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FISA abuse timeline (view source)

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*'''3 January.''' '''E.O. 12333 expanded.'''<ref>https://www.lawfareblog.com/obama-administration-releases-long-awaited-new-eo-12333-rules-sharing-raw-signals-intelligence</ref> Attn. Gen. Loretta Lynch signed off on new rules permitting the [[NSA]] to disseminate “raw signals intelligence information” with identities of American citizens caught up in foreign intelligence surveillance operations.<ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3283349-Raw-12333-surveillance-sharing-guidelines.html PROCEDURES FOR THE AVAILABILITY OR DISSEMINATION OF RAW SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION BY THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY UNDER SECTION 2.3 OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 12333 (RAW SIGINT AVAILABILITY PROCEDURES). OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. UNCLASSIFIED]</ref> "In its final days, the [[Obama administration]] has expanded the power of the [[National Security Agency]] to share globally intercepted personal communications with the government’s 16 other intelligence agencies before applying privacy protections," the ''New York Times'' reports on 12 January.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/us/politics/nsa-gets-more-latitude-to-share-intercepted-communications.html ]</ref> The expansion of the order makes it difficult to narrow in on leaks. This constitutes Obama's amending Executive Order 12333.<ref>http://circa.com/politics/some-us-intelligence-officials-want-trump-to-rescind-obamas-expansion-of-nsa-data</ref> DNI James Clapper previously signed off on 15 December 2016.

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:*'''Tuesday early morning'''. Strzok exchanges texts with Lisa Page regarding conversation with Strzok's boss, [[Bill Priestap]]: {{quotebox|Strzok - "“He [Priestap], like us, is concerned with oversharing [information with other agencies]" Strzok - “Doesn’t want Clapper giving CR cuts to WH (White House). All political just show our hand and potentially makes enemies.” Lisa Page - “Yeah, but keep in mind we were going to put that in the doc [Trump's briefing] on Friday, with potentially larger distribution than just the dni [Clapper]" Strzok - “the question is should we particularly to the entirety of the lame duck [[Intelligence community|usic]] with partisan axes to grind.”}} Comey wanted to brief Obama and Trump about the ''Steele dossier''. Priestap opposed briefing Obama, Biden, and Rice on salacious allegations in the Thursday Oval Office meeting. Priestap was overridden.

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:*'''Tuesday early morning'''. Strzok exchanges texts with Lisa Page regarding conversation with Strzok's boss, [[Bill Priestap]]:

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{{quotebox-float|Strzok - "“He [Priestap], like us, is concerned with oversharing [information with other agencies]" Strzok - “Doesn’t want Clapper giving CR cuts to WH (White House). All political just show our hand and potentially makes enemies.” Lisa Page - “Yeah, but keep in mind we were going to put that in the doc [Trump's briefing] on Friday, with potentially larger distribution than just the dni [Clapper]" Strzok - “the question is should we particularly to the entirety of the lame duck [[Intelligence community|usic]] with partisan axes to grind.”}} Comey wanted to brief Obama and Trump about the ''Steele dossier''. Priestap opposed briefing Obama, Biden, and Rice on salacious allegations in the Thursday Oval Office meeting. Priestap was overridden.

*'''4 January.''' '''Wednesday.''' '''Washington FBI field office recommends closing the FBI investigation of General Flynn due to “no derogatory information.”'''<ref>https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.191592/gov.uscourts.dcd.191592.189.1.pdf</ref>

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*'''Afternoon.''' '''Oval Office meeting to frame the President-elect.''' Obama, Biden, Rice, Yates, Clapper, Brennan and Comey in attendance. Rice sent an email to herself about a secret [[Oval Office]] meeting where the ''[[Clinton-Steele dossier]]'' is discussed;<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/donald-trump-intelligence-report-russia/index.html</ref><ref>https://apnews.com/152579d488a740b2a8d39fbe2f34506d</ref><ref>https://apnews.com/a82309544e9e465fa2ad4f83e5a48540</ref> (the email was written and sent to herself 15 minutes after Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20):<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-graham-uncover-unusual-email-sent-susan-rice-herself-president-trump-s</ref>

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{{Quotebox|"On January 5, following a briefing by [[IC]] leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, [[President Obama]] had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director [[Jim Comey]] and Deputy Attorney General [[Sally Yates]] in the Oval Office. [[Vice President Biden]] and I were also present. President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities "by the book". The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book. From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain '''if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia'''. Director Comey affirmed that he is proceeding "by the book" as it relates to law enforcement. From a national security perspective, Comey said he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Comey said that could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information. President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied, "potentially." He added that he has no indication thus far that Flynn has passed classified information to Kislyak, but he noted that "the level of communication is unusual."<ref>https://twitter.com/CBS_Herridge/status/1262820374548447238/photo/1</ref> The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would."<ref>https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-02-08%20CEG%20LG%20to%20Rice%20(Russia%20Investigation%20Email).pdf</ref>}}At the conclusion of the briefing, Obama asks Sally Yates and James Comey to remain. Together with Susan Rice, this is where the “by the book” comment comes into play. The 90-day surveillance period under the FISA warrant would have had just a bit over two weeks left to run — it was set to expire just as Trump was to take office. (Reporting suggests that there may also have been a FISA warrant on Paul Manafort around this time.) The Obama administration was therefore confronting a deadline if the FISA warrant was to be renewed while Obama was still in power. The officials in the meeting would need to figure out how the investigation could continue despite the fact that its central focus, Trump, was about to be sworn in as president. Rice’s “by the book” bunkum is transparent: Obama officials claimed to adhere to a book that forbade consultations between political leaders and investigators. But here they were consulting. So Rice tried to cover the tracks in her email: She revises history such that the consultation morphs into a mere friendly reminder that Obama wanted everything done by the book.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/02/susan-rice-email-president-obama-russia-investigation/</ref>

