According to an NPR report, and confirmed by secondary sourcing, Andrew Weissmann is soon to depart the special counsel probe of Robert Mueller. According to special counsel spokesman Peter Carr “Andrew Weissmann will be concluding his detail to the Special Counsel’s Office in the near future.”
The intensely political Mr. Weissmann is not just leaving the Special Counsel, he is also leaving his job at the Justice Department. He will be teaching at NYU.
Additionally, this announcement happens just one day before the March 15th deadline by representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows for new Attorney General William Barr to respond about numerous conflicts of interest surrounding Weissmann and his engagements with the 2016 DOJ election effort to stop Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON DC – One of the most prominent members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team investigating Russia’s attack on the 2016 presidential election will soon leave the office and the Justice Department, two sources close to the matter tell NPR.
Andrew Weissmann, the architect of the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, will study and teach at New York University and work on a variety of public service projects, including his longstanding interest in preventing wrongful convictions by shoring up forensic science standards used in courts, the sources added.
The departure is the strongest sign yet that Mueller and his team have all but concluded their work. (read more)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she won’t back impeachment of President Trump, because “he’s just not worth it.” But what’s her real motive? Scott Ott and Bill Whittle explore what’s behind her shocking revelation in a Washington Post interview. Bill Whittle Now is a production of the Members at http://BillWhittle.com
The Epoch Times, via Jeff Carlson, has apparently gained access to the transcript of testimony from Nellie Ohr. Most of the back-story of Nellie Ohr working for the CIA as an Open Source Works contractor was previously discovered by CTH during earlier research; and again the transcript is not provided by Epoch.
However, while the transcript is not provided, there is a very intriguing implication within their description/interpretation of the testimony (emphasis mine):
[…] Beginning in September 2015, Ohr began working for Fusion GPS. Ohr told investigators that she “read an article in the paper that mentioned Glenn Simpson. And I remembered because he had been a Wall Street Journal reporter working on things like Russian crime and corruption, so I recognized the name. I was underemployed at that time and I was looking for opportunities.”
When later questioned as to her previous knowledge of Simpson, Ohr stated, “I had been at a conference that he was at. I don’t recall directly talking with him at that conference, and I don’t know whether he knew who, you know, who I was other than the fact that I attended that conference.”
Ohr acknowledged to congressional investigators that Simpson was acquainted with her husband, Bruce Ohr. (read more)
The implication here is that Nellie Ohr approached Fusion-GPS owner Glenn Simpson for a job; essentially to work on political opposition research files Fusion-GPS was assembling in 2015. This is distinctly different from Glenn Simpson seeking out Nellie Ohr, and opens the entire background to larger ramifications.
Our research has always indicated that Nellie’s work product was transmitted to Christopher Steele as part of an intelligence laundry process. Chris Steele laundered Nellie’s information, provided second verification where possible, formatted into an official intelligence file, and returned that file -now named the Steele Dossier- to the FBI.
However, if it becomes verified that it was CIA contracted (former or current) Nellie Ohr who approached Simpson, then it becomes possible, perhaps likely, the intelligence information (seeds carried by Nellie), originated from the CIA.
Nellie Ohr petitioning Glenn Simpson for a job would be an explosive change in the dynamic. However, it could further explain some other unusual side-issues including why Nellie suddenly started using a HAM radio.
First, this revelation would imply that an inside government effort from the CIA was likely the origination of material that Nellie would “discover” while working for Fusion. Under this possibility the laundry process would have two washes.
The first wash was from some unknown CIA intelligence sources to Nellie Ohr…. The second wash was from Nellie Ohr to Christopher Steele (the second wash we always knew).
Second, whether Glenn Simpson knew of Nellie’s intent, or was likely willfully blind, is another question. I tend to think it didn’t really matter. Simpson hired Nellie to get valuable oppo-research he could turn into a commodity.
Simpson wouldn’t necessarily care how Nellie found the information, and he knew her background in the intelligence research community. The commodity was always the Trump-research file; which was then sold to the Clinton campaign after the contract with the DNC was made through Perkins Coie.
