President Trump Grants Full Pardon for Dwight Hammond (76) and Steven Hammond (49) – Oregon Ranchers…


The full story behind the Hammond family persecution is Available Here.  Back in 2016 in an effort to draw attention to the malicious prosecution of the Hammonds’, three brothers from the Cliven Bundy family and approximately 100/150 armed militia (former U.S. service) took control over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Headquarters  and a standoff took place.  Today President Trump grants a pardon for Dwight and Steven Hammond.

Hammond family.

July 10, 2018 – Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Clemency for Dwight and Steven Hammond:

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Grants of Clemency (Full Pardons) for Dwight Lincoln Hammond, Jr., and his son, Steven Hammond. The Hammonds are multi-generation cattle ranchers in Oregon imprisoned in connection with a fire that leaked onto a small portion of neighboring public grazing land. The evidence at trial regarding the Hammonds’ responsibility for the fire was conflicting, and the jury acquitted them on most of the charges.

At the Hammond’s original sentencing, the judge noted that they are respected in the community and that imposing the mandatory minimum, 5-year prison sentence would shock the conscience and be grossly disproportionate to the severity of their conduct. As a result, the judge imposed significantly lesser sentences. The previous administration, however, filed an overzealous appeal that resulted in the Hammond’s being sentenced to five years in prison. This was unjust.

Dwight Hammond is now 76 years old and has served approximately three years in prison. Steven Hammond is 49 and has served approximately four years in prison. They have also paid $400,000 to the United States to settle a related civil suit. The Hammond’s are devoted family men, respected contributors to their local community, and have widespread support from their neighbors, local law enforcement, and farmers and ranchers across the West. Justice is overdue for Dwight and Steven Hammond, both of whom are entirely deserving of these Grants of Executive Clemency.  (White House Link)

Here’s the full BACKSTORY as we originally researched, outlined and shared in 2016:

HISTORY: (aa) The Harney Basin (where the Hammond ranch is established) was settled in the 1870’s. The valley was settled by multiple ranchers and was known to have run over 300,000 head of cattle. These ranchers developed a state of the art irrigated system to water the meadows, and it soon became a favorite stopping place for migrating birds on their annual trek north.

(ab) In 1908 President Theodor Roosevelt, in a political scheme, create an “Indian reservation” around the Malheur, Mud & Harney Lakes and declared it “as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds”. Later this “Indian reservation” (without Indians) became the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

(a) In 1964 the Hammonds’ purchased their ranch in the Harney Basin. The purchase included approximately 6000 acres of private property, 4 grazing rights on public land, a small ranch house and 3 water rights. The ranch is around 53 miles South of Burns, Oregon.

(a1) By the 1970’s nearly all the ranches adjacent to the Blitzen Valley were purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and added to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge covers over 187,000 acres, stretches over 45 miles long and 37 miles wide. The expansion of the refuge grew and surrounds to the Hammond’s ranch. Approached many times by the FWS, the Hammonds refused to sell. Other ranchers also choose not to sell.

(a2) During the 1970’s the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), took a different approach to get the ranchers to sell. Ranchers were told: “grazing was detrimental to wildlife and must be reduced”; 32 out of 53 permits were revoked and many ranchers were forced to leave. Grazing fees were raised significantly for those who were allowed to remain. Refuge personnel took over the irrigation system claiming it as their own.

(a3) By 1980 a conflict was well on its way over water allocations on the adjacent privately owned Silvies Plain. The FWS wanted to acquire the ranch lands on the Silvies Plain to add to their already vast holdings. Refuge personnel intentionally diverted the water bypassing the vast meadow lands, directing the water into the rising Malheur Lakes. Within a few short years the surface area of the lakes doubled. Thirty-one ranches on the Silvies plains were flooded. Homes, corrals, barns and graze-land were washed a way and destroyed. The ranchers who once fought to keep the FWS from taking their land, now broke and destroyed, begged the FWS to acquire their useless ranches. In 1989 the waters began to recede; now the once thriving privately owned Silvies plains are a proud part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge claimed by the FWS.

