Horowitz v. Durham — Dispute Over Russiagate Conclusions

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U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham, who is investigating the origins of the Russia-Trump collusion probe, disagreed with a few aspects of Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report released today.

“Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened,” said Durham.



Durham reminded everyone in his statement that his investigation is not as limited as Horowitz’s investigation.

Durham’s “investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.”

Reports came out in October that Durham’s investigation has become “a full-fledged criminal investigation.”

The change in Durham’s investigation happened after he “uncovered new evidence” on a trip to Rome with Attorney General Bill Barr:

Barr reportedly told embassy officials in Italy that he “needed a conference room to meet high-level Italian security agents where he could be sure no one was listening in.”

A source in the Italian Ministry of Justice told The Daily Beast earlier this month that Barr and Durham were played a taped deposition made by Joseph Mifsud, the professor who allegedly told ex-Trump aide George Papadopoulos that the Russians had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. Mifsud reportedly was explaining to investigators in the deposition why people would want to harm him, and why he needed police protection.

Papadopoulos has suggested he was connected with Mifsud as part of a setup orchestrated by intelligence agencies.

That distinction “means Durham can subpoena witnesses, file charges, and impanel fact-finding grand juries.”

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As expected, the conclusions of the IG report don’t match all the damning evidence contained in the body of the report. The DS and dems are probably crapping in their pants right now after the statements put out by Barr and Durham. It’s clear they have a lot more damning evidence than what was contained in the report.

Trump has become Putin’s perfect weapon. Everything has been divided and skillfully used to turn us against ourselves, and we’re collectively too stupid to figure it out.

@Greg: The Democrats are doing Putin’s bidding, which stands to reason since Putin tried to help them in the 2016 election.

@Deplorable Me, #3:

The Democrats are doing Putin’s bidding, which stands to reason since Putin tried to help them in the 2016 election.

If so, why is it so many things the Trump administration does are to Vladimir Putin’s advantage? The Ukrainian election meddling he and his tools are pushing so hard originated as a Russian intelligence disinformation story. Of course you’re going to believe Giuliani’s discredited pro-Russia Ukrainian sources and Vladimir Putin before you believe our own intelligence community. Or at least that’s what you’ll say you believe.

Speaking of tools:

Barr slams FBI as he and Durham contradict watchdog

Attorney General William Barr and the US attorney he picked to lead a probe into the origins of the Russia investigation criticized the FBI on Monday and contradicted some of the key findings of a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general.

Barr excoriated the FBI for launching what he called an “intrusive investigation” into a presidential campaign based on the “thinnest of suspicions.”

The Justice Department’s inspector general found that the FBI properly opened its investigation into Russian election interference but said there were major errors in how the agency conducted the probe.

The distance between Barr and the inspector general on one of the report’s most critical findings marked a striking contrast, and appeared to create space for President Donald Trump and his defenders to argue that the Russia investigation and the special counsel investigation it spawned were fundamentally flawed. The move is reminiscent of Barr’s actions around the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report when the attorney general sought to frame the results of that investigation in the best light possible for Trump…

Appeared? That’s precisely what it did, and Trump immediately occupied that space with his bullshit spin. He was prepared to do so. It was a coordinated operation.

@Greg:

If so, why is it so many things the Trump administration does are to Vladimir Putin’s advantage?

Such as… what? Strengthening NATO? Providing arms to Ukraine? Undercutting Russia’s sale of energy to the EU? Becoming an energy exporter and driving down oil prices? Building stronger alliances against Iran? Imposing harsher sanctions on Russia? Imposing harsher sanctions on Iran? I’m sorry… which of these have benefited Putin?

Meanwhile, despite there being NO impeachable offenses proven to have been committed, Democrats are trying to weaken the US, cripple the government and distract the government from dealing with events abroad. No doubt, Putin is squirting his pants watching Democrats wreck this nation and cause more harm than he could have dreamed.

John Durham says they “do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”
We knew Horowitz had limitations due to his position and procedures he must follow.
He wasn’t about to come out and say gee I wished I lived in Ukraine where they are all more honest.
Why the delay? shrug dunno. Its a long report. We need to pay some attention as to what Wray does.Many of the players already fired demoted or resigned, for the good of the dept. It doesnt undo the serious damage they caused, it has yet to be known if any of them will face charges for what they did.
Carter Page should sue them personally.

All the claims made about the origins of FBI investigation being unjustified, a deep state conspiracy, and partisan have turned out to be bullshit. So now Horowitz has to become part of the conspiracy. It’s pathetic. And it’s going to continue until Trump is gone.

“I have the utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff. However, our investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department. Our investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”

Hopefully Durham isn’t referring to persons and entities outside of the United States that Rudy Giuliani has been busy rounding up.

@Greg:

All the claims made about the origins of FBI investigation being unjustified, a deep state conspiracy, and partisan have turned out to be bullshit.

Actually, no, they have been confirmed. The FBI started with a thin premise, decided to beef it up with the dossier, made every effort to NEVER attempt to confirm any of the information they were using and, when filing FISA requests, lied their asses off. You only do this when you WANT to conduct an intrusive investigation, not because you NEED to.

And in the end, what was found? NOTHING, verifying that none of the evidence they used was worth a cold shit.

All for nothing but to try and destroy candidate Trump, then to try and destroy President Trump. Thankfully, for the good of the nation, you have all failed.