“I read an article in the paper that mentioned Glenn Simpson. And I remembered because he had been a Wall Street Journal reporter working on things like Russian crime and corruption, so I recognized the name. I was underemployed at that time and I was looking for opportunities.”
If Nellie Ohr sought out Glenn Simpson for the job in 2015, not vice-versa, then it would appear a sting operation from within the CIA (John Brennan) was underway and long planned.
This set-up and design would align with what we already know about the CIA using foreign intelligence assets (Five Eyes etc.) overseas to run against loosely connected Trump campaign people to dirty them up and give the impression needed to initiate the FBI counterintelligence operation known as “Operation Crossfire Hurricane” in July 2016.
If it is factually accurate that Nellie Ohr approached Glenn Simpson, and was part of a process of using that cover to plant corrupt CIA dossier seeds for use by Christopher Steele, then it makes sense Nellie Ohr’s communications with government officials, and the usurping intelligence community, would be a risk; a very serious risk.
Necessitating some very unusual communication safeguards.
Notice the Ham radio license corresponds to the timeline when the Clinton campaign officially hired Fusion-GPS as for the Trump “Dossier” research.
[Notice also this is immediately after the time when NSA Director Mike Rogers discovered FISA abuse, and shut down contractor access to the NSA database.]
Fucking John Brennan.
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Brennan: [13:35] “Third, through the so-called Gang-of-Eight process we kept congress apprised of these issues as we identified them.”
“Again, in consultation with the White House, I PERSONALLY briefedthe full details of our understanding of Russian attempts to interfere in the election to congressional leadership; specifically: Senators Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein and Richard Burr; and to representatives Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Devin Nunes and Adam Schiff between 11th August and 6th September [2016], I provided the same briefing to each of the gang of eight members.”
“Given the highly sensitive nature of what was an active counter-intelligence case [that means the FBI], involving an ongoing Russian effort, to interfere in our presidential election, the full details of what we knew at the time were shared only with those members of congress; each of whom was accompanied by one senior staff member.”… (Brennan testimony)
•On July 31st, 2016 the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against the Trump campaign. They did not inform congress until March 2017.
•At the beginning of August (1st-3rd) 2016 FBI Agent Peter Strzok traveled to London, England for interviews with UK intelligence officials.
•On August 15th, 2016 Peter Strzok sends a text message to DOJ Lawyer Lisa Page describing the “insurance policy“, needed in case Hillary Clinton were to lose the election.
There was a previous line of inquiry surrounding the originating “EC” or “electronic communication” that was generated by CIA Director John Brennan and passed on to FBI Director James Comey. The EC initiated the FBI Counterintelligence Operation.
Specifically, House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes has asked about a redacted name within the “EC”, which has led to the DOJ and FBI claiming to release the name would compromise the individual. This is one of those declassification docs we need.
All of these inquires, and refusals, center around the origination authority for the FBI Counterintelligence operation. The origination led to the FISA warrant. Remember that.
Chairman Nunes sent Main Justice a classified letter asking questions. DOJ responded saying they would not comply with providing information (letter) The Washington Post claimed Nunes was looking for information on an FBI/DOJ ‘source’: “a U.S. citizen who has provided intelligence to the CIA and FBI.” Additionally, this “source” was later also described by WaPo as a witness for Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation.
Remember the Peter Strzok trip to London? The source of John Brennan’s “EC” was later confirmed as FBI and CIA operative Stefan Halper a foreign policy expert and Cambridge professor with connections to the CIA and its British counterpart, MI6.
So, what did Stefan Halper do?
Simple, his job was to locate then dirty-up anyone he could convince: 1) to meet with him; 2) engage in his requests; and 3) engage contacts he set up. Halper was setting up a classic operation to use unknown “useful idiots” to give the appearance of Russian allies/actors.
Halper provided the underlying imaging, the optics needed for the “EC” referral; which Brennan then used to trigger James Comey; who originated the FBI Counterintelligence Operation.
The fraudulent origin, in combination with the October FISA warrant needed for surveillance gathering, would drive the insurance policy that Peter Strzok described to Lisa Page.