(a4) By the 1990’s the Hammonds were one of the very few ranchers who still owned private property adjacent to the refuge. Susie Hammond in an effort to make sense of what was going on began compiling facts about the refuge. In a hidden public record she found a study done by the FWS in 1975. The study showed the “no use” policies of the FWS on the refuge were causing the wildlife to leave the refuge and move to private property. The study showed the private property adjacent to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge produced four times more ducks and geese than the refuge.  The study also showed the migrating birds were 13 times more likely to land on private property than on the refuge. When Susie brought this to the attention of the FWS and refuge personnel, her and her family became the subjects of a long train of abuses and corruptions.

(b) In the early 1990’s the Hammonds filed on a livestock water source and obtained a deed for the water right from the State of Oregon. When the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) found out the Hammonds obtained new water rights near the Malhuer Wildlife Refuge, they were agitated and became belligerent and vindictive toward the Hammonds. The US Fish and Wildlife Service challenged the Hammonds right to the water in an Oregon State Circuit Court. The court found the Hammonds legally obtained rights to the water in accordance to State law and therefore the use of the water belongs to the Hammonds.*

(c) In August 1994 the BLM & FWS illegally began building a fence around the Hammonds water source. Owning the water rights, and knowing that their cattle relied on that water source daily, the Hammonds tried to stop the building of the fence. The BLM & FWS called the Harney County Sheriff department and had Dwight Hammond (Father) arrested and charged with “disturbing and interfering with” federal officials or federal contractors (two counts, each a felony).  Dwight spent one night in the Deschutes County Jail in Bend, and a second night behind bars in Portland. He was then hauled before a federal magistrate and released without bail. A hearing on the charges was postponed and the federal judge never set another date.

(d) The FWS also began restricting access to upper pieces of the Hammond’s private property. In order to get to the upper part of the Hammond’s ranch they had to go on a road that went through the Malhuer Wildlife Refuge. The FWS began barricading the road and threatening the Hammonds if they drove through it. The Hammonds removed the barricades and gates and continued to use their right of access. The road was proven later to be owned by the County of Harney. This further enraged the BLM & FWS.

(e) Shortly after the road & water disputes, the BLM & FWS arbitrarily revoked the Hammond’s upper grazing permit without any given cause, court proceeding or court ruling. As a traditional “fence out state” Oregon requires no obligation on the part of an owner to keep his or her livestock within a fence or to maintain control over the movement of the livestock. The Hammonds still intended to use their private property for grazing. However, they were informed a federal judge ruled, in a federal court, the federal government did not have to observe the Oregon fence out law. “Those laws are for the people, not for them”.

(f) The Hammonds were forced to either build and maintain miles of fences or be restricted from the use of their private property. Cutting their ranch in almost half, they could not afford to fence the land, so the cattle were removed.

(g) The Hammonds experienced many years of financial hardship due to the ranch being diminished. The Hammonds had to sell their ranch and home in order to purchase another property that had enough grass to feed their cattle. This property included two grazing rights on public land. Those were also arbitrarily revoked later.

(h) The owner of the Hammond’s original ranch passed away from a heart attack and the Hammonds made a trade for the ranch back.

(i) In the early fall of 2001, Steven Hammond (Son) called the fire department, informing them that he was going to be performing a routine prescribed burn on their ranch. Later that day he started a prescribed fire on their private property. The fire went onto public land and burned 127 acres of grass. The Hammonds put the fire out themselves. There was no communication about the burn from the federal government to the Hammonds at that time. Prescribed fires are a common method that Native Americans and ranchers have used in the area to increase the health & productivity of the land for many centuries.

(j) In 2006 a massive lightning storm started multiple fires that joined together inflaming the countryside. To prevent the fire from destroying their winter range and possibly their home, Steven Hammond (Son) started a backfire on their private property. The backfire was successful in putting out the lightning fires that had covered thousands of acres within a short period of time. The backfire saved much of the range and vegetation needed to feed the cattle through the winter. Steven’s mother, Susan Hammond said: “The backfire worked perfectly, it put out the fire, saved the range and possibly our home”.

