Bruce Ohr

Bruce Ohr
Associate Deputy Attorney General From: ??? - December 2017
Predecessor
Successor	removed December 2017
Information
Party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Nellie Ohr

Bruce G. Ohr (b. March 16, 1962) was a former Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Obama administration. Ohr's immediate supervisor was Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Ohr is a major player in the conspiracy against President Trump.

Ohr’s own notes, emails and text messages show he communicated extensively with Christopher Steele and with Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson.

Bruce Ohr held two titles at the Obama Department of Justice: Associate Deputy Attorney General, a post that placed him four doors down from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after President Trump took office; and Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a program described by the department as “the centerpiece of the attorney general’s drug strategy.” Ohr held the number 4 position in the Justice Department during the time of Obama administration illegal spying on Donald Trump and associates, behind Loretta Lynch, Sally Yates, John Carlin, and later Mary McCord.

In November 2016 Glenn Simpson, founder of FusionGPS and Bruce Ohr had a meeting while President-elect Donald Trump was in the process of selecting his cabinet. FusionGPS was employed by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic party. Ohr and Simpson discussed the Clinton campaign's Steele dossier, the Russia meddling investigation, and what Simpson considered the distressing development of Trump’s victory. The manufactured evidence of the Clinton-Steele dossier was given to the FBI some five months earlier, and the Obama Justice Department knowingly misrepresented Hillary Clinton's opposition research to hoax the FISA court into authorizing a foreign surveillance warrant (FISA) against the Trump campaign two months earlier.

Ohr was demoted in December 2017 when Inspector General Mike Horowitz reported that Ohr withheld from "superiors" his secret contacts with Christopher Steele, author of Hillary Clinton's opposition research Clinton-Steele dossier, and with Glenn Simpson. Neither did Ohr disclose that his wife, Nellie Ohr, was employed by FusionGPS and helped write the false evidence in the Clinton-Steele dossier presented to the FISA court.

FISA abuse scandal

• Main article: FISA abuse

Bruce Ohr was the lynchpin between the Attorney General, the FBI and FusionGPS. Ohr’s wife Nellie worked for FusionGPS on the Clinton-Steele Dossier.

On October 26, 2016 the FISA court issued a decision that revealed that the upper echelon of the FBI and others deliberately gave unlimited and unsupervised access to the most private raw FISA data to FusionGPS. NSA Dir. Mike Rogers personally informed the FISA court of the Obama administration's violations of Sec. 702(17) of the FISA Act (electronic surveillance of US citizens) after he suspected DOJ/FBI abuses and ordered a compliance audit. The FISA court noted that on March 9, 2016

“DOJ oversight personnel conducting a minimization review of the FBI’s *** [redacted] learned that the FBI had disclosed raw FISA information, including but not limited to Section 702-acquired information....certain *** [redacted] contractors had access to raw FISA information on FBI storage systems. ***[redacted] the ***[redacted] contractors had access to raw FISA information that went well beyond what was necessary to respond to the FBI’s requests.”

According to the court, the

“FBI discontinued the above-described access to raw FISA information as of April 18, 2016.”

The court continued, noting

“Restrictions were not in place with regard to the *** [redacted] contractors; their access was not limited to raw information for which the FBI sought assistance and access continued even after they had completed their work in response to an FBI request."

Page 83 of the court ruling read, the

"FBI gave raw Section 702–acquired information to a private entity [FusionGPS] that was not a federal agency and whose personnel [Simpson, Steele, Nellie Ohr] were not sufficiently supervised by a federal agency for compliance minimization procedures [protecting the Fourth Amendment rights of US persons]."

Footnote 68 of the court’s decision includes the statement that

“the government acknowledges that those disclosures were improper for other reasons.”

In Footnote 69 the decision reads that

“improper access granted to the * * *[redacted] contractors . . . * * *[redacted] . . . seems to have been the result of deliberate decision-making. * * *[redacted] access to FBI systems was the subject of an interagency memorandum of understanding (presumably prepared or reviewed by FBI lawyers), no notice of this practice was given to the FISC until 2016.”

In the closed door hearing before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, Obama administration lawyers admitted to routinely violating American citizens' privacy protections for the past five years. More than 5 percent, or one out of every 20 searches seeking upstream Internet data on Americans inside the NSA’s so-called Section 702 database violated the safeguards Obama and his intelligence chiefs vowed to follow in 2011.

