Category Blogger C0nservative Tree House

May 3 2026

Ushakov Readout on President Trump and President Putin Phone Call


Posted originally on CTH on May 2, 2026 | Sundance 

Yury Ushakov is the Senior Aide to Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. Following a lengthy telephone call between President Trump and President Putin, Ushakov provides the following readout:

MOSCOW – Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov: Colleagues, good evening.

President Vladimir Putin held another telephone conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump. The call lasted for more than an hour and a half. The exchange between the two presidents was conducted in a friendly manner and was frank and businesslike.

Understandably, Vladimir Putin began by expressing his sympathy and support for the President of the United States in connection with the assassination attempt against him on April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel. Fortunately, neither Donald Trump himself, nor his spouse, nor any members of his entourage were harmed. The secret service was quick to neutralise the assailant. The Russian leader strongly condemned this crime and stressed, in particular, that politically motivated violence was unacceptable in any forms and manifestations.

It was also mentioned during the conversation that this dangerous incident occurred on the eve of the US First Lady’s birthday on April 26. President Vladimir Putin asked to convey his best wishes and noted her contribution to efforts aimed at facilitating the reunification of Russian and Ukrainian children with their families.

When discussing the international agenda, the presidents focused on the developments surrounding Iran and the Persian Gulf.

Vladimir Putin believes that Donald Trump was right to extend the ceasefire for Iran. This, he believes, will give negotiations a further chance and help stabilise the overall situation.

At the same time, the President of Russia pointed out that if the United States and Israel resume military action, this would inevitably lead to extremely adverse consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but for the entire international community. He stressed that a ground operation on Iranian territory would be particularly unacceptable and dangerous.

Russia remains firmly committed to facilitating diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and has put forward several proposals to help address differences over the Iranian nuclear programme. To this end, active contacts with Iranian representatives, leaders of the Gulf countries, as well as with Israel, and, naturally, the negotiating team of the United States will continue.

Donald Trump outlined his assessment of the outcome of the concluded phase of the armed confrontation, as well as his views on the current difficult situation facing Iran and its leadership.

Regarding a settlement in Ukraine, the US President emphasised the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and his readiness to do everything in his power to facilitate this. His authorised representatives will continue contacts with both Moscow and Kiev. Donald Trump said he believes that an agreement that would bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end is close.

Replying to a question from Trump, Vladimir Putin described the current situation along the line of contact, where Russian forces retain the strategic initiative and are pushing back the opposing side. It was also noted that since the beginning of 2025, Russia has handed over more than 20,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen, while Ukraine has returned just over 500 bodies of Russian servicemen.

Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump expressed broadly similar views on the behaviour of the Kiev regime led by Zelensky, which, incited and supported by Europeans, is pursuing a course aimed at prolonging the conflict.

The Russian leader stated plainly that Kiev is resorting to overtly terrorist methods, targeting exclusively civilian facilities on Russian territory.

The President of Russia reaffirmed that the goals of the special military operation will be achieved in any event. At the same time, he noted that this outcome would preferably be reached through negotiations, for which Zelensky must respond constructively to the proposals that have been put forward repeatedly, including by the US side.

It is notable that Donald Trump expressed a positive view on the Easter ceasefire recently declared by Russia. In this connection, Vladimir Putin informed his American counterpart of Russia’s readiness to declare a ceasefire for the period of the Victory Day celebrations. President Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday marks the shared victory over Nazism in World War II.

When discussing Russian-US relations, both leaders pointed to the great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic and energy spheres. The presidents stated that their representatives are already engaged in substantive discussions on a number of large-scale economic projects.

The presidents agreed to maintain contacts going forward, both directly and at the level of their aides and representatives.

They concluded the conversation on a warm note, wishing each other all the best.

Question: On whose initiative was the telephone conversation held?

Yury Ushakov: I would like to note that it was initiated by the Russian side, by the President of Russia.

Thank you.

[END READOUT]

May 3 2026

Indicted Mexican Governor Ruben Rocha Moya Steps Aside During Investigation


Posted originally on CTH on May 2, 2026 | Sundance 

Last week the DOJ indicted Mexican Governor Ruben Rocha Moya along with nine current and former Mexican officials for participating “in a corrupt and violent drug trafficking conspiracy with the Cartel to import massive amounts of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States.” {GO DEEP} This has put Mexican Governor Claudia Sheinbaum in a precarious position.

Both President Sheinbaum and Governor Rocha Moya are from the Moreno political party in Mexico.  Following the indictment, Sheinbaum said she would not assist in any extradition effort of Governor Rocha and denounced the U.S. indictment; however, she said the federal government within Mexico would launch their own independent investigation.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denounced the U.S. prosecution of a sitting Mexican governor and other officials on drug trafficking charges as “political,” and said Thursday that Mexico would not comply with Washington’s demands that the accused be arrested and extradited to the United States.

