant, done the investigation, and reported any findings, but no, they had to ANNOUNCE a reopening of the investigation before they had a clue what the laptop actually would reveal.)
That investigation ended days before the election as a NOTHINGBURGER. It played a major role in damaging the Clinton campaign.
Strzok is obviously SO BIASED that he was against both of the major candidates, if you believe the GOP. They ought to take him out back and shoot him for his first bias. Then they should do that AGAIN, for his other bias. Republican "logic" rides again.
3
The FBI's dirty laundry must be exposed. This is collusion to fix a U.S. election. A real threat to our dem. institutions.
5
Trump has already passed into Joe McCarthy territory and is using Nunes as his errand boy in smearing Wray, the FBI and the Justice Department. Nunes is the Roy Cohn of this moment and working hard to break through to Nazi propaganda ...which right now is Faux News.
Yes, this is a slo-mo Saturday Night Massacre and we will see if our laws and our justice system can withstand the coup d'etat that is occuring in real time.
Wonder what would J Edgar would say?
That's right he had files on the Kennedys, Johnson and any other person that would be in his way.
You need a Trump to do battle with Trump...Chris Wray is not J. Edgar Hoover , the man has scruples and a conscience...something that Trump does not.
3
The FBI has the full support of the people. It is Trump, Nunez and Ryan whose lies coverups and fascist ideology that bear serious investigation. I would never trust the words of the three above under any circumstance. They should be removed from office. We are sick and tired of these corrupt conniving politicians.
3
Nothing says "Back off Trump", and "I'm thinking of quitting" like handing Trump an invitation to shift the blame to Nunes for everything that is about to happen.
Even if the Nunes types are too stupid to observe that the FBI will always refuse to play fall-guy to C-team congressmen, Paul Ryan certainly is not.
3
Good for Wray. It is very important that honorable men like him confront the conniving evil of Nunez, Ryan, Trump and their fascist lies.
5
Hopefully, Mueller will bring down Trump and his posse!
3
Nunes belongs in jail. He is a scheming unprincipled criminal, always working to undermine truth and justice. He is truly odious.
5
Forget about ISIS. The Russians are here and living in D.C. in high style.
4
The memo will not be considered a truthful document; all lies lead to surrogates
of Trump....who will endorse whatever the Congressional GOP wants....and why
would Trump do this...well....it is an obvious case of if the GOP Congress wants
to be funded by their donors...and these donors want laws passed that protect
and increase their wealth...then the Congress will pass laws that increase their
donors help...and of course then Trump will sign the GOP Congressional bills.
One would say this: if you (GOP) scratch my "back:; then I will scratch your
'back' and Trump will get out of 'jail' free and Trump's back will be 'scratched'
too....such a crooked "Merry Go Round' in this D.C. "Swamp".....
Must make Mueller even more determined to make a clean sweep of these
PAC RATS.....in the D.C. Congressional/White House/ Swamp.
2
We’re supposed to be an open society. Let’s air out all the dirty laundry and let the public decide what’s right and wrong. Can’t be any more sensitive than the Petagon or Panama papers.
1
I agree having it out in the open should be good. However, the memo was written for one reason, to protect Trump. The GOP talks about conspiracy and then concocts one in the light of day for all to see. Trump's disregard for the FBI totally contradicts his "law and order" screed. Why is there only one department he likes? (ICE) Because the only thing he really cares about is racism. This president is a clear and present danger to our country.
1
It is a good thing that Nunes is up for re-election this year. Perhaps we can get this scheming liar out of office. Counting on California to remove this sleaze bag.
7
After WW2 it was easy to get into government of the new Federal Republic of Germany if you could prove that you were targeted by the Gestapo, or imprisoned for political reasons, or were on death doorstep in a Concentration Camp because of your democratic believes and the moral fiber to stand up to authority.
It will be the same after Trump.
Getting fired now is the best thing that can happen to your career. After Trump all the lies and lawbreaking will come out, slowly, and you will be vindicated. You will be hired in an even higher position by the next Democratic administration if Trump and his henchmen have done you wrong during his regime.
So, don't worry, Director. Think of your impeding ouster as a vacation. Write a book. Become a commentator on MSNBC. Spend time with your family. Start a new hobby. One day the phone will ring, and it will be the President, and his/her name won't be Trump...
1
This entire administration is plague on our nation and decency. No honor exists in the administration, and no member of this shameful brigade of liars would recognize character if it sat on their head or dignity if they ran smack in to it.
And truth? That is pliable and malleable, and outright false for whatever ends they desire.
Despicable.
5
If this does not make you sick in your heart nothing will. How in the world did this ever happen. A bunch of complete jerks taking over our country. Nunes should be impeached immediately.
There may be a silver lining if the so-called report is released in that intelligent observers will see it for what it is, just another clown ally passel of lies. Though somehow I have a feeling Nunes may understand this and never release the treasonous screed. As he has already fueled the idiot right wing media machine with enough lies to keep them going until the next Republican misinformation action occurs.
6
I despisethe FBI as well as the alphabet soup of idiot employers in t D.C. calling themselves various forms of "intelligence" or law enforcement or, the absolute lowest of the bunch, the recently invented Drug Enforcement Agents and their near twins, born after and as a result of the crash at the World Trade Center, the ICE, or immigration and customs agency whose job is to terrorise anyone not born here, and to steal by "condemnation" the property of anyone who gets in their way. Foreigners who do not or cannot explain their possession of something may lose it and be kicked out of the US . I have always wantred to see the FBI and it's brethren closed and it's so clalled "agents" sent to work in putting out fires in the West , or caring for federal property out West being abused by Western millionaire cattle thieves, fattening off US property. So, I see this as the Federal police getting their own back, just as they made others suffer. I only wish that some intelligent people worked for them who could explain the utter criminal abuse the GOP is trying to squeeze from the whipped and bleeding Justice Department's police dogs.
If we are going to keep them, they should be respected and have some power. It is a cowardly and low thing for political animals-jackal like-to make a meal out of the wounded and weakened.
2
Looks like Hope Hicks was doing more on Air Force 1 than just steaming Trump's pants. Even Bannon told her to get a lawyer. She has a bulls eye on her back as big as Target store.
6
Just what kind of a tin pot banana republic has the USA devolved into?? It seems that tribal politics is more important and the country be damned.
Wilful ignorance of world affairs and the unconditional abdication of personal responsibility, placing it squarely in the hands of corrupt politicians, is what has gotten America to this point. They will need to learn soon that they must choose their futures, not merely submit to them.
5
All this "Please don't release the memo", while claiming, later thatmaterial chnages have been made to the memo" is so bizarre that it doesn't sound like what it seems to say: that the memo is a fake. That changes in aspects of it's construction or wording have rendered the docu,\ment a totally different one from that which was originally at issue.
Amerian red state voters are not going to accept anything they don't agree with unless it is in black and white and this ain't.
If what the Trump people weant to release is not the same as what Justice department officials were investigating-just say so and accuse the President and his people of lying and obfuscating the facts.
What is so damn hard about this?
Are FBI agents so incompetent that even trying to tell a factual story,(uncooked), with all the facts , defeats them as far too complicated?
They are great at threatening 24 year old california girls with twenty years in the slammer,
for tickling the fancy of a President, but getting facts straight? . . . .
Federal law enforcment and so called Justice department investigators make me shake my head with the sad realization that American cops-even the ones in suits, down in DC just don't seem able to be up to defending themselves, the government and the right-whatever that may be in this case.
1
Many people are losing sight of the fact that this entire “Russia thing” (as Trump described it), begin when intelligence officers overheard references to working with Trump campaign officials while investigating a wholly unrelated counter-espionage case. The seeds of this did not begin with any partisan agenda whatsoever. It was the Obama Administration that first raised the warning flags, even to incoming Trump Administration officials out of concern for America’s protection.
And now Trump, his minions, and the GOP are working like mad to discredit, obfuscate, and destroy any and all efforts to protect our Constitutional democracy by those who simply want to learn what is going on. Yet, many who comment in this space continue to see this as merely positioning for partisan power by the Democratics.
Innocent people of any wrongdoing would have nothing to fear in any exposure of the facts surrounding this entire affair. It is only those who have something to hide who devolve into the tactics of discrediting. To my way of thinking, this behavior alone constitutes a form of treason, and the readers of this paper who defend this Trumpian behavior are confederates in the slow erosion of our democracy.
12
Most frightening of all is the fact that a significant part of the Trump political base, once "God, flag, anthem, and the FBI" Americans, now believes the political distortions being tossed about by Republican Congressmen and the President. A lesson in how democracy can become warped by the rhetoric and personality of leaders!
6
The wagon wheels are soon going to fall off one of the two wagons.
2
This document has no value, and would never be admitted as "evidence" in a court of law. It is not an original source document, for instance a letter between two person's of interest in an investigation, or even a memo prepared by a person of interest.
It is a political document, prepared by a partisan group of people representing one political party, skewed to favor their position and political goals. It has no evidentiary value.
It would be like the defense drafting a summary of the real evidence in a trial, omitting facts in evidence that did not support their argument, putting everything in a light most favorable to their client, and then trying to get their summary admitted as though it was evidence itself, for consideration by the jury. It's the difference between asking that the murder weapon be admitted, and asking that a memo prepared by counsel about the significance of the weapon be admitted into the trial record.
Just as in court, the Republicans have every right to make a plea to us, the American people, arguing their position on this issue, but they cannot morph this self serving document into fact simply by preparing and releasing it.
And, just as in court, the "judge" here should decide that the lack of any probative and evidentiary value, and the potential harm it could do to the fair deliberations of the "jury", demand that the document should not be admitted (released).
5
The Obama administration colluded with the Clinton campaign (via Fusion GPS) to spy upon the Trump campaign using the FBI, CIA and NSA. This isn't even in dispute anymore. This started when Trump got the nomination. Has anyone asked our former President and supposed "constitutional scholar" about this? Has anyone asked our former Attorney General, Loretta Lynch? We know the Times will attempt to minimize the memo and its impact. The question is, if the Obama team can do these things with the Clinton campaign in 2016 will it be acceptable for a future administration in 2020 or 2024 to do the same thing? Right now it seems people don't want to see something similar to the Pentagon Papers. Why? The Democrats will be able to release their memo and the public can decide who is telling the truth. The Times certainly had no problem getting people from the Obama administration to leak information about Trump and his campaign both before and after the election. Some of it was even true. If Trump didn't "collude" with the Russians, some people used a big lie to spy upon him and his campaign. They should face justice, and if we don't have the stomach for that, they should at least be exposed for what they are.
7
Norm of Peoria confirms "the Trump campaign...colluded...with the Russians. This isn't even in dispute anymore. The Democrats will be able to release their memo and the public can...see something similar to the Pentagon Papers. Trump...should face justice." His words. All of them.
@Gustav Aschenbach,
All @Norm has to do is fill in the "..." in your response with words from his original post, maybe redact it a bit if necessary, and re-post.
See? Not very complicated.
That is why the republican memo must be released. And if the democrats find anything materially missing, they can add the missing parts and release their version.
President Trump's sons sometimes say things that may seem simple, but have the ring of truth. I saw a comment from Donald Trump, Jr., where he was talking about his father being President, and not being happy about a lot of it, but as he said, "You don't bite the hand that feeds you."
It's clear now despite that party affiliation, or even philosophy, everyone is suspect if they take a stand on principle, and they hit the wall of, "I put you (or kept you) where you are, you owe me." It makes sense that a President who expects mob-like loyalty would clash the most with people whose operating framework is the rule of law; they're just not going to bend.
6
So the Republicans labor in a back room to make up a political "memo" that purports to be evidence of a conspiracy against the president and grounds for dismissal not only of the yet to be charged president, but the investigators, before the investigation is complete. How is this any different than passing secret notes to your cool friends in class with gossip about the nerdy kid you don't like?
Does the Republican party worry about alienating the law enforcement community which has historically leaned right by their attacks on the FBI or do they feel that, the like themselves, that law enforcement will go along with anything Trump no matter what?
3
As Mueller uncovers more evidence of Russian interference, the Trump regime ramps up the diversions. Now they are subverting the ability of the FBI to protect us.
Their disguise,. the veneer of "political party" is wearing thin.
The Coup of Nov 2016 is becoming clearer by the day.
The Trump is not our president. Gorsuch is not our Supreme court Justice.
The thieves and traitors are no longer at the door.
They are inside.
Destroying the very fabric of our Nation.
5
Director Wray is insubordinate and should resign. Any complaints should have been made privately to Trump, not publicized. Wray is part of the problem not part of the solution. Wray works for Trump, not the other way around. What is it with these bureaucrats?
2
Actually Wray doesn’t work for Trump. He works for the FBI, he works for the people of this country. Trump is done!
1
Wrong hula hoop.
Wray works for US! He was appointed by Trump to work for us. His oath is to protect the Constitution, not offer fealty to the president.
1
Trump is the chief law enforcement officer of the U.S. under our Constitution. Wray's oath to the Constitution requires him to comply with the policies set by the President. If he doesn't like it, he should quit.
Chairman Nunes is working hard to obstruct justice by vigorously pursuing release of a memo that the FBI says is full of errors and half-truths. The Nunes memo is his attempt to aid Trump in derailing the Mueller investigation, and by doing so and the manner in which it is being done, it appears to be a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Chairman Nunes should recall that members of Congress are not immune from prosecution for obstruction of justice.
7
In effect, Donald has enlisted Nunes to institutionalize the obstruction of justice.
Irrespective of one's opinion of Trump and the Republican Party, is it really beyond unthinkable that the FBI (or the CIA or IRS or any other government agency for that matter) could, in fact, overstep legal or ethical boundaries? Are their employees capable of committing criminal acts? I'm not from the camp of paranoid conspiracy theorists, but government agencies do wield power over the lives all Americans. I'll take my chances and draw my own conclusions reading both the Republican and Democrat's memos coming from the House Intelligence Committee. Anything less than that, and I'll feel someone wants to hide something.
6
Even if we were to eliminate the context around this article, the story itself would be shocking as a stand-alone incident. The House Intelligence Committee voted along party lines to release a questionable memo that potentially undermines an FBI investigation into whether or not the President’s campaign colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election?!
This memo has a potential for profound consequences for national security, the Department of Justice, and FBI. Not to mention the catastrophic effect it will have on the integrity of the entire intelligence community. Even an attempt to be unbiased leaves one asking: What if the verdict is good? If you’ve done nothing wrong then why try to there would be no need to find a way to prove foul play against the defendant.
Then we add back in the context that the president is being investigated for allegedly obstructing the original investigation by firing the previous FBI director, and that, due to this, a special council had to be appointed. I was not alive during the years that Nixon was president. Movies and books have been created to historically accurate depiction the intergovernmental tension of Nixon’s Watergate scandal, but I find it impossible to imagine any Hollywood cinematographers or writers or genius directors will be able to replicate the increasingly intensifying tension between the Presidents’ powers and those who check them.
