Pages

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Kevin Brock Dissects Strzok's CH Opening EC

Predication. It's impossible to stress the importance of this concept too much when evaluating the attempted lawfare coup against President Trump that we know as the Russia Hoax. Kevin Brock, a former assistant director of intelligence for the FBI, has a fine article at The Hill today in which he walks through the Strzok Opening EC for Crossfire Hurricane. We covered this in The Crossfire Hurricane Opening EC--Predication And The Way Forward. Brock provides additional perspective that I believe most will find informative. In fact, his article, New FBI document confirms the Trump campaign was investigated without justification, works well as a followup to Gregg Jarrett's interview article with John Dowd. Whereas Dowd focuses on the responsibility of key prosecutors--Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller--Brock looks at the document that those prosecutors would ultimately have had to rely upon. If they had been men of integrity, not intent on framing and removing the president. Stylisticly, I find the opening paragraph very strong:


Late last week the FBI document that started the Trump-Russia collusion fiasco was publicly released. It hasn’t received a lot of attention but it should, because not too long from now this document likely will be blown up and placed on an easel as Exhibit A in a federal courtroom. 
The prosecutor, U.S. Attorney John Durham, will rightly point out that the document that spawned three years of political misery fails to articulate a single justifiable reason for starting the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.   
Those of us who have speculated there was insufficient cause for beginning the investigation could not have imagined the actual opening document was this feeble. It is as if it were written by someone who had no experience as an FBI agent. 
Keep in mind the FBI cannot begin to investigate anyone, especially a U.S. citizen or entity, without first creating a document that lists the reasonably suspicious factors that would legally justify the investigation. ... 
... 
In a normal EC opening a FARA case, we should expect to see a list of reasons why the FBI believes individuals associated with a U.S. presidential campaign had been engaged by the Russian government to represent and advocate that government’s goals. 
This, however, was no normal EC. Try as we might to spot them, those reasons are not found anywhere in the document. ...  
... 
Strzok apparently took ... nebulous reporting by Downer and then leapt to the dubious conclusion that Papadopoulos and unnamed others were engaged by the Russians to act as foreign agents on Russia’s behalf. This, despite Downer also offering two exculpatory statements in the same email: 1) It was “unclear” how the Trump campaign might have reacted to the Russian claims and 2) the Russians likely were going to do what they were going to do with the information whether anyone in the Trump campaign cooperated with them or not.
Strzok then concludes the EC by moving the goalposts. He writes that Crossfire Hurricane is being opened to determine if unspecified “individual(s)” associated with the Trump campaign are “witting of and/or coordinating activities” — also unspecified — “with the Government of Russia.” He doesn’t even mention Papadopoulos. 
Ultimately, there was no attempt by Strzok to articulate any factors that address the elements of FARA. He couldn’t, because there are none. ...
What this FBI document clearly establishes is that Crossfire Hurricane was an illicit, made-up investigation lacking a shred of justifying predication, ...

This document will be the key to the big picture conspiracy prosecution that Durham is preparing. Every FBI and DoJ official who handled any aspect of the Russia Hoax investigations can be held responsible for failing to question the overwhelmingly obvious lack of predication to the investigation. But that responsibility reaches critical mass, as John Dowd stresses, when we reach the level of Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller. They should not be allowed to walk.

25 comments:

  1. The comments on The Hill piece are hilarious, if not sad. TDS runs deep with the majority of The Hill readership. What depths of denial can these miserable people reach before reality comes knocking? After reading some of their rants, it becomes very clear how a Hitler or Mussolini came to power, and how close this nation came to a successful coup that would have been cheered by this rabid mob.

    DJL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Someone commented not long ago that when the Left starts supporting the intel establishment, CIA and FBI, that's very scary for the country.

      Delete
    2. During recent decades, the USA's conservatives and the Republican Party have been the Intelligence Community's political patrons. The conservatives and the Republicans reflexively and loyally defended the Intelligence Community.

      However, the Intelligence Community has stabbed the conservatives and Republican Party in the back and have sought to make the liberals and the Democratic Party into the new political patrons. What could go wrong?

      Delete
    3. My recollection of that comment was when the 'media' began supporting the CIA and federal law enforcement. But really that is just a quibble given today's thoroughly corrupt and biased media. In the larger scheme, Trump has driven them to divulge their true colors - and they are not red, white, and blue. Should Trump win in November, perhaps a new birth in American media will rise up from the ashes... Well, there is hope, however faint.

      DJL

      Delete
    4. "Someone commented not long ago that when the Left starts supporting the intel establishment, CIA and FBI, that's very scary for the country."

      I think you may be referring to Matt Taibbi, one of the very small number of left-leaning journalists who called BS on the Russia hoax early on.

      Delete
    5. Yes, I believe it was Taibbi.

      Delete
  2. One big problem is that Horowitz went around and asked everyone i the DOJ/FBI leadership about whether the Crossfire Hurricane was justified, and they all said YES. And therefore, Horowitz wrote in his report that the justification was adequate.

    So, not one high-ranking official in DOJ/FBI has broken ranks. They all are sticking together and stone-walling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that explanation/justification was odd. Mark had touted his doubts about predication long and hard, and Horowitz just waved his hand to make the issue disappear.

