Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 1, 2020 by Sundance

With the recently made public appointment of John Durham as a special counsel, does that appointment mean President Trump is unable to declassify documents in the same way the Robert Mueller special counsel blocked declassification?  The likely answer is yes.

However, with that in mind here is a reminder of one process that could possibly be attempted.  This approach would have to take place very quickly.

REPOST by Request:  Understanding the ordinary process of declassifying documents is a request and authorization to the executive officers and stakeholders of classified information; and understanding the current authorization is not ordinary because the intelligence community stakeholders are adverse to the interests of the office of the president; here is a process to cut through the chaff and countermeasures.

The background here is that any unilateral declassification request, demand or authorization by President Trump puts him opposition to a variety of corrupt interests.

As a direct result the executive office of the president will be facing legal action, likely from unified democrats and republicans in the legislative branch. With that accepted, here is the most strategic approach.

In anticipation of litigation:

President Trump informs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, that he wishes to have a full intelligence briefing on the following documents (more may be added), all documents are to be presented without a single redaction:

• All versions of the Carter Page FISA applications (DOJ) (FBI) (ODNI).
• All of the Bruce Ohr 302’s filled out by the FBI. (FBI) (ODNI)
• All of Bruce Ohr’s emails (FBI) (DOJ) (CIA) (ODNI)
• All relevant documents pertaining to the supportive material within the FISA application. (FBI) (DOJ-NSD ) (DoS) (CIA) (DNI) (NSA) (ODNI);
• All supportive documents and material provided by Bruce Ohr to the FBI. (FBI)
• All intelligence documents that were presented to the Gang of Eight in 2016 that pertain to the FISA application used against U.S. person Carter Page; including all intelligence documents that may not have been presented to the FISA Court. (CIA) (FBI) (DOJ) (ODNI) (DoS) (NSA)
• All unredacted text messages and email content between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok on all devices. (FBI) (DOJ) (DOJ-NSD) (ODNI)
• All unredacted text messages and email content between Lisa Page and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
• All communication between former CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey that started Operation Crossfire Hurricane in July 2016. (CIA) (FBI) (ODNI)
• The full and unredacted April 2017 FISA court 99-page opinion written by Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer outlining the compliance audit conducted by the NSA in 2016. (NSA) (ODNI) (DOJ) (FBI) (DOJ-NSD)
• Any and all documents that may pertain to CIA and FBI activity against the incoming Trump administration.
• Any and all investigative documents currently controlled by US Attorney John Durham as a result of his two year investigation.
• Anything else that would be of value to the American people.

The President selects a date for this briefing and through direct orders to his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, informs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, to advise and coordinate with all executive branch lead intelligence officials, who were/are stakeholders in the compartmented intelligence products as described above, of their request be present for the briefing.

The White House counsel’s office is not to be informed of the intent or purpose of the meeting; however the Presidents’ White House counsel is requested to attend. Further, all of the compartmented intelligence is to be collectively assembled by the ODNI (Ratcliffe) into one volume of a singular Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB). There are to be eighteen printed copies of the PDB assembled and secured for the briefing, post haste.

Additionally, the office of the president personally informs the ODNI (Ratcliffe) of the executives’ request to invite for the briefing each member of the legislative branch Intelligence Community oversight known as the Gang-of-Eight.

Immediately after the briefing by the executive level (cabinet) department officials, while remaining in a closed and classified session, the full and comprehensive content of this collective intelligence product will be discussed with the full assembly of the U.S. Legislative Branch Intelligence Oversight known as the Gang of Eight.

Therefore, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien is instructed to coordinate with the ODNI (Ratcliffe) for the attendance of the Gang of Eight: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority leader Kevin McCarthy, HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff, HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, SSCI Chairman Richard Burr and SSCI Vice-Chair Mark Warner. [Topic “TBD”]

In order to facilitate the briefing. Each member of the participating group will be provided with one full printed copy of the material assembled by the ODNI during the briefing.

[Each of the participants carries the prerequisite clearances, legal and constitutional authority to engage with the classified document according to their position and status. Only the executive can assemble the product for Go8 review and feedback]

At the conclusion of the briefing; and after hearing from, and engagement with, each of the participating members of the executive intelligence offices and duly authorized legislative oversight representatives; and after listening to their opinion as to the subject material discussed; the president announces to the fully assembled leadership of both the Executive branch (cabinet) and Legislative branch (Go8), it is his opinion the National Interests of the United States can best be served with the American people having a full, transparent and honest review of the material assembled and discussed.