“We are not permitting a foreign government to say what is the future of Mexico,” said a defiant Sheinbaum, who repeatedly assailed U.S. “meddling” in the incendiary case. (more)

There is considerable support within Mexico to eliminate the corrupt activity of the Cartels who many admit are in control of large sectors of their regional and federal government.  As a consequence, many Mexicans support the position of President Trump and the Dept of Justice in prosecuting Governor Rocha Moya if there is evidence to support it.

Today, Sinaloa Governor Rocha Moya said he would step down from his position as the federal investigation of the claims get underway.

Mexico City — The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa said on Friday he will temporarily step down from his post, days after he was indicted in the US on drug trafficking charges.

Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa since 2021, and nine current or former high-ranking Mexican officials were charged in a five-count indictment unsealed Wednesday with allegedly helping a faction of the cartel led by the Chapitos, the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera — also known as El Chapo.

Local lawmakers approved Rocha Moya’s request to take a leave of absence on Saturday and appointed Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde as interim governor. Until now, Bonilla Valverde served as Sinaloa’s Secretary of Government.

Prosecutors in New York allege Rocha Moya met with the Chapitos prior to his election and assured them that if elected, he would put officials friendly to their drug trafficking operations into power. Cartel members stole ballot boxes and kidnapped or intimidated opponents to drop out of the race to ensure his victory, according to the indictment. (read more)

Many of those who understand the dynamic are saying Rocha Moya’s official decision to take a leave of absence looks more like a move to go into hiding in order to avoid any U.S. military operation that might seek to capture him.

As noted by Leon Barrena Rodriquez, “Sheinbaum and AMLO have decided that a total diplomatic rupture with the U.S. is a smaller price to pay than the existential threat of Governor Rocha “spitting” in a New York courtroom. They are gambling on the assumption that Washington lacks the will for forceful extraction. This is a fatal error.

Mexico City operates under the dangerous delusion that the Trump administration can still be “managed” with paperwork and delays, refusing to acknowledge that the decision to dismantle Mexico’s narco-political architecture was finalized months ago. The escalation pathway we predicted is no longer a hypothetical, but it is now in full force.

Morena appears to believe the United States can still be pacified with diplomatic phone calls, curated “mañaneras,” or the transactional arrest of a few cartel operatives. But the game has changed, and the rules have been rewritten. The “sovereignty” rhetoric and the FGR’s claims of a lack of evidence are merely masks for a regime willing to incinerate its international credibility and domestic security to keep the secrets of the movement buried. In this, they shall not succeed. The refusal to acknowledge the gravity of the DOJ’s evidence only accelerates the timeline for a more direct American intervention”. (Twitter)

It is highly likely that President Trump does not need a Maduro-style military operation to gain custody of Rocha Moya. In fact, the United State has multiple angles of economic pressure that can be applied to force President Sheinbaum to deliver Moya to U.S. authorities.

For the past six months top level officials from both the U.S. and Mexico have been organizing a bilateral trade agreement to replace the trilateral USMCA that includes Canada.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian trade team have been shut out of any substantive discussions on how the U.S-Canada trade will be impacted if/when U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer tells congress of the formal decision to end the USMCA.

This backdrop sets the stage for enhanced pressure against Mexico if President Sheinbaum refuses extradition, or if the Mexican investigation is simply a corrupt whitewash.  The evidence within the U.S. indictment of Rocha Moya is strong.

Financial sanctions can pause or end remittances to Mexico.  Closed or enhanced border security measures can severely curtail Mexican exports. National Security tariffs, now fully supported by the U.S. Supreme Court are yet another option.  President Trump has multiple approaches within economic leverage to force Mexico to comply with an extradition order.

The bottom line is that President Trump wants a lawful and secure North America and the Mexican cartels are a direct threat to that goal.  No one really doubts the cartel influence in regional and federal politics within Mexico; however, addressing that cartel influence is another kettle-o-fish all together.

[…] “The crisis has now physically shifted to Palenque, the true command-and-control center of the Morena movement. Logistics monitoring confirms that Mexican Navy jets have been operating a high-frequency shuttle to and from Chiapas, facilitating the extraction of Governor Rocha Moya for an emergency summit with former president AMLO. This use of military assets to transport an indicted official to a private ranch for a “war council” is a blunt display of state protection. It confirms that the Sheinbaum administration is not merely observing the law, but deploying the full weight of the Mexican military to ensure that Rocha remains out of reach while the “Palenque Pact” is finalized.