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{{Quotebox-float|"On January 5, following a briefing by [[IC]] leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, [[President Obama]] had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director [[Jim Comey]] and Deputy Attorney General [[Sally Yates]] in the Oval Office. [[Vice President Biden]] and I were also present. President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities "by the book". The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book. From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain '''if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia'''. Director Comey affirmed that he is proceeding "by the book" as it relates to law enforcement. From a national security perspective, Comey said he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Comey said that could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information. President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied, "potentially." He added that he has no indication thus far that Flynn has passed classified information to Kislyak, but he noted that "the level of communication is unusual."<ref>https://twitter.com/CBS_Herridge/status/1262820374548447238/photo/1</ref> The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would."<ref>https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-02-08%20CEG%20LG%20to%20Rice%20(Russia%20Investigation%20Email).pdf</ref>}}At the conclusion of the briefing, Obama asks Sally Yates and James Comey to remain. Together with Susan Rice, this is where the “by the book” comment comes into play. The 90-day surveillance period under the FISA warrant would have had just a bit over two weeks left to run — it was set to expire just as Trump was to take office. (Reporting suggests that there may also have been a FISA warrant on Paul Manafort around this time.) The Obama administration was therefore confronting a deadline if the FISA warrant was to be renewed while Obama was still in power. The officials in the meeting would need to figure out how the investigation could continue despite the fact that its central focus, Trump, was about to be sworn in as president. Rice’s “by the book” bunkum is transparent: Obama officials claimed to adhere to a book that forbade consultations between political leaders and investigators. But here they were consulting. So Rice tried to cover the tracks in her email: She revises history such that the consultation morphs into a mere friendly reminder that Obama wanted everything done by the book.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/02/susan-rice-email-president-obama-russia-investigation/</ref>

:*[[Ruemmler]] later states [February 23] the meeting discussed "particularly Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn" who was cleared by the FBI as a national security rtisk the day before.

*'''6 January.''' '''Friday.''' DNI James Clapper issues ''Intelligence Community Assessment'' (ICA, also referred to as the ''Joint Analysis Report'') a joint Brennan, Clapper and Comey document consisting of recycled reports on [[RT]] with 2 pages of sexual innuendo from the ''Clinton-Steele dossier''. NSA Dir. Adm. Mike Rogers dissents from the report and did not attend the meeting.<ref>[https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf ]</ref> ''WaPo'' is assured by Obama intelligence bosses that "the sources involved in the [Clinton-Steele dossier's] reporting were credible enough to warrant inclusion in the highly classified [presidential] report.”<ref>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-russia-allegations-20170110-story.html</ref> Brennan however, in public testimony months later, said the dossier and its sources ''were not'' credible enough to incorporate in the Joint ''Intelligence Community Assessment'' on Russian election interference publicly leaked by the administration. Brennan swore the ''Clinton-Steele dossier'' did not “in any way” factor into the CIA's assessment that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump. Congressional investigators suggest a classified version of the ''Intelligence Community Assessment'' contradicts Brennan's sworn testimony.

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*'''Comey, Clapper and Brennan brief the President-elect.''' Comey, Clapper, Brennan and Mike Rogers travel to Trump Tower to brief President-elect Trump on the ''Intelligence Community Assessment'' of Russian election interference. At the end of the meeting Comey asks for a one-on-one briefing with President-elect. Comey tells President-elect of the "salacious" allegations manufactured by the Clinton campaign, makes no mention of their origin, or of the FBI's surveillance of [[Carter Page]], [[Paul Manafort]], and [[Michael Cohen]] based on the same Hillary Clinton opposition research, and represents it as supposed "intelligence". According to Comey, he acted on the instructions of Brennan and Clapper.<ref>https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf</ref><ref>"the leaders of the intelligence community agreed he needed to be told about because we knew it and thought it was about to become public." http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1804/19/cg.01.html</ref> Comey states he acted on Clapper, not Obama's, instructions after the day prior [[Oval Office]] meeting to deceive the President-elect with bogus Hillary Clinton opposition research.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/comey-memo-clapper-instruction-january-7-2017.jpg</ref> In his June 2017 Congressional testimony Comey swore the dossier was "salacious and unverified" although the FBI/DOJ used it to obtain FISA surveillance warrants of the Trump campaign three months earlier.

:*'''Comey to Clapper: Mission Accomplished'''. Comey memo 1 notes,

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{{quotebox|'''I said there was something that Clapper wanted me to speak to the PE [President-Elect] about alone or in a very small group. I then executed the session exactly as I had planned.''' I told him [President Trump] that I wanted to meet with him to tell him more about what is in the reports written by [redacted – likely Steele]. I said that the written reports themselves were [redacted] and '''the content known at IC senior level''' and that I didn’t want him to get caught cold by some of the detail. I said I wasn’t saying this was true, only that I wanted him to know both that '''it had been reported and that the reports were in many hands'''. I said media like '''CNN had them and were looking for a news hook'''. I said it was '''important that we not give them the excuse to write that the FBI has the material''' or [REDACTED] and that '''we were keeping it very close-hold'''. [''bolden added'']}} [[File:Comey-memo-clapper-instruction-january-7-2017.jpg|right|300px|thumb|DNI James Clapper instructed Comey to alert President-elect Trump of the alleged [[blackmail]] information in the hands of the Obama intelligence community and then turned around and leaked to CNN to smear the President-elect.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/</ref>]]

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{{quotebox-float|'''I said there was something that Clapper wanted me to speak to the PE [President-Elect] about alone or in a very small group. I then executed the session exactly as I had planned.''' I told him [President Trump] that I wanted to meet with him to tell him more about what is in the reports written by [redacted – likely Steele]. I said that the written reports themselves were [redacted] and '''the content known at IC senior level''' and that I didn’t want him to get caught cold by some of the detail. I said I wasn’t saying this was true, only that I wanted him to know both that '''it had been reported and that the reports were in many hands'''. I said media like '''CNN had them and were looking for a news hook'''. I said it was '''important that we not give them the excuse to write that the FBI has the material''' or [REDACTED] and that '''we were keeping it very close-hold'''. [''bolden added'']}} [[File:Comey-memo-clapper-instruction-january-7-2017.jpg|right|300px|thumb|DNI James Clapper instructed Comey to alert President-elect Trump of the alleged [[blackmail]] information in the hands of the Obama intelligence community and then turned around and leaked to CNN to smear the President-elect.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/</ref>]]

:*Comey's meeting with Trump was not an intelligence briefing, as reported. It was in fact treated as part of the FBI's evidence gathering counterintelligence investigation, to see how the President-elect reacted.

