Last month the DOJ admitted to the FISA court that two of the four FISA warrants used against Carter Page were fraudulently obtained.

The “DOJ assesses that with respect to the applications in [April and June 2017] “if not earlier, there was insufficient predication to establish probable cause to believe that [Carter]Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power.”” (link)

However, what the DOJ did not admit publicly was how the current FBI Chief Legal Counsel, Dana Boente, participated in obtaining the April 2017 warrant.  Additionally, a review of the internal FBI & DOJ scheme to obtain the fraudulent April warrant shows FBI Director James Comey couldn’t get the renewal unless he convinced Main Justice to trick the President into issuing an executive order to grant surveillance on himself.

In hindsight this story explains the ongoing issues within the FBI.

The original FISA application was October 21st, 2016. The first FISA renewal was January 12, 2017 (84 days from origination) and prior to the inauguration of President Trump. The second renewal was April 7, 2017 (85 days from prior renewal). The third renewal was on June 29th, 2017 (83 days from prior renewal).

The originating FISA and first renewal were authorized by the Obama administration officials.  However, it was the second renewal -now identified as fraudulent- on April 7th 2017, under the Trump administration, when the conniving FBI ran into a problem.

Here’s what happened.

On January 30th, 2017, Sally Yates was fired for refusing to defend the Trump travel ban from extremist countries.  Yates was replaced on January 31st by the U.S. Attorney from the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), Dana Boente.  There wasn’t any existing AG because Loretta Lynch had left.

As a result of Yates exit and Dana Boente’s entry, Boente was Acting Deputy Attorney General, and in charge until Jeff Sessions was confirmed on February 8th, 2017.

When Jeff Sessions became Attorney General, Dana Boente became Acting Deputy AG, a role he would retain until Rod Rosenstein was confirmed on April 25th, 2017.

However, on March 2nd, 2017, Dana Boente was one of a small group who participated in a conversation that led to the recusal of Jeff Sessions from anything related to the 2016 election.  This recusal included the ongoing FBI counterintelligence investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane, which was later picked up by Robert Mueller.

The other attendees for the recusal decision-making meeting (see above schedule) included Sessions’ chief of staff Jody Hunt; Criminal Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Jim Crowell; Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) in the Department of Justice National Security Division Tash Gauhar (FISA lawyer); and Associate Deputy Attorney General Scott Schools.  [Note: Tash Gauhar was lawyer for FBI Clinton case; and Scott Schools was part of drafting Clinton exoneration letter.]

Boente, Crowell, Gauhar and Schools convinced AG Jeff Sessions he must recuse himself.  In hindsight each of the people giving Sessions advice was connected to previously corrupt activity within Main Justice that included the Clinton and Spygate operations.  Not knowing the conflict each advisor was carrying Sessions took their advice and recused himself; a big mistake.

With AG Jeff Sessions recused from anything involving the 2016 election; which included the Russia investigation; effective the evening of March 2, 2017, FBI Director James Comey now reported to Acting Deputy AG Dana Boente.

Technically, as this point in March 2017 Boente is still U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) and is only ‘acting’ as Deputy AG.  This becomes an issue a few weeks later when the Carter Page FISA would be up for renewal (April, 2017).

With Sessions recused from the Russia investigation, and without a confirmed Deputy AG able to sign the FISA application, there was no-one in Main Justice who could authorize and sign-off on the FISA renewal.  [Note: Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein was not confirmed until April 25th.]

The January 12th renewal was going to expire on April 12th, 2017 (90-days).  FBI Director James Comey had a problem if he was going to extend the FISA warrant.

Toward the end of March 2017 FBI Director Comey was in discussions with Dana Boente about the issue.

We discover the hand-written notes later on as they were leaked to MSNBC, almost certainly leaked by the people within the Mueller investigation in April 2018. [You’ll see how we know in a minute]  However, at the time of the 2018 leak there was no context for the notes that Boente was taking.