1
The problem is that if people like Rosenstein or Wray resign, we have no one left to protect the investigation. It's become alarmingly clear that many in the party, including Ryan, Nunes and others, as well as those at Fox News, aren't just protecting the president, they're protecting themselves and the Russians. I would almost start putting them in the category of Oligarchs. I really hope there is some type of legal retribution, as their behavior is treasonous.
4
Every American should applaud the release of this memo. It's time we see what eight years of politicizing administrative elements of the Justice Dept has wrought.
3
RE: "eight years of politicizing administrative elements"
Wait! What?
You mean with a memo the is purely political in its origin? There's a leap!
Abuses of power by the FBI characterize the FBI's history during the long reign of J. Edgar Hoover. How far has the FBI come towards an ethical role in a democratic republic since then? Apparently very far given Trump's protestations and obstructions.
3
“without adequately explaining to the judge that Democrats had financed the research.”
Why goes it matter who paid for research? Can’t the results stand on their own? True or false doesn’t directly relate to who ordered the research.
FBI personnel were not under obligation to disclose who financed this research unless the results were flawed. Then who paid for it matters.
1
The people insisting the FBI has a vendetta against the Republicans are TRULY living in an alternate universe. Trump apparently has the ability to bend reality the same way gravity bends light. If only they would take a step back and examine how BIZARRE that claim is, would have sounded even as recently as a year ago, when the FBI were being blamed for scuttling Hillary's hopes. When the leaders of the country, whom we can no longer consider responsible people, traffic routinely in such craziness, one has to consider giving up all hope
2
Like many people, I assumed that the potential constitutional crisis would be Robert Mueller’s eventual report and actions. The imminent release of the Nunez memo points to a more worrisome prospect. Instead of a just a president who may be guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors”, we have willing—nay, eager—confederates in Congress. The coming revelations of officially secret and selective information whose sole purpose is to inflict political harm will damage the nation itself.
The Democrats, out of power across the federal government, may cry out in apoplectic alarm, but their protests are impotent to stop the revelations. Moreover, they are prevented from making the countering argument, which would in the best of circumstances be a hard sell because of the complexity of the issue.
The underlying discomfort is that secret courts, whether star chambers or FISA, should not be part of an open democracy because government secrecy itself is a danger to the republic. Yet, we need secrets to protect us from enemies foreign and domestic. In this case, the operative approach should be to let the FBI continue its investigations without interference. They offer a pathway to reach the truth.
But the GOP is intent on attacking those who threaten their president. They clearly do not care to protect our Constitution or the rule of law. The circle of suspected high crimes and misdemeanors widens.
3
The Republicans continue to push misinformation. This is what is done in Russian politics. Coincidental it ain't.
3
This article has a glaring omission; it doesn't say WHY Carter Page came to FBI attention; the FBI was monitoring Russian spies (one of which was eventually convicted, the other fled). Page came into the orbit of these agents under observation because they were attempting to recruit him, and with some success. Page was giving them documents about oil; they were not classified, but the Russians had succeeded in getting documents from him; the recruitment was not far along when the American authorities acted against the spies.
This was long before the "Steele Dossier" came to FBI attention; I'm guessing that Trump's toady Nunes is going to try to conflate the Carter Page warrants with the so-called Dossier.
2
You are missing the real intent of this release. It is the opening salvo in an effort to shift blame for the Russia investigation to Hillary Clinton. This controversy will provide Trump with a new campaign to "Lock her up" so as to deflect blame. The first time Trump mentions that Hillary instigated the whole affair, his 37%ers will erupt with cheers for disclosing what is really behind this mess.
2
It's a simple matter of the FBI over reaching. I would not be surprised if in the end, it is traced back to Obama's minions
The DOJ is culpable as well in this for not recognizing the flaws in the request. Trump is taking both to the woodshed for the screwup.
They spied on the Trump campaign without justification. It was a backdoor political move that blew up in their face and now the FBI cries foul.
2
The efforts by Trump and the republican party to usurp and dismantle the Judicial Branch of government is not subtle. It is being conducted with brazen indifference in broad daylight. How much longer will this be allowed to fester before it escalates into an American Tiananmen Square, where citizens and members of the press face off against tanks in the streets of Washington? There is no obstruction of justice if justice becomes contaminated by the agents of Russia and Trump co-conspirators. How convenient.
1
Mr. Wray`s request to have the memo produced by the House Intelligence Committee is totally disingenuous for the following reasons: 1) It`s difficult to believe that the "Old-Guard" of Obama and Clinton loyalists were conducting a Trump "take-down" under the guise of Mueller Special Council Investigation without him knowing about it. And if he didn`t know about it, he should have. What this memo contains is a sample of secret high-ranking member exchanges. Whether or not they are totally representative of everything that happened, or only partially so, what`s already been leaked indicates that the Intelligence Agency abused it`s privilege and lack of oversight (or even collusion) from the D.O.J. to illegally obtain FISA Warrants to conduct illegal surveillance on Trump and his associates during and after the election. That is tantamount to treason. The country therefore finds itself in a state of suspended animation. Not knowing where and how the ax will fall and who`s behind this. Having been caught with their hand in the cookie-jar, the FBI no-longer has the moral authority to claim their immunity to public exposure. Mr. Schiff has proven himself to be a partisan-hack; an enabler of this criminal behavior; and is thrashing around desperately trying to disqualify to obstruct the investigation. In so doing he is shielding the President`s domestic, political rivals attempting to subvert the election results by clinging to the debunked "Russian Collusion" ruse.
1
Trump will criticize, hound, make snide public remarks, with a relentless tenacity, until valuable staffers quit. He goes after those he thinks aren't loyal to him.
Before the election, Trump was ecstatic about then FBI Director Comey's release of more unsecured Clinton e-mails. His testimony doubtless cost her some votes.
Pre-and post-election, Team Trump brazenly met with high level Russians. It was said that Russia partly financed Trump's campaign. Trump was briefed on the Steele dossier before he took office, with no mention that Hillary financed it.
Then, eyebrows raised as items in the dossier came out. The close relation of Trump and Putin was questioned, as were the many meetings with high level Russians. Team Trump lied to Congress about their Russia ties.
Now, suddenly, Trump denigrates the FBI, saying they were on Hillary's side during the campaign. For convoluted proof, he uses a Democratic campaign contribution made to the wife of just-pushed-out Asst. FBI Dir. Wade, Comey's refusal to be "loyal" to Trump and that the FBI is not "protecting" Trump from Russiagate.
The "secret memo" is an alternative fact story to undermine the Russia investigation. It has the smell of desperation.
Comey helped Trump win when he "outed" more of Hillary e-mails. Trump and team chose to deal with Russia.
They've made the normally right-leaning FBI into their punching bag. Hopefully, they will withstand the blows, and Bob Mueller will find the truth.
2
How is it not obstruction of justice to be intetionally undermining a criminal investigation ? Who does Nunes work for ?
1
I said this before and I will say it again. Any GOP members who are doing their best to protect the POTUS, they should be charged with obstruction of justice. This is not being a Republican or Democrat. It is about doing what is right. Our democracy is being undermined by our adversary.
Are you for us or are you against us?
3
Only when, if ever, Russian interference in our elections appear to negatively impact Republican outcomes, will the Republican party start to be outraged by their interference. As long as it appears to assist their draconian efforts to retain power, Russian interference will be "fake news".
2
And here I thought that, Republican or Democrat, we all wanted to remain in a democracy. Yet here are the Republicans in Congress voting to release a memo deriding our justice from doing their job. This is the first step toward dictatorship and must be stopped.
1
I can't understand how GOP leadership and representatives can live with themselves? How come they agree to every crazy move and wish the president makes, no matter how anti-American they are.. Are there any patriots left in the GOP? Can anybody name one?
2
The Senate Intelligence Committee oversees the FBI. It is their right to publish the memo and chastise the FBi if any wrong doings occurred. The FBi should not ask Trump to block this due process-
1
Trump will criticize, hound, make snide public remarks, with a relentless tenacity, until valuable staffers quit. He goes after those he thinks aren't loyal to him.
Before the election, Trump was ecstatic about then FBI Director Comey's release of more unsecured Clinton e-mails. His testimony doubtless cost her some votes.
Pre-and post-election, Team Trump brazenly met with high level Russians. It was said that Russia partly financed Trump's campaign.
Trump was briefed on the Steele dossier before he took office, with no mention that Hillary financed it.
Then, eyebrows raised as items in the dossier came out. The close relation of Trump and Putin was questioned, as were the many meetings with high level Russians. Team Trump lied to Congress about their Russia ties.
Now, suddenly, Trump denigrates the FBI, saying they were on Hillary's side during the campaign. For convoluted proof, he uses a Democratic campaign contribution made to the wife of just-pushed-out Asst. FBI Dir. Wade,
Comey's refusal to be "loyal" to Trump and that the FBI is not "protecting" Trump from Russiagate.
The "secret memo" is an alternative fact story to undermine the Russia investigation. It has the smell of desperation.
Comey helped Trump win when he "outed" more of Hillary e-mails.
Trump and team chose to deal with Russia. They've made the normally right-leaning FBI into their punching bag. Hopefully, they will withstand the blows, and Bob Mueller will find the truth.
1
Publish the memo. The FBI should then state what they think is mis-characterized, and the dems on the committee should publish their memo as well. Put it all out there and let the debate begin. Anyone who thinks the FBI is truthful about anything embarrassing to them is foolish. And there is no law that allows something to be classified just because its embarrassing to anyone or the organization as a whole. Furthermore, the FBI IG should review the classified material on which the memo is based and determine if that material is properly classified, and possibly re-classify the material or possibly recommend redacted publication.
The more info to the public the better, without compromising national security. But keep in mind, the government organizations way over-classify things. Its a way to keep things hidden from the public.
3
Motives anyone? Recall that an entity in total within a federal agency was "fired". I am starting (starting?) to wonder if the driving motive is to "fire" entities within a federal agency currently under scrutiny. An appropriate name for the new entity might be the Republican Guard.....
When Wray and the FBI say there are omissions that would spin the memo in a misleading way America needs to wake up. The FBI is protecting the United States.
This isn’t Russia who Trump admires the murderous dictator Putin who has secret police, “militias” to enforce and the same KGB moves he was part of. This is the United States if America and Trump amp the GOP insult the integrity of the non partisan FBI and U.S. Justice Dept. This is the ultimate Obstruction of Justice. Unprecedented and unacceptable! We Americans will not have this! It’s all to stop the investigation by the incredible Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller whose integrity is beyond reproach.
Rosenstein, McCabe, Wray, Comey, Mueller all attacked. Men beyond reproach. Their oath in their respective careers of service and preceding that are impeccable, brilliant and the highest of quality in law, law enforcement, the U.S. Constitution and of course United States history. They love our country and sacrifice a lot in their respective roles. This Trump GOP power play is pure obstruction and they are dangerous to freedom and the United States of America. This attempt to control these parts of the government are illegal and frankly might be a crime against the United States. I applaud Wray! Integrity and oath in tact! Nunes is complicit along with the GOP Obstruction of Justice.
1
What type of country are we living in when laws are broken and one party provides the protection to do it?
The Republicans are dismantling our republic one plank at a time.
1
Read where the memo to be released has some "altered" information that the FBI has recognized as incorrect. Wondering if this in itself shouldn't be a crime, a reason the FBI can bring more charges against this administration.
1
Beyond the seemingly all is well script released last Tuesday night's customary state of the union speech by Trump lies a plethora of dirty secrets that clearly point to me fact that not only the White House is at war with itself but it is also at war with its Justice department, FBI, and even with other wings of its own administration and the government also. The Trump presidency nearly resembles the Hobbesian state of nature where everyone is at war with the other. America today really needs a new social contract.
12
Republicans led by Nunes altered the memo voted by the senate committee before sending it to the White House. Why besides protecting Trump? Wait, Nunes was part of the Trump Campaign? Could there be something to do with it? This is scary news
13
The Senate Intelligence Committee has had nothing to do with the Nunes memo. I think you're confusing them with the House Intelligence Committee.
Trump's prioritising his personal interests - the defence of his presidential legitimacy - "over national security" is both selfish and treacherous. Seeking to jeopardise the FBI reputation and eroding public trust in the institution he hopes to save his own skin.
"Democrats on the committee objected [the release of the GOP memo] and have prepared their own 10-page point-by-point rebuttal of the Republican document. The committee voted against releasing the Democrats’ memo publicly."
Democrats could still release their own rebuttal through the media and let the American public know the truth, which will always prevail, however hard Trump and the GOP seek to hide.
16
Let's not, even for a second, forget that Trump is telling the American people that the FBI, the DOJ and the NSA are not to be trusted, but we should unquestioningly trust Putin and Russia.
How can Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan live with themselves or sleep at night, while letting Trump do this?
91
The answer to your question is very simple... they see value in "just going along" in hopes they can advance their, and their 1% friends, agendas. This is a very clear example of why our system of government is not working and why we must become involved in this years election
1
Can you please indicate when did Trump say we should unquestionably trust Putin and Russia. I am a journalist and follow the news for a living and I never ran into that quote from Trump.
It amazes me what some people will do just to keep their job. McDonnell and Ryan must have some money - they should resign and keep whatever is left of their dignity. Follow the money and the truth will eventually come to light.
This pack of Republicans, oh man. The worst- absolutely the worst kind of criminals.
If there was anything like justice in the world, we would free some of the poor souls in prison who learned a lesson long ago, and throw half of these GOP rats in maximum security pens for life.
And that's going easy. A century ago treason was punished more harshly.
45
1. Dec 2017: Trump reported to be considering building a private spy network for his and CIA Director Pompeo's personal use that would be exempt from answering to any US agency (Erik Prince, Black Water/Oliver North proposal);
2. Jan 2018: Pompeo secretly meets with 3 Russian intel heads;
3. Jan 2018: Republican House members announce they are now investigating the FBI (without having informed or consulted Democratic co-members)
Q: Is Russia providing Trump and Pompeo with advice and backchannel operatives with which to spy on the FBI and report directly to Trump, Kelly, and CIA Director Pompeo?
Seems like a national security avalanche aimed at crushing the FBI, Mueller's inquiry and any checks on Trump, and our democracy. Coup by Trump and Master Putin now in progress?
What is to be done?
39
It's astonishing how the GOP can scream about a conspiracy in the FBI and Justice Department, when all of the lead players are life-long Republicans, appointed only a few months ago by Trump himself!
That's one hell of an organised conspiracy! It managed to trick Trump into firing Republican Comey, so that they could trick him again into hiring conspiracy ring leader #1, Republican Rosenstein, who in turn would hire ring leader #2, Republican Mueller! And now they've done it again to get ring leader #3, Republican Wray! This must be the most brilliantly conceived conspiracy, establishing a wide-ranging, deep state plot in just a few months, relying entirely on the victim of the conspiracy putting all of the conspirators in place! And from his own party! Genius!
