Eleven GOP members of Congress led by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have written a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Attorney John Huber, and FBI Director Christopher Wray – asking them to investigate former FBI Director James Comey, Hillary Clinton and others – including FBI lovebirds Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, for a laundry list of potential crimes surrounding the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Recall that Sessions paired special prosecutor John Huber with DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz – falling short of a second Special Counsel, but empowering Horowitz to fully investigate allegations of FBI FISA abuse with subpoena power and other methods he was formerly unable to utilize.
The GOP letter’s primary focus appears to be James Comey, while the charges for all include obstruction, perjury, corruption, unauthorized removal of classified documents, contributions and donations by foreign nationals and other allegations.
The letter also demands that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein “be recused from any examination of FISA abuse,” and recommends that “neither U.S. Attorney John Huber nor a special counsel (if appointed) should report to Rosenstein.”
The letter refers the following individuals for the following conduct:
James Comey – obstruction, perjury, corruption, stealing public property or records, gathering transmitting or losing defense information, unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents, false statements.
- “Comey’s decision not to seek charges against Clinton’s misconduct suggests improper investigative conduct, potentially motivated by a political agenda.”
- The letter calls Comey out for leaking his confidential memos to the press. “In light of the fact that four of the seven memos were classified, it would appear that former Director Comey leaked classified information when sharing these memos…“
- Comey “circulated a draft statement” of the FBI’s decision to exonerate Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information – a conclusion reached before the agency had interviewed key witnesses. “At that point, 17 interviews with potential witnesses had not taken place, including with Clinton and her chief of staff…”
- The letter also seeks clarification on “material inconsistencies between the description of the FBI’s relationship with Mr. Steele that you [then FBI Director Comey] did provide in your briefing and information contained in Justice Department documents made available to the Committee only after the briefing.”
Hillary Clinton – contributions and donations by foreign nationals
- “A lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid Washington firm Fusion GPS to conduct research that led to the Steele dossier…”
- “Accordingly, for disguising payments to Fusion GPS on mandatory disclosures to the Federal Election Commission, we refer Hillary Clinton to DOJ for potential violation(s) of 52 USC 30121 and 52 USC 30101”
Loretta Lynch – obstruction, corruption
- “We raise concerns regarding her decision to threaten with reprisal the former FBI informant who tried to come forward in 2016 with insight into the Uranium One deal.”
- Of note, this refers to longtime CIA and FBI undercover informant William D. Campbell, who came forward with evidence of bribery schemes involving Russian nuclear officials, an American trucking company, and efforts to route money to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
Andrew McCabe – false statements, perjury, obstruction
- “During the internal Hillary Clinton investigation, Mr. McCabe “lacked candor — including under oath — on multiple occasions,” the letter reads. “That is a fireable offense, and Mr. Sessions said that career, apolotical employees at the F.B.I. and Justice Department agreed that Mr. McCabe should be fired.”
- “The DOJ Office of the Inspector General recently released a February 2018 misconduct report… confirming four instances of McCabe’s lack of candor, including three instances under oath, as well as the conclusion that McCabe’s decision to confirm the existence of the Clinton Foundation Investigation through an anonymously sourced quite violated the FBI’s and DOJ’s media policy and constituted misconduct.”
Peter Strzok and Lisa Page – obstruction, corruption,
- “We raise concerns regarding their interference in the Hillary Clinton investigation regarding her use of a personal email server.”
@kitt. #50:
The last two documents were originally tagged UNCLASSIFIED // FOUO. “For Official Use Only” is not a security classification. It means only that the document was intended for internal use, not for public distribution.
So far as Comey redacting classified portions of one document and declassifying the rest of it, Comey was the original classification authority who had classified the documents in question to begin with; consequently, he also had the authority to declassify them. That is clearly spelled out in the rules governing classification and declassification procedure. Comey had done so before providing a redacted copy to a friend. After Trump fired him, he asked the friend to pass the copy on to the press. Since it had been previously declassified, he was doing nothing in violation of the law.
Refer to Executive Order 13526 of December 29, 2009 – Classified National Security Information – Part 3, Section 3.1 (b) (1)
That official, until his firing, would have been James Comey.
A formal complaint would have been filed against Comey on behalf of the Trump administration if there was any legal basis for doing so. There hasn’t been because there isn’t any.
@kitt: I give up! It would be easier explaining the hows and whys of document classification to my dog instead of Greg. (My dog died 5 years ago!)
@Randy: So sorry to hear about your dog!
Greg seems to have low reading comprehension. Theft and Perjury are just not within his grasp.
@kitt:
What you don’t understand, kitt, is that liberals feel they have made crimes such as perjury or leaking classified information not illegal when a liberal commits them. If Comey committed a murder on live television, Greg would simply say it was just a delayed abortion and no crime had been committed or some such nonsense.
@Greg:
Good grief, Greg. Did you just write that? Do you read what you write? CAN you read what you write?
Someone writing memos about private discussions with the President of the United States and who then decides, by himself, what is classified and what is not should be investigated and charges brought. One person doesn’t decide what is right, what is wrong and what information is suitable for allies in the media to use to try and bring down a sitting legally elected President. I know you liberals don’t think violating laws to further liberal ends is wrong but laws are there to maintain a stable society, not solely for the benefit of leftists.
@Deplorable Me: I think someone who had a potato peeling MOS with a secret security clearance thinks and writes like that! No one except Greg ever attributed Greg with any intelligent thoughts.
