Last week, the firm behind the contract for the Russian Dossier, Fusion GPS, requested that a U.S. District judge block congressional investigators from access, via a previous subpoena, to its bank records. The judge gave the House Intelligence Committee lawyers and Fusion GPS a week to see if they could work out a mutual agreement on the production of the records.
Yesterday the attorneys for Fusion GPS and the House Intelligence Committee agreed to terms for releasing the bank records.  The intel committee will receive the bank records to continue their investigation, but the documents will be sealed from public scrutiny:
[scribd id=362870671 key=key-dEKnARTWraVaAkzejfyv mode=scroll]
During the week-long negotiations between Fusion GPS and congressional lawyers, multiple funding sources were mysteriously leaked.   One of the leaks showed The Washington Free Beacon and billionaire Paul Singer initially contracted with Fusion GPS in 2015 for initial opposition research against candidate Donald Trump, seemingly for the benefit of WFB and Singer’s preferred candidate Marco Rubio. That commissioned research ended in March/April of 2016 when it was clear that Rubio could not win the nomination.
(more…)

The leak from a sealed grand jury indictment within the special counsel Robert Mueller investigation, writ large, has everyone a-twitter…  Perhaps, a reminder is in order.
First lesson from the DC Swamp – Everything is about politics.  It’s not about the law; it’s not about the judiciary; it’s not about what’s legal, or the illegality of behavior;  only politics.  These are not legal issues; the entities involved are not connected to legal or illegal application of laws as they relate to the rest of American society.

You cannot view the current action through the transactional prism of modern judicial proceedings as they relate to you and me. These are political cases that use the venue of the legal system.  They use the legal system to play out the optics and narrative of political battles for ideological wins and losses.
The closest reminder you might have familiarity with would be the case against George Zimmerman (never about the legal system); or the case against officer Darren Wilson; again, it was never about the legal system.  Those were political cases run through the matrix of the legal system.  So too is this entire DC partisan dysfunctional investigative construct -surrounding all of the current DC cases- not about the application of law, it is about politics. Period.
The notification from the FBI through the DOJ -to allow the unknown 2010 FBI witness to testify to congress about the Uranium One investigation- has initiated a responsive action from Robert Mueller to save and use his political leverage.  This is not about laws broken; this is about political leverage to be retained.
(more…)

Washington (CNN) A federal grand jury in Washington, DC, on Friday approved the first charges in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to sources briefed on the matter.
The charges are still sealed under orders from a federal judge. Plans were prepared Friday for anyone charged to be taken into custody as soon as Monday, the sources said. It is unclear what the charges are. A spokesman for the special counsel’s office declined to comment. (read more)

(Article Link) – (Tweet Link)

First wave of arrests to begin on Monday?
(more…)

Fox News host Brett Baier holds an extensive interview with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to discuss current headline issues:

A few media reports are all confirming the initial funding for the Fusion GPS opposition research against candidate Donald Trump came from The Washington Free Beacon and the previously undisclosed underwriter for the WFB, billionaire Paul Singer.

This makes sense because WFB was the primary conservative media advocate for candidate Marco Rubio who was also backed by billionaire Paul Singer. The primary editor of WFB Matthew Continetti is married to the daughter of notorious NeverTrumper Bill Kristol:

WASHINGTON – Lawyers for the conservative publication Washington Free Beacon informed the House Intelligence Committee Friday that the organization was the original funder for the anti-Trump opposition research project with Fusion GPS. (link)

The Washington Free Beacon did not reveal their ownership, however both Breitbart and Daily Caller are confirming the financial underwriting for WFB comes from Paul Singer. The WFB is now attempting to explain their opposition research HERE.
It’s a rather odd dynamic to discover that a media outlet would be purchasing a contract for opposition research, no?  Then again, the majority of the electorate have no idea how the right-side of the political continuum is engaged in pushing an ideological agenda – they are not just reporting facts.  WFB should lose all journalistic credibility; they won’t, but they should.
(more…)

There is a tremendous amount of obfuscation coming from democrats after the revelation that Hillary Clinton and the DNC paid Fusion GPS to contract Christoper Steele to create the now infamous “Dossier”.  One of the most significant falsehoods is that the dossier origins began with an unknown GOP entity within the primary.  This narrative is entirely false.
The “Russian Dossier” did not begin assembly until after it was commissioned by Hillary Clinton and the DNC (June 2016).  Prior to that Fusion GPS was simply doing opposition research on behalf of a Trump opponent (stopped April 2016).

