Russiagate indictments?
One of the worst things about Russiagate is that there’s been no accountability. Those involved are mostly doing quite well, thank you very much.
Another is that the ploy was effective. Please see this:
… 60% of Democratic voters still think “the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government to win the 2016 election”, according to the poll of 1,014 Likely Voters conducted on July 6-7.
A whopping 69 percent of liberal voters still cling to the Russia collusion hoax, compared to 27 percent of conservatives, and 45 percent of moderates. Among all voters, more believe it unlikely (49 percent) than likely (42 percent).
I could have saved the pollsters the trouble and told them that – except that I would have estimated the number of Russiagate believers to be even higher. At any rate, that’s why people produce and disseminate propaganda; it often works.
As far as consequences go, however, perhaps there finally will be some for the perps. Perhaps:
Solomon indicated that work has already been done on a scope memo, which would lay out the parameters for a special prosecutor’s authority. “There is an enormous opportunity for those of us who’ve been calling for accountability to see a path to it for the first time,” he said. “A legitimate path. Not smoke, not mirrors. A legitimate path to accountability.”
One of the potential focal points of the case, Solomon said, is the infamous meeting between then-CIA Director John Brennan and President Barack Obama in mid-July 2016. “That’s when Brennan walks into President Obama and says, ‘Hey, we have this intercepted information that Hillary Clinton has authorized a program to make it look like Donald Trump’s a Russian spy,’” Solomon recalled. “President Obama and Brennan knew before the FBI opened up on that information that this was a dirty trick by Hillary Clinton.”
From there, Solomon suggested, the conspiracy spanned multiple events, including the Trump-Russia hoax, the Ukraine impeachment, and even the FBI’s refusal to act on intelligence regarding Chinese interference in the 2020 election. “They didn’t want to help Donald Trump, so they ignored a potential counterintelligence threat,” he said. “It allows for a very large series of events to be wrapped into a single conspiracy.”
I wouldn’t sit on a hot stove until indictments are handed out. Also, even if the perps are convicted with airtight evidence, a very sizable percentage of the population will believe they were railroaded by a vindictive, dangerous, dictatorial, Russian-sponsored Trump.
NOTE: See also this for more details.
The Obama and Brennan connections to the scandal and their early awareness is politically and ethically very important. I suppose there may be criminal elements to that as well, though it’s a bit unclear to me what that is exactly, especially for Obama.
But the part that bugs me the most is where the FBI turns the whole NSA surveillance apparatus against the Trump campaign, and pushes it through the FISC. Does the FISC have any effectiveness whatsoever, or not? I consider that NSA apparatus to be extraordinarily dangerous, but we are supposed to think it is OK, because the FISC is watching over it.
Clearly, FBI people committed crimes, but proving it in court is another matter. I imagine that FISC judges will claim ignorance, and possibly they were. Although, the extreme opportunity for political mischief should have alarmed those judges, and apparently didn’t. Either that, or they are toothless.
Secondarily, my other big problem is when our intel people enlist friends in foreign intel agencies to assist in their domestic crimes on our soil. They may be familiar with this process for some “legitimate” intel actions, but Russiagate isn’t that.
As I’ve aged I’ve learned the hard way not to let perfection be the enemy of good enough. I would prefer there be nothing but wins and revelations (i.e. Epstein) but this is the first real news that somebody, anybody, might actually get perp-walked, and that’s what a lot of people – especially other malefactors – deserve to see.
Comey especially. Him and Strzok ooze corruption.
If true,Solomon should’ve remained silent and let Trump’s team spring the trap. Now, he’s given them a head’s up to start shredding papers and covering their butts, as well as lawyering up.
“Either that, or they are toothless.“
Or they are James Boasberg.
essentially they took ‘enemy of the state’ as a how to manual, using carter page, who had been one who had uncovered Russian agents, as a fulcrum point they did this for a year and a half, through three renewals, of course they didn’t get anything, John Solomon was one of those who actually followed the trail including the actual counterparties that the Dems relied on that were Russian apparats, like Uranium One acquired by Rusatom,
There are better odds of winning the Powerball Lottery than anyone going to jail over Russia Gate.
Ditto for anyone going to jail over the auto-pen scandal.
While both the above is or will be handled by the DOJ and FBI, any Republican led committee hearings about these two items will produce a report – that nobody will read or pay attention to – condemning and outlining the “bad” behavior and that’s it; nothing of real substance will result from any committee findings.
I suggest that the republicans had better think very diligently about what they must do to prevail in the upcoming 2026 elections for congressional seats.
>>Also, even if the perps are convicted with airtight evidence, a very sizable percentage of the population will believe they were railroaded by a vindictive, dangerous, dictatorial, Russian-sponsored Trump.
Do it anyway.
Make Obama an unindicted co-conspirator. That way he loses 5th Amendment rights and would have to testify in open court.
Oh, I think people began shredding papers and smashing hard drives shortly after the election results came in November.
Kate & Occasional Commenter:
I sadly agree that much/most evidence has already been destroyed.
I don’t trust AI, having seen its many problems.
But my best hopes would have been for AI to be good at catching political crimes.