(j1) The next day federal agents went to the Harney County Sheriff’s office and filled a police report making accusation against Dwight and Steven Hammond for starting the backfire. A few days after the backfire a Range-Con from the Burns District BLM office asked Steven if he would meet him in town (Frenchglen) for coffee. Steven accepted. When leaving he was arrested by the Harney County Sheriff Dave Glerup and BLM Ranger Orr. Sheriff Glerup then ordered him to go to the ranch and bring back his father. Both Dwight and Steven were booked and on multiple Oregon State charges. The Harney County District Attorney reviewed the accusation, evidence and charges, and determined the accusations against Dwight & Steven Hammond did not warrant prosecution and dropped all the charges.

(k) In 2011, 5 years after the police report was taken, the U.S. Attorney Office accused Dwight and Steven Hammond of completely different charges; they accused them of being “Terrorists” under the Federal Anti terrorism Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. This act carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of death. Dwight & Steven’s mug shots were all over the news the next week posing them as “Arsonists”. Susan Hammond (Wife & Mother) said: “I would walk down the street or go in a store, people I had known for years would take extreme measures to avoid me”.

(l) Shortly after the sentencing, Capital Press ran a story about the Hammonds. A person who identified as Greg Allum posted three comments on the article, calling the ranchers “clowns” who endangered firefighters and other people in the area while burning valuable range land. Greg Allum, a retired BLM heavy equipment operator, soon called Capital Press to complain he had not made those comments and requested they be taken down from the website. Capital Press removed the comments. A search of the Internet Protocol address associated with the comments revealed the origin as the BLM’s office in Denver, Colorado. Allum said, he is friends with the Hammonds and he was alerted to the comments by neighbors who knew he wouldn’t have written them. “I feel bad for them. They lost a lot and they’re going to lose more,” Allum said of the ranchers. “They’re not terrorists”. “There’s this hatred in the BLM for them, and I don’t get it,” the retired BLM employee said. Jody Weil, deputy state director for communications at BLM’s Oregon office, indicated to reporters that if one of their agents falsified the comments, they would keep it private and not inform the public.

(m) In September 2006, Dwight & Susan Hammond’s home was raided. The agents informed the Hammonds they were looking for evidence that would connect them to the fires. The Hammonds later found out a boot print and a tire tracks were found near one of the many fires. No matching boots or tires were found in the Hammonds home or on their property. Susan Hammond (Wife) later said; ” I have never felt so violated in my life. We are ranchers not criminals”. Steven Hammond openly maintains his testimony that he started the backfire to save the winter grass from being destroyed and the backfire ended up working so well it put out the fire altogether.

(n) During the trial proceedings, Federal Court Judge Michael Hogan did not allow time for certain testimonies and evidence into the trail which would exonerate the Hammonds. Federal prosecuting attorney, Frank Papagni, was given full access for six days. He had ample time to use any evidence or testimony that strengthened the demonization of the Hammonds. The Hammonds attorney was only allowed 1 day. Many of the facts about the fires, land and why the Hammonds acted the way they did was not allowed into the proceedings and was not heard by the jury. Example: Judge Hogan did not allow time for the jury to hear or review certified scientific findings the fires improved the health and productivity of the land. Or, that the Hammonds had been subject to vindictive behavior by multiple federal agencies for years.

(o) Federal attorneys, Frank Papagni, hunted down a witness who was not mentally capable to be credible.  Dusty Hammond (grandson and nephew) testified that Steven told him to start a fire. He was 13-years-old at the time, and 24-years-old when he testified (11 years later). At 24 Dusty had been suffering with mental problems for many years. He had estranged his family including his mother. Judge Hogan noted that Dusty’s memories as a 13-year-old boy were not clear or credible.  However, Judge Hogan allowed the prosecution to continually use Dusty’s testimony. When speaking to the Hammonds about this testimony, they understood Dusty was manipulated and expressed nothing but love for their troubled grandson.

(p) Judge Michael Hogan & Frank Papagni tampered with the jury many times throughout the proceedings, including during the selection process. Hogan & Papagni only allowed people on the jury who did not understand the customs and culture of the ranchers or how land is used and cared for in the Diamond Valley. All of the jurors had to drive back and forth to Pendleton every day. Some drove more than two hours each way. By day 8 they were exhausted and expressed desires to be home.

