Congress, Criminal law, Politics, Society

The Blocked Caller: House Intelligence Committee Report Challenged Over Refusal To Subpoena Critical Phone Record

downloadI ran a column yesterday discussing one of findings of the House Intelligence Committee dealing with James Clapper. The report was largely well-supported and was even critical of Trump’s calling for Wikileaks and the Russians to release hacked material.  However, one element of the Democratic rebuttal also struck me as equally credible.  The Democrats objected, among various shortcomings in the Committee investigation, that a critical call was never pursued by the majority.  The timing of the call strikes me as raising a legitimate question and, absent countervailing facts from the majority, would seem to constitute a glaring omission.  It is not clear why the majority did not try to determine the identity of the “blocked caller” before the infamous meeting of Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, and Russians in Trump Tower.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) charged that the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee refused to issue a subpoena for Donald Trump Jr.‘s phone records to determine who called him on a blocked number. Schiff suggested that Trump was known to use a blocked number account to communicate with his son.  Trump Jr. spoke twice with Emin Agalarov, an Azerbaijani singer and businessman, before the meeting.  The mystery call occurred in the middle of the two calls.

If President Trump did call between the two calls with Agalarov, there would be a concern that he approved the meeting. Trump has denied knowledge of the meeting.  If there was a call from Trump, his son should be asked about the content. If the President lied about the subject of a congressional and special investigation, it is a serious matter that the public and Congress has a right to know.

If true, the failure to seek the identity of the mystery caller is a glaring omission in the detailed report.  It is worth a full accounting by the majority on why this call was not pursued as material piece of evidence.

Presumably, however, Mueller has pursued and knows the identity of the caller.  That means that Trump could well be questioned on any such call if he was involved.  Rudy Giuliani has resumed negotiations over a possible interview with Mueller.

136 thoughts on “The Blocked Caller: House Intelligence Committee Report Challenged Over Refusal To Subpoena Critical Phone Record”

  1. meanwhile the president has cleared the way for an end to a 65 year old civil war in Korea that has perhaps unncessarily tied down tens of thousands of troops and billions and billions of US taxpayer money for that entire time.

    Cheers to Trump!

  2. Making Stuff Up is not necessarily lying. To lie is to state knowingly an untruth. Making Stuff Up is simply stating an unverified belief.

  3. FTA: “Schiff suggested that Trump was known to use a blocked number account to communicate with his son.”

    How lame can you get… So do the vast majority of callers that want to sell me something. If that is evidence, that is really a stretch.

  5. If it had to do with Clapper the statue of limitations has run it’s course but otherwise the information should be acquired to fill in the empty blanks. For the left it offers an opportunity to delay delay delay in the other wise zero success which even if proved leads to ‘so what?” collusion is not a crime and a President can talk to anyone. But then without the daily egg on their face life would not be complete.

    What it does do is little by little pair away votes from Schiffless, Piglosi, Poke A Haunt Us, and Schumuckly Putz. and all others concerned.

    So when is the investigation going to proceed on the known items and arrive at a trial before a jury on Clinton? Screwing around iwith an investigation on a none crime called collusion is getting really irksome and provides even more reason to start mass firings for lack of security clearance based on lack of trust which the President can do at anytime. Place that under investigation by NSA should take about three or four years and they can stay at home with nothing to do but write stupid books.

    Meanwhile those of us in the unaligned constitutional center can build on our 40% voting block until the RINOs and DINOs are marginalized out of existence. and it’s a clear cut properly defined war between the Rooseveltian Progressively Regressives of the socialist autocracy with their one party, one ruler, no franchise platform and the Representative Constitutional Republic Party with res publica guaranteed for all. The other choiice is the military goes ahead and honors it’s oath of office.with heavy degree of support from the public Ballots not Bullets work fine but if shove comes to push defending the Constitution against all enemies comes first.

  6. It is not clear why the majority did not try to determine the identity of the “blocked caller” before the infamous meeting of Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, and Russians in Trump Tower.

