On her television show Laura Ingraham reported her ‘sources’ inform her President Trump will execute the declassification directive next week. [Video Tweet Link] If accurate, the timing –in advance of the OIG draft report– makes sense.

The declassification of documents central to previous congressional inquiry, that also encompasses the Inspector General review of the Carter Page FISA application, is the subject of great interest and speculation.  However, it would make sense for President Trump to authorize the declassification of documents in advance of the IG report release.

Likely Inspector General Michael Horowitz has reviewed all of the documents in question.  If Horowitz wants to include the classified content in his draft report for principle review; and later within the final report; those documents would need to be declassified or else they would be held back, footnoted and outlined in a classified appendix.

If the DOJ and President Trump want the information more broadly available to the public and media, it would make sense to declassify the documents – pending the review and approval of the participating intelligence agencies (DOJ, DOJ-NSD, CIA, NSA, State Dept., FBI, ODNI, DoD, etc.)

♦ The process without controversy – First, each of the executive branch intelligence agencies will have to sign-off on the declassification request, and/or explain to the Chief Executive (that’s Trump), through the ODNI, why their specific intelligence product should not be made public.

Generally speaking, now that the Mueller investigation is complete; and if there is no substantive risk to national security; the intelligence agencies will adhere/defer to the request of the executive.  This is where the alignment and support from U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is critically important.

If AG Bill Barr supports the declassification request, there would be limited room for any intelligence unit to justify blocking the release.

In recent reporting Bill Barr has been outlined in discussions with the CIA and ODNI during his own intelligence review.  It is almost certain those media reports are referencing contact and discussion about the IG report and declassification content.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Dan Coats is in charge of the executive declassification process overall.  The ODNI is the intelligence hub that all requests and approvals flow through.  If any intelligence unit or compartment has an argument against declassification their argument/justification against release (or redaction removal) is made to the ODNI.

The DOJ is one intelligence agency within the process; however, in this specific example the declassification directive will be targeted to fulfill the DOJ-OIG investigative framework of the inspector general. [Assuming this is the goal of President Trump]  Therefore the DOJ will have increased weight and responsibility for coordination and support for the declassification request.

If all cabinet members of the executive branch are working toward full transparency; and assuming the current FBI doesn’t try to block any release; the process for declassification follows normal guidelines to notify any intelligence units that might be impacted by public release.

In this example, again assuming the list of classified documents is similar to those previously anticipated, there are possible foreign governments and intelligence units that would need advanced notification.  In turn, those foreign agencies may request time to organize their intelligence interests and impacts.

ODNI Dan Coats would be responsible for working with DoS (Pompeo), CIA (Haspel), FBI (Wray), DOJ-NSD (Barr) and NSA (Nakasone).  Each of those intelligence officers are then responsible for notifying their foreign counterpart of any information that might pertain to their interest(s). [Assuming the declassification touches on foreign interests.]

If everyone within the executive agrees, then likely Inspector General Michael Horowitz will be allowed to outline the declassified content in the main body of his report and not hidden within a classified index unavailable to the public.

If the declassified material extends beyond the interests of the executive, in this case it likely does, then the ODNI may select participating intelligence members to brief the congressional gang-of-eight on the material being declassified.

This is not always needed, but given the political interest in this example this will likely happen.  The current Gang of Eight includes: Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Adam Schiff, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Richard Burr and Mark Warner.

If the declassified material extends beyond the interests of the executive and the legislative, in this case it is possible vis-a-vis FISA, then the ODNI may also brief the Chair and ranking member of the house and Senate Judiciary Committees on the material being declassified. ie: Jerry Nadler, Doug Collins, Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein.

Additionally, there is also a possibility the full Carter Page FISA application is being declassified.  If so, there could be notification to the U.S. Judicial branch SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts and/or FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer.

So you can see this is a rather engaged and lengthy process as each participating interest is notified, and allowed time to provide feedback if they have any adverse interests to the release which may need to be considered.   This is not as simple as President Trump saying “do it.”   A declassification request is a process.

Yes, the President of the United States can unilaterally declassify any document he/she deem is in the national interest.  However, that is never done.  If you want to see how it is possible to do [READ THIS].

