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'''James A. Baker''' was an General Counsel to disgraced FBI Director [[United States|AmericanJames Comey]] government official at during the [[United States Department of JusticeTrump-Russia collusion hoax]] and [[Clinton email scandal|Department of JusticeHillary Clinton email whitewash investigation]] who and served as General Counsel for the liaison with the [[Federal Bureau Department of InvestigationJustice]] (FBIDOJ).<ref name="pressrel">{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/james-a.-baker-appointed-as-fbis-general-counsel|title=FBI — James A. Baker Appointed as FBI’s General Counsel|work=FBI}}</ref> In December, 2017 he was reassigned to a different position within the FBI.<ref>"WaPoDec17"</ref> Baker left the FBI in early April 2018,<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/james-baker-lisa-page-fbi.html </ref> after Congressional leaders called for prosecution of [[Obama administration]] officials' criminal conduct during and after the 2016 election.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gowdy-goodlatte-call-for-special-prosecutor-to-investigate-fbis-use-of-fisa-warrants/ </ref>Baker moved on to work for to work for the [[Brookings Institute]] and [[Benjamin Wittes]]' [[Lawfare Group]]. Wittes was the first to write about an "insurance policy" should Trump win.
==Career==
Baker joined the Justice Criminal Department in 1990 and went on to work as a [[United States Attorney]]. In 1996 he joined Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR). This government agency handles all DOJ requests for surveillance authorizations under the terms of the 1978 [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act]], advises the [[Attorney General]] and all [[Intelligence Community|major intelligence-gathering agencies]] on legal issues relating to [[national security]] and [[surveillance]], and "coordinates" the views of the intelligence community regarding intelligence legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/oipr/|title=US DOJ website on OIPR|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060115184741/http://www.usdoj.gov/oipr/|archivedate=January 15, 2006|date=December 12, 2003|accessdate=}}</ref> Baker has often testified before Congress on behalf of [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]] administration intelligence policies, including defending the [[Patriot Act]] before the [[House Judiciary Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/testimony/042605-oipr-baker.pdf|title=STATEMENT JAMES A. BAKER COUNSEL FOR INTELLIGENCE POLICY OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE POLICY AND REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE|website=Preserving Life & Liberty|publisher=Department of Justice|accessdate=|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050510053933/http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/testimony/042605-oipr-baker.pdf|archivedate=May 10, 2005|date=April 26, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/testimony/042805-oipr-baker.pdf|title=STATEMENT JAMES A. BAKER COUNSEL FOR INTELLIGENCE POLICY OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE POLICY AND REVIEW UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE|website=Preserving Life & Liberty|publisher=Department of Justice|accessdate=|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050510055040/http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/testimony/042805-oipr-baker.pdf|archivedate=May 10, 2005|date=April 28, 2005}}</ref> Regarding Baker's 2007 appearance on the [[PBS]] ''Frontline'' episode "Spying on the Home Front", the show's producer, in a ''[[Washington Post]]'' online chat, referred to Baker as "Mr. FISA himself".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Young|first1=Rick|title=PBS Frontline: 'Spying on the Home Front'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/05/03/DI2007050301142.html|accessdate=|work=The Washington Post|date=May 16, 2007|quote=Mr. FISA himself, Mr. James Baker, the DOJ point man on FISA.}}</ref>
Baker's government service was interrupted twice by stints in the private sector. Baker was assistant general counsel for national security at [[Verizon|Verizon Business]] from 2008 to 2009.<ref name="pressrel" /> He was associate general counsel with Bridgewater Associates, LP from 2012 to 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=James A. Baker|url=http://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/10035/Baker|website=[[Harvard Law School]]|publisher=[[Harvard University]]|accessdate=}}</ref>
==Obamagate scandal==
The former FBI chief legal counsel House Judiciary and close adviser to FBI Director Oversight committees concluded in 2018 that the DOJ under [[James ComeyPresident Barack Obama]]. In addition to coordinating the “small group” activity to exonerate had treated [[Hillary Clinton]], Baker was also a recipient for some of the Comey Memos of leaks of privileged conversations with President Donald Trump. Baker has knowledge of, and possibly a co-conspirator in, the “insurance policy” described by FBI Agent [[Peter Strzok]] and FBI Counsel [[Lisa PageHillary Clinton]]. Additionally, Baker would be able to identify the level of knowledge unequally by affording Clinton and participation of Director Comeyher associates extraordinary accommodations, and is therefore perhaps the biggest risk while abusing surveillance powers to Comey specificallyinvestigate Trump's associates.