    Sir, it couldn’t be more clear.

    The GOP never wanted a proper, comprehensive investigation because they didn’t want to know the truth. The entire purpose under the scoundrel Nunes was to impede the process at every turn and protect the president, and others, from damning conclusions.

    1. I should clarify and say the House GOP and House Intel. Senate Intel is doing a good, bipartisan job.

      1. Clarification came a bit late but why the progessive imitatation?

    2. You have less facts to back up that conclusion than you had to start the investigation of a non crime to begin with. And for the left to use the word ‘truth’ as if the lft’s definition (anything that is said to advance the party) only serves to remind ‘decent’ people that the left has no morals, values, standards nor ethics as are defined by ‘decent’ people. The word ridiculous comes to mind even to put that in words and as usual without anything except Marx and Carville to back them up.

  7. Trump is on an old video where he is leaving a cathouse in Amsterdam and says: “How was I to know… She was with the Russians too?” The video can be seen on a website called PutinFlowers.

    1. You forgot a few odds and ends like…the source of your remark…

      The actual site produces

      Russia: Putin braves rain to honour WWII victims at Tomb of the …
      Video for Video PutInFlowers
      ▶ 2:51
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARtqpGMkhN4
      Jun 22, 2017 – Uploaded by Ruptly
      Russian President Vladimir Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Thursday, to …
      Missing: putinflowers
      Russia: Putin lays flowers at Baltiysk Peter the Great monument on …
      Video for Video PutInFlowers
      ▶ 1:00
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLJISrcOxis

      Jul 26, 2015 – Uploaded by Ruptly
      Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in celebrations to mark Navy Day in the city of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad …
      Missing: putinflowers

      And not your oh to familiar and boring DNC approved porn.

  8. Enigmainblack, I think you are right. JT has lost his objectivity, which has been front and centre all these years….on this one. The Orange One is a sickening dose, and Americans need to stand up to him. A more nasty or vicious man, has never graced the White House, prior to this. He’s either mentally un sound, or he’s pure evil. Take your pick. Paul Ryan, is hot on his heels after firing the Chalplain. They are are Lisa g their marbles.!!! Power, corrupts…

    1. JT has lost his objectivity, which has been front and centre all these years….on this one.

      So JT is objective if his opinion agrees with yours, but he’s the one who’s lost all objectivity if it doesn’t. Your lack of self-awareness would be humorous if it weren’t so damn dangerous.

      1. Also Olly that’ was not someone programming from the USA or center would not have been spelled in European Continental style as centre . I suspect the source is someone from the leftist extremist Guardian or similar.

    2. False Premise Statement using the following

      “I think,” The left isn’t allowed to think just lock step and lock mouth on command.

      And the rest of it continues from that first false premise. and finishes as just four letters short of nothing but porn

      Or for once you could try backing it up in an un-Warren like fashion with facts.

      No chance of that.

  9. What next “Mystery source says:Trump knows where Judge Crater can be located.” Boy the people of this nation are being taken for the biggest sleigh ride.

    1. The Great Zambini – that would be the remains of Judge Crater, he would be 129 years old now. 😉

    2. With Comrade Piglosi and Schumuckly Putz at reins and being pulled by Mad Max. Poke A Hauntus and Perez-Castro … it is after all a troika.

  10. The Russians always have cover stories. The press reports about the Trump Tower meeting are the first and second drafts of the Russian cover story that two different factions within The Trump White House leaked to the press for the purpose of damage control and counter-damage control. Don’t be surprised if there’s a third draft of the Russian cover story waiting in the wings.

    Meanwhile, the people who attended the Trump Tower meeting know the real story behind that meeting. Paul Manafort just so happens to be one of the people who attended the Trump Tower meeting. Paul Manafort knows the real story behind the Trump Tower meeting.

    Manafort’s lawsuit against Mueller and Rosenstein has been dismissed. Manafort is expected to appeal the dismissal of his civil suit against the OSC. That could take a while. But the odds in favor of reversing Judge Berman Jackson’s decision on appeal are not good.