The President, no-one else, only the President, then collects the printed portfolios as they were distributed to the participants, exits the briefing, and walks directly into the James Brady press briefing room within the White House; handing each of the awaiting twelve members of the national media a copy of the briefing material to be published on behalf of the American people.

At exactly the same time as President Trump enters the briefing room, one copy of the assembled portfolio is hand delivered, by President Trump only, to White House communications director Alyssa Farah with instructions to scan and release the content to the public through the White House website.

Done.

The American people are aware…

Litigation begins.

• References and Resources:
• The Declassification Conundrum.
• Understanding the Ramifications of President Trump as a target.
• Understanding how intelligence is compartmented.
• The Declassification Counter-Punch, Must Be Independent

… “How does the office of a U.S. president; and more importantly the republic itself; survive a coordinated coup effort involving all three branches of government; while simultaneously those in charge of exposing the corruption fear the scale is too damaging for them to reveal?”…

It survives through the strength of the leader of the Republic to reveal it.Share

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree house on December 1, 2020 by Sundance

According to the latest news developments, AG Bill Barr appointed John Durham as a special counsel on October 19, 2020.  To me the appointment looks like a total con-job.

I hope I am wrong, but every time we grant the institutionalists the benefit-of-doubt we are betrayed… Every.Single.Time.  Ergo “codependent no more”.

However, that said, listen to this speech soundbite that was made on that exact October 19th date by President Trump.   Listen very carefully: “I’ll only say this once”…

Did President Trump get notified, internally about the appointment, by someone in the concentric circle of the presidential office? My hunch says yes, based on the specificity of the speech comments made by President Trump.

Now hear this next part very clearly…. This is how the administrative state takes advantage of their insider positioning to control outside elements that are a risk to their status. They weaponize the principled honor of their target. This is why good people, decent people, do not last in Washington DC.

THAT is how a good man, a very decent man, has his love, honor and willingness to trust, weaponized against him. AG Bill Barr duped POTUS Trump, our president gave him full benefit of the doubt. Listen to that video: “I’ll only say this once”…

Do you remember the warning by Castellanos?  Think back to the 2015 instructions from republican insider Alex Castellanos as he described how the RNC could eliminate the disruptive influence of Donald Trump:

[…] “The best way to do it is how Brutus killed Caesar. Get real close, snuggle up, and shiv him in the ribs”… (link)

{Go Deep}

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on December 1, 2020 by Sundance

It looks possible AG Bill Barr is trying to pull a sneaky fast-one against President Trump and the American people. Because what Barr is claiming to do, he really isn’t doing.

According to a stunning article by Associated Press, AG Bill Barr appointed John Durham as a special counsel on October 19th, and did not tell anyone.

[…]  Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe. He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane.

[…] “I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the same regulation that covered Bob Mueller, to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they’d be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election,” Barr said Tuesday. (Link)

Today the Attorney General notifies congress in a letter:

However, here’s the issue… under DOJ regulations [28 cfr 600]  a special counsel must come from “outside government“; so did John Durham resign his position prior to the appointment, or has Bill Barr just given the appearance of a special counsel appointment while knowing the legal validity of it will collapse upon challenge?

§ 600.3 Qualifications of the Special Counsel.

“(a) An individual named as Special Counsel shall be a lawyer with a reputation for integrity and impartial decisionmaking, and with appropriate experience to ensure both that the investigation will be conducted ably, expeditiously and thoroughly, and that investigative and prosecutorial decisions will be supported by an informed understanding of the criminal law and Department of Justice policies. The Special Counsel shall be selected from outside the United States Government. Special Counsels shall agree that their responsibilities as Special Counsel shall take first precedence in their professional lives, and that it may be necessary to devote their full time to the investigation, depending on its complexity and the stage of the investigation.” (link)

Obviously Bill Barr is not stupid, he would know the regulations he cites would require the special counsel to come from “outside the U.S. government”, so what gives?

(AP cont..) A senior Justice Department official told the AP that although the order details that it is “including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III,” the Durham probe has not expanded. The official said that line specifically relates to FBI personnel who worked on the Russia investigation before the May 2017 appointment of Mueller, a critical area of scrutiny for both Durham and for the Justice Department inspector general, which identified a series of errors and omissions in surveillance applications targeting a former Trump campaign associate.