On the final day, Judge Hogan kept pushing them to make a verdict. [Several times during deliberation, Judge Hogan pushed them to make a decision.]  Judge Hogan also would not allow the jury to hear what punishment could be imposed upon an individual convicted as a terrorist under the 1996 act. The jury, not understanding the customs and cultures of the area and influenced by the prosecutors for six straight days, very exhausted, pushed for a verdict by the judge, unaware of the ramification of convicting someone as a terrorist, gave a verdict and went home.

(q) June 22, 2012, Dwight and Steven were found guilty of starting both the 2001 and the 2006 fires by the jury. However, the federal courts convicted them both as “Terrorists” under the 1996 Anti terrorism Act. Judge Hogan sentenced Dwight (Father) to 3 months in prison and Steven (son) to 12 months in federal prison. Both were also stipulated to pay $400,000 to the BLM. Judge Hogan overruling the minimum terrorist sentence, commented if the full five years were required it would be a violation of the 8th amendment (cruel and unusual punishment). The day of the sentencing Judge Hogan retired as a federal judge. In his honor the staff served chocolate cake in the courtroom.

(r) On January 4, 2013, Dwight and Steven reported to prison. They fulfilled their sentences, (Dwight 3 months, Steven 12 months). Dwight was released in March 2013 and Steven, January 2014.

(s) Sometime in June 2014, Rhonda Karges, Field Manager for the BLM, and her husband Chad Karges, Refuge Manager for the Malheur Wildlife Refuge (which surrounds the Hammond ranch), along with attorney Frank Papagni exemplified further vindictive behavior by filing an appeal with the 9th District Federal Court seeking Dwight’s and Steven’s return to federal prison for the entire 5 years.*

(t) In October 2015, the 9th District Court “re-sentenced” Dwight and Steven, requiring them to return to prison for several more years. Steven (46) has a wife and 3 children. Dwight (74) will leave Susan (74) to be alone after 55 years of marriage. If he survives, he will be 79 when he is released.

(u) During the court preceding the Hammonds were forced to grant the BLM first right of refusal; if the Hammonds ever sold their ranch they would have to sell it to the BLM.

(v) Dwight and Steven are ordered to report to federal prison again on January 4th, 2016 to begin their re-sentencing. Both their wives will have to manage the ranch for several years without them.

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/294614280/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-4RmsJqpWKJzOhoRu4yMt

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Here are some interesting links about US Attorney Amanda Marshall who made the recommendation to challenge the Hammonds’ original sentences. She resigned in May 2015 for “health reasons” amid a scandal – she is accused of stalking a subordinate, federal prosecutor Scott Kerin. She was an Obama appointee who had no experience as a federal prosecutor when she took the job (see below*).

1) About Amanda Marshall, from the Oregonian’s list of “players” in the Hammond family case.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/militia_standoff_in_oregon_key.html

“Amanda Marshall: Former U.S. Attorney for Oregon. Marshall recommended that the federal government challenge the Hammonds’ original prison sentences. By law, the convictions come with mandatory five-year sentences, but U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan in 2012 balked at the punishment and instead sentenced Dwight Hammond to three months and Steven Hammond to one year. Marshall called Hogan’s punishments “unlawful.” The solicitor general authorized a rare appeal of an Oregon judge’s order. The appeals court sided with the prosecution, and the Hammonds returned to federal court last year to face a second sentencing. At that hearing, U.S. Chief District Judge Ann Aiken ordered the pair to finish five-year terms.”

Oregon’s top federal prosecutor traveled from commune to the corner office

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/01/oregons_top_federal_prosecutor.html

2) The Scandal:

Oregon U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall resigns amid internal review, cites health issues
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/04/oregon_us_attorney_amanda_mars.html#incart_story_package

Federal Prosecutor Allegedly Stalked By U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall Was Under Armed Protection – Scott Kerin reportedly had a contract taken out on his life by a Mexican drug cartel.

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-32962-federal_prosecutor_allegedly_stalked_by_us_attorney_amanda_marshall_was_under_armed_protection.html

U.S. Justice Department looking into U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall’s relationship with employee:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/03/us_justice_department_looking.html

“This is a crucial time in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Oregon, which investigates and prosecutes federal crimes. The office is leading a sweeping influence-peddling investigation of former Gov. John Kitzhaber and his companion, Cylvia Hayes.