Simultaneously with the October 2016 FISA court ruling Perkins Coie, the surrogate law firm acting on behalf of Hillary Clinton campaign and DNC, made a payment of $365,275.33 to FusionGPS.

Obamagate conspiracy

Former Deputy Asst. Attorney General Bruce Ohr is the most exposed official on the DOJ-NSD side of the Obama administration illegal operation. Bruce Ohr was been questioned at least 12 times about his involvement by FBI internal Inspection Division (INSD) and Inspector General investigators. Ohr was demoted twice as an outcome of those sessions yet remained employed, implying he is a cooperating witness. Ohr was likely the central Main Justice official for illegally gathering FISA intelligence and sharing it with Fusion-GPS and Christopher Steele.

Bruce’s wife, Nellie Ohr, was also a participant and was hired by Fusion-GPS in May 2016 during the apex of opposition research into Donald Trump and the campaign team. With Nellie Ohr’s subject matter expertise of Russian spy and trade-craft, together Bruce and Nellie were the central figures in the creation of, and laundry for, the Clinton/Steele dossier to mske it appear the Obama administration's illegally gathered FISA information originated outside government. The larger Russian narrative originated with this operation.

Bruce Ohr remains employed within DOJ-NSD in some function and is likely a cooperating witness along with his wife.

Bruce Ohr timeline

From November 1, 2015, to May 1st, 2016, thousands of illegal search queries were conducted. Nellie Ohr was employed by FusionGPS at the time this FISA abuse was detected.

• 20 July 2015. DOJ Dep. Attn. Gen. Sally Yates denies Inspector General oversight of the DOJ National Security Division. DOJ IG Michael Horowitz raised concerns that his office would be required to seek the Department’s permission. That procedure is “inconsistent with the Inspector General Act, impairs the OIG’s independence, and fails to account for the over 20 year record of Department and FBI compliance with OIG document requests,” according to the OIG’s report.

illegal FISA queries.

Spygate: DOJ redacted the word, "lures". "Lures" are infiltrators, provocateurs, or spies who offer bait, in this case Hillary Clinton's emails. Oconus = outside contiguous United States. The message from Peter Strzok to Lisa Page reads, "You get all our outside contiguous US spies approved?" It was sent after Sally Yates ended independent oversight of the DOJ-National Security Division, while FBI contractors conducted over 5,000 illegal FISA 702 "About queries," and before Adm. Rogers cutoff outside FBI contractor access to the FISA database. The primaries, Hillary's whitewash, and official counterintelligence investigation were yet to come.

• September 2015. FusionGPS begins covert opposition research on Donald Trump; Nellie Ohr was hired by Fusion in late 2015.

• 1 November 2015. FBI contractors begin thousands of

• 28 December. Strzok texts Lisa Page:

  "You get all our outside contiguous US spies approved?"

  referring to Stefan Halper, Alexander Downer, and Joseph Mifsud. Note the "lures" where in place before the primary elections. The small group were ready to compromise whoever the GOP nominee was.

• 12 January 2016. Christopher Steele emails Bruce Ohr:

  "I heard from Adam WALDMAN [a Deripaska lawyer/lobbyist] yesterday that OD [ Oleg Deripaska ] is applying for another official US visa ice [sic] APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] business at the end of February."

  Steele said Deripaska was being "encouraged by the Agency guys who told Adam [Waldman] that the USG [United States Government] stance on [Deripaska] is softening." Steele concluded: "A positive development it seems." Steele also asked Ohr when he might be coming to London, or somewhere in Europe, "as I would be keen to meet up here and talk business." Ohr replied warmly the same day and said he would likely travel to Europe, but not the U.K., at least twice in February.

• 2 February 2016. Christopher Steele is already on the FBI payroll, receives "admonishments," or instructions in FBI Guidelines for Confidential Human Sources (CHS).

• 8 February 2016. Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails: "our old friend OD [Oleg Deripaska] apparently has been granted another official [emphasis in original] visa to come to the US later this month." Steele wrote, "As far as I'm concerned, this is good news all round although as before, it would be helpful if you could monitor it and let me know if any complications arise." Ohr replied that he knew about Deripaska's visa, and "to the extent I can I will keep an eye on the situation." Steele again asked to meet anytime Ohr was in the U.K. or Western Europe.

