Archiv: FBI-MI6-FISA-affair


04.06.2022 - 13:51 [ PBS.org ]

Clinton campaign lawyer found not guilty of lying to the FBI

(May 31, 2022)

Durham has remained at work into the Biden administration. He has brought three cases so far, though the one against Sussmann is the only to have reached trial. A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, was given probation after pleading guilty in 2020 to altering an email related to the surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign aide, and a Russian analyst who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Trump awaits trial on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information.

04.06.2022 - 13:42 [ ]

Hillary Clinton personally approved plan to share Trump-Russia allegation with the press in 2016, campaign manager says

(Fri May 20, 2022)

Robby Mook said he attended a meeting with other senior campaign officials where they learned about strange cyberactivity that suggested a relationship between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, which is based in Moscow. The group decided to share the information with a reporter, and Mook subsequently ran that decision by Clinton herself.

„We discussed it with Hillary,“ Mook said, later adding that „she agreed with the decision.“

30.10.2021 - 19:04 [ Glenn Greenwald / Rumble.com ]

The Mountain of Data Showing How Authoritarian Democrats Have Become

(video)

12.06.2021 - 07:11 [ CNBC.com ]

Apple says it didn‘t know Trump‘s DOJ was asking for Democrats‘ data when it complied with subpoena

Apple on Friday said it didn‘t know former President Donald Trump‘s Department of Justice was subpoenaed data on Democrats when it complied with the request.
Apple said it was under a gag order not to disclose the subpoena to the affected parties.
Microsoft also acknowledged it received a similar subpoena.

12.06.2021 - 07:06 [ ORF.at ]

Ausspähung durch Trump-Regierung sorgt für Empörung

Die „New York Times“ schrieb, Angehörige des Justizministeriums hätten 2017 und 2018 von Apple unter Strafandrohung die Herausgabe von Daten der Betroffenen verlangt – als Teil von Untersuchungen zu möglicher Weitergabe offizieller Informationen rund um die Russland-Ermittlungen gegen Trump. Apple sei zugleich verpflichtet worden, Stillschweigen über die Datenanforderung zu wahren.

24.11.2020 - 21:34 [ CharlieKirk.com ]

Schumer Flashback: „You Take On The Intelligence Community, They Have Six Ways From Sunday of Getting Back At You“

Sen. Schumer went on to say “he’s being really dumb to do this,” to which Maddow replied “what do you think the intelligence community will do”, Schumer says “I don’t know, but from what I am told that they are very upset by how he has treated them and talked about them.”

So in Schumer’s words, the intelligence community will get back at you if they do not like what you have said about them and they have the power to do it.

26.10.2020 - 09:12 [ Axios.com ]

Scoop: Trump‘s post-election execution list

If President Trump wins re-election, he‘ll move to immediately fire FBI Director Christopher Wray and also expects to replace CIA Director Gina Haspel and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, two people who‘ve discussed these officials‘ fates with the president tell Axios.

The big picture: The list of planned replacements is much longer, but these are Trump‘s priorities, starting with Wray.

26.10.2020 - 09:03 [ theHill.com ]

Trump has list of top intelligence officials he‘ll fire if he wins reelection: report

President Trump plans to fire several top officials in the national security sphere should he win reelection in November, Axios reported Sunday.

The president plans to fire Defense Secretary Mark Esper, CIA Director Gina Haspel and FBI Director Christopher Wray, two people familiar with his decisionmaking told the news outlet. White House officials declined to comment on personnel matters.

26.10.2020 - 07:12 [ Washington Post ]

Biden relies on pattern of activity to blame Russia for release of data from what is said to be his son’s laptop

The Biden campaign’s decision to lean into accusations of Russian involvement in the episode, despite lacking specific proof, risks eroding public trust in U.S. allegations of foreign election interference if the suspicions in this case turn out to be unfounded, according to intelligence and foreign policy experts. Trump already has undermined such trust by casting doubt on proved Russian interference on his behalf during the 2016 campaign and denigrating U.S. intelligence officials.

23.10.2020 - 10:25 [ Nachdenkseiten ]

US-Wahlen, Medien und Manipulationen

Neue Informationen, die Joe Biden schaden könnten, werden nicht angemessen thematisiert. Neue Dokumente, die den Mythos von „Russiagate“ bedrohen, werden verschwiegen. Die Manipulation vor den US-Wahlen läuft auf Hochtouren – auch in deutschen Medien.