@kitt: Part of the difficulty is that the lefties who tell Greg what to say are spending their time trying to determine how to stay out of prison. Greg’s current confusion is likely because he now has to use his own minimal reasoning power.
@Randy: If the shtf he will assume the government will be there to make him whole and safe. All he will need to do is hold his hand out palm up. He learned that in his 3rd world schooling.
@Deplorable Me, #54:
Yes, I did, and the statement is accurate. Look up the acronym “FOUO” and you’ll see that for yourself. “FOUO” is not a classification level. It’s simply a tag indicating that a document is intended for internal use, not for public distribution.
It’s also accurate to say that as the original classification authority of his own internal memo, James Comey had authority to downgrade that classification or to remove it entirely. Executive Order 13526 of December 29, 2009 – Classified National Security Information – Part 3, Section 3.1 (b) (1) governs who has such authority.
I’ll ask again. Why has no formal complaint been filed against Comey if he leaked classified information? There must be a reason, given that Trump would like nothing better.
The answer is that Comey broke no law.
@Greg: Well, I don’t know if you are aware or not, but trying to restore one’s own image and hurt the duly elected President that you didn’t want to win (and did all you could to help the opponent) is not considered “official business” of the FBI. Not outside the Obama administration, anyway.
Perhaps they are “methodically” collecting evidence and putting their case together. You’ll have to remember, it takes longer when you actually abide by rules and consider proper procedure. Not everyone goes about filing frivolous charges simply to imply guilt.
@Greg: Wrong again Greg!! That section only applies to some information. If someone in the FBI sees a situation and classifies the encounter and provides that to another FBI agent, and the incident is covered by blanket classification criteria, the initial observer/writer does not have the authority to declassify that information with out agency approval. You still do not understand what you are posting about.
@Randy, #60:
At the time James Comey declassified parts of his own memo, he was not only the original classifying authority of the document, but also the highest authority in the FBI.
The purpose of Executive Order 13526, as is stated at the beginning, was to provide uniformity concerning the handling of all of the governments’ classified documents. The Trump administration hasn’t changed anything about it.
@Greg: It doesnt matter does it say they were his personal documents? He lied on the stand he stole the government owned documents. The executive order written by Obama did not signify documents a person creates belong to them does it? Where is the executive order allowing his appointees to use alias names in email while conducting government business to thwart FOIA?
@Greg: Executive orders can not change laws. Only the legislature can do that.
@Randy, #63:
The classification system in the United States was established by and has always been defined by Executive Order.
We don’t have anything that’s the equivalent of the United Kingdom’s Official Secrets Act. Our few legislated laws regarding classified information mainly have to do with protecting sensitive information from foreign agents and foreign powers. Other than that, Congress has never passed any law that protects and controls the distribution of sensitive information.
As strange as that may sound, it’s entirely true.
@Greg: It is a proven fact that liberals do not care about or respect the sanctity of classified government information. Everything either has a liberal purpose or it is useless. Comey has proven, on a much smaller scale, he has the same attitude towards government information as Hillary did.
Comey needs to be investigated for abuse of his powers and, if that happens, he WILL be found guilty… because he IS. Just like Hillary.
The government is going to start going after these slugs with a vengeance and you have no one to blame but yourselves.
@Greg: When you quote Wikipedia, you may want to not only quote, you need to be able to understand the significance of what you read. You also need to understand there are laws, not just executive orders. There are restricted areas that are classified by source such as the State Department emails Clinton sent on her private server. Every classification is further restricted not just who is cleared, but on a need to know. Wikipedia is not a very good source for information. Try harder.
Some conservatives don’t seem to know what laws apply to sensitive information, or even what laws exist. The entire classification system is based on Executive Order, for example, and always has been. Except for protecting information from foreign powers, Congress has never legislatively addressed the matter.
@Randy, #66:
Feel free to cite and link to the laws you’re talking about. You won’t find any, because they don’t exist.
Classification and declassification protocol is based Executive Order, not on a law established by Congress. Agency and department regulations stem from the governing Executive Order. Congress has only passed laws having to do with divulging classified information to foreign powers.
@Greg: How about the espionage Act and others that address National Security? Even the Executive Orders make Comey’s acts a crime. There are also identify acts that make it illegal to release information and to spy on US citizens. That would include the illegal use of individual information that was fraudulently requested of the FISA court. You are only discussing one type of critical information. There are many. And the issue here is your buddies violated many of them.
They have to do with conveying classified information to foreign powers.
I don’t see what part of it he has violated. Which accounts for the fact that he has been charged with nothing.
@Greg:
I know that when it is classified, even if it SHOULDN’T be classified, it is not for public consumption, no matter who it helps. This is something the left enjoys ignoring, as leaking information as it suit them is their norm. Also, hiding and mishandling information, keeping it secreted away so if anything harmful turns up, it can be conveniently Bleachbit, is acceptable to liberals, when a liberal does it.
Though it has been largely transformed to one, the federal government is not a political tool to be wielded by Democrats for their fun and pleasure.
Gosh, if it is made public, you think they would notice?
So, since Trump has been charged with nothing, this proves he is innocent?
What Comey revealed was either no longer classified or hadn’t been classified in the first place. You’ve got Congressional republicans to thank for helpfully seeing to the release of the rest.
@Greg: Comey was on a one-man campaign to damage Trump. His memos and subsequent release was all to restore his image and personal ego. Yet, he, McCabe, Mueller, Brennan, Clapper, Lynch and Obama have not been able to find one shred of evidence to support their crybaby claims.
Uh-oh… the smoking gun could have been finally uncovered by Mueller. Of course, it’s been leaked.