The regime’s defense of Rocha is now absolute and unified. By rejecting the U.S. charges as “politically motivated” and demanding “irrefutable evidence” while simultaneously blocking CJNG extraditions, the government is building a fortress around its internal secrets. This is no longer a legal debate between two countries, but a pivot to a siege mentality. The Sheinbaum administration has calculated that the risk of a diplomatic break with the U.S. is preferable to the existential threat of Rocha “spitting” in a New York courtroom. The “sovereignty” rhetoric is the public mask for a fundamental decision: the regime will burn its international credibility to ensure that the secrets of the 4T stay buried in Palenque. Mexico now holds its breath.” ~ León Barrena Rodríguez

May 2 2026

Trump Targets Merz in Geopolitical Maneuver


Posted originally on CTH on May 2, 2026 | Sundance 

Keep in mind the background issue of Germany supplying Ukraine with weapons and material to keep fighting Russia, while the Merz administration triggers policy to force increased German military troop levels.

Facing crushingly high increases in energy costs, last Monday in Marsberg, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and demanding the conflict end “as quickly as possible.”

Germany is facing a perfect storm of economic consequences following their decision to chase the climate change agenda (Build Back Better) and eliminate their coal and nuclear power plants.  Combine the German/EU policy to stop purchasing cheap LNG and oil from Russia, in addition to skyrocketing energy costs from oil/gas flows from the Middle East, and the outcome is rising manufacturing costs leading to massive layoffs.

The German industrial economy is the heart of the EU economy, and President Trump is now hitting them both right where it hurts.

Today two announcements hit an already vulnerable Germany directly.  The first is: “The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.” {source}

The second announcement is even more brutal for Chancellor Merz:

[SOURCE]

While the EU auto tariffs do not mention Germany specifically, it is the German auto industry (BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi) that will be impacted the most.  A 25% tariff on German vehicles destined to the USA will severely hurt the German auto industry.  This is a massive hit to their already weakened position.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is already facing serious political issues within Germany as the economy continues to contract. The political opposition parties are on the rise and Merz is in a very precarious position. President Trump is exploiting this vulnerability by apply further economic pressure on Germany.

One of the outcomes of this pressure in combination with the internal friction Merz is facing, will be a demand by the German people to stop providing support for Ukraine and focus time, effort and energy on getting the structural economy back on solid footing.  This can have an ancillary benefit to President Trump as he seeks to have Ukraine come to the negotiating table with Russia to end the conflict.

There are multiple facets within this geopolitical positioning, and it is worth watching it play out closely.

May 2 2026

Georgia and South Carolina Will Not Postpone Primary Election to Review Redistricting Following Supreme Court Ruling


Posted originally on CTH on May 1, 2026 | Sundance 

It has been said by many the reason the leftists on the Supreme Court delayed their minority dissent was in order to stall the high court ruling that would have given states an opportunity to redistrict prior to the 2026 primary voting.  There is no data that disputes this assertion.

Today Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced he is calling the state legislature into special session to review the congressional districts in light of the Supreme Court ruling that dispatched ‘racially motivated’ district boundaries.  However, Georgia and South Carolina will not review districts.

Georgia has already begun early voting, which gives Governor Brian Kemp justification to avoid redistricting for an election scheduled for May 19th.

GEORGIA – […] Kemp made it clear that he will not be a part of that push this cycle but praised the court’s ruling. “The Supreme Court’s decision Louisiana v. Callais restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges,” Kemp said Friday.

“Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections,” he added, meaning changes to the maps would not be possible this year. (read more)

SOUTH CAROLINA – […]Republican leaders in the South Carolina General Assembly say redistricting isn’t going to happen this year. House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, told reporters the lower chamber wouldn’t redraw South Carolina’s congressional map this year. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, also said redistricting this year would be “unlikely.” (read more)

Georgia has been a target for the Democrats for several election cycles.  The Chicago machine targeted Georgia some time ago, with Fulton County representing the epicenter of the effort.  Meanwhile, South Carolina is DeceptiCon central.  The network that binds both states together is the AME Church.

Those who follow elections closely understand the compact between Chicago (Obama Inc.) and South Carolina Congressman, James Clyburn.  This partnership was responsible for using Joe Biden as the 2020 vehicle, and this partnered alliance subsequently was responsible for the plan to elevate Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

Clyburn’s electoral control, which extends directly into Georgia comes from the Emanuel AME Church network, that provides the poll workers who count the physical votes.  In all of the precincts that matter, AME generates the poll workers.  The poll workers control the vote outcomes.

Drawing districts that no longer take race into the equation is against the interests of Democrats, the AME network, James Clyburn and Barack Obama. Thus, it will be very challenging for those two states specifically to redistrict while the non-black state representatives and governors are worried about being called racist.