23.10.2020 - 02:31 [ theHill.com ]

Trump pushing to declassify document disputing intel findings on Russia: report

But two officials said their calls for declassification have been met with opposition from within the intelligence agencies, with some objecting that such a release would be too close to Election Day.

10.10.2020 - 12:18 [ USA Today ]

Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into Russia probe won‘t be public before election

Trump has ramped up his criticism of Barr in recent days as he seeks to make the origins of the Russia probe a major election issue. The president has long cast the Russia investigation as a political hoax meant to undermine him and has called for the indictment of his political enemies, including former President Barack Obama and former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

10.10.2020 - 12:08 [ CNN ]

Pompeo says he will release Clinton emails following Trump criticism

„She said she had 33,000 e-mails,“ Trump told Fox News on Thursday. „They‘re in the State Department, but Mike Pompeo is unable to get them out, which is very sad actually. I‘m — I‘m not happy about him for that, that reason. He was unable to get — I don‘t know why. You‘re running the State Department and you get them out. But they‘re in the State Department.“

09.10.2020 - 14:02 [ Newsweek ]

Trump Authorizes All Russia, Clinton Email Probe Documents to be Declassified: ‚No Redactions!‘

(06.10.2020)

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Monday said Trump had „tasked me with getting some declassification rolling“ as the president was recovering from COVID-19 at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Officials began releasing documents on Tuesday.

09.10.2020 - 14:00 [ CBS News ]

Former CIA Director John Brennan on ethics of intelligence, challenges to democracy

(07.10.2020)

– Recent declassifications by DNI John Ratcliffe: „I thought it was a outrageous, appalling and blatant act of politicization that he released, very selectively, some intelligence that was provided then to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is right now engaged in, I think, a very partisan effort to try to debunk the necessary investigative efforts of the FBI that looked into Russian interference in the 2016 election.“

09.10.2020 - 13:46 [ CNN ]

Trump‘s spy chief declassified unverified Russian intelligence despite concerns raised by CIA and NSA

(30.09.2020)

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence despite concerns being raised by the CIA and National Security Agency, according to people briefed on the matter.
Career officials in the intelligence agencies were concerned about declassifying the information because it was unverified and they believed it could reveal sources and methods. Ratcliffe overrode those concerns and sent the document to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, the people sa

09.10.2020 - 13:45 [ CNN ]

Comey knocks Barr‘s attacks on the Russia probe: ‚I have no idea what on Earth he is talking about‘

(30.09.2020)

Graham pointed to the documents declassified Tuesday by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe — which summarized unverified Russian intelligence that Clinton‘s 2016 presidential campaign was trying to „stir up a scandal“ by tying Trump to Russia — arguing they showed the FBI‘s double standard in not investigating Clinton and Russia.

One Republicans senator even asked Comey about the Democratic allegations he had swung the 2016 election to Trump by releasing information about the FBI‘s investigation into Clinton‘s emails.

09.10.2020 - 13:44 [ Townhall.com ]

BREAKING: Newly Declassified Documents Show Hillary May Have Set Up the Russia Hoax

(29.09.2020)

“According to his handwritten notes, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the ‘alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.’”

„On 07 September 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding ‘U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton‘s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server,’” the letter continues.

05.10.2020 - 02:50 [ RealClearPolitics.com ]

Federalist‘s Sean Davis: CIA Director Haspel Personally Blocking Declassification Of Documents That Will Reveal Truth About Russiagate

„Unfortunately those releases and declassifications according to multiple sources I‘ve talked to are being blocked by CIA director Gina Haspel who herself was the main link between Washington and London,“ Davis said. „As the London station chief from John Brennan‘s CIA during the 2016 election. Recall, it was London where Christopher Steele was doing all this work. And I‘m told that it was Gina Haspel personally who is blocking a continued declassification of these documents that will show the American people the truth of what actually happened.“

30.08.2020 - 08:22 [ theGuardian.com ]

Outcry as US intelligence stops in-person reports to Congress on election security

An official in Ratcliffe’s office, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Saturday the office was “concerned about unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information following recent briefings”.