The President has the unilateral ability to declassify anything because he/she is often engaged in discussions with leaders of foreign governments, if the POTUS had to worry about his ability to discuss classified intelligence the President would be unable to engage in open discussion on interests of importance to the United States.   Therefore the laws that allow the President his authority, are designed so that a President cannot violate any classified intelligence issue.

That’s the basis for the President’s ability to unilaterally declassify intelligence information and/or documents.  Any previously classified material the president shares is considered declassified subject to the classification authority of the recipient.

In the example of declassifying documents the executive deems are of public interest, there is an assumption of no inherent national security urgency.  Therefore the process to allow advanced review of those documents by all stakeholders is always followed.

You can imagine the political backlash if a president, any president, was making unilateral decisions to declassify material without going through the process to ensure national security interests were evaluated.  Heck, even though President Trump is going through the lengthy and structured process, we will likely see his political opposition make this absurd claim anyway.  [Keep that in mind]

All of that said, no-one really knows the documents and/or information that may be subject to this current declassification request.  This was the original list as outlined in 2018:

• 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)
• The originating CIA “EC” or two-page electronic communication from former CIA Director John Brennan to FBI Director James Comey that started Operation Crossfire Hurricane in July 2016. (CIA) (FBI) (ODNI)

However, in the months since September 2018, there are more documents that may have been added to the list; specifically if they have been reviewed by Inspector General Horowitz and citations contained within the upcoming draft report on FISA abuse.

Also keep in mind, Mark Meadows outlined President Trump has never seen the documents or the information that would be contained within the documents. [More Here] Many people who do not know how the executive branch works have falsely stated that President Trump knows what is in those declassification documents. He doesn’t.

The Office of the Presidency is a system, not a person. The system is designed to protect the occupant of the office. In this specific example it would be against the direct interests of the President to have full knowledge of the material inside the declassification requests because the President was potentially a target and carries an inherent conflict of interest.

The President is reliant upon the trust of advisers to inform him of the value – or lack thereof – along with the legal and political risks therein; without any specific conversation about the content.

In short, President Trump may declassify material as requested, but other than general briefings, he likely has no independent idea what material is inside or behind the redactions. Again, understanding this process helps to explain procedural delays, and frustration from those without familiarity with all the roles attached to the executive.

Lastly, CTH doesn’t traffic in ‘hope-porn’.  While we have presented a more detailed list of documents and material that we hope would be declassified, there’s almost no likelihood all of this material would be approved for release:

♦ President Trump can prove the July 31st, 2016, Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence operation originated from a scheme within the intelligence apparatus by exposing the preceding CIA operation that created the originating “Electronic Communication” memo. Declassify that two-page “EC” document that Brennan gave to Comey.  [The trail is found within the Weissmann report and the use of Alexander Downer – SEE HERE]

♦ Release and declassify all of the Comey memos that document the investigative steps taken by the FBI as an outcome of the operation coordinated by CIA Director John Brennan in early 2016.  [The trail was memorialized by James Comey – SEE HERE]

♦ Reveal the November 2015 through April 2016 FISA-702 search query abuse by declassifying the April 2017 court opinion written by FISC Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer. Show the FBI contractors behind the 85% fraudulent search queries. [Crowdstrike? Fusion-GPS? Nellie Ohr? Daniel Richman?]  This was a weaponized surveillance and domestic political spying operation. [The trail was laid down in specific detail by Judge Collyer – SEE HERE]

♦ Subpoena former DOJ-NSD (National Security Division) head John Carlin, or haul him in front of a grand jury, and get his testimony about why he hid the abuse from the FISA court in October 2016; why the DOJ-NSD rushed the Carter Page application to beat NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers to the FISA court; and why Carlin quit immediately thereafter.

♦ Prove the Carter Page FISA application (October 2016) was fraudulent and based on deceptions to the FISA Court. Declassify the entire document, and release the transcripts of those who signed the application(s); and/or depose those who have not yet testified. The creation of the Steele Dossier was the cover-up operation. [SEE HERE]

♦ Release all of the Lisa Page and Peter Strzok text messages without redactions. Let sunlight pour in on the actual conversation(s) that were taking place when Crossfire Hurricane (July ’16) and the FISA Application (Oct ’16) were taking place.  The current redactions were made by the people who weaponized the intelligence system for political surveillance and spy operation.  This is why Page and Strzok texts are redacted!