Marshall was the surprise choice to replace interim U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton in 2010. She had no experience as a federal prosecutor.* Rather, she was plucked from a child advocacy legal job inside the Oregon Department of Justice. Before that, she served as a deputy district attorney in Coos County.

Kerin is married to a fellow-federal prosecutor in the Portland office. Marshall is married to Ladd Wiles, who last May was elected Circuit Court judge in Yamhill County.”

NOTE: In the above story, Marshall’s attorney, Charese Rohny, misleads the Oregonian by saying that the victim, Scott Kerin, was the subject of an OIG investigation, which was untrue, as it was Ms. Marshall who OIG was investigating.

(More on This Issue HERE)

Within the larger story, and following a similar storyline, in January of 2018 the federal prosecutors in the Bundy prosecution were found to have engaged in gross prosecutorial misconduct and the case against the Bundy’s was thrown out of court.

In a stunning rebuke to federal prosecutors a federal court judge has thrown out the case against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy “with prejudice”.  In order for a federal judge to completely dismiss a case of this significance indicates the court has found serious and compelling evidence of “gross misconduct” on the part of the prosecuting team.

LAS VEGAS — Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, his two sons and a militia member will not face a retrial on charges that they led an armed rebellion against federal agents in 2014.

A federal judge on Monday said the federal prosecutors’ conduct was “outrageous” and “violated due process rights” of the defendants.

U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed the charges against the four men “with prejudice,” meaning they cannot face trial again. She said a new trial would not be sufficient to address the problems in the case and would provide the prosecution with an unfair advantage going forward.

As the courtroom doors opened after Navarro’s ruling, a huge cheer went up from the crowd of spectators gathered outside.

Navarro’s decision comes less than a month after she declared a mistrial in case and found federal prosecutors willfully withheld critical and “potentially exculpatory” evidence from the defense.

Cliven Bundy, his sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, and militia member Ryan Payne were all in court. Cliven Bundy had remained in jail until the hearing; the judge ordered his immediate release.

Navarro on Dec. 20 cited six pieces of evidence the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office failed to disclose that was favorable to the defense and could have changed the outcome of the trial.

The evidence included:

  • Records about surveillance at the Bundy ranch;
  • Maps about government surveillance;
  • Records about the presence of government snipers;
  • FBI logs about activity at the ranch in the days leading up to standoff;
  • Law-enforcement assessments dating to 2012 that found the Bundys posed no threat;
  • Internal affairs reports about misconduct by Bureau of Land Management agents.

“Failure to turn over such evidence violates due process,” Navarro said last month. “A fair trial at this point is impossible.”  (read more)

Who Really is the Deep State?


QUESTION:  What is your understanding of the term “Deep State”? Do you think there’s a deep state as it is referred to in the media today? I have come to understand a deep state as meaning the permanent global institutions that are on their directed agenda irrespective of its citizens or their political leaders agendas. The analogy I’ve arrived at is the *deep state* is the global operating system and the political class is merely the *apps*. Deep State could include military, banking, Big Pharma, Central Banks, intelligent agencies – institutions that could care less who the presidents are just as long as they do not interrupt the interests of these operating institutions.

Thanks in advance for your views.

Cheers,

TGM

ANSWER: The deep state is the bureaucracy. It is not a global organization. Comey was protecting Hillary and the FBI was against Trump, which are both examples of the deep state. I have said before, up until 1999, I was actually asked to meet with people who wanted to run for president. They were told I was there to brief them on the real world economy but I was to also assess their mental capacity to handle the complexity. Then I was asked to go meet with George Bush Jr. and was told, “This is different, he is really stupid!” I was totally shocked. Everything up to that point in time was all about whether I thought they could handle a crisis. When I asked why they’d make someone stupid president, I was told he had the “name” and it suddenly shifted to just winning.

The deep state rose from 1999 onward. The bureaucracy could now be in charge with a president who is clueless. Obama followed Bush and he missed more than 50% of his daily security briefings. The bureaucracy gained substantial power under Bush and Obama. This is why they are so intent upon getting rid of Trump. They want their power back.