And now we have Rosenstein, answering the 'Are you on my team?' question from Trump with 'Of course, we're all on your team!' Can you imagine how the Republicans would froth and foam at the mouth if that came from the Democrats? Proof positive of bias and treason!
This would all be hysterically funny if it wasn't so dangerous.
258
Left out of this is the fact that Rosenstein, acting on the improper orders of the technical president, drafted the letter of trumped (literally) up reasons to fire Comey in the first place. Trump and everyone else seems to have forgotten this salient fact. Sure Rosenstein is compromised, but he his compromised because he improperly aided Trump in firing Comey, not because he was in Clinton's corner.
1
And yet though this state of affairs is so exposed, Trump remains invulnerable protected by his Congressional Republican colleagues. No amount of evidence will lead to prosecution or impeachment.
And the Congresssionsl committee has been neutered. Nunes remains in control and all the Dems do is whine. They should release their own report though it will do no good. We are all hostages to a fascistic dictatorship..
2
There were legitimate reasons for fire Comey. His public mishandling on the Clinton investigation alone qualifies.
What does not qualify however, is to fire him because of "that Russian thing."
Trump has turned some GOP idiots into co-conspirators of evil.
29
Apparently, the FBI thinks it has oversight of the Congress, not the other way around. This is a true threat to our republican form of government.
10
Backwards Charles. It’s the executive branch not executing the sanctions against Russians that should be getting your goat.
1
No Charles, the FBI was given its marching orders from congress to investigate a crime(s).
It was doing its job.
The Republicans, I think, will share the same ignominious fate as the French collaborators did. (Except without the firing squads.)
But what will it take for justice, honesty and the rule of law to prevail? I really have no idea.
We are really in a dark night here.
29
I think the Russians already have their claws into Trump and he is totally under their control. Is he now a Russian puppet?
Where is our CIA staff below Pompeo? I do not trust Pompeo especially after his meeting with the Russian intelligence officer last week here in Washington. Why such a one-on-one meeting when there were plenty of communications channels they could use, unless they didn't want any part of their conversation to be intercepted. If so, there's only one way to avoid interception: "Russia you come to me and you speak to me and I am three feet away and I will hear you," so no chance anything will be intercepted by the FBI or CIA.
FBI and CIA-for America's sake-GET ROUGHT WITH TRUMP!
22
Unfortunately, Trump will almost certainly replace FBI leadership with pawns, and get Mueller fired. He's already well along that path.
This is because, unlike Nixon, he has the backing of the GOP base, and thus the GOP, which completely controls Congress, which is where any action against Trump will have to happen. There's no way the GOP will act against him no matter what the evidence, no matter what he's done -- whether it's obstruction, collusion, or probably even money laundering should things get that far.
Who's to stop them? The Republicans know this. which is why they are so confident and aggressive. They're pushing full steam ahead to get things done before the midterms, when they could lose the House or Senate.
It feels like there's a coup taking place.
220
The coup took place on inauguration day. Neither the FBI nor any other executive agency has any authority over the Commander in Chief. Since the Legislative and Judicial branches have no authority to enforce the laws, we in effect now have an Emperor. That's exactly how the Roman Republic died: the corruption of absolute power. Separation of powers is a constitutional fantasy that is unenforceable since it was designed to curtail the power of the ultimate executive authority who is supposed to enforce this principle. It apparently never occured to the constitutional framers that the Commander in Chief would refuse to enforce the constitution he has sworn to uphold. Trump's unlimited ambition has demonstrated the naivety of the constitutional framers and the illusion of "Separation of Powers." Heaven help us all.
3
The federal judiciary will be the bomb that blows up the US after this stupid Trump interlude.
1
There is. And one took place in the electoral college November 2016.
1
The FBI has meddled in our country’s politics during its entire history. I’d like to see the majority and minority memos. Looking forward to more sunshine.
5
Has there ever been a liberal FBI Director?
The GOP is totally corrupted. This country is finished. There's no turning back the tide because honorable men and women are not coming out forcefully to denounce this pitiful tearing down of our democratic institutions. China, Russia North Korea and Iran are undoubtedly exploiting our miserable meltdown to advance their own agendas which will ultimately finish us off!
17
0President Trump is once again abrogating his role to defend the nation over his desire to defend himseld. His own FBI has repeatedly warned that our national security will be compromised if he agrees to allow the release of the doctored document prepared by Rep. Devin Nunes, who previously was caught trying to use White House provided documents to halt the investigation. The sole purpose of the Nunes document is just another attempt to undermine the investigation by reveaaling a key intelligence security tool in the recently reauthorized FISA legislstion the President just signed to discredit the FBI. Moreover, it inaccurately attempts to blame Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, for renewing the FISA a warrant allowing continued surveillance of compromised Russia agent, Carter Page. The whole point of tbis obvious charade is to allow the President to either stop the Russia investigation or provide cover for him to refusr to cooperate with the Special Counsel.
13
Nunes can also find himself under examination for possible obstruction of justice.
22
"Party over country". WHY? I truly don't understand. What makes these men and woman willing to be lapdogs for Trump, at the literal risk of destroying the very Constitution they swore to uphold, not to mention potentially the lives of people who are sources of intelligence information?
Re-election prospects? Couldn't any one of these people instantly get a job on K Street or Wall Street paying multiples of what they make in Congress?
Go along with Trump so as to pass their "agenda"? OK, maybe for a few, but I thought so much of their agenda was National Security and Law and Order. So we destroy the institutions that protect our security and laws, so as to promote security and law? Huh?
Power? "To heck with America, if I can be part of the Emperor's Court." All of them? That makes no sense, some maybe, but not all.
Or is it that they are afraid that (even if indirectly) their hands are dirty.... that maybe they got a little Russian "help", too.
If it's not breaking NYT's rules to ask, can anyone maybe point me to some explanations? Or has there been articles here that I haven't seen?
Why have we not seen ANYONE (other than my Senator Flake, who talks a good game, but nothing else), say "NO. NOT IN MY AMERICA!"?
20
GOP coup d'état. Another step in the drive towards one party and one branch rule in our country..
16
The Nunes memo will justify the dismissal of Rosenstein. Then Trump can put a puppet in his place to render impotent the Mueller investigation once and for all. Mueller won't even have to be fired once his hands are thus tied. Furthermore, Wray is turning out not to be a team player either and should be dismissed. Such actions wont be countered by a Republican congress or SCOTUS, and Fox and direct WH propaganda will make sure just enough of America will be behind such moves.
11
All of this great governing coming from the GOP is astounding particularly when a federal agency and its employees are used as fodder in order that a grifter is shielded.
Trump has never been known to conduct business ethically and honestly, yet, those who investigate wrong-doing are the crooks when it comes to the “president”.
Are they afraid of losing their useful idiot? Out to worry. Pence appears to be more pliable, and gullible.
14
for the record, i really detest trump.
but lets get it all out-n see if there's 'any there,there'....
think after all this has run it's course trump will be out...and we'll get pence.
how great is that :(
3
Why this hysterical effort to protect Carter Page, a guy who was clearly and justifiably in the FBI cross-hairs for years? Carter Page knows something potentially damaging to some important politicos. Distraction is not the issue; covering up is.
29
To the FBI: on behalf of Americans we are with you, so stand tough against Trump, Nunes, Gowdy and Sessions.
Trump will implode under his own pressure and God will prevent him from destroying America.
15
I hope (& assume) that the FBI is acting fairly in this case, *but* keep in mind that the feds somehow flubbed the prosecution of the Bundys in Nevada (& also in Oregon) last year, & left an opening for the defense to claim mishandling of evidence, etc. Hard to tell if that was sheer incompetence, or if the FBI still tilts that far Right, as it has since it was founded, & just decided that pointing guns as a 'protest' is just one of those things Americans should be able to do.
My guess is the GOP thinks this will work here as well; sow enough doubts, etc, & keep fogging & appealing til it comes to the Supreme Court, where the loyal Roberts majority will dutifully block all attacks on El Dono & his henchmen, & let the Bureau off the hook.
Obviously Trump learned nothing from his experience with firing Comey. This latest Trumpian outrage is yet more evidence of obstruction of justice. Let the lawyers figure out the details, but as a US citizen, I will not accept a president who behaves like his pal Putin, a corrupt dictator. Donnie is not above the law. We have a right to know if the president is a crook. Especially, given that he is acting so much like one. It’s time for him to go.
16
If it isn't crooked, Trump isn't interested.
We shall have our way with Trump and his corrupt Republican Party in just over nine months. Holding them to account will be sweet beyond description.
17
Is he not the leader of the government? Why is he throwing his own people under the bus. What kind of a leader is he? He is also taking the Republican party to a new low. A bizarre leader, but the scary thing is, we all expected this of him. I really hope congress works for the middle Americans, not just of the left or the right.
13
he is throwing his own people under the bus, Narayan, to do anything Trump can do to avoid being charged w colluding and impeached. He is desperate.
7
In the smoke-and-mirror distraction of this misleading memo, other evidence of conspiracy has been forgotten. For example, remember the fact that the Trump campaign, via Roger Stone, was in communication with Guccifer 2.0 -- who hacked and then leaked damaging DNC emails?
21
I'm certain that Robert Mueller has not forgotten.
Trump and company will push for their own secret police; this is all happening in broad daylight before our eyes. I am glad to be old as USA is repeating same 1920-30s despotic regimes and intellectuals playing same roles.
9
The lengths to which the Republicans are willing to go to craft and release the Nunes memo indicates the desperate need for a stratagem to undermine the Special Investigator. This is essentially a propaganda campaign promulgated by congressional Republicans who will do anything to derail the investigation being conducted by Mueller. Their total disregard of truth and abandonment of principles and ethics is extremely worrisome. I have the strong impression there are no limits to the lengths they might go to shield Trump from being called to account for possible breach of law.
Indeed, the steps Nunes is taking without any Republican congressman voicing concern or objection tells me that the Republicans greatly fear the findings from the Mueller investigation may produce irrefutable grounds for evicting the twisted aberration currently in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
15
Republicans & Conservatives:
Accessories to High Crimes and Treason!
They are playing with fire now.
These are craven criminals operating within our legislative and executive branches.
Their lies and false charges are criminal offenses that must and will be brought to justice.
The Republican Party is a CANCER upon our United States.
Conservatives support lies and criminal actions by their own.
Tsunami Midterm Elections must end Conservative Republican rule.
Justice must be served. Enough is enough. The bread crumbs of the rightwing billionaires and the Russian oligarchs will be traced to their sources. Our Constitutional democratic republic must be saved from these traitors and foreign agents.
19
The Republican Party is reactionary, not conservative. Too bad America is too ignorant to know the difference.
1
This is exactly what Trump has done his entire life. Once he is involved in something, be it a casino project or the presidency, he sows chaos and discord. He thrives on divide & conquer, then he sits back with a smirk and watches the fight. Why does the GOP play his game?? If Putin wanted to destroy America, he picked the right guy to do it for him.
24
There is nobody Trump hates worse than the people who are richer than he is. If they think he isn't out to cut them down, they are very badly mistaken. Trump hates everybody at least a little bit.
I haven't written my Republican congressman or senator in some weeks. Guess it's time to again urge them to stand up for their branch of government and for law and order. Trump, McConnell,and Ryan must go, along with my senator and congressman.
The crime must be pretty terrible considering the cover-up.
15
Trump vs ANOTHER FBI director? Sounds like a sick rerun!
How about Justice (or simple justice) removing this illegal tyrant wannabe from office once and for all for manifest high crimes against the nation?
13
So what? This memo will be released and be at the top of the news cycle for 48 hours. Then most likely the Democrats memo will make its way out, and that will top the news cycle for 48 hours. And then something else, and maybe something in between, topping the news cycle. What we NEED SOON is some conclusion or near conclusion of the Mueller investigation, and hopefully our institutions will respond as our Democracy depends upon if crimes are discovered. And if no crimes are found make that clear. This country - specifically the leaders in Washington - need to bring this to a conclusion and get back to the business of the American citizens who they work for. Enough!
3
This effort by Nunes/Trump ghostwriters to add doubts about the propriety
of the FISA warrant on Carter Page of all people, is going to back fire mightily.
The fact that it is an obstruction effort by Devin Nunes, whose actions to date have clearly identified him as a Trump surrogate, should alert any and all that we need not take it seriously.
Additionally, Carter Page has shown himself to be a farcical player in this drama with virtually every move he has made.
If I were the judge, I would approve the application instantly even if all they
chose to share was a photo of the man and the always confused, stunned
and clueless look on his face.
The only sympathetic player here is the places of higher learning who granted him degrees.
2
More than doing damage to the reputation of the FBI, the release of the Republican memo will do lasting damage to the reputation of congress and the role of the House Intelligence committee. Voters should also take note of another example of the hypocrisy of the Republicans.
15
I hope that Rosenstein & Wray hang in there. Now, Schiff just said that Nunes altered the memo before submitting to the White House. What he sent to the WH was not what the House Intelligence committee voted on. Things must be bad if someone like Trey Gowdy is getting out of politics.
This White House just keeps feeding Mueller ammunition. The President should be careful what he wishes for. The precedent of releasing this memo will come back to bite him in the rear.
13
My guess is it puts the FBI and Justice Dept. in a bad light, therefore they are trying to protect that image.
6
my guess is that its the typical republican bold face lies and fabrication.
5
I never thought I'd live to see the day where the head of the FBI seems at risk of victimization and needed protection.
11
I never thought I’d see the day when the law-and-order GOP gleefully & maliciously attacked the FBI. I can’t believe they think this is a good idea. Their horses will be shot out from under them and leave them exposed & defenseless, which is exactly what they deserve.
8
Nunes knows the FBI used more information to extend the FISA warrant on Carter Page than the information he targets in his memo. The original warrant was issued in 2014 before the Steele dossier or the Trump campaign existed. He also knows that much of the evidence used to obtain and extend the warrant is classified and revealing it would compromise intelligence gathering sources and methods.
The fact that Nunes and Trump want to tell a small, misleading part of a larger story, knowing the rest of the story should not be public, speaks volumes about how desperate they are to discredit the investigation and how willing they are to damage public confidence in our top law enforcement agency in the process.
18
Wray, a person with intelligence and real integrity, having to deal with such a low-life grifter, con artist, reality television personality. How does Wray stand it.
10
He can handle it, he's a G-man!
1
Who knew? In 2017 the US would be taken over by the Kremlin in a quiet and peaceful coup? The Republicans have always touted their patriotism. They acted as though only Republicans were Americans. My parents were Republicans. I know they’re rolling in their graves right now as the Grand Ol Party have become Russian apparatchiks. The really frightening aspect of the Trumpification of our country is that so many Americans are willing to believe the lies being told by Trump, his administration and the Republicans in Congress. With a very few exceptions, the Republican Congress seems to have decided that power (and the money they gain from that power) and Party are more important than country. From refusing to implement sanctions against Russia, secret meetings with Russian government officials and a refusal to respond to the REAL Russian attack on our democracy, the Trump administration and Republicans aren’t even hiding the fact they’re in bed with the Russians. Patriots? More likely traitors.