♦ Release all of Bruce Ohr 302’s, FBI notes from interviews and debriefing sessions, and other relevant documents associated with the interviews of Bruce Ohr and his internal communications. Including exculpatory evidence that Bruce Ohr may have shared with FBI Agent Joseph Pientka. [And get a deposition from this Pientka fella] Bruce Ohr is the courier, carrying information from those outside to those on the inside.

♦ Release the August 2nd, 2017, two-page scope memo provided by DAG Rod Rosenstein to special counsel Robert Mueller to advance the fraudulent Trump investigation, and initiate the more purposeful obstruction of justice investigation. Also Release the October 20th, 2017, second scope memo recently discovered.  The Scope Memos are keys to unlocking the underlying spy/surveillance cover-up. [SEE HERE and SEE HERE]

It’s doubtful the intelligence apparatus would ever permit the public to see the 99-page FISA opinion written by FISC Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer.  It would be too damaging to the objective of future FISA authorization.

However, we could also to see material that is not included in any of the declassification lists, such as the fully unredacted Kavalec email and notes.  Time will tell.

If Laura Ingraham is correct, the “Principle Draft Review” phase for the Inspector General report may soon be coming.  The draft review allows each of the people identified within the report the opportunity to submit any response or counter to the information as presented by the reference-check phase.

Each of the recipients of the draft report must sign an NDA; however, the NDA only covers the content of the report, not the general submission/appearance of the draft report itself.

The IG may choose to include response(s) from the principles in the draft report, or the IG may not; some of that depends on the advice of the person or group who fulfilled the reference check.  Usually if the IG adds the principle comment, the IG will rebut the comment with additional information and citation (from the referencer).

Once we hear about the draft report (media will mention it – perhaps next week), it will be around a month to full public release of the final report that everyone will see.

• Declassification with an Adversarial Executive Part I
• Declassification with an Adversarial Executive Part II
• List of Documents for Declassification
• Mark Meadows discussing Persons interviewed by IG

Devin Nunes appears on Fox News to discuss why the origin of the Russia narrative is important.  The scale and scope of the fraudulent construct is now a strongly enmeshed narrative, toxic to the systems of cohesive government:

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If you read the Weissmann/Mueller report carefully one aspect stands out strongly; the Mueller investigation was fully committed to The Steele Dossier. An inordinate amount of the report is focused on justifying their investigative validity and purpose in looking at the claims within the Steele Dossier.

Repeatedly, the investigative unit references their mandate based around the Steele Dossier, and the mid-summer 2016 origin of the FBI counterintelligence operation.

Why? Why was/is Crossfire Hurricane (July ’16) and the Steele Dossier (Oct. ’16) so important to the principle intelligence apparatus, and the Mueller team (’17, ’18, ’19)?

I believe former NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers has told us the answer. In early 2016 Rogers caught on to a massive and pre-existing weaponization of government surveillance and the use of collected NSA metadata for political spy operations. Everything, that comes AFTER March 2016 is one big blanket cover-up operation….. ALL OF IT.

The Russian election interference narrative; the use of Joseph Mifsud, Stefan Halper, the London and Australian embassy personnel; Erika Thompson, Alexander Downer, U.S. DIA officials; everything around Crossfire Hurricane; and everything after to include the construct of the Steele Dossier; all of it was needed for the creation of an ‘after-the-fact‘ plausible justification to cover-up what Mike Rogers discovered in early 2016, AND the downstream unmasked records that existed in the Obama White House SCIF.

Fusion GPS was not hired in April 2016 to research Donald Trump. The intelligence community was already doing surveillance and spy operations. They already knew everything about the Trump campaign. The Obama intelligence community needed Fusion GPS to give them a justification for pre-existing surveillance and spy operations.

That’s why the FBI, and later the Mueller team, are so strongly committed to, and defending, the formation of the Steele Dossier and its dubious content.

On Pages #11 and #12 of the Weissmann/Mueller report, the special counsel team outlines the purpose and intent of the probe as delivered by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Within these pages Mueller outlines the August 2nd Scope Memo that has previously been hidden and remains redacted through today.

Read the highlighted portion carefully to understand the scope of the instructions. Note the careful wording “the Special Counsel had been authorized since his appointmentto investigate allegations”… This means from Day #1 of the special counsel, the scope of the probe was always to investigate the claims within the Ohr/Steele Dossier:

The August 2nd Scope Memo additionally authorized the investigation of “certain other matters” specifically relating to Manafort (financial crimes), and Papadopolous and Flynn (FARA violations).

