The Biden administration does what leftists do: they purge
[Hat tip: commenter “AesopFan.”]
Mollie Hemingway explains:
In a stunning violation of precedent, Biden’s National Security Agency (NSA) placed General Counsel Michael J. Ellis on administrative leave pending a Defense Inspector General investigation of his recent appointment, as well as an unspecified claim of mishandling of classified information. Ellis has maintained a top security clearance, without any blemish, for more than a decade. He is a trained classification official both as a military officer and civilian.
While Ellis has prominent defenders from his many years of service in the intelligence community, his detractors include high profile participants in the Russia collusion hoax, proponents of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s attempt to publish classified information in a book, and some of the individuals who orchestrated the Ukraine impeachment effort…
The Lawfare blog, a primary mouthpiece for the architects of the Russia collusion hoax, disgraced former FBI Director James Comey in particular, has led the campaign to oust Ellis from his role. Mimicking the nebulous language once used to push the debunked Russia collusion hoax, Susan Hennessey wrote that “While important details remain unclear, media accounts include numerous indications of irregularity in the process by which Ellis was selected for the job, including interference by the White House. At a minimum, the evidence of possible violations of civil service rules demand immediate investigation by Congress and the inspectors general of the Department of Defense and the NSA.” Neither she, nor the media accounts she referenced, provided credible evidence for the claims.
In fact, the selection process for the general counsel position began a year ago. Multiple sources confirm that Ellis was found to be qualified for the position by a panel of career lawyers before any political appointee was involved in the process and he was interviewed by a panel that included a career intelligence lawyer. None of the partisans who oppose Ellis have put forth evidence of improper influence on the selection process…
The refusal to appoint Ellis was in violation of merit system principles until it was ordered by the acting secretary of Defense. Pelosi and Schiff have justified their political interference in this career intelligence community position, normally considered off limits for political interference, by asserting without evidence that Ellis’s appointment must have been political.
Democratic activists on the Hill and at Lawfare have three main claims and complaints about Ellis. They claim that he was involved in Rep. Devin Nunes’s discovery of hundreds of instances of Obama-Biden officials unmasking Trump transition team members. The unmasked material frequently ended up leaked to media figures…
Another criticism of Ellis is that he found former National Security Advisor Bolton to be attempting to publish classified information in a book attacking President Trump. That’s true, and career intelligence professionals up to and including the NSA director himself agreed with Ellis’s findings…
The final complaint offered by Ellis’s critics relates to the effort to leak the contents of Trump’s call with the president of Ukraine in order to foment a scandal and impeachment push. Byron York’s book “Obsession,” on the first impeachment, details how the only person on the call to have a problem with the call was Vindman…
Ellis was one of the officials allegedly trying to thwart the leaking, which angered Vindman.
I assume that Ellis is far from the only target of this sort of activity. That’s the way the left has consolidated its power over the years, and much of the process has flown under the radar.
The left is about power, power, and more power, and right now they’ve got plenty of it and they aim to make it impossible for the opposition to ever change that.
I remain, to this day, disappointed that Trump did not launch a purge of the executive branch. He was, after all, sent by the American people to Washington to “drain the swamp”.
It’s hard to drain the swamp when you’re up to you’re neck in alligators.
Especially since some of his own side are among the amphibians.
Plus, there is an infinite pipeline of swamp-critter refills.
Other than massive changes in Civil Service regs and court decisions, or a GOP that fights with the same rules the Democrats use, there isn’t much hope of getting the job done.
The Democrats are still okay with draining, because the refills work to their advantage.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/sec-s-gensler-removes-trump-appointed-chair-of-top-accounting-regulator/ar-AAKIIY7?ocid=msedgntp
Trump did try, the post says, removing 5 Obama appointees and replacing them.
AesopFan,
I understand all of the obstacles. But, if those obstacles cannot be overcome, then the United States of America is doomed.
Roy Nathanson (6:40 pm), no need for the “if . . . then” construction.
The United States of America is doomed.
AesopFan, I don’t know if you’ve read The Deep Rig by Patrick Byrne, and I’ve no way to confirm what’s in it, but it does go into some of the named and un-named backstabbing swamp creatures that President Trump had to deal with in his own inner circle. Two are named: his attorney Pat Cipollone and his CoS Mark Meadows (a backstabber I am ashamed to have voted for as my Representative). Rudy comes strongly across simply as a past-his-prime, out of touch drunk (yes, a drunk) who was the wrong person to lead the President’s post-election investigation of a what was an brazenly stolen election.