22
If, and that is a big if, Mueller can get to Nunes staff members who colluded with the White House to set this up, the end could come quickly.
7
We used to know that nobody plays with or insults or beats FBI and justice departments. What happened to that ? Was it myth? FBI and justice departments lost their spine? We want to depend on them. But Nunes-Ryan gang and Trump tag team beating them to paralyses. FBI and justice department stand up strongly . We need you more than anytime.
4
Why worry:.....we should know by now that whatever the Republican edition
of this memo is....it is bound the be once again 'alternative reality' ...that
is Trumpspeak....because Trumpspeak is all 'alternative reality'....aka lies and
more lies...
Why should we expect the truth after all this time .....I guess Trumpspeak just
got be contangious.....and so many have resigned so as not to be contaminated by this Trump virus.
2
Oh, yes, please publish the memo. Let the whole world see it. That memo will become Trump's Pandora's Box. Once that thing is open all the dirty business will eventually be revealed. Of course the Democrats did stupid things but in the end Trump's actions will spell the eventual demolition of Republican Party. Get out your party hats!
4
My Dear Republican Colleagues:
Our party has lost its way. We are now morally bankrupt and our standing within our country and the world is ruined.
When will we return to decency and the rule of law? I fear that we have demolished democracy for our children and grandchildren and may never make our way back.
9
Well, he told Americans yesterday to be afraid! He is the only one to take care of you all! What a message to send. Unless , of course, you take your countryman for stupid, and some so willing to join the sad circus.
3
Christopher Wray has only one option.
Wray must tell Trump that if the Nunes propaganda memo is released, Wray will hand in his resignation.
Trump has backed Wray into a corner, and has left Wray with no other choice.
Good luck trying to find another FBI Director, Donnie.
1
Daniel Ellesberg released classified documents and was charged under the Espionage Act and tried. Nunes should face similar consequences if he releases classified documents for political purposes. If it is that important, Reresentative Nunes, go for it.
11
OMG this is about how Russians corrupted our sacred voting process. Devin Nunes will be fired in November 2018. No GOP servant cares! It’s an impossible crisis created by the monster in the White House! Revolt!!!
7
we are attending a 21st century Shakespearean tragedy
(all the theater doors are locked, no exit possible)
5
Clearly, the counterbalancing influences of the executive and legislative branches fail when criminals control both chambers of Congress and the WH.
There are no checks and balances. Only a government of men, not laws.
11
Nunes states, “Once the truth gets out, we can begin taking steps to ensure our intelligence agencies and courts are never misused like this again.”
Let's restate what he is actually saying:
"Once our version of events is disseminated to our satisfaction, we can take steps to ensure that our intelligence agencies and courts know their place in terms of supporting this administration, and act in accordance with our policy of loyalty."
16
The release of the memo should be given the utmost consideration. All avenues of thought and repercussion should have a high value of thought. If federal agencies have overstepped their given constitutional authority, the public has every right to know, as long as the country's security is not jeopardized.
1
I voted for the guy
I like winners
Stepping back
It’s got an ugly feel to it
Feels like he may be out soon
The FISA memo thing gets sillier by the day
Obstruction is a problem, always been a problem
My experience with FBI and DOJ is, obstruction is a lightening rod that ignites an irrevocable unity irregardless of party loyalties.
Just ask Martha Stewart, John Dean, Bill Clinton, Scooter Libby, et al
Obstruction brings out the rabid dog
It’s the one dog the FBI & DOJ will put down without hesitation
8
In Trump world, it's always Trump vs. Whoever-might-be-opposed-to-Trump. In this case it's Trump vs. the FBI. So who as a nation will we stand with, Trump, or the FBI?
8
I'm going with the FBI.
2
Republicans are taking this whole party over country thing to new lows (as if supporting Roy Moore wasn't low enough). It is clear that Trump, the GOP and Putin are hell bent on turning our American democracy into a one party system and that would inevitably lead to a right-wing authoritarian regime.
11
It looks to me that the Trump team must really be scared. They are doing things that sane people do not do.
14
Sane people can see that US politics is nothing but a meat grinder.
It is not by chance that the incompetent Trump is surrounded by a Republican Congress that has no morals or scruples. They are in fact the reason he was put in office. These Republicans who obstructed, illegally in some cases, every move Obama tried to make, have played the race card, gerrymandered, suppressed voters and displayed traitorous indifference to the role of the Russians in Trump's stolen victory.
In fact, the Republicans were happy to profit from Russian election hacking in 39 states and reams of Russian fake news about Hillary on Facebook and elsewhere. Ryan and McConnell will block every attempt to expose Trump's collusion with the Russians because it fully empowered them in 2016. Republicans leaders in Congress are complicit in Trump treasonous collusion. They are afraid that Mueller will come after them next. Obstruction of justice is in their best personal interest.
17
It really is amazing how liberated from morals these people have become since decreeing the US "under God".
Make no mistake about it, the release of this memo, in an attempt to discredit the FBI, the Justice Department and by implication Robert Mueller, is step one. Step two is Trump's imminent firing of the Special Council. Step three is what those of us who value the preservation of our democracy will then do about it.
17
One of the more curious aspects of this mess is Paul Ryan's acquiescence in actions by Devin Nunes that threaten disclosure of sensitive national security material. One does not have to accept the accuracy of every element of the FISA application to recognize revealing intelligence-gathering techniques and sources is extremely dangerous. In effect Ryan has opted to put national security at risk. Is this because he is politically cowed by the Trump administration, because he aligns with its policy and political goals, or because he has been compromised by Russian financial contributions? He does not need to be pro-Russian; with no controls over the flow of dark money into campaign accounts he could accept funds that prove after the fact to be Russian in origin. Is Paul Ryan acting from political expedience or because Russians are blackmailing him? How long has this been going on? Why is Ryan so supine in relation to Nunes?
10
Trump not enforcing the Russian sanctions in violation of a veto-proof law.
Trump sneaking in sanctioned Russian spy master this week to meet with Director of the CIA.
Trump wanting to release classified information that will threaten "sources".
If I was a US intelligence source I'd be going into hiding, now. As the FusionGPS representative testified: "somebody has already died over this dossier".
I don't believe this Administration can be trusted, and certainly not with intelligence received from your allies.
11
The return on their investment has far exceeded Russia's expectations. Republicans are now doing their work for then!
7
Release Nunes, Gowdy and Issas emails and their staffs for the last 10 years. Just to be fair and open.
6
Release Trump’s tax returns- just to be fair and open
If Trump can declassify anything he wants... even though in this case he did "not" declassify the classified information that possibly pertains to his very actions but went on to share it with the Russians, what else has Trump given to the Russians? Special launch codes, plans of defense of the country, blue prints to weapons?? How else has Trump put the people of this nation at risk?
2
Law enforcement agencies rarely conduct internal investigations without a sworn statement from a complaining witness. Thus, this memo is a bizarre deviation from standard practices because there is no evidence that Carter Page has given a sworn statement to support the proposition that the FISA warrant is false and that there is a lack of probable cause. If such be the case, I would like to see all the evidence that Nunez, Page, or the Republicans have obtained in sworn testimony that would defeat probable cause.
Without such evidence, Nunez is essentially lying to the public and Ryan condones Nunez's lie,
I am sure the Republicans lack any evidence from Carter Page or other sworn sources that the affidavit has material omissions or false statements that meet the Franks v. Delaware, 483 US 154 (1978) standards that would require suppression of evidence.
8
Republicans have gotten so much done ,like healthcare - oh no they haven't, like immigration - oh no they haven't, like a budget- oh no they haven't , let's see oh a tax bill- it hits all but 1% who it generously helps! Yaaaaaa. They won. Now they got everything done, right? Let's see now they can follow Trump around and cover up for him. Let's go after DOJ, then we can stop all . So we weren't voted in to do this, who listens to the constituents? Not us !
2
That tax "reform" bill as aimed shareholders, because it is causing companies to buy back their own stocks to take themselves private and eliminate shareholders.
Any rich person who thinks Trump isn't out to get them too is even more narcissistic than Trump is.
It is so sad what's become of our country. Didn't anyone tell the GOPs that once you release things to the public that it's out there and can never go away.
3
I hope the democrats point by point counter to this attack on our system from Putin and his GOP puppets in the white house and the house of "representatives" has already been send (by true patriots in the legislative branch) to all our news organizations. The second this traitorous hit job is released it should be countered with the facts. There should be no discussion of this hit job on our law enforcement without detailed mentioning of all the places where it is misrepresenting the real story. It is very telling that the GOP is ready to release their memo, yet are barring the release of the democrats rebuttal - don't let them get away with that.
7
I saw Congressman Steve King Iowa, talking about this memo, and he sounds like a nut job who is convinced of some outlandish conspiracy.....it's doesn't bode well for this country to have such stupid people involved in making these kinds of decisions.
18
So these GOP enablers have seen such sensitive classified material that only two members of the committee itself have been allowed to see it. They now plan to release in public a memo that is based on some of that classified information -- but only the parts that support their attempt to tarnish the FBI and the investigation of the special counsel. This is the same party that led chants of "Lock her up" about Hilary Clinton and shrieked bloody murder about some emails that everyone seems to have acknowledged did NOT contain such information.
The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Please, press outlets, keep exposing their two-faced lies and 180 degree reversals, every day and every way you can.
16
Paul Ryan is showing himself to be a complete idiot, and his reputation as a thoughtful person will never be repaired.
My question to Paul Ryan would be is Devin Nunes on the Russian payroll or he is a Russian Dupe?
I think Devin Nunes should be investigated for treason.
Paul Ryan is a disgrace to this country and public service.
23
I heard John Kelly's statement, and I'm convinced he's a real sleazebag now, just as big a liar as Trump.
20
In his compulsion to fight every perceived attack upon himself President Trump made a poor choice of a battle on this one. Even if he somehow “wins” on this issue it will do nothing to derail Director Mueller’s investigation.
But the Republicans in congress are making an even worse choice is trying to help the President in his fight on the whole investigation. He probably will survive this, although he may not, and if he doesn’t it may be in a Nixon-like scenario where the cover-up killed him. In any event, this is his battle, not the Republican party’s, and in seeking to help him they’re risking doing some major damage to their brand.
1
It boils down to this: When everyone else is lying; when everyone is out to get you; when everyone else is rude, crude and socially unacceptable - It's YOU who is lying, YOU who is out to get everyone, and YOU who is rude, crude and socially unacceptable. But stopping the blame game that Trump is so good at takes a maturity that he sadly lacks.
7
FBI covering up its misdeeds. This memo is why McCabe had to flee the premises.
2
It's clear at this point that the White House is behind the drafting of Nunes' memo, because they think that by undermining the FBI and the Mueller investigation they can somehow absolve Trump, who will then be able to fire staff at Justice with their support. The GOP is having its "hang together or hang separately" minute, and realizes that when the ship of state goes down, they`re going down with it.
8
Wray as the new FBI director was a bad choice because Trump now has a back channel communication option with the FBI director through Chris Christie. On the surface, it may have seemed like a safe mainstream pick but it is far from it. The choice of Christie's friend and defense counsel in the Bridge-gate scandal shows that Trump can and surely will push the envelope to solidify his inner circle. His next move will be to disembowel the FBI itself, the same way the EPA is being gutted, removing all remnants of its investigation into his Russian connections. With new FBI director Wray expect funding cuts, resignations and dismissals. Doubtless this cleansing is already afoot with the deliberate surreptitious sabotaging of all related records throughout the entire administration. The system is rigged and the further we let this guy get away with this, the more damage he will do to our democracy. James Clapper is right, Watergate pales in comparison to the Russia probe.
4
Nixon never packed the federal judiciary with stooges the way Trump and McConnell are doing it now.
News accounts about the Republican memo neglect to point out that beginning in the late 2015, U.S. intelligence services were receiving warnings about Russian interference from its partners around the world.
The European countries that passed on electronic intelligence the UK, Germany, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Find here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-s... and here: http://www.zdnet.com/article/dutch-spies-tipped-off-nsa-that-russia-was-...
The FBI's statement that the Republical memo is inaccrate rings true. Clearly, the Steel research was a small part of the bigger puzzle that figured in US authorities to seek FISA warrants targeting Carter Page and Paul Manafort.
The evidence suggest Republicans have no to basis to argue otherwise.
3
Its actually quite simple.
The investigated are never allowed to participate, influence or even enquire about such an investigation.
A member of Congress may not even do this for a constituent, let alone for a member of Congress or for the President.
The presidents desperation is on full display, like a tell-tale heart, audibly beating the drum of guilt.
199
Great allusion that, very apro-Poe.
1
What will Nunes and his followers in Congress do next, proclaim that the FBI and other U.S. intelligence agencies lied about Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election? Or is that a non-issue, given the apparent lack of public concern about how easily election results can be rigged when most votes are counted electronically?
6
Historical comparisons and contrasts are tricky, but the main difference between Trump's troubles and former President Richard Nixon's in 1974 seems that the House and Senate were then controlled by the Democrats.
3
The same Republicans who were wringing their hands about Hillary Clinton having possibly exposed classified information by using a private server are now taking classified information, writing a memo about (their interpretation of) it, and RELEASING it publicly.
They never waste an opportunity to put politics above country, do they??
15
Fewer than 24 hours after #SOTU and Mr. Trump and other Republicans are already promoting disunity again. Not surprising.
9
This is really getting crazy.
1. On Russian Television, a host just said "Trump is ours again!' after the White House refused to enforce sanctions. https://t.co/h3B6IX6K6r
2. And the day before refusing to enforce sanctions, Trump allowed Russian Spy Chief Sergey Naryshkin into the U.S.
3. With Andrew McCabe resigning under pressure, this president's purged 3 FBI officials, including James Baker & James Rybicki, all of whom can verify the fired James Comey's account of his meeting where Trump wanted the investigation to stop on adviser Mike Flynn.
4. The respected Ethics Chief who stepped down, Walter Shaub, now said
"There is a country whose leader is being investigated by an agency that's being investigated secretly by a legislator who was on the leader's transition team, which that agency is investigating for colluding with a nation that's subject to sanctions the leader refuses to enforce."
5. Why is GOP House Rep. Trey Gowdy also suddenly stepping down?
6. Politifact rated nearly 70 % of Trump's SOTU remarks as either "Mostly False," "False" or "Pants on Fire."
13
Nobody will miss Trey Gowdy.
The Department of Justice & FBI, enormous organizations heavily staffed with lawyers and law enforcement agents VS. Team Trump.
It may take some time but seriously, no contest.
5
Nunes cannot be trusted with classified material and should therefore lose his security clearance.
11
Of course, those who would be embarassed by the memo, would be the ones to object. I want to see it.
1
And they would seem to be objecting that the memo is deliberately incomplete in order promote a false public perception.