These paragraphs tell us a great deal about what originated the purpose of the FBI investigation and the continued purpose of the special counsel. Remember, the special counsel was a continuance of the FBI counterintelligence operation which officially began on July 31st, 2016. [The unofficial beginning was much earlier]

Understanding now that Mueller is saying from Day One he was investigating the Steele Dossier; here’s where we all need to question the assumptions.

Why is the Steele Dossier so important?

From the beginning most people have thought the Fusion-GPS objective was to dig up dirt on Trump for political exploitation. However, with all the recent information outlined there’s actually a more significant role for Fusion.

The overall intelligence apparatus of the U.S. government was already conducting political surveillance on their political opposition. The systems of the intelligence apparatus such as FISA-702(16)(17) databases searches were being exploited months (if not years) beforehand.

When NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers discovered the use of the database he shut down contractor access on April 18th, 2016.

When Fusion GPS was hired by the DNC and Clinton team; also in April of 2016 immediately following the shut-down of FBI contractor access; it now appears the purpose was to provide cover for government surveillance already taking place. Perhaps part of that motive was fear of what NSA Mike Rogers might do.

The Obama administration (U.S. government intelligence apparatus) needed an external source of information that could cover their domestic surveillance and spy operations. That’s why Fusion GPS was hired, and why emphasis was put on using European and Australian intelligence contacts to create the plausible process to continue surveillance that was always taking place.

This corrupt weaponizing of the U.S. intelligence apparatus is MUCH BIGGER than anyone currently absorbs. The Steele Dossier was an eventual part of the cover-story.

When Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were discussing the “insurance policy” in August 2016, they were not discussing insurance from the perspective of their success, ie. Clinton elected; they were discussing insurance from the position of: if they failed.

If Clinton was elected, great; everything continues as normal. However, if Clinton was not elected the weaponization of government needed a cover story, a plausible legitimate reason for why political surveillance/spying was taking place. This is the insurance policy need…. This is why they needed the Steele Dossier.

Regardless of anything happening to stop them, the intelligence community was conducting surveillance of their political opposition. To validate that surveillance the intelligence community needed a plausible FBI counterintelligence operation. That’s where John Brennan (CIA) comes in.

Brennan manufactured the plausible excuse for an FBI operation to begin through the use of “unofficial channels” via Joseph Mifsud, Stefan Halper and eventually Alexander Downer via an Australian intelligence asset Erika Thompson; who was working in London with U.S. intelligence assets Terrence Dudley and Greg Baker, ie. the “Papadopoulos operation”.

While the overseas operation was working to create plausible explanation and start Crossfire Hurricane, back in the U.S. Fusion-GPS was contracted to supplement the appearances for a domestic parallel track. Fusion ran operations for the Russian appearances inside the U.S., ex. Trump Tower meeting.

For their effort, Fusion was using previously extracted FISA-702(16)(17) results to create more supportive evidence and plausible material. That Fusion effort led to the Steele Dossier.

However, in a similar way the Brennan operation needed the Australian Diplomat Alexander Downer to cross from “unofficial” into “official” channels, the Steele Dossier needs a way to cross from “unofficial opposition research” into “official investigative product” status.

Enter the FISA warrant and Carter Page.

A FISA warrant that could be built upon the Steele Dossier was what they needed.

The Steele Dossier is the investigative virus the FBI wanted inside the system. To get the virus into official status, they used the FISA application as the delivery method and injected it into Carter Page. The FBI already knew Carter Page; essentially Carter Page was irrelevant, what they needed was the Dossier in the system {Go Deep}.

With the communication from Alexander Downer (foundation for the EC), in conjunction with the Steele Dossier (foundation for the Page FISA), the CIA and FBI now held a plausible -albeit fraudulently obtained- basis to explain/justify all of their 2015 and 2016 political spying and surveillance activity. This is their insurance policy.

If Hillary wins the election, everything just evaporates into the ether. However, if Hillary loses the election – the fraudulent investigative evidence now protects all of the players for their role in weaponized intelligence spying and surveillance operations.

