Something is Looming Geopolitically, and We Better Start Taking It Seriously


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 18, 2022 | Sundance 

As a result of western governments’ taking collective action under the auspices of a ‘climate change’ agenda, we are on the cusp of something happening with ramifications that no one has ever seen before.

Western governments’, specifically western Europe, North America (U.S-Canada) and Australia/New Zealand, are intentionally trying to lower economic activity to meet the intentional drop in energy production.

This is the core consequence of the Build Back Better agenda as promoted by the World Economic Forum.

Anyone who says there is a reference point to determine both the short-term and long-term consequences is lying. There is no precedent for nations’ collectively and intentionally trying to reduce economic activity.

Hiding behind the false justification that current inflation is driven by too much demand, central banks in Europe, the Bank of England, Bank of Canada and U.S. federal reserve are raising interest rates.  The outcome we are currently feeling is an intentional economic contraction and global recession.

The Build Back Better monetary policy is successfully shrinking western economic activity; however, the impacted nations that produce goods for markets in North America and Europe, specifically southeast Asia, Japan and China, are not raising interest rates in an effort to try and offset the drop in demand.  China has announced they are dropping their central bank rates in a desperate effort to lower costs and keep their export dependent economy working.

Underneath all of this, is a drop in energy production in the same nations trying to lower economic activity.  The political policymakers are attempting to manage this process without informing the citizens of the unspoken goal.   Shortages of oil, coal and natural gas are self-inflicted problems, all part of the BBB agenda.

Beyond the massive increases in energy costs, which is the true source of inflation and a direct/intentional outcome of the BBB effort, Europe is now facing a looming winter without the energy resources to heat homes and sustain people.  Things are going to be very uncomfortable in Europe this winter as roaming brownouts are now predicted.

As the collective west attempts to, using their words, “manage the transition,” they do not have mechanisms to control an outcome of this magnitude.  It is simply too big a situation to manage.  Where the rubber meets the road, the think-tanks and high-minded climate change ideologues do not have the ability to manage a transition and still meet the needs of people.  Beyond the esoteric thinking, there are real consequences from these actions.

Many people have discussed the potential for longer-term food shortages and recently, shorter-term winter heating.  However, beyond that, the downstream geopolitical consequences are seemingly being ignored.  Instead, what we see is an effort to keep pretending the climate change ends will justify the means (disruption of energy production).

In this connected world, when the western nations stop buying things, we find ourselves domestically with economic trouble.  Businesses fail, unemployment rises, financial stress ripples throughout the economy, dependency on government subsidy increases and real pain is felt.  However, beyond the domestic issues the supplier nations run into even bigger problems.

Unemployment in Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and even China, creates an entirely different set of regional stability issues on a geopolitical level.

There is no precedent for this.  Never before in the history of industrialized nations has any government intentionally tried to lower its economic activity.  It has never been done with intent before because within the contraction nations get more poor, people suffer.

Not only has no single nation ever tried to intentionally shrink its wealth, but there is no precedent whatsoever for an alliance of nations to join together with the same purpose. While this might seem like an academic economic modeling exercise, unfortunately it is very real.  What I am describing is happening right now, and we had better start talking about it before the unforeseen consequences start to become a crisis.

In North America (U.S-Canada), Europe and Australia, there will continue to be massive increases in food prices as a result of the collapse in energy production.  Beyond the western nations there will be food shortages as a result of lowered harvest yields and less industrial food production.  This is not controversial.

It is also not controversial that regions with harsh winter climates are going to be paying much more for scarce heating resources.

That being accepted, what happens geopolitically, even militarily, when the entire global economy starts to feel the impacts from western nation economic contraction on a scale -created by collective action- that has never been seen before.

I have no idea what that big picture consequence looks like, but whatever “that” is, will be happening at the same time as people everywhere will be more desperate as an outcome of their economic position.  I don’t have the answers, but I sure as hell can see the problem coming.

Political leadership in the aforementioned western nations are seemingly, perhaps intentionally, keeping people distracted with domestic shiny things to occupy time.  However, someone needs to start talking about, and seriously challenging, the big picture consequence of this Build Back Better future, before it’s too late.

Democrats are the Enemy of the Middle Class


Armstrong Economics Blog/Inflation Re-Posted Aug 18, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act this Tuesday, wasting $437 billion of taxpayers’ dollars. “I’m keeping my campaign commitment. No one — let me emphasize this — no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay a penny more federal tax,” Biden said before signing the legislation. Biden refused to take questions at the signing event.

