Yesterday Judge Emmet Sullivan unsealed an additional 11-pages of documents showing more background information about how the FBI was targeting former National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn. [Court pdf Here] Also embedded below.
The release today is even more revealing than the handwritten notes released last night; and specifically President Obama’s “by the book” statement on January 5, 2017, takes on an entirely new light. They may not realize it yet, but this release implicates Obama.
(L-R) Peter Strzok, James Comey, President Obama, Andrew McCabe and Bill Priestap
Within the release we discover an “Electronic Communication” or “EC” from the Washington FBI field office recommending to close the FBI investigation of General Flynn on January 4, 2017, due to “no derogatory information.” However, FBI Agent Peter Strzok immediately responds to the FBI team [main headquarters] saying: “don’t do it yet’… and the plot unfolds.
There are FBI codenames within the release that need some explanation prior to review:
- Crossfire Hurricane (CH) is the overall investigation that began in July 2016
- Crossfire Typhoon (CT) is George Papadopoulos.
- Crossfire Razor (CR) is Michael Flynn.
- Cross Wind is still unknown. [Could be a person, or a subset of the case]
Let’s take a walk through the information starting with the FBI electronic communication.
First it is valuable to note three points from the first page:
- “DOJSCO” – The Special Counsel Office had this information from the outset. That means everyone in/around the Mueller investigation already knew this information. That also means that Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein was aware of it.
- Pay close attention to the dates. This EC was written on January 4, 2017. Dates are critical. When you compare the text messages and emails from Peter Strzok and other participants always refer to the dates to tell the big story.
- Note the framework for the investigation itself was centered around Michael Flynn violating FARA (Foreign Agent Registration Act) laws based on a fraudulent premise of Flynn working for Russian interests. The FBI using FARA is a critical point. FARA was used as the primary justification by the DOJ and FBI for all political surveillance.
The FBI Washington Field Office says they are going to close the investigation of General Flynn because there is no derogatory information as a result of multiple investigative inquires:
The EC document then describes their work with Confidential Human Source (CHS) Stefan Halper. Interestingly, Halper lied to the FBI and told them he had attended an event with Michael Flynn in Moscow and was a direct eye-witness. “During the debriefing the CTH relayed an incident s/he witnessed”…. Halper never attended the Moscow event; he lied to the FBI.
The EC notes the FBI is closing this investigation. However, Peter Strzok goes bananas and immediately starts texting FBI officials to keep the investigation open….
Which leads to a 2:22pm message where Peter Strzok notes “7th floor involved”. That means FBI Director James Comey is now engaged on the issue.
James Comey being actively engaged is important. Previously Comey said he was unaware of what they were doing… Additionally this text and activity is January 4, 2017.
The very next day, January 5th, James Comey goes to the White House for a meeting with President Obama and Vice-President Biden.
January 5th is the White House meeting where National Security Advisor Susan Rice, FBI Director James Comey (Crossfire Hurricane), and Deputy AG Sally Yates (Flynn FARA) are talking to President Obama about the status of the Flynn FBI investigation and President Obama says “by the book”.
- 1/4/17 – FBI wants to close investigation.
- 1/4/17 – Peter Strzok says no wait… I have a plan.
- 1/4/17 – James Comey involved. “7th Floor Involved”
- 1/5/17 – James Comey goes to White House.
- 1/5/17 – President Obama says: OK, but make sure “by the book”.
- [Susan Rice Memo]
“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.””
- 1/6/17 – James Comey briefs President-elect Trump in Trump Tower on the Steele Dossier. [Comey Memos]
- 1/6/17 – Christopher Steele deletes all files relating to his Trump Dossier.
It doesn’t take an investigative genius to see what took place here.
SIDEBAR on THIS ISSUE: This long forgotten letter from Susan Rice’s lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler (who was also the former White House Counsel to President Obama). Notice that in Ruemmler’s letter she specifically says the January 5th meeting was about Flynn:
[Feb 23, 2018] The memorandum to file drafted by Ambassador Rice memorialized an important national security discussion between President Obama and the FBI Director and the Deputy Attorney General. President Obama and his national security team were justifiably concerned about potential risks to the Nation’s security from sharing highly classified information about Russia with certain members of the Trump transition team, particularly Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.[…] While serving as National Security Advisor, Ambassador Rice was not briefed on the existence of any FBI investigation into allegations of collusion between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia, and she later learned of the fact of this investigation from Director Comey’s subsequent public testimony.
How could Ms. Susan Rice be aware of a “national security compromise”, “particularly surrounding Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn” after a “briefing by the FBI”, if she was “not briefed on the existence of an FBI investigation”? With all of this information, these stories are falling apart.
I’ll pause there before explaining more….
Here are the 11-pages released. There is a lot more in there.