Important: Robert Mueller Lead Attorney Coordinated Investigative Strategy With Four AP “Reporters”…


There is a very important article posted last night on The Daily Caller [SEE HERE] The article surrounds a discovery that Robert Mueller’s lead attorney Andrew Weissmann worked with four AP journalists on both the story of Paul Manafort’s business interests; and, more importantly, and jawdroppingly, the evidence for Mueller to use against Paul Manafort.

Read the article HERE.  I’ll try to explain why this appears so important.

The gist of the story is that Andrew Weissmann was meeting with AP reporters in April of 2017, approximately a month prior to the formal construct of the Robert Mueller investigation.  The information from the meeting, which was essentially based on research provided by the “reporters” about Paul Manafort, was then later used in the formation of the underlying evidence against Manafort to gain a search warrant.

To understand the implications we must overlay a set of facts that has perplexed CTH for almost a year.  Back in April 2017 Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, declassified a FISA court ruling that had/has massive potential implications.  The 99-page ruling, written by FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer, outlined structural issues and admissions by the DOJ and FBI about violations of search queries within the NSA and FBI database.

(PDF Link)

Essentially, the underlying evidence within the Collyer FISA report, outlines how the DOJ National Security Division (John P Carlin), FBI and NSA (Admiral Mike Rogers) informed the court that unauthorized access to the NSA/FBI database had been ongoing for a long period of time.  The “unauthorized access” was primarily driven by contractors who had access to the information database and were using it in 2015 and 2016.  According to the report over 85% of searches conducted were “unauthorized” abuses of the system.  DOJ-NSD head John Carlin resigned in 2016 immediately after informing the court.

Since the discovery of this issue a great deal of disconnected information has followed. Including how FBI Director James Comey allowed his friend Daniel Richman to have  “special access” to this information database.

The term “contractors” is opaque in the ruling, and there are hundreds of redactions protecting the names of the individuals and groups who participated in the unauthorized searches.  However, within the testimony of Fusion-GPS founder Glenn Simpson; and the story of the Steele Dossier and Nellie Ohr; we discover a nexus of information users.

Fusion GPS was/is essentially in the ‘information for hire‘ business, selling to clients for a price and using networks of journalists and former government officials to transmit, share and disseminate information on behalf of their clients.  Essentially, Fusion GPS is an opposition research group with a network of journalists, paid and unpaid, that it uses to frame constructed narratives to the benefit of their clients.  In the spring, summer and fall of 2016, the Hillary Clinton campaign was one such client.

In April 2017, at the time of this meeting with AP reporters, Andrew Weissmann was chief of the Justice Department’s criminal fraud section.  Weissmann joined the special counsel a month later, May 2017.

We already know the FISA searches were essentially political opposition research being conducted by these opaque ‘contractors’.  We know the ideology within the DOJ-NSD and FBI, the generic intent of their motive, from the communication amid the group doing the Clinton and Trump investigations; text messages, memos and emails which have since become public.

A common sense review of all facts outlines a strong likelihood these database searches were ongoing by groups and individuals affiliated with Fusion GPS and other political networks.  It’s a simple process of selling information.

We also know that Christopher Steele was a beneficiary of information provided within this process; and we know that Glenn Simpson (Fusion GPS) was conducting research into Paul Manafort as part of his personal oppo research and political/business endeavors.  We also know that Fusion-GPS paid journalists (would love to see those names now); and from British court documents -and Simpson transcript- we know Fusion-GPS coordinated meetings between journalists and contractors like Christopher Steele:

(Source – Page #8 pdf)

Within the underlying story of how a FISA Title-1 surveillance application was assembled against U.S. person Carter Page, we clearly see how intelligence was laundered through a process of leaking to the media and then cycling the media article back into official intelligence reports.  The Carter Page FISA application used media stories as underlying evidence for the search warrant.  The media stories came from officials within the FBI, and Fusion GPS; the FBI was essentially manufacturing the evidence they needed.

So, with all of that in mind, this meeting between Andrew Weissmann and AP reporters, as outlined by The Daily Caller, is essentially another round of same-method manufacturing of evidence; it is a collaborative effort.  The result therein is information to be exploited by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to gain search warrants against Paul Manafort.