Yet, independent analysis has shown that this proposal will harm small and medium businesses. “Most small businesses are organized as pass-through entities — LLCs and S Corps,” James Lucier, managing director of Washington-based policy research firm Capital Alpha, told The Post. “Proponents of increased auditing specifically say they want to target pass-through entities, which inherently means targeting small business and small business owners.” Lucier explained that smaller companies would be unable to fight back. Only large corporations have specialized lawyers to review everything and adhere to the plethora of laws.

The big companies are already using Biden’s failed plans to make a profit. The Inflation Reduction Act primarily pays for climate change controls, and they slipped in a $7,500 tax credit for those who can afford an electric vehicle (EV). So what did the companies do? Ford and GM simply raised the prices on their EV to match or exceed the tax credit.

Let’s not forget the 15% corporate tax minimum. Costs are always passed onto the consumer. Not a single Republican voted for this bill. Democrats are the enemy of the middle class — the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

CDC admits they SH*T the bed, Amber Heard style | HPH #136


By Habibi Bros. Published originally on Rumble on August 17, 2022 

Siraj and Jay discuss the CDC admitting to f*cking up the COVID-19 pandemic response, Liz Cheney gets ousted from Congress, developments in the FBI raid of Trump’s home at Mar-A-Lago, and the one-year anniversary after the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal. It’s everything that makes you want to drink on Habibi Power Hour.

Following Boost of $80 Billion from Congress, Treasury Secretary Tells IRS Enforcement to Prepare for New Technology Era


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 17, 2022 | Sundance

When congress approved $80 billion in new funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement division, the intellectually honest crowd knew this was not just about hiring more IRS agents.  Indeed, the personnel side of the spending will almost certainly pale in comparison to the IRS creating new technological enforcement mechanisms to track electronic payment systems.  Ultimately, it’s just an obvious evolution in IRS monitoring and surveillance.

Today, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seemed to outline exactly that when she sent the IRS a memo instructing them to develop an action plan within six months for how to improve the technology needed to expand enforcement {link}.  What we are likely to experience is the next phase in the public-private partnership, this time focused almost exclusively on electronic payment systems, income and earnings.

On August 10th, after reviewing the legislative language, CTH said, “I predict (in phase one) the IRS will soon create an office of “digital income verification and audits” or DIVA. This agency will be used to confiscate and remove access to on-line funds. In phase two they trigger the ‘climate change’ control mechanisms.”  {link} It’s not that much of a prediction as it is just an acceptance of this ongoing big government continuum. 

An IRS enforcement agency specifically focused on “Digital Income Verification and Audits” (DIVA), is a transparent mechanism following the basic principles of the government partnership with big tech social media.  The IRS version will be a collaboration, and/or monitoring system, between the Treasury Dept and processors of on-line funds like PayPal or GiveSendGo, etc.   Just like social media, the payment processing systems will eventually be merged with government systems.

Once this technological system is built, legal and regulatory framework constructed, real time monitoring of on-line currency flow will be possible.  Once that phase is fully executed, then phase-2 becomes possible.  Phase two would likely involve the control or blocking of any transaction deemed against the regulations of the governing authority.

Example: If you used your debit card to purchase too much gasoline (fossil fuel) or meat (regulated food product), the carbon credit program attached to phase-2 could suspend your ability to make purchases.

The first step in the process is to have a surveillance system in place to view all monetary exchanges and payment processes that happen on-line.  Thus, Secretary Yellen is asking the compliance division of the IRS for an action plan within six months to outline the IRS technology needed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ expansive climate, tax and health care bill into law, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has directed the IRS to develop a plan within six months outlining how the tax agency will overhaul its technology, customer service and hiring processes.

In part, the improvements are meant to “end the two-tiered tax system, where most Americans pay what they owe, but those at the top of the distribution often do not,” Yellen said in a Tuesday memo to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, whose term ends in three months.

Yellen’s memo, obtained by The Associated Press, outlines the importance of modernizing IRS computer systems and ensuring the agency has an adequately-staffed workforce now that the tax collector is set to receive nearly $80 billion over the next 10 years. That funding is needed for more than technology. At least 50,000 IRS employees are expected to retire over the next five years.