2
The FBI has lost the trust of many US citizens. Right now the memo looms like a shadow over the FBI and with Mr. Wray appearing to try to prevent its disclosure, it appears as if he is trying to cover up for the FBI. Right now, I believe it memo should be made public and let the FBI, or any other organization, rebut what they claim is incorrect. If the Democrats have a rebuttal, let that be released also. It's my understanding the Democrats wanted to release their memo without allowing the Republicans to see it. Let the Republicans see it and then let it be released also. Right now, I have no trust in any of our intelligence services. This memo may validate my impression, or it may make me ask more questions.
2
"FBI has lost the trust of many US citizens. Right now the memo looms like a shadow over the FBI"....Sounds just like something a Russian Troll would say. Why do you suppose the Russian propaganda machine has sent out trolls to discredit the FBI?
6
It’s past time for Mueller and the Grand Jury to subpoena Nunes.
6
Release the memo. I've always said this Russian investigation was going to get Dems in trouble. America needs to see it now.
1
Paul Ryan, siding with the memo's public release, said, "Sunshine is the best disinfectant." So, let's do it. As a former journalist, I say, "Let it shine."
Let sunshine expose Devin Nunes, that kooky House Intelligence chairman who already showed how low he'd stoop by lying that he'd uncovered an Obama intelligence conspiracy.
Let the sunshine expose all those GOP House members crying for the memo's release but haven't listened to Wray or read the source documents.
Let the sun expose the US president, who is dirtying the FBI and DOJ as he'd do anything to misdirect and discredit the investigation into him and his cronies.
Finally, let the sunshine hit Ryan square in the face for stealing a term meant to signify open government -- as in the Sunshine-in-the-Government laws requiring access to the public and press -- when he's trying to expose classified intelligence for purely political gain.
232
Let the sunshine and transparency shine on Trump's tax returns and revealing every single one of his corrupt connections to Putin and his money.
3
Speaking of sunshine, let’s have it shine on Trump’s tax returns, at last. They are likely to reveal a treasury of information that will tie loose threads together and whether the lies the man in the White House has been telling go far back into his business dealings.
3
I suggest every one interested in the identity of our president read the entire, extensive transcript of testimony by the head of Fusion GPS. It has more than most of us have ever read or could have imagined on Trump's questionable and shady business dealings. Expert researcher Glenn Simpson talked for hours to Senate Intelligence members and investigators about a lot of his findings on Trump business. They are explosive, curdling, stunning. This is a powerful indictment into his soiled connections to shady Russians, organized Russian and Italian crime figures, and convict/fugitive/sanctioned/investigated characters and entities. You want to read his tax filings -- read this.
You can search on Google or go here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/09/us/politics/document-Fusi...
1
Lightweights going up against law enforcement,what could possibly go wrong. I’ll take FBI for $10,000 Alex.
14
It seems that Trump is doing everything in his power to corrupt and pull apart not only the Executive Branch but also the Congress and our Courts. Every action he takes seems to show that "he is above the law" and accountable to no one. He is clearly willing to turn a blind eye to Russian interference in our Democracy and at worst has traitorously joined them to help ensure his own personal political goals while expending every effort to protect himself personally from criminal liability. It is also clear that Trump has solicited and gained members of Congress to join as co-conspirators in his plan to undermine law enforcement and our system of Justice. This includes Devin Nunes, Trey Gowdy, Jim Jordan and other Republicans who serve solely as his personal group of sycophants.
7
This is such hocum: if a FISA judge approved surveillance and the evidence provided was not fabricated, then the surveillance is justified. Period. It doesn't matter if the evidence was initially provided in exchange for sex or money, only whether it was a) reasonable sure to be true and b) not gathered by a US police agency in violation of applicable laws of evidence.
The Republican's argument is about as solid as saying they can't investigate a murder because the witness was thinking about voting illegally
12
Yet another instance of Obstruction of Justice. All Mueller has to do is get the full details, i.e., the "material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy", from the FBI, and compare it with the Memo itself, present it to a Grand Jury. Rep. Devin Nunes, Speaker Ryan and a few other luminaries will also get dragged into the indictment now. Sweet!
11
This memo allegedly contains information so top secret it could endanger assets in the field.
What if, besides being used as a way for Trump to eventually justify firing Mueller, it is also a way for Trump to tip off Putin the identity of American moles in Russia?
By identifying in the top secret warrants who was wiretapped or recorded it may be enough for Putin to figure out who the moles are and take them out.
Regardless, it is entirely possible the lives of those killed in the next terrorist attack on US soil will be on the shoulders of Paul Ryan and Devin Nunes.
8
They are redacting sensitive details.
If liars, trouble makers and political hacks in Congress and WH are having a dispute with law enforcement and national security agencies who would you believe?
5
It would be nice to know of all the GOP not only Director Wray has the "fortitude " to actually protect our country and its citizens . Though Mr. Graham does his on again off again with Trump, it would be amazing to see people of moral fiber not sink so low as others. All these congressmen pushing this "fake memo" should be brought up on impeachment proceedings. Nunez hedging bets on election, if loses goes to Trump with hand out. What a circus.
1
Well now, Wray has just announce that he is on the side of law and not the cult of personality. And know we know that Nunez is just a lackey for Both Trump
and the Speaker. California, my advise is that Nunez should be recalled or voted out of office at the first opportunity. He is a clear threat to the constitution, justice, and the rule of law. Not to mention that he is willing to risk American security for the sake of crass politics.
6
It’s time for the FBI to say enough is enough. It’s time to call out Nunes and his enabler, Paul Ryan. It’s time for the media to honor its First Amendment obligations and robustly defend our democracy. And it’s time for patriots to stand with them.
If not, we will be living under an authoritarian who has no interest beyond self-preservation.
9
It appears the House Intelligence Committee should be renamed the House Fellow Travelers Committee the Homeland Security Department could be renamed the Love of Russia Department. White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, and the most of the Republican Members of Congress are joining the President of United States in releasing critical intelligence sources and methods to the world.
The only thing left to do is to invite the Russian ambassador and Russian media to the release of the specious document in the Oval Office (they could serve borscht and vodka).
1
Why are Democrats (and Republicans of conscience) taking such a low key approach on this grossly absurd and obvious attempt to subvert justice and our political system? Why aren't they screaming about this from the rooftops? Find a voice on this for God's sake! Their measured, rational discussion of the issues on the nightly news doesn't begin to drive home the depth and breadth of the corruption of the Trump administration and it's right wing sycophants. Get emotional! Get crazy on this! It's the only way to drive home the gravity of the moment and get people's attention.
5
Good grief! The C.I.A., the N.S.A, the Justice Department and the FBI are ALL saying Nune's meno will jeopardize national security! Excuse me while I side with every single agency that has more information than anyone. If our all of our national security agencies are on the same page and Trump ignores them all...one can only conclude it's because Trump is so afraid, he's willing to sacrifice the security of the nation in order to keep them from investigating him. I am keenly interested in finding out what it is Trump is hiding. It must be very bad.
317
Robert Mueller will soon uncover the dirt and it will send shock waves around the world.
4
"The C.I.A., the N.S.A, the Justice Department and the FBI are ALL saying Nune's meno will jeopardize national security!"
See here America's security complex in full swing - protecting its own interests.
If the memo is so true, then why won't Nunes allow Republican Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, see it? Perhaps Nunes is afraid the grownups in the Senate will object to the antics of the man babies, Nunes and Trump, trying to jeopardize national security.
2
The Democrats on the committee need to leak information corroborating the correct version of events sometime in the next 4 days.
11
Vulcanalex wrotem (below):
"He would have to make a strong case as to why it should not be done. In fact he should do so publicly so citizens can decide if it is a reasonable think or just a cover up."
Well, he HAS made a strong case, in public:
“As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”
"Its release would set a bad precedent for making government secrets public, including sensitive sources of information and methods of intelligence gathering."
In other words, the memo is just a bunch of partisan lies; and releasing the classified material in it would hamper the FBI's ability to do its job of protecting our country.
That's a pretty strong case, considering that Wray was appointed by a Republican President, and also worked for Bush.
Then again, people like you don't care about facts, do you.
6
The FBI AND the DOJ have to show spine and stand their ground, otherwise they will lose integrity, and become laughingstocks.
2
We are truly living in the upside down when the FBI is the enemy of the Republican Party (aka in my 60+ years, the party of "law and order.")
8
Yes, the director of the FBI knows best what should be released about the FBI.
What could possibly go wrong by following such a doctrine?
Just ask everyone who was scared of J. Edgar Hoover for half a century.
1
Trump conned his way into the White House. It is well known that he is immoral, unqualified and lacks integrety. His continuous lies, meant only to make himself look good, have only lowered the reputation of America abroad. No one with intelligence trusts him as his words are only good with other like minded people, a minority of right wing racists who do not see America as a multi-cultural all inclusive society. Yet he continues to wreck havok within. Who would have thought our Republic could be so vulnerable. If he gets away with sowing division and mistrust we can kiss goodbye to the Republic that so many people fought and died for. We are living in trying times, but this time what we lose may be our future and way of life.
12
"everything they said was accurate... but none of it was true"
Absence of Malice
3
New information from the Washington Examiner suggests strongly that White House staff worked directly with Nunes staff in preparation of the memo. When asked if Nunes worked with the White House directly on the memo, Nunes answered NO. But when Nunes was asked if his staff worked with the White House, he refused to answer the question.
Of course Trump wants it published! His staff prepared it!
This is clearly a case nearly identical to that in which Nunes nominally recused himself (but didn't) from the Russian Investigation where he was fed information from the White House which he was touting as secret evidence. His collusion with the WH got him removed from the investigation.
And why not publish the memo? I say yes, BUT only if the Democratic memo is published too. An utterly partisan "finding" from the intelligence committee has no intelligence associated with it at all, it is just Republican propaganda.
7
Sure looks like House Republicans are promoting obstruction of justice.
17
Republicans like Nunes seem unconcerned that their shrill defense of the Russians makes it appear as if they were in cahoots with Trump and Russia; in other words, colluding.
13
Its deja vue all over again - except the shoe is on other foot.
Let's go back to 2001/2002.
Post 9/11, Congress and a special commission were investigating failures of intelligence or lack thereof which led to this terrorist attack.
Somewhere along the line, Democrats learned an existence of a so called PDB which is presidential daily briefing - supposedly one of the most classified document in the country.
Lots of hollering from the other side that the White House - then occupied by a Republican - was hiding something nefarious. It was alleged that the POTUS was given a day and timing of the attack - the reason he was in Florida that fateful day.
The White House citing secrecy refused to release or allow his advisor, Ms Rice testify in open session.
After much hot air, finger pointing, "what are you hiding etc.?" - it was released and Ms Rice testified under oath.
Well, we know what was in it - more importantly what was not in it. As Gertrude Stein would say, "there was nothing there there."
The Republic survived it's release, but more importantly it informed Americans how poorly our intelligence agencies were prepared.
Something similar here.
All this nonsense from FBI is to hide it's failures.
America is better served when Americans are given all information from it's government - however secret - provided it is properly vetted.
Otherwise, Americans end up losing trust in their institutions.
1
So something else happened that you consider similar. Irrelevant. And the memo itself leaves out lots of information on purpose in an attempt to subvert the Mueller investigating. It's a con job.
So epic fail on your part, but thanks for playing.
2
Once it comes out, take a deep breath, and read the memo. If this doesn't jar your viewpoint, I doubt little could. Even in Watergate, the media was not part of the problem.
2
from the outside, america appears like a new middle east. overly factionalised, and needing of an intermediary to maintain the peace.
when the president does not trust the DOJ or law enforcement, a downward spiral is inevitable.
6
I trust the people that the most untrustworthy president ever mistrusts.
2
From NZ I completely agree. I don't see there is any hope for them and I think they will descend into civil war..sooner rather than later.
But when you have the current administration and supporters wanting to turn themselves into a fake democracy like Putin's Russia. (Putin's Russia note that is...not just Russia) ..then I know which side I come down on and it is not the current mobster's side.
I'm hoping that decent democracies around the globe can help save the US from tyrants.
2
How about Wray giving Trump the ultimatum, "if you release the memo, I'll resign." It has been tried and tested by White House counsel Donald McGahn.
2
He is trying to discredit those who will be bringing charges against him. Mueller, FBI, News media.
I wouldn't be surprised if . . .
3
Like the dog chasing the semi-truck, one wonders what will Mr. Nunes and his pack of Republicans will do when they catch what they are so viscerally chasing...shame, shame, shame to these budding anarchist Republicans, trampling the rule of law one faithful, steadfast public servant at a time.
I would not relish being in their shoes when this house of cards collapses.
7
Julio, i applaud that you called Nunez an anarchist. That is a most apt term.
1
. . . and now Trey Gowdy, the only person other than Adam Schiff on the House Intelligence Committee who has seen the "Russia memo", has indicated he will not run for re-election . . . . timing cannot be coincidental.
11
If Trump approves this document's release it will be a further indication of intent to obstruct justice. All indications are the document is a one-sided, manufactured story designed to mislead or misinform the public about an ongoing investigation. Trump's stamp of approval seems like it would be a stamp of approval of and collusion in a cover up against the interests of the United States.
Maurice F. Baggiano, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
287
Surely, Maurice F. Baggiano, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, you should read the memo before you should decide what is in it?
1
You said it, sir!
The real guilty party here is none other than Rep. Devin Nunes. Nunes has been toady #1 within the House, among a bunch of other wannabes fro the House, but it's been Nunes who has been out front and center throughout the morass.
Nunes is clearly doing Trump's bidding, and the drill down to the reasons for such conduct remain to be disclosed to the American public. Perhaps Rep. Nunes (my opinion) has received illegal financial contributions from Russian oligarchs or the Russian government directly, or perhaps more salacious aspects of his personal life which automatically compromise his ability to do anything where the national interests of the United States government and nation's national security. Rep. Trey Gowdy just announced his retirement not to run in the upcoming November election - birds of a feather?
Scandal from trump's Oval Office is beginning to stench up Foggy Bottom.
6
So let's take a vote: who are more credible Trump and Nunes or Wray and the FBI?
Not even close, folks.
11
I'm getting confused as to what is supposed to be distracting us from what. Has Stormy Daniels seen this memo yet? Has the NFL Players Association vetted it? Is this the memo about how big Donald Trump's button is?
Honestly, it's hard to focus on these distractions, because my attention keeps getting diverted by the ENORMOUS, ONGOING special investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.
8
I thought Trump lauded the brave men and women of law enforcement yesterday. Just empty words from an empty suit.
15
Fifth columnists are those who try to support foreign intervention(s) by lending them a hand in the process, considered treason if harm is accrued to the country being attacked. Could the Donald Trump/Paul Ryan/David Nunez trio be involved in sabotaging the interests and safety of these United States so to break the suspicion of collusion with Putin's Russia, allowing Trump to assault the presidency? Is Nunez a devious emissary, with the concurrence of Paul Ryan, in distracting us, from the urgent need to rule out graft, by the Special Prosecutor? Hats off to the F.B.I. director Wray, courageously defying evil forces, all republican, in an attempt to undermine Mueller's impending investigation.