From the Conclusions section of Inspector General Horozitz’s report, page 410:

The decision to open the Crossfire Hurricane investigation was made by the FBI’s then Counterintelligence Division (CD) Assistant Director (AD), E.W. “Bill” Priestap, and reflected a consensus reached after multiple days of discussions and meetings among senior FBI officials. We concluded that AD Priestap’s exercise of discretion in opening the investigation was in compliance with Department and FBI policies, and we did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced his decision. While the information in the FBI’s possession at the time was limited, in light of the low threshold established by Department and FBI predication policy, we found that Crossfire Hurricane was opened for an authorized investigative purpose and with sufficient factual predication.

@Greg:

Crossfire Hurricane was opened for an authorized investigative purpose and with sufficient factual predication.

Yup thats what the boys are calling bullshit on.
Just breaking into a DNC office was considered really really bad just a few years ago. Actually using tax dollars and resources to spy on a candidate really they must have had a super duper ,good, solid basis for doing that.
Thats why all the Is were crossed and the ts dotted.
page 341. IG says FBI used an Aug. 2016 ‘defensive briefing’ with the Trump campaign as an “opportunity to gather potentially relevant investigative information” about Michael Flynn

They used defensive briefings for their investigation into the Trump campaign.
But Flynn wasnt interviewed until Dec 2016, seems they had a hard on for Flynn way in advance.

@Greg: Based on weak information they INTENTIONALLY chose not to verify, knew the information was doubtful, lied to FISA judges, withheld exculpatory evidence. Gee, that doesn’t sound like people making an effort to be fair and just.

@kitt, #10:

Yup thats what the boys are calling bullshit on.

Yeah… Trump’s handpicked DoJ appointee, and the handpicked investigator that he chose. This is hasty repeat of what Trump and Barr did to neutralize Mueller’s report.

@Greg: Yes the President usually gets to pick those guys whats your point? Did you cook exclusively with teflon? Snack on paint chips, or were part of a psychodelics LSD mind experiment? Just trying to figure you out.

@Greg:

And it’s going to continue until Trump is gone.

Are you going to be able to make it until 2024? That’s a long time…

@kitt: Greg literally gets a series of talking “points” to hurl at selected blog posts, based on the title and/or subject. He doesn’t actually believe what he’s saying, but rather, is just doing his job as a low-level 20s-30s something paid operative.

Just one thing his handlers are missing: Not enough American’s see this impeachment as legitimate and nothing will happen to remove Trump. This is about seeding doubt and discord…while blaming it on Trump.

No court would even field this farce, and the raw desperation of the Dems to continue this leaves us all knowing they are covering their tracks in Ukraine.

@Greg:

Yeah… Trump’s handpicked DoJ appointee,

Oh… who USUALLY picks the DoJ appointee? I guess Trump should have asked Hillary who to appoint. Otherwise, the Democrats get butthurt and impeach.

Here’s the difference between a Trump investigation and a Democrat investigation; Trump has identified the crime and is investigating it. Democrats NEED the crime, so the investigate LOOKING for one.

Here’s something from that “exonerating” Horowitz report:

IG report shows FBI and DNI lied about Trump campaign taking money from Russia

HUGE SCANDAL! IG FISA Report Reveals Obama Administration FALSELY Claimed Russia Bribed Trump Campaign

IG report shows that Brennan lied about the CIA using the Steele dossier as evidence
https://thefederalist.com/2019/12/09/brennan-lied-about-not-including-steele-dossier-in-intelligence-community-assessment-on-2016-russian-election-interference/

In addition to the “Oopsie’s” committed to spy on Trump, all which surprisingly ALWAYS go in the Democrat’s favor.

@Deplorable Me: Greg isnt good enough to be a paid op, he might have 2 computers one to surf lawfare, vox, ect the tv going to drop his daily dose of DNC pony poop into the threads here.
The Democrats so out of touch, the drop in of the “suspicious” calls , didnt get the reaction they expected.
The IG report built up to be a big spooky thing for the perps, hell those that read his last report knew what to expect.
But like the last report it gives the sleuths new avenues to prove conspiracy.

@kitt: This IG report does what the last one did; provide cover for the agency while spelling out the multiple violations and bias. I guess the expectation is that the FBI will correct it’s problems without having to expose ALL it’s dirty laundry.

But, the facts of their bias and violations in their zeal to get to Trump is beyond refute. Note that if Durham didn’t have facts that dispute the IG summary, he and Barr would not have openly refuted Horowitz’s whitewash.

@kitt, #13:

Yes the President usually gets to pick those guys whats your point?

The point is that he selects his tools to serve his own personal needs.

@Greg:

The point is that he selects his tools to serve his own personal needs.

Is there something wrong or unusual about that? Or, like your phony “impeachable offenses”, are you trying to criminalize what is normal practice and not any sort of impropriety at all?

At least Barr hasn’t run guns to Mexican cartels. Didn’t Obama personally hand pick the guy he felt would serve his personal needs (be his “wing man”) that committed that crime?

@Greg: Ok Greg sure… now here comes the nice men with your huggy me coat the Doctor will be in to see you and see what we can do to adjust your meds.
The Orangeman bad articles will certainly stand up through the Senate you won.

@Greg:

The point is that he selects his tools to serve his own personal needs.

Which is his privilege and part of his job…just as it was for Obama and every other President.

Saying his “personal needs” is just partisan rhetoric. The same could be said of every President by their butt-hurt opposition…

In fact, it usually is. You don’t get to impeach him, though, just because you lost the election.