It was only after the FISA application was declassified in July 2018 that Boente’s hand-written notes and the topic therein made sense.   To date no-one has connected this issue… until now.  (Pay attention to the date, Comey March 30th, 2017):

“Cloud as a result of Russia bus. – This makes running the country difficult.”

Note Boente puts the next note in quotations, implying a direct quote from Comey:

“”what can I do to relieve the cloud!””

Then:

“Kept coming back to it. makes it hard to difficult do best. For the country”

“-We will do the work well.”

“-Reminded him we are not invest. agency”

“”-Moft would be great to get out””

-Told AG, before recusal, I [cannot] be speaking [with] the Pres. Alone..

Obviously these notes are from a conversation between then Acting AG Dana Boente and FBI Director James Comey on March 30th, 2017.  It appears to be a phone call.

In hindsight the subject matter almost certainly relates to the issue of the Russia investigation, and needing to extend the FISA warrant on behalf of the FBI’s ongoing  investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane.  However, with Jeff Sessions recused, and Boente in an non-senate-confirmed “acting” position, neither the AG nor the Acting DAG can sign the renewal application.

Here’s where things get interesting…  Either in the background of this conversation at 08:13am on March 30th, someone has already been in contact with the White House counsel; or immediately after this phone call the White House counsel was contacted.

Because the very next day White House Legal Counsel Don McGahn has President Trump sign executive order 13787 making the U.S. EDVA Attorney the 3rd in line for DOJ succession.

Section 1. Order of Succession. Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this order, the following officers, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Attorney General during any period in which the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, and any officers designated by the Attorney General pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 508 to act as Attorney General, have died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Attorney General, until such time as at least one of the officers mentioned above is able to perform the functions and duties of that office:

(a) United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia;

(b) United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina; and

(c) United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

[Link to Executive Order]

This executive order solves the FISA problem for James Comey.

AG Jeff Sessions is recused (incapable); there is no Deputy AG in position; therefore the U.S. Attorney for the EDVA holds authority to perform the duties of the office.  Dana Boente is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

After the executive order is signed Dana Boente can now officially sign the Carter Page FISA application renewal.

Which is exactly what happens a week later when James Comey and Dana Boente sign the admittedly fraudulent FISA renewal on April 7th, 2017:

(Page #271 – Carter Page FISA Application)

Do you see what just happened here?

President Trump was tricked into signing an executive order that facilitated the FBI to continue spying on his own administration.

But wait, it gets worse…. Much worse…. This dynamic would later become even more important as the notes Boente took from conversations with James Comey became evidence for Mueller’s expanded obstruction investigation. ALSO Look at the DATES:

[Washington Post Link]

Now look at the date of Rachel Maddow’s leak exclusive: April 10th, 2018:

[LINK]

The special counsel team leaked the Dana Boente notes to Rachel Maddow.

RECAP: Acting Deputy AG Dana Boente advised AG Jeff Sessions to recuse himself (March 2nd, 2017).  Then Acting DAG Boente and FBI Director Comey conspired to have President Trump authorize an executive order (March 31st, 2017); that changed the DOJ succession plan, thereby permitting them to sign for a fraudulent FISA application on April 7th, 2017, that was used to conduct surveillance on the Trump administration.

Keep in mind the Inspector General outlined that in January 2017, “shortly after the application was renewed” the FBI knew the Steele Dossier; which was the only evidence underpinning the FISA application; was false.

There is absolutely no doubt that the FBI knew in January 2017 the Dossier was not valid evidence that should have been included in any FISA application.  The FBI was told again, with even more emphasis in March 2017:

So when FBI Director James Comey is making contact with Acting DAG Dana Boente on March 30th, 2017, for issues relating to the need for a FISA renewal in April 2017, the FBI was absolutely certain there was no validity to the underlying evidence within the FISA application.