7
I wonder if Wray and Rosenstein will be the next casualties in Trump's version of the "Saturday Night Massacre". Nixon fired/dismissed a trifecta of officials - Special Prosecutor Cox, AG Richardson and Deputy AG Ruckelshaus.
Cox's statement to the press is eerily prescient and applicable to today: "Whether ours shall continue to be a government of laws and not of men is now for Congress and ultimately the American people." {to decide}
13
The FBI is about investigating crime, Trump keeps shooting them in the foot, along with the CIA. Someone with everything to hide would do so. What Trump and his cronies are guilty of, perhaps Putin knows.
14
There goes the man's job! Hope he has his retirement covered.
2
Where is the republican congress? Having abdicated their duty to the american people then, the poison needs to be eliminated branch and root.
3
The FISA court is known to rubber stamp warrant requests.
The FBI doesn't have to mislead a FISA judge in order to obtain a warrant - the "probable cause" threshold is remarkably low.
2
The President has already harmed the F.B.I.'s reputation, its not put at risk anymore.
1
The FBI has harmed its own reputation by putting active, meddlesome partisans in position to interfere in and damage the credibility of major investigations.
1
Hmmm, Trump at odds with law enforcement. I’m starting to see a pattern here.
32
they tried to get Trump, now it looks like he is going to get them. what are you guys going to say when all these FBI and DOJ people start going to jail?
1
The menos authenticity and value will be seriously eroded by the nature of it being cherry picked information released by one political party. The democratic released information will be similarly discounted . So release all memos. This is just more obstructionist nonsense. It comes right out of the tyrants playbook of discredit the media, discredit the institutions, discredit the courts and obfuscate facts and truth.
What is more concerning is the systematic attacks on the people and institutions protecting the facts, truth and rule of law in our great nation. Our democracy and freedom is only as strong our laws, institutions, justice system and a free press to share the facts and truth with the American people. These brave people and institutions have been working to diligently to uphold the rule of law in the face of a tyrannical executive branch and complacent, complicit Congress.
The American people need to support the people and institutions that are fighting for the rule of law and the truth. It's reprehensible that one political party has chosen to put party over country, law and the institutions protecting our precious democracy.
30
Perhaps because the FBI would would have some explaining to do? Let’s face it, it’s been quite easy to poke holes in their behavior as of late.
5
In late September, Mr. Wray said in a speech in Washington that the F.B.I. would abide by the rule of law and that would not change as long as he was director. He also said the F.B.I. would not bow to intimidation.
“We’re going to follow the facts independently,” he said, “no matter where they lead, no matter who likes it.”
Integrity. Bravo Mr. Wary you are a man of your word. A breath of much needed fresh air.
28
Rule of Law? yeah he's consistently fought release of info to house oversight concerning the shameful weaponizing of the FBI against our legally elected president. put them all in jail.
1
Trump,will not release the memo. By claiming release would compromise national security, he will look like the concerned leader he is pretending to be. However, he will have his cake and eat it too! He will also claim that the memo reveals disturbing facts about conflicts of interest by and violation of procedures at the FBI.
This is consistent with his phony investigation of President Obama. He never released his alleged private eye investigation of Obama's childhood in Hawaii, but we was pleased to disclose that it was incredible as to what his make believe investigTirs found.
12
If Trump releases this document the Democrats should release their 10 page memo at once. Whether the Committee allows it or not, a rebuttal and a parsing of the Nunes statement must be allowed to circulate in the public commons.
9 mths until the midterms.
27
Did the Republicans not first pay for the Steele research ? Should they have told that to the judge as well ? And is not Mueller a Republican? And Wray? And is not the memo itself self-serving for the Republicans ? It seems like the entire basis for the memo is spurious.
24
Increasingly, American citizens have relied on the rule of law and officeholders with integrity to uphold it. We are in an era of a political coup, generated by relentless, amoral greed and channeled by Republicans and corporate Democrats. As the continue to have an increasing hold on power, they are also increasingly blatant about stopping at nothing to keep it. When will we deliver ourselves from this hideousness?
12
I know it will take awhile, but someone, please tell me that some of these people are going to end up in jail.
31
If the FBI doesn't open an obstruction of justice investigation on Devon Nunes, it will be derelict.
28
What obstruction? Devon Nunes has oversight authority to investigate the FBI. Were you under the impression that the FBI and its leadership need answer to no one? Are we an unaccountable police state? I think not although the FBI has been operating as if we are.
2
It's time to investigate Nunes. Lots of smoke in his behavior. The fire must inevitably lead back to his involvement with the Trump campaign. There's something rotten here.
27
So the republicans, who were once so concerned about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails compromising national security, are now ignoring a republican-appointed FBI director's concern that releasing the Nunez memo will compromise national security??
We all know the true goal of these hypocrites is to undermine the Mueller investigation because its findings will likely damage trump and in turn the GOP. These feckless 'leaders' need to be routed in November. God help us if the Democratic party doesn't get its wits together soon and show the American people it is capable of leading us out of this mess before it destroys us!
25
Isn't this a serious form of obstruction of justice?
18
The lawlessness of Trump, Nunes, et al, is shocking. Occam's Razor and a good deal of available evidence suggests they are covering something up. We cannot let them get away with it.
20
The official FBI reaction to the Republican memo puts the lie to the entire thing. Director Wray put his job on the line for the men and women of The Bureau with this public rebuke. Now it does not matter if the memo is released or not. Everything in it is painted as false or misleading.
The worse thing is that everything in the memo was aimed at the Republicans and Independents who were starting to feel good about Trump because of the tax overhaul and the general economy. Now, they will look on Republicans and Trump as trying to fool them again. Shame on who?
3
The party that was in charge when all this was taking place is now running scarred. We hopefully will now see some actual justice taking place.
7
And the party that was in a tizzy over government documents potentially being shown to the public is now in a rush to do so.
1
He think he's fighting the "Deep State". He's about to learn the meaning of "Deep Throat". This will not go according to plan.
8
It seems to me that hubris is very much in play here, and Trump, Nunes Et Al have let it guide them to what will be a bridge too far political disaster. With Nunes' inability to look even minimally honest in his public statements and with Trump's hand-picked FBI director publicly saying that the release of this memo is a colossal and dangerous mistake, the optics are beyond terrible. Republicans' thinking that getting their own memo out a few days before they allow the Democratic rebuttal to be released is another colossal mistake. I learned as a high school debater that you always want to speak second because people will inevitably pay the most attention to what is said last. On top of that, with the controversy on this memo sucking all the oxygen out of the news cycle, it is now a case of, "State of the Union Address? What State of the Union Address?" In the end, the thing that well prevent Trump from succeeding in his attempted creation of an American autocracy is Trump himself.
5
I'm calling it the Raskolnikov Syndrome. It comes from the name of the main character from Fyodor Dostoevky's novel Crime and Punishment. He killed an elderly woman pawn broker and her sister and I would define it as a perpetrator's guilty feelings about a a crime drive the guilty person right into the arms of the police. Raskonikov, if I remember correctly took great pleasure in flummoxing Detective Porfiry regarding the murders that he committed. Until, the investigator was left with no doubt about his guilt and finally found proof and arrested him. He was sentence to 8 years in prison.
The argument by the FBI that the Memo will damage and harm law enforcement is flawed logic.
Rather it is the actions of the rogue agents like Peter Strzok and his mistress who did the damage and harm to law enforcement.
#ReleaseTheMemo
3
And you have seen the memo, know it's contents and received your security briefing when & where?
1
Latest new is Trump asked Rosenstein multiple times if he was "on his team." Trump also wanted to ghost write GOP questions for RR when he testified in December. Did the president ever take a basic civics class, the one that explains we have independent branches of government, with checks and balances? Does he think he's a dictator, not an elected official subject to the laws and US Constitution?
11
Perhaps the “president” sees statutory law and our Constitution as nothing more than a hindrance that can be ignored as they obstruct his bigly plans to make America great again-or is it “grate”.
We know he views regulatory requirements as a hindrance to business so that could be his views on those other pesky things he swore to uphold.
I wonder at times if there is anyone in the people’s White House with any integrity, any ethics and are acting in the best interests of the country rather than the “stable” genius.
And to reflect back to his rancid pep rallies when he called the Obama administration a failure.
The winning is just breathtaking.
2
Its about time there was some push back to this ridiculous narrative from Trump and the GOP machine. Thank you Director Christopher Wray!
12
Why are all the “pundits” who keep asking why Nunes and Ryan are going full force into obstruction of justice not seeing the obvious answer: They have been paid off. Pure and simple. Money talks. That’s their entire motive.
12
Just wondering if it's possible for the FBI to get a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order on national security grounds.
9
Nunes last year recused himself from dealing with the Russia investigation due to his partisan bias. Neither he nor Trump has an ounce if integrity. Crooks the bith of them.
16
Carter Page was on the intelligence agencies radar even before the British dossier. Carter Page was a foreign advisor to the Trump campaign and like Trump’s campaign manager Manafort was entangled with Russia and promoting Russia’s interest over America’s. Russia’s interests are not in America’s best interest but Trump and the republicans are working against our institutions that protect us from foreign powers interfering in our elections. Then, there is the matter of Trump currently not signing off on the sanctions against Russia which was easily passed with a majority of both parties. Trump is playing into Russia and Putin’s playbook and what is frightening is the republicans are too ... attacking our FBI and our Justice Department has put our democracy in serious jeopardy! I believe the men and women in the FBI and the people in our Justice Department...I DO NOT BELIEVE Trump who is a pathological liar ! Russia has something serious on Trump, otherwise, he would sign those sanctions on Russia !
10
Trump's actions are right out of Putin's playbook. A key item: Get control of the nation's law enforcement agencies and convert them into agencies enforcing nothing but loyalty to an autocrat wannabe.
27
The apparent oddity is why the President would endorse releasing the memo without reading it. The only logical answer is that 1) he was already briefed on the contents and/or 2) the WH had a heavy hand in preparing it. We all can recall how Mr. Nunes has done this "collusion" before
23
Everyone keeps talking about Trump's tendencies towards authoritarianism. I just have 3 words to say when it comes to an FBI run amok: J. Edgar Hoover. I have a lot of words to say about the CIA historically lying to the American people. Democrats should be just as worried about the un-elected law enforcement and intelligence apparatus abusing their power as they are about arguably the most transparent president in history abusing his.
5
The "most transparent president" -- that's rich.
2
Obviously 45 is on a bad path. Let's have the biggest-ever Voter Registration movement for 2018 mid-terms!
The term "trias politica" or "separation of powers" was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher. His publication, Spirit of the Laws, is considered one of the great works in the history of political theory and jurisprudence, and it inspired the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Constitution of the United States. Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be separate and acting independently.
Separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.
The traditional characterizations of the powers of the branches of American government are: The legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch...
9
If another DAY goes by with Trump calling National Security shots, CIA and FBI will LOSE all credence.
What worth-while informant will trust the USA to provide elementary PROTECTION of its very sources?
6
I’d like to see the memo, and I am amused at the positions taken by the left and progressives. They have historically been suspicious about law enforcement (remember the racist cops killing civilians so publicized by the Obama administration), now they are obsessed with protecting the integrity and trustiwortiness of law enforcement. They have always been suspicious of the military and government encroaching on civil rights of citizens..that is, until now, when they are all too willing to defend potential abuses of civil liberties. And let’s not forget Santuary citiies.....80 years of expansive federal government has been advocated and advanced by progressives, beginning with economic legislation in the great depression, through the civil rights movement, environmental laws, public education funding and on and on. Yet, in the past year, they have discovered the Tenth Amendment. My, we live in interesting times.
4
Let's see, the memo is critical of Rosenstein who authorized the special counsel and is the only person who can fire the special counsel and he clearly won't do that. So now the House is creating the pretext for Trump to fire Rosenstein so that Trump can then find someone to replace him who will fire Mueller.
7
This is very unsettling to say the least. The Republican Party is complicit in moving the country ever more toward a autocracy or at the very least a plutocracy. What Trump and the Republicans are doing is exactly what Miller and Bannon want and the pain of that nightmare will be born by the average woman and man. The US is racing toward her own destruction and sadly she will drag other states down with her.
12
FBI stand firm. Do your job competently regardless of pressure and do not succumb. If you are fired, refuse to go. Once forced out, scream like crazy to the legitimate press and leak everything you can. If you perceive these actions as a threat to our democracy then say so, and fight for your country against this attempted authoritarian take over... while you still can.
13
Every time Trump tries to discredit the FBI he looks guiltier. I used to think he was trying to undermine the Russia investigation so he could pretend that he won the election fair-and-square. I'm beginning to suspect that he's guilty of serious crimes, some of which may even put him in jail. That would be a wonderful ending to the story. Trump in the slammer.
15
A one-sided politically designed memo, cherry picking top-secret facts out of context, and not subjected to hearing the other side of the story. Wray is a Republican, but he is required by law to be non-political in his job. Congress and this President are dismantling and disabling all non-political parts of the US government. Don't the voters in the South realize how their Congressmen are hurting America? I guess I am going to have to boycott any product or service produced in South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, or Mississippi. Vote with my wallet.
5
If there was "no collusion" and "I never had anything to do with Russia," then why won't Trump and his cronies just cooperate and let the investigation run its course?
Mr Trump and his friends sure do act like people with something important to hide.
Follow the money.
14
I don't have a problem with releasing the Republican memo at the same time as the one written by the Democrats. I suppose this is trump making his first move to unite the country after his State of The Union. LOL.
3
"Though Mr. Wray’s name was not attached to the statement..." of course, not. This was a source-ambiguous statement from the FBI National Press Office (follow the link). It seems that the authors are trying to turn this into a 'Trump vs. some other field expert/authority' duel. But the truth is making its way out, despite the best efforts of mainstream media and a few other institutions of the Establishment.
2
"material omissions of fact" is business as usual in the current administration and seems to be a political norm these days.
3
Thank you to Director Wray for standing up to Trump.
It is impossible that he is biased in this matter.
I hope someone, Mueller - and whomever else, can hold the center.
We need someone to hold the center, and keep us grounded amidst the rising Trump fascist behavior.
9
I like to think of "clashes" as involving two compelling cases begging for resolution.
This is no clash. This is the rule of law being undermined by a president and a majority in congress who have no love of country, decency or civil discourse. This is not a clash. This is insurrection by people who ought to be arrested, tried and executed for undermining our Constitution - for their treason.
5
This isn’t that complicated. McCabe, Strzok, Page, the Ohr’s, Rosenstein, and Comey seemingly committed crimes that they need to be indicted and tried over. If the are convicted, they need to go to prison. It’s perfectly understandable that the FBI, DOJ, “intelligence” leadership doesn’t want to be publicly embarrassed for the mess these people got us involved in, but real justice involves facts and open public trials. This memo, and all of the supporting “ classified” documents, need to be made public. Sunlight is good for us.
3
"We wish Mr. Wray well in his future endeavors."