The move drew a heated rejoinder from House Democrats, who have focused on foreign efforts to sway the presidential election in 2016 and again this year.

30.08.2020 - 08:15 [ theHill.com ]

READ: Director of National Intelligence‘s letter to Congress on election security briefings

„I believe this approach helps ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that the information ODNI provides the Congress in support of your oversight responsibilities on elections security, foreign malign influence, and election interference is not misunderstood nor politicized,“ Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe wrote in a letter to congressional committee heads.

30.08.2020 - 07:59 [ NPR.org ]

Director Of National Intelligence Cancels Verbal Election Security Briefings

In a joint statement released Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Congress had been set for briefings on election security in mid-September. But briefings for members of Congress, including the House and Senate intelligence committees, by Ratcliffe‘s office have now been called off, they said.

„This is a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed, and a betrayal of the public‘s right to know how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy,“ Pelosi and Schiff said in the statement.

16.08.2020 - 05:53 [ USA Today ]

Trump says he will look ‚very strongly‘ at granting pardon to whistleblower Edward Snowden

In the interview, Trump justified talk of a pardon by again complaining about an FBI investigation into links between his campaign and Russians who sought to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. He said it was unfair that people like ex-FBI Director James Comey are free while Snowden is in legal limbo.

27.07.2020 - 20:07 [ SproutWired.com ]

Rep. Nunes on solution source for anti-Trump Steele dossier: ‘expanded our investigation’ into Brookings Institute

House Intelligence Committee Position Member Devin Nunes, R-Calif., instructed “Sunday Early morning Futures” in an distinctive job interview that “we’ve now expanded our investigation, full-blown investigation, into the Brookings Institute.”

27.07.2020 - 20:02 [ theGreggJarrett.com ]

The Secret Source Behind The Anti-Trump Dossier Is Finally Exposed

The fabulist behind the infamous and discredited anti-Trump dossier has finally been exposed. His name is Igor Danchenko.

He is not some mysterious Russian agent operating in the bowels of the Kremlin. Danchenko is a Ukrainian-born resident of the United States who worked as a senior research analyst for the Washington D.C. liberal think tank, Brookings Institution.

27.05.2020 - 21:07 [ CNN ]

Trump tweet throws House vote on government surveillance powers into doubt

The request to shelve the vote was the latest hurdle for legislation reauthorizing authorities from the 2001 Patriot Act that‘s been squeezed both by FISA opponents who have pushed for more civil liberties protections and by the President and his allies furious over the role of the FISA court in the Russia investigation and the misconduct with warrants obtained on former Trump adviser Carter Page.

„I hope all Republican House Members vote NO on FISA until such time as our Country is able to determine how and why the greatest political, criminal, and subversive scandal in USA history took place!“ Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening.

27.05.2020 - 20:46 [ Journal-News.net ]

Handling of Flynn case should concern all Americans

Regardless of our political leanings, what happened to Michael Flynn should concern every American. While we should insist on details about his case, a more important question needs to be answered:

How many other people have been treated similarly by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies?

27.05.2020 - 20:41 [ theGreggJarrett.com ]

Former CBS Reporter One Of The First ‘To Identify Myself As A Target of Illegal Spying Under Obama Admin’

“I believe many, many others were spied on but do not know” said Attkisson. “It was only thanks to help from intelligence contacts that I even learned that government agents were spying me. Otherwise, I never suspected it or would have known.”

25.05.2020 - 21:33 [ Fox News ]

Mueller deputy Andrew Weissmann to headline Biden virtual fundraiser

Throughout the Russia investigation, Weissmann had been considered a “deputy” to Mueller, with conservatives regularly targeting him for his reputation of using aggressive tactics in cases, as well as his role in past controversial prosecutions. Weissmann helped to build the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

20.05.2020 - 12:41 [ the Hill ]

Graham to release report on his probe into Russia investigation before election

Graham‘s timeline, which was first reported by The Hill last week, would have him releasing a report on the committee‘s probe only weeks before the November election, where Trump is set to face off against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

In addition to the Senate panel examining Crossfire Hurricane, the name for the FBI investigation into Russia‘s 2016 election meddling and the Trump campaign, Graham has said that his investigation will also look at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court.

