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I can’t wait for the Movie version of this. Do you think Christian Bale can morph into Donald Trump too, like he did for Cheney? Robert De Niro obviously has already got Robert Mueller’s role pegged …
Mueller tries to correct public perceptions ... concerning Trump’s Non-exonerations ...
Too bad the Special Counsel doesn’t ‘speak Tweet’ … (PS. in case you missed the buried lede, the Russian attack was “designed to damage presidential candidate” — Hillary Clinton. It kind of seems like it worked too.)
[...] Russian intelligence officers who were part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system.
[...] they used sophisticated cyber techniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information, and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks. The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, back on the hostile takeover ranch, sometimes called “Trump’s America” ...
The Trump-Barr Coverup continues.
So what else is new? This is just how we roll these days, ever since Russia ‘helped to elect’ Donald Trump, became such an “open secret”:
Laws? We don’t need no stinking laws! No subpoenas, no congressional oversight, or court orders either.
There’s a new sheriff in town (Bill Barr played by Elton John). And he and his sidekick ‘mayor’ (Donald Trump played Alec Baldwin) haven’t got a clue — of what the American Constitution really requires of both them. All they know is that they are about to get away with — as long as they don’t let anyone wake the ‘sleeping bear’ (played by the American people) ...
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Evidence will NOW be disclosed on a “need to know” basis — and it’s the new Sheriff who decides who needs to know … WHAT (after checking with Mayor-One of course, who as always is the ultimate Decider).
Justice Department fails to comply with court order to release Michael Flynn transcripts
It is unclear how the judge will react to the government’s noncompliance with his order related to conversations between President Trump's first national security adviser and the Russian ambassador.
by Carol D. Leonnig and Rosalind S. Helderman,
Washington Post; pressherald.com — 05/31/19
Federal prosecutors on Friday declined to make public transcripts of recorded conversations between Michael Flynn and Russia’s ambassador to the United States in December 2016, despite a judge’s order.
In a court filing Friday, the Justice Department wrote that it did not rely on such recordings to establish Flynn’s guilt or determine a recommendation for his sentencing.
Prosecutors also failed to release an unredacted version of portions of the Mueller report related to Flynn that the judge had ordered be made public.
Flynn, who served briefly as President Trump’s first national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and he cooperated with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation. He is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s unusual response came after U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington ordered earlier in May that the Justice Department make public various materials related to the case, including transcripts of any audio recordings of Flynn, such as his conversations with Russian officials.
[...]
Yeah but, it kind of seems like Special Counsel De Niro was relying on that “back channel” conversation, to provide key insight into Flynn’s “foot soldier” role in the Transition Team’s usurpation of previous administration’s power. And all the “can’t you see your way clear to go easy on Flynn,” requests to follow.
This of course, was before “Black-bar” Barr came to town, and decided to shut the whole damn investigation down. And proceed to muddy the waters of public perceptions, of Guilt and Innocence (“Totally Exonerated”), at every on-going Tvee “soap box” opportunity. (Fox has now created a permanent slot for him.)
According to Sheriff Barr, the Mayor is as innocent, as the “frustrated” snow. As innocent Barr’s own conservative ‘religious’ agenda is deep. American sheeple, meet the wool over your eyes ...