    Manafort has a major-league decision of his own to make in the near future. And so does The POTUS, Trump. But without Manafort’s civil suit against Mueller and Rosenstein, neither Manafort nor Trump will be able to make their big decisions based upon peeking at whatever cards Mueller has in his hand.

    Will Manafort go to trial?

    1. Diane – Manafort might go to trial, he has the money to hire the lawyers, unlike Flynn and Gates. And if he goes to trial, he can really draw it out because of the number of counts.

      1. Paul–If the Democrats gain control of The House, Adam Schiff reconvenes The HPSCI as Chariman. Schiff will subpoena every last witness that the Republicans refused to subpoena. One way or another the truth about the Trump Tower meeting will come out into the open. Trump will have a whole lot of explaining to do right around The Iowa Caucuses and The New Hampshire Primary. Enjoy.

        1. Diane – if frogs had wings they wouldn’t bump their butts every time they jumped.

            1. Diane – it was Nate Silver who said that Trump had a 2% chance of being nominated President. Problem is the Dems threw a lot of money at the election but still could not swing it. Repub turnout is low right now and Dems are more energized, however, Arizona has absentee voting and most seniors like myself are signed up for that. Dems are broke and are having trouble fundraising, hence the lawsuit against the RNC. The RNC is awash with money.

              I wouldn’t get overly excited yet.

                1. Peter Hill – since Weinstein is going to jail, the Hollywood millions are not going to the DNC. That well is drying up. And the DNC’s foreign pipeline is shut off for now.

                2. And a very large group of billionaires keeps the DNC afloat. At least until they start screwing with the economy too much. then they will turn on whomever in a flash starting with Poke A Haunt Us.

                  1. In fact the five or so richest people in the country support the left and like all good neo establishment business people they expect something for their money and are NOT getting it.

              2. They are making rookie mistakes too.. Relying on ex Marine Mercenaries whose platform is more conservative than not for sure is constitutional centrist. Listing an Arizona Candidate as 100% born in USA when she was born in India. Using the Bimbo Brigade who conveniently disappear after the election and notice in Alabama not one polcie officer, DA, Judge no judge at any level has supported the charges against the loser but the interference from places like Washington DNC and Hollywierd sure caused some notice, Hillary buying and now selling the DNC and control of the party files from them for a million and selling themback tfor one point three million. Tidy profit. The back stabbing of DACA and with that Catholics specifically and religion in general because the DNC realized they are anti abortion. List goes on and on and one stupid is as stupid does.

        2. So you think if the Dems take back control, there will be another investigation? Aren’t you confident in Mr. Mueller’s investigation?

          He’s had access to every possible witness and reportedly all of them have appeared. So what else tells you that he isn’t getting all the information?

          1. You don’t know what information Mueller has. Why the presumptuous attitude? Do you honestly think prosecutors are going share their discoveries with the public..??

            1. And you believe a House Committee has greater power to dig up evidence than a Special Counsel?

            2. According to some of the posts here he must be or are they just making up stuff aka lying?

              1. Stunning that at least 2 people think a new House investigation should occur.

            3. You don’t know what information Mueller has.

              From the indictments handed down thus far, we can draw a reasonable inference that he and his Democratic donor crew have nothing of consequence, hence the fishing expedition into Mr. Cohen’s office records.

              1. Why would Mueller and Comey, two registered Republicans, secretly join forces with the Democrats? The fact that you push that narrative illustrates how Trumpers have to create endless conspiracies to make sense of events.

                2. Trump and Comey are not on the best of terms; that’s pretty hard to miss.
                  I doubt that there’s any love lost between Trump and Mueller.
                  That animosity extends to GOP Senators like Flake, McCain, Corker, anf other members of Congress.
                  The fact that Mueller and Comey are, or were, Republicans has little or nothing to do with the Mueller investigation, or the Comey book/ PR push.