The appointment:

Posted originally on The Conservative tree house on December 1, 2020 by Sundance

A remarkable operation is revealed today.  Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe informs CNN President Jeff Zucker they have been listening-in on CNN operations and strategy planning calls for the past 90-days. O’Keefe plans to start releasing the content of those calls at 7:00pm ET this evening. WATCH:

The pressing question that requires resolution is this. Do we have, or do we not have, an honest Supreme Court from which we have nothing to fear?

Re-Posted from the Canada Free Press By Lee Cary —— Bio and Archives—December 1, 2020

Excerpt from Federalist Papers No. 78, likely written by Alexander Hamilton:

“Though individual oppression may now and then proceed from the courts of justice, the general liberty of the people can never be endangered from that quarter; I mean so long as the judiciary remains truly distinct from both the legislature and the Executive. For I agree, that ‘there is no liberty, if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers.’ And it proves, in the last place, that as liberty can have nothing to fear from the judiciary alone, but would have everything to fear from its union with either of the other departments.”

We Americans can no longer claim to be a shining example of free, fair and open elections

The line of dominos that represent America’s foundational institutions related to law and order have fallen, except one. 

It alone stands to be tested. The integrity of the Supreme Court.

Time is not on the side of those working to fully expose the corruption of the Presidential voting in several states. The scale of fraud now appears to be unprecedented in American election history. 

We Americans can no longer claim to be a shining example of free, fair and open elections.  That claim, if left unsubstantiated, becomes a lie.

The task of making the President’s case against widespread voter fraud is in the hands of a small cadre of Trump attorneys, and other lawyers working in his interests.  The Department of Justice and its Federal Bureau of Investigation are not in the frame, and haven’t been for the last five years. 

Their collective negligence has been reprehensible. And, in response to their dereliction of duty, there are no apparent consequences.  So much for the integrity of those government employees. Servants of the people, not. 

Today, the President’s political party is largely either silent, or encourages him to concede the election.  They cannot see it now, but they are sacrificing their political futures by their tepid, at best, support of Trump.

Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2012, his performance was…uninspiring

His supporters will not forget, whatever the outcome, that when the battle was waged, many Republican pols deserted their Commander in Chief.  Or, in the case of some, they worked against him from Day 1.

Take for example, Paul Ryan.  A committed NeverTrumper from the get-go.

In retirement, Paul skipped over the relatively meager salary of a K Street lobbyist, and went straight to the FOX Corporate Board, the parent company of FOX News (whose viewership is sinking like the Titanic).  Paul is on his way to cashing in big for his years as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

As the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2012, his performance was…uninspiring

Paul is but one example of many GOP pols prone to surrender rather than contest.

Here’s how one anti-Trump “news” outlets touts the current valor of Paul:

“Former Speaker Paul Ryan is calling for President Trump to accept the election results and move forward with a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden…

The Wisconsin Republican then called for the Trump campaign to end its legal challenges in multiple swing states, noting they have failed to produce evidence of voter fraud.”

Paul’s wrong about the “orderly transfer of power” being such a unique and fundamentally American component of our political system”

”‘I think maybe even more important is that these legal challenges to the outcome and the attacks on our voting system really need to stop, in my opinion,’ he said…‘The outcome will not be changed, and it will only serve to undermine our faith in our system of government, our faith in our democracy,’ he added…Trump’s legal team are ‘doing damage to our country, to our democratic institutions and norms.’”

     
Now, listen carefully to this statement:

“So, the election is over. The outcome is certain, and I really think the orderly transfer of power—that is one of the most uniquely fundamental American components of our political system,’ he added.”

Paul’s wrong about the “orderly transfer of power” being such a unique and fundamentally American component of our political system”.  It happens all over Europe, for example, and in Canada – to name a few democracies.

An inquiry into possible election fraud will not damage the integrity of the American democracy

An inquiry into possible election fraud will not damage the integrity of the American democracy. Nor would proof of actual fraud have that outcome. 

In would, in fact, certify and strengthen the image of election integrity if the fraud is surfaced. 

But, on the other hand, suppressing an inquiry into the election will seriously damage the legitimacy of American democracy by implying that the truth must remain hidden.  And that reduces the nation to a faux democracy.
 
In Chicago, my home town, the classic short version of what Paul says is: “Nothing to see here. Move along.”

The pressing question that requires resolution is this. Do we have, or do we not have, an honest Supreme Court from which we have nothing to fear? 

Or, is there no such institution left in America?