(Story Linkemail pdf link)

Here’s what I don’t understand.  Not a single congressional hearing has ever questioned the FISA search issues?  Not a single question to a single witness, specifically Comey or Yates, ever asked them about the DOJ-NSD and FBI abuse of the FISA database.

The origin of almost all of the corruption seems to consistently circle back to the abuse of the FBI and NSA database which is very much documented and never subject to being refuted.  Yet for some reason I cannot fathom, the historic FISA surveillance/search abuse issue is never brought up by anyone, any investigative authority, in any aspect of this ongoing storyline.

It all starts with abuses of the FISA system for political opposition research; yet we never hear a single voice calling attention to the DOJ-NSD and FBI abuse of this system.  Frustrating…

The Intelligence Laundry

Sunday Talks: Senator Lindsey Graham Discusses North Korea, NATO and SCOTUS…


With McCain dying, and Corker and Flake retiring, the Decepticon side of the deep swamp is being purged.  President Trump’s direct America-First policies and pragmatic common sense has severed one head from Cerberus, the three headed hound protecting Hades, DC.

In the geopolitical realm President Trump is using the U.S. atomic sledgehammer to reset decades of insufferable economic policy constructed specifically to the financial benefit of ideological ‘allies’; who have elevated their financial standing on the backs of U.S. deficits.

With Decepticons weakened, and many in DC realizing President Trump isn’t going to stop swinging the battle axe until the last one is crushed, politicians like Lindsey Graham have begun talking more truthfully about issues.  Watch in this interview as Graham is questioned about North Korea, and he immediately -and somewhat surprisingly- accurately identifies the core issue…. it ain’t North Korea.

Devin Nunes: Evidence Underlying Carter Page FISA Warrant Was “Fraudulent”…


HPSCI Chairman Devin Nunes appeared on Fox News with Jeanine Pirro to discuss the ongoing investigations into the DOJ, FBI and State Department.

President Trump Declares His Orientation to Reality…


When in the course of corrupt events it becomes necessary for one president to confront the political bands which have connected politicians to each other; and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which national laws and common sense entitles’ them, a decent respect to the intellect of voters requires that he  should declare the causes which impel him to the orientation:

(link)

Yes, It’s True: Peter Strzok Failed His Polygraph Yet Retained Security Clearance and Position on Two Investigations…


I have been asked about this repeatedly:

Validating Paul Sperry’s tweet.  Yes, FBI Agent Peter Strzok failed his polygraph and his supervisors were notified on January 16th, 2016, his results were “out of scope“. Meaning he failed his polygraph test.  Yet he was never removed from any responsibilities; and against dept policy, he did not have his clearance revoked until he could clear.

This was discussed during the Rosenstein testimony and overlooked by most.  WATCH:

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After Strzok was recently removed from official responsibility within the FBI, his security clearances were retroactively revoked.  That revocation was due to OPR review and was a retroactive revocation action initiated by career officials within the FBI to cover-up (ie. CYA) the two-and-a-half years he was allowed to work when he should not have been.

Current FBI officials, including Trump appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray, are covering up the scandal within the FBI in a misguided effort to save the institution.

This is the same reason the FBI hid the Strzok/Page memos and emails away from IG review and congressional oversight.

There is a massive, ongoing, ‘institutional’ cover-up within the DOJ and FBI.  These are simply examples highlighting the severity therein.  Peter Strzok and his legal team are counting on the need for the institution to be protected as their shield from any prosecution.

As long as AG Jeff Sessions, DAG Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director Chris Wray and Deputy Director David Bowditch put the institution ahead of the need for accountability, there will be no repercussions against the former DOJ and FBI officials for unlawful conduct.

Apparently the FBI Withheld Strzok and Page Memos/Emails From Inspector General and Congress – Until Now…


Well, this is interesting.  The substance of the latest information is better read by reviewing the presentation of John Solomon [SEE HERE].

The dynamic that catches my interest is how some unknown and unnamed officials inside the FBI apparently kept memos and emails between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok hidden while Inspector General Michael Horowitz was conducting his prior investigation into their conduct during the Clinton email investigation:

[…]  Memos the FBI is now producing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) inspector general and multiple Senate and House committees offer what sources involved in the production, review or investigation describe to me as “damning” or “troubling” evidence.