[…] Yellen last week sent instructions to IRS leadership not to increase audit rates on Americans making under $400,000 a year annually.

“Instead, enforcement resources will focus on high-end noncompliance,” she said in her Aug. 11 guidance. “There, sustained, multi-year funding is so critical to the agency’s ability to make the investments needed to pursue a robust attack on the tax gap.” (read more)

That’s a parseltongue phrase if I have ever seen one.  “Do not increase audit rates,” simply means if 75% of current audits are targeting the middle class within the current IRS budget, make sure only 75% of new audits target the middle class with the doubled budget.   The number of audits doubles, but the rate of the audit in comparison to the IRS targeting remains the same.

Keep in mind, from their reference point it’s not your money, it’s theirs.  That is why left-wing government officials use phrases like “spending in the tax code” to explain allowing people to keep their own income.

Mike Pence Denounces Calls to Defund the FBI


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 17, 2022 | Sundance

Former Vice President Mike Pence delivered an establishment republican party speech at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, today.  During his prepared remarks, Pence denounced the effort of some people in the republican party who call for defunding the FBI.

According to Pence he was, “deeply troubled” by the behavior of the justice department and the FBI during their raid on President Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago. Pence continued by saying the FBI “rank and file” should not be attacked or disparaged for the political agenda exhibited by the organization they represent.  It’s a weird statement when you think about it in context.

The FBI as an institution doesn’t do anything; it is the men and women within the institution that take actions based on corrupt political intent.  The only way to address the behavior of the FBI is to do exactly the opposite of what Pence is saying.  Institutions are made up of people. The rank and file within that corrupt system are the people carrying out the corrupt endeavors.  The audio is a little poor, but here is the segment, WATCH:

.

Break up The Justice Department


The Dershow Published originally on Rumble on August 16, 2022

This is actually a good idea at minimum take out the FBI

IRS Agents Training to Raid Homes


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Aug 17, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The Internal Revenue Service 2021 report contains a bit more information about who the IRS aims to target – you. These special IRS Criminal Investigation agents are armed and ready to prevent a penny from leaving the government’s control. After only six months of training, these armed accountants will learn how to use weapons and other law enforcement tactics against the general population.

Agents at the National Criminal Investigation Training Academy (NCITA) participated in mock raids on suburban houses. The Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) is followed by a 14-week NCITA Special Agent Investigative Techniques (SAIT) course. “The SAIT program trains new agents in tax law, evidence gathering, interviewing, report writing, methods of proving unreported income, and money laundering violations. It also provides physical fitness conditioning and use of force training, which includes firearms, weaponless tactics, and building entry,” the report states.

Additionally, agents will need to complete quarterly training in “firearms, defensive tactics, and building entry.” How often do they plan to raid homes under the guise of taxes? The report states that these agents will “use good judgment” in order “to apply the appropriate degree of force necessary to safely carry out enforcement activities, including issuing search warrants, arrests, surveillance, dignitary protection, undercover activities, and seizures.”

They are not doing this on a grand scale to target drug dealers and organized crime leaders. The government is preparing an independent army of IRS agents who can work undercover, spy on citizens, and seize assets under their “good judgment.” Very “Orwellian” indeed.

National Bank of Romania Hires Fortune Teller


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted Aug 17, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) is turning to ancient rituals to predict future economic movements. Gabriela Dima, 64, often referred to as Minerva, holds two majors in psychology and cinematography. She also happens to be a popular fortune teller, a Bucharest fairy, and the newest hire of Romania’s central bank.

Inflation in Romania reached 15.05% this June. Last month, the National Bank of Romania voted to raise interest rates by 100 basis points to 4.75%. What will the bank do next? Perhaps Minerva knows.

Fortune telling has been a long tradition in Romani culture that dates back hundreds of years. Although the church shunned the practice, people remained superstitious and often looked to tellers for advice. Minerva has not disclosed her position at the central bank, but BNR declared that she is indeed employed there. So perhaps she will lighten the sentiment and give some of the population a boost of confidence regarding the future. Either way, her advice will be better than any analyst following Schwab’s Great Reset agenda to topple the global economy.

President Trump Wants Full Unredacted Raid Affidavit Released


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 16, 2022 | Sundance 

President Trump calls for the release of the search warrant affidavit used against him in fully unredacted form.  Additionally, President Trump suggests the judge in the case should recuse himself based on prior conflicts.   [Truth Social Link]

[LINK]

From what I can ascertain, the court hearing will be on Thursday.