:*Comey told the OIG that his judgment was that the information “ought to be treated…[like] FISA derived information or information in a [counterintelligence] investigation,” the “standard classification” for which is “SECRET//ORCON/NOFORN.”<ref>[https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2019/o1902.pdf Comey IG Report, page 19.]</ref> The media had widely dismissed the ''Steele dossier'' as unsubstantiated and unreportable. Clapper's second leak to CNN - that Comey had briefed President-elect Trump - created the news hook CNN was looking for.

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:*Comey tells Senate Intel Committee that the DNC refused to let the FBI see DNC servers.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-director-comey-agency-requested-access-to-dnc-servers/</ref>

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:*'''Strzok discusses now that the fake dossier has been leaked by the Obama intelligence community, it will be used to set a perjury trap for Flynn and others.''' Strzok texts Lisa Page, {{quotebox|Strzok - "Sitting with Bill watching CNN. A TON more out” Strzok - “Hey let me know when you can talk. We’re discussing whether, now that this is out, we use it as a pretext to go interview some people.'”<ref>https://saraacarter.com/who-will-investigate-the-fbi-and-doj-top-secret-leaks-to-the-media/?utm=pushnami</ref>}}

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:*'''Strzok discusses now that the fake dossier has been leaked by the Obama intelligence community, it will be used to set a perjury trap for Flynn and others.''' Strzok texts Lisa Page,

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{{quotebox-float|Strzok - "Sitting with Bill watching CNN. A TON more out” Strzok - “Hey let me know when you can talk. We’re discussing whether, now that this is out, we use it as a pretext to go interview some people.'”<ref>https://saraacarter.com/who-will-investigate-the-fbi-and-doj-top-secret-leaks-to-the-media/?utm=pushnami</ref>}}

:*Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, who with the DNC paid FusionGPS $1,024,408 for the ''Clinton-Steele dossier'', secretly met with FusionGPS boss Glenn Simpson.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/us/politics/john-tony-podesta-mueller-russia-investigation.html?mtrref=t.co</ref>

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:*“The Ukrainian efforts had an impact in the race, helping to force Manafort’s resignation and advancing the narrative that Trump’s campaign was deeply connected to … Russia.”

:*According to ''Politico'':

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{{quotebox|“In an interview this month, at the DNC this past election cycle centered on mobilizing ethnic communities — including Ukrainian-Americans — she said that, when Trump’s unlikely presidential campaign. '''Chalupa told ''Politico'' she had developed a network of sources in [[Kiev]] and Washington, including investigative journalists, government officials and private intelligence operatives. While her consulting work began surging in late 2015''', she began focusing more on the research, and expanded it to include Trump’s ties to Russia, as well.”<ref>https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/ukraine-sabotage-trump-backfire-233446</ref>}}

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{{quotebox-float|“In an interview this month, at the DNC this past election cycle centered on mobilizing ethnic communities — including Ukrainian-Americans — she said that, when Trump’s unlikely presidential campaign. '''Chalupa told ''Politico'' she had developed a network of sources in [[Kiev]] and Washington, including investigative journalists, government officials and private intelligence operatives. While her consulting work began surging in late 2015''', she began focusing more on the research, and expanded it to include Trump’s ties to Russia, as well.”<ref>https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/ukraine-sabotage-trump-backfire-233446</ref>}}

:*According to the ''Politico'' article, Alexandra Chalupa was meeting with the Ukrainian embassy in June of 2016 to discuss getting more help sticking it to candidate Trump. At the same time she was meeting, the embassy had a reception that highlighted female Ukrainian leaders. Four Verkhovna Rada [parliament] deputies there for the event included: Viktoriia Y. Ptashnyk, Anna A. Romanova, Alyona I. Shkrum, and Taras T. Pastukh.

::*George Eliason reports:<ref>[https://www.mintpressnews.com/beyond-the-dnc-leaks-hacks-and-treason/247674/ George Eliason: Beyond the DNC - Leaks, Hacks, and Treason]/</ref>

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:::*Kristina Dobrovolska is the handler manager working for Nestor Paslawsky; Paslawsky is the surviving nephew to the infamous torturer The WWII OUNb leader, Mykola Lebed.

[[File:Clapper's false press statement.jpg|right|300px|thumb|James Clapper's false press statement. Clapper was complicit in the effort smear President-elect Trump with false allegations.]]

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:*Trump responds to Obama IC bosses smears on Twitter: {{quotebox|"I win an election easily, a great "movement" is verified, and crooked opponents try to belittle our victory with [[Fake news|FAKE NEWS]]. A sorry state! … Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to ‘leak’ into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in [[Nazi Germany]]?”<ref>https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-intel-20170111-story.html</ref>}} Trump states that he was not briefed on the full contents the ''Clinton-Steele dossier'' or its origins. NBC News independently verifies Trump's account,<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/moscow-rejects-report-donald-trump-ties-total-hoax-n705586</ref> as does FOX News.<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/11/trump-was-not-given-any-summary-russian-claims-about-compromising-info-source-says.html</ref>

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:*Trump responds to Obama IC bosses smears on Twitter:

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{{quotebox-float|"I win an election easily, a great "movement" is verified, and crooked opponents try to belittle our victory with [[Fake news|FAKE NEWS]]. A sorry state! … Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to ‘leak’ into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in [[Nazi Germany]]?”<ref>https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-intel-20170111-story.html</ref>}} Trump states that he was not briefed on the full contents the ''Clinton-Steele dossier'' or its origins. NBC News independently verifies Trump's account,<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/moscow-rejects-report-donald-trump-ties-total-hoax-n705586</ref> as does FOX News.<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/11/trump-was-not-given-any-summary-russian-claims-about-compromising-info-source-says.html</ref>

:*DNI Clapper issues press release stating that he only now, not days earlier on January 6, discussed the ''Clinton-Steele dossier'' with Trump.<ref>https://archive.is/Y2fbA</ref>

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:*[[Jake Tapper]] of CNN reports that '''government sources confirm it was the wrong "Michael Cohen" in Prague''',<ref>https://mobile.twitter.com/jaketapper/status/819187673961287681</ref> further debunking the ''Steele dossier''. {{Quotebox|in this uncorroborated report, it talks about Michael Cohen, Trump’s official corporate lawyer, making a trip to the Czech Republic. '''My reporting suggests that, er, people did try to run that down, and that they concluded that it was a different Michael Cohen. It was a Michael Cohen with a passport from another country, the same birth year, different birth date'''. So for Michael Cohen to dispute that he was in the Czech Republic completely confirms and conforms with our reporting}} Observers note the wrong 'Michael Cohen' in the ''Steele dossier'' could only be the result of a mistaken and illegal FISA 702 search query.<ref>https://youtu.be/BTZjoxiEpkQ</ref> Cohen becomes specifically targeted - if the 'Michael Cohen in Prague''' narrative unravels, the entire anti-Trump operation and [[FISA abuse]] scandal are exposed.