      Delete
    2. Not only that but to make Durham & Barr's job more difficult.

      Delete
    3. Somebody needs to tattoo that on Sean “Tik Tok” Hannity’s forehead!!!

      Delete
  3. I was surprised to see that Peter Strzok's name was not redacted when the EC was released to the public.

    Strzok is not being protected. Strzok will be one of two fall-guys. The other will be Clinesmith.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike,

      I hope that more than Strzok and Clinesmith are prosecuted. If those two are in trouble, and I think that they are, would they not spill the beans?

      I think the answer is yes. Misery loves company.

      Delete
    2. Strok will have to turn on his superiors if they are to fall.

      Delete
  4. One of the most important pieces of information I've seen, imo, & Brock does a wonderful job of laying out why.

    All his talk of predication is just catnip to you, isn't it? (haha!) Well, it should be anyway - you've nailed this from the start.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think Durham has every intention of bringing Comey, Clapper and the "head of the snake" Brennan to justice. Rosenstein and mueller's team also. I know Trump wants Obama's head but that would open up future presidents to prosecution after they leave office. I'm content with trashing Obama's legacy and reputation. And definitely don't mention going after Obama; that could hurt us this november ! Barr understands this IMHO.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. B - you know what could be The. Ultimate. Own. & it’s right up Trump’s alley? Barr/Durham get the goods on all involved - Strozk/Stroke/Smirk/TheClapper/Brennan/Comely et al...under pressure they’re going to give up the goods on all they know (looking @ 20 to life wouldn’t you?) & they get the goods on Obama dead-to-rights. Then Trump comes out & - in the “interests of the nation” (or something to that effect) pardons Obama & maybe HRC.

      Sure - I’d love to see them both in orange jumpsuits too but think about this...it’s positively diabolical & fits right in with Trump’s way of war.

      They will have to thank Trump publicly & for every single further day of their lives they’re not occupying a cell in The Big House.

      I can totally see Trump doing this ;<)

      Delete
    2. Boarwild, we are on the same page. Get Brennan, Comey and Clapper to point the finger at Obama, and let Trump "pardon" this POS that should have never been elected.

      Delete
    3. It'll never happen. Obama will never be "touched" IMHO.

      Delete
  6. Medusa would be a better example, since they are all snakes. And there are so many of them.

    Or maybe Hydra, from Marvel Comics. Cut off one resistor and two more appear.

    ReplyDelete
  7. If I may, this is all fine and well to discuss as a portion of the spying, but looking at all the past texts from Strzok/Page, isn't it clear that they were already spying on Trump and this was just the result of needing to regain access after Adm. Rogers cut everyone's (contractors) 702 access off on 4/18/16? I would think that they were all looking at each other and asking "Ideas on how do we keep spying on the Trump campaign" after realizing he was the likely nominee. "Let's cook up a dossier, etc..." would be what they collectively decided to do? Are they just giving all of this in bite size pieces for the general public to digest with the lack of predication being something that can sustain indictments? And more to come?

    Here's something interesting stating that the non-compliance rate of 702's was 85% from November 201515 through April 18, 2016. Who all were they spying on during this time? Not just DJT I bet.

    https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/fisa-abuse-error-rate-v2.jpg?w=640&h=372

    Sorry if you've seen my post about this text before:

    From: https://www.archive.org/stream/StrzokPageTexts/FBI-texts_djvu.txt2016-04-30

    02:04:49, Sat

    INBOX

    And now we've switched from the Patriot Act to a wire carrying current.X,"*

    Interesting read from Sundance on all the preamble spying prior to the dossier.

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/12/20/bad-news-for-coup-crew-former-nsa-director-mike-rogers-working-with-john-durham-for-several-months/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Strozk in his Congressional testimony was very indignant and, at times, condescending. The Democrats did their best to object and stonewall. The Republicans were combative and testy.

    Rod Rosenstein, at a Congressional Judicial hearing is seen with a smile on his face and shaking hands with lots of people especially, it appeared to me, due to Nadler’s rant. RR is very confident here. This was in 2018.

    In April of 2019, with the official announcement by AG Barr of the release of the Mueller report at a press conference, his demeanor was meek and very like he knew he was in deep, existential trouble.

    Not long after, RR resigned and in May of 2019, at the official resignation, former Trump’s AG Jeff Sessions told RR he “did his duty” by appointing Mueller and invoked Kenneth Star as the appeal to authority argument (fallacy). Sessions had a smile and stated it as if that made him happy. (Reminder from GatewayPundit)

    AG Bill Barr had only been AG for about 2 months. A lot happened when he came on board that appears to be from his direct action and influence.


    - TexasDude

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. People who sympathize with Sessions over his treatment by Trump have it all wrong.

      Delete
    2. Sessions was the wrong general for a war with the opposition and resisting Democrats who attempted to effect a coup.

      Delete
    3. I can't imagine what he was thinking when he asked for that job.

      Delete
  9. "Turns out, by trusting that such a thing could never happen, I was the guy wearing the tinfoil hat." ~Andrew McCarthy

    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/exposing-the-hoax

    ReplyDelete