Secret CIA source claims Russia rigged 2016 election


I’d love to know what is going on. Why was Trump’s team (maybe even Trump) caught up in a separate FBI investigation? Why does Nunes claim now to know the names Carter Page and Roger Stone? Why is he running with this to the White House (who surely already have this information!)?

[quote]FBI Director James Comey appeared before the panel on Monday and confirmed that the FBI launched a counterintelligence investigation in July into Russia’s election meddling, including possible coordination with the Trump campaign.

It was previously known that Flynn’s pre-inauguration phone calls with Russia’s ambassador were intercepted by the U.S. government; he resigned last month after it became clear he misled his colleagues about the nature of the calls.

Nunes has said Flynn’s calls were picked up through incidental collection and said his committee is investigating why Flynn’s name was unmasked and leaked to the news media.[/quote]

So, again, the White House focus is on, “who is the leaker,” not, “let’s find out who might be working with Russia.”

This is insane.

This is going to end up being a drilling of anyone related to intelligence in Obama’s tenure, just to shift the focus. It’s already happening, and his comments sound like they cement that fact.

Nunes also appears to have done plenty of ‘leaking’ of his own just now. Specifying there were multiple FISA warrants issued is surely classified information?

Trump is the target of this ‘non partisan’ investigation! WHAT THE FUCK.

Haven’t you been paying attention? Trump isn’t the target. It’s the source of these classified leaks we need to find!

C-SPAN has his WH press conference up.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?425836-1/devin-nunes-briefs-president-transition-team-surveillance

I’d encourage watching the exchange at 9.00, when a reporter asks if he’s starting a new investigation, and if not, why he’s briefing the President on findings from this investigation if Trump is the damn focus of this investigation.

Ex-House Intel counsel: “I have never heard of the Chairman of Oversight Committee briefing the President about concerns from an Intelligence Report. The job of the Committee is to do oversight of the Execute Branch, not tip them off.”

You bet they’re horrified.

Exactly what I was thinking. Furthermore, he said it had nothing to do with Russia. Assuming that’s true, it’s an entirely different, and potentially very bad situation. He said he was concerned, not because of wrongdoing, but because of perceived “surveillance”, yet every single time he mentioned “incidental collection” it just digs a deeper hole. You don’t get caught up in that sort of intelligence gathering unless you are talking to people you shouldn’t be talking to.

And why the heck did he spill all this in a press conference? He was ostensibly trying to run interference, but from what I could tell this stuff is potentially very damaging.

C-SPAN broadcasting Schiff’s press conference now.

I don’t understand Nunes here. He must have known this would damage his position as Chairman. All I can imagine is that he thinks Trump needed to be told what was in the files he got hold of, and the committee wouldn’t let him give that information to the White House. So he did it this way, without involving Schiff and the rest.

Edit: Schiff pointing out that ‘incidental collection’ might just involve two foreign actors talking about a US citizen. That’s pretty interesting.

Apologies to SlainteMhath, but the Eggcorn Database is way ahead of you.

Oh well. At least I don’t have to write that stupid book now.

As a college professor, I get more than my share of these. I always try to correct them, but it’s like trying to hold back the tide.


Obligatory link to a nougat of wisdom by Australia’s worst Prime Minister Tony Abbott:

I don’t even know any more.

The first Princeps was Augustus, not Julius Caesar.

This has got to be the beginning of the end for Trump and his cronies, right? Nunes had to know this was suicide so what’s his angle except to tip folks off that the gig is up and they need to start covering their asses?

I didn’t realize until today that Nunes himself was part of Trump’s transition team and is apparently friends with Flynn and maybe Manafort. It’s possible that Nunes himself may have been surveilled in the course of these investigations.

Also not mentioned here, Trump sent out a fundraising letter minutes after the press conference referencing Nunes’ “allegations” so this leak was likely coordinated but, again, how could they possibly think this would work to their advantage.

This whole thing is so off the charts insane, I’m dying to see how this plays out over the next couple of days. I’m also curious to know what Comney and the rest of the IC have to say about this