Durham's Investigations Fizzles

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

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.

And yet, Biden's business dealings with Chinese intel/Communist Party don't seem to trouble you at all.

Oh, yeah, and I know the media had Manafort tried and convicted for funneling secrets to Russian intelligence, though he was never legally accused or convicted of that.

No, I think McGonigal has a fair bit of knowledge about Russian and eastern European intel and financial players. Some of that may, or may not, help Durham connect some dots.

[donquixote99]

" Some of that may, or may not, help Durham connect some dots."

I think you are very confused about the subject and aims of Durham's 'investigation.'

On edit, 'confused' is the most charitable interpretation. One can be honestly confused. Or you may be heedlessly careless about the truth of what Durham is doing, or it may be even worse than that.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Barr inherited a weaponized DOJ/FBI.

The DOE-IG found otherwise in its investigation of the initiation of Crossfire Hurricane and as hard as Barr/Durham tried to undermine the IG's findings, they failed.

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

My point was that you, a reflexive Trump apologist, have no standing to criticize Biden's honesty.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

And yet, Biden's business dealings with Chinese intel/Communist Party don't seem to trouble you at all.

You are reliable font of misinformation. I'm not aware of any illegal dealings that Biden had with China.

Oh, yeah, and I know the media had Manafort tried and convicted for funneling secrets to Russian intelligence, though he was never legally accused or convicted of that.

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

No, I think McGonigal has a fair bit of knowledge about Russian and eastern European intel and financial players. Some of that may, or may not, help Durham connect some dots.

Dunham's grand jury (and thereby the active component of his investigation) have closed up shop. He's writing a report now. In his investigation that has lasted years and spent millions, he connected exactly zero dots when it comes to criminal misconduct though he apparently ignored serious financial criminal misconduct by Trump in Italy (Clinesmith's noodling with a FISA warrant application was uncovered and provided to Durham by the DOE-IG.)

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

The DOE-IG found otherwise in its investigation of the initiation of Crossfire Hurricane and as hard as Barr/Durham tried to undermine the IG's findings, they failed.

Really? I don't blame the IG for not wanting to have politics attach itself to his report, not wanting to weigh in on whether there might have been agenda on the part of the Crossfile-Hurricane investigative teams. He didn't have any issue with suggesting that these "hand-picked investigative teams" were in truth a bunch of screw-ups.

The question that flows from that is: Did these "hand-picked investigative teams", supposed some of the best of the best in the Bureau, consistently and systematically screw up on purpose, or were these "screw-ups" intentional? From Horowitz' report:

We are deeply concerned that so many basic and fundamental errors were made by three separate, hand-picked investigative teams; on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations; after the matter had been briefed to the highest levels within the FBI; even though the information sought through use of FISA authority related so closely to an ongoing presidential campaign; and even though those involved with the investigation knew that their actions were likely to be subjected to close scrutiny. We believe this circumstance reflects a failure not just by those who prepared the FISA applications, but also by the managers and supervisors in the Crossfire Hurricane chain of command, including FBI senior officials who were briefed as the investigation progressed.

The report goes on to descript some of these mistakes. They're not small or insignificant. For example, before the 2016 election, the FBI had offered Christopher Steele $1MM if he could provide that information in the "dossier" was factual.
Steele never collected because the info in the "dossier" was crap. That foreknowledge didn't stop these "hand-picked investigative teams" from citing the Dossier in their applications for FISA warrants to surveil Carter Page.

From Durham: However, as we describe later, as the FBI obtained additional information raising significant questions about the reliability of the Steele election reporting, the FBI failed to reassess the Steele reporting relied upon in the FISA applications, and did not fully advise NSD or OI officials.

So, they knew they had crap info, but it was important to use that crap info to violate the rights of a private citizen, getting a warrant to surveil him.

Horowitz might not have been able or willing to draw a conclusion about the
politicization of one of their investigations. It's not hard to look at the facts and infer that there was much crap that happened that absolutely should not have happened.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Really? I don't blame the IG for not wanting to have politics attach itself to his report, not wanting to weigh in on whether there might have been agenda on the part of the Crossfile-Hurricane investigative teams. He didn't have any issue with suggesting that these "hand-picked investigative teams" were in truth a bunch of screw-ups.

The question that flows from that is: Did these "hand-picked investigative teams", supposed some of the best of the best in the Bureau, consistently and systematically screw up on purpose, or were these "screw-ups" intentional? From Horowitz' report:

We are deeply concerned that so many basic and fundamental errors were made by three separate, hand-picked investigative teams; on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations; after the matter had been briefed to the highest levels within the FBI; even though the information sought through use of FISA authority related so closely to an ongoing presidential campaign; and even though those involved with the investigation knew that their actions were likely to be subjected to close scrutiny. We believe this circumstance reflects a failure not just by those who prepared the FISA applications, but also by the managers and supervisors in the Crossfire Hurricane chain of command, including FBI senior officials who were briefed as the investigation progressed.

The report goes on to descript some of these mistakes. They're not small or insignificant. For example, before the 2016 election, the FBI had offered Christopher Steele $1MM if he could provide that information in the "dossier" was factual.
Steele never collected because the info in the "dossier" was crap. That foreknowledge didn't stop these "hand-picked investigative teams" from citing the Dossier in their applications for FISA warrants to surveil Carter Page.

