[The Hill] FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign after Attorney General Jeff Sessions pressured him to remove Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Axios reported Monday.
Wray reportedly told Sessions that he would resign if McCabe was removed from his post, explosive allegations that will only increase attention on President Trump's interactions with the Justice Department.
Sessions also allegedly told White House counsel Don McGahn about Wray’s response to the pressure for him to fire McCabe. McGahn replied by telling Sessions that McCabe wasn’t worth losing Wray, according to Axios.
If Wray had resigned, he would be the second FBI director to leave President Trump's administration, after Trump fired James Comey.
Trump interviewed McCabe to replace Comey, but eventually tapped Wray to take over as director.
White House spokesman Raj Shah said that Trump "believes politically-motivated senior leaders including former Director Comey and others he empowered have tainted the agency’s reputation for unbiased pursuit of justice."
#2
If Wray threatened to resign he should be fired immediately. As Trump's appointee Trump will be blamed for everything Wray does.
McCabe seems to be implicated in the growing FBI scandals. Whether he is or not, his position makes him responsible for what has gone on, which has seriously harmed the FBI.
With McCabe in place, who can investigate these scandals?
It looks like Wray has to go and the sooner the better for everyone.
Posted by: Daniel ||
01/23/2018 2:40 Comments ||
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#3
Sessions should fire him and then resign himself. All these matters should be handled without drama before hand.
#6
Exactly. Accept the resignation, effective immediately and march is stupid ass out the door.
Make sure his replacement knows he needs to play ball or he will be fired. Anybody found blocking investigations will be jailed for contempt and charged with obstruction.
#7
Any employee that has threatened to quit should be "allowed" to resign on the spot. You will never be able to trust them from pulling that again. And no one is irreplacable - period. It should happen on the spot with no wait time - don't give them a chance to warn others, etc. And that way it's a resignation, not a termination so no unemployment compensation. I followed that practice for 30 years as a manager an have never regretted it.
Note - that presumes that you haven't asked them to do something illegal or unethical of course!
Posted by: Albert Gloluth2266 ||
01/23/2018 13:42 Comments ||
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#8
Show him the door...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/23/2018 13:50 Comments ||
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#9
This just in from RedState: FBI Director Chris Wray announced Tuesday that his chief of staff, James Rybicki, is leaving the bureau.
Rybicki, who served in the same position under former FBI Director James Comey, had come under scrutiny from Republicans in recent months about his role in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
Federal law enforcement sources told Fox News that Rybicki was not fired. His departure, they said, has “been in the works for awhile.”
“Jim Rybicki notified me last month that he will be leaving the FBI to accept an opportunity in the corporate sector,” Wray said in a statement. “While this is an exciting move for the whole Rybicki family, Jim will be dearly missed by the FBI family – and by me personally.”
Wray added: “His many years of dedication to the bureau and DOJ, his level-headed judgement and earnest professionalism, and his steady good cheer have been an asset to us all and have contributed greatly to the safety and security of our nation.”
The FBI director said he tapped attorney Zachary Harmon to replace Rybicki.
FBI Director Chris Wray says chief of staff Jim Rybicki is leaving for job in the private sector. He will be replaced by Zachary Harmon. Wray and Harmon worked together at law firm King & Spalding.
Yep, when you don’t want the guy’s departure to be a big story you totally announce it on Monday.
There have been several reports that Jeff Sessions wanted Christopher Wray to “clean house” at the FBI. Deputy director Andrew McCabe is waiting to retire in March. The general counsel, James Baker, has been removed from his position. Now the chief of staff is out the door. I can’t imagine Peter Strzok’s boss, Bill Priestap, survives because he either knew or should have know of his number two’s partisanship.
Maybe some of the scum on the swamp is being stirred at least.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/23/2018 15:38 Comments ||
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[Free Beacon] Chelsea Manning tweeted Monday that she previously "took up an opportunity" to gather intelligence on fascists and the so-called alt-right without elaborating further, adding that she is running for the U.S. Senate in Maryland because the "world should be better for everyone."
