Posted on 12/11/2019 3:54:33 PM PST by Its All Over Except ...
The glaring missing piece of this entire travesty is the role of the FISA courts. Were the judges actively involved in reviewing the “evidence” presented to them or do they serve as passive rubber stamps?
Secret courts are antithetical to every principle on which this nation was founded and are an extreme violation of our liberty. Did electronic surveillance of every American citizen keep the events at Pensacola last week from happening? Exactly how are secret FISA courts protecting the American people?
Horowitz called the abuses of the FISA processes “errors”. These were “errors” by senior, experience, long term federal employees, not fresh college graduates. Most of those making errors were attorneys or members of law enforcement who should have known what was morally, ethically and legally proper. If these were intentional actions the FISA courts were weaponized are the tyranny the Founding Fathers feared. If the actions were truly a coincidental series of errors, they demonstrate the danger of having an unaccountable secret process not subject to public scrutiny. Since the inept and incompetent cannot detect their errors, outside oversight is clearly needed.
Secrecy, as practiced by modern governments, has very little to do with protecting the people or the nation. It has everything to do with hiding incompetence, protecting the corrupt, and avoiding public scrutiny. Given the sophistication of electronic surveillance today, we can safely assume every government “secret” is known by the Russians, the Chinese, the Israeli’s, western European governments, and the Iranians. Certainly members of the news media are also in the know as well as tens of thousands of government employees.
FISA courts are protecting no one except corrupt and inept government officials. Instead of renewing the Patriot Act, Congress should let it lapse.
To arms!
Sure thing Debbie Downer...
The GOP Senate and the “Trump” DOJ have proven they will do the minimum required in support of POTUS. Maximum pressure is required.
There is a summary of some aspects of Horowitz's testimony about his report here where Horowitz testified that "The activities we found here don’t vindicate anybody who touched this" regarding the FISA applications.
Given IG Horowitz's testimony that the entire basis of the FISA application was the Steele Dossier, how would the court approve the warrant if there was nothing at all in the application? I can't think of a situation where a FISA warrant would be approved if there was no supporting material at all. Can you?
The case of the FBI attorney who edited an email that had been received from the CIA to say that Page was not an informant for the CIA when in fact the CIA said he was seems like more than an "error".
“The case of the FBI attorney who edited an email that had been received from the CIA to say that Page was not an informant for the CIA when in fact the CIA said he was seems like more than an “error”.”
I agree 100%. One mistake is an error. 17 errors, all in the same direction, are either demonstration of extreme incompetence for which those responsible should be fired for cause, or strong evidence of corruption for which those responsible should face criminal trials.
I agree 100%. One mistake is an error. 17 errors, all in the same direction, are either demonstration of extreme incompetence for which those responsible should be fired for cause, or strong evidence of corruption for which those responsible should face criminal trials.
I really hope Horowitz isn’t going to have such an easy time at the next hearing. He needs to be called out on playing both sides.
I expect the Dems won’t schedule a House hearing for Horowitz until impeachment is in the Senate.
Your version of “it” does not match your assertion. For instance, exactly when did Hillary handle the report?
You are right, I should have been more precise. The Horowitz statement applies to the FISA application and says nothing about the dossier.
Yes, Hillary was associated with the dossier. But she is not in the scope of the Horowitz statement about those who submitted the FISA application.
Barr may be doing the best thing. Coming out with all the fall-out closer to the election might give President Trump a final run boost.
let’s use out brains little.
An application leaves the WH for a FISA warrant to wiretap a presidential candidate of the opposition party.
You’re a staffer in the WH
You send it on your own authority.
You get the president’s approval.
No need to bother the Imam.
My money is on B.
Same questions for the three warrant renewal applications.
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