The Russiagate conspiracy theory

[SteveMDFP]

Rachel Maddow sums it up:

LOL

A year attacking the Steele dossier.

A month hyping that the dossier started the whole FBI investigation.

Weeks hyping that they have a memo (a memo!) that will finally prove it!

So... is there some other memo?

Because this one says it was Papadopoulos, not the dossier.

https://twitter.com/maddow/status/959486962649493506

In addition, the memo restores Papadopoulos to the status of "campaign advisor," rather than just a coffee boy.

And it blatantly omits the salient fact that Carter Page was under surveillance as an agent of Russia for years before the Steele dossier came into existence.  What they're making a fuss about is a renewal of a warrant for surveillance on Mr. Page.  Renewals require evidence that the ongoing surveillance is providing relevant results. 

If relevant information were being obtained by surveillance of Page, the warrant renewal was appropriate.  The Steele dossier is irrelevant for this.  If relevant information were not being obtained, the FISA renewal should not have been issued.  The Steele dossier is also irrelevant for this.  The dossier might well have been mentioned in the renewal request, but that's just an irrelevant detail, either way.

Meanwhile, we await the Minority Report.

[AbruptSLR]

Various problems with the Nunes memo include:

1. The calls Page a "volunteer advisor" to the Trump campaign, whereas he was a named National Security advisor that Trump asked to join the campaign.
2. The level of evidence that memo says is required to get a FISA warrant is higher than is the legal reality.
3. Obtaining the FISA warrant did not overly rely on the Steele dossier, as the memo acknowledges that Papadopolous was also a source.
4. The memo implies that Steele know his ultimate client was the DNC, which is not the case, as Fusion-GPS withheld this information from Steele.
5. The was a lot of evidence for the FISA court to issue a warrant to surveil Page.

I could go on, but the bottom line is that the memo is a poor political hack job, that is easily refuted even without the Democrat's response memo.

[Buddy]

I could go on, but the bottom line is that the memo is a poor political hack job, that is easily refuted even without the Democrat's response memo.

Traitor Don and his team are down by 20 points with 5 minutes remaining in the basketball game.  They had no choice but to start "throwing up 3 point shots" even though they had little chance of going in.

I expect worse shots to come.....and two of those will be aimed at Rosenstein and Mueller.  Pressure kills.....

[Susan Anderson]

So the memo is out, and nobody is going to change their opinions as a result. Republicans are certain that they can persuade everyone that Steele, Simpson (Fusion), Mueller, the FBI, and Clinton and the DNC got in a huddle and that Trump's all-too-provable history with first the Italian and then the Russian mafia is just a distraction invented by the Dems. This bunch (mind you, not the Republicans I grew up with) have no professional ethics and they imagine everybody else is just like them.

Simpson's clear testimony that he and Steele were hired to find facts and have professional ethics and kept at arm's length from the campaign, and that the appearance of so many of Putin's oligarchs and influencers were matters of fact that they found disturbing, is too complex for most, so people will decide based on their prejudices.

There is, you see, no crime greater than being a Democrat.* (Democrat haters are part of the problem here, not part of the solution.) Trump's people and Nunes (who was part of Trump's campaign) worked hard to concoct a narrative that works for them.

Those who deal with climate denial on a regular basis should find these concoctions all too familiar. Finding detail that supports a counternarrative and ignoring inconvenient facts is normal there. Why is it so hard to see it when it is our wannabe godkingemperor and his kleptocratic, destructive crew and their enablers and dupes who support their donors rather than the people they represent?

*That was why Republicans in Alabama came within a whisker of electing a pedophile whose other antecedents were laden with contemptible behaviors.

[AbruptSLR]

Here is something on the Democrat's Response memo.  Hopefully, it is enough to save Rosenstein's job:

Title: "Adam Schiff: White House will be forced to release Democrats' memo"

https://www.axios.com/adam-schiff-memo-response-abc40097-f9b6-4c44-88ee-d3166e292f04.html?source=sidebar

“Chairman Nunes’ decision, supported by House Speaker Ryan and Republican Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to publicly release misleading allegations against the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation is a shameful effort to discredit these institutions, undermine the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation, and undercut congressional probes. Furthermore, their refusal to allow release of a comprehensive response memorandum prepared by Committee Democrats is a transparent effort to suppress the full truth.

“As the DOJ emphasized to Chairman Nunes, the decision to employ an obscure and never before used House rule to release classified information without DOJ and FBI vetting was ‘extraordinarily reckless.’ The selective release and politicization of classified information sets a terrible precedent and will do long-term damage to the Intelligence Community and our law enforcement agencies. If potential intelligence sources know that their identities might be compromised when political winds arise, those sources of vital information will simply dry up, at great cost to our national security.

“The Republican document mischaracterizes highly sensitive classified information that few Members of Congress have seen, and which Chairman Nunes himself chose not to review. It fails to provide vital context and information contained in DOJ’s FISA application and renewals, and ignores why and how the FBI initiated, and the Special Counsel has continued, its counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s election interference and links to the Trump campaign. The sole purpose of the Republican document is to circle the wagons around the White House and insulate the President. Tellingly, when asked whether the Republican staff who wrote the memo had coordinated its drafting with the White House, the Chairman refused to answer.

“The premise of the Nunes memo is that the FBI and DOJ corruptly sought a FISA warrant on a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, and deliberately misled the court as part of a systematic abuse of the FISA process. As the Minority memo makes clear, none of this is true. The FBI had good reason to be concerned about Carter Page and would have been derelict in its responsibility to protect the country had it not sought a FISA warrant.

“In order to understand the context in which the FBI sought a FISA warrant for Carter Page, it is necessary to understand how the investigation began, what other information the FBI had about Russia’s efforts to interfere with our election, and what the FBI knew about Carter Page prior to making application to the court – including Carter Page’s previous interactions with Russian intelligence operatives. This is set out in the Democratic response which the GOP so far refuses to make public.

