Margot Cleveland has an interesting article in The Federalist today outlining how the DOJ (Mueller) investigation of Christopher Steele was dropped [READ HERE]. Essentially the article outlines how Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley sent a criminal referral of Chris Steele to Rosenstein/Mueller in January 2018; however the case was used as a shield to ward-off FOIA inquiry, but the case was never actually pursued – and eventually dropped.

At the time of the 2018 referral CTH noted the Grassley/Graham referral was not what it appeared [See Here].  Additionally, with hindsight and a greater understanding of the Mueller team corruption, we can see how this specific referral hits the center of the FBI intent around their Russia collusion-conspiracy.
The issue surrounds the October 2016 Carter Page FISA application and how the Steele Dossier was used therein.
When the stories first broke about the Steele Dossier being the majority of the FBI evidence (December 2017), the FBI investigators were claiming they were never aware of Chris Steele shopping his dossier to the media.  However, at the same time Glenn Simpson was testifying to congress that the FBI knew Chris Steele was shopping the dossier.
SIDE NOTE: The need for everyone to see what Fusion-GPS (Glenn Simpson) was saying is the reason why Dianne Feinstein “accidentally” released the Simpson transcript (remember, she had a cold).  Feinstein released the transcript five days after the Graham/Grassley referral.  Democrats knew everyone needed to be on the same page and reading from the same manuscript. I digress…
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Representative Mark Meadows appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss his recent conversation with Inspector General Michael Horowitz and how that pertains to the upcoming inspector general report on FISA abuse.
In addition to criminal referrals from HPSCI ranking member Devin Nunes, Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan recently visited with IG Horowitz and foresees future criminal referrals coming as an outcome of the IG investigation.

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After three years of research, CTH is confident we are closing in on the current White House “insider” who is working on a collaborative Machiavellian program to assist the deep state…. stay tuned.
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During a rather innocuous podcast discussion panel yesterday, one of President Trump’s personal lawyers Jay Sekulow mentioned the FBI had three FISA applications denied by the FISA court in 2016. [Podcast Here – Note comment at 25:05]   The denials were always suspected; however, until now no-one in/around the administration has ever confirmed.
Jay Sekulow did not expand on his statement and did not explain where the information was derived from; however, if accurate this may explain the backstory to why FISA Judge Rudolph Contreras was recused.  This issue has been nagging many people since the recusal notation in December 2017.

On November 30th, 2017, Mike Flynn signed a guilty plea; ostensibly admitting lying to investigators.  The plea was accepted by Judge Rudolph Contreras; who is also a FISA court judge.  Six days later, December 7th, 2017, Judge Contreras “was recused” from the case without explanation.

(Reuters) The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judge presiding over the criminal case for President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has been recused from handling the case, a court spokeswoman said on Thursday.  (read more)

The only two significant things that happened between the initial Mike Flynn plea hearing and the recusal from Judge Contreras was:

#1) The stories about anti-Trump FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his involvement with Fusion-GPS and Christopher Steele (keep this in mind as it pertains to FISC presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer); and

#2) FBI Director Chris Wray appearing before the House Judicial Committee and hearing Representative Jim Jordan demand to see the 2016 FISA application.

In fact, Judge Contreras was recused only a few hours after that House Judicial Committee hearing. The story was memory-holed into the concentric whirlpool of nothingness.  However, if what Jay Sekulow describes is true, and one of the denied FISA applications was against Mike Flynn, some of the issues reconcile.
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President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani appears on Fox News today to outline the case for a spying and surveillance conspiracy against candidate Trump; and then later the same group moved to frame president-elect and President Trump for the non existent crime of collusion.

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The ninth circuit court of appeals has ruled unanimously in favor of staying an earlier ruling from Federal Judge Richard Seeborg which blocked President Trump from returning illegal aliens (economic migrants) to Mexico pending their asylum hearing.
The repatriation/deportation program can continue. A major win for President Trump

(Via Associated Press) 4:45 p.m. – A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a judge’s order that would have stopped the Trump administration from returning asylum seekers to Mexico.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay Friday.  (link)

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Global economics, and the way the financial media spin, can be funny at times.  On one hand the pretentious global community scoffs at American Exceptionalism and claims the U.S. is only one country amid a international community of equals; on the other hand the reality of the U.S. being the leading economy in the world, and their need to retain access therein, slaps them in the face like a cold fish…
Investment capital flows to the location of highest return.  Amid the U.S. MAGAnomic growth; global investment is inbound to the USA.  The EU and Asia are in a period of low to stagnant growth…  lots of high-brow teeth gnashing.  To make matters worse, Trump is leveraging their weakness against them as he renegotiates reciprocal trade deals.

The G20 IMF and World Bank’s 2019 Annual Spring Meetings of finance ministers (fancy name to describe Mnuchin’s job) is taking place in Washington DC.  The finance ministers are stomping their feet at horrible Trump hoarding all the economic growth.

(Reuters) […] Policymakers from the Group of 20 industrialized countries are worried that the weakness evident in key economies could spread, especially if elevated trade tensions, such as those between the United States and China, escalate further.

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Earlier today President Trump tweeted his support for a plan to use sanctuary cities to house border crossers pending their asylum hearings:

In response to the tweet, President Trump was ask for additional commentary during a White House event to support 5G infrastructure development:
[Transcript] Q — can you tell us your plans about sanctuary cities and illegal migrants? (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you know, the people that are putting sanctuary cities where they’re not even wanted — because as you know, in California and other places, a lot of communities want to get out of sanctuary cities; they don’t want them. But they always seem to have open arms.
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Bloomberg News has an interesting story today describing remarks delivered by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. According to Jennifer Jacobs the DAG told the audience at a private Metropolitian Club lunch the Mueller Report will highlight the primary investigative focus of “Russian Cyber Crimes”.

If this report is accurate, and CTH believes it is, this goes a long way to explaining why U.K. authorities moved now to throw a bag over Julian Assange. First the report:

(Bloomberg) Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Friday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report describes Russian cybercrimes during the 2016 election.
The report, which is expected to be released soon, will clear up questions about the Russian campaign to interfere in the election President Donald Trump won, Rosenstein said in a speech given to a private group at the Metropolitan Club of Washington, according to three people in attendance.

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Finally…. F.i.n.a.l.l.y, Devin Nunes outlines the origin of the spying operation as it began in 2015 and extended into 2016.  During an interview to discuss his criminal referrals to Attorney General Barr [see here] Devin Nunes outlines the big picture.  WATCH:

[Transcript @02:08] Devin Nunes:  “Well Sean, let’s just, let me make it as clear as I possibly can. Okay, and now, thank God, we have an attorney general who calls spying for what it is.”
“In late 2015, early 2016, spying began on the Trump campaign.”
“That information leaked; that led to, what they consider to be, “legal spying” that began, that they’ve acknowledged that they started doing in the end of July; you just had Carter Page on; they considered that all “legal spying.”

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Trey Gowdy appears on Fox News to discuss the current issues and political arguments around “spying” -vs- “wiretaps and surveillance”.  This interview is not quite as noteworthy as one Gowdy gave yesterday… however, the notation about someone wearing a wire into the Trump campaign is interesting. Both interviews are worth watching/mining:

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Last night Trey Gowdy gave an interview that was much more interesting.  In last nights interview Gowdy discusses the two-page EC and FBI origination documents he reviewed where the “Trump Campaign” was outlined as the target:
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