REMINDER: In Part One we outlined the background of the modern Deep State {Go Deep}. In Part Two we outlined the specifics of how President Trump was targeted by political operatives using tools created by the DC system {Go Deep}.  In Part Three we outlined how and why President Trump was blocked from releasing documents {Go Deep}.  Here we assemble the specifics of what documents likely existed in Mar-a-Lago.

It is important to remember, the presidential records act –the presented pretext for the document conflict– is not a criminal statute.  An FBI raid cannot be predicated on a document conflict between the National Archives and a former president.

The DOJ-NSD warrant, and the subsequent raid on Mar-a-Lago can only be related to records the U.S. government deems “classified” and material vital to national security interests.  Hence, DOJ National Security Division involvement.

In prior outlines we have exhaustively covered the details of President Trump’s desire to publicly release information about DOJ and FBI conduct in their targeting of him during the fabricated Trump-Russia claims.  However, to understand the nature of the documents he may hold, we first review the declassification memo provided by President Trump to the DOJ upon his departure from office.

In broad terms there are two sets of documents that intermingle and are directly related. First, documents that highlight the activity of Hillary Clinton’s team in creating the false Trump-Russia conspiracy theory (2015/2016).  Second, documents that highlight the activity of government officials targeting Donald Trump within the same timeframe (Crossfire Hurricane), that continued into 2017, 2018 and 2019 (Robert Mueller).

Think of the two sets of documents as evidence against two teams working in synergy.  Team one (Clinton) was outside government. Team two (DOJ/FBI) was inside government.  The documents pertain to both groups but are also divided.  That helps to explain the wording of the memo above.

The documentary evidence against the outside group (Clinton et al) would also involve government documented evidence as the DOJ/FBI inside group interacted with them.  Notes from interviews, materials provided, FBI 302 summaries of interviews, etc.

We can extract a lot of information on the first sets of evidence from the lawsuit filed by President Trump in March of this year, mostly against the outside actors. [LINK HERE]

The lawsuit was filed against specific persons and most of those persons were interviewed by the FBI as part of the originating investigation.  Within the subjects of the lawsuit we find names and groups including:

Hillary Clinton, Hillary for America Campaign Committee, DNC, DNC Services Corp, Perkins Coie, Michael Sussmann, Marc Elias, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Charles Dolan, Jake Sullivan, John Podesta, Robby Mook, Phillipe Reines as well as Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson, Peter Fritsch, Nellie Ohr, Bruce Ohr, Orbis Business Intelligence, Christopher Steele, Igor Danchenko, Neustar Inc., Rodney Joffe, James Comey Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Kevin Clinesmith and Andrew McCabe.

In addition to being named in the lawsuit, many of those names were interviewed by the FBI as part of the origination of the Trump-Russia investigation, and/or part of the ongoing investigation of the Trump-Russia fabrication. Each of those interviews would carry an FD-302 report summarizing the content of the interview, the questions and answers given.

The totality of those 302 documents is a lot of evidence likely consisting of hundreds of pages.

For the government officials on the inside, in addition to 302’s (ex Bruce Ohr) there would be documents of communication between them.

Think about the full unredacted text messages between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok as an example.  The DOJ publicly released over 600 pages of those text messages, and that wasn’t all of them.  The text messages were also redacted, under claims of privacy and national security.  We can assume any version of these text messages declassified by President Trump would not be redacted.  Hence, you go back to the January 20th memo and see the notes about “privacy.”

We also know there are many pages of communication between DOJ lawyer Lisa Page and her boss in the FBI Andrew McCabe.  Almost none of them were ever made public; but they exist.  This internal communication is likely the type of material contained in both the “binder,” left for the DOJ to release, and the boxes at Mar-a-Lago to be used as evidence against the named defendants in the lawsuit.

Bruce Ohr has 302’s and emails relating to his involvement as a conduit between Fusion GPS and the FBI.  Some of those were released in redacted form, and some of them were never released.  Additionally, Nellie Ohr, Bruce’s wife, who worked at Fusion GPS invoked spousal privilege when called to testify before the House committee investigating the issues.  However, it is almost certain the FBI interviewed her so there are likely 302’s on Nellie Ohr.