On December 21, 2017, Baker testified that it was removed from any responsibility and left the Justice Department in April 2018 to work for the [[Brookings InstituteMichael Sussmann]] , a partner at [[Perkins Coie]], who shared with him information that detailed alleged communications between servers in Trump Tower and servers located in [[Benjamin WittesRussia]]' Lawfareblogat Alfa Bank—an allegation that eventually was debunked.<ref>https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/11/the-trump-server-evaluating-new-evidence-and-countertheories. Wittes html</ref> Sussmann was also the first to write about an "insurance policy" should Trump winlawyer who spearheaded the handling of the alleged breach of the [[DNC]] servers.
Baker acknowledged that he discovered that Sussmann was also speaking to ''[[The New York Times]]'' regarding that same information. The FBI later contacted ''The New York Times'' and asked the newspaper to hold off on publishing while the bureau investigated the matter. The information that Sussmann passed to Baker appeared in the so-called ''[[Steele dossier]]'', in a memo dated Sept. 14, 2016. Notably, Sussmann met with Baker five days later, on Sept. 19, 2016.<ref name="theepochtimes.com">https://www.theepochtimes.com/transcripts-of-former-top-fbi-lawyer-detail-pervasive-abnormalities-in-trump-probe_2771370.html</ref> In addition to coordinating the “small group” activity to exonerate [[Hillary Clinton]], Baker was also a recipient for some of the Comey Memos of leaks of privileged conversations with President Trump. Baker has knowledge of, and possibly a co-conspirator in, the “insurance policy” described by FBI Agent [[Peter Strzok]] and FBI Counsel [[Lisa Page]]. Additionally, Baker would be able to identify the level of knowledge and participation of Director Comey, and is therefore perhaps the biggest risk to Comey specifically. ===FISA abuse===
{{Main article|FISA abuse}}
The FBI colluded directly with the partisan [[Democratic National Committee]] to perpetrate fraud against the [[FISA court]], spy on [[Republican]]s, and [[subversion|subvert]] American [[democracy]] and elections.
James Baker, Comey's top legal advisor in the FBI, told Congressional investigators the FBI [[collude]]d with [[Michael Sussmann]], DNC attorney with [[Perkins Coie]] before [[FusionGPS]] was hired to author false and defamatory allegations against Donald Trump.<ref>https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/409817-russia-collusion-bombshell-dnc-lawyers-met-with-fbi-on-dossier-before</ref> Sussmann reportedly provided Baker with documents and electronic media, tainted evidence that was used to gain a warrant to spy on opposition Republicans without informing the court of its origins in the 2016 elections.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2018/10/04/fbi-dnc-lawyer-russia-2016-election/</ref>
Baker told investigators that he personally reviewed portions of the Page FISA application, adding that this wasn't something he would usually get involved in. He also admitted that he didn't review the Woods file, which provides underlying documentation for the accuracy of facts represented in the FISA application. Baker testified that he told James Comey at some point that he thought the FISA “was legally sufficient.”<ref name="theepochtimes.com"/>
In 1972, opposition researchers working for [[President Nixon]] broke into the [[Watergate]] hotel to spy on Democrat opponents during the [[1972 presidential election]]. Nixon later was forced from office and disgraced for abusing his office by illegal domestic spying on political opponents to influence the outcome of an election. Dozens of [[conspiracy|conspirator]]s - inside and outside of government - were convicted and jailed.
