The senator seeking the subpoenas is Ron Johnson, who heads the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. That's the news in Chuck Ross' story Senate Panel Approves Subpoenas For ‘Spygate’ Figure Stefan Halper, 40 Others. Unfortunately I've been unable so far to come up with any documentation that includes the full list. Perhaps later in the day.
What's possibly newsworthy is that, if I'm correct that most Senate investigative actions have been coordinated with DoJ in light of the Durham investigation, this could be a signal that Durham's investigation is complete as regards the persons on the list. It's difficult to see much happening with these witnesses before the election. In fairness to Johnson, Ross reports that he first sought subpoenas back in June but Dems used procedural measures to block his requests.
Here's what we know from Ross' article. Presumably these people are on the list:
The vote authorizes Sen. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, to subpoena Stefan Halper ...
The committee also approved issuing a subpoena for Steven Somma, an FBI counterintelligence investigator who served as Halper’s handling agent. A Justice Department inspector general’s report released on Dec. 9 faulted Somma for numerous errors during Crossfire Hurricane.The "errors" mostly involved the Carter Page FISA. Somma was a case agent on the FBI's Carter Page investigation. Links for Somma are here.
Johnson has sought interviews with former FBI officials who led Crossfire Hurricane, including James Comey, Andrew McCabe, James Baker, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
He is also seeking depositions for former CIA Director John Brennan and former director of national intelligence James Clapper.
Also on the list are Cody Shearer and Sidney Blumenthal, two longtime Clinton allies ...
Johnson also plans to subpoena [Jonathan] Winer [another Clintonista and Chris Steele confidant at the State Department] ...
UPDATE 1: More details from Fox. Still not a complete list, but additional names. I'll highlight those not previously named:
The committee also authorized subpoenas for Sidney Blumenthal, former Obama chief of staff Denis McDonough, former FBI counsel Lisa Page, former FBI agent Joe Pientka, former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, former FBI director of counterintelligence Bill Priestap, former White House national security adviser Susan Rice, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith – who pleaded guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney John Durham's review of the investigation into links between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign – among others.
The committee further authorized subpoenas for “the production of all records” related to the FBI’s original Russia investigation and the Department of Justice Inspector General’s probe, as well as the process of “unmasking” for James Baker, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, DOJ official Bruce Ohr, FBI case agent Steven Somma, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Teftt, former deputy assistant attorney general Tashina Gauhar; and Stefan Halper.
...
The committee also authorized a subpoena for James Baker, the director of the Office of Net Assessment at the Defense Department. That office awarded government contracts to Halper, including one in September 2015.
It's known that Senator Johnson has been looking closely at ONA's James Baker, so that's no surprise. Of special interest is the inclusion of Obama WH officials on the list: Power, McDonough, and Rice.
UPDATE 2: Full List (h/t commenter EZ). Some new names:
O/T: DOJ assigns SG office official to Flynn case:
ReplyDelete>> https://twitter.com/shipwreckedcrew/status/1306287990805651456 <<
SG has participated previously, obviously, but assigning the case directly to SG gives the argumentation on separation of powers additional authority. They're saying, hey, this is out of the hands of prosecutors now. DoJ as guardian of executive privileges is a party now.
ReplyDeleteJust throwing this out as a first reaction...maybe the Trump/GOP strategy is to tell the true story of Obamagate live and in person through Senate hearings (as in Watergate)...as opposed to another 400 page report (as in Mueller and Horowitz) that the overwhelming majority of the country will never read or understand...
ReplyDeleteMSM will refuse to give TV coverage...
DeleteEven Fox?
DeleteThey might, but that's "preaching to the choir"; it's the rest of the voting population that needs to hear the revelations.
DeleteBut won't the election be over by the time they have these hearings?
DeleteComplete list of subpoena targets embedded in tweet:
ReplyDelete>> https://twitter.com/jeremyherb/status/1306237400117579776 <<
"It's difficult to see much happening with these witnesses before the election."
ReplyDeleteCould this be why the Dems didn't work as hard as before, to use procedural measures to block Johnson's requests?
This investigation of the US Intelligence Community is the consequence of the Intelligence Community's foolish investigation of Donald Trump.
ReplyDeleteTrump won the election on November 8, 2016. By the end of that month, the investigation should have been reviewed critically and then should have been terminated absolutely.
Instead, however, the stupid investigation continued FOR YEARS, because the fools hoped to lure President Trump into an obstruction-of-justice situation that would enable Congress to impeach and remove Trump from his elected office.
Did the fools imagine that they -- the investigators themselves -- never would be investigated? Did they imagine that they themselves never would have to provide all their own documents for public scrutiny and never would have to answer questions and justify their own actions publicly? Did they imagine that they themselves never would be embarrassed, mocked and humiliated? Did they imagine that they themselves never would be punished?
They seem to have believed that Trump was an "existential threat"--to themselves.
DeleteAn "existential threat"--to themselves.
DeleteWhich it was, if folks like Lee Smith are anywhere near correct.
To all of the questions in the last paragraph: in a word yes. The righteous narcissist assumes their quest will be recognized as noble by equally intelligent persons, as rare as they are.
DeleteThey care not for the opinion of riffraff who are intellectually challenged, recognizeable by the inability to acknowledge the nobility of their actions.
Another O/T "heads-up"
ReplyDelete>> https://twitter.com/CBS_Herridge/status/1306317132326674435 <<
This appears to hint at where Durham may have been going with some of his investigation/prosecutions -- 1809, and 1827, which criminalize improper wiretapping and physical searches "under color of law."
That goes well beyond what Clinesmith did.
Somebody else is a potential target for prosecution.
Document alludes to DOJ filing in which DOJ did not even offer an alternative argument to the conclusion that all 4 CP FISA applications contained materially omissions.
Sounds like they may be referring to leaks: "use or disclosure" without a specific need. We know that they tried to embarrass Page re the physical searches.
DeleteAnother possibility would be disclosure of FISA collection intel to WH and/or Clinton Campaign before election day, in addition to media leaking.
DeleteBut I'm speculating on that ...
Also, the mere conduct of improper collection by those who knew about the exculpatory material that was omitted from the FISA applications would also seem to violate these statutes.
My take is that these Johnson subpoenas may indicate that Durham no longer needs those individuals. He has what he needs to make a major move in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteMy hope too.
DeleteI wonder how many of them will assert their 5th Amendment right to not answer questions because they are a target in an investigation.
Delete