Three Options: #1) Lisa Page can appear tomorrow with Peter Strzok (already scheduled). #2) Present herself for deposition Friday 13th. #3) Do both 1 and 2.
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) today called on Lisa Page to comply with a congressional subpoena, which required her to come before the committees to answer questions, or face contempt proceedings. Lisa Page, legal counsel to former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, is a key witness in the Committees’ joint investigation into decisions made by the Justice Department in 2016. Chairman Goodlatte subpoenaed Lisa Page to appear on July 11, 2018 for a deposition but she refused to appear.
Following Ms. Page’s refusal to appear, Chairmen Goodlatte and Gowdy sent a letter to Amy Jeffress, the attorney representing Ms. Page, calling on her client to testify voluntarily at an already scheduled public hearing on July 12, 2018 or appear for a deposition on Friday, July 13, 2018. If Ms. Page refuses these two accommodations, the House Judiciary Committee plans to initiate contempt proceedings on Friday, July 13, 2018.
Ms. Amy Jeffress, Esq.
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
601 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington DC, 20001-3743
Dear Ms. Jeffress:
As you are aware, the House Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform are investigating decisions made and not made during the 2016 election by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Interviewing your client, Lisa Page, is an important part of this investigation. After months of trying to secure her appearance, the Committees scheduled her deposition for July 11, 2018. Despite proper service of your client with a subpoena directing her to appear, she did not. The Judiciary Committee intends to initiate contempt proceedings on Friday, July 13, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. We are aware of the issues raised regarding access to documents by the FBI. We are also aware of Committee efforts to schedule your client’s appearance for over 6 (six) months now.
As an additional, and final, accommodation, the Committee will stay the contempt proceedings provided Lisa Page voluntarily appears on July 12, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., at a previously scheduled public hearing regarding relevant issues under investigation. While your client would still be deposed at some point, appearance at the hearing scheduled for Thursday July 12, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. would negate the need for immediate contempt proceedings. Alternatively, your client, Lisa Page, could present herself for a deposition on Friday, July 13, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. This option would stay contempt proceedings and resolve the Committees’ need to depose your client. Your client may also choose to participate in both the public hearing July 12, 2018, and the deposition July 13, 2018.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
Trey Gowdy
Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Apparently the intransigence of former DOJ lawyer, and special counsel to Deputy FBI Director McCabe, Lisa Page has quite a history.
Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Bob Goodlatte, says the former FBI lawyer has been in complete defiance of cooperation with the House, rejects Page’s excuse that she hasn’t had enough time to prepare:
Updated Statement from Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte below:
Washington, D.C. – Lisa Page, legal counsel to former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, defied a congressional subpoena issued by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.). She is a key witness in the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees’ investigation into decisions made by the Justice Department in 2016. Her attorney provided a litany of excuses for Ms. Page’s failure to appear today, but none of the excuses hold water.
Excuse: Lisa Page was not provided sufficient notice to prepare for the deposition.
Reality: On December 19, 2017, Chairmen Goodlatte and Gowdy sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting to interview Lisa Page. That’s seven months ago. Another letter was sent in April 2018. Committee staff have been in direct contact with Ms. Page’s attorney since June 2018 and she and her attorney refused to commit to a date for an interview. Consequently, Chairman Goodlatte subpoenaed Lisa Page.
Excuse: The Committees would be asking Lisa Page about materials she has not yet reviewed.
Reality: Many of the documents Lisa Page would be asked about are documents and communications that she created. Additionally, these very same materials were provided to Ms. Page during her interview with the Inspector General. Despite being aware of the Committees’ request for a transcribed interview for seven months, Ms. Page and her attorney waited until yesterday afternoon to go to the FBI to review documents, just hours before her scheduled deposition. In fact, it is the Committee’s understanding that Ms. Page never requested access to view the documents until the FBI reached out to her.
Excuse: The scope of the interview was too broad for Lisa Page, and should have been narrowed.