What Mueller really found out about that Flynn-Russia back channel:
[Volume I of II — pgs 168 - 173] {emphasis added}
b. U.S. Sanctions Against Russia
Flynn was also the Transition Team member who spoke with the Russian government when the Obama Administration imposed sanctions and other measures against Russia in response to Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. On December 28, 2016, then-President Obama signed Executive Order 13757, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. the following day and imposed sanctions on nine Russian individuals and entities.[1222] On December 29, 2016, the Obama Administration also expelled 35 Russian government officials and closed two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States.[1223]
During the rollout of the sanctions, President-Elect Trump and multiple Transition Team senior officials, including McFarland, Steve Bannon, and Reince Priebus, were staying at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Flynn was on vacation in the Dominican Republic,[1224] but was in daily contact with McFarland.[1225]
The Transition Team and President-Elect Trump were concerned that these sanctions would harm the United States's relationship with Russia.[1226] Although the details and timing of sanctions were unknown on December 28, 2016, the media began reporting that retaliatory measures from the Obama Administration against Russia were forthcoming.[1227] When asked about imposing sanctions on Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election, President-Elect Trump told the media, "I think we ought to get on with our lives."[1228]
Russia initiated the outreach to the Transition Team. On the evening of December 28, 2016, Kislyak texted Flynn, "can you kindly call me back at your convenience."[1229] Flynn did not respond to the text message that evening. Someone from the Russian Embassy also called Flynn the next morning, at 10:38 a.m., but they did not talk.[1230]
The sanctions were announced publicly on December 29, 2016.[1231] At 1:53 p.m. that day, McFarland began exchanging emails with multiple Transition Team members and advisors about the impact the sanctions would have on the incoming Administration.[1232] At 2:07 p.m., a Transition Team member texted Flynn a link to a New York Times article about the sanctions.[1233] At 2:29 p.m., McFarland called Flynn, but they did not talk.[1234] Shortly thereafter, McFarland and Bannon discussed the sanctions.[1235] According to McFarland, Bannon remarked that the sanctions would hurt their ability to have good relations with Russia, and that Russian escalation would make things more difficult.[1236] McFarland believed she told Bannon that Flynn was scheduled to talk to Kislyak later that night.[1237] McFarland also believed she may have discussed the sanctions with Priebus, and likewise told him that Flynn was scheduled to talk to Kislyak that night.[1238] At 3: 14 p.m., Flynn texted a Transition Team member who was assisting McFarland, "Time for a call???"[1239] The Transition Team member responded that McFarland was on the phone with Tom Bossert, a Transition Team senior official, to which Flynn responded, "Tit for tat w Russia not good. Russian AMBO reaching out to me today."[1240]
Flynn recalled that he chose not to communicate with Kislyak about the sanctions until he had heard from the team at Mar-a-Lago.[1241] He first spoke with Michael Ledeen,[1242] a Transition Team member who advised on foreign policy and national security matters, for 20 minutes.[1243] Flynn then spoke with McFarland for almost 20 minutes to discuss what, if anything, to communicate to Kislyak about the sanctions.[1244] On that call, McFarland and Flynn discussed the sanctions, including their potential impact on the incoming Trump Administration's foreign policy goals.[1245] McFarland and Flynn also discussed that Transition Team members in Mar-a-Lago did not want Russia to escalate the situation.[1246] They both understood that Flynn would relay a message to Kislyak in hopes of making sure the situation would not get out of hand.[1247]
Immediately after speaking with McFarland, Flynn called and spoke with Kislyak.[1248] Flynn discussed multiple topics with Kislyak, including the sanctions, scheduling a video teleconference between President-Elect Trump and Putin, an upcoming terrorism conference, and Russia's views about the Middle East.[1249] With respect to the sanctions, Flynn requested that Russia not escalate the situation, not get into a "tit for tat," and only respond to the sanctions in a reciprocal manner.[1250]
Multiple Transition Team members were aware that Flynn was speaking with Kislyak that day. In addition to her conversations with Bannon and Reince Priebus, at 4:43 p.m., McFarland sent an email to Transition Team members about the sanctions, informing the group that "Gen [F]lynn is talking to russian ambassador this evening."[1251] Less than an hour later, McFarland briefed President-Elect Trump. Bannon, Priebus, Sean Spicer, and other Transition Team members were present.[1252] During the briefing, President-Elect Trump asked McFarland if the Russians did "it," meaning the intrusions intended to influence the presidential election.[1253] McFarland said yes, and President-Elect Trump expressed doubt that it was the Russians.[1254] McFarland also discussed potential Russian responses to the sanctions, and said Russia's response would be an indicator of what the Russians wanted going forward.[1255] President-Elect Trump opined that the sanctions provided him with leverage to use with the Russians.[1256] McFarland recalled that at the end of the meeting, someone may have mentioned to President-Elect Trump that Flynn was speaking to the Russian ambassador that evening.[1257]