I can recall endless discussions on FB comment lines. No amount of contradictory factual sources made the slightest difference. A pastor could only hope for that degree of certainty and belief in his congregation.
It is, I suspect, part of the individual’s self-image, to KNOW these things which makes them a Very Good Person. Can’t afford to acknowledge, even slightly, that they’re incorrect.
miguel cervantes – I’ve always maintained that Carter Page must be the most innocent man in America. They found backwards ways to indict everybody during Crossfire Hurricane . . . except him.
That said, I think this whole matter comes down to the same old discussion about the difference between bad behavior and crime. A lot of bad behavior, even very bad behavior, is not criminal. Also, not every abuse of power is a crime. At the same time, it is in no way an exoneration of one’s behavior that he or she are not charged with or convicted of a crime. “Not criminal” is a pitifully low bar for the behavior of politicians and public officials – a healthy republic should have much higher standards.
I suspect that’s what we have here. I very seriously doubt that Trump’s DOJ will be able to bring legitimate charges against Comey or Brennan because, while their behavior was grossly abusive and wrong, I have not seen any remotely convincing case that it was criminal. They also have significant statute of limitations issues because the conduct at issue took place nearly 10 years ago. I could see Trump responding in kind to his own treatment by trying to manufacture criminal charges against Comey or Brennan a la Bragg, Fani Willis, or Jack Smith, but I hope he does not. Two wrongs do not make a right. Also, Durham’s legitimate cases went down in flames before DC and northern Virginia juries. They would also make quick work of concocted cases from Trump’s DOJ and that would justify Comey and Brennan. Comey and Brennan would always be able to say that they were “exonerated” by a jury.
This investigation could do some good, however, if it simply reveals what Comey and Brennan did for posterity.
They knew they were committing fraud from their actions there was no evidence to the contrary but they handed little dribs and drabs to hacks like ioffe isikoff et al who still have not learned anything
Everything they have ever done has only wasted resources in counterintelligence among line prosecutors et al protecting the likes of the house of Rodham Obama et al
Besides Danchenko Fiona Hills* protege
Or George Nader** who they referenced 152 times as a witness then they indicted him,
*learned nothing from richard pipes
**his extracurriculars didnt stop him from participating in delicate negotiatings with the likes of george mitchell
The fact they were able to stagger this investigations for nine years
— JohnTyler
This^^^.
I’m all for investigations, both by Congress and the DOJ and other relevant parts of the government. It’s true that it’s highly unlikely that anybody will go to prison over any of it, but reputations and influence can be affected (and have been).
But it’s not primary. Neither is Epstein. Neither are any of the other side issues, major or minor. If you want to deal a blow to the ruling class that did this stuff, if you want to damage the ‘bad guys’, cut them off at the ass in 2026 and 2028. That’s the ball game.
So how does one do that if they operate on the base of hallucinations,
Their minions the senior members of the apparat know what they are doing
Never underestimate the power of the Democrats Propaganda Ministry. They pounded that Russian Collusion nightly.
That doesn’t let any on the conspirators off the hook. Some should be jailed and ruined.
I very seriously doubt that Trump’s DOJ will be able to bring legitimate charges against Comey or Brennan because, while their behavior was grossly abusive and wrong, I have not seen any remotely convincing case that it was criminal.
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Strange as it may seem to you, lying in sworn testimony before a congressional committee is a crime. In New York, ‘official misconduct’ is a crime. If there’s an analogous provision in federal criminal law, they can be prosecuted for that too.
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Art Deco – You’re funny. And you sound a lot like Jack Smith. Lying to Congress – OK, who lied to Congress? Was it within the last five years? (If not, it’s time-barred.) Did they say something demonstrably false, or just mislead with a statement that was technically true. (If it’s the latter, there’s no perjury, especially in front of a DC or northern Virginia jury.)
And if there actually was a federal “official misconduct” crime that fit, do you really think that Jack Smith would have had to indict Trump under sure-to-be-reversed theories of obstructing a government function and violating the civil rights of voters? Do you want to drag those theories out again for Brennan and Comey? (Maybe Jack Smith is available to prosecute.)
You’re wish-casting, the same was as the “Resistance.” (I.e., “the bad man must have committed a crime because he’s a bad man who did bad things.”)
Meanwhile, back in reality, things are never that simple or that neat. And, quite frankly, there are very good reasons why convicting your political opponents of a crime is neither simple nor neat.
Sigh you have learned nothing in nine years
They must be punished or they will do it again and again its not vengeance its accountability for their myriad abuses of power
Miguel cervantes – you sound exactly like a “resistance” member circa 2021.
“Make Obama an unindicted co-conspirator. That way he loses 5th Amendment rights and would have to testify in open court.”
Can’t convict him anyway of any of this because he was POTUS at the time. And any success at piercing that would permanently diminish the power of the Presidency, which Trump isn’t going to allow. Esp since he is likely to face prosecution after leaving office when the Dems retake the Presidency.
Can’t convict him anyway of any of this because he was POTUS at the time.
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You’re assuming his immunity for official acts would cover the abuse of power alleged.