• 21 February 2016. Steele emails Bruce Ohr, headlined "Re: OVD - Visit To The US." Steele told Ohr he had talked to [Adam] Waldman and to Paul Hauser, who was Deripaska's London lawyer. Steele reported that there would be a U.S. government meeting on Deripaska that week — "an inter-agency meeting on him this week which I guess you will be attending." Steele said he was "circulating some recent sensitive Orbis [Orbis Business Intelligence, Steele's company] reporting" on Deripaska that suggested Deripaska was not a "tool" of the Kremlin. Steele said he would send the reporting to a name that is redacted in the email, "as he has asked, for legal reasons I understand, for all such reporting be filtered through him (to you at DoJ and others)." Deripaska's rehabilitation was a good thing, Steele wrote: "We reckon therefore that the forthcoming OVD [Oleg V. Deripaska] contact represents a good opportunity for the USG." Ohr responded by saying, "Thanks Chris! This is extremely interesting. I hope we can follow up in the next few weeks as you suggest."

• 17 March 2016. Steele wrote a brief email asking if Bruce Ohr had any update on plans to visit Europe "in the near term where we could meet up." Ohr said he did not and asked if Steele would like to set up a call. There are no emails for more than three months after March 17.

Nellie Ohr, Bruce Ohr and Glenn Simpson, longstanding collaborators with contractor access to the Obama intelligence community.

• 30 July 2016. Bruce and Nellie Ohr had breakfast with Glenn Simpson and Chris Steele in Washington DC.

• 31 July 2016. Strzok officially begins paperwork opening Operation Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence investigation on Trump and associates.

• 30 October 2016. Christopher Steele suspended, and then terminated by the FBI for unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI in a Mother Jones article by David Corn. Steele's reporting was deemed "unreliable," and Steele was ordered by the FBI not to obtain “any intelligence whatsoever on behalf of the FBI.”

• 21 November 2016. Bruce Ohr meets with Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Joe Pientka of the FBI. Ohr notes state that the FBI "may go back to Chris [Steele]" just 20 days after his firing for violating bureau rules. In other words, the FBI had no other leads that would stand up in court other than Steele, supporting Strzok's May 19, 2017 statement "my gut sense and concern that there’s no big there there.”

• 22 November 2016. Date of first of twelve FBI interview teports (Form 302) with Bruce Ohr; form report dated December 19, 2016. The Ohr 302s serve as CYA memos - the paper trail for probable cause as required by the court. Because of Steele's suspension, his reporting is deemed unreliable; Bruce Ohr, who is not assigned to the case, is serving as a backdoor for information coming to the FBI from Steele.

• 31 January 2017. Steele emailed Ohr to see if he was “OK” after Trump fired Sally Yates. Steele writes:

  “If you end up out … I really need another (Bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed."

• 6 March 2017. Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley inquires by letter of the FBI's plan to pay FusionGPS operative Christopher Sterle for spying on the Trump during the campaign, sparking questions of the Obama administration’s use of federal authorities for political gain.

• 7 March 2017 Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails:

  Steele: Would it be possible to speak later today please? We’re very concerned by the Grassley letter and it’s possible implications for us, our operations and our sources. We need some reassurance. Many thanks
  
  Ohr: Sure: Would 130 today, DC time. work?
  Steele: Yes thanks it would. Sorry to bother you so early but I know you’ll appreciate why we are concerned.

• 18 March 2017. Steele emails Bruce Ohr two days before Comey slated to testify:

  “Hi! Just wondering if you had any news? Obviously, we’re a bit apprehensive given scheduled appearance at Congress on Monday. Hoping that important firewalls will hold. Many thanks."

• 2 May 2017. Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails to arrange talking "over the next couple of days." The conversations appear to be Steele's proposal to reengae with the FBI in the Trump-Russia investigation.

• 9 May 2017. Comey fired; Steele emails Bruce Ohr:

  "B, obviously it's chaotic with you over there right now but we should probably talk again over the next couple of days if you can.

  They spoke the next day May 10 at 7pm London time (1pm Washington time).

• 10 May 3017. Steele calls Bruce Ohr. Ohr's handwritten notes state “Call with Chris." Steele is worried about Comey's congressional hearing, and is

  “very concerned about Comey hearing, afraid they will be exposed."

  Steele is concerned about a letter from Sen. Grassley asking Comey 12 questions regarding the FBI and Steele’s relationship, and wanted all information on any agreements they had during the investigation into alleged Russia-Trump collusion. Grassley also wanted to know if the FBI ever verified any of the information in Steele’s reports. Steele is concerned about these three questions: (1) What info (information) did you give to the U.S. govt (government)? (2) What was the scope of yr (your) investigation? (3} Do you have any other info that would assist in our question?