Manning‐who earlier this month announced her bid to challenge Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in the Democratic primary this June‐wrote on Twitter that fascists and the alt-right "peddle" a threatening ideology and do not deserve a platform. She added that she has gathered intelligence on them, without explaining how or when she went about it.
[Politico] Liberal activists are furious with Democratic senators after most of them agreed to reopen the federal government without a firm path to shielding young immigrants from deportation. Let the 'fury' continue with ever increasing levels of zeal and enthusiasm.
As the third day of the shutdown dawned, liberal advocates and immigration groups fired off a joint statement blasting as "unacceptable" Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s offer merely to hold a vote on immigration ‐ with no promises for action from the House or White House ‐ in exchange for Democratic votes to reopen the government. But three hours later, Democratic senators agreed to just those terms ‐ sparking anger on the left.
"Millions of people flooded the streets of every major American city to stand up to Trump this weekend," tweeted Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the influential activist network Indivisible. "Your constituents want you to fight. How can you possibly not understand that?"
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday argued Democrats secured critical assurance for Dreamers, who are at risk for deportation as soon as March after President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Those saying Senate Democrats got nothing and caved on the shutdown are wrong. Unless you consider POTUS autographed MAGA hats “nothing”
Posted by: Matt ||
01/23/2018 8:53 Comments ||
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#4
I am constantly astounded by the nerve of these so-called dreamers. Imagine crossing illegally the border of any other country (except Germany but especially Mexico) and making the kinds of demands these people make.
But Schumer read the polls and with mid term elections on the way he knew the blame for the shutdown was going to be on him and his fellow Democrats. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and that's what Schumer did.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/23/2018 11:27 Comments ||
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#7
The shutdown (without Obama-style erecting fences and adding guards to keep people away from public monuments) would show how bloated and unnecessary the bulk of the government is. That's something the Dems don't want to advertise.
[FOX] Reps. Trey Gowdy and John Ratcliffe join FNC's Martha McCallum to talk about another newly released text message between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. This time, Strzok implies a "secret society" of federal agents worked to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president. It's already been "explained." What we now need are believers.
"It is possible these text messages that are missing, perhaps they really were lost. Perhaps it is another strange coincidence," Ratcliffe said. "It is harder and harder for us to explain one strange coincidence after another."
"We know that Strzok and Page had an intense anti-Trump bias," he said. "And that's OK, so long as they check it at the door and do their job. We learned today in the thousands of text messages we have reviewed, that perhaps they may not have done that. We know about this 'insurance policy' that was referenced trying to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president."
Ratcliffe continued: "We learned today about information that in the immediate aftermath of his election, there may have been a 'secret society' of folks within the Department of Justice and the FBI, to include Page and Strzok, working against him. I'm not saying that actually happened, but when folks speak in those terms, they need to come forward to explain the context."
#3
The following was posted yesterday by someone with the screen name 'Joe of the Jungle.' I suspect he has well nailed it. I hope he continues to post his insights:
#4 Here is what we now know, per intelligence gleaned form federal law enforcement sources with insider knowledge of what amounts to a plot by U.S. intelligence agencies to secure back door and illegal wiretaps of President Trump’s associates:
Six U.S. agencies created a stealth task force, spearhead by CIA’s Brennan, to run domestic surveillance on Trump associates and possibly Trump himself.
To feign ignorance and to seemingly operate within U.S. laws, the agencies freelanced the wiretapping of Trump associates to the British spy agency GCHQ.
The decision to insert GCHQ as a back door to eavesdrop was sparked by the denial of two FISA Court warrant applications filed by the FBI to seek wiretaps of Trump associates.
GCHQ did not work from London or the UK. In fact the spy agency worked from NSA’s headquarters in Fort Meade, MD with direct NSA supervision and guidance to conduct sweeping surveillance on Trump associates.
The illegal wiretaps were initiated months before the controversial Trump dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.
The Justice Department and FBI set up the meeting at Trump Tower between Trump Jr., Manafort and Kushner with controversial Russian officials to make Trump’s associates appear compromised.