                  1. I would add that Comey has stated numerous times that he no longer “considers himself to be a Republican”.
                    Even absent those statements.
                    Even if Comey continued to self-identify as a Republican wouldn’t matter anyway.

                3. Peter Hill – putting a handle on a printing press does not make it portable and registering as a Republican does not make you a Republican. Ask John McCain and Jeffy Flake.

                  1. Just to point out, a White Pages search on his wife suggests they recently moved from McLean, Va. to DC. Virginia has no party registration. It’s open primaries. The only people with a demonstrable party affiliation are those appearing on the ballot.

                    Rod Rosenstein actually is registered Republican in Montgomery County, Md. He’s also a Justice Department lifer. Which do you think is more consequential?

                    Both McCain and Flake have voting records that are adequate for most purposes. However, they’re both open borders fanatics. McCain is also a prima donna given to pointless displays of spite. They seem to regard Trump’s rise as some sort of personal insult by the electorate.

                    1. DSSS – Flake could not raise enough money or support to enter his own re-election primary. McCain will probably be dead by June. The Dems have a strong candidate running for Flake’s seat. If McCain dies too soon, two seats will be on the ballot this fall. That will bring the Republicans out.

                    2. Flake is a puzzling figure. He’s basically a Career Conservative, having no technae outside the political world. He’s gone out of his way to trash his standing with the Arizona electorate. Why he did that is a mystery. In McCain’s case, he seems to have an uncontrollable urge to stick his thumb in eyes. However, it was an indulgence he could afford. He didn’t need that job, and, truth be told, is long past his sell-by date. Why he did not retire in 2010, I do not know.

                    3. DSS – I called McCain’s office in 2010 and 2016 and told them not to have him run again. Nobody listens to me. Said the same to Flake. Flake was a great Congressman, lousy Senator. He was McCain’s butt boy for awhile and then really got caught up in that Gang of 8 thing. People in Arizona lost confidence in him. McCain had power, Flake was powerless.

                4. Where are Mueller and Comey registered to vote? For Mueller, your choices are DC, Maryland, Virginia, or California. For Comey, you’ve got DC, Maryland, Virginia, and (until 2016) Connecticut. You don’t know the answer to that question, so you’re talking out of your ass.

                  What Mueller, Comey, and Rosenstein have in common is that they’ve spent between 60% and 95% of their legal career employed by the Department of Justice. Where do you think their loyalties lie?

                  1. “FBI Director says he’s no longer registered as a Republican” -from POLITICO, July 7, 2017

    2. What nonsense!

      It is self evident from Trump Jr’s email’s what the expectations of the Trump Campaign for the meeting were.

      Are you really claiming that the Trump’s had a pre-existing back channel with Russia, but still needed to meet with Natalia, and “covered up” the purpose of that meeting by claiming it was to obtain dirt on Clinton, rather than to What ? Plot world domination ?

      The very fact that Trump Jr. was eager for the meeting is PROOF that there was no back channel to Putin at the time.

      The next relevant issue is what happened at the meeting.

      We know that Natalia’s offer and Trump Jr.s hope was for Dirt on Clinton.
      We know that the neither Trump campaign nor anyone else subsequently made public new dirt on Clinton.

      The reasonable presumption is that Trump Jr. got nothing of value from Natalia.
      If that is not true – he certainly did not use it.

      The most credible version of what happened is the one the left rails at – Natalia provided useless information – stuff about a Clinton contributor – the same guy in the spat with the Russians over the Magnivinky Act, and then went into a long digression about russian adoption and the magnivinsky act.

      I would further note that we know that Natalia met with Simpson at Fusion GPS immediately before and after the meeting.

      There is no rational explanation for bracketting the Trump Jr. Meeting that does not incorpoarate Fusion GPS. If Natalia really is a Russian Operative – that makes Fusion GPS with its strong ties to DNC and HFA a russian influence operation.

      Essentially if you have Trump Jr. Colluding with Russia – you also have the DNC and HFA colluding.

      There is no means that you can reach criminal misconduct within the Trump campaign that does not expose even greater criminal misconduct of the same kind in the Clinton campaign.