While it may not be politically comfortable to stop pretending around the issue, the fact remains that racially ideological poll workers essentially have the majority of control over the key precinct voting systems.  The AME Church is well represented, and almost all of the poll workers are black; this is not coincidental.

[GEORGIA] When Fulton County Fanni Willis wanted to defend herself publicly, she used the pulpits at AME Church’s.  [South Carolina] When Democrats wanted to change their presidential primary contests, they wanted South Carolina to be the first state that votes, again using the AME poll workers.

In 2020 President Obama brought the Black Lives Matter movement and James Clyburn brought the AME Church network.  This partnership resulted in Joe Biden selected as their choice for the Democrat nominee, and together Obama and Clyburn chose Kamala Harris as the VP nominee; Biden had no say in the matter.

The collaboration resulted in an effective system of Democrat control.  Donor funding like Mark Zuckerberg provided the revenue stream to indulge and reward the poll workers.  ActBlue is part of this system. The money is laundered through various activist groups until it ends up in the hands of the poll workers.

The AME Church network operates vote control operations through their poll workers in several states and key regions within them.  Ballot harvesting, mail in voting and direct election vote counting is controlled through the operation.

There are a lot of states involved, however, elections in South Carolina and Georgia are specifically controlled within this operation due to their proximity to the AME command HQ.

Lastly, political leaders in both states are well aware of this issue and the fear of racism keeps them from doing anything about it.

May 2 2026

President Trump Delivers Remarks at The Villages in Florida – 3:00pm ET Livestream Links


Posted originally on CTH on May 1, 2026 | Sundance 

President Trump will be delivering a rally style speech today at The Villages in Florida centered around remarks to emphasize “no tax on social security benefits.”  President Trump is expected to speak around 3 to 4pm ET with livestream links below:

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May 2 2026

Chopper Presser – President Trump Delivers Remarks on Latest Developments


Posted originally on CTH on May 1, 2026 | Sundance 

Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  President Trump pauses to answer questions from the assembled press pool as he departs the White House for an event at The Villages in Florida.

The majority of the questions centered around Iran and ongoing negotiations.  President Trump stated he is not happy with the latest proposals from the representatives of the Iranian delegation as they do not reflect control within the government. “It is a very disjointed leadership structure,” President Trump noted. “They are confused and combative with each other.” The USA economic embargo against Iran known as “Operation Financial Fury” continues with Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent grinding the Iranian economy to a halt.

President Trump also noted the European Union has not fulfilled their obligations within the U.S-EU trade agreement, and as a result President Trump is raising the tariff rate on European vehicles to 25 percent.  WATCH:

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May 1 2026

The Comey Memos Open the Door to See the Appointment of Robert Mueller as FBI Target Continuation


Posted originally on CTH on April 30, 2026 | Sundance

I apologize for the deep weed details, but this stuff will soon become critical.  If James Comey is indicted for leaking the “Comey memos” suddenly the door opens wide to see how the Robert Mueller appointment was a coordinated ongoing ‘conspiracy’ effort to target Donald Trump.

Back in June 2017 CNN (and other media) filed a FOIA suit to gain the Comey memos.  As the lawsuit progressed through a lengthy battle -where the Mueller team did not want to turn over those memos- Mueller’s lead FBI agent, David Archey, made sworn declarations to the court. Those statements became known as the “Archey Declarations”.  Inside those declarations agent Archey provided a specific outline of the FBI and the memos.

There are two sets of documents that outline a very specific picture.  Robert Mueller’s lead FBI Agent David Archey made sworn declarations to the court. However, at the time of his sworn statement, Archey did not have knowledge of an inside FBI “whistleblower” who provided information to DOJ Inspector General, Michael Horowitz.

There is a distinct conflict within the IG Horowitz report on James Comey (and memos) [Available Here] and the David Archey declarations [Available Here].  However, beyond the conflict there’s an even more alarming picture of how Robert Mueller was deployed, when all the information is overlaid in a timeline.   A very clear picture emerges; very clear.

Note the date: Agent Archey states the “investigative team” came into full possession of the Comey memos: “on or by May 12th, 2017,”…

[Page #3 of Exhibit A – Archey Declarations]

The “investigative team” would be Andrew McCabe, Bill Priestap, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and then James Baker as lead counsel for the group.  The “Director’s staff” would be James Rybicki, who is identified by Archey as having “maintained” possession of the memos.

This “small group”, particularly Comey’s Chief of Staff, James Rybicki, is the center of the team.  This team is also confirmed by the IG Horowitz report. This team had the memos on May 12th, 2017.

Now we move into the aspect where the motives and ideology become clear as we look at the IG custodial record of the memos, as outlined by the Supervisory Special Agent in charge of Comey’s documents within the IG report, compared to the Archey declarations.