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:*[[Jake Tapper]] of CNN reports that '''government sources confirm it was the wrong "Michael Cohen" in Prague''',<ref>https://mobile.twitter.com/jaketapper/status/819187673961287681</ref> further debunking the ''Steele dossier''.

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{{Quotebox-float|in this uncorroborated report, it talks about Michael Cohen, Trump’s official corporate lawyer, making a trip to the Czech Republic. '''My reporting suggests that, er, people did try to run that down, and that they concluded that it was a different Michael Cohen. It was a Michael Cohen with a passport from another country, the same birth year, different birth date'''. So for Michael Cohen to dispute that he was in the Czech Republic completely confirms and conforms with our reporting}} Observers note the wrong 'Michael Cohen' in the ''Steele dossier'' could only be the result of a mistaken and illegal FISA 702 search query.<ref>https://youtu.be/BTZjoxiEpkQ</ref> Cohen becomes specifically targeted - if the 'Michael Cohen in Prague''' narrative unravels, the entire anti-Trump operation and [[FISA abuse]] scandal are exposed.

:*The UK ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' reported that "the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (Fisa) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. The Fisa court turned down the application asking FBI counter-intelligence investigators to narrow its focus." ''The Guardian'' further stated unconfirmed reports claim a warrant was obtained in October.<ref>https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/01/guardian-fbi-asked-warrant-monitor-trump-aides</ref>

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:*Former NSA official John Schindler tweets, "When [[David Ignatius|@IgnatiusPost]] speaks, Langley's 7th floor lips are moving. '''They are taking [[traitor]] Trump out now'''."<ref>https://mobile.twitter.com/20committee/status/819764059096678402?lang=en</ref> Langley's 7th floor is a reference to [[John Brennan]]'s office.

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:*In the renewal application Obama operatives again address Chris Steele credibility. They note that the FBI suspended its relationship with the foreign spy in October 2016 because of Steele's "unauthorized disclosure of information to the press." The FBI relayed to the court that Steele had been bothered by Comey's notification to Congress about reopening the Clinton investigation, and as a result {{quotebox|"[Steele] independently and against the prior admonishment from the FBI to speak only with the FBI on this matter, released the [Steele dossier allegations] to an identified news organization [''Mother Jones'']."}} The FBI cited Steele's past work and stated that {{quotebox|"the incident that led to the FBI suspending its relationship with [Steele] occurred after [Steele] provided"}} the FBI with the dossier information described in the application. The FBI further misrepresented to the Court in footnote 19 that it did not believe that Steele directly gave information to ''Yahoo News'' that "published the September 23 News Article". The FBI maintained that they believed Steele's claim that he had only provided the dossier information to the FBI and FusionGPS - and not to the media - prior to his October media contact that resulted in the FBI suspending the relationship. Accordingly, the FBI still deemed the information he provided prior to the disclosure to David Corn of ''Mother Jones'' as reliable. After all, the FBI already believed Steele was reliable, he had previously told the FBI he had not shared the information with the press - and lying to the FBI is a crime.

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:*In the renewal application Obama operatives again address Chris Steele credibility. They note that the FBI suspended its relationship with the foreign spy in October 2016 because of Steele's "unauthorized disclosure of information to the press." The FBI relayed to the court that Steele had been bothered by Comey's notification to Congress about reopening the Clinton investigation, and as a result

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{{quotebox-float|"[Steele] independently and against the prior admonishment from the FBI to speak only with the FBI on this matter, released the [Steele dossier allegations] to an identified news organization [''Mother Jones'']."}} The FBI cited Steele's past work and stated that

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{{quotebox-float|"the incident that led to the FBI suspending its relationship with [Steele] occurred after [Steele] provided"}} the FBI with the dossier information described in the application. The FBI further misrepresented to the Court in footnote 19 that it did not believe that Steele directly gave information to ''Yahoo News'' that "published the September 23 News Article". The FBI maintained that they believed Steele's claim that he had only provided the dossier information to the FBI and FusionGPS - and not to the media - prior to his October media contact that resulted in the FBI suspending the relationship. Accordingly, the FBI still deemed the information he provided prior to the disclosure to David Corn of ''Mother Jones'' as reliable. After all, the FBI already believed Steele was reliable, he had previously told the FBI he had not shared the information with the press - and lying to the FBI is a crime.

[[File:Puzzle-3.jpg|right|350px|thumb|]]

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::*In defending Steele's credibility to the FISA court the FBI had posited an innocuous explanation for the September 23, 2016 Yahoo News article, based on the assumption that Steele had told the FBI the truth about his press contacts. The FBI then vouched for him twice more, using the same rationale, in subsequent renewal applications filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in April and June 2017. However, public reports, court filings, and information obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee indicate that Steele not only provided dossier information to the FBI, but also to numerous media organizations prior to the end of his relationship with the FBI in October 2016. In Steele's sworn court filings in litigation in London, he admitted that he {{quotebox|"gave off the record briefings to a small number of journalists about the pre-election memoranda [i.e., the dossier in late summer/autumn 2016] In another sworn filing in that case, Steele·further stated that journalists from "the New York Times, the Washington Post, Yahoo News, the New Yorker, and CNN" were "briefed at the end of September 2016 by [Steele] and Fusion at Fusion's instruction." The filing further states that Steele "subsequently participated in further meetings at Fusion's instruction with Fusion and the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Yahoo News, which took place mid-October 2016." According to these court filings, "the briefings involved the disclosure of limited intelligence regarding indications of Russian interference in the US election process and the possible co-ordination of members of Trump's campaign team and Russian government officials."}} In his interview with the Committee, Glenn Simpson of FusionGPS confirmed this account by Steele and his company as filed in the British court. The first of these filings was publicly reported in the U.S. media in April 2017, yet the FBI did not subsequently disclose to the FISC this evidence that would suggest that Steele had lied to the FBI. Instead the application still relied on his credibility prior to the October media incident. The FBI received similar information from a Justice Department official, [[Bruce Ohr]], who maintained contacts with Simpson and Steele about their dossier work, and whose wife [[Nellie Ohr]] also worked for Fusion GPS on the Russia project.