“The authors of the GOP memo would like the country to believe that the investigation began with Christopher Steele and the dossier, and if they can just discredit Mr. Steele, they can make the whole investigation go away regardless of the Russians’ interference in our election or the role of the Trump campaign in that interference. This ignores the inconvenient fact that the investigation did not begin with, or arise from Christopher Steele or the dossier, and that the investigation would persist on the basis of wholly independent evidence had Christopher Steele never entered the picture.

“The DOJ appropriately provided the court with a comprehensive explanation of Russia’s election interference, including evidence that Russian agents courted another Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos. As we know from Papadopoulos’ guilty plea, Russian agents disclosed to Papadopoulos their possession of stolen Clinton emails and interest in a relationship with the campaign. In claiming that there is ‘no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos,’ the Majority deliberately misstates the reason why DOJ specifically explained Russia’s role in courting Papadopoulos and the context in which to evaluate Russian approaches to Page.

“The Majority suggests that the FBI failed to alert the court as to Mr. Steele’s potential political motivations or the political motivations of those who hired him, but this is not accurate. The GOP memo also claims that a Yahoo News article was used to corroborate Steele, but this is not at all why the article was referenced. These are but a few of the serious mischaracterizations of the FISA application. There are many more set out in the Democratic response, which we will again be seeking a vote to release publicly on Monday, February 5th. Unlike Committee Republicans, however, we will ask the relevant agencies to propose any necessary redactions to protect any sources and methods not already disclosed by Chairman Nunes’ document.

“It is telling that Chairman Nunes put out this memo without bothering to read the underlying materials, and that he ordered changes to the document without informing his own committee members. It is a terrible lapse in leadership that Speaker Ryan failed to intervene and prevent the abuse of classified materials in this way. It is tragic, if all too predictable, that this President would allow the release of the memo despite FBI and DOJ’s expressions of ‘grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the [Republicans’] memo’s accuracy’. But most destructive of all may be the announcement by Chairman Nunes that he has placed the FBI and DOJ under investigation, impugning and impairing the work of the dedicated professionals trying to keep our country safe.”

[AbruptSLR]

Hopefully, it is enough to save Rosenstein's job:

As Rosenstein is nobody's fool, I imagine that he has already approved more than one sealed indicted against Trump that Mueller could unseal faster than Trump could fire and then replace Rosenstein.

[sidd]

America's Finest News Source:FBI Warns Republican Memo Could Undermine Faith In Massive, Unaccountable Government Secret Agencies

https://politics.theonion.com/fbi-warns-republican-memo-could-undermine-faith-in-mass-1822639681

"“If we take away the people’s faith in this shadowy monolith exempt from any consequences, all that’s left is an extensive network of rogue, unelected intelligence officers carrying out extrajudicial missions for a variety of subjective, and occasionally personal, reasons.” "

sidd

[sidd]

The memo text:

--
February 2, 2018

January 18, 2018

To: HPSCI Majority Members

From: HPSCI Majority Staff

Subject: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Abuses at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Purpose

This memorandum provides Members an update on significant facts relating to theCommittee’s ongoing investigation into the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and their use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) during the 2016 presidential election cycle. Our findings, which are detailed below, 1) raise concerns with the legitimacy and legality of certain DOJ and FBI interactions with the Foreign IntelligenceSurveillance Court (FISC), and 2) represent a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses related to the FISA process.

Investigation Update

On October 21, 2016, DOJ and FBI sought and received a FISA probable cause order (up; under Title VII) authorizing electronic surveillance on Carter Page from the FISC. Page is aUS citizen who served as a volunteer advisor to the Trump presidential campaign. Consistent with requirements under FISA, the application had to be first certified by the Director or Deputy Director of the FBI. It then required the approval of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General (DAG), or the Senate confirmed Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. The FBI and DOJ obtained one initial FISA warrant targeting Carter Page and three FISA renewals from the FISC. As required by statute (50 U.S.C. 1805 (d)(1)) a FISA order on an American citizen must be renewed by the FISC every 90 days and each renewal requires a separate finding of probable cause. Then-Director James Comey signed three FISA applications. in question on behalf of the FBI, and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe signed one. Sally Yates, then-Acting DAG Dana Boente, and DAG Rod Rosenstein each signed one or more FISA applications on behalf of DOJ.

Due to the sensitive nature of foreign intelligence activity, FISA submissions (including renewals) before the FISC are classified. As such, the public’s confidence in the integrity of the FISA process depends on the court’s ability to hold the government to the highest standard, particularly as it relates to surveillance of American citizens. However, the rigor in protecting the rights of Americans, which is reinforced by 90-day renewals of surveillance orders, is necessarily dependent on the government’s production to the court of all material and relevant facts. This should include information potentially favorable to the target of the FISA application that is known by the government. In the case of Carter Page, the government had at least four independent opportunities before the FISC to accurately provide an accounting of the relevant facts. However, our findings indicate that, as described below, material and relevant information was omitted.

1) The “dossier” compiled by Christopher Steele (Steele dossier) on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign formed an essential part of the Carter Page FISA application. Steele was a longtime FBI source who was paid over $160,000 by the DNC and Clinton campaign, via the law firm Perkins Coie and research firm Fusion GPS, to obtain derogatory information on Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.

a) Neither the initial application in October 2016, nor any of the renewals, disclose or reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign, or any party/campaign in funding Steele’s efforts, even though the political origins of the Steele dossier were then known to senior DOJ and FBI officials.

b) The initial FISA application notes Steele was working for a named U.S. person, but does not name Fusion GPS and principal Glenn Simpson, who was paid by a U.S. law firm (Perkins Coie) representing the DNC (even though it was known by DOJ at the time that political actors were involved with the Steele dossier). The application does not mention Steele was ultimately working on behalf of—and paid by—the DNC and Clinton campaign, or that the FBI had separately authorized payment to Steele for the same information.