Reality: The scope covers Ms. Page’s involvement in the matters pertaining to the Committees’ investigation into decisions made by the Justice Department and the FBI in 2016, and her role related to those decisions. That was clearly communicated to Ms. Page. Ms. Page was involved in both the Mid-Year Exam and Russia investigations, and is a key fact witness for the Committee. (read more)
Following a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Trump meets with Emmanuel from France. {transcript will follow later}
“I think its going to be very successful,” President Trump said, noting that the two have a tremendous relationship. Additionally, President Trump remarked the two leaders are discussing “trade, NATO, and a lot of different things, and hopefully in the end, it’ll all work out.”
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[Transcript 4:23 P.M. CEST] PRESIDENT TRUMP: (In progress) — the President of France, who’s doing a terrific job being President of France. He’s changing a lot of things around. And I guess that had to happen. And I think it’s going to be very successful. We have a tremendous relationship. We’re discussing trade. We’re discussing NATO. We’re discussing a lot of different things. And hopefully, in the end, it will all work out. And so it’s great to be with you.
PRESIDENT MACRON: (Speaks French.) (No translation provided.) “Merci beaucoup.Trs heureux de retrouver le prsident Donald Trump. Il a presque un an maintenant il tait Paris et il nous avait fait lhonneur dassister notre fte nationale et nous navons pas cessdepuis dchanger de manire rgulire et nous allons continuer aujourdhui sur videment les sujets commerciaux et lOTAN mais galement la Syrie et les sujets gopolitiques sur lesquels nous avons beaucoup faireensemble”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It sounded beautifully. (Laughter.) I have no idea — it sounded great.
PRESIDENT MACRON: I told them exactly the same — (laughter) — but in French, for French journalists. (Inaudible.)
I just reminded everybody that almost one year ago you were present with your wife in Paris for Bastille Day.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Beautiful.
PRESIDENT MACRON: (Inaudible) 14th of July. And we’ve worked together for 12 months now.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: True.
PRESIDENT MACRON: And took some great decisions.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ve made some good decisions.
PRESIDENT MACRON: And we’ll continue to work together (inaudible).
PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s right. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Q President Macron, do you agree that Angela Merkel is beholden to the Russians?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Oh, I believe they asked you that. (Laughter.)
Thank you. Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT MACRON: No, I think —
Q No?
PRESIDENT MACRON: We just discussed the nature of that. We work together.
Earlier this morning President Trump stunned NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the atomic sledgehammer of truth. Stoltenberg never recovered. The issue was/is NATO asking the U.S. for defense against Russia while the NATO member nations, driven by the construct of Germany, finance Russia through energy purchases.
Then comes the Angela Merkel bi-lateral meeting.
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[Transcript 3:45 P.M. CEST] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re having a great meeting. We’re discussing military expenditure. We’re talking about trade. We have a very, very good relationship with the Chancellor. We have a tremendous relationship with Germany. They’ve made tremendous — you’ve had tremendous success and I congratulate you. Tremendous success. And I believe that our trade will increase and lots of other things will increase. But we’ll see what happens over the next period of a few months.
CHANCELLOR MERKEL: (As interpreted.) Well, let me say that I am very pleased, indeed, to have this opportunity here for this exchange of views. And, indeed, we had an opportunity to have an exchange about economic developments, on issues such as migration, and also the future of our trade relations.
We also briefly touched upon the upcoming trips of the President. And let me say that I’m very much looking forward to further extending our exchanges in the future and enhancing them. I think they’re very important to have those exchanges together. Because after all, we are partners, we are good partners, and we wish to continue to cooperate in the future.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Okay, thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
Q Did you discuss the gas pipeline?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes.
Q (Inaudible.)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We discussed that. Thank you very much.
…”Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they will be getting from 60 to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that’s appropriate, because I think it’s not, and I think it’s a very bad thing for NATO and I don’t think it should have happened.”.. ~President Trump
Chancellor Merkel was ‘triggered‘… President Trump was not supposed to point out the truth about the financial relationship between Russia and Germany. Germany funds Russia and simultaneously asks the U.S. to spend money protecting them from Russia.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has turned off nuclear energy development, banned fracking, and has almost no wind/solar development. The primary way Germany keep the lights on, and manufacturing continuing, is Russian gas. Simultaneously Germany gives subsidies for the industrial use of electricity.
Germany buys Russian gas from Putin, subsidizes their auto-manufacturing, ships cars to the US, imposes tariffs on U.S. automakers, and questions President Trump’s relationship with Putin and commitment to NATO? Nuts.