Yet the FBI was so determined to get the fraudulent FISA reauthorized, they even went so far as to conduct an operation to convince the White House to create an executive order, modifying the DOJ succession plan, so that Acting DAG Boente could sign the April 7th, 2017, renewal.

Think about the scale of deceit and corruption involved in that scheme.

But it doesn’t end…. it gets worse.

On April 25th, 2017, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein is confirmed.   Rosenstein now takes over the responsibilities held by Acting DAG Dana Boente; this includes the FBI counterintelligence probe.

On May 9th, 2017, FBI Director James Comey is fired.

On May 10th, 2017, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe opens a criminal ‘obstruction of justice investigation’ of President Trump to parallel the ongoing counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and administration.

Dana Boente now becomes the Asst. Attorney General and head of the DOJ National Security Divison.  Simultaneously retaining role as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of VA.  At that moment, guess who is Dana Boente’s legal counsel, Michael Atkinson.  Yes, that’s the same Michael Atkinson who is the current ICIG who facilitated the Whistle-blower complaint.  I digress…

On May 16th, 2017, Rosenstein takes Robert Mueller to the White House to meet President Trump. On May 17th, 2017, Rosenstein appoints the Robert Mueller special counsel probe. And we’re off to the Trump-Russia-Collusion-Obstruction races…

On June 29th, 2017, Rod Rosenstein and Andrew McCabe reauthorize that same fraudulent FISA application for Robert Mueller and his corrupt team of 19 special prosecutors and now 40 FBI agents to continue to exploit.

Dana Boente is still head of DOJ-NSD from May 11th, 2017 through end of October 2017 when he officially announced his intent to retire.  But wait, it gets worse…. On January 23rd, 2018, FBI Director Christopher Wray announces Dana Boente has shifted over to the FBI to be Chief Legal Counsel (replacing James Baker).

Yes, that is correct.  As Mueller is using 19 lawyers, and 40 FBI investigators, Boente now becomes a legal adviser to Christopher Wray, inside the FBI, while the Mueller probe is ongoing….. Oh, and as you can see from his participation with Mueller, Dana Boente is now a fact witness within the investigation.

But wait, it gets better, who do you think is in charge of the 40 FBI agents now conducting the third year of that fraudulent Mueller investigation?…

…Yup, the very same Dana Boente!

This is staggeringly unreal.  It’s no wonder FBI Director Christopher Wray appears detached, disconnected and completely unfazed by the scale and scope of the corrupt enterprise he is in charge of.  His own chief legal counsel was a key player in the operation to remove the president.

Last point.  It always seemed odd that White House Counsel Don McGahn left in 2018; until, that is, you stand back and look at the bigger picture.  The Carter Page FISA Application was officially declassified and made public in late July 2018.  No doubt as McGahn looked at the issue, from his unique perspective, and saw Dana Boente’s signature on the April 7th, 2017, renewal… he likely realized in hindsight what that executive order he put together on March 31st, 2017, was really all about.

In his position as White House Counsel, Don McGahn had allowed himself to become an unwilling participant in the coup against President Trump.  He would now be a fact witness if anyone started investigating.   Two weeks later, in August 2018, Don McGahn submitted his resignation.

PS. The deadline for the FBI and DOJ to inform the FISA Court about their sequestration and recovery effort [ie. a proverbial search for the fruit of a poisonous tree. Where is it?] was February 5th.

Now this is what we call almost too much winning….  The House Judiciary Committee is demanding testimony from U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and specifically identifying three issues they wish to target.   AG Bill Barr has agreed to testify to their concerns on Tuesday March 31st, 2020.  [cloud pdf Here]

Considering the issues outlined by the Democrats; and knowing the rabid nature of their base of resistance that demands HJC action; this is the biggest briar patch in recent congressional history & AG Barr is one big rabbit proclaiming: ‘don’t throw me in’. When you read the issues of concerns, you realize this is going to be epic.

