Disturbing follow-up to this story; and, well, this doesn’t speak too highly of Capitol Hill Security:
WASHINGTON – […] The U.S. Capitol Police Board is conducting an internal investigation into how someone without a press credential – and on a watch list – was able to slip into the secure area and get so close to the president. This was a monumental f—up,” a senior congressional security source told Fox News.
Apparently, prior to the Washington Post revealing the DNC and Clinton Campaign paid for the “Russian Dossier”, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (DNC) and John Podesta (campaign) testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee they knew nothing about who and how the Steele Dossier was financed…
…but wait, it gets better.
Sitting beside John Podesta when he gave his Senate testimony was, wait for it,.. attorney Marc Elias. Yup, the campaign and DNC lawyer who actually wrote the checks to Fusion GPS to pay Christopher Steele. Whoopsie.
(Via CNN) Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta and former Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz both privately denied to congressional Russia investigators that they had any knowledge about an arrangement to pay for opposition research on President Donald Trump, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The interviews happened before this week’s disclosure that the Clinton campaign and DNC paid for the research. Senate investigators may seek to further question the two top Democrats and dig deeper on the origins of the so-called Trump dossier, one of the sources briefed on the matter said.
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In the 48 hours since the Washington Post outlined the financial backing for the Christopher Steele “Russian Dossier” as the Hillary Clinton campaign and DNC, the Democrat apparatus writ large has been trying to obfuscate and distance themselves from it. Yesterday Clinton campaign Spokesman Brian Fallon denied his knowledge of the campaign financing Fusion GPS for the commissioned dossier contract.
Today, in the latest laughable attempt at dodge-ball Hillary Clinton is now stating she didn’t know her campaign was paying for it:
(NYT) […] Officials from the Clinton campaign and the D.N.C. have said they were unaware that Perkins Coie facilitated the research on their behalf, even though the law firm was using their money to pay for it.
Even Mrs. Clinton only found about Mr. Steele’s research after Buzzfeed published the dossier, according to two associates who discussed the matter with her. They said that she was disappointed that the research — as well as the fact that the F.B.I. was looking into connections between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia — was not made public before Election Day. (read more – link)
The reason the financing of the dossier is ultimately so relevant is because it shreds the entire narrative that the Russians were trying to help candidate Donald Trump.
A strong, heck, even a moderate application of common sense would accept that the dossier was created to undermine candidate Trump, to the benefit of Hillary Clinton, and the publication of the generally refuted and debunked material post-election was only intended to undermine the presidency of Donald Trump.
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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:
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Sometimes there’s a level of irony that goes beyond the normal boundaries of ordinary irony and simultaneously creates a tear in the space-time continuum of DC hypocrisy; this is one such example.
Representative Frederica Wilson, a devoted member of the professional grievance club, has been at the epicenter of a story surrounding the death of Sergeant La David Johnson in Niger ever since Wilson politicized the bereavement call of President Trump, and the bereavement of Sgt. Johnson’s widow, her constituent, Myeshia Johnson.
Representative Wilson has also claimed she was unaware of why we are carrying out military engagements in Niger, and has called the mission “President Trump’s Benghazi“.
Given that level of expressed outrage it might surprise people to know that it was Representative Frederica Wilson who personally constructed H.R. 3383 / S.1632, joint House and Senate legislation that directs the State Department and Dept of Defense to execute military missions in Niger. Yes, in 2016 Wilson demanded military campaigns in the same place Wilson claims not to know about in 2017.
From her own 2016 press release:Washington, D.C.– In a long-awaited victory, the U.S. House of Representatives today by a voice vote passed H.R. 3833/S. 1632, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-Florida) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to help combat Boko Haram.
Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Barcelona after the Spanish government announced they would dissolve the Catalonia Regional Government and hold new elections through an Article 155 declaration.
Article 155 allows Madrid to dissolve the Catalan regional government and force new elections, which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says will take place within six months. The PM insisted the move would not result in a loss of autonomy for Catalonia, but hundreds of thousands of pro-independence Catalans have taken to the streets in Barcelona in protest.
(Via UK Express) Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s Cabinet in Spain met this morning to agree to roll out hardline rules to penalise the breakaway region and impose direct rule.
Elections could be held in just six months as the government seeks to oust all those involved in the “illegal” referendum – including Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont who could even face jail for his role in the crisis.
President Trump begins to question Fusion GPS, the company behind the widely debunked Steele Dossier, a day after the company filed legal motions to quash a subpoena and hide their financial backing.
The dossier was reported to have been used by the FBI as a justification to get a FISA warrant against Trump campaign officials. Warrants that later became the tools underlying the road map narrative for the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the election.
(Via Breitbart) Fusion GPS — the firm behind the Trump dossier — filed for an injunction in a D.C. court on Friday to quash a subpoena for its financial records, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The House intelligence Committee earlier this month subpoenaed TD Bank for Fusion GPS’s financial records, and an injunction would be to prevent those records from being handed over.
It should not be forgotten that President Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice previously stated that Bergdahl: “served his country with honor and distinction.” Now today:
ABC – Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy via his attorney Monday.
Bergdahl, 31, was charged after he disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in June 2009 and was held in captivity by the Taliban until May 2014. A judge said Bergdhal’s maximum possible punishment would be life in prison, but he has not been sentenced yet. (read more)
Saturday Night Live show creator Lorne Michaels was caught leaving the 4am after party and asked why the show ignored the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal. According to a reporter from The Daily Mail:
[…] When Michaels was asked as he was leaving SNL’s after-party at 4am why the show avoided the Weinstein controversy, the producer smiled and responded: ‘It’s a New York thing.’ (link)
Wait,.. you get a pass on sophomoric comedic ridicule by being from New York?
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Too funny. Following a very Clintonian pattern here. The New York Times is now a part of the vast right wing conspiracy.
(Via Daily Mail) Harvey Weinstein believes the allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour against him are part of a right-wing ‘conspiracy’ to take him down, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The Hollywood mogul thinks that shadowy right wing forces are ‘out to get me’ and that he is being targeted for his liberal views.
In an echo of his close friend Hillary Clinton‘s notorious claim that ‘a vast right-wing conspiracy’ was out to get her and her husband, the Democratic supporter is making the claim to those around him – despite his admission. (read more)
It still seems more likely that this NYT expose’ on Weinstein was a message to other millionaires in Hollywood to fork over the political cash (ahead of the 2018 election cycle), or else.
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