Durham's Investigations Fizzles

[finnbow]

WASHINGTON — When John H. Durham was assigned by the Justice Department in 2019 to examine the origins of the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, President Donald J. Trump and his supporters expressed a belief that the inquiry would prove that a “deep state” conspiracy including top Obama-era officials had worked to sabotage him.

Now Mr. Durham appears to be winding down his three-year inquiry without anything close to the results Mr. Trump was seeking. The grand jury that Mr. Durham has recently used to hear evidence has expired, and while he could convene another, there are currently no plans to do so, three people familiar with the matter said.

Over the course of his inquiry, Mr. Durham has developed cases against two people accused of lying to the F.B.I. in relation to outside efforts to investigate purported Trump-Russia ties, but he has not charged any conspiracy or put any high-level officials on trial. The recent developments suggest that the chances of any more indictments are remote.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/u...mp-russia.html

So much for all the "Deep State" nonsense.

[RickeyM]

You know of course the QAnon nitwits will say that this proves that the Deep State is indeed that deep. If it wasn't then they could have uncovered the evidence by now. That's the great thing about conspiracy theories. No proof needed.

[finnbow]

There is an enduring pattern in American conservatism in which the right first develops a paranoid interpretation of the liberal Establishment, and then reverse engineers its own version of the monster it has imagined...

John Durham’s investigation is a classic episode in this tradition. The American right first convinced itself that Robert Mueller and the deep state, using the cover of dispassionate professionalism, had launched a partisan witch hunt to smear Donald Trump. In response, it created a right-wing mirror image, as fervently partisan and unhinged as they believed their enemies to be.

The New York Times has a deeply reported narrative showing how Durham’s counter-investigation of the Russia probe, cooked up by William Barr at Donald Trump’s urging, was just as abusive, partisan, and unhinged as Trump’s defenders made Mueller out to be.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023...itch-hunt.html

If you haven't read the cited NYTimes article, you really should. It reveals the level of deceit, paranoia, and willingness to carry Trump's water by Barr's DOJ.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/u...ssia-barr.html

Indeed, the only crime Barr and Durham discovered in their investigation attempting to exonerate Trump was one committed by Trump. Naturally they buried it while floating to wingnut media the notion that the crime they found was committed by Mueller's Deep State henchmen.

[Chicks]

Why Merrick Garland Should Fire Special Counsel Durham Now
https://www.thedailybeast.com/shan-w...sel-durham-now

Whell’s World is completely corrupt and morally bankrupt.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Chicks

Why Merrick Garland Should Fire Special Counsel Durham Now
https://www.thedailybeast.com/shan-w...sel-durham-now

Whell’s World is completely corrupt and morally bankrupt.

He may not want to take the heat for firing Durham, but the Senate Judiciary Committee should convene hearings about this Barr/Durham attempt to weaponize the federal government as counter-programming to Gym Jordan's clown show.

[whell]

Does anyone find it remotely interesting that Charles McGonagal - the former FBI guy that was indicted for his work with the Russians - has hired Seth DuCharme as his defense counsel? I thought I'd seen DuCharme's name before, and it turns out that he and Durham previously worked together.

Don't know if this matters or not, and it's pure speculation, but one could theorize that maybe DuCharme has some thoughts about getting a plea deal for his client in exchange for certain information?

[whell]

Originally Posted by Chicks

Why Merrick Garland Should Fire Special Counsel Durham Now
https://www.thedailybeast.com/shan-w...sel-durham-now

Whell’s World is completely corrupt and morally bankrupt.

Right, and you think Joe Biden is an "honest guy".... Pardon me if I don't get too shook up at your critique of my "world".

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Does anyone find it remotely interesting that Charles McGonagal - the former FBI guy that was indicted for his work with the Russians - has hired Seth DuCharme as his defense counsel? I thought I'd seen DuCharme's name before, and it turns out that he and Durham previously worked together.

Don't know if this matters or not, and it's pure speculation, but one could theorize that maybe DuCharme has some thoughts about getting a plea deal for his client in exchange for certain information?

If he does cooperate, it likely will not be pretty for Trump in that McGonigal was in the employ of Oleg Deripaska, Paul Manafort's connection to Russian intelligence. Moreover, McGonigal may know details of some FBI folks in New York leaking shit to Rudy in the run-up to the 2016 election, thereby forcing Comey's hand to spill details of the Hillary investigation.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Right, and you think Joe Biden is an "honest guy".... Pardon me if I don't get too shook up at your critique of my "world".

So, are you comfortable with the weaponization of the DOJ by Barr and Durham (I thought Republicans were against that kind of shit)?

As for Biden's honesty, he is the paragon of virtue compared to your Dear Leader.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

So, are you comfortable with the weaponization of the DOJ by Barr and Durham (I thought Republicans were against that kind of shit)?

As for Biden's honesty, he is the paragon of virtue compared to your Dear Leader.

Barr inherited a weaponized DOJ/FBI.

And, thanks for the "Biden sucks less than Trump" kindergarten-level defense of Biden.