The more important lead story of this article is buried within the outcome story of ICE agents using a private license plate database to capture illegal aliens. First the headline story:
WASHINGTON – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been using over the past year a vast license plate database to identify the location of vehicles associated with immigrants who do not have legal status, according to documents released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
More than 9,000 ICE agents have been given access to the controversial database, which contains hundreds of millions of license plate scans from across the U.S., according to the documents obtained by the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act request. ICE employees are able to use the database to obtain information on where individuals have been and when they were there, with data going back as far as five years.
“With access to this database, ICE can pinpoint the exact location of drivers going about their daily lives,” Matt Cagle, technology and civil liberties attorney with the ACLU, told The Hill. Cagle pointed out that ICE can use the database to identify detailed information on anyone — not just individuals wanted for deportation.
“ICE is not prohibited under this program from tracking the locations of citizens,” he said.
The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. (more)
If you continue reading the story you come across this:
[…] “Unrestricted law-enforcement access to massive private-sector databases housing location information on hundreds of millions of Americans is clearly an idea the Framers hadn’t considered,” Wyden said.
ICE entered into a contract with Thomson Reuters at the end of 2017 for access to the license-plate reader database, which is run by a company called Vigilant Solutions. The documents released by the ACLU reveal details about how the agency has used the database since entering into that contract. (cont.)
Keep in mind, what we are talking about here is a private sector tracking database; something that might trigger long-time CTH readers to remember from several years past (2013-2014). As an outcropping of an unrelated story, we went deep, very deep, into the assembly of a nationwide private database as it was being constructed.
Use a private-sector database to track down people for missed property tax payments; or use the database to track lawful gun owners; or use the database to stop a traveler from entering an airport until they pay an unpaid parking fine, and hey, no biggie. But start using that private database to arrest illegal aliens…. and Whoa, now the ACLU says we’ve got a problem.
Hey, at least now they are admitting the database exists. Considering how strongly everyone denied it was being established six years ago, well, that’s progress I guess.
What we are talking about here are private companies, actually four specific companies, that invested multi-millions in creating a proprietary network that allowed them to build a database. Later, once that database was established, they become federal contractors and/or sell access to that database to federal contractors.
To say I found myself on the wrong side of the people assembling the process, when I was warning about them, well, would be akin to saying the Miami Dade School Police were an amicable bunch of Ward Cleaver-type chaps during our 2013 MDPSD investigation.
They ain’t. I digress…
Once they established the database the private companies then become federal contractors or sell access to the database to federal contractors. Who runs airport security? Who runs the toll booths? Who runs just about every governmental process in the day life of civic engagement? Yup – govt. contractors.
As I have spent quite a bit of time researching this issue I’ve realized all of the data is essentially “vendor driven”. Meaning that 3rd parties are buying/selling (contracting) information about YOU to/from the government as a service for revenue enhancement.
The APLR system is essentially a tool in this type of service.
Let’s say you are behind on a civil fee, or local tax, or maybe you just have outstanding parking tickets……. – the 3rd party (contracts with the govt) to harvest the information, then they mine government data bases and compile a hub of information.
The vendor then becomes the extension of government collection.
You come walking out of the grocery store and find your car has a “wheel boot” which disables your ability to drive. Under the wiper is a ticket with the number to call to have the boot removed – when you call the number you find out that you must first pay “the fee or municipal tax you are in default” to get the boot removed.
The data base is proprietary to the vendor. The government entity just allows the vendor to mine their existing data network to create a hub of centralized connected data about you. The vendor gets a fee and/or percentage of payment recovery.
Where is it going …. ? Everywhere.
You go to check in at an airport (now considered a federal building) and find out your travel is suspended until you pay the municipal parking ticket from 2 years ago in Chicago that you totally forgot about (you live in Dallas).
However, the clerk smiles and says “you can pay for it right here if you like, just give me your credit card and we can take care of it for you”….
The private business (airline collector) gets a cut of the collection fee.
All of this is from private-public business partnerships – constructed as a business model – from 3rd party vendors who purchase access to data and legally act as an authorized party/agent on behalf of the government. (link)
When we originally said this is a dangerous slippery slope, the ACLU, civil rights groups and *most* conservative groups said not to worry because this isn’t government collecting data; these are only private companies. Blah, blah, blah, wash-rinse-repeat. No, honestly, the level of anger at exposing the system (as it was being built) was off-the-charts.