Andrew Weissmann was/is one of the DOJ participants who is well aware of the status of the operations as they proceed. In 2016 and 2017 Weissmann is being briefed by DOJ official Bruce Ohr who is carrying messages from Fusion-GPS and Chris Steele into the FBI.

Fraudulent justifications.

Just like the Susan Rice justification Memo, fraudulent justifications are what’s behind those paragraphs in the Rosenstein scope memos as delivered to Weissmann and Mueller.

Fusion GPS was not hired to research Trump, the intelligence community was already doing surveillance and spy operations. The intelligence community needed Fusion GPS to give them a plausible justification for already existing surveillance and spy operations.

See the difference?

Fusion-GPS gave them the justification they needed with the Steele Dossier.

That’s why the Steele Dossier is so important in the scope memos. That’s why all of the corrupt players are so reliant and protective of the Dossier. If the dossier is removed, their collective justification diminishes.

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Trey Gowdy appears on Fox News to discuss the current ‘investigative’ status and reports of Brennan -vs- Comey on the use of the Steele Dossier within the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment or ICA.

Gowdy is one of the few people, along with John Ratcliffe, who has seen the full and unredacted FISA application used against Carter Page.

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Regarding the use of the Steele Dossier within the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment; as Gowdy notes there is a likelihood both Brennan and Comey are both correct. It goes back to a story from a couple of months ago [SEE HERE]

The exit door begins to close.  According to the latest leak provided to John Solomon the State Department information -deconstructing Chris Steele- was presented to FBI Agent Peter Strzok a week before they used Steele’s sketchy dossier to prop up the FBI FISA application on Carter Page.

John Solomon – […] The officials declined to say what the FBI did with the information about Steele after it reached Strzok’s team, or what the email specifically revealed. A publicly disclosed version of the email has been heavily redacted in the name of national security.

While much remains to be answered, the email exchange means FBI supervisors knew Steele had contact with State and had reason to inquire what he was saying before they sought the warrant. If they had inquired, agents would have learned Steele had admitted to Kavalec he had been leaking to the news media, had a political deadline of Election Day to get his information public and had provided demonstrably false intelligence in one case, as I reported last week. (read more)

It’s almost guaranteed the reason Kavelec’s email to the FBI was redacted is specifically because Ms. Kavelec used her State Dept. portal to check on travel records and noted the “Michael Cohen in Prague” story was false.  Kavalec would have easy access to State Dept. travel records.

Chris Steele told Ms. Kavalec about Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen traveling to Prague to communicate/coordinate with the Russians.  Kavalec made note of the claim:

(Page #11, pdf link)

Michael Cohen has denied ever traveling to Prague.  Special Counsel Robert Mueller has supported Cohen on this issue; passport records show Cohen has never traveled to Prague. It appears Ms. Kavalec checked her State Dept. travel records and confirmed the same.

However, the CURRENT FBI wants to hide Ms. Kavalec’s warning/notification that Steele was delivering false information about Cohen traveling to Prague:

(Page #2, pdf source – Kavalec email)

So put it all together.  Chris Steele was producing the dossier for the FBI to use.  Steele told State Dept. official Kavalec about the same information in his dossier.  The State Dept. checked, and found out the information was false. The State Dept. warned the FBI.  However, the FBI ignored the warning; and a week later used the dossier in the application for a retroactive Title-1 surveillance warrant against U.S. Person Carter Page.

To cover themselves; and because the claim was so central to the purpose of the Steele Dossier; the FBI then redacted the State Dept. warning about Michael Cohen traveling to Prague in the public email from the State Department.

Worse yet, in the application itself the FBI said the information proving Carter Page was an agent of a foreign power came from the State Dept:

(Page #2 Carter Page FISA Application – pdf source)

The false claim about Cohen’s travel to Prague has been discussed here for well over a year. [January 2018]

So, the question is:  Why is the FBI so damned committed to this Steele Dossier?

That answer is simple.  In October 2016, they needed the dossier to get the FISA warrant.  They needed the 2016 FISA warrant to cover-up for all of the unauthorized and illegal surveillance activity that was already underway throughout 2016.

The Russian election interference narrative; the use of Joseph Mifsud, Stefan Halper, the London and Australian embassy personnel; Erika Thompson, Alexander Downer, U.S. DIA officials; everything around Crossfire Hurricane; and everything after to include the construct of the Steele Dossier; all of it was needed for the creation of an ‘after-the-fact‘  plausible justification to cover-up what Mike Rogers discovered in early 2016, AND the downstream unmasked records that existed in the Obama White House SCIF.