Oh snap. Brilliant, simply brilliant. President Trump keeps the cameras rolling during a breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; and absolutely crushes the NATO position on needing money to defend against Russia when NATO -specifically Germany- is funding Russian expansion financially through energy development, and simultaneously asking the U.S. for money to defend against Russia.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks like he is half going to break out laughing, and half saying to himself: oh, it’s on..
Stoltenberg: […] I think that two World Wars and the Cold War taught us that we are stronger together than apart.
Trump: But how can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection?
Stoltenberg: Because we understand that when we stand together, also in dealing with Russia, we are stronger. I think what we have seen is that —
Trump: No, you’re just making Russia richer. You’re not dealing with Russia. You’re making Russia richer.
This is a MUST WATCH:
Transcript – AT BILATERAL BREAKFAST – Chief of Mission Residence – Brussels, Belgium – 9:13 A.M. CEST – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good morning, everybody. Good morning to the media — the legitimate media and the fake-news media. Good morning to them. A lot of good people here. Surprising.
Q Mr. President, which countries did you want to spend more on NATO in particular?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Just look at the chart. Take a look at the chart. It’s public. And many countries are not paying what they should. And, frankly, many countries owe us a tremendous amount of money for many years back, where they’re delinquent, as far as I’m concerned, because the United States has had to pay for them. So if you go back 10 or 20 years, you’ll just add it all up. It’s massive amounts of money is owed. The United States has paid and stepped up like nobody. This has gone on for decades, by the way. This has gone on for many Presidents. But no other President brought it up like I bring it up. So something has to be done, and the Secretary General has been working on it very hard.
This year, since our last meeting, commitments have been made for over $40 billion more money spent by other countries. So that’s a step, but it’s a very small step. It sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But it’s a very small amount of money relative to what they owe and to what they should be paying. And it’s an unfair burden on the United States.
So we’re here to talk about that, and I’m sure it will be resolved. I have great confidence in the Secretary General. He’s worked very, very hard on this, and he knows it’s a fact. But I have great confidence in him and his representatives.
You going to say something?
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: First of all, it’s great to see you again, Mr. President. And good to have you here for a summit. And we are going to discuss many important issues at the summit. Among them is defense spending. And we all agree that we have to do more. I agree with you that we have to do make sure that our allies are investing more. The good news is that allies have started to invest more in defense.
After years of cutting defense budgets, they have started to add billions to their defense budgets. And last year was the biggest increase in defense spending across Europe and Canada in that generation.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Why was that last year?
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: It’s also because of your leadership, because of your carried message. And —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: They won’t write that, but that’s okay.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: No, I have said it before, but the thing is that it really has. And your message is having an impact, and we are going to build on that to make sure that we have further increases. You initiated last year that all allies are going to develop national plans on how to spend more on defense. And based on these national plans, we now estimate that European allies and Canada will add 266 extra U.S. dollars for defense from now until — billion U.S. dollars — until 2024.
So this is really adding some extra momentum. It helps and we are moving in the right direction. But we still have to do more, and that is what we’re going to address after the summit later on today.
Let me also add that a strong NATO is good for Europe and it’s also good for the United States. The U.S. (inaudible) presence in Europe helps to protect Europe, but it also helps the United States project power to the Middle East, to Africa. And I think also that clout — the military clout of Europe, economic clout, the political clout — also is helpful dealing with Russia. And we look forward to the meeting you’re going to have with President Putin. And I think that leaders are also looking forward to your thoughts about the meeting with President Putin later on.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I have to say, I think it’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you’re supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia. So we’re protecting Germany. We’re protecting France. We’re protecting all of these countries. And then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia, where they’re paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia.
So we’re protect you against Russia, but they’re paying billions of dollars to Russia, and I think that’s very inappropriate. And the former Chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that’s supplying the gas. Ultimately, Germany will have almost 70 percent of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas.
So you tell me, is that appropriate? I mean, I’ve been complaining about this from the time I got in. It should have never been allowed to have happened. But Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they will be getting from 60 to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that’s appropriate, because I think it’s not, and I think it’s a very bad thing for NATO and I dont think it should have happened. And I think we have to talk to Germany about it.