Chris Steele, Igor Danchenko and Rodney Joffe were also interviewed by the FBI.  Those 302’s were never released.  Presumably John Durham has stakeholder equity in that part of the Trump-Russia hoax, but the documentary evidence prior to January 20, 2021, that exists outside the special counsel could also be records at Mar-a-Lago.

Then we get to the big stuff…. The records and evidence in unredacted and declassified state, that would drive the DOJ-NSD to claim vital national security interests.

The NSA compliance officer notified NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers of unauthorized use of the NSA database by FBI contractors searching U.S. citizens during the 2015/2016 presidential primary.  That 2016 notification is a classified record.

The response from Mike Rogers, and the subsequent documentary evidence of what names were being searched is again a classified record.  The audit logs showing who was doing the searches (which contractors, which agencies and from what offices), as noted by Director Rogers, was preserved.  That is another big-time classified record.

In addition, we would have Admiral Rogers writing a mandatory oversight notification to the FISA court detailing what happened.  That’s a big and comprehensive classified record, likely contained in the documents in Mar-a-Lago… and then the goldmine, the fully unredacted 99-page FISA court opinion detailing the substance of the NSA compromise by FBI officials and contractors, including the names, frequency and dates of the illegal surveillance.  That is a major classified document the Deepest Deep State would want to keep hidden.

These are the types of documents within what former ODNI John Ratcliffe called “thousands of pages that were declassified by President Trump,” and given to both John Durham and Main Justice with an expectation of public release when the Durham special counsel probe concluded.

In short, President Trump declassified documents that show how the institutions within the U.S. government targeted him.  However, the institutions that illegally targeted President Trump are the same institutions who control the specific evidence of their unlawful targeting.

These examples of evidence held by President Donald Trump reveals the background of how the DC surveillance state exists.  THAT was/is the national security threat behind the DOJ-NSD search warrant and affidavit.

The risk to the fabric of the U.S. government is why we see lawyers and pundits so confused as they try to figure out the disproportionate response from the DOJ and FBI, toward “simple records”, held by President Trump in Mar-a-Lago.   Very few people can comprehend what has been done since January 2009, and the current state of corruption as it now exists amid all of the agencies and institutions of government.

Barack Obama spent 8 years building out and refining the political surveillance state.  The operators of the institutions have spent the last six years hiding the construct.

President Donald Trump declassified the material then took evidence to Mar-a-Lago.  The people currently in charge of managing the corrupt system, like Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Chris Wray and the Senate allies, are going bananas.  From their DC perspective, Donald Trump is an existential threat.

Given the nature of their opposition, and the underlying motives for their conduct, there is almost nothing they will not do to protect themselves.  However, if you peel away all the layers of lies, manipulations and corruption, what you find at the heart of their conduct is fear.

What do they fear most?…

…..THIS!

People forget, and that’s ok, but prior to the 2015 MAGA movement driven by President Donald J Trump, political rallies filled with tens-of-thousands of people were extremely rare; almost nonexistent.  However, in the era of Donald J Trump the scale of the people paying attention has grown exponentially.  Every speech, every event, every rally is now filled with thousands and thousands of people.

The frequency of it has made us numb to realizing just how extraordinary this is.  But the people in Washington DC are well aware, and that makes President Trump even more dangerous.  Combine that level of support with what they attempted in order to destroy him, and, well, now you start to put context on their effort.

The existence of Trump is a threat, but the existence of a Trump that could expose their corruption…. well, that makes him a level of threat that leads to a raid on his home in Mar-a-Lago.

[Support CTH Here]

Trump’s Espionage? Washington DC and the Pundits Won’t Talk About This, But I will


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 16, 2022 | Sundance

Reading all the professional political chatter from both wings of the uniparty bird about the DOJ position on the Trump raid in Mar-a-Lago, something sticks out to me that readers here will relate to, but others, likely not so much.   Consider this written to all the reasonable and intellectually honest people.

You see, there is an actual mechanism that is being ignored by members within the professional DC silos and the DC ‘outrage’ stenographers.  I was reminded of it when reading the professional obfuscation in the Wall Street Journal as they outlined how Merrick Garland “weighed the raid on Mar-a-Lago for several weeks” prior to August 8.