      Let go of the hypocracy.

      1. You excel at refuting arguments that were not made, Tiara Boy. But how are you at refuting arguments that were made?

      2. June 9th, 2016–Trump Tower meeting.
        June 10th, 2016–Emin Agalarov sends birthday present to Trump.
        June 12th, 2016–Julian Assange announces pending publication of emails related to Hillary Clinton.
        June 14th, 2016–Trump’s birthday. Trump emails thank you note to Emin Agalarov.
        June 14th, 2016–The Washington Post reports the hack of DNC emails.
        June 15th, 2016–Crowdstrike attributes DNC hack to Russia.
        July 22nd, 2016–Wikileaks publishes DNC emails.

        1. Correction: Trump’s thank you note to Agalarov was sent June 17th, 2016. However, Trump’s birthday is still June 14th.

        2. Is that all you have? Let me know when to stop laughing. Common politeness and the Washington Post as a source? get real

      3. Tiara Boy said, “The very fact that Trump Jr. was eager for the meeting is PROOF that there was no back channel to Putin at the time.”

        Above, in which Tiara Boy insists that somehow the Russian cover story for the Trump Tower meeting is supposedly proof that the Trump Tower meeting could not possibly have confirmed to the Trump campaign that the Russians had hacked the DNC email server, that the Russians were in possession of the hacked emails, nor that the Russians were attempting to negotiate the terms and conditions under which those emails would be leaked.

      5. Make that one colluded Not a crime and the other faction conspired. Especially when they paid for it with DNC and Cllinton dollars. apiece of information DOJ and Meuller already released.;

          2. They do all the time. You elect not to listen to them, because fool.

    3. What is your source for this information? Besides wishful non-thinking and corn-jecture? None? I thought not. REJECTED

    4. Manafort will invite Tony Podesta to assist with his defense. Either willingly or as a hostile witness.

      God forbid questions about Democrats will come up.

  11. Adamo: And the point of this article is what?

    Turley: The point is to try to find some kind of angle, no matter how remote, irrelevant or desperate that somehow reflects negatively on Trump.

    Adamo: So you are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

    Turley: I wouldn’t characterize it like that.

    Adamo: Then how would you characterize it?

    Turley I would characterize it as attempting to find some kind of angle, no matter how remote, irrelevant or desperate that somehow reflects negatively on Trump.

    Adamo: You arguments are circuitous.

    Turley, I win, I win!

    Adamo: Okay, you win. . . Feel better now?

    Turley: Yes!

    2. He could have been imitating radical reasoning a demonstration of 99;9% of thier posts do exactly that.

  15. Even assuming that he did call his father, without an actual recording of the call, no way to know what was discussed. So that’s why its another ‘possible’ but unprovable item.

    As usual, Rep. Schiff alludes to his continual piling of evidence which has been a big zero.

    1. Did you read the text? The subject is an unknown person who called Trump Jr.

      1. Yes I know. Did you read what I wrote? Even assuming that he did call his father, without an actual recording of the call, no way to know what was discussed. So that’s why its another ‘possible’ but unprovable item.

        They could have talked about conspiring with Russians. But without proof, it’s meaningless.

        1. More than likely it ‘was “Followed up on apossible lead the information promised failed too materialize and only somebody named Magnet Man was mentioned so I left. “

      2. President Trump calls my house almost every day. Well it’s either him or my mother-in-law. She has a block on her caller ID as well. She won’t leave a voicemail, so we have to guess why she called or answer, with the hope it’s not that she’s fallen and can’t get up. Maybe she mis-dialed and got DT Jr’. instead. He might never take another blocked call again.

  17. I am not sure that the call makes a difference to the meeting. I am sure they asked Trump, Jr. who was on the other end. Whether he remembers or not is another thing.