2) The Carter Page FISA application also cited extensively a September 23, 2016, Yahoo News article by Michael Isikoff, which focuses on Page’s July 2016 trip to Moscow. This article does not corroborate the Steele dossier because it is derived from information leaked by Steele himself to Yahoo News. The Page FISA application incorrectly assesses that Steele did not directly provide information to Yahoo News. Steele has admitted in British court filings that he met with Yahoo News—and several other outlets—in September 2016 at the direction of Fusion GPS. Perkins Coie was aware of Steele’s initial media contacts because they hosted at least one meeting in Washington DC in 2016 with Steele and Fusion GPS where this matter was discussed.

a) Steele was suspended and then terminated as an FBI source for what the FBI defines as the most serious of violations—an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI in an October 30, 2016, Mother Jones article by David Corn Steele should have been terminated for his previous undisclosed contacts with Yahoo and other outlets in September—before the Page application was submitted to the FISC in October—but Steele improperly concealed from and lied to the FBI about those contacts.

b) Steele’s numerous encounters with the media violated the cardinal rule of source handling—maintaining confidentiality—and demonstrated that Steele had become a less than reliable source for the FBI.

3) Before and after Steele was terminated as a source, he maintained contact with DOJ via then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, a senior DOJ official who worked closely with Deputy Attorneys General Yates and later Rosenstein. Shortly after the election, the FBI began interviewing Ohr, documenting his communications with Steele. For example, in September 2016, Steele admitted to Ohr his feelings against then-candidate Trump when Steele said he “was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not, being president.” This clear evidence of Steele’s bias was recorded by Ohr at the time and subsequently in official FBI files— but not reflected in any of the Page FISA applications.

a) During this same time period, Ohr’s wife was employed by Fusion GPS to assist in the cultivation of opposition research on Trump. Ohr later provided the FBI with all of his wife’s opposition research, paid for by the DNC and Clinton campaign via Fusion GPS. The Ohrs’ relationship with Steele and Fusion GPS was inexplicably concealed from the FISC.

4) According to the head of the counterintelligence division, Assistant Director Bill Priestap, corroboration of the Steele dossier was in its “infancy” at the time of the initial Page FISA application. After Steele was terminated, a source validation report conducted by an independent unit within FBI assessed Steele’s reporting as only minimally corroborated. Yet, in early January 2017, Director Comey briefed President-elect Trump on a summary of the Steele dossier, even though it was—according to his June 2017 testimony—“salacious and unverified.” While the FISA application relied on Steele’s past record of credible reporting on other unrelated matters, it ignored or concealed his anti-Trump financial and ideological motivations. Furthermore, Deputy Director McCabe testified before the Committee in December 2017 that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.

5) The Page FISA application also mentions information regarding fellow Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, but there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos. The Papadopoulos information triggered the opening of an FBI counterintelligence investigation in late July 2016 by FBI agent Pete Strzok. Strzok was reassigned by the Special Counsel’s Office to FBI Human Resources for improper text messages with his mistress, FBI Attorney Lisa Page (no known relation to Carter Page), where they both demonstrated a clear bias against Trump and in favor of Clinton, whom Strzok had also investigated. The Strzok/Lisa Page texts also reflect extensive discussions about the investigation, orchestrating leaks to the media, and include a meeting with Deputy Director McCabe to discuss an “insurance” policy against President Trump’s election.

--


sidd

[AbruptSLR]

America's Finest News Source:FBI Warns Republican Memo Could Undermine Faith In Massive, Unaccountable Government Secret Agencies

https://politics.theonion.com/fbi-warns-republican-memo-could-undermine-faith-in-mass-1822639681

"“If we take away the people’s faith in this shadowy monolith exempt from any consequences, all that’s left is an extensive network of rogue, unelected intelligence officers carrying out extrajudicial missions for a variety of subjective, and occasionally personal, reasons.” "

sidd

American’s Finest News Source exposes deep bias within Devin Nunes

Title: "Ex-RNC chair Michael Steele zings Nunes memo: ‘The Onion’ is mad you’re ‘stealing their material’"

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/ex-rnc-chair-michael-steele-zings-nunes-memo-onion-mad-youre-stealing-material/

Extract: "The Onion, “American’s Finest News Source,” had in fact published a rather poignant article about the memo’s publication, posting a simple photo of Nunes along with the headline, “Breaking: Nunes Memo Exposes Deep Bias, Corruption In Devin Nunes.”"

[AbruptSLR]

As K.T. McFarland has just withdrawn her nomination for Ambassador to Singapore from consideration for Congressional approval, by the linked logic, presented by the Daily Beast, it is likely that she has cut a plea deal with Mueller:

Title: "Is K.T. McFarland Headed for Singapore? Or Mueller’s Clutches?"

https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-kt-mcfarland-headed-for-singapore-or-muellers-clutches

Extract: "McFarland’s name has not yet surfaced publicly as someone special counsel Robert Mueller might want to interview. One theory, advanced by a former Senate aide, is that the idea is to get her out of the country and feeling good about Trump rather than have her sidelined and looking to even scores:

“Better to have her across the world where it’s more difficult to be invited by Mueller, and more difficult to go on TV. Make her happy enough so she doesn’t release her own book. There’s probably a lot she could say to Mueller they [the White House] wouldn’t like.”"

[AbruptSLR]

Maybe Devin should listen to his pal Trey:

Title: "Gowdy: Nunes memo does not discredit Mueller probe in any way"

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/372054-gowdy-nunes-demo-does-not-discredit-mueller-probe-in-any-way

Extract: "Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said Friday that the release of a controversial memo by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee does not discredit nor undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election."

[Rob Dekker]

One thing about this memo is strange :

The FBI and DOJ obtained one initial FISA warrant targeting Carter Page and three FISA renewals from the FISC.

If each renewal was needed every 90 days, that implies that Carter Page was under FISA for about a year. Since Trump took office in Jan 2017, that means that the initial FISA warrant for Carter Page was issued at the start of 2016 at the latest.