3
If this hyper-partisan hit job known as the Nunes Memo is released, I hope the GOP and Trump can explain to all the other intelligence agencies around the world why they should trust us to keep their methods and operatives secret.
MI6, Mossad, Canadian Intelligence, the Dutch, German, French and many other allied intelligence agencies will think twice or even three times before sharing any classified info they've gathered for fear it will be leaked in a partisan political fashion as this will be.
This is unprecedented. The damage done may be irrevocable.
The only clear winner here is Putin and the Kremlin. Trump and the GOP have done more to sew discord and disunity on the post World War 2 alliance than any single person. Ever.
10
Once again proof that DT has no idea who he is appointing. (Not to say Wray is either ethical, pro, anti, or neutral DT.) All he knows is he did the decision making. When they resign or are fired he has nothing to do with it. They weren't important enough for him to bother with.
1
You mean Trump's inability to know who he's appointing, like his short-term CDC director who promoted non-smoking as she was trading in tobacco stock? Like that? I happen to think the public is very lucky that it turns out a few of his hirees, like Rod Rosenstein, have turned out to be gosh-darn ethical dudes. Trump thought that on their swearing-in sworn in they were professing loyalty to "my team." Only people like Comey and Rosenstein meant The American Team.
1
There is no precedent for a major political party in America blatantly abdicating its responsibility to the rule of law as the Republican Party is now. Its leaders should consider not only how history will view this betrayal of our system of government but whether their Party will even survive it.
10
Trump continually insists he is innocent of all wrongdoing in the Russia investigation, but I have never seen a man act guiltier. If this is what Trump looks like when he’s innocent of all attendant crimes, it’s impossible to imagine his behavior when guilty.
9
Trump doesn't realize that he continues to obstruct justice under the law. It is about time someone like Mr. Wray stood up to this bully president. So will Trump try to fire him too?
3
I don't like the CIA, NSA or FBI. It was evident from Snowden how these guys operate. However lets not kid ourselves. 90% of those complaining about FBI having lost its way today, only do so because they are not "loyal" to Trump and his cronies. These same people easily turned a blind eye to PRISM and illegal spying on allies and American citizens. Yet now they see an opportunity to loudly complain about the FBI, when they are actually doing what they are supposed to. From what we know today, Trump and his cronies have both lied repeatedly and engaged in obstruction of justice. That this calls for an FBI investigation ought to be self evident.
I think FBI, NSA and CIA abuse the privacy and right of ordinary citizens, however there is nothing that convinces me that they are particularly biased politically. If anything they are biased towards the republican party.
12
Wray wants to cover up the memo, because he is concerned about our national security?
I am interested in, what it is about the memo that is so complex, that it cannot be redacted enough to not pose a grave threat to our security.
I am now more curious about this, than the actual contents of the memo.
Huh. I don't buy it.
4
Christopher Gray confronted Trump over the motive of House Republicans to release a memo. Gray and other officials of the FBI and Justice Department expressed concerns that the memo accuses them of being inappropriate while issuing “the highly classified warrant” on Trump’s campaign manager. Their concern of the memo’s accuracy derives from cherry-picking and omission of facts, and from Trump’s hostile relationship with the bureau. These concerns raise questions on the ethics of Trump and Republican Representatives: Does Trump merely want this memo released to improve his political advantage? Do Republicans purpose to undermine the integrity of these national security establishments?
1
The stage is already set, by Republicans and their leadership, to declare Mueller's investigation tainted and biased whenever he decides to bring any charges against the President. Republicans and their leadership has made clear that there is not going to be any Nixonian moment when a Howard Baker puts country above politics and warns the President either resign or face impeachment.
Is Mueller's investigation an exercise in futile as far as Mr. Trump is concerned? At least it is getting a thought by many people.
If there is a criminal wrong doing by President's family, I hope Mr. Mueller is brave enough to indict them first, and then challenge the Justice Dept's policy of not indicting a sitting President and indict the President if there is criminal wrong doing by the President. Having faith and Trust on this Republican congress is fool hardy-and waste of time.
3
This is a Constitutional crisis - when one branch of government (Executive) tries to take over all other branches of government including law enforcement. The FBI has traditionally been non-partisan. Trump will next appoint a new Attorney General to fire Wray and call off the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign conspiracy with Russia.
Americans who value their democracy cannot stand by and let this happen. There is not way of correcting the situation at the ballot box because elections are now rigged in the United States.
6
All those who work in all branches of the federal government swear an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, not the President. It grates to hear Trump refer to federal employees and agencies of the Executive Branch as "his .... fill in the blanks". He can't seem to process the nuanced concept that an agency or federal employee serves at the pleasure of the President but is first and foremost loyal to the Constitution - and is sworn to protect and depend the Constitution, not the President.
8
I just totally retired from 52 years in the criminal justice system, from a line officer to administration. I have always worked for agencies that did not hide behind anything when it comes to possible questionable behavior on the part of anyone in the organization. What I have read and heard so far gives rise to the inference that staff in the upper administration have possibly violated laws. This should be open to the public. I have worked several cases with local FBI agents and have high respect for them. It appears there may be a choice an the part of the top administration to hide the truth from the public.
4
We no longer have a Democracy, Trump has become a Dictator. He refuses to put new sanctions on Russia (they were approved by Congress over six months ago). Trump is doing everything he can to stop our looking into his connections and collusion with Russia and now the Republicans are helping him in this cover up. There doesn't seem to be a way of stopping his outrageous behavior.
8
I am no fan of Trump, but...
There is a reason we have the highest incarceration numbers in the world.
Over 90% of crimes are plea bargained rather than going to court.
There is something wrong with the system. And the FBI is not exempted from that.
From Cyrus Vance in NY tolerating the appearance of bribery (by Trump no less) to judges in the Bronx unable to handle their processes to the FBI not just appearing to take sides but so obviously doing it there are decisions and prejudices throughout.
Not to mention the issues with the cops on the front lines
Won’t happen but if this became a catalyst for taking a more critical eye to the process at all levels by the Republicans and Democrats it would be a huge bonus for the country
2
FBI Director Wray is doing what is best for his agency and our national security. The secret memo appears to be weak on fact and definitely not worth damaging national security through divulging classified information and intelligence gathering methods. Glad to see that both Director Wray and Rod Rosenstein see the need to protect our national interests. Apparently Rep. Nunes can't see the forest for the trees, and is clueless about the implications of releasing sensitive, classified information to our enemies.
5
I stand 100% behind the FBI and find it remarkable that a citizen even has to say that in this day and age. The members of the FBI know what they are doing, are highly skilled and patriotic Americans and I’d put my money on them any day of the week. The Administration and Republican actions undermine the bureau, our Union and everything this country stands for. My two cents.
14
So, what's to come if Trump fires Wray? How will Sessions react? Will this be Watergate II?
Many democracies have a prosecution branch that is independent of the executive. The US Constitution, however, does not so provide, and I'm not at ll sure that it would be a good idea.
Just curious. What cause do you think Mr. What found to dismiss Mr. McCabe?
As a liberal, I'm still trying to track the truth on all fronts, regardless of political affiliation.
3
Consider what we do know. Christopher Wray was appointed by Trump and confirmed by the majority-Republican Senate. He previously served the Bush administration. He is not a Democratic patsy. While the Steele memo was paid for in part by the Hillary campaign, the initial investigation was performed with funds from Republican interests. Carter Page had long ago popped up as a person of interest to the FBI for his relationships with Russian spies, and continued his contacts with Russian agents during the time that he was part of the Trump campaign.
Investigating someone of his repute in order to protect the election process makes sense. Revealing classified information or methods for political motives is treasonous.
10
Trump and his presidency are self-destructing in slow motion -- and not all that slow. We must hope he succeeds with his mission before he inflicts mortal wounds upon our nation.
9
Who cares what he might think. He would have to make a strong case as to why it should not be done. In fact he should do so publicly so citizens can decide if it is a reasonable think or just a cover up. So far it looks like a cover up to me which I bet the president won't support. If he wants to resign over it, so be it.
1
DOJ is over 85% Republicans. Trump picked this guy to lead the FBI. He is a Republican. Nunes staff wrote the memo. The investigation started well before the Steele dossier. Carter Paige had already been targeted by the Feds and was under surveillance. What cover up can you possibly be describing???
4
I say again: Trump is the old protagonist in the climactic scene of the film classic "Citizen Kane," busting up everything within reach with his cane. Metaphor: Kane's suite for our USA.
2
So now Trump goes against the pleas of FBI Director Wray, whom Trump appointed himself! We have an angry, destructive, irresponsible, increasingly desperate president who degrades and demeans our nation's highest political office every day.
22
WTW - Worse than Watergate. If Trump ultimately tries to fire Mueller, it will completely backfire. Every single day we know more and more that Trump is in deep with the Russians, and that his network of accessories is huge and includes American officials, elected or appointed. If Trump is so innocent, he should be happy to release his taxes. His tenacity about keeping them from the public is as close to an admission of guilt as it gets. MAGA = Mueller ain't going away.
37
This clash between the White House and the Justice Department is the real State of the Union: a breakdown of respect for law within the government. Then there is the obstruction of justice the magnitude of which indicates the probable magnitude of the underlying crimes. These include the likely conspiracy with a hostile government to influence an election which as the government is hostile would be contrary to the interests of the US would therefore be an act of treason. In addition, there is the probable quid quo pro of the apparent offer to reduce or eliminate sanctions against Russia. The possibility of this quid quo pro was made more probable two days ago the White House took the extraordinary step of refusing to implement sanctions that were mandated by Congress. Then there is the murky background that lead Trump to collaborate with Russia which seems to have been the need of the Trump organization to turn to foreign sources for loans. The terms of the loans probably required cooperation in laundering money for the Russian oligarchs. As the governing party is so unwilling to act against Russia and overlook the obstruction of justice and the underlying crimes it seems that many of them may be implicated and have possibly accepted funds from the same oligarchs. Hence a deepening breakdown in respect for law and democratic institutions which seems to deepen every day.
38
Wouldn't a threat to national security be a non-partisan issue? Wouldn't all parties on the hill have the best interests of their nation, the republic, our democracy at heart? Wouldn't the man accused of collusion with Russian mobsters, who then obstructed justice by firing Comey to stop that investigation, come under scrutiny the same as any other man, no matter if he is president? The GOP have done all in their power to stop a crucial investigation meant to stabilize our national security. What matters is the nation, not the personal wealth of Republicans. Those who bulk and obstruct this investigation have the greatest to hide.
25
Release the document and let's see what our real character. It's politics all the time.
4
Release both memos, or neither. The House Republicans scream partisan FBI and function purely as a partisan committee. That they voted only to release their own memo tells us everything.
3
Employees of the FBI quit being law enforcers of our laws and simply played partisan politics during the election campaign in 2016.
Were these people acting as Trump cheerleaders, the progressive robots signing in here with their requested reactions would be screaming. Instead, Strzok and his sweetheart were grasping for some way to make sure Trump was smeared in a way that would stick.
They deserve to be removed from any and all government jobs and investigated for criminal acts, but they'll apparently have lots of company once the Hillary investigation is completed.
WHY do progressives insist on smearing the members of all our once-respected groups?
8
Let's be honest with ourselves. Without reading it, we've all made up our own minds about the memo. It doesn't really matter what it says, we will all be able to come to our own partisan conclusions using confirmation bias. These Republicans are just taking advantage of our divisiveness and lack of objectivity to distract us in order to advance their agenda. We can be better than this.
7
It's hard not to draw conclusions about it when it was written by Nunes, or perhaps, as other reports suggest, the White house itself. Not Trump obviously.
3
The problem as I see it is that Trump will attempt to use the memo to let himself off the hook, and the GOP will help him, leaving the question of the extent of Russian meddling in the 2016 election unanswered, and an illegitimate pretender in the oval office. In 2020 the Russians will back Pence, and the nightmare will continue.
Seems like other Republicans may be implicated in the Russia investigation and/or Russian-tied contributions to Trump and the GOP will be revealed? Other reasons, and a big ones if true, that they are trying to have it derailed.
3
Yes, let's disclose what a Republican director of the FBI says is information that will compromise national security. But disclosing Trump's tax returns? Not a chance American's will ever see those.
24
It seems Wray is pushing back, but obviously not hard enough. Otherwise McCabe wouldn't have been sidelined and forced out.
7
Pushing back? Could be. But maybe the FBI is mainly trying to get ahead of a damaging story and damaging facts that it can't stop.
So Congress investigated Hillary Clinton ad nauseum because she used a private server for her emails, which they claim could have exposed classified documents. Yet, they intentionally release a document that is classified, all in the name of protecting Donald Trump, of whom the majority of Americans disapprove. Draw your own conclusions.
The only solution is at the polls in November. Even if Mueller finds wrongdoing, he cannot take action against Trump. Only Congress can, and only a Democratic Congress will.
34
What is wrong with Rep Nunes, playing lap dog to the Trump White House? He's bucking strong head winds to do the wrong thing, he knows it, everyone knows it yet he persists as if his name might surface in this investigation. Even if his district is pro-Trump he will glean no value in this pursuit.
The more the White House bears down the more egregious will be the fallout. It's rarely the crime it's always the cover up yet they persist. Had Mr. Trump's team early on just said it was over reaching, they hadn't realized the impact, this would have gone away. Mr. Page and Mr. Manafort might have faced charges as they were already under investigation but that would hardly touch Mr. Trump had he just said he had no idea instead of this massive push back to blame the investigators. That will hurt him the most in the long run. There will always be another FBI director and special counsel who believe in the rule of law.
It's true, when you're in a hole stop digging. Instead Mr. Trump keeps buying more shovels.
5
With The Post playing in theaters to remind us of how dishonest and crooked our government can be, it's hard to argue that we don't need transparency. And we shouldn't really have to worry that light would disinfect a partisan, fact-challenged memo. But then we have to remember that Trump's base and gerrymandering mean such nonsense will matter...
2
At what point can/should Mueller's investigation begin including Congressional Republicans like Nunes who are actively attempting to obstruct and distract all investigations into Trump for political gain? I can't think of any honest reason for going on this wild goose chase. Nunes's explanation about Democrats funding the Steele report doesn't even make sense. It's the content of the report, not who paid for it, that the FBI was evaluating. In other words, who cares who funded the intelligence gathering? Nunes assumes that because Democrats funded it, that made it false? If so, where's the proof and why would the FBI & DoJ use potentially false evidence, rather than the reams of reputable evidence they reportedly turned in at the same time, in order to gain a surveillance warrant? As I understand it, the Steele reports were used as corroborating evidence for what the FBI had already gathered. Also, isn't Nunes forgetting that anti-Trump Republicans funded Steele's research for a period of months leading up to the Republican Primary?
The real question is, what is Nunes after? He's hinting that there's some grand conspiracy at the FBI to undermine Trump. Well, ok, PROVE IT. Give us something real, not this nonsense that proves nothing and makes you look like a giant, walking obstruction of justice.