The FBI Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) in charge of Comey’s document retrieval is the “whistleblower” who eventually went to the IG.  I’ll explain why and how below; and to make understanding easier we shall use “SSA Whistleblower” to describe him.

♦ On May 10th, the Comey memos were not in Comey’s office [per IG report].  At the time of the search and review of Comey’s office there were no hard copies found by SSA Whistleblower.


Now, keep in mind “by May 12th” James Rybicki had all the Comey memos in his possession, per Mueller team FBI Agent David Archey.

♦On May 12th, SSA Whistleblower went to James Comey’s house along with James Rybicki and Deputy FBI Director David Bowditch.


During this May 12th visit James Comey never told SSA Whistleblower he had the memos in his personal safe.  James Rybicki was also present for this retrieval visit and also never told SSA Whistleblower that he was holding the memos in his FBI HQ office.

♦On May 15th, three days later, James Rybicki then tells SSA Whistleblower he knows the location of the Comey memos; and Rybicki informs SSA Whistleblower he has additional relevant material.

From the IG Report: “Rybicki told the SSA that he did not tell anyone about the Memos during the May 10 inventory because he understood that process to only include Comey’s office.”   Very sketchy.

At this point SSA Whistleblower had to suspect something sketchy was happening.  Keep in mind the following day May 16th, 2017, Comey sent memo content to his friend Daniel Richman with instructions to leak to the New York Times. [Article published 5:00pm 5/16/17]

If Rybicki didn’t inform SSA Whistleblower on May 15 about the Comey memos, then SSA Whistleblower would have found out from leaked media reports the next day May 16.

If Rybicki didn’t tell SSA Whistleblower about the memos on May 15, then it would have looked like the ‘small group’ was hiding and leaking the memos.

An intellectually honest review of the timing, and considering Rybicki had indeed been hiding the memos, leads to the conclusion Rybicki knew the NYT leak was coming; Rybicki was coordinating with James Comey; and Rybicki/Comey were trying to avoid team scrutiny. [Further evidence of this surfaces in the Mueller contact timeline.]

By May 16th, 2017, SSA Whistleblower, had to see the sketchy nature of how this was unfolding.   As a result this scenario from the IG report now makes sense:

♦ If we overlay the FBI “small group” contact with Robert Mueller an even more clear picture emerges.

“Crossfire Hurricane” – During 2016, after the November election and throughout the transition period and into 2017, the FBI had a counterintelligence investigation ongoing against Donald Trump. FBI Director James Comey’s memos were part of this time-period as the FBI small group was gathering evidence.  Then Comey was fired….

♦Tuesday May 9th – James Comey was fired at approximately 5:00pm EST.  Later we discover Rod Rosenstein first contacted Robert Mueller about the special counsel appointment less than 15 hours after James Comey was fired.

♦Wednesday May 10th – From congressional testimony we know DAG Rod Rosenstein called Robert Mueller to discuss the special counsel appointment on Wednesday May 10th, 2017, at 7:45am. [See Biggs questions to Mueller at 2:26 of video]

According to his own admissions (NBC and CBS), Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe immediately began a criminal ‘obstruction’ investigation. Wednesday May 10th; and he immediately enlisted Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

A few hours after the Rosenstein-Mueller phone call James Comey’s office was being searched by the SSA Whistleblower per the IG report on Comey’s memos.

♦Thursday May 11th – Andrew McCabe testified to congress. With the Comey firing fresh in the headlines.  McCabe testified there had been no effort to impede the FBI investigation.

Also on Thursday May 11th, 2017, The New York Times printed an article, based on information seemingly leaked by James Comey, about a dinner conversation between the President and the FBI Director.   The “Loyalty” article [link].  The IG report shows: “[Daniel] Richman confirmed to the OIG that he was one of the sources for the May 11 article, although he said he was not the source of the information in the article about the Trump Tower briefing“.

♦Friday May 12th –  Andrew McCabe met with DAG Rod Rosenstein to discuss the the ongoing issues with the investigation and firing.  Referencing the criminal ‘obstruction’ case McCabe had opened just two days before.  According to McCabe:

… “[Rosenstein] asked for my thoughts about whether we needed a special counsel to oversee the Russia case. I said I thought it would help the investigation’s credibility. Later that day, I went to see Rosenstein again. This is the gist of what I said: I feel strongly that the investigation would be best served by having a special counsel.” (link)

According to Andy Biggs questioning of Mueller, on this same day, May 12th, evidence shows Robert Mueller met “in person” with Rod Rosenstein.  This is the same day when SSA Whistleblower went to James Comey’s house to retrieve FBI material and both Rybicki and Comey never informed the agent about the memos:

May 12th is the date noted by David Archey when FBI investigators had assembled all of the Comey memos as evidence.  However, no-one in the FBI outside the “small group” knows about them.