    1. Paul – They were in a format where Trump Jr, came in voluntarily and was literally able to come and go as he pleased which he did. The shortcomings of the House Intelligence Committee including the witnesses not asked to testify, failure to subpoena anyone except Bannon I believe who pissed them off, failure to secure records and more makes the whole thing a Devin Nunes farce, approved by Paul Ryan.

      1. EIBC, the shortcomings of the House Intelligence Committee are totally at the feet of the Special Counsel. Same problem the Senate Intelligence Committee is having. Mr. Mueller’s investigation should rule and the Senate should stop theirs also.

        What’s the point of testifying to different investigations? Of course I can pound the table and put all this blame on Mr. Rosenstein. The appointment of the SC was very premature. If the Congressional committees or the FBI could substantiate something worthy, then the SC could have been appointed.

        This whole thing has been a mess.

        1. Mike – In my opinion, the House Intelligence Committee not only didn’t want to know anything potentially incriminating. The leadership at least is consciously obstructing. Nunes is acting as Trump’s lead blocker, with Ryan’s express permission the couple times he was forced to get involved.

          1. EIBC, I get what you’re saying. But there was no way for the House or the Senate to conduct a proper investigation once the SC was named. Both investigations should have been shut down once Mr. Mueller was appointed.

            So we can opine all we like what might have happened. So there was no point in removing Rep. Nunes from his post.

            1. Mike – I’ll agree that neither the House or Senate could conduct a proper investigation of the potential criminal charges without interfering with either a normal FBI investigation or a Special Counsel. The things they would normally not do because it could interfere with the criminal investigation, the House did anyway, requesting documents pertinent to the criminal investigation that they promptly leaked. It was as if, it was exactly as if they were trying to alert the White House to what the FBI possessed to alter their testimony to know how to shape their stories.

              It would do well to remember that the Special Counsel was appointed because Justice Department guidelines, which Sessions consulted, required he recuse himself. The appointment of the Special Counsel was the reasonable next step, the appointment of Mueller was initially hailed by both sides until he actually started investigating.

              1. EIBC, as I stated, the FBI and the Congressional committees should have been permitted to finish their investigations.

                Then if some semblance of a crime emerged, then it would have been appropriate to appoint an SC. But Mr. Rosenstein was way premature and he is truly the cause of so many people picking sides.

                That aside, the HPSCI did become a partisan leak fest. Both sides were responsible.

                Now as far as Mr. Mueller goes, it was a disgrace that he accepted and was offered the position due to obvious conflicts of interest.

                So no matter what he comes up with, nothing will be settled. I do hope when he finished after the midterms, he does put a full report of all aspects of the investigation.

                That will be the only hope that everyone sees his team did everything possible.

                1. Mike – Given the partisan nature of Congress, if nothing got investigated except what Congress referred to the Justice Department after they finished their investigations. Only the minority party would ever get investigated.

                  Rosenstein had a choice to make. He wrote the letter demanded by the President, supporting the firing of Comey and in a perfect world would ultimately have to recuse himself as a potential witness. I think the only reason he hasn’t is to protect the integrity of the investigation which he rightly assumed Trump would have had dismantled by now.
                  As to Mueller’s “obvious conflicts of interest.” Anyone of his status was going to know and have had relationships with the other parties involved. Perhaps you would have preferred Rudy Guilliani or Michael Cohen or Judge Jeanine Pirro head up the Special Counsel?

                  1. EIBC, yes all Congressional committee investigations will have the majority leading the charge, but there also was an FBI investigation going on in this instance. They certainly could have completed or at least progressed where they recommended to Mr. Rosenstein that a Special Counsel should be considered. But that’s not what happened.

                    So let’s try to look at this SC appointment. This was the most important investigation to be undertaken in many years. It was of utmost importance for all involved on this investigation to be as neutral looking as possible. We all know that Mr. Comey would have been a witness.

                    The lead should have been someone totally removed from DC. I don’t have any names to throw at you, but there had to be someone from outside the beltway to put in charge. And then when you look at the team Mr. Mueller assembled, why would a Trump supporter feel they would be neutral? If you put 6 or 7 Clinton past supporters on the team, you have to put 6 or 7 Trump past supporters on the team.