We likely know, with great confidence, exactly who that 2016 originating Trump opponent was. Thanks to: the timing, the originating entities, the associations and the player networks behind the 2015 GOP road map splitter strategy.  I’ll get to that aspect later.
First it’s important to frame a correct baseline.  Fusion GPS was doing commissioned opposition research.  AFTER April 2016, the Clinton Campaign and DNC then began financing Fusion GPS to create the “Russian Dossier”.  Christopher Steele began in June 2016 – The “Russian dossier” did not start assembly until commissioned by Clinton and the DNC.  This distinction is important.

(Via WaPo) … [Marc E.] Elias and his law firm, Perkins Coie, retained the firm [GPS Fusion] in April 2016 on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC. Before that agreement, Fusion GPS’s research into Trump was funded by a still unknown Republican client during the GOP primary.
The Clinton campaign and the DNC, through the law firm, continued to fund Fusion GPS’s research through the end of October 2016, days before Election Day.

It should be noted that the New York Times had this story (the DNC/Clinton’s funding the dossier) a year prior and did not report on it because the DNC attorney, Marc E. Elias, outright denied it.
(more…)

Well, this is interesting.  Tucker Carlson revealed some stunning information tonight on his TV show.  Former Trump Campaign CEO Paul Manafort worked for John and Tony Podesta, while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, and assisted in gaining Russian benefits via influence over State Department policy.
…And there’s much, much more. WATCH:

There’s a myriad of angles within this that must be reviewed prior to absorbing content.

First, do not think the Washington Post is ever going to frame a damaging article against the Clinton’s or DNC; it is beyond their inherent ideology to do so.  Therefore the motive of any media expose’ must be kept in mind.
Second, while the article itself states the Clinton Campaign and the DNC paid Fusion GPS to contract Christopher Steele, the researcher and dossier author, the article also tries to lend some credibility toward the content therein.  This is another possible angle.

Third, the judge in case of the congressional subpoena into Fusion GPS bank records -to discover the funding of the dossier- gave Fusion GPS until Friday of this week to work out an agreement with congress that would eliminate the need for a judicial decision.  It is entirely possible this WaPo article was advanced by a risk averse Fusion GPS in order to dilute the need for the bank record inquiry.  No doubt the bank records would contain far more information than just the Clinton Campaign and DNC.
Fourth, with #3 in mind, and considering this report is from within the Washington Post, there is a strong possibility the other finance mechanisms for the dossier might include the U.S. government (FBI and CIA).  Additionally likely – knowing the WaPo has a history of defending, and working on behalf of, the intelligence community.
Fifth, the sourcing within the Washington Post article is weak, vague and disingenuous with verbiage such as: “people familiar with the matter”, “according to those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity”, “people involved in the matter“, etc.  Notice how the term “matter” repeats.  That familiar term is frequent throughout the article.
As to the substance:
(more…)

More MAGA winning today as another senatorial blockage in the swamp is cleared. Senator Jeff Flake announces he will not seek reelection.

Toodles !

Senator Jeff Flake told The Arizona Republic ahead of his announcement that he has become convinced “there may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party.” Gee, ya think?
(more…)

If you thought paying for four simultaneous committee investigations into the vast 2016 ‘muh Russia’ conspiracy was enough effort for your money; well hold on… they’re not done…
Not only did DC throw in a special counsel investigation, just because your worth it; but they’re not done yet…  For a limited time, if you act fast, you too can own another brand new set of joint committee investigations tailored only for this special Flak and Countermeasures offer. Act know, because this offering will surely last forever.
That’s right, House Republicans have opened a joint investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the lawmakers announced Tuesday. Brilliant. Congress, via the House, will now be investigating the investigators; and if we’re lucky, and if Bob Corker can double the value prior to departure, the Senate will soon follow and investigate the investigation of the investigators.

How lucky are we? Six, that’s right, SIX launched congressional investigations, with the possibility of two more coming soon. Allow yourself to relax and forget you don’t have healthcare coverage; forget “Repeal and Replace”. Enjoy the freedom from focusing on those pesky “budgety things”; sip slowly… ah yes, the joyful life of willful ambivalence where worries of tax reform simply melt away into the obsequity of the swamp.
The just announced probes will be conducted by two congressional panels responsible for overseeing the Justice Department and government operations in general. The investigators will review then-FBI Director James Comey’s various decisions pertaining to the Clinton investigation, such as his unusual announcement that she should not face indictment. But they will also review whether the Justice Department erred in its handling of investigations pertinent to President Trump’s campaign.
(more…)