From Durham: However, as we describe later, as the FBI obtained additional information raising significant questions about the reliability of the Steele election reporting, the FBI failed to reassess the Steele reporting relied upon in the FISA applications, and did not fully advise NSD or OI officials.

So, they knew they had crap info, but it was important to use that crap info to violate the rights of a private citizen, getting a warrant to surveil him.

Horowitz might not have been able or willing to draw a conclusion about the
politicization of one of their investigations. It's not hard to look at the facts and infer that there was much crap that happened that absolutely should not have happened.

Well, Trump was pursuing a hotel deal in Moscow at the time (while denying it) as well as one in (former Soviet) Azerbaijan with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, hired a campaign manager who helped a Putin stooge get elected in Ukraine, had a history of money-laundering for Putin's oligarchs and had publicly solicited Putin's help in his election (which Putin delivered).

When the Australian diplomat in London told the FBI that Trump's coffee-boy revealed that the Trump campaign was working with Russia, what were they supposed to do? Ignore it? No, the DOE-IG found that Crossfire Hurrican was properly predicated.

And the fact remains that Durham's team did not uncover any criminal activity associated with Crossfire Hurricane (despite Barr's inappropriate involvement/intervention), but pursued ridiculous criminal charges (prompting seasoned prosecutors on the team to resign) that were embarrassingly demolished in open court.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

You are reliable font of misinformation. I'm not aware of any illegal dealings that Biden had with China.

I didn't use the word "illegal". Nothing "illegal" has been demonstrated. Nor has Manafort been accused of any business dealings that are "illegal".

But you don't seem at all concerned that the Biden family was courting representatives of CEFC China Energy for a business deal. What the Biden family business had to offer CEFC China Energy isn't really clear. But, that business had " layers of Communist Party committees across its subsidiaries – more than at many private Chinese companies."

Or, I remember you were all exercised about Trump's business' previous efforts to build a hotel in Moscow, and that was proof of Trump's contact with the Kremlin. But you don't seem the least bit alarmed that a member of the Biden family real estate business received $40MM from a noteworthy Russian oligarch who claimed that the funds were intended to help their business enter the US Market.

Originally Posted by finnbow

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

Yup, the accusation was that Manafort gave polling data to one of his Russian buddies. The ONLY reason that this is relevant is that it feeds the discredited narrative that the Trump campaign "colluded" with Russian on the 2016 campaign.

Originally Posted by finnbow

Dunham's grand jury (and thereby the active component of his investigation) have closed up shop. He's writing a report now. In his investigation that has lasted years and spent millions, he connected exactly zero dots when it comes to criminal misconduct though he apparently ignored serious financial criminal misconduct by Trump in Italy (Clinesmith's noodling with a FISA warrant application was uncovered and provided to Durham by the DOE-IG.)

We'll see....

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

I didn't use the word "illegal". Nothing "illegal" has been demonstrated. Nor has Manafort been accused of any business dealings that are "illegal".

But you don't seem at all concerned that the Biden family was courting representatives of CEFC China Energy for a business deal...

There is no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegal. IIRC, you routinely dismiss any criticism of Trump or his minions (e.g., Manafort) unless they were charged and convicted of crimes that correlate precisely with the criticism (reminder - Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, not of being a mob boss).

Meanwhile, eleven (and counting) Trump associates have been charged with crimes and zero Biden associates have been. Any day now, quite a few more (including Trump himself) are likely to be indicted in Georgia per court statements by Fani Willis with more charges possible in NY and DC. You need to come to terms with the fact that your Dear Leader is a career criminal.

Meanwhile, here's another worthwhile take on the Durham fiasco. Perhaps you should read it to help dislodge some of the wingnut nonsense you seem to have absorbed.

House Republicans are right that politicization of the Justice Department has been a jaw-dropping abuse of power. They’ve got the wrong culprit, however. As a blockbuster New York Times article made clear, then-Attorney General William P. Barr and special counsel John H. Durham engaged in unethical, abusive manipulation of the Justice Department in pursing the baseless conspiracy theory that the intelligence community had conducted a witch hunt of then-President Donald Trump in connection with Russian manipulation of the 2016 election.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by finnbow
Dunham's grand jury (and thereby the active component of his investigation) have closed up shop. He's writing a report now. In his investigation that has lasted years and spent millions, he connected exactly zero dots when it comes to criminal misconduct though he apparently ignored serious financial criminal misconduct by Trump in Italy (Clinesmith's noodling with a FISA warrant application was uncovered and provided to Durham by the DOE-IG.)

Originally Posted by Whell: We'll see....

If you are included in that "we," it will be a new and amazing thing.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

Oh, I almost forgot: the "Russian asset" that Manafort was accused of working with was actually a key contact for the US State Department going all the way back to 2013. The Mueller report saw fit to overlook that little detail.

In a key finding of the Mueller report, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Kilimnik, who worked for Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is tied to Russian intelligence.

But hundreds of pages of government documents — which special counsel Robert Mueller possessed since 2018 — describe Kilimnik as a “sensitive” intelligence source for the U.S. State Department who informed on Ukrainian and Russian matters.