[...]
Trump’s team has portrayed
Flynn as a rogue actor over his contacts with the Russians, in which he apparently
promised that the new administration would ease sanctions imposed by Barack Obama on Russia in connection to its alleged
online meddling in the 2016 elections. But emails seen by the
Times show senior transition official
K.T. McFarland had notified other staff that Flynn would be reaching out to Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak as part of an effort to repair U.S.-Russian relations, “which has just handed the U.S.A. election to him [Trump].”
[...]
In an email to another transition official, now-homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert, McFarland wrote that “Russia’s response over the next few days” to Flynn’s outreach would be crucial. Per the Times, Bossert then forwarded that December 29th email exchange to at least six other officials including Flynn, Reince Priebus, Stephen Bannon, and Sean Spicer. He added that everyone needed to “defend election legitimacy now.”
That last instruction is crucial to their secret plot — to undermine the Obama Administration’s putative response to the Russian deceptive attacks on U.S. Elections.
Thomas Bossert instructed: everyone needed to “defend election legitimacy now.”
Up til now, Mike Pence has claimed time and again he was “out of loop”. That he knew nothing of the Flynn peace-offering mission. That these were all rogue actions, by rouge players — to conduct secret international diplomacy, on a whim, on their own initiative. For the fun of it, apparently.
EVEN THOUGH, Mike Pence was the Boss of every one them — since Pence was the Director of the Transition Team, where this micro-managed “mend the fences conspiracy” occurred.
Top Trump transition official in private email: Russia 'has just thrown' the election to Trump
[...]
McFarland also discussed the sanctions with fellow transition official Thomas Bossert, telling him in an email that the "key will be Russia's response over the next few days" to the sanctions, which McFarland characterized as an attempt by the Obama administration to "box Trump in diplomatically with Russia."
[...]
"Russia is key that unlocks door," McFarland wrote, according to the emails obtained by the Times. She said that the sanctions were an effort to "lure Trump in trap of saying something" in Russia's defense, and were aimed at "discrediting Trump's victory by saying it was due to Russian interference."
Bossert forwarded those emails to Flynn, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former chief strategist Steve Bannon, and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Thomas Bossert (who went on to become “homeland security adviser to the president”) seems to indeed have at the time, informed his boss Pence, of their Team’s press-offensive objectives:
that everyone needed to “defend election legitimacy now.”
Because that was precisely the Message delivered by Mike Pence, in his first Press Conference as V.P.-elect, (Jan 11, 2017, New York City):
Nineteen of the 21 cabinet officials have been announced, nine committee hearings already scheduled, seven more soon to go on the books in the next several days and it is a — it is a compilation of men and women with an unprecedented caliber of leadership and background to help this administration move our nation forward. Perhaps that's why there's been such a concerted effort by some in the mainstream media to delegitimize this election and to demean our incoming administration.
You know, I have long been a supporter of a free and independent press and I always will be. But with freedom comes responsibility. And the irresponsible decision of a few news organizations to run with a false and unsubstantiated report, when most news organizations resisted the temptation to propagate this fake news, can only be attributed to media bias and attempt to demean the president-elect and our incoming administration and the American people are sick and tired of it. [appaluse]
But today, we'll get back to real news, to real facts and the real progress our incoming president has already made in reviving the American economy and assembling a team that will make America great again. And we'll hear from the president-elect about issues that are of paramount importance to the American people today.
So which is it Mike, were you “in the loop” of the Bossert directive, or not?
Mr Pence, were you in charge of your own Transition Team, or not — including Michael Flynn’s extra-circular “Diplomatic” activities, or not? It seems the rest of your Team was well aware of the plan, according to the well-established email-evidence.
AND it would seem that Mr Pence himself, was “in the direct loop” too, given his phrasing, to “chill” the Media-watchdogs, mere weeks after the Flynn-Kislyak meeting:
Pence: “Why there's been a concerted effort … to delegitimize this election” …
The Trump Team, including Mike Pence, were all singing from the same ‘McFarland-Bossert Hymnal’ in those sketchy, intervening, transition days. Song Title: "Russia DID NOT interfere with the US Election."
Not in the least bit. Not Ever … because: Largest.Crowd.In.History. Period!
— — —
Hat-tip to this researcher who found the above evidence, that sticks Mike Pence’s Teflon, like some over-grilled Fake News bots:
Jon Hotchkiss is a 14 time Emmy nominated comedy writer, producer, director and TV series creator. He has some free time right now and is making a video of every known Team Trump lie about Russia. You can see all 100+ Russia lies by liking the Facebook page OR going to our website.
— — —
PS: In searching the News-archive to find these sources to backup these Jon Hotchkiss bread-crumbs, I found this startling and timely admission by Pence, concerning his active role in running the White House staff “hiring and approval” process … (presumably including Rob Porter, et al.)
Mike Pence Full Press Conference — Jan 19, 2017
approx 2:40
Mike Pence:
“I'm pleased to report that the Presidential Transition Appointment Team has conducted more than 170 interviews prior to the Election. More than 200 people since that Election have sat down with, what are called our Tiger Teams -- for full vetting and full review.”
Surprise, surprise.
Pence is as dirty as the rest of the crew, despite his “aw shucks” facade.
I hope Flynn has the paper trail to prove it.
