Having read, re-read and re-re-read, the recent FISA application release, here’s my take at both the 30,000 ft and granular level.
First, the elevated review is actually more interesting than the granular, which is remarkably odd considering how far we have traveled with this story.

Why publicly release the FISA application?  After all, even with the voluminous redactions, it is very unusual and it would have been exceptionally easy to deny any FOIA request under the auspices of national security.  To highlight this question, consider how stunned Fran Townsend was at the release: “Having run The Justice Dept office responsible for #FISA The release of these documents is irresponsible & will irreversibly weaken counterintelligence & Counterterrorism investigations going forward.”
Here is where a similar, I would say parallel, release will be overlooked.  Remember, it was April 2017 when ODNI Dan Coats released the 99-page FISA Court ruling/opinion on the historic 2015/2016 FISA abuse by the FBI and DOJ-NSD.  That release, like this one, while also heavily redacted, seemed out-of-custom for the intelligence apparatus.  Coincidentally FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer is a central figure in both releases.
In the 2017 FISC abuse opinion release, Judge Collyer wrote the ruling.  In this 2018 FISA application release, Judge Collyer was the authorizing FISC authority granting the Title-1 search warrant.  In an odd way, there’s a particular appearance of connectivity here.  For those who are unfamiliar, FISA material is not subject to FOIA; everything connected to FISA and the FISC is considered “classified” at the origination. [Remember that.]
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The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI have released the 412 page FISA application used to gain a Title I surveillance warrant against U.S. Person Carter Page in 2016 while he was working as a low-level unpaid adviser for the campaign of Donald Trump.  [The full pdf is available here – and embedded below]

The October 2016 application to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to wiretap Mr. Page, along with several renewal applications — was released to The New York Times and several other news organizations that had filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to obtain them.  [Link to source pdf here]
The application is heavily redacted, but there’s enough information available to seriously impact the prior narratives as written by the media.  As we review the content carefully, CTH will have much more on this in the coming hours/days.  However, here’s the FISA application – please add your comments on the content therein:
[scribd id=384380664 key=key-V5JqoILhPOBEswhMeqyl mode=scroll]
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There is a ton of new information within this version of the application. More later…
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At first glance saying: yesterday was a very good day, might sound like spin. However, for those who have been frustrated about the lack of righteous push-back from the executive office; the attacks from the former “spygate” co-conspirators might be just what is needed to trigger President Trump to declassify the underlying material.
Consider the tweets from James Comey (former FBI), John Brennan (former CIA), Sally Yates (former DOJ), and statement from Ash Carter (former DoD).

Think about the bigger questions: Why would former administration officials feel the need to engage in such discourse? What exactly does their response say about their personal attachment to current events?  …and more importantly, what do they all have in common?
If you note they are all connected to the intelligence apparatus, and more specifically the well documented FISA abuse, well, yeah, things start making a lot of sense.  After all, at the center of all the intelligence corruption in 2015/2016 is the exploitation of FBI/NSA databases for political opposition research and weaponization.
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The primary guardian and gatekeeper of the DC Swamp, Chris Wallace, sits down for an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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If you are old enough to remember the Soviet-era propaganda approximately five years prior to the Polish solidarity movement, you are old enough to have a solid frame of reference for today’s announcement from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Truthfully, I never thought a constitutionally protected U.S. government apparatus would ever be able to pull-off propaganda so easily and readily consumed by an American electorate…. Alas, lesson learned.   So here’s my take:
Setting aside the transparent timing of the declaration today; which is entirely based upon the reality of interlopers within our current government remaining focused on undermining President Trump policy and objectives; and accepting the anti-Russia propaganda narrative is a political weapon intended to elevate the interests of deep state officials and undermine any effort that might be adverse to their interests; a basic question about the indictment evidence is being avoided by all who are reviewing the content therein….
While the DOJ document is full of detailed accusations; which has given the narrative engineers a great deal of fuel; there’s a specific aspect missing.  The entire indictment (full pdf below) is based on the premise of the FBI conducting some -unexplained and unsubstantiated- form of forensic data-analysis to formulate their detailed conclusions.
However, can anyone explain how this FBI forensic data-analysis was possible when the FBI was never allowed access to the DCCC, DNC and Clinton Campaign servers?
Anyone?…. Anyone?
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Congressman Louie Gohmert (TX-01) talked to Brian Kilmeade, guest hosting for Tucker Carlson, on Fox News. He weighed in on his comments to FBI Agent Strzok today in a joint House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing:

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Additionally, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) discusses questioning of FBI official Peter Strzok during his testimony on Capitol Hill.
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This is important.  This is VERY important. The collective DOJ, FBI and “allied contractors” activity in 2015 and 2016 is the origin of the political opposition research that developed into the Trump investigation via the FISA application(s). Jordan appears to be one of the few who understand the importance of the timeline.
Jim Jordan discusses FBI Agent Peter Strzok admitting he received the Dossier material from DOJ Deputy Bruce Ohr.  Bruce’s wife was hired by Fusion-GPS to assist in the formation of the Clinton funded opposition research that became the Steele Dossier.

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Graphic to understand the timeline for the intelligence laundry below:
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Back in March 2018, we initially outlined a strong likelihood about the origin of the material used in the FISA application; and how it appeared to emanate from “contractors” with access to the NSA/FBI database, Fusion GPS, Nellie Ohr, Christopher Steele and ultimately to Nellie’s husband Bruce Ohr and back into the FBI.   Later CTH described that as an “intelligence laundry operation“.
Today, while necessarily needing to hold on to an official position that the FBI only began investigating candidate Trump on July 31st, 2016, FBI agent Peter Strzok inadvertently confirmed every aspect of our previous suspicions.

Here’s the full backstory:  Senator Chuck Grassley letter to Rod Rosenstein (Page 5, footnote #5) outlines the FBI interviews of twice demoted DOJ Deputy Bruce Ohr:
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Representative Jim Jordan questions FBI Agent Peter Strzok about the foundational document, the “Steele Dossier”, which underpins the FISA Title-1 search warrant application; and the extent to which Strzok had contacts with media.

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Representative Trey Gowdy confronts the spin by agent Strzok that he is not “biased”.
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Apparently the intransigence of former DOJ lawyer, and special counsel to Deputy FBI Director McCabe, Lisa Page has quite a history.
Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Bob Goodlatte, says the former FBI lawyer has been in complete defiance of cooperation with the House, rejects Page’s excuse that she hasn’t had enough time to prepare:

Ex-FBI LAYER Lisa Page today defied a House of Representatives issued Subpoena to testify before Congress! Wow, but is anybody really surprised! Together with her lover, FBI Agent Peter Strzok, she worked on the Rigged Witch Hunt, perhaps the most tainted and corrupt case EVER!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 11, 2018

Updated Statement from Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte below:
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