Fusion GPS was not hired in April 2016 to research Donald Trump.  The intelligence community was already doing surveillance and spy operations. They already knew everything about the Trump campaign.

The Obama intelligence community needed Fusion GPS to give them a justification for pre-existing surveillance operations.  Fusion fulfilled that objective by contracting for the Steele Dossier.

That’s why the FBI, and later the Mueller team, were/are so strongly committed to, and defending, the formation of the Steele Dossier and its dubious content.  Once they had the dossier in hand the FBI proceeded forward for an ex post facto FISA warrant.

The goal was retroactive surveillance authority. The FBI used the Carter Page FISA application. The FBI already knew Carter Page; essentially Carter Page was irrelevant, what they needed was the dossier in the system, and the FISA authority as justification.

Against the backdrop of media reports surrounding U.S. Attorney John Durham, and an investigation into potentially corrupt 2016 investigators, perhaps it’s worthwhile to pause, evaluate, reset the outlook and review the backstories.

There’s room for cautious optimism, but there’s also reason to temper expectations. First within the latest Fox News report, the following is noted:

Fox News – […] Durham, known as a “hard-charging, bulldog” prosecutor, according to a source, will focus on the period before Nov. 7, 2016—including the use and assignments of FBI informants, as well as alleged improper issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants. Durham was asked to help Barr to “ensure that intelligence collection activities by the U.S. Government related to the Trump 2016 Presidential Campaign were lawful and appropriate.”

A source also told Fox News that Barr is working “collaboratively” on the investigation with FBI Director Chris Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and that Durham is also working directly with Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is currently reviewing allegations of misconduct in issuance of FISA warrants, and the role of FBI informants during the early stages of the investigation. (read more)

If this report is correct; and if this review parameter is accurate as described; then Durham is ONLY looking at the gross intelligence activity prior to the 2016 election.

This is pertinent because it means Durham is NOT looking at the DOJ/FBI corrupt activity that surrounds the Mueller probe, Rod Rosenstein, corrupt current FBI agents/officials; corrupt investigative outcomes and cover-ups that occurred during 2017 and 2018 (James Wolfe etc.)…  Regardless of disposition, career DOJ and FBI employees (ie. Mueller’s staff of workers), will remain safe under this limited review.  Keep this in mind.

Recently Attorney General Bill Barr delivered a farewell address during the departure of DAG Rod Rosenstein.  Many people took the highly visible back-slapping internecine send-off to mean that Rosenstein was departing as an honorable soldier; and Barr’s praise of Rosenstein was evidence of his honorable character… Et cetera, Et cetera.

But what was the alternative?

Was it possible for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to publicly outline the years-long gross abuses and inherent corruption of the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation in full public visibility?  Was it possible for him to verbally destroy the reputations of all participating members within both organizations over the past three years?  Of course not.

Think about the ramifications of brutal honesty.

If Barr was publicly and brutally honest, the political backlash would not only be nuclear in scale; but also our foreign adversaries would immediately pounce on a narrative of how this great constitutional republic was built upon lies and fraud.  The reputation of the United States law enforcement and intelligence community could likely never recover. From an intellectually honest position, clearly AG Barr had limited options.

That said, with the introduction of John H Durham, what the hell was U.S. Attorney John Huber (Utah) doing for the past two years?   Huber was previously assigned to assist Office of Inspector General Michael Horowitz in November of 2017, so why is John Durham now assigned to OIG Horowitz seemingly to do the same thing?  The answer is not complex.

Originally Horowitz was assigned on January 12, 2017, to review issues related to the DOJ and FBI relating to improper conduct in advance of the 2016 election. [Read]  That original mandate led to two investigations/reports: (1) Leaks from the FBI (Andrew McCabe outlined); and (2) Overall DOJ/FBI investigative bias and political outcome. Mid-way through these investigations, November 2017,  is when Huber was assigned to assist. [Read]

In March 2018, while the two avenues of investigation were ongoing; at the request of AG Jeff Sessions; the OIG opened a third review: Potential FISA abuse [Read]  So in March 2018, Michael Horowiz has three investigations underway.