==Criminal =Corn and Steele===In 2017, Sinclair-owned ''Circa News'' reported that Baker was under a Department of Justice [[criminal]] investigationfor allegedly leaking classified national security information concerning the [[Trump administration]] to the media.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.circa.com/story/2017/07/26/politics/james-a-baker-fbi-general-counsel-is-allegedly-under-an-investigation-for-leaking-classified-information-to-the-media|title=EXCLUSIVE: A top FBI lawyer is allegedly under an investigation for leaking classified information to the media|access-date=|date=July 27, 2017|language=en|work=Circa News}}</ref><ref>https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/22/trump-dossier-fbi-james-baker-david-corn-mother-jones-316157</ref>
In 2017, Sinclair-owned Baker admitted he received a version of the ''Circa News[[Steele dossier]]'' reported from leftist reporter [[David Corn]] of ''[[Mother Jones]]'' magazine, and then forwarded it to [[Peter Strzok]]'s team. Corn says that occurred in November 2016, right after the [[2016 presidential election]]. Baker was under a Department admitted to having received parts of Justice the ''Steele dossier'' from Corn. Baker testified that these sections were different than the ones already in the FBI's possession: "My recollection is that he had part of the dossier, that we had other parts already, and that we got still other parts from other people, and that — and nevertheless some of the parts that David Corn gave us were parts that we did not have from another source." Baker said he either knew or assumed at the time that Corn had gotten the dossier from [[criminalFusion GPS]] investigation co-founder [[Glenn Simpson]], whom [[Christopher Steele]] worked for allegedly leaking classified national security information concerning . The FBI used the news media as alleged "corroborating evidence" they presented to the [[Trump administrationFISA court]] to as supposed independent investigation results which, in fact, came from the mediasame source - the foreign agent Christopher Steele.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.circathehill.com/story/2017/07/26/politicshilltv/jameswhat-aamericas-bakerthinking/410447-former-fbi-generallawyer-counselplot-isto-allegedlyrecord-underremove-antrump-investigationnot-fora-leaking-classified-informationjoke</ref> DOJ official [[Bruce Ohr]], who was a key conduit between Steele and the FBI, testified that he had informed the bureau of Steele's anti-Trump bias, and that the dossier was tied to-theClinton campaign and the DNC. Neither fact appeared in the final FISA application before it was approved by the [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court]]. When asked whether he was aware of Bruce Ohr's warning to the FBI, Baker responded, “I don’t recall ever hearing that before just right now” in his 2018 Congressional testimony. Baker told lawmakers he was aware Ohr served as Steele's back-media|title=EXCLUSIVE: A top channel to the FBI lawyer is allegedly under an investigation for leaking classified information , but said he was unaware, however, that Ohr's FBI handler, agent [[Joe Pientka]], funneled the intelligence to FBI Deputy Assistant Director [[Peter Strzok]] and FBI attorney [[Lisa Page]]. Baker said that he only became aware of the media|access-date=|date=July 27fact that Ohr's wife, 2017|language=en|work=Circa News}}</ref><ref>https://www[[Nellie Ohr]], worked for Fusion GPS—which had also employed Steele—from public reporting.politico Strzok and Lisa Page exchanged dozens of text messages expressing bias against Donald Trump and support for Hillary Clinton, while playing key roles on the investigations related to both candidates. The discovery of the text messages led to the removal of Strzok from the [[Mueller probe]]. Baker told Congress he ordered an investigation into the messages shortly after reading them.com/story/2017/12/22/trump-dossier-fbi-james-baker-david-corn-mother-jones-316157 </ref>
===Comey leaks===
On June 7, 2017 ''Vox'' reported: {{quotebox|FBI Director James B. Comey pulled aside three of the bureau’s top officials for private chats. In calm tones, he told each of them about a private Oval Office meeting with [[President Trump]]...Those three officials, according to two people with detailed, firsthand knowledge of the matter, were [[Jim Rybicki]], Comey’s chief of staff and senior counselor; James Baker, the FBI’s general counsel; and [[Andrew McCabe]], then the bureau’s deputy director, and now the acting director...<br>One senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter said that Comey specifically sought legal advice from Baker about when and how to tell the DOJ about Trump pressing Comey to shut down the Russia probe. The same official said that Comey and Baker had more than one discussion about the matter, and that Baker almost certainly made extensive notes about those deliberations.
Both Comey and Baker sought the advice of Rybicki and McCabe as to whether to inform the Justice Department of Trump’s pressure of Comey to shut down the Russia probe, according to this same official. All four of them had reservations about doing so because they did not fully trust [[Attorney General]] [[Jeff Sessions]] — and because the events were unprecedented in their experience.<ref>https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/7/15751336/fbi-trump-russia-comey-trump-flynn </ref>}}
''NY Mag'' repeated the substance of classified information: {{quotebox|within two days of Comey’s fateful meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, he relayed his account of what Trump asked him to do (or undo) to three top FBI associates: Deputy Director (and now Acting Director) Andrew McCabe; Chief of Staff Jim Rybicki; and General Counsel James Baker.<ref>http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/06/3-fbi-officials-can-support-comeys-account-of-trump-meeting.html </ref>}}
==See also==
*[[Spygate]]
*[[FBI scandal]]
*[[Tash Gauhar]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.lawfareblog.com/jim-baker-counterintelligence Jim Baker on Counterintelligence] at [[Lawfare]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, James A.}}
[[Category:Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax]]
[[Category:Hillary Clinton email scandal]]
[[Category:Clinton scandalsScandals]]
[[Category:2010s]]