Amid the investigative and research questions over the past several years, there was always a question about who, within the Trump orbit, may have been subject to FISA court authorized surveillance during their activity in 2016.
Because they were initially the four targets of the FBI investigation, there was speculation Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos and/or Lt. General Michael Flynn were also subjects of Title-1 FISA Court authorized surveillance, in addition to Carter Page.
Today during his testimony, Inspector General Michael Horowitz specifically noted there was no other FISA application against any other campaign official. [See 05:23 of testimony to questions by Senator Chris Coons – prompted just hit play]:

“The only FISA we found existed was the one we have written about here as to Carter Page”…

That means all other FBI investigative evidence documented against Manafort, Papadopoulos, or Flynn had to come from some other method of surveillance.
This begs a significant question….
Carter Page was not associated with the campaign or transition after the election, so under what authority did the DOJ allow the Mueller team to gain access to all of the Trump transition emails, texts, electronic and phone communications?  (more…)

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing entitled “Examining the Inspector General’s Report on Alleged Abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act” will be held today at 10:00am Eastern.
Fox News Livestream Link – Fox Business Livestream – CBS Livestream

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It’s funny to watch this transparently predictable stuff play out in real time.
After Pelosi gives the nod for USMCA ratification in the House, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell declares he will not allow Senate support until he extracts his impeachment indulgency fees.

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr sits down with the Wall Street Journal to discuss the information released within the IG report on FBI 2016 election surveillance against candidate Trump; and FISA exploitation for use therein.

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U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr has sent the totality of the U.S. media into spasmodic fits of apoplexy today as he discusses the findings of the DOJ inspector general review of a highly corrupted FISA process.
The Attorney General talks about how the FBI weaponized their official duty in an effort to carry out what seems to be a political agenda.  Mr. Barr goes into detail with his thoughts on the current criminal review assigned to U.S. Attorney John Durham; and the unfortunate issues with a group at the top of the organization who politicized the FBI as an investigative agency and used an alliance of media assets to achieve political goals.

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Many people are writing and asking for my personal opinion of AG Bill Barr. I shall provide that below.
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Earlier today President Trump and Vice-President Pence hosted a family education roundtable at the White House.  There were also questions from the media [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much. The IG report just came out, and I was just briefed on it, and it’s a disgrace what’s happened with respect to the things that were done to our country. It should never again happen to another President. It is incredible. Far worse than I would have ever thought possible. And it’s — it’s an embarrassment to our country. It’s dishonest. It’s everything that a lot of people thought it would be, except far worse.
So I’m going to get some very detailed briefing — briefings. But they are — it’s a very sad — it’s a very sad day when I see that; a very sad day when a lot of people see that. They had no nothing. It was concocted. And you say what you want — that was a — probably something that’s never happened in the history of our country.
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Amid the predictive discussions by those who have followed the three-year background of the potential DOJ & FBI FISA issues, there was one very specific aspect CTH was looking for:  Would the IG report redact the dates of the Carter Page FISA application and renewals?
We got that answer today, and that answer, unfortunately, is yes:

Ask yourself what is the national security value in hiding those dates?  Why does the DOJ need to hide them?   Unfortunately the answer highlights an institutional decision.
On its face the dates seem like an overly granular question; perhaps even a small detail that few would notice.  However, for CTH readers that little detail exposes so much.
In 2018 Main Justice made a very specific decision, a very specific lie, that once told would forever set them on a path – from which there is no return.  It was during a time between July and December 2018 that CTH realized the DOJ had handcuffed themselves to a cover story; and that cover story foretold future conduct.
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Earlier this afternoon Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham held a press availability to discuss concerns with the Inspector General report.   Senator Graham outlines three key FBI moments (for him) within the IG report, that highlight demonstrable and intentional misconduct.

1. January 2017 the FBI contacted the Steele Dossier sub-source and was informed the dossier was remarkably unreliable, out of context, and full of “bar talk”.
2. January 2017 the FBI lied. Telling the FISA Court the sub-source validated the dossier as evidence in order to get a renewal; a claim they repeated in April.
3. June 2017 the CIA told FBI Lawyer Kevin Clinesmith that Carter Page was working for them; and then Clinesmith changed that notification so he could submit the last renewal.

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U.S. Attorney John Durham issued a statement contradicting a key and consequential  conclusion of Inspector General Michael Horowitz, and reads in part:

…”last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”

The reason for this conflict, and immediate rebuke by Durham, is stunningly clear on Page ii of the executive summary as highlighted below.  This is a very important element, and needs to be contemplated in its totality:
What inspector general Horowitz outlines in that key section is that: (A) he has reviewed everything, and talked to everyone (current and former) within the FBI; and (B) the ONLY evidence they FBI cited for the opening of Crossfire Hurricane is the singular conversation between George Papadopoulos and Australian Ambassador Alexander Downer and/or Downer’s asst. Erika Thompson.
That’s it.  Nothing else.
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U.S. Attorney John Durham is currently doing a criminal investigation into how the intelligence community, CIA, ODNI and DOJ/FBI originated the investigation of candidate Donald Trump.  U.S. Attorney Durham does not agree with the conclusions presented by Inspector General Horowitz:

“I have the utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff. However, our investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department.
Our investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”(link)