Posted on 01/11/2017 10:35:06 PM PST by amorphous
The director of the FBI – whose high-profile interventions in the 2016 election are widely seen to have helped tip the balance of against Hillary Clinton – has refused to say if the bureau is investigating possible connections between associates of President-elect Donald Trump and Russia.
Testifying before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, James Comey said he could not comment in public on a possible investigation into allegations of links between Russia and the Trump campaign.
“I would never comment on investigations – whether we have one or not – in an open forum like this, so I really can’t answer one way or another,” said Comey, at a hearing into the US intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia intervened in the election to benefit Trump.
Comey’s reticence stunned several senators who pointed to his repeated public discussions of FBI inquiries into Clinton during the campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
We now know that the FBI considered the evidence of ties between Russia and the Trump team to be credible enough to investigate. Julian Borger reports on where this led:
"The Guardian has learned that the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (Fisa) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. The Fisa court turned down the application asking FBI counter-intelligence investigators to narrow its focus. According to one report, the FBI was finally granted a warrant in October, but that has not been confirmed, and it is not clear whether any warrant led to a full investigation."
The Twitter reaction to this has mostly been: Oh, so now the FISA court finally turns down a warrant request. Yeesh.
And sure, this is sort of ironic considering the FISA court's 99 percent rate of approving warrants. But there's also a serious point to be made here. This was a warrant targeting four specific people, so the court treated it like a normal warrant. That meant rejecting it if it didn't provide enough evidence to form probable cause. However, when a warrant is broad-based and applies to thousands or millions of people, the FISA court seems to adopt an entirely different standard. Just demonstrate a vague national security need and you're good to go.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/01/guardian-fbi-asked-warrant-monitor-trump-aides
These self-serving a$$holes had better start to realize who they work for. The pitch forks and torches are just getting warmed up. The tar is hot and the feathers are ready. The rails are out in the shed.
I'll take that as a "no."
It seems as if attempts are being made by TPTB to keep Obama in power.
Be prepared.. this started as 4chan internet hoax... well the left might try to run with it anyway
I find the 4chan guy “tsprudence” that claimed responsibility and was talking about it...his Twitter account has been shut down
time for President Trump to ask for Comey’s resignation. If it’s not given, publicly fire him.
Sounds like the Intel community hasn’t got anybody who has some. Like Wendy’s not having any burgers.
Time to clamp some vice grips on a few hundred nads, to get things in order.
Agree. And countless Americans will believe whatever the MSM tells them. Half because they’re for keeping Obama in power anyway, the rest (the snowflakes) because they’re too lazy to research if it’s true or not.
The FBI Director serves for a 10-year term, after being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Director Comey was appointed and confirmed in 2013 by President Stompy Feet.
He can be dismissed for cause, as President Clinton did when he gave William Sessions the boot back in 1993. Clinton accused Sessions of "misusing resources."
Trump needs to appoint David A. Clarke as Director - FBI
dump Comey ASAP - get back to REAL COPS - enough of these namby-pamby Leftist , Ivy League lawyer types in law enforcement leadership roles .
Real cops and REAL soldiers
Yup, Comey begone...
Comey, Clapper, Brennen and many more...
Time to fire him
If he’s smart, he’ll submit his letter of resignation, if not, there are plenty of reasons for canning him. For one, he has lost the respect of many inside the FBI, and also the respect of many law enforcement officials all across America.
With Sessions as AG, that would be perfect.
At least according to Julian Borger, who I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw.
Jimmy the Weasel Comey got punked by the 4chan hoax and is now trying to get a lot of toothpaste back into the tube.
The news is that an alleged journalist asked a question, knowing that the FBI would never answer that question, so he could report that the FBI didn’t answer.
Liberals would support firing him, if you believe what I read at DU. Of course, as much as they hate and blame Comey for Hillary’s loss, if Trump fired him, the house of mirrors logic they use in would probably make them oppose his firing, just because Trump did it.
Amen. Comey dropped the ball on Clinton case. David Clarke is a true patriot.
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