After the briefing, Flynn and McFarland spoke over the phone.[1258] Flynn reported on the substance of his call with Kislyak, including their discussion of the sanctions.[1259] According to McFarland, Flynn mentioned that the Russian response to the sanctions was not going to be escalatory because they wanted a good relationship with the incoming Administration.[1260] McFarland also gave Flynn a summary of her recent briefing with President-Elect Trump.[1261]
The next day, December 30, 2016, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that Russia would respond in kind to the sanctions.[1262] Putin superseded that comment two hours later, releasing a statement that Russia would not take retaliatory measures in response to the sanctions at that time.[1263] Hours later President-Elect Trump tweeted, "Great move on delay (by V. Putin)."[1264] Shortly thereafter, Flynn sent a text message to McFarland summarizing his call with Kislyak from the day before, which she emailed to Kushner, Bannon, Priebus, and other Transition Team members.[1265] The text message and email did not include sanctions as one of the topics discussed with Kislyak.[1266] Flynn told the Office that he did not document his discussion of sanctions because it could be perceived as getting in the way of the Obama Administration's foreign policy.[1267]
On December 31, 2016, Kislyak called Flynn and told him the request had been received at the highest levels and that Russia had chosen not to retaliate to the sanctions in response to the request.[1268] Two hours later, Flynn spoke with McFarland and relayed his conversation with Kislyak.[1269] According to McFarland, Flynn remarked that the Russians wanted a better relationship and that the relationship was back on track. [1270] Flynn also told McFarland that he believed his phone call had made a difference.[1271] McFarland recalled congratulating Flynn in response.[1272] Flynn spoke with other Transition Team members that day, but does not recall whether they discussed the sanctions.[1273] Flynn recalled discussing the sanctions with Bannon the next day and that Bannon appeared to know about Flynn's conversation with Kislyak.[1274] Bannon, for his part, recalled meeting with Flynn that day, but said that he did not remember discussing sanctions with him.[1275]
Additional information about Flynn's sanctions-related discussions with Kislyak, and the handling of those discussions by the Transition Team and the Trump Administration, is provided in Volume II of this report.
* * *
In sum, the investigation established multiple links between Trump Campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government. Those links included Russian offers of assistance to the Campaign. In some instances, the Campaign was receptive to the offer, while in other instances the Campaign officials shied away. Ultimately, the investigation did not establish that the Campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government in its election-interference activities.
End Act 1, Scene 6.
Protagonist Flynn goes on following orders, lying to Congress, and pursuing other ‘venture capital’ deals with Turkey and so on. All the while, the Transition Team and President-Elect secret back-channel deals with Russia would beginning to unwind — for which General Flynn would become the nascent Administration’s “designated fall guy”. One of several others to follow, in the subsequent dramatic and obstructive Acts of this highly overrated C-minus play. Otherwise known as “The Trump Administration”.
It seems that ever since 9/11, American Intel agencies take very seriously their responsibility to “automatically” monitor calls of Foreign origins. Funny how the Trump Transition Team missed “that memo”.
They would prefer to instead today, to once again ‘muddy the waters’ of public perception — and feign outrage at being “spied upon”. When all the while, the “covert origins” of their own back-channel communications with the “highest channels” of Russia — were decidedly of their own makings.
Some might even call it “providing aid and comfort” to America’s “2016 attackers” — in direct countermanding of the duly-empowered President of time — if those MAGA-devotees were more informed on the subject.
But “Black-bar” Barr is burning the last shreds of his so-called reputation, to insure those American “outrages” over Flynn’s back-channel deal with Russia, will never see the light of day.
Trump’s new sheriff has just deemed them “not relevant” to Flynn’s sentencing. Afterall, the guy was ‘just following orders’ ...
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If that Flynn-Kislyak tape ever hits the streets:
The incompetent Individual One in White House would once again be exclaiming:
“Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m fucked.”