♦On Saturday May 13th, 2017, another meeting between Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller, this time with AG Jeff Sessions also involved. [Per Andy Biggs]

♦Sunday May 14th –  Comey transmitted copies of Memos 2, 4, and 6, and a partially redacted copy of Memo 7 to Patrick Fitzgerald, who was one of Comey’s personal attorneys.  Fitzgerald received the email and PDF attachment from Comey at 2:27 p.m. on May 14, 2017, per the IG report.

♦Monday May 15th, McCabe states he and Rosenstein conferred again about the Special Counsel approach. McCabe: “I brought the matter up with him again after the weekend.”

On this same day was when James Rybicki called SSA Whistleblower to notify him of Comey’s memos. The memos were “stored” in a “reception area“, and in locked drawers in James Rybicki’s office.

♦Tuesday May 16th – Per the IG report: “On the morning of May 16, Comey took digital photographs of both pages of Memo 4 with his personal cell phone. Comey then sent both photographs, via text message, to Richman”

On this same day Rod Rosenstein takes Robert Mueller to the White House for a meeting in the oval office between President Trump, VP Pence, Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein.    While they were meeting in the oval office, the following story was published by the New York Times (based on Comey memo leaks to Richman):

Also, during the approximate time of this Oval Office meeting, Peter Strzok texts with Lisa Page about information relayed to him by Tashina Guahar (main justice) on behalf of Rod Rosenstein (who is at the White House).

Later that night, after the Oval Office meeting – According to the Mueller report, additional events on Tuesday May 16th, 2017:

Interesting that Tashina Gauhar was taking notes presumably involved in the 5/16/17 meeting between, Lisa Page, Rod Rosenstein, and Andrew McCabe. 

This meeting at Main Justice appears to be happening in the evening (“later that night”) after the visit to the White House with Robert Mueller.  This meeting appears to be Lisa Page, Rod Rosenstein and Andrew McCabe; along with Tashina Gauhar taking notes.

Why is the Tuesday May 16th, 2017, date of additional importance?

♦ Wednesday May 17th, 2017:  Rod Rosenstein and Andrew McCabe go to brief the congressional “Gang-of-Eight”: Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Devin Nunes, Adam Schiff, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Richard Burr and Mark Warner.

… […] “On the afternoon of May 17, Rosenstein and I sat at the end of a long conference table in a secure room in the basement of the Capitol. We were there to brief the so-called Gang of Eight—the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Rosenstein had, I knew, made a decision to appoint a special counsel in the Russia case.”

[…] “After reminding the committee of how the investigation began, I told them of additional steps we had taken. Then Rod took over and announced that he had appointed a special counsel to pursue the Russia investigation, and that the special counsel was Robert Mueller.” (link)

Immediately following this May 17, 2017, Go8 briefing, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein notified the public of the special counsel appointment.

What is clear from a review of all the related and released information is the FBI small group (McCabe, Page, Strzok, Rybicki, Baker) were hiding the ongoing FBI investigation from other FBI officials (including the SSA Whistleblower), inside the department after Comey was fired.

McCabe launched a “criminal investigation” (obstruction) May 10th, and Rosenstein was in immediate contact with Robert Mueller about being a special counsel after conversations with the FBI small group. The small group were then releasing information to their media allies, and hiding the releases from FBI agents outside the small group; until they no longer needed to do so (May 15).

On May 15th, it appears the SSA whistleblower was finally notified of the Comey memos because the small group already knew Robert Mueller was going to be appointed.

Comey, his lawyers and Lawfare allies, together with the small group, coordinated to leak and publish the NYT article (May 16th) the day Mueller was interviewing President Trump in the oval office. They knew Mueller was going to be appointed the following day, May 17th.  The NYT leak was cover and ammunition for Rod Rosenstein to fulfill his role.

This is the Special Counsel as the insurance policy deployed.

Everything was a set up by the small group; exclusively executed by the small group; kept hidden from other FBI agents and officials; and Mueller’s visit with President Trump was part of that investigative effort.

This overall conspiracy/plan is why the FBI SSA turned to Inspector General Michael Horowitz and requested Whistleblower protection.  This is also why IG Horowitz was motivated to carve out the Comey memos in his report.

KEY POINT – OIG Michael Horowitz outlined the Special Counsel appointment as fraudulently predicated.

Because FBI Agent David Archey was not part of the original team (he did not join until August 2017); and because Archey had no idea a whistleblower had gone to the FBI when he wrote his declarations; David Archey wrote about the FBI investigative team having all of the copies of the memos on May 12th, 2017.

FBI Agent David Archey was unaware the ‘small group‘ had kept the Comey memos hidden from the FBI SSA Whistleblower until May 15th, 2017; so he inadvertently exposed their assembled disposition prior to the ‘small group’ admissions to the SSA.