11
I have close family ties to the FBI and greatly respect the average special agent working in the various bureau offices throughout the country. However, the men and women at HQ appear to have lost their way and seem mired in partisan corruption. My understanding is that high ranking agents who have viewed the memo do not deny the veracity of the facts contained therein. So, if the FBI condemns the probable release of the Nunes memo it's because the evidence in the memo will make the FBI look deservedly bad. The FBI seems destined to become yet another ruined American institution.
6
‘Close family ties’? Get real. The memo is written by Republican staffers. At least allow the Dems to release their ‘memo’. Why won’t they? If you really had ‘close family ties’ with DOJ then you’d also know it is almost an entirely conservative Republican government institution.
3
Thanks, Mark, but I am real and my reality based self has close family ties to the FBI. Those ties have made me a lifelong cheerleader for the Bureau but the FBI special agents I am familiar with are not the type who seem to fill the upper echelons of HQ. The Special Agents I am familiar with keep their politics to themselves; don't conduct flagrant affairs with other staffers on Bureau time; don't plot against presidential candidates; and don't seek "insurance policies" against the possibility of a candidate they don't like reaching the presidency. The liberals in HQ are clearly the problem; not the conservatives in the field offices.
1
Hoping our states' Attorneys General of will go to court for an injunction to stop the release of information that jeopardizes National Security.
2
Mr Wray knows the information that many in the FBI know, but which has not been released to the public. He also knows enough to know that Mueller knows even more that hasn't been released to the public or to congress. He knows that there is a good chance that the president is a criminal. Should Trump continue to release half truths and continue the purge of the FBI, all that information will come out to the public. Americans are not weak like the Russian people. Trump will find it impossible to suppress everything. He is not Putin and this is not Russia.
13
The GOP and Trump will stop at nothing to destroy the foundation of our nation. One has to wonder what they believe the results will be of their anarchristic ways. It is as if they recognized that due to current demographic growth they recognized they did not have long to be in power and figured they might as weill ruin the nation rather than let the rest of us live in a decent nation.
5
It is fascinating to witness, in real time, the transformation of the United States into an oligarchic dictatorship. For those who are interested in History, there are reasons why this is a truly unique moment. What makes the US interesting is that, unlike most other countries whose democracies degenerate into dictatorships as a response to real o perceived threats, American Democracy is dissolving by the will of the American People. It is as if Americans had decided to scuttle the ship they are on before disembarking. Sounds crazy, but it is true. This is almost to the letter what Plato describes in The Republic as the ascent of tyrants. We are witnessing truly amazing history in the making.
14
This is exactly what the American people need, i.e., facts and not Trump and Company's fiction.
The news media is culpable in spreading right wing propaganda and disinformation. Twitter and Facebook are saturated with it. Mainstream media is saturated with it. The only way for Americans to know they are being lied to is when people in positions of authority step up and state the facts.
1
This is an example of cherry-picking intelligence to suit your own purposes. They have decided to release certain classified information to the public and withhold the remainder. A FISA Warrant is not an arbitrary process. Suspects involved in FISA warrants have serious ties to Foreign Intelligence Services or International Terrorist Organizations. The notion that this process was abused in some conspiracy to elect Hilary Clinton is absurd and only serves to connect dots for people who are already pre-disposed to conspiracy theories. Worse, this memorandum will end up in the hands of adversaries who could benefit and use it to guess at some of our collection methods. The release of this memo could irrevocably harm FBI and Intelligence Community efforts to collect valuable information in Espionage cases and terrorism cases.
The same cherry-picking of intelligence happened in the run-up to Iraq with the claims of WMD. Bottom line, it is bad intelligence analysis. It is absurd that Rep Nunes would turn national security into a political football. We should all hold Rep Nunes and his enablers accountable for the programs worth vast sums of money that they will compromise with the release of this memo.
6
The only solution to this miscarriage of justice is to dismantle the Republican Party by voting against everyone of their candidates. They will get the message.
14
I suspect it's highly probable that Trump's base supporters and those on the fence have no idea who Carter Page is, a man who has a peculiar affection for all things Russian. A man who, among other things, was meeting with and providing energy information, albeit not classified, to a Russian individual later indicted as a member of a Russian spy ring.
I also suspect they wouldn't care who Carter Page is or what his affiliation with Russians might have been.
This is important because who do you think is the target audience for this memo?
If a member of Congress is concerned about possible biased behavior by less then a handful of individuals within the FBI there are protocols within both Congress and the Justice Dept. to investigate the veracity of that claim or lack there of.
If a member of Congress is concerned about possible biased behavior by less then a handful of individuals within the FBI and wants to plant a seed of bias within the electorate of his own party regarding his actual or manufactured suspicions, while simultaneously blocking information that may refute his claim...
Well, you get the idea but once the memo is released Nunes has achieved his goal, the target audience has been fed and no amount of verified and credible counterpoint information will turn their heads.
This is were we are as a country, the crossroads lay ahead for all of us.
6
My compliments to the FBI for doing the only intelligent thing in this situation. The FBI is in place to protect our country and if they need to protect us from our unscrupulous and criminally-inclined president and his complicit GOP despots, then let them do their job.
For the con man and his GOP power-hungry tyrants, this has devolved into an exercise in obfuscation and disinformation. If the only way they can cling to power is to attempt to discredit the hard work and worthy intelligence gathering of the FBI, or any other intelligence service working in the interest our people, while undermining our democracy, then this party is no longer representing the people or the principles of our venerable Constitution.
The GOP is beyond salvage.
408
Remember way back to the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s -- right up to a year ago -- when Republicans scolded all others that they were more "law and order" than thou? Trump comes in, and these same "law and order" Republicans hate the FBI.
16
why would the gop want to release a memo which, read by a rational person, indicates that Team Trump were colluding and warranted a phone tap? are they nuts? yes!
18
So if it is misleading, the fix for that is to provide additional information to make it not so. If it would impact the FBI's reputation that is just the facts which citizens want, the fix for that is to not do such things in the future and to punish (fire) those that have done such things. I have not heard that there is date in there that would tell us secret things about the process. Perhaps the FISA court needs to be eliminated.
5
"So if it is misleading, the fix for that is to provide additional information to make it not so."...Oh but that is the beauty of the plot. You can't release the additional disqualifying information because it would reveal material that is classified.
8
Perhaps Mike Pompeo's recent meeting with Serei Naryshkin was to plan how to create an new law enforcement agency to replace the FBI and server the interest of Trump and Putin - just sayin....
12
Republicans who have any sense or knowledge our history, must be yearning for the days of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. Hoover was completely biased and fooled FDR into appointing him Director. But he made a habit of stalking those Americans he found fault with like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, mainly Democrats. He and his boyfriend--quietly acknowledged by never publicly during his lifetime/tenure--were invited to spend holiday times as elected officials' ranches and vacation homes, wined and dined. He was truly a crook. When I graduated from high school, 1959, in a wealth oil town in Oklahoma, the only Republican county in a Democratic state with Sen. Robert S. Kerr of Kerr-McGee Oil and Rep. Carl Albert, the "Little Giant from Little Dixie" as Speaker, the school board bought copies of Hoover's book, "Masters of Deceit," published in 1958 and in paperback by 1959, to be handed to each grad with the diploma. It was supposedly an expose on communism in America but proved to be more a Joe McCarthy rant by an ultra-rightwing fanatic. Hoover and McCarthy were tight. And Eisenhower loved Hoover but kept him at arms' length. Hoover's FBI is exactly what the GOP/Trump morons would prefer and Trump is trying to give it to us. Poor Liddle Donnie likely thinks the Hoover of Stanford's Hoover Institute is the same man as the first director of the FBI.
17
Indeed, the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, commissioned the dossier from Steele during the Republican primary in order to develop ‘oppo’ research to stop Trump from getting the nomination. Once Trump won the nomination, the Democrats bought a copy. By then...I repeat...by then, Steel had already turned the dossier over to the FBI to look into...because he was frightened by what he found out about Trump. It’s ludicrous to continue complaining that this all occurred because of the Democrats when the investigation was already going forward before they had the dossier...and don’t forget the Russian theft of both democrat and republican emails...and they only released the democrat emails. Get real...
68
What a disgrace. Trump behaves like someone with something to hide. Has he behaved this way the whole way along.
He says he wants to keep us safe but he has done nothing about Russian interference. He refuses to enact the sanctions that he signed into law. He continues to pretend that Russian isn't meddling. Everyone can see he won't touch Putin or his cronies. He attacks our own FBI, CIA, Judiciary and JUstice Department instead. He might as well be the Manchurian candidate because he acts exactly like one.
And then the cowardice and corruption of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. Ryan won't lift a finger against Nunes when it is clear he is a stooge for the White House, his only mission to discredit the investigation against Trump. The GOP is corrupt, they now are no different than Fox News which is a propaganda arm of the extreme right and Trump's alibi maker. They will not pass the legislation to protect Mueller. Cowards, they hope and pray it never comes to that and that they will have to stand up on principle.
So deeply disappointing, so dispiriting, so disheartening. Trump wants to keep us safe he says, but he says nothing about the right wing white extremists in Vegas and elsewhere who have commited far more mass destruction against Americans than any foreign terrorists illegally in this country. Right wing Extremists with assault weapons and Russian interference hae been the ones actually doing the damage and not Trump's foreign boogie men. So pathetic
29
When he learns who his 2020 Democrat opponent will be, Trump will be all for the FBI investigating her/him.
28
The FBI should refrain from illegal activities. The memo needs to be released STAT
8
To Rep. Nunes & Speaker Ryan
Shame on you.
49
Wray is a Republican, Mueller is a Republican. Both are highly respected professionals at the top of their fields and have built careers keeping politics out of matters of justice.
Nunes and his Republican supporters in congress are traitors who should be tried and jailed for treason if allowed to release a classified document against the wishes of our intelligence agencies and the DOJ, who claim the release would threaten national security. If the document is released the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Shiff, should release the 10 page Democratic memo that refutes and clarifies the contexts the Nunes memo whether the majority agrees or not, and also whether it's legal or not. Short of this they should resign from the committee. it's time to stop thinking about what we can do to bring the Trump voters and base around, it's time to defend the security of the country.
I heard Paul Ryan claim last night, from earlier in the day, and after listening to all the puff of the State of the Union, that the release of the Nunes memo would make the Russia investigation more transparent (with it's cherry picking of facts out of context). It was the second time I vomited last night.
With leaders like this, who needs Vladimir Putin or Kim Jung Un to destroy us.
63
Ah yes, the Republican rule of law - if you're accused by a Republican you're guilty until proven innocent, if you're a Republican who is accused you are innocent no matter what. Except they forgot that Wray, Rosenstein and Mueller are Republicans. No matter, none of these charges are based on facts, it's all just hype - another Trump con.
29
Hillary Clinton *inadvertently* mishandled a handful of classified emails, and that was only after the fact of that classification. The GOP is still out for her head. Now that same group is deliberately releasing classified info against the request of the FBI and the DoJ?? And from the Right we hear crickets.
32
What do the Republicans in Congress expect to get out of their blind and irresponsible support of the President? I hope for their sakes it isn't job security. They'd be fools to think that there would be room for or a need for a sitting legislature in Trump's brave new world.
13
Just how much damage is this country willing to suffer over a threat to release a golden shower video and secret financial information? It's time to grab the kid by the ears and send him packing.
18
The spurious one is Devin Nunes , this rather incurious man was hiding in the bushes of the White House to keep Trump up to speed even though he'd had to recuse himself from his investigation . To quote Bannon " dumb as a brick" describes him perfectly . As usual , all stuff and nonsense originating from the man with the little hands , trying to discredit the "real" investigation of Trump and his cronies . The rule of law , our democracy , the credibility of the FBI and justice department are in danger of being made a mockery of all this country has stood for.
13
For a publication that spent decades criticising the FBI, the CIA and other US-protecting agencies, the recent 180 in tone is, well, entertaining.
But hardly worth reading
8
With the exception of Trump's die hard 30%, there are few Americans who will believe anything spewing out of the mouths of the Republican party, especially more lies from a conspiracy sprouting partisan hack like Devin Nunes. The Republicans continue to weave their web of lies, hoping that if they repeat them often enough the public will believe them. Fortunately, only one third of us are that intellectually lacking. November 2018 can't come soon enough, so we can get these traitors out of office and instill the government we deserve.
27
Since when is it a good idea to hide the truth?
9
Kevin Nunes is in my opinion, a nut job, as he was someone who wanted the Pentagon to move a base out of England, to the Azores, just because his parents were from Portugal. Christopher Wray is going to have a really hard time being on the opposite side as his boss. He is going to have a come to Jesus moment, and we will see who wins, the devil in the deep blue suit, or him and his FBI agency!
7
Perhaps the most odious action by Trump sycophant Nunes was his refusal to allow Director Wray to testify before the committee because the agency was under investigation. Since this was the investigation flowing from his spurious report, Nunes has now topped his famous dash to the White House to give the denizens there the documents that the White House had given him.
10
Just publish Trump tax returns for the last five years.
30
Trump's experience in TV and hype does not suggest he would release the Nunes' memo over the weekend. On Monday morning at 10:30 AM EST The Nunes 4 pager will be released to the public for a full week of news cycle. Obama-gate corruption unravelling. Stay tuned.
2
If it is released we should see the Democratic response. Nunes has horrible credibility and this is just a distraction geared towards the Trump base.
11
How long until Trump starts a tweet storm trashing the new FBI chief, the guy he put into office not that long ago? I hope Wray is renting a place in DC - it's easier to break a lease then sell real estate short notice.
4
Our US Constitution provides the correct answer: Three separate, independent branches of government. If the Executive Branch needs to be investigated, the Legislative Branch (Congress) can set up a special investigating committee and hire their own attorneys independent of the White House. If a member of Congress or the Judicial branch needs to be investigated, the Executive Branch can do it through US Attorneys or the Attorney General. Same on the state level. Although police department Internal Affairs departments USUALLY do a good job, there should also be independent police oversight committees to weed out corruption or cover-ups among high-level police officials. Bureaucrats almost always "cover up" problems to protect their jobs and their organization, as the Catholic Church hierarchy, Penn State, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Congress, US Olympic sports officials, TV networks, NPR, and everyone else covered up sex abuses for decades. FBI misdeeds under the late J. Edgar Hoover, a brilliant but self-serving bureaucrat, should have been investigated by Congress and the news media. J. Edgar had cleverly collected "dirt" on all of them, usually sex scandals. They were ALL too cowardly to risk public humiliation because they valued their "Precious" Ring of Power and their jobs more than their public duty and their honor.
1
I have a scary anecdote that shows some parallels, although less extreme (hopefully), with what is happening today in our government. I am retired now, but I was a professor at a major university for 37 years. During that time, I mentored many research students in my laboratory. Some of these students were of German ancestry and their grandparents lived in Germany during Hitler's reign. Several of these students told me that their grandparents admired Hitler because the economy of Germany improved and because they felt that Hitler was making Germany great again.
18