On top of that, Germany is just paying a little bit over 1 percent, whereas the United States, in actual numbers, is paying 4.2 percent of a much larger GDP. So I think that’s inappropriate also. You know, we’re protecting Germany, we’re protecting France. We’re protecting everybody. And yet we’re paying a lot of money to protect.
Now, this has been going on for decades. This has been brought up by other presidents. But other presidents never did anything about it because I dont think they understood it or they just didnt want to get involved.
But I have to bring it up, because I think it’s very unfair to our country. It’s very unfair to our taxpayer. And I think that these countries have to step it up not over a 10-year period; they have to step it up immediately. Germany is a rich country. They talk about they’re going to increase it a tiny bit by 2030. Well, they could increase it immediately tomorrow and have no problem. I dont think it’s fair to the United States.
So we’re going to have to do something because we’re not going to put up with it. We can’t put up with it. And it’s inappropriate.
So we have to talk about the billions and billions of dollars that’s being paid to the country that we’re supposed to be protecting you against. You know, everybody is talking about it all over the world. They’ll say, well, wait a minute, we’re supposed to be protecting you from Russia, but why are you paying billions of dollars to Russia for energy? Why are countries in NATO, namely Germany, having a large percentage of their energy needs paid to Russia and taken care of by Russia?
Now, if you look at it, Germany is a captive of Russia because they supply. They got rid of their coal plants. They got rid of their nuclear. They’re getting so much of the oil and gas from Russia. I think it’s something that NATO has to look at. I think it’s very inappropriate. You and I agree that it’s inappropriate. I dont know what you can do about it now, but it certainly doesnt seem to make sense that they paid billions of dollars to Russia and now we have to defend them against Russia.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: You know, NATO is an alliance of 29 nations, and there are sometimes differences and different views, and also some disagreements. And the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is one issue where allies disagree. But the strength of NATO is that despite these differences, we have always been able to unite around our core task, to protect and defend each other, because we understand that we are stronger together than apart.
I think that two World Wars and the Cold War taught us that we are stronger together than apart.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: But how can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection?
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Because we understand that when we stand together, also in dealing with Russia, we are stronger. I think what we have seen is that —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, you’re just making Russia richer. You’re not dealing with Russia. You’re making Russia richer.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Well, I think that even during the Cold War, NATO Allies were trading with Russia, and then there have been disagreements about what kind of trade arrangements we should (inaudible).
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I think trade is wonderful. I think energy is a whole different story. I think energy is a much different story than normal trade. And you have a country like Poland that won’t accept the gas. You take a look at some of the countries — they won’t accept it, because they don’t want to be captive to Russia. But Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia, because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia. So we’re supposed to protect Germany, but they’re getting their energy from Russia. Explain that. And it can’t be explained — you know that.
Thank you.
Q What are the consequences if they don’t spend more, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: They will spend more. I have great confidence that they’ll spend more. I have great confidence.
Q Mr. President, does something have to change on trade for you to keep your troop levels in Europe?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I have great confidence that they will be spending more money, as they should be.
Q Mr. President, why is it (inaudible) spend 10 times more than Russia for defense? Why is it necessary to spend 10 times more money on defense (inaudible)? You are a businessman.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: It’s a shame they made that deal. Too bad. It’s too bad. Thank you.
Perhaps the most interesting observation of how Trump handles negotiations is that he approaches them as a businessman rather than a politician. He certainly does not play nicely or puts on the pretends that everything is wonderful in the land of politics. Indeed, NATO officials were on edge and nervously welcomed President Trump who arrived in Brussels on Tuesday night. They were afraid he would behave “badly” over the two-day meeting. Normally, NATO summits are fixed in advance and proceed in an orderly fashion to create the image that everyone is in solidarity. This summit began strikingly differently on a most divisive footing in NATO’s 69-year history.
From the opening bell, Trump’s first words signaled this meeting was not going to be boring or politically correct. Trump openly complained that Germany was totally controlled by Russia and that German politicians had been working for Russian energy companies after leaving politics and said this was inappropriate. As the head of NATO Mr. Stoltenberg immediately looked very uncomfortable, Trump continued his assault in a very unrelenting manner as you would in a business negotiation in a hostile takeover. Trump said: “I think it is very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia.” He continued saying that “we” are supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia. “We are protecting Germany, we are protecting France, we are protecting all of these countries and then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia where they are paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia. I think that is very inappropriate.”