Lastly….

♦ June 1st, 2017 – After the “small group” had successfully organized the operation to get Robert Mueller appointed, then this same team sat down to classify the material that might expose their efforts to set up the special counsel appointment.

They knew about the leak from Comey to Richman and then to the New York Times on the 16th of May, but this group then told Inspector General Horowitz they didn’t know Comey shared his memos during their discussions on June 1st.

Prosecute James Comey for releasing classified information, and the background of all the FBI ‘small group’ effort comes into play.  Michael Horowitz would even be a good witness for the prosecution.  Their effort led to the appointment of Robert Mueller and the team of Lawfare operatives who targeted the office of the president for two years.

This was a conspiracy against rights, including the right of the American voter to have a functioning administration.

May 1 2026

Report: Another DOJ Investigative Case Against James Comey Happening in Virgina – That’s Three States Now, and This One Has Big Irony


Posted originally on CTH on April 30, 2026 | Sundance 

In the first case against James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress, there was no dismissal; instead, the judge rejected US Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s involvement. After that, the statute of limitations ran out.  However, if the report below is accurate, this would represent the third currently active investigation against former FBI Director James Comey, and Lindsey Halligan might get the last laugh.

The first investigative notice to Comey was in mid-March from the Sunshine State.  Essentially the ‘conspiracy case’ being reviewed by Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida {SOURCE}.  The second investigative case was in North Carolina, where a grand jury released an indictment for threats against President Trump {SOURCE}.  Now, Bloomberg is reporting on a third investigation against Comey for leaking classified documents to his friend and special government employee, Daniel Richman.

BLOOMBERG – […] The investigation is tied to his dissemination of documents to Columbia University Law Professor Daniel Richman, the individuals added. If successful, it would be the Trump DOJ’s third time indicting Comey since last fall.

[…] It hasn’t been decided if the department will present an indictment to a grand jury in Eastern Virginia, where Comey resides, or if the case could be pursued in a different location—such as in Richman’s home of New York. (read more)

It doesn’t really matter whether New York or the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), either location would be the third state where the disgraced former FBI Director Comey would have to defend himself. Again, I remind everyone of ‘pressure points’ in Lawfare.

If the EDVA/NY case proceeds it is based around James Comey leaking his memos to his friend Daniel Richman.

In addition to being a close personal friend to James Comey, Daniel Richman is part of the Lawfare network and close friends with Benjamin Wittes, another member of Comey’s tribe.  The evidence of this leaking operation is solid, very solid.  The only defense James Comey holds in this matter is to claim his memos were not ‘classified’ material.

In fact, several months ago I was told the reason Comey was not yet indicted was due to an internal debate within the DOJ as to the classification status of the Comey memos.  To wit I replied, “there is a profound irony in this question the DOJ is asking itself.”

You see, in the Mar-a-Lago documents case Jack Smith appealed the ‘classification’ ruling by Judge Aileen Cannon when she appointed a “Special Master” to review the documents and determine the classification status.

The DOJ/FBI Special Counsel, previously said to the Florida court they would not reveal the content of the Mar-a-Lago document information because it was “classified” under “national security” grounds.  You might remember President Trump’s legal position was to make the content public because Trump said there was no classified material.

To reconcile the issue, during discovery phase Florida Judge Cannon appointed a Special Master to review the “classified” documents.  The FBI and Jack Smith balked at the demand and filed an appeal with the 11th Circuit to keep the Trump defense from reviewing what Jack Smith said were “documents marked classified.”

Smith didn’t want the documents made public or revealed to President Trump, so the DOJ/FBI position was that the documents were too sensitive (TSCI) with “national security” implications.

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the “classification status” of the Mar-a-Lago documents was whatever the national security apparatus of the federal government (DOJ, FBI and Intelligence Community) said it was.  The judicial branch could not interfere in the classification status applied by the executive branch.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the government position that any documents defined as “classified” by the executive branch (then Biden) that claimed, “national security,” should not be disclosed to the defendant, Donald Trump.  The court of appeals essentially determined that all definitions by the executive branch, are not questionable by the judicial branch.

This precedent now applies to James Comey’s memos.  If the DOJ/FBI/IC define the Comey memos as classified documents because they specifically pertain to private discussions with President Donald Trump about ongoing security matters and Russia, then the Comey memos are legally classified information – regardless of what James Comey says about them.

The DOJ can prosecute James Comey for leaking classified documents by using the same legal approach the DOJ used against Donald Trump.  Classified documents are whatever the federal government says they are.

When I reminded the DC people about this specific precedent, you could have heard a pin drop.