Which is about 6 months BEFORE Fusion GPS even engaged with Steele....
So the Carter Page FISA warrants did not have anything to do with the Steele dossier.

[Tor Bejnar]

I underestand the first Carter Page FISA warrant was in October 2016.

[Rob Dekker]

I underestand the first Carter Page FISA warrant was in October 2016.

Yeah. I just realized that too.
If true, the first extension would have been in Jan 17, the second in April 17 and the third in July 17.
Since Comey was fired in May 17, he could have signed the initial, the first and second extension, and McCabe could have signed the third extension. Which is consistent with the memo's assertion :

Then-Director James Comey signed three FISA applications. in question on behalf of the FBI, and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe signed one.

So I'm sorry. My timeline was off.

Interesting still is the moment that the FBI and Steele parted ways. Wasn't that also around the Oct 16 time ?

[Rob Dekker]

About that timeline when Steele and the FBI parted ways, there is the Simpson testimony, which states :

https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3/9/3974a291-ddbe-4525-9ed1-22bab43c05ae/934A3562824CACA7BB4D915E97709D2F.simpson-transcript-redacted.pdf

22    On October 31st the New York Times posed a
23 story saying that the FBI is investigating Trump
24 and found no connections to Russia and, you know,
25 it was a real Halloween special.
..
1     Sometime thereafter the FBI -- I understand
2 Chris severed his relationship with the FBI out of
3 concern that he didn't know what was happening
4 inside the FBI and there was a concern that the FBI
5 was being manipulated for political ends by the
6 Trump people and that we didn't really understand
7 what was going on. So he stopped dealing with
8 them.

So some time after Oct 31, 2016, Steele and the FBI parted ways.

This means that the Steele dossier may or may not have been used in the initial (Oct 16) Carter Page FISA warrant, but unlikely in the 3 subsequent extensions.

[sidd]

Some history on Page: he was working with the FBI a couple years ago:

"Page confirmed that he cooperated with the FBI in its prosecution of a Russian intelligence operative and two other Russian agents. "

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article144722444.html

So was Sater, but that's a different story ...

So now Page is mad because the FBI wiretapped him ? Comes with the turf ...

sidd

[Rob Dekker]

Is Page still pleading the Fifth on these documents that the House Intelligence Committee asked him to release ?

[Buddy]

That's it?



WOW..... I've heard of let downs.  But this takes the cake....

Like I said....all Traitor Donnie has is wild 3 point shots from about half court.  His only hope is that he'll sink enough of them to convince people (as well as Sean Hannity groupies) that the investigation should be shut down.

The "Nunez memo" didn't even come CLOSE to the basket.  What is Sean's Secret Society of Trumpians going to do now?

And it sure makes Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro look guilty of obstruction of justice.

[AbruptSLR]

Paul Ryan must be on board with Nunes' plan to issue more memos.  This makes it highly likely that Ryan is involved in the WH campaign to obstruct justice:

Title: "Nunes hints more memos to come"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/02/politics/devin-nunes-memo/index.html

Extract: "House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes hinted Friday that there would be additional memos released regarding the committee's investigation into alleged abuse of FISA warrants -- and the next one may look at the State Department."

[Buddy]

Two areas that I would watch closely over the coming weeks are (1) RNC[/b]...Republican National Committee, and (2) NRA....National Rifle Association.

Those are two groups that are intimately involved in RusiaGate.  If it looks like a rat, acts like a rat, talks like a rat.....it's a rat.

At some point this is going to explode.  Don't know when....but we're getting closer.

[Buddy]

"Trump adviser KT McFarland appears to signal she’s cutting a deal with Robert Mueller"

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/kt-mcfarland-robert-mueller/7733/

Hmmmmm.  I wonder what kind of information KT McFarland would have about FOX News, Sean Hannity, and Jeanine Pirro?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[AbruptSLR]

It looks like Team Trump will likely focus their next round of attacks on Rosenstein:

Title: "Justice Department official overseeing Mueller and Russia probe under increasing pressure"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/justice-department-official-overseeing-mueller-and-russia-probe-under-increasing-pressure/ar-BBID9T2?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) said in a statement that he wanted Attorney General Jeff Sessions to seek the criminal prosecution of Rosenstein and several former Justice Department officials whom he described as "traitors to our nation.
...
In an interview with Fox News on Friday night, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who orchestrated the memo's release, declined to say whether he thought Rosenstein should be fired.

"I personally like Rod Rosenstein, but the bottom line is Mr. Rosenstein, Attorney General Sessions and [FBI Director Chris A.] Wray have work to do," Nunes said. "Admit first that you have a problem, and they've been unwilling to do that." Nunes added that he thinks Rosenstein "can fix the problems over at DOJ, and we're willing to work with him.""

[SteveMDFP]

Some history on Page: he was working with the FBI a couple years ago:

"Page confirmed that he cooperated with the FBI in its prosecution of a Russian intelligence operative and two other Russian agents. "

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article144722444.html

So was Sater, but that's a different story ...

So now Page is mad because the FBI wiretapped him ? Comes with the turf ...

sidd

Right, Page had been friendly with the Russian spy ring, gave them documents and information.  Then the FBI approached him, and used Page's testimony in the prosecution of the spy ring.

You'd think Page would then stay away from Russians.  You'd think Page would not be surprised if he were again put under surveillance if he subsequently did things like visit Moscow, twice. 

So Page was put under surveillance both in 2013 and starting again in 2016.  The initial 2016 round apparently started shortly before the election, but after he left the Trump campaign.  The FISA warrant renewals continued well into the Trump administration.

The surveillance order in 2016 could not possibly have had any influence on the election.

Very interestingly, Page blurted out to MSNBC Chris Hayes, on air, that there was a FISA warrant on him and that Paul Ryan would authorize release of information about it -- a couple of months ago!  One gathers that someone violated the law to inform Page that he was the subject of FISA surveillance, and his words imply Paul Ryan was part of a conspiracy to reveal classified information to Page.  This was all shown on MSNBC last night by Hayes and then Rachel Maddow.