                    It doesn’t matter how honest these people may be, but it LOOKS bad. That’s why we have conflict guidelines and those guidelines were totally ignored.

                    1. Mike – When you say “Clinton past supporters,” are you referring to the 13 I believe that have contributed to her in the past? There is no indication that those individuals didn’t also contribute to say, Trump or other Republicans? There is no indication that the amount was the maximum or $1. There is no indication that they won’t be able to simply do their job and follow the evidence. There is no indication of how many on the team of prosecutors have contributed to Republicans. In my opinion, the FBI as an institution leans far further right than left.

                      As to getting someone removed from DC. It would be hard to find someone experienced with Federal prosecutions without DC contacts and experience. I probably wouldn’t want anyone that hadn’t been at least a US Attorney, (appointed by the President and working for the Attorney General. Give me an example of anyone without DC experience, qualified to lead the investigation? (Waiting to see if you name a Fox News personality which is where Trump goes to fill positions).

                    2. enigma – several have contributed the max to Hillary and a few did contribute a few dollars to Repub candidates, but not for President. The breakdown is out there, I am just not going to look for it. 😉

                    3. Paul – I’m not either, I think it irrelevant, certainly not enough to claim them in the tank for Hillary or suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. I will assume them capable of simply doing their job until proven otherwise.

                    4. enigma – one was at her campaign’s election celebration party (nee funeral) and Steele did not want Trump elected at all cost. So those two would be colored for sure.

                    5. Assuming Steele only reported what he’d heard. He had plenty of reason to not want Trump elected. Much of what was in the dossier has been verified. Nothing totally disproven, including Cohen’s trip to Prague or the Russian hookers.

                    6. enigma – none of the key segments of the Steele Dossier have been verified. Comey even admitted that the other day on the air. And there is no way to disprove the unprovable.

                    7. Paul – None of the key segments? I’d say several of the meetings described with Trump staff got verified. Trump pursuing a real estate deal in Russia, they already knew about some of the things described from their own ongoing investigations (Papadopoulos). Whatever you think Comey admitted, I submit you misunderstood. Of course, as Bill Clinton might say, It depends on what the meaning of ‘key’ is.”

                    8. enigma – the question is how pertinent is it? What was in there that got them a warrant on Carter Page?

                    9. Paul – They didn’t get a warrant on Page based on the dossier. They had him in and out of their sights based on his Russian relationships for years.

                    10. enigma – my friend, he was an FBI informant for goodness sakes. They really didn’t need a warrant for him they just wanted the FISA 2 hop rule to get to Trump. I know you are not that dense. 😉

                    11. Paul – Was he an FBI informant? The Washington Times and other “reputable” publications try their best to suggest it but don’t go as far as to say so. Page doesn’t get them to Trump, not anywhere close. Now Cohen, Flynn, and Manafort on the other hand?

                    12. enigma – under the FISA 2 hop warrant procedure, you wiretap Carter Page, then everyone he talks to (hop 1), then everyone they talk to (hop 2). That is how you either get directly to Trump on the 2nd hop or the people who are talking to Trump.

        2. One group’s “mess” is another group’s exquisitely designed cover up? “Time to move along, folks,, too much dust and debris to discover anything of substance”
          “Hey, anybody see my “smoke pot” and mirrors kit?”.

        3. Actually the opposite.

          The House and Senate investigations should rule.
          Even if that interferes with Mueller.

          The government oversight responsibility of the Congress “trumps” the criminal responsibilities of the SC.

          We encountered the same problem with Iran Contra. As a consequence alot of Criminal defendents got off.

          But the public was properly exposed to the truth about the Iran Contra operations.

          The same is true here.
          The SC investigation is continually attacked on strong grounds.

          The SC law does not empower DOJ to appoint an SC for a counter-intelligence investigation.
          FBI can do that and Congress can oversee it as they see fit.