Trump kept up the aggressive negotiating stand. “It should never have been allowed to happen. Germany is totally controlled by Russia because they will be getting 60-70% of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. … You tell me if that’s appropriate because I think it’s not. On top of that Germany is just paying just a little bit over 1% [of GDP on NATO defense contributions] whereas the United States is paying 4.2% of a much larger GDP. So I think that’s inappropriate also.”
For decades, American politicians complained about European tariffs against American products while the US was paying the bulk of the cost for both the United Nations and for NATO expanding the US national debt year after year. Trump was the first President to openly come out and say publicly: “I think it is unfair,” Trump said. No other American president had ever raised European defense spending as a major negotiating tactic linking it to trade. Trump openly came out and bluntly said: “We can’t put up with it!”
After things calmed down, Merkel herself, speaking through an interpreter, said that the meeting was an “opportunity to have an exchange about economic developments … and also the future of our trade relations.” Trump managed to convert the normally separate NATO boring meeting and linked it to trade. Of course, the American press will not report the real tactics going on. They are too busy trying to impeach him.
Stockton California, which was previously one of the bankrupt cities, will now become the first in the country to participate in a test of Universal Basic Income. Stockton will give 100 residents $500 a month for 18 months, with no strings attached. This idea is really braindead. You cannot pay people not to work which is really what they are doing. The whole idea has been pushed by the likes of Silicon Valley leaders, including Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg. They clearly lack any historical understanding of welfare and how it has destroyed families and actually lowered the standard of living. They think it will possibly reduce poverty and provide a safeguard against the job disruption as the economy moves to replace workers with robots and automation.
This is by no means the first time innovation in technology has displaced workers. You do not pay people to simply do nothing. You encourage them to be retrained into fields that will provide employment. The Great Depression was all about the destruction of agricultural jobs as tractors replaced farm workers and electricity replace many manual jobs in manufacture. That is why unemployment rose to 25%. It was not the decline in business activity, it was the shift in the economic makeup of the economy thanks to innovation. Jobs in technology, as well as manual labor, are two areas still valid as is soldiering for now.
Instead of increasing taxes to try this redistribution of income, EXEMPT people from even local property taxes if their income is below a certain level. If you want to encourage retaining, then that would be productive. But to just pay people to not improve themselves is a very destructive process. Already, more than 25% of children are being raised by a single parent. Post-Depression, the rise of socialism has resulted in a rise in divorce and single parenting.
DOJ Attorney and Special Counsel to FBI Deputy Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, is now refusing to testify to congress over her involvement in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 DOJ and FBI operations to exonerate Hillary Clinton and stop candidate Donald Trump.
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement after Lisa Page decided to defy the Committee’s subpoena:
“It appears that Lisa Page has something to hide. She plans to blatantly defy a congressional subpoena by refusing to appear for her deposition. She has known for months that the House Judiciary Committee has sought her testimony as part of our joint investigation with the Oversight Committee into decisions made by the Justice Department in 2016, and she has no excuse for her failure to appear. Lisa Page is a key witness, and it is critical that she come before our committees to answer questions as part of our investigation.
“We will use all tools at our disposal to obtain her testimony. Americans across the country are alarmed at the bias exhibited by top officials at the Justice Department and FBI, and it is imperative Congress conduct vigorous oversight to ensure that never happens again.” (link)
I don’t often indulge in reflection… but when I do, well, y’all are welcome to come along. Decades of living with one foot in a flip-flop and the other in a wingtip lends itself to a rather odd set of life-skills and friendships.
Tonight I celebrate a series of Trumpian winnamins with a comfy cigar, and hat-tip at sunset to all y’all. Having lived every.single.line of these two songs, and still planning on sliding in sideways to the pearly gates: ‘wow, whatta ride‘, well, no greater love. True.
Cheers. All y’all pirates.
Be back later.
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Bathing in the glory of MAGA winning, and being so unbelievably thankful, so thankful, is like:
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
Centinel2012 