In other words, Page and probably Ryan knew months ago that this memo would be released, and what would be in it.

Legally, there's nothing wrong with providing evidence from a biased witness to a judge, as long as the nature of the bias is not concealed.  Judges are the ones to weigh the credibility of evidence.  Very many, maybe most, criminal investigations and trials include testimony from folks with an axe to grind.

[AbruptSLR]

The ethics investigation of Nunes was discontinued but never completed, but now that he is divulging the information that they needed to complete their investigation; hopefully the investigation can be reopened:

Title: "The Circumscribed Ethics Investigation Into Devin Nunes"

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/devin-nunes-controversy/551792/

Extract: "The House Intelligence Committee chair claimed he’d been completely cleared, but the panel probing his conduct never gained access to the intelligence he was accused of divulging."

[AbruptSLR]

It looks like Team Trump will likely focus their next round of attacks on Rosenstein:

Title: "Justice Department official overseeing Mueller and Russia probe under increasing pressure"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/justice-department-official-overseeing-mueller-and-russia-probe-under-increasing-pressure/ar-BBID9T2?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) said in a statement that he wanted Attorney General Jeff Sessions to seek the criminal prosecution of Rosenstein and several former Justice Department officials whom he described as "traitors to our nation.
...
In an interview with Fox News on Friday night, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who orchestrated the memo's release, declined to say whether he thought Rosenstein should be fired.

"I personally like Rod Rosenstein, but the bottom line is Mr. Rosenstein, Attorney General Sessions and [FBI Director Chris A.] Wray have work to do," Nunes said. "Admit first that you have a problem, and they've been unwilling to do that." Nunes added that he thinks Rosenstein "can fix the problems over at DOJ, and we're willing to work with him.""

It looks to me like the objective of Nunes up-coming series of memos (combined with tweets from Trump) will be to try to pressure Sessions, Rosenstein and Wray into initiating internal 'McCarthy-like' investigations of Mueller's Russia investigation on charges of bias against Trump.  Hopefully, the DOJ and the FBI will resist this pressure (which will likely include a call to appoint a Special Counsel to led the investigation of Mueller).

Trump loves chaos (of the type that any crime-lord loves), and there likely is no limit as to how low his is prepared to go to get what he wants.

[AbruptSLR]

Trump has succeeded in convincing the majority of Republicans that Mueller's investigation is biased against Trump; so as we have known all along the only way to have the Mueller investigation succeed is for the Democrats to win in the coming midterm elections:

Title: "Exclusive poll: GOP turns on FBI"

https://www.axios.com/gop-turns-on-fbi-survey-78c4f486-8755-4c9e-be99-a1567bd3a625.html

Extract: "A SurveyMonkey poll for Axios finds that not even 40% of Republicans approve of America's main federal law enforcement agency — a stunning turn for the law-and-order party.

Why it matters: Trump, who earlier turned a huge swath of Republicans toward more favorable opinions of Russia, has now turned his party against his own FBI.

•   The numbers: FBI approval in the SurveyMonkey Poll, taken over the past two days, is 64% among Democrats and just 38% among Republicans. Unfavorable opinion of the FBI: 47% in the GOP; 14% among Ds.

•   As you see below, overall opinion of the FBI fell over the past year in the two polls we compared, likely driven entirely by falling approval from Rs.

Be smart: The stark new Republican skepticism of the FBI means that Trump has succeeded in preemptively undermining the findings of special counsel Bob Mueller.

•   Many Republicans will now see Mueller's report or recommendations as a political document, and the conservative media will portray it that way."

[Susan Anderson]

aSLR has already covered this, but here's a repeat of the earlier history in case anybody missed it:

Though he was not well known in Russian policy circles, Page had spent years working in the region before signing up with the Trump campaign. An ex-Moscow-based investment banker, he attracted the attention of the FBI in 2013 when a Russian spy tried to recruit him. Page is one of the Trump administration’s many friendly links to the government of President Vladimir Putin—ties that have fueled speculation and questions about the Trump campaign and Russia's efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.
Page’s work in Russia began in the late 1990s, when he briefly worked for the Eurasia Group, a consulting company that advises banks and multinational corporations. He left abruptly after three months. 
“It was very clear he was ideologically very strongly pro-Kremlin, which wasn’t at all clear when he interviewed. As a result, he wasn’t a good fit at Eurasia Group,” Ian Bremmer, the company’s president, told The Guardian in 2017.
Bremmer even called Page “the most wackadoodle” Eurasia Group alumnus on Twitter.

http://www.newsweek.com/memo-nunes-trump-carter-page-russia-spies-796702

Here's an amusing (if you like your humor dark) take on Nunes' behavior:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/us-history-abridged-by-devin-nunes/2018/02/02/a8fb6818-084d-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html

In essence, Nunes is free to allege whatever he wants, even if false, and nobody, by law, can contradict him.

And that has me wondering: What if our understanding of other moments in history had been similarly under the sole control of one man, operating free of context, mitigating facts and fear of contradiction?

 These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

The Hon. Devin Nunes, chairman

MEMORANDUM: Treasonous Remarks by Thomas Paine

The committee has, based on its review of the evidence, determined that Mr. Paine is guilty of rank insubordination for accusing Gen. George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, of being a “summer soldier” and “sunshine patriot.” Paine, according to highly classified documents in the committee’s possession, alleges that Gen. Washington will “shrink from the service” of country, and likens dealing with Washington to “tyranny” and “hell.” The committee recommends court-martial for Paine, as well as for naval officer John Paul Jones, for desertion. Jones, according to the committee review of classified information, has not “begun to fight,” even though ordered to do so.