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::*In defending Steele's credibility to the FISA court the FBI had posited an innocuous explanation for the September 23, 2016 Yahoo News article, based on the assumption that Steele had told the FBI the truth about his press contacts. The FBI then vouched for him twice more, using the same rationale, in subsequent renewal applications filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in April and June 2017. However, public reports, court filings, and information obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee indicate that Steele not only provided dossier information to the FBI, but also to numerous media organizations prior to the end of his relationship with the FBI in October 2016. In Steele's sworn court filings in litigation in London, he admitted that he

+

{{quotebox-float|"gave off the record briefings to a small number of journalists about the pre-election memoranda [i.e., the dossier in late summer/autumn 2016] In another sworn filing in that case, Steele·further stated that journalists from "the New York Times, the Washington Post, Yahoo News, the New Yorker, and CNN" were "briefed at the end of September 2016 by [Steele] and Fusion at Fusion's instruction." The filing further states that Steele "subsequently participated in further meetings at Fusion's instruction with Fusion and the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Yahoo News, which took place mid-October 2016." According to these court filings, "the briefings involved the disclosure of limited intelligence regarding indications of Russian interference in the US election process and the possible co-ordination of members of Trump's campaign team and Russian government officials."}} In his interview with the Committee, Glenn Simpson of FusionGPS confirmed this account by Steele and his company as filed in the British court. The first of these filings was publicly reported in the U.S. media in April 2017, yet the FBI did not subsequently disclose to the FISC this evidence that would suggest that Steele had lied to the FBI. Instead the application still relied on his credibility prior to the October media incident. The FBI received similar information from a Justice Department official, [[Bruce Ohr]], who maintained contacts with Simpson and Steele about their dossier work, and whose wife [[Nellie Ohr]] also worked for Fusion GPS on the Russia project.

:*David Ignatius of the ''Washington Post'' publishes illegal leak of unmasked details of [[Michael Flynn]]'s phone call with the Russian Ambassador obtained by FISA warrant. "What did Flynn say, and did it undercut the U.S. sanctions?" Ignatius asked. "The Logan Act (though never enforced) bars U.S. citizens from correspondence intending to influence a foreign government about 'disputes' with the United States."<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/byron-york-in-trump-russia-probe-was-it-all-about-the-logan-act/article/2642434</ref> Susan Rice “unmasked” Flynn’s name and it was leaked to Ignatius.<ref>https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/326331-how-obamas-white-house-weaponized-the-media-against#.WNvlVh1HfDU.twitter</ref> The leaking of the unmasked identity of a US citizen's name gathered in a foreign intelligence operation is a [[criminal]] and [[civil rights]] violation.<ref>https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/3216</ref>

−

:*[[Adam Lovinger]] was was working in the [[Office of Net Assessment (ONA)]] as a strategist. His position within the specialized think tank required a top-level security clearance. Lovinger had grown increasingly concerned over the ONA’s use of outside contractors, due in part to the “problem of [[cronyism]]” and a growing “revolving door policy." Lovinger wrote an October 2016 email to ONA’s new director, [[James H. Baker (DOD)]] who had recently been appointed by Obama’s Defense Secretary. From Lovinger’s October 2016 email: {{quotebox|“the moral hazard associated with the Washington Headquarters Services contracting with [[Stefan Halper]].”<ref>https://www.vetr.com/posts/5000196251-Pentagon-Whistleblower-Demoted-After-Exposing-Millions-Paid-To-FBI-Spy-Halper-Clinton</ref><ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/search/?q=stefan+halper&sort=date_desc</ref>}} Halper {{quotebox|"was being used by [[Net Assessment]] to go out essentially and engage with foreign government officials. As a contractor that’s totally illegal.”<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/16/stefan-halper-pentagon-outrageous/</ref>}} Halper had been awarded $1.06 million in contracts through five payments beginning in 2012.<ref>https://www.usaspending.gov/#/keyword_search/halper%252C%2520stefan</ref> Lovinger was invited by General Michael Flynn to serve as a Senior Director on the White House Security Council, along with [[Ezra Cohen-Watnick]]. On that same day, James H. Baker (DOD) filed four separate charges against Lovinger.<ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lovinger-v.-DOD-complaint-01914-2.pdf</ref>

+

:*[[Adam Lovinger]] was was working in the [[Office of Net Assessment (ONA)]] as a strategist. His position within the specialized think tank required a top-level security clearance. Lovinger had grown increasingly concerned over the ONA’s use of outside contractors, due in part to the “problem of [[cronyism]]” and a growing “revolving door policy." Lovinger wrote an October 2016 email to ONA’s new director, [[James H. Baker (DOD)]] who had recently been appointed by Obama’s Defense Secretary. From Lovinger’s October 2016 email:

+

{{quotebox-float|“the moral hazard associated with the Washington Headquarters Services contracting with [[Stefan Halper]].”<ref>https://www.vetr.com/posts/5000196251-Pentagon-Whistleblower-Demoted-After-Exposing-Millions-Paid-To-FBI-Spy-Halper-Clinton</ref><ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/search/?q=stefan+halper&sort=date_desc</ref>}} Halper