16.05.2020 - 10:13 [ Radio Utopie ]

Geheimdienste-Ausschuss-Vorsitzender: U.S.-Dienste sammelten „versehentlich Informationen über U.S. Bürger im Trump Team“

(23.03.2017)

Am 12. März äußerte sich dann jemand, der Ahnung hat: Rand Paul. In der „CBS“-Sendung „Face the Nation“ rückte Rand Paul, unter vielem Hin und Her und Ach und jaa-nee, endlich mit der Sprache heraus (Links wurden hinzugefügt):

„Der Weg wie es funktioniert ist – das F.I.S.A.-Gericht, mittels Section 702 (Anm.: vom Patriot Act), hört Ausländer ab und hört dann Amerikanern zu. Es ist eine Durchleuchtung von Amerikanern durch die Hintertür. Und weil sie so viele Daten haben, können sie abhören — tippen sie Donald Trump in ihre gewaltigen Ressourcen (Anm.: Datenbanken) über Leute ein, die sie in Übersee abhören, und sie kriegen alle seine Telefonanrufe.

Und so haben sie das mit Präsident Obama gemacht. Sie — eintausendzweihundertsiebenundzwanzig Mal haben sie Präsident Obamas Telefonanrufe belauscht. Dann maskieren sie ihn (Anm.: anonymisieren seine Daten). Aber hier ist das Problem. Und General Hayden hat dies am anderen Tag gesagt. Er sagte, sogar niedere Angestellte können den Anrufer demaskieren (Anm.: die Daten wieder einer bestimmten Person zuordnen). Das ist vermutlich dass, was Flynn passiert ist.

Sie zielen nicht auf Amerikaner. Sie zielen auf Ausländer. Aber sie tun das absichtlich, um an Amerikaner heran zu kommen.“

16.05.2020 - 09:23 [ JustTheNews.com ]

Making of a myth: Timeline of media‘s role in selling ‚Trump-Russia collusion‘ tale

Nov. 18, 2016:

Trump announces Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his choice for National Security Adviser. Over the next few weeks, Flynn communicates with numerous international leaders.

Nov. 30 – Dec. 28, 2016:

Two dozen Obama administration officials make requests to unmask the name of National Security Adviser designee Flynn, who was „incidentally“ captured by intel surveillance. The officials include: U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and CIA Director John Brennan.

Jan. 5, 2017:

Obama chief of staff Denis McDonough requests Flynn unmasking.

Intelligence Community leadership, including FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, CIA Director Brennan and Director of National Intelligence Clapper, provides classified briefing to President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and National Security Adviser Susan Rice on alleged Russia hacking during 2016 campaign, according to notes later written by Rice.

After briefing, according to Rice’s notes, President Obama convenes Oval Office meeting with her, Comey, Biden, and Yates. The „Steele dossier“ is reportedly discussed. Also reportedly discussed: Flynn‘s intercepted talks with Russia‘s ambassador.

16.05.2020 - 08:37 [ The Hill / Youtube ]

Saagar Enjeti: BOMBSHELL reveals Biden at center of Obamagate, media ignores

Saagar blasts Joe Biden for being among the Obama administration officials who „unmasked“ former national security adviser Michael Flynn, despite his wavering stance on involvement in the prosecution.

15.05.2020 - 15:32 [ Fox News ]

Rand Paul on Flynn unmasking: Biden committed ‚devastating abuse of power‘

‚It amounts to illegally eavesdropping for political purposes‘ says Rand Paul discussing new information that Obama officials unmasked Michael Flynn

14.05.2020 - 23:17 [ Real Clear Politics ]

Rand Paul: „Vice President Biden Is Guilty Of Using Government To Go After A Political Opponent“

Sen. Rand Paul called for acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell to testify about a list of Obama administration officials, including Obama and Biden, involved in the „unmasking“ of then-incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn‘s communications after the 2016 election.

Speaking to members of the press, Paul also said he wanted testimony from the officials on the list, including James Comey and James Clapper.

14.05.2020 - 23:00 [ AJC.com ]

‘He knew everything’: Trump demands that Obama testify in Flynn case

“Here is the concern: If you don’t have a national security reason, you’re basically spying on a political opponent,” the South Carolina Republican said on the news show.