Additionally, the panel recommends that Nathan Hale be dishonorably discharged, posthumously, for expressing “regret” about serving his country. Finally, the committee proposes further examination of the un-American activities of Gov. Patrick Henry of Virginia, who upon being offered a choice between liberty and death, stated, “give me death.”
---
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

The Hon. Devin Nunes, chairman

MEMORANDUM: Abraham Lincoln’s Anti-American Communications

In classified intercepts reviewed by this committee, President Lincoln has, in deeply unpatriotic remarks, refused “to dedicate,” “to hallow” or “to consecrate” land where so many fell dead at Gettysburg. Furthermore, Lincoln alleged he would use his “power” to “detract” from their sacrifice — sentiments hurtful to Gold Star families.

Unfortunately, according to the HPSCI review, this is consistent with Lincoln’s previous advocacy of a “house divided” policy in which all white Americans would be “permanently half slave.” This sort of anti-white sentiment dates back to the Battle of Bunker Hill, when, according to this committee’s confidential information, Col. William Prescott remarked, “Don’t fire until you see the whites.”
---
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

The Hon. Devin Nunes, chairman

MEMORANDUM: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Kennedy are Foreign Nationals

Highly classified information received by the HPSCI contains clear and incontrovertible evidence that Dr. King is not an American citizen. He has, our information shows, repeatedly identified himself as a “Dreamer,” which is a direct admission that he was born a foreign national and emigrated to the United States illegally as a child.

The panel also has found evidence that President John F. Kennedy is a noncitizen. Classified records indicate he has admitted to being part of a “new generation of Americans.” Further corroborating foreign birth, intelligence indicates that the president confessed to being a German national — specifically, a citizen of Berlin. He made this admission in German. In another classified intercept, Kennedy was heard speaking to “fellow citizens of the world” — that is, fellow foreigners.

[AbruptSLR]

Putin thinks that Trump has totally corrupted GOP leadership, but at least McCain still has his integrity intact:

Title: "McCain Slams Republicans, Trump on Memo: “We Are Doing Putin’s Job For Him”"

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/mccain-slams-republicans-trump-on-memo-we-are-doing-putins-job-for-him.html

Extract: "Mere minutes after President Donald Trump approved the declassification of the controversial memo claiming abuse of surveillance powers by the FBI, Sen. John McCain issued a sharp criticism of his Republican colleagues and Trump. In a statement, the senator from Arizona who is currently away from Washington undergoing treatment for brain cancer called on his colleagues and Trump to stop “manufacturing partisan sideshows” that ultimately only benefit Russia."

[TerryM]

Putin thinks that Trump has totally corrupted GOP leadership, but at least McCain still has his integrity intact:

Title: "McCain Slams Republicans, Trump on Memo: “We Are Doing Putin’s Job For Him”"

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/mccain-slams-republicans-trump-on-memo-we-are-doing-putins-job-for-him.html

Extract: "Mere minutes after President Donald Trump approved the declassification of the controversial memo claiming abuse of surveillance powers by the FBI, Sen. John McCain issued a sharp criticism of his Republican colleagues and Trump. In a statement, the senator from Arizona who is currently away from Washington undergoing treatment for brain cancer called on his colleagues and Trump to stop “manufacturing partisan sideshows” that ultimately only benefit Russia."

McCain and I haven't been on the same side since Vietnam. He was wrong then, he was wrong in doing his photo-ops with ISIS. It's difficult to imagine a person of his caliber suddenly being able to correctly assess the situation at this stage of his life.


Terry
If you think Trump is bad, imagine America under McCain's orthopedic boot!

[Rob Dekker]

McCain and I haven't been on the same side since Vietnam. He was wrong then, he was wrong in doing his photo-ops with ISIS. It's difficult to imagine a person of his caliber suddenly being able to correctly assess the situation at this stage of his life.

You can have your own opinions about McCain, but not your own facts.
McCain met with the Free Syrian Army, which is actually fighting ISIS (and Assad).
https://www.snopes.com/john-mccain-meets-isis-leader/

[Sigmetnow]

This is how this time in U.S. history will be described.

Trump’s Unparalleled War on a Pillar of Society: Law Enforcement

The war between the president and the nation’s law enforcement apparatus is unlike anything America has seen in modern times. With a special counsel investigating whether his campaign collaborated with Russia in 2016 and whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice in 2017, the president has engaged in a scorched-earth assault on the pillars of the criminal justice system in a way that no other occupant of the White House has done.
…
In his telling, that bureaucracy, now run by his own appointees, is a nest of political saboteurs out to undermine him — an accusation that raised fears that he was tearing at the credibility of some of the most important institutions in American life to save himself.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/us/politics/trump-fbi-justice.html

[AbruptSLR]

In my opinion, Trump's recent attacks on the DOJ and the FBI is just as much a smoke screen (hiding the truth) as is Trump saying that China is behind the climate change hoax.  And just as when proving that climate change is real we need to focus on climate trends rather than on individual weather events; when looking at Team Trump's behavior we (and the media) should focus on the goals of his/their endgame rather than the weekly/daily means that he/they use to reach those ends.

In this regards, Team Trump's goal is clearly to discredit the Steele dossier's claims that Trump is being blackmailed by Putin (via sex tapes) and that Trump has been illegally laundering Russian money for many years.  As the public does not have access to Mueller's case files on these two main allegations, I will just list some of the key publically available evidence that we should all (including the MSM) keep in mind when considering Team Trump's means and ends:

1. The BBC/CIA have stated (independently of the Steele dossier) that Russia has several sex tapes of Trump's numerous encountered with Russian women over multiple years (not just the 'Pee-Pee Tapes').
2. Trump's business was going bankrupt in 2005 (& no American bank would loan his organization any money), and in 2008 Don Jr., and in 2013 Eric Trump, both acknowledged publically that it was Russian money that saved Trump's business.  This laundered Russian money comes with strings attached, which is probably the main reason that Trump will not make his tax returns public.
3. Trump knows that impeachment is a political process and thus he does not care about obstruction of justice charges, so long as he can provide political cover to the House GOP members that the Steele dossier was paid for by Hillary and the DNC and thus must be politically biased.