♦ Back to Richman….  Though USAO Lindsey Halligan could not get beyond the technicality ruling of her appointment, she smartly dropped all the evidence against Comey for leaking classified documents inside a legal response about Comey lying to congress. {GO DEEP}

This was either super smart or just legally serendipitous, because that approach made visible the evidence now being considered to indict Comey on a matter that does not have a statute of limitations.

♦ Lindsey Halligan provided the evidence of James Comey’s extensive use of Daniel Richman to act as a cut out for leaks and communications with the media [Attachments HERE].

Beginning on January 2, 2015, James Comey hired Daniel Richman to be his conduit to the media for all things around the Clinton investigation.  Exhibit #3 highlights Richman emails to Office of Legal Counsel, Patrick Findlay, to begin the process of officially working for Comey as a special government employee. [Attachment #3 HERE].

There are multiple exhibits highlighting emails between James Comey (aka Reinhold Niebuhr7) and Daniel Richman [HERE-4 and HERE-5 and HERE-6 and HERE-7] proving the former FBI director did intentionally direct Daniel Richman to contact media persons on his behalf and leak investigative background information, or instruct them on information, James Comey provided. The evidence on this issue is overwhelming.

Daniel Richman, working directly on the instructions of James Comey, worked closely with New York Times journalist Mike Schmidt, husband of MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace, to publish material [ex. Exhibit #8].  Richman then coordinated the FBI director’s message with dozens of national journalists, writing the scripts for them to publish on behalf of James Comey [ex Exhibit #9].   Again, the evidence on this collaborative endeavor is overwhelming.

Interestingly, [Govt Exhibit #12] is the criminal complaint stemming from the FBI investigation which began on July 21, 2025.   The investigative summary notes the purposeful use of Room #9582 at FBI headquarters, intended to destroy classified evidence concealed in five burn bags.

[SOURCE Exhibit #12, page 2]

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Florida – Conspiracy case.

North Carolina – Comey threats against Trump.

NY or EDVA – Comey leaking classified documents.

Warmest best,

May 1 2026

President Trump Takes Questions from Media Following Executive Order Signing in Oval Office


Posted originally on CTH on April 30, 2026 | Sundance 

President Trump held an Oval Office signing event today for: (1) PROMOTING RETIREMENT-SAVINGS ACCESS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS BY ESTABLISHING TRUMPIRA.GOV, and (2) PROMOTING EFFICIENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING.

Following the executive order signing, President Trump took questions from the assembled press pool. WATCH:

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May 1 2026

First Quarter Economic Data Shows Stable U.S. Economy and Strong Job Market


Posted originally on CTH on April 30, 2026 | Sundance

Several key economic reports were released today highlighting a broad and strong U.S. economy with a very strong labor market.

♦ The first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) [DATA HERE] The first estimate is for growth at 2.0 percent.  At first glance that is lower than we expected; however, a deeper look shows a large increase in imported goods that are deductions to the equation.  The imported goods increased 25.8% more than the fourth quarter of 2025 [Table 1.1], that led to a net -1.30 percent deduction [Table 1.5].

The jump in imports is a result of massive capital expenditures on tools and equipment for the ongoing manufacturing boom.  All the manufacturing machines and industrial tools that are not made in the USA become imported goods deducted from our economic valuation.

Exports were very strong rising 12.9 percent over the prior quarter.  However, the 25.8% increase in imports created a net deduction from GDP (-1.30%).  The last time we imported this much was just before the tariffs went into place and companies were rushing advanced orders, in the first quarter of 2025; this created a rebound effect in the second quarter.

I estimate the second quarter rebound will be even greater this year because we are exporting massive amounts of oil and LNG right now.  Simultaneously, the capital expenditure imports will likely soften.

GDP Table 1.1 highlights the jump in imports.  (Percent change vs prior quarter):

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GDP Table 1.5 highlights the impact on overall GDP Calculations: -2.62 imports +1.32 exports = -1.30 net deduction.

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♦ Meanwhile the Dept of Labor (DoL) weekly report on unemployment claims showed U.S. jobless claims have dropped to their lowest level in more than 50 years.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, initial applications for unemployment benefits fell by 26,000 to 189,000 for the week ending Friday (April 25), far below the 214,000 new claims analysts had expected. [DATA HERE] This marks the lowest number of new filings since September 1969.

We continue to see the trend where halted illegal migration and ongoing deportation operations are driving up wages and bringing people off the sidelines for work.  The jobless claims reflect a stable and growing economy and strength in employment.

♦ The Mid-East gulf oil crisis is keeping oil prices high which has led to an increase in overall energy and gasoline prices.  This is boosting the inflationary numbers; however, the optimistic perspective is that these price increases will subside in the longer term as the Iran issue is resolved.