Technically there is a mechanism for executive branch conflict resolution that involves actual transparency, not the political talking points of the illusion of transparency.  However, when the Fourth Branch of Government was created, the conflict resolution measure that provides oversight and escape from accusations of unequal application of law was dispatched.  It was dispatched because, well, the unequal application of the law was the intent.

What I am talking about is the legislative branch oversight mechanism known as the Gang-of-Eight.   Whenever the executive branch runs into a conflict that involves sensitivity within an issue they define as “national security,” the executive branch is supposed to use the tool of the legislative branch to extricate themselves from the conflict.

Quite simply the DOJ/FBI could have briefed the Go8 on the nature of the sensitive ‘national security’ issue, and this bipartisan briefing to both democrats and republicans removes Main Justice from the appearance of political impropriety.  If, later on, the nature of their investigation is ever questioned, Main Justice (the representatives of the executive branch) have the shield of telling the American public that congress was notified.

That is essentially the intent of the Gang of Eight construct.  Leaders and key officials within both parties are informed of ongoing investigative activity that involves the national security of the United States.  That’s the mechanism for the DOJ and FBI to avoid the appearance of political targeting.

On March 20, 2017, we saw for the first time how the newly weaponized DOJ and FBI had intentionally and purposefully begun to stop that notification process as part of their intentional effort to politically weaponize the justice dept. {link}

In that March 2017 hearing, former FBI Director James Comey was asked why the FBI was investigating President Trump for the past eleven months (April ’16 origination), revolving around a Trump-Russia collusion investigation, and not informing congress about the potential national security compromise.

James Comey justified the targeting operation and lack of notification by saying, “because of the sensitivity of the matter(?)” while looking uncomfortable & surprised with the question from representative Elise Stephanik.

The outlook of unilateral authority without oversight lies at the heart of the Trump-Russia collusion and targeting problem.  The lack of transparency, and failure to follow the required briefing schedule to congress, was as subtle as a brick through a window, showcasing the political intents of the FBI and DOJ under the Obama administration.

The FBI and DOJ (executive branch) cannot operate unilateral political targeting operations and simultaneously permit oversight (legislative branch).  That was the issue spotlighted in the answer from James Comey.

Unfortunately, what Comey outlined was the central issue DC politicians, including republicans, needed to avoid admitting… And so, they pretended the admission by James Comey didn’t exist, brushed it away under the cloud of media assisted outrage on other matters, and just moved on.

In the current dynamic of the DOJ/FBI -vs- Donald Trump Mar-a-Lago raid, we see an almost identical scenario. Not surprisingly we also see identical action from the DOJ/FBI in not briefing the Gang of Eight about the post-election Trump investigation.  It becomes clear the DOJ National Security Division is intent to avoid any transparency if they were held accountable for following the checks-and-balances.

Obviously, the DC stenographers (MSM) will avoid pointing out this issue; and obviously the right wing of the DC UniParty (republican leadership) will avoid mentioning how this conflict resolution mechanism exists. However, their willful blindness doesn’t negate the fact the mechanism does exist.

If AG Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray wanted to avoid what Wray has previously called, “even the impression of impropriety,” the DOJ could simply have briefed congress on the issues and challenges related to President Trump and their perceived problem with classified documents.

The reality of Main Justice not seeking to avoid their conflict, stands as a stark reminder how they consider the mechanism of oversight as a risk to their intent.

The absence of congressional notification is evidencing how the targeting by Main Justice is political.

(Wall Street Journal) […]  Mr. Garland now faces a more momentous decision that will further sharpen an already unprecedented and politically fraught situation: whether to pursue charges against Mr. Trump or any of his allies over their handling of the records at issue and their interactions with Justice Department officials seeking to retrieve them.

A decision to bring charges in the matter against Mr. Trump or any of his allies would thrust the Justice Department deeper into a political environment in which the former president’s supporters and Republican lawmakers are already accusing Mr. Garland and the department of overreach.

[…] Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee sent letters Monday to Mr. Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray seeking documents and communications related to the search. While the department is unlikely to agree to that request while the investigation is ongoing, such scrutiny would likely only intensify if Republicans gain control of Congress in November.

Justice Department officials have defended the Mar-a-Lago search as a necessary step approved by Mr. Garland himself. People familiar with the Justice Department’s approach have said a primary goal of the search was to ensure the security of highly sensitive national-security documents after the Trump team didn’t relinquish them and amid concerns that the security of the material at Mar-a-Lago had been put at risk. (more)