Following the Trump Tower sit down, GCHQ began digitally wiretapping Manafort, Trump Jr., and Kushner.
After the concocted meeting by the Deep State, the British spy agency could officially justify wiretapping Trump associates as an intelligence front for NSA because the Russian lawyer at the meeting Natalia Veselnitskaya was considered an international security risk and prior to the June sit down was not even allowed entry into the United States or the UK, federal sources said.
By using GCHQ, the NSA and its intelligence partners had carved out a loophole to wiretap Trump without a warrant. While it is illegal for U.S. agencies to monitor phones and emails of U.S. citizens inside the United States absent a warrant, it is not illegal for British intelligence to do so. Even if the GCHQ was tapping Trump on U.S. soil at Fort Meade.
The wiretaps, secured through illicit scheming, have been used by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election, even though the evidence is considered “poisoned fruit.”
Posted by: Joe of the Jungle || 01/22/2018 12:49 Comments || Top||
#5
And no wonder President Trump 'took a pass' on visiting the opening of the new US Embassy in London.
I'm doubtful of NSA involvement. Unless he stumbled upon an internal rogue project, the DIRNSA's (Admiral Rogers) visit to Trump Towers would seem somewhat counter-intuitive.
[TheBlackSphere] The Democrats may pretend to care about the tired, poor, huddled masses, yearning to be free. But when it comes to saving American lives over that of illegals, Democrats draw the line!
A NYC councilman and nearly 300 other protesters blocked ambulances trying to get sick people to the hospital. All in protest over an illegal alien battling deportation being held at the hospital.
And following the arrests, Ydanis Rodriguez tweeted this photo of himself.
He’s seen crying outrage over the way he was treated for trying to protect human rights for an illegal, while putting sick people in ambulances in danger.
[ConservativeTreehouse] CTH has been pointing out this shadowy figure for almost a year. Today, his appearance in Text Messages, explains why...
W.H. "Bill" Priestap is the FBI Head of Counterintelligence. Priestap was one of the first FBI officials who caught our attention (spring of 2017) because FBI Director James Comey mysteriously pointed a finger upon him during testimony to congress on March 20th, 2017 [Although Comey didn’t use Bill Priestap’s name, only his position].
James Comey said last year the reason the FBI did not inform congress of the ongoing eight month counterintelligence investigation (required by congressional intelligence oversight), which began in July 2016 into candidate Donald Trump, was because Bill Priestap specifically told Director Comey not to inform congress or intelligence oversight.
That March 20th, 2017, Comey testimony -and the exponential ramifications therein- largely remained under the radar until late last year when Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes and the Office of Inspector General began presenting information that painted a very disturbing picture of the DOJ/FBI motive to keep their suspicious activity hidden.
As a result of growing concern surrounding the political endeavors of the Dept. of Justice, Devin Nunes included FBI Asst. Director Bill Priestap in his witness demand to the DOJ. According to the response letter provided by Asst. AG Rod Rosenstein, Priestap will be presented to the House Intelligence Committee soon for questioning.
Yesterday, a key aspect of Bill Priestap surfaced, in a semi-related matter, surrounding the Clinton email investigation. Continues.
#2
g(r)om - From an impressive 'Joe of Jungle' post yesterday.
Six U.S. agencies created a stealth task force, spearhead by CIA’s Brennan, to run domestic surveillance on Trump associates and possibly Trump himself.
To feign ignorance and to seemingly operate within U.S. laws, the agencies freelanced the wiretapping of Trump associates to the British spy agency GCHQ.
#3
"Taxation without representation." Get in line behind the District of Columbia and a legion of military serving overseas who's applications and ballots mysteriously seem to vanish in so many votes.
#7
Sadly, there has to be a first test case, so some patriot has to step up and let CalDoJ arrest him for criminal prosecution. Then the fireworks can start and the whole sordid leadership of the state can see their arrogance brought before SCOTUS. When that happens a groundswell of financial and moral support must happen for the first person arrested by these treasonous bast*rds!