          The appointment of an SC requires a crime and a target that DOJ/FBI are conflicted in investigating.
          That means either the Whitehouse or the DOJ/FBI themselves.

          Responsibility for investigating the Whitehouse AGAIN rests with congress.
          Much criticism was made of the IC law – and it had problems. But the SC law is worse.
          The IC was subject to congressional review. The SC is essentially answerable to no one.

          The constitutional road here is for the Congress to lead, and to impeach if they find anything.

          That also means the DOJ/FBI should be complying with all demands for information.
          There is executive priviledge for communications with the president.
          There is no privilidege that sheilds other government records from congress.
          National security is NOT sufficient. Members of the intelligence committees have security clearances and get get whatever clearances they need. If they are not able to- others should replace them.
          Congress can appoint an independent counsel if it wishes – subject to oversight by congress.

          1. The constitutional road here is for the Congress to lead, and to impeach if they find anything.

            John,
            Your post reminded me of this poem by Robert Frost. That constitutional road, that rule of law road has far too many obstacles for those whose destination is to impeach. No, for them it’s better to make their way on whatever road is necessary to get to where they want to go. It doesn’t matter to them that both roads may lead to the same destination. It doesn’t matter to them that there is only one legitimate road. This is the difference between progressives and constitutionalists; The former sees many roads to take, the latter sees only one road; the road less traveled.

            The Road Not Taken

            TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
            And sorry I could not travel both
            And be one traveler, long I stood
            And looked down one as far as I could
            To where it bent in the undergrowth;

            Then took the other, as just as fair,
            And having perhaps the better claim,
            Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
            Though as for that the passing there
            Had worn them really about the same,

            And both that morning equally lay
            In leaves no step had trodden black.
            Oh, I kept the first for another day!
            Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
            I doubted if I should ever come back.

            I shall be telling this with a sigh
            Somewhere ages and ages hence:
            Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
            I took the one less traveled by,
            And that has made all the difference.

            2. American culture is at a crossroads and it appears to be echoing Jeremiah 6:16:

              “Stand at the crossroads and look;
              ask for the ancient paths,
              ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
              and you will find rest for your souls.
              But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

              http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/

          2. John, I totally agree with your words. Unfortunately, Mr. Rosenstein took away Congress’ oversight by appointing a Special Counsel.

            He really screwed this up royally.

      2. It’s to see you post such a reasonable conclusion and opinion, not overplaying your hand.

        /sarc off

        Turley typed: “…The report was largely well-supported and was even critical of Trump’s calling for Wikileaks and the Russians to release hacked material…” Did Turley lie, is he dumb, is the cradle to grave registered Democrat actually a GOP shill in disguise, or could you just maybe possibly be a crazed TDS victim?

        Hmmmmm…….I wonder which could it be????????????? hahahhahahahahah

        1. Turley knows where his bread is buttered and I’m surprised to see him acknowledge the failure of the House Committee to follow up on pertinent information. His whole purpose seems to be to discredit Comey and while mildly rebuking Trump’s foolish statements, tell us constantly that there is no evidence of collusion despite the dozens of clandestine meetings with Trump officials and Russians that they lied about.

          1. Next persons like you suffering from terminal TDS shall post that Mueller has thousands of documents proving Trump and Carter Page committed multiple felons, yet no one on Mueller’s team has leaked same to the MSM!

            Oh wait, your TDS ilk have been saying that for months! Hahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            1. Who would need to leak anything about Trump or Carter Page?Neither one can stop running their mouth and telling everything themselves. Of course with Trump it’s impossible to know what’s true as he doesn’t even know anymore.

            1. Turley’s M.O. is on display in this post. Raise all the innuendo in the world about every witness against Trump and justify (sometimes by weakly saying he would have done it differently) everything Donald does.

              1. “Turley’s M.O. is on display in this post”.—I don’t know what column you read,but if you read this column, you evidently don’t understand what was written.

                  1. I think you’re posting in the wrong thread, Enigma.😊

                    I couldn’t figure out what you were talking about until I saw the “Clapper column”