+

{{quotebox-float|"was being used by [[Net Assessment]] to go out essentially and engage with foreign government officials. As a contractor that’s totally illegal.”<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/16/stefan-halper-pentagon-outrageous/</ref>}} Halper had been awarded $1.06 million in contracts through five payments beginning in 2012.<ref>https://www.usaspending.gov/#/keyword_search/halper%252C%2520stefan</ref> Lovinger was invited by General Michael Flynn to serve as a Senior Director on the White House Security Council, along with [[Ezra Cohen-Watnick]]. On that same day, James H. Baker (DOD) filed four separate charges against Lovinger.<ref>http://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lovinger-v.-DOD-complaint-01914-2.pdf</ref>

:*Inspector General (IG) [[Michael Horowitz]] begins review of Andrew McCabe, FBI Deputy Dir. and others for [[conflict of interest]] in the [[Hillary Clinton email scandal|Hillary Clinton email probe]] and whether McCabe should have been recused.<ref>https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2016-01-12%20DOJ%20OIG%20to%20CEG%20et%20al%20-%20Review%20of%20Clinton%20Investigation%20Process.pdf</ref><ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/doj-oig-investigation.jpg</ref> McCabe, who assisted in writing the bogus Benghazi talking points for Susan Rice and oversaw the whitewashing of Hillary's email investigation, is married to a candidate for the Virginia state Senate who took $700,000 from [[Terry McAuliffe]]'s PAC while the FBI’s investigation of Clinton's emails was ongoing. McAuliffe simultaneously with Clinton was under FBI investigation for pay-to-play schemes involving a Chinese businessman.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1294661.html</ref> McAuliffe ran [[Bill Clinton]]'s [[United States presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential campaign]] which was marred by a foreign influence peddling scheme known as [[Chinagate]]. McAuliffe was [[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign|Hillary's 2008 campaign manager]].

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https://dailycaller.com/2017/01/16/think-tank-appears-to-cut-ties-with-oppo-researcher-behind-trump-dossier/#ixzz4d5c0xHTC</ref> Ross stated that part of Simpson’s work involved passing stories to his deep network of [[journalism]] contacts in order to undermine the [[law]].

−

:*'''UK cover-up.''' UK government issues a Defence Advisory Notice in an attempt to coverup the identity of Chtistopher Steele: {{quotebox|“A request to news editors not to publish or broadcast items on specified subjects for reasons of national security.”<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/downing-street-defends-move-protect-identity-ex-mi6-agent-behind-trump-dossier-1600837</ref>}} In September 2018 Trump will delay release of de-classified FISA warrants at the request of "key allies."<ref>https://m.theepochtimes.com/the-uk-and-australia-have-reason-to-be-concerned-about-declassification_2671461.html</ref><ref>https://galacticconnection.com/fisa-declassification-delay-nunes-discusses-congressional-blocks-trump-mentions-international-worries-w-videos/</ref><ref>https://www.worldtribune.com/neither-brennan-nor-key-u-s-ally-will-deny-spying-on-trump-official/</ref>

+

:*'''UK cover-up.''' UK government issues a Defence Advisory Notice in an attempt to coverup the identity of Chtistopher Steele:

+

{{quotebox-float|“A request to news editors not to publish or broadcast items on specified subjects for reasons of national security.”<ref>https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/downing-street-defends-move-protect-identity-ex-mi6-agent-behind-trump-dossier-1600837</ref>}} In September 2018 Trump will delay release of de-classified FISA warrants at the request of "key allies."<ref>https://m.theepochtimes.com/the-uk-and-australia-have-reason-to-be-concerned-about-declassification_2671461.html</ref><ref>https://galacticconnection.com/fisa-declassification-delay-nunes-discusses-congressional-blocks-trump-mentions-international-worries-w-videos/</ref><ref>https://www.worldtribune.com/neither-brennan-nor-key-u-s-ally-will-deny-spying-on-trump-official/</ref>

:*Obama signs Executive Order removing US Attorney [[Dana Boente]] from the line of succession to be acting Attorney General placing Sally Yates in his stead.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/10/trump-executive-order-obama-justice-department-succession/97752898/</ref>

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*'''14 January.''' Flynn-Kislyak Dec. 29, 2016 conversation leaked to the ''Washington Post'', likely by McCabe.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/mccabe-fbi-investigation-flynn-leak.jpg</ref> The leak was about establishing the framework for a preexisting investigation, based on a false premise, that would protect the DOJ and FBI.

−

:*Former Clinton era DOJ Inspector General [[Michael Bromwich]] welcomes Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation of Andrew McCabe and the DOJ. Bromwich later is hired as McCabe's attorney. Bromwich writes in a ''WaPo'' op-ed:{{Quotebox|The announcement by the Justice Department’s inspector general that his office will look into FBI Director James B. Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s emails reopens painful questions about the 2016 election, but it is also welcome news. The country needs this — an objective, independent and thorough investigation of issues that have roiled the country for months and continue to stir heated debate. The investigation will address allegations that Comey violated established Justice Department and FBI policies and procedures in his July 5, 2016, public announcement concerning the Hillary Clinton email investigation. And it will explore allegations that Comey’s Oct. 28 and Nov. 6 letters to Congress, which jolted the presidential election — and may have changed its outcome — were improper. The impact of Comey’s actions can never be definitively known. But it is important, for the Justice Department and for the country, to obtain a detailed accounting of what happened and why; to assign blame where it is warranted; and to understand how similar situations can be prevented. In addition to looking into the actions of the FBI director regarding the email investigation, the probe will look into whether the FBI’s deputy director [McCabe] should have recused himself from the investigation because of his wife’s political involvement; whether a high-ranking Justice Department official or others improperly disclosed non-public information to both the Clinton and Trump campaigns; and whether the timing of the FBI’s election eve Freedom of Information Act disclosures relating to Bill Clinton’s 2001 pardon of [[Marc Rich]] was based on inappropriate considerations.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-investigation-of-james-comey-is-exactly-what-the-country-needs/2017/01/14/83a558b0-da97-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html?utm_term=.5ac388d812cc</ref>}}

+

:*Former Clinton era DOJ Inspector General [[Michael Bromwich]] welcomes Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation of Andrew McCabe and the DOJ. Bromwich later is hired as McCabe's attorney. Bromwich writes in a ''WaPo'' op-ed:

+

{{Quotebox-float|The announcement by the Justice Department’s inspector general that his office will look into FBI Director James B. Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s emails reopens painful questions about the 2016 election, but it is also welcome news. The country needs this — an objective, independent and thorough investigation of issues that have roiled the country for months and continue to stir heated debate. The investigation will address allegations that Comey violated established Justice Department and FBI policies and procedures in his July 5, 2016, public announcement concerning the Hillary Clinton email investigation. And it will explore allegations that Comey’s Oct. 28 and Nov. 6 letters to Congress, which jolted the presidential election — and may have changed its outcome — were improper. The impact of Comey’s actions can never be definitively known. But it is important, for the Justice Department and for the country, to obtain a detailed accounting of what happened and why; to assign blame where it is warranted; and to understand how similar situations can be prevented. In addition to looking into the actions of the FBI director regarding the email investigation, the probe will look into whether the FBI’s deputy director [McCabe] should have recused himself from the investigation because of his wife’s political involvement; whether a high-ranking Justice Department official or others improperly disclosed non-public information to both the Clinton and Trump campaigns; and whether the timing of the FBI’s election eve Freedom of Information Act disclosures relating to Bill Clinton’s 2001 pardon of [[Marc Rich]] was based on inappropriate considerations.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-investigation-of-james-comey-is-exactly-what-the-country-needs/2017/01/14/83a558b0-da97-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html?utm_term=.5ac388d812cc</ref>}}

−

*'''15 January.''' Flynn-Kislyak leak led to Vice-President [[Mike Pence]] being hammered during a [[CBS]] ''Face the Nation'' interview about Trump campaign officials in contact with Russians. Pence was unprepared to answer the questions. The media blended questions about campaign contacts with necessary transition team contacts. {{quotebox|JOHN DICKERSON: [D]id any advisor or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election? MIKE PENCE: Of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.}}

+

*'''15 January.''' Flynn-Kislyak leak led to Vice-President [[Mike Pence]] being hammered during a [[CBS]] ''Face the Nation'' interview about Trump campaign officials in contact with Russians. Pence was unprepared to answer the questions. The media blended questions about campaign contacts with necessary transition team contacts.

+

{{quotebox-float|JOHN DICKERSON: [D]id any advisor or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election? MIKE PENCE: Of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.}}

:*Famed [[Watergate]] reporter [[Bob Woodward]] criticizes CNN, [[Jake Tapper]], John Brennan and James Clapper for false statements and politicization of the intelligence community. Four political operatives at CNN Jake Tapper, [[Jim Sciutto]], Evan Perez and Woodward's former colegue [[Carl Bernstein]], colluded with two highly politicized top level Obama administration intelligence officials, ODNI James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan, under the auspices of leaks from “anonymous senior intelligence officials” – on the construct of Russian narrative to undermine the incoming presidency of Donald Trump."<ref>https://youtu.be/s9QSiw0l_nE</ref>

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*'''23 January.''' ''Washington Post'' reports FBI found nothing illicit in Flynn's call with Amb. Kislyak.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-reviewed-flynns-calls-with-russian-ambassador-but-found-nothing-illicit/2017/01/23/aa83879a-e1ae-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.7f727dd416de</ref> Leaking Flynn's name was a violation of law. Likely leaked by Andrew McCabe.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/mccabe-fbi-investigation-flynn-leak.jpg</ref>

−

:*GCHQ Director [[Robert Hannigan]] resigns. ''[[The Guardian]]'' reports, {{Quotebox|His sudden resignation...prompted speculation that it might be related to British concerns over shared intelligence with the US in the wake of Donald Trump becoming president.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jan/23/gchq-chief-robert-hannigan-quits</ref>}}

+

:*GCHQ Director [[Robert Hannigan]] resigns. ''[[The Guardian]]'' reports,

+

{{Quotebox-float|His sudden resignation...prompted speculation that it might be related to British concerns over shared intelligence with the US in the wake of Donald Trump becoming president.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jan/23/gchq-chief-robert-hannigan-quits</ref>}}

:*Bruce Ohr's sixth interview with the FBI; FD-302 dated 1/31/16 (interviews are numbered by FD-302 date, not necessarily in chronological order).<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/421245115/Bruce-Ohr-302-Reports-Judicial-Watch-v-DOJ#download</ref>

−

:*Strzok/Lisa Page exchange messages: {{Quotebox|Lisa Page - I can feel my heart beating harder, I’m so stressed about all the ways THIS has the potential to go fully off the rails. Strzok - I know. I just talked with John, we’re getting together as soon as I get in to finish that write up for Andy [McCabe] this morning. I reminded John about how I told Bill [Priestap] and '''the entire group''' that we should wait 30 to 60 days after the inauguration to change how we were managing this stuff. As it is, he went ahead, and everything is completely falling off the rails. I think our stuff is good on our cases, but I have no hope or understanding about what they’re doing on Jen [Boone, FBI counterproliferation division]'s side of the house.}} Lisa Page is nervous about the trap being laid for Flynn to contradict Mike Pence's public statements on Jan. 15 and Flynn's Dec. 29, 2016 transition conversation with Kislyk going off the rails.

+

:*Strzok/Lisa Page exchange messages:

+

{{Quotebox-float|Lisa Page - I can feel my heart beating harder, I’m so stressed about all the ways THIS has the potential to go fully off the rails. Strzok - I know. I just talked with John, we’re getting together as soon as I get in to finish that write up for Andy [McCabe] this morning. I reminded John about how I told Bill [Priestap] and '''the entire group''' that we should wait 30 to 60 days after the inauguration to change how we were managing this stuff. As it is, he went ahead, and everything is completely falling off the rails. I think our stuff is good on our cases, but I have no hope or understanding about what they’re doing on Jen [Boone, FBI counterproliferation division]'s side of the house.}} Lisa Page is nervous about the trap being laid for Flynn to contradict Mike Pence's public statements on Jan. 15 and Flynn's Dec. 29, 2016 transition conversation with Kislyk going off the rails.