• 15 May 2017. Bruce Ohr's twelveth FBI interview; FD-302 dated 5/16/17. Steele and Bruce Ohr exchange emails:

  9:45 AM Steele - Having now consulted with my wife and business partner about the question we discussed on Saturday I'm pleased to say yes, we should go ahead with it. Best C.
  1;31 PM Bruce Ohr - Thanks! I will let them know and we will follow up.
  2:32 PM Bruce Ohr - Thanks again. I chatted with my colleagues and can give you an update when you have a minute.

  No communication between Steele and Ohr until June 22. Steele evidently was anticipating a prolonged separation from his wife to be reengaged in the Trump-Russia investigation in Washington. The paper trail however still has Steele deemed "unreliable" and ordered not to gather any investigative information on behalf of the FBI for violating bureau rules. The lack of a response from the FBI, and later the Special Counsel office from this point on indicates the hoaxers in the DOJ were just stringing Steele slong right to the point of Ohr's demotion in December 2017.

• 15 July 2017. Lisa Page flips, agrees to gives FBI INSD (Inspection Division) authorization to access all communication and messaging accounts and devices (July 15 – 20th, 2017).

• With the receipt of the Peter Strzok-Lisa Page texts, DOJ Inspector General Mike Horowitz uncovers extreme bias in the Mueller investigation and possible criminal conduct among certain high level DOJ and FBI officials during the 2016 election.

• 16 July 2017. Steele emails Bruce Ohr:

  "Hi Bruce, hope you're enjoying the summer. I spoke to my old colleagues last week and they assured me they would not stand in the way of our re-engagement with the Bureau."

  Ohr appears to be dropped as the official go-between Steele and the FBI, as no more 302 interview reports are prepared after May 15.

• 27 July 2017. Horowitz notifies Mueller and Rod Rosenstein about the Strzok/Lisa Page text messages. Mueller fires Strzok.

• 6 August 2017. Steele emails Bruce Ohr:

  "Whenever convenient, I would like a chat, there's a lot going on and we are frustrated with how long this re-engagement with the Bureau and Mueller is taking. There are some new, perishable, operational opportunities which we do not want to miss out on."

• 22 August 2017. Mueller fires Lisa Page.

• 14 November 2017. Glenn Simpson claimed in closed door testimony to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) under oath that he did not have contact with any FBI or DOJ officials regarding the infamous Steele dossier until after the 2016 election. But Bruce Ohr's emails show that Ohr and Simpson were in contact as early as August 2016, three weeks after the Russia investigation began.

• 18 November 2027. Steele emails Bruce Ohr:

  "I am presuming you've heard nothing back from your SC [ Special Counsel ] colleagues on the issues you kindly put to them from mme. We have heard nothing from them either. To say this is disappointing would be an understatement! Certain people have been willing to risk everything to engage with them in an effort to help them reach the truth."

• 7 December 2017. Bruce Ohr stripped of his post, twice demoted, and reassigned. Fox News reports Bruce Ohr withheld from "superiors", possibly Rosenstein, his secret meetings in 2016 with Christopher Steele, author of the Steele dossier with input from Russian sources; and with Glenn Simpson, founder of Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm that hired Steele with funds supplied by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

• Bruce Ohr did not disclose his wife Nellie Ohr's employment with FusionGPS either.

• 11 December 2017. Nellie Ohr outed as FusionGPS employee.

Project Cassandra

Ohr was directly involved with Project Cassandra, the interagency investigation spearheaded by the DEA that tracked a massive international narcotics and money laundering scheme allegedly run by Hezbollah. The project and its potential prosecutions were sidelined by senior Obama administration officials who didn't want to upset Iran in the lead-up to the Iran nuclear deal in 2015. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement: "While I am hopeful that there were no barriers constructed by the last admission to allowing DEA agents to fully bring all appropriate cases under Project Cassandra, this is a significant issue for the protection of Americans. We will review these matters and give full support to investigations of violent drug trafficking organizations."

In December 2017 Ohr initially retained his position as Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. In January 2018 Ohr was stripped of his directorship of OCDETF as well.

See also

• Obamagate timeline
• Russiagate timeline 2017
• Julian Assange
• David Laufman
• Adam Waldman
• Oleg Deripaska