Unfortunately, for Team Trump, Mueller is playing by the book (& thus is not so easy to discredit) and he has tools to get his facts to both the Congress and to the public, say by: indicting Trump (whether he empowered to do so or not) and letting the courts (in full view of the MSM) decide whether a sitting president can face trial outside of the Congress.

[AbruptSLR]

Per Neven's request, I re-post the following into this thread:

Trump has succeeded in making the GOP Putin's party:

Title: "CIA chief met with sanctioned Russian spies, officials confirm"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/pompeo-russian-spies-meeting/index.html

Extract: "CIA Director Mike Pompeo did meet with the head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency, an official barred from entering the US under 2014 sanctions, as well as the head of Russia's internal security agency, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the meetings."

[AbruptSLR]

It may not be possible to embarrass Trump into playing fair, but at least Schumer has gone on record to ask him to support declassifying the Democrat's response to the Nunes memo:

Title: "Schumer urges Trump to allow release of Dems' memo"

https://www.axios.com/schumer-urges-trump-to-allow-release-of-dems-memo-1517758854-6267b841-5460-4e9e-9838-6c7a2d243c3e.html?source=sidebar

Extract: "Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer has sent a letter to President Trump urging him to "support the release" of a memo authored by Rep. Adam Schiff so the American people can "see both sides of the argument" in the controversy surrounding FISA warrants."

[AbruptSLR]

Hopefully, by mid-February Mueller will get tired of Team Trump's gamesmanship and will issue a subpoena to haul The Donald before a grand jury without his lawyers being present:

Title: "Trump's Lawyers Are Saying the Mueller Interview May Not Happen, Report Says"

http://www.newsweek.com/trumps-lawyers-saying-mueller-interview-may-not-happen-795870

Extract: "President Donald Trump’s lawyers in the Russia investigation are arguing that special counsel Robert Mueller hasn’t met the conditions to interview Trump face-to-face, according to a new report.
…
On Tuesday, former New Jersey Governor and Trump supporter Chris Christie articulated the argument Trump’s lawyers are making for why he should not have to sit down for a face-to-face interview with Mueller and his team.

"I don't think the president of the United States—unless there are credible allegations, which I don't believe there are—should be sitting across from the special counsel,” Christie told ABC's Good Morning America. “The presidency is different. I don't think they should do that."
…
If Trump refuses to sit down with Mueller, it could lead to a criminal subpoena, national security lawyer Bradley Moss wrote Tuesday on Twitter. That could lead to the president being forced to give testimony to a grand jury without his lawyers present, as former President Bill Clinton did during the Whitewater controversy."

[AbruptSLR]

In the middle of Trump's smoke screens associated with the Nunes memo, the linked op/ed piece reminds us that Trump's refusal to impose Congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia is a severe abuse of executive power:

Title: "Trump’s rejection of Russia sanctions is just what Putin wants"

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/04/trumps-rejection-of-russia-sanctions-is-just-what-putin-wants/

Extract: "Last fall Congress voted 517 to 5 (419-3 in the House and 98-2 in the Senate) to impose additional sanctions on Russia. President Donald Trump signed the law. His CIA director, Mike Pompeo, just said he expects Russia to continue interfering with U.S. elections in 2018. However, on the day Trump was required by law to impose the sanctions on Russia, he refused, just as Vladimir Putin would want.

Not enforcing laws that Trump’s foreign masters don’t like is a vastly greater abuse of executive power than anything President Barack Obama was accused of, even by his fiercest critics.

American soldiers fought and died to preserve our democracy.  Trump’s failure to faithfully execute the law is a disrespectful betrayal of their sacrifice."

[AbruptSLR]

I am sure that Mueller has not forgotten (as Trey Gowdy is fully aware) that Russia provided the stolen DNC emails to Wikileaks, and that Cambridge Analytica's interactions with Wikileaks likely ties the Trump campaign to Russia:

Title: "Breaking down Rep. Gowdy’s response to President Trump"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/breaking-down-rep-gowdys-response-to-president-trump/

A portion of Gowdy's response is annotated below:
…
"...The dossier has nothing to do with an email sent by Cambridge Analytica…"
Julian Assange, editor of Wikileaks, said Wikileaks was approached by data firm Cambridge Analytica in 2016 about potentially working together about the release of Hillary Clinton's deleted emails. Cambridge Analytica's CEO Alexander Nix, the Wall Street Journal first reported, was emailed by Trump donor Rebekah Mercer asking if they might be able to better organize the release of Hillary Clinton emails by Wikileaks."

[AbruptSLR]

We are gradually moving towards neo-McCarthyism, with Trump moving closer to formally requesting a second Special Counsel:

Title: "White House: Trump lawyers in favor of appointing second special counsel"

https://www.axios.com/white-house-trump-lawyers-approved-of-a-second-special-counsel-6edafd54-c4d7-4ae6-80b7-c7c312b8ca51.html?source=sidebar

Extract: "Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters on Air Force One Monday that President Trump's attorneys have already approved the idea of appointing a second special counsel to investigate the FBI and Justice Department's actions during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to White House pool reports."

[AbruptSLR]

In Trump's mind, if he is going down for treasonous behavior, he might as well drag down everyone else with him (including not only the Democrats, but also the FBI and the DOJ):

Title: "Trump calls Dems “treasonous” for not applauding his State of the Union"

https://www.axios.com/trump-calls-democrats-treasonous-for-not-applauding-his-speech-1517861051-72f8f605-9ded-4842-8fdd-1f872355bdc6.html?source=sidebar

[sidd]

Grassley gets in on memo action: releases referral for prosecution of Steele, reveals that Clinton associates were feeding Steele too ...

Was anyone not leaking to Steele ?