Neo – Have you read this book? Some of it may feel a bit like a conspiracy theory, but I no longer discredit ANY conspiracy theory that involves the left in general and the Democrat party in particular. And Byrne seems very credible to me.
@Telemachus:
“Rudy comes strongly across simply as a past-his-prime, out of touch drunk (yes, a drunk) who was the wrong person to lead the President’s post-election investigation of a what was an brazenly stolen election.”
This gels with what a data forensics guy (don’t have link) wrote back in December or January about his attempts to meet Giuliani and explain some lines of attack — apparently totally not receptive and not as sharp as he used to be. No surprises given age.
The Drunkard Rudy bit got me free-associating. He famously doesn’t drink, but in a weird way Trump was a kind of fun-house mirror Yeltsin who didn’t have the wit to find a Putin and Abramovich and instead listened to his dumbass daughter and the Slimy Jared.
Trump shone a light and brought aspects of the rot into sharp relief. He and his motley crew have nothing further left to offer.
Any other wisdom from Hong Kong?
Can Do! Zaphod Can Do!
Giuliani was stone-walled.
They all were.
They still are—in spite of the hoped-for success of some of the more recent attempts to crowbar open the numerous indications of massive electoral fraud in multiple states.
But the NEED to find a convenient scapegoat seems to remain a constant….
Anyway, FWIW, where Art turns a shining light on Reality…
…and Reality, returning the favor, in turn imitates Art….
https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/06/03/how-did-hamas-become-the-darling-of-the-west/
One day (maybe), scholars will try to figure out why/how in the age where “the people” had access to “the most information in history” evuh, that “the people” were able to be the “most duped in history”. Evuh.
(The answer, of course, is obvious—the Furies have flown the coop once more—but still….)
Related:
The “Treason” Chronicles –
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bovard-will-treason-mania-destroy-america
Contains many truths, but I think the author tries a bit too hard to be “even-handed” given the abuses that transformed into government policy since 2009 (and which have greatly increased since the Democratic Party coup in 2020).
“Plus, there is an infinite pipeline of swamp-critter refills.”
If there is no swamp for the critters to occupy it doesn’t matter how many refills are available. Trump, by himself, could not abolish extecutive agencies, no matter how much most deserve to be abolished; he could, however, refuse to sign budgets that included funding for one or two of the most egregious examples.
Would/could Congress overrule his veto? Probably, and, more likely, certainly. No doubt the Organized Crime Syndicate and their media minions would excoriate Trump, and by extension, anyone even remotely associated with someone who could spell “Republican,” but a stake would have been driven in that could serve as a future anchor.
Some agencies – the U.S. Dept. of “Education” comes to mind – simply beg to be done away with, mostly because there’s less than zero Constitutional endorsement for its existence, and the same amount of evidence for its accomplishments (which doesn’t mean those whose benefit and largesse come from the DOE would not mount a “protect our children” Desperation Drive to retain it).
The recent multi-trillion spending packages demonstrate a certain latent willingness in D.C. for a mildly grandiose severance package for the soon-to-be-former DOE employees directly affected, and it would afford the opportunity to re-examine DOE’s spending priorities and establish precedent for future similar efforts (for example, severance of one full year’s gross income deduction-free, a full year of entirely fed-paid health plan benefits and eliminating all personal federal tax liability for, say, 3 years, for DOE ex-employees*) would be an attention getter, not to mention be less expensive than an unlimited number of years of DOE taxpayer-fed industry handouts. It would also offer a chance to establish a lifetime prohibition on federal employment in any form – except military service – for all federal employees accepting the severance package, thereby preventing the common constant circulation and swamp replenishment we have now).
*Remember, Subchapter S corporations file on personal 1040s, so anyone covered by this who wanted to start a business would have a substantial advantage.
@Vincenzo:
“It would also offer a chance to establish a lifetime prohibition on federal employment in any form – except military service – for all federal employees accepting the severance package, thereby preventing the common constant circulation and swamp replenishment we have now).”
So you have a secret plan to destroy the military by loading it up with that pile of human refuse? 🙂
Seriously, Dude… Anything not *expressly prohibited* which is amenable to grift will happen. In Spades.
Give ’em some GTFO money, and the same gun-owning and voting rights as convicted felons and show them the door.