Chairman Nadler says in his letter: “we have repeatedly warned you and your predecessors that the misuse of our criminal justice system for political purposes is both dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable to the House Judiciary Committee.”  Oh my!

The HJC goes on to say: “In your tenure as Attorney General, you have engaged in a pattern of conduct in legal matters relating to the President that raises significant concerns for this Committee. In the past week alone, you have taken steps that raise grave questions about your leadership of the Department of Justice.”…  Oh dear!

So what are the three pressing issues that Chairman Nadler says “are enough to require our immediate attention”?

[SOURCE]

• The ongoing developments following the removal of U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu, who oversaw the prosecutions of President Trump’s deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates, President Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn, and President Trump’s longtime political adviser Roger Stone.

See?  The HJC and Lawfare staff are clueless.  First, AG Barr previously slobbered all over Jessie Liu; he couldn’t praise her enough.  Barr had zero conversation with President Trump about withdrawing the nomination, and only gained an understanding of the Liu concerns independent from President Trump.

The Lawfare crew has no idea what they are walking into if they start down the path of asking about why Jessie Liu was: (a) removed; and (b) had her nomination withdrawn.  For all intents and purposes AG Barr is an ally of Ms. Liu, and it only highlights the independence of his office that President Trump’s action is independent.

• The creation of a new “process” by which President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani can feed the Department of Justice information, through you, about the President’s political rivals.

The “process” of receiving information on possible criminal conduct is open to anyone and everyone to report, including all Americans.  Obviously the HJC and Democrats writ large are worried about their financial schemes to exploit wealth and sell influence may be hampered by any corruption investigation of Ukraine…. but more importantly, they are seeking to find out how much their own activity is exposed.

I cannot think of a single bullet-point easier for Barr to have fun with than a committee that is verklempt about the U.S. Department of Justice allowing people to report possible criminal activity.  The entire framework of their argument is silly and fraught with pretzel logic.  That’s the purpose of the justice system, to allow people a process to rectify criminal activity.

Secondly, didn’t the same House Committee just spend months complaining about Giuliani operating independent investigations?… and not following the “established processes and norms”?   Now they don’t want Giuliani to be allowed to contact the DOJ and engage in long established processes and norms?  Their argument is circular.

• The decision to overrule your career prosecutors and significantly reduce the recommended sentence for Roger Stone, who has been convicted for lying under oath, at the apparent request of the President — a decision that led to all four prosecutors handling the case to withdraw from the proceedings in protest.

This point of oversight concern opens up a world of opportunity for AG Barr to lay out how members of the Mueller team were rogue prosecutors.  Truth is the greatest disinfectant and Bill Barr has actual examples of tiered-justice based on political bias.  Again, the point they are concerned about will backfire; bigly.

“These are not the only issues that our Committee intends to discuss with you when you appear, but they are enough to require our immediate attention”…

This March 31st hearing should be buckets of fun.

Lastly, why March 31st?

All of the points raised by the HJC are transparently easy to knock down now.  Why postpone for two months?  The likely answer is John Durham will be finished…. drops of information therein will take place…. the hearing is pre-scheduled… etc.

The HJC has just boxed themselves in to holding a hearing…. Think about it.

Remember, the HJC never held a hearing about the IG Horowitz FISA report because that type of hearing is adverse to the political interests of Democrats in the House.  They don’t want to hold hearing where former administration DOJ & FBI abuses are discussed.  However, now AG Bill Barr has a hearing scheduled on the books.  Now AG Bill Barr has a date on the congressional calendar the House cannot avoid.

Now AG Bill Barr has a target date and two months to coordinate releasing the information gathered from within John Durham’s investigation.  Release the Durham information a week prior to March 31st and the HJC is trapped into a holding a hearing about topics they don’t want to see public.

Chairman Jerry Nadler has just scheduled a hearing for Bill Barr.

Funny how that happens.