[[File:Pientka in Swat gear.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Joseph Pientka in SWAT gear.<ref>https://uncoverdc.com/2022/05/24/flynn-fisa-pientka-resurfaces/</ref>]]

*'''24 January.''' '''Mike Flynn interviewed by FBI agents [[Peter Strzok]] and [[Joe Pientka]] at the White House.'''<ref>https://www.hannity.com/content/2017-12-04-exclusive-fbi-supervisor-booted-from-mueller-probe-interviewed-mike-flynn/</ref>

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*'''26 January.''' Yates calls WH Counsel Don McGahn to tell him she had “a very sensitive matter” that had to be discussed face to face. McGahn agrees to meet with Yates in the afternoon. Yates traveled to the White House along with a senior member of the DOJ’s National Security Division, [[Mary McCord (DOJ)|Mary McCord]] who was overseeing the matter. This was Yates’ first meeting with McGahn in his office, which also acts as a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF). Yates said she began their meeting by laying out the media accounts and media statements made by Vice President Mike Pence and other high-ranking White House officials about General Flynn’s activity “that we knew not to be the truth.” According to Yates testimony, she and Mary McCord reportedly presented all the information to McGahn so the White House could take action that they deemed appropriate. When asked by McGahn if Flynn should be fired, Yates answered, “that really wasn’t our call.” Yates also said her decision to notify the White House counsel had been discussed “at great length.” According to her testimony: “Certainly leading up to our notification on the 26th, it was a topic of a whole lot of discussion in DOJ and with other members of the intel community.”

−

*'''27 January.''' Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails: {{quotebox|Steele: Hi B! Our guy’s [Deripaska] in OK for the time being but I would like to keep our channel open on him and his situation if that’s all right? Many thanks for your support and Best wishes. Ohr: Understood. We will be available if needed. Just let me know.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/385703667/Ohr-Steele-Text-Messages-January-2017#from_embed</ref>}}

+

*'''27 January.''' Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails:

+

{{quotebox-float|Steele: Hi B! Our guy’s [Deripaska] in OK for the time being but I would like to keep our channel open on him and his situation if that’s all right? Many thanks for your support and Best wishes. Ohr: Understood. We will be available if needed. Just let me know.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/385703667/Ohr-Steele-Text-Messages-January-2017#from_embed</ref>}}

:*Bruce Ohr's fifth interview with the FBI; FD-302 dated 1/27/17.

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:*White House Counsel Don McGahn calls Yates and asks if she could come back to his office. According to her testimony, Sally Yates returned to the White House late that afternoon. One of McGahn’s topics discussed was whether Flynn could be prosecuted for his conduct. Specifically, according to Yates, one of the questions McGahn asked Yates was, “Why does it matter to DOJ if one White House official lies to another?” She explained that it “was a whole lot more than that,” and reviewed the same issues outlined the prior day. McGahn expressed his concern that taking action might interfere with the FBI investigation of Flynn, and Yates said it wouldn’t. “It wouldn’t really be fair of us to tell you this and then expect you to sit on your hands." McGahn asked if he could look at the underlying evidence of Flynn’s conduct, and she said they would work with the FBI over the weekend and “get back with him on Monday morning.”

−

:*Trump dinner with Comey. '''FBI director Comey assures the President''': {{quotebox|"...during the salad, before the shrimp scampi I explained '''I don't do sneaky things. I don’t leak, I don’t do weasel moves'''."<ref>ttp://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/everything-we-learned-from-the-james-comey-memos.html</ref>}}

+

:*Trump dinner with Comey. '''FBI director Comey assures the President''':

+

{{quotebox-float|"...during the salad, before the shrimp scampi I explained '''I don't do sneaky things. I don’t leak, I don’t do weasel moves'''."<ref>ttp://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/everything-we-learned-from-the-james-comey-memos.html</ref>}}

::*At the same time Comey was personally scrutinizing the president during meetings in the White House and phone conversations from the FBI, he had an agent inside the White House working on the Russia investigation, where he reported back to FBI headquarters about Trump and his aides.<ref>https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2019/07/22/comey_under_scrutiny_for_own_inquiry_and_misleading_trump_119584.html</ref> Comey carved out an extraordinary new position for the agent, [[Anthony Ferrante]],<ref>https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyjferrante/</ref> who specialized in cyber crime, which allowed him to remain on reserve status at the FBI while working in the White House as a cybersecurity adviser. Ferrante left the White House around the same time Comey was fired and joined a security consulting firm, where he contracted with [[BuzzFeed]] to lead the news site’s efforts to verify the ''Steele dossier'', in connection with a defamation lawsuit.<ref>https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/12/former-senior-fbi-official-is-leading-buzzfeeds-effort-to-verify-trump-dossier/</ref>

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:*[[Sally Yates]] fired for insubordination; replaced by Dana Boente. Boente lifts Yates order denying Inspector General oversight of the DOJ-National Security Division.

−

*'''31 January.''' Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails: {{quotebox|Steele: B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you-SY [Sally Yates]. Just wanted to check you are OK, still in situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues, with '''our guy [Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin, has faced credible accusations of extortion, bribery and murder<ref>https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2018/09/02/whats-in-store-for-trumps-week-300850</ref>]''' if the need arises? Many Thanks and Best as Always, C Ohr: Yes, a crazy day. I’m still here and able to help as discussed. I’ll let you know if that changes. Thanks Steele: Thanks. You have my sympathy and support. '''If you end up out though, I really need another (Bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed. We can’t allow our guy [Deripaska] to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous all round''', though his position now looks stable. A million thanks. C Ohr: Understood. I can certainly give you an FBI contact if it becomes necessary.}}

+

*'''31 January.''' Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails:

+

{{quotebox-float|Steele: B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you-SY [Sally Yates]. Just wanted to check you are OK, still in situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues, with '''our guy [Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin, has faced credible accusations of extortion, bribery and murder<ref>https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2018/09/02/whats-in-store-for-trumps-week-300850</ref>]''' if the need arises? Many Thanks and Best as Always, C Ohr: Yes, a crazy day. I’m still here and able to help as discussed. I’ll let you know if that changes. Thanks Steele: Thanks. You have my sympathy and support. '''If you end up out though, I really need another (Bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed. We can’t allow our guy [Deripaska] to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous all round''', though his position now looks stable. A million thanks. C Ohr: Understood. I can certainly give you an FBI contact if it becomes necessary.}}

===February 2017===

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