A month later, April 13, 2018, Horowitz releases the IG report on McCabe.  Now he’s down to two investigations again.  On June 14, 2018, Horowitz releases the IG report on DOJ and FBI misconduct/bias.  Now the only remaining investigation is the FISA review. This is when any visible activity by John Huber ends.  It makes sense Huber would end in/around June 2018, because Horowitz had an easily manageable, albeit important, singular review.

WASHINGTON DC – […] US Attorney John Huber in Utah is no longer involved on Russia issues. Huber had originally been tasked with looking at allegations of surveillance abuse by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but has been in a holding pattern as the inspector general completes his review of the surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

Huber’s review of other issues related to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation is nearing completion, the source said.

♦ A criminal referral on McCabe for leaking to media was sent to DC U.S. Attorney Jessica Liu in April 2018.  That criminal review looks like it was dropped approximately six months later; around the same time the criminal DOJ cover-up operation for SSCI leaker James Wolfe was executed in October of 2018.  Yes, I’m saying “criminal cover-up” carried out by the DOJ to protect the multiple institutions of government who would have been severely impacted.

Throughout 2018, simultaneous to the Mueller probe’s ongoing corrupt effort; career officials within the institutions of the DOJ and FBI are transparently working with an agenda to protect the interests of the institutions.  Career mid-tier officials and investigators (ref. 40 FBI agents for Mueller etc.) remain embedded despite the top tier firings and resignations.  [Again, reference DOJ/FBI Papadopoulos operation July 2018]

A month after Wolfe was protected by a plea deal; and a month after McCabe was seemingly protected; and the same month Rosenstein provided Mueller with (the second scope memo) authority to target Mike Flynn Jr…. the mid-term election was held.

The morning after the election, President Trump fired Jeff Sessions.

Mid-November 2018: Corrupt DOJ/FBI embeds remain in place.  Mid-November 2018: President Trump does not appoint Rod Rosenstein as Acting Attorney General.

Within a week, November 14, 2018, the OLC issues guidance that Jeff Sessions former chief-of-staff, now Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, can oversee the Mueller/Weissmann probe.

♦ Now, in order to bring U.S. Attorney John H Durham into the picture, go back to the October 2018 timeline again.  •DC Attorney Jessie Liu does not charging James Wolfe with leaking classified intelligence. •DC Attorney Jessie Liu (likely, very likely) drops the criminal referral of McCabe, again a leaking issue.  Later McCabe goes on book tour.

When and Where was the criminal referral of former FBI legal counsel James Baker sent?   October 3rd, 2018, lawyers for James Baker inform Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows that their client has been under investigation for leaking to media and the prosecutor is John Durham.

So the referral for James Baker, was sent outside DC and likely was done quite a while ago. Status? Unknown. [Baker was relieved of his FBI duties in December of 2017.] There is a distinct possibility, much like Andrew McCabe, the criminal review of James Baker was previously dropped.

Via Robert Litt […] Durham’s investigation had nothing to do with the Russia investigation or the Steele dossier. I have first-hand knowledge of this because, in my former capacity as general counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, I was interviewed by Durham as part of that investigation. I’m not at liberty to disclose what Durham was investigating, but it concerned events that occurred long before the 2016 election and were unrelated to Russia or the dossier. Others have reportedthat Durham has cleared Baker; I have no personal knowledge of that. (link)

While it would be false to say Durham has been investigating the origin of the Russia collusion-conspiracy investigation, he obviously has been involved in the investigative perimeter of events.  So one can presume he has a solid frame of reference:

FOX NEWS – Durham, known as a “hard-charging, bulldog” prosecutor, according to a source, will focus on the period before Nov. 7, 2016—including the use and assignments of FBI informants, as well as alleged improper issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants.

CNN – […] Barr is working in close collaboration with CIA Director Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the source said.

[…] The source said Durham and Barr are doing a comprehensive review, and Durham is with working with the Justice Department’s Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, as well. (read more)

♦ Who was the CIA Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service for Foreign Intelligence and Covert Action over Europe, while John Brennan and Peter Strzok were running their European 2016 counterintelligence operations?….

That would be current CIA Director Gina Haspel.

Bottom line:  This Barr “investigation” could end up with accountability; or this Barr “investigation” could unearth so much institutional corruption and gross malfeasance that Barr will stand at a podium and duplicate recent events:

Time will tell.