“What is the national security reason to unmask Gen. Flynn in transition? I can’t think of one. But, I do believe, given their behavior, they’re looking to get rid of Flynn and if they used our intelligence apparatus to basically act on a political vendetta, that’s chilling to every American and would be very wrong.”

14.05.2020 - 22:56 [ Wall Street Journal ]

More Than a Dozen Obama Officials Requested ‘Unmasking’ That Identified Michael Flynn in Intelligence Reports

The list includes then-Vice President Joe Biden and former CIA Director John Brennan; the requests came after Russian interference in U.S. election.

14.05.2020 - 22:48 [ Fox News ]

Unmasking’ requests number in thousands across administrations, as pols demand details

The numbers reflect how frequently national security and intelligence officials use this tool in their work. Unmasking occurs after U.S. citizens‘ conversations are incidentally picked up in conversations with foreign officials who are being monitored by the intelligence community. The U.S. citizens‘ identities are supposed to be protected if their participation is incidental and no wrongdoing is suspected. However, officials can determine the U.S. citizens‘ names through a process that is supposed to safeguard their rights. In the typical process, when officials are requesting the unmasking of an American, they do not necessarily know the identity of the person in advance.

10.05.2020 - 16:53 [ the Hill ]

Senate revives surveillance brawl

The Senate is set to revive a fight over a shadowy surveillance court, bringing to a head a months-long stalemate that resulted in the lapse of three intelligence programs.

The looming debate, which will pit some of President Trump’s biggest allies against one another, comes on the heels of growing questions about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court after the Justice Department inspector general found widespread errors as part of an interim report on warrant applications.

10.05.2020 - 04:59 [ the Hill ]

McConnell urges Senate to reject changes to House-passed surveillance bill

(07.05.2020)

Under a deal struck by Senate leadership, senators will vote on three amendments: One from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) preventing FISA warrants from being used against Americans, one from Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on appointing outside advisers, and one from Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to prevent law enforcement from obtaining internet browsing and search history without a warrant.

10.05.2020 - 04:51 [ Reason.com ]

FISA Surveillance and Possible Reforms Are Back on the Senate‘s Agenda

(07.05.2020)

Next week the Senate is poised to resurrect some federal surveillance powers that expired in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. A handful of senators are hoping to force through reforms to better protect Americans‘ privacy.

10.05.2020 - 04:09 [ the Hill ]

FBI director in ‚hot seat‘ as GOP demands reforms

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Judiciary Committee with oversight of the FBI, noted that “we’ve got a problem at the FBI.”

“Clearly, we had some people, and maybe still have some people, that don’t understand the rule of law, and nothing’s been done,“ Kennedy said.

13.04.2020 - 12:58 [ Chuck Grassley, US Senator ]

FBI Ignored Early Warnings that Debunked Anti-Trump Dossier was Russian Disinformation

WASHINGTON – The “central and essential” evidence used to justify invasive surveillance of an American citizen in the FBI’s probe into Russian interference was, itself, an example of Russian interference, according to once-secret footnotes declassified at the urging of two U.S. Senators. The footnotes, part of the Justice Department Inspector General’s postmortem of the FBI’s flawed operation to spy on Trump campaign aide Carter Page, were released just hours after Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) renewed their push for transparency. The senators expect a fuller declassification in the coming days.

(…)

“It’s ironic that the Russian collusion narrative was fatally flawed because of Russian disinformation. These footnotes confirm that there was a direct Russian disinformation campaign in 2016, and there were ties between Russian intelligence and a presidential campaign – the Clinton campaign, not Trump’s.”

The IG report detailed how the FBI’s application for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to spy on Page relied heavily on an unverified dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele on behalf of Fusion GPS, which was conducting opposition research for the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee. According to Footnote 302, in October 2016, FBI investigators learned that one of Steele’s main sources was linked to the Russian Intelligence Service (RIS), and was rumored to be a former KGB/SVR officer. However, the FBI neglected to include this information in its application, which the FISA court approved that same month. Two months later, investigators learned that Glenn Simpson, the head of Fusion GPS, told a Justice Department attorney that he assessed the same source “was a RIS officer who was central in connecting Trump to Russia.” In January, the FISA warrant was renewed.