The timing, the purpose and the likelihood of what is going to happen is so transparently obvious it’s as if knuckleheaded Chairman Nadler is working for Bill Barr.

Four of Robert Mueller’s special counsel prosecutors strategically and purposefully resigned their positions yesterday in an attempt to create a political narrative against U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr – through a ridiculous Roger Stone sentencing memorandum.

In a subsequent interview with Lou Dobbs, House Intel Committee ranking member Devin Nunes noted the activity of Mueller’s 19 lawyers was likely to come under scrutiny now, as people start to ask common sense questions.  [Ex. what were these DOJ lawyers doing for over two years if there was zero evidence of any Trump-Russia collusion?]

However, I would draw attention to an even more troubling issue that media pretend not to even notice.  From the Mueller Report (pg 13):

An issue that everyone overlooked is more serious than tin-foil-hat DOJ lawyers chasing DNC stories of Olaf and his Macedonian meme generating buddies on Facebook.

A significant issue is in the part of the story most have skipped past without recognizing,… because, well, simply we have become immune to the insanity of it.

... 40 FBI Agents worked on the Special Counsel?

Think about it.  For three years… Doing what exactly?

I’m going to skip over the part where everyone recognizes these are the same FBI agents investigating Trump in 2016… who transferred into the Mueller team in 2017… to continue the investigation into 2018 and 2019.  As if that wasn’t alarming enough… I digress.

Forty FBI agents, spent three years on a mission to investigate/eliminate the candidacy and presidency of Donald Trump.

Don’t let ourselves get dragged into the absurdity and travel down a conversational path where DC justification is put through a cognitive blender.  Forty FBI Agents spent three years trying to aid a transparently political effort to remove a president.

If you give them the benefit of being sound-minded, we had Forty FBI agents who transparently had to know this was a ridiculously weaponized political operation against the opposing political party of their FBI and DOJ leadership… and they went along with it.

The whole damned thing was a ruse.

What exactly would forty FBI agents be investigating?

You can take that insufferably overused qualifier: “we’re not talking about the hard-working FBI field agents here..“, and stuff it.  I’m exactly talking about forty transparently corrupt FBI field agents who, according to EVERYONE, participated in an investigation that was political nonsense from the beginning.

And they all did what?

Went along with it… that’s what they did.

That aspect doesn’t seem to be appearing anywhere.

That aspect doesn’t seem to be bothering anyone.

And where are they now?

That in-your-face issue hasn’t been discussed anywhere amid thousands of hours of pundit conversation, and thousands more column inches dedicated to discussion of this fabricated political operation.

Is someone actually going to try and tell me Forty FBI Agents didn’t know the Vast Russian Conspiracy was a bucket of nonsense from, um, at least day #2?..

These are the best investigators in the world?  These are the elite investigative units that we count on to investigate serious crimes and avoid terrorist threats?

Who are they?  Name them !  Every one of them needs to be named, publicly.  We paid for this, don’t we have a right to know the name of every person who participated in this investigation?

Now that it’s over; and with the publication of the Weissmann/Mueller report long since past; don’t we get to find out what exactly we were paying for?

Democrats say they demand transparency; OK, I’ll play.  Make them live up to their own rules….  I want the names of every FBI individual who participated in this investigation. So we can have an opportunity to watch congress sit them down in groups and question them about what exactly they were doing for three years.

Again, think about it.

What does forty FBI agents working on this Russian conspiracy case for three years tell us about the operational integrity of the FBI as an investigative institution?

(LINK)

Devin Nunes appears with Lou Dobbs and breaks the news on national media the nomination of former DC Attorney Jessie Liu was withdrawn.  Mr. Nunes went on to discuss the issues around the DOJ and Deep State resistance effort and then contrasts the sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone against the 30-day sentence for SSCI Security Director James Wolfe.

Additionally, Representative Nunes notes this is only the beginning of sunlight upon the dirty lawyers who organized within the Mueller probe…. and there will be much more to come.