#8
Above comment refers to the parallel promise by CA AG to prosecute anyone reporting illegals as well as to the first county clerk/registrar of voters that turns an illegal in for voter fraud!
[InformationLiberation] Democratic Rep Adam Schiff told CNN on Saturday the much-hyped FISA memo which Republicans say shows "KGB" level corruption on the part of the Department of Justice should stay secret because American's don't have enough context to understand it.
He also said the Twitter campaign #ReleaseTheMemo was not driven by actual concerns on the part of the public but instead Russian bots.
Transcript:
CABRERA: Let me ask you about the Russia investigation. I can't have you here and not. Especially given how much we talked about it in the first year of the presidency. And now if you turn on any conservative media, they keep talking about this Nunez memo, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, that he's put out there and many Republicans have taken a look at it and they want it made public. Can you tell us what exactly is it?
SCHIFF: It is essentially a set of talking points that the Republican intel staff drafted, based on the highly classified materials which most of the Republican members were forced to acknowledge. They've not even read. So they don't know how distorted these talking points are. But as part of the narrative they want to push out. Interestingly enough, they've made common cause once again with Russian bots because Russian bots are pushing their narrative out there. It's in a redux of the campaign. We have Assange and WikiLeaks and Russian trolls and bots saying, you know, hash tag whatever the GOP narrative is. That ought to tell you a lot about what's driving this. And that is --
(CROSSTALK)
CABRERA: Why not allow peel to look at it and let Americans make the decision for themselves about whether it's useful information or not?
SCHIFF: Well, because the American people, unfortunately, don't have the underlying materials and therefore they can't see how distorted and misleading this document is. The Republicans are not saying make the underlying materials available to the public. They just want to make this spin available to the public. I think that spin, which is a fulsome attack on the FBI, is just designed to attack the FBI and Bob Mueller to circle the wagons for the White House. And that's a terrible disservice to the people, hard-working people at the bureau, but more than that, it's a disservice to the country. Vid at link.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy ||
01/23/2018 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Won't understand it? I suspect Schiff is afraid that we will understand it, and all too well.
#6
not only will the American people not be able to understand the context, they will not be able to understand Schiff's rebuttal of it as thrust upon them by the press.
no, they need to be replaced by a new set of people, people who will respect Schiff's opinion of everything over their own.
Posted by: Daniel ||
01/23/2018 3:06 Comments ||
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#7
I'm impressed with the ability of the Democratic Party to come up with all these douchebags. Posted by Raj
An inaccurate metaphor. You've referenced a useful device which provides a necessary service.
[The Hill] Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday announced the Justice Department will investigate missing text messages sent between two FBI agents critical of President Trump, joining the chorus of Republican lawmakers who are eager to recover the exchange.
GOP officials have seized on the messages as evidence of FBI bias against Trump in the probes into Russian election meddling and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of State.
“We will leave no stone unturned to confirm with certainty why these text messages are not now available to be produced and will use every technology available to determine whether the missing messages are recoverable from another source," Sessions said in a statement.
He is on to something though. I would not put it past the "secret society" to go to that extreme. After all, having Trump as POTUS means the leftist paradise with Hillary would have guaranteed these apparatiks special treatment and in some cases a demonstration of what Lenin meant by "useful idiot".
#9
Call in the Federal Marshal's Service and have them sequester evidence and conduct the investigation.
Posted by: Albert Gloluth2266 ||
01/23/2018 13:44 Comments ||
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#10
Today, "A high-ranking FBI official confirms a number of the missing 50,000 FBI text messages — as well as other text and email messages among FBI brass — reportedly discussed initiating physical harm to President Donald Trump."
Posted by: Joe of the jungle ||
01/23/2018 16:44 Comments ||
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#11
Appears to be sourced from 'True Pundit' below.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[InformationLiberation] Democratic Rep Adam Schiff told CNN on Saturday the much-hyped FISA memo which Republicans say shows "KGB" level corruption on the part of the Department of Justice should stay secret because American's don't have enough context to understand it.