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/372336-grassley-pushes-to-reveal-more-about-steele-criminal-referral

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-02-02%20CEG%20LG%20to%20DOJ%20FBI%20(Unclassified%20Steele%20Referral).pdf

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Clearly Nunes and the WH are cherry-picking by claiming that the FBI deceived the FISA court by not telling the court about the political backing of the Steele dossier, when it was clearly stated in the footnotes of the Carter Page warrant:

Title: "Republicans concede key FBI 'footnote' in Carter Page warrant"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/05/fbi-footnote-carter-page-warrant-390795?lo=ap_a1

Extract: "Devin Nunes said Monday the FBI had disclosed political backing for a Trump-Russia dossier in October 2016, but a controversial GOP memo released last week did not mention it."

[TerryM]

And, while no one was watching, the US of A slipped from being a "Full Democracy" to it's new status as a "Flawed Democracy", according to Statista, and the Economist.


https://www.statista.com/chart/12771/the-best-and-worst-countries-for-democracy/

Though now in 21st place in the race to be the "Best Democracy", I'm sure that our Southern Cousins will continue to lecture any and all about just how wonderful their democracy is.





Terry

[AbruptSLR]

The Mueller investigation is bigger and more advanced than most people understand:

https://www.wired.com/story/bob-muellers-investigation-is-largerand-further-alongthan-you-think/

[AbruptSLR]

Now that the House has voted to release the Democratic response to Nunes' memo, we will soon see where Trump follows suit:

Title: "House Intelligence Committee Votes Unanimously To Release Democratic Memo"

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/05/583532494/house-intelligence-committee-votes-unanimously-to-release-democratic-memo

[sidd]

John Kerry, State Department dragged into this mess

--
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/372431-gop-probes-put-new-focus-on-state

"The memo, dated Oct. 19, was given to Steele by a contact at the State Department and was based on information provided by “a friend of the Clintons,” Grassley said."

"  ... Sidney Blumenthal and Cody Shearer — as the likely sources for the October memo, which they believe reached Steele through his contact at the Obama State Department, Jonathan Winer."

Nuland of "Fuck the EU" fame weighs in:

"Chris had a friend at the State Department and he offered us that reporting free so that we could also benefit from it,” Nuland said.
--

Everybody was leaking to Steele, and he was memoing everybody.  Like MacIntyre said,  he was a patsy.

--
"They set up an ex-MI6 guy, Chris Steele, who is a patsy, effectively, and they feed him some stuff that’s true, and some stuff that isn’t true, and some stuff that is demonstrably wrong. "

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/books/review/john-le-carre-ben-macintyre-british-spy-thrillers.html
--

Apparently set up by a bunch of different people, not just the Russians. Poor, dumb sucker. Hope he got paid enuf.

sidd

[Rob Dekker]

Not sure if this was reported in this thread before.
But Carter Page made the following claim in 2013 :

Over the past half year, I have had the privilege to serve as an informal advisor to the staff of the Kremlin in preparation for their Presidency of the G-20 Summit next month, where energy issues will be a prominent point on the agenda,

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/carter-page-reportedly-bragged-about-being-an-informal-adviser-to-the-kremlin-in-2013.html

and

It was in 2013 that the FBI interviewed Page on his contact with the Russians amid suspicion that the Kremlin was trying to recruit him. In subsequent years, Page complained that the FBI would not leave him alone.

Is there any doubt as to why this guy was put under FBI surveillance ?

[Buddy]

And, while no one was watching, the US of A slipped from being a "Full Democracy" to it's new status as a "Flawed Democracy", according to Statista, and the Economist.

NO

Actually most everyone has been watching....except those making excuses for Traitor Donald.  Do you know anyone like that?

[SteveMDFP]

. . .
"The memo, dated Oct. 19, was given to Steele by a contact at the State Department and was based on information provided by “a friend of the Clintons,” Grassley said."
. . .
"  ... Sidney Blumenthal and Cody Shearer — as the likely sources for the October memo, which they believe reached Steele through his contact at the Obama State Department, Jonathan Winer."

. . .
--

Everybody was leaking to Steele, and he was memoing everybody.  Like MacIntyre said,  he was a patsy.

--
"They set up an ex-MI6 guy, Chris Steele, who is a patsy, effectively, and they feed him some stuff that’s true, and some stuff that isn’t true, and some stuff that is demonstrably wrong. "

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/books/review/john-le-carre-ben-macintyre-british-spy-thrillers.html
--

Apparently set up by a bunch of different people, not just the Russians. Poor, dumb sucker. Hope he got paid enuf.

sidd

Steele acquired information from many sources.  He's a well-respected former MI6 intelligence officer, leading their Russia desk.  These folks are trained to evaluate credibility of information.

He seems to have been given wrong information about one particular meeting, of little importance.  Nothing else has been disproven. I see no reason to think he's been a patsy at all.

Steve

[AbruptSLR]

Maybe Bannon doesn't want Nunes to contaminate his testimony so he is refusing to comply with the House Intelligence Committee subpoena until after he talks to Mueller next week:

Title: "Despite subpoena, Bannon won’t appear before House Intelligence Committee: reports"

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/372473-bannon-wont-appear-before-house-intel

Extract: "According to the reports, Bannon is willing to answer questions from special counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is conducting the criminal probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

He is expected to meet with investigators on Mueller's team next week, Reuters reported. "

Edit: P.S.- I suspect that Bannon has the courage to face possible contempt of congress charges (by not responding to the subpoena because he has cut a plea deal with Mueller, and he can correctly claim that the plea deal prevented him from answering certain questions that the House Intelligence Committee might ask (and then leak to Trump).

[AbruptSLR]

Assuming that Trump follows his lawyers' advise and refuses to sit for an interview with Mueller, I hope that Mueller does not shy away from issuing a subpoena even through the appeals to the Supreme Court would take months, as hauling Trump before a grand jury before November would be great for a possible blue wave for the midterm elections

Title: "Trump's lawyers want him to refuse Mueller interview request: NY Times"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-lawyers/trumps-lawyers-want-him-to-refuse-mueller-interview-request-ny-times-idUSKBN1FQ0BC

Extract: "If the president refuses to sit for an interview, Mueller could subpoena the president to testify before a grand jury. A subpoena could trigger a court fight that might ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court."