Well, five years later this process is now being used to capture illegal aliens. NOW, the ACLU and others have suddenly found themselves taking issue with it.
PS. Did you know that anytime you write the words “Patriots” and “Day” together in a sentence, you enter the NSA PRISM priority system for auto-review.
Earlier today President Trump received a White House briefing on drug trafficking at the border including growing concerns about fentanyl shipments entering the U.S. Additionally, the president took the opportunity to invite the media for an impromptu presser. [The media Q&A begins at 14:50]:
This has to be the current leading example of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Keep in mind @TheDemocrats is: “the official twitter account of the democrat party”.
To understand the scale of the ‘OrangeManBad’ manipulation here, just take a review of two years of President Trump initiatives to combat the Opioid Crisis [HERE]
On October 26, 2017, President Trump announced that his Administration was declaring the opioid crisis a national Public Health Emergencyunder federal law, effective immediately. “I am directing all executive agencies to use every appropriate emergency authority to fight the opioid crisis,” the President said. (overview link)
[…] “We are already distributing nearly $1 billion in grants for addiction prevention and treatment, and more than $50 million to support law enforcement programs that assist those facing prison and facing addiction,” the President said before signing the memorandum. “We have also launched an $81 million partnership to research better pain management techniques for our incredible veterans.”
The President’s proposed Federal Budget requests $3 billion in new funding in 2018 and $10 billion in 2019 for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the opioid epidemic by expanding access to prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. The funding would also go toward addressing mental health concerns. (read more)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released some important data today surrounding the state of the U.S. economy. The first release shows the current CPI (consumer price index) or rate of inflation:
(BLS Release) […] The all items index increased 1.5 percent for the 12 months ending February, a smaller increase than the 1.6-percent rise for the 12-months ending January. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent over the last 12 months, a slightly smaller figure than the 2.2-percent increase for the period ending January. The food index rose 2.0 percent over the past year, its largest 12-month increase since the period ending April 2015. In contrast, the energy index declined 5.0 percent over the last 12 months. (read more)
As noted above, energy prices are 5.0% lower year-over-year; this is a significant reason for the current low inflationary rate. Also energy prices (fuel, gas, oil) disproportionately impact the middle-class as an unavoidable cost. Lower gas prices (currently down 9.1%) help middle-America, and also have a downstream impact of lowering product transportation costs.
An overall annual rate of inflation at 1.5 percent is exactly on target. CTH has been predicting this energy-based outcome for more than three years:
The third highest variable cost of goods beyond raw materials first, labor second, is energy. If the U.S. energy sector is unleashed -and fully developed- the manufacturing price of any given product will allow for global trade competition even with higher U.S. wage prices. (link)
Keep in mind the wages and prices are national averages. There are regions and specific sectors of the workforce where the rate of wage growth is much higher. The average rate of wage growth is 3.5 percent; and wages are on an upward trend-line. With an ever tightening labor market we can expect to see continued upward pressure on wages.
Wage growth of 3.5% with inflation at 1.5% means higher actual income, more money in the pockets of workers, and increased purchasing or saving power.
Lastly, CTH would be remiss if we did not point out we are deep into year #2 of the steel, aluminum and China tariffs. The multinational doomsayers and financial pundits were predicting massive surges in U.S. consumer prices for the downstream products.
Wall Street’s proclaimed consequences are not happening.
Against the backdrop of Speaker Pelosi tamping down expectations of a House impeachment, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders appears on Fox News to discuss the current state of DC politics.
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Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schiff, Chairman Cummings and Chairman Nadler would not likely drop their deep investments in an impeachment narrative unless they held confidence something more valuable was on the horizon.
Well, well, well; he did it again. Representative Doug Collins has released the transcript of testimony from former FBI Lawyer Lisa Page. [SEE HERE] The transcript is from two days of congressional testimony July 13th and July 16th, 2018. Each day is a separate transcript: Day One Transcript
Today, the link https://dougcollins.house.gov/page will be placed in the record so the American people can read the transcripts of Lisa Page’s interviews before the Judiciary Committee.
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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
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