They show Strzok and his counterintelligence team rushing in the fall of 2016 to find “derogatory” information from informants or a “pretext” to accelerate the probe and get a surveillance warrant on figures tied to the future president. (read more)

The motive for releasing them now seems unfortunately related to the current focus of the IG review which is focused on FISA abuse, and the likelihood the DOJ/FBI constructed an intelligence apparatus to target the Trump campaign: ie. “Spygate“.

CTH selects the word “unfortunately” because in our estimation the FISA investigation is institutionally constructed to go no-where.  The FISA system was/is set up to protect the interests of all government agents and operators who would utilize the surveillance tools.

As the Solomon information infers, the Carter Page FISA Title-1 application, used to gain the most intrusive surveillance authority in the U.S. arsenal, is almost certainly of a sketchy and corrupt construct designed entirely for political exploitation.   However, that said, the opaque FISA rulebook allows, authorizes and permits a group of government officials to engage in almost unlimited activity without oversight or fear of repercussion.

As a consequence; and with the IG report of the Clinton email investigation as a precursor into the parameters of permissibility; the IG FISA review will undoubtedly extend and twist the parameters of allowable FBI conduct, to excuse any form of abuse therein.

If that analysis sounds too cynical, well, consider…. how is the current headline news not demanding buckets of Tar and Feathers based simply on the fact the FBI is only just now turning over these “memos”?

It is what?  ….Ok to have concealed them until now?  …or something.

I digress.

Gut Wrenching Jim Jordan Interview….


Gut wrenching” when you watch the entire interview and reach the final minute where Ohio Republican Jim Jordan explains the past 24 hrs.

Jim Jordan appears on Brett Baier to push back against accusations he was aware of alleged sexual abuse by Ohio State University’s former wrestling team doctor when he was an assistant coach.

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*Note*, before this story hit the major headlines, CTH received an email about this story surfacing and how it likely was constructed to target Jim Jordan for political damage. That email is below. CTH is not revealing the name of the sender.

SUBJECT: “Ohio State made NIKE the sole vendor”!!

The only named and quoted source in this garbage Jim Jordan story is Mike DiSabato of Columbus Ohio.

I am well acquainted with Mike back from when I had a sideline writing/covering college wrestling and MMA for some websites.

Mike is a known scumbag. He is in the athletic apparel business and owns Cage Fighter, a semi well known brand of fighting and wrestling gear.

He also was the driving force behind Agon, a short-lived wrestling promotion where everyone involved was cheated out of their money.

Mike has been sued REPEATEDLY for breach of contract by almost everyone he has worked with. It is well documented.

If you check his Twitter account, @thenotoriousmds, you will see he is a wacky left winger supporter of Bernie Sanders who repeatedly retweets Nancy Hogshead-maker, herself a fraud and one of the leading public voices behind advocacy for the current enforcement if Title IX in varsity sports (aka a “quota queen”).

Mike has a personal vendetta against Ohio State and Jim’s brother, Jeff.

He is mad at Ohio State because they made Nike the sole vendor for athletic gear for every sport back in January. Before this Cage Fighter provided the gear for the Wrestling program (which is now a BIG TIME program)

Jeff, Jim’s Brother is the head wrestling coach at Graham high school in St Paris Ohio, one of the 5 most prestigious high school wrestling programs in the country. Jeff and some partners started the apparel line RUDIs which they now use to supply their team gear, no longer doing business with DiSabato and Cage Fighter.

Since ending their relationship with Cage Fighter, DiSabato has been out for blood and is lashing out at Jim to get back at Jeff and Ohio State.

He’s even been attacking 22 year old OSU alum, Olympic and World champ Kyle Snyder, whom I’ve been around since middle school. Kyle, as far as I can tell, is a young man of absolutely impeccable character.

Kyle recently signed a sponsorship deal with RUDIs

Scott Pruitt Resigns as EPA Administrator…


In a letter to the president EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned from his position.  President Trump has accepted his resignation and notes that Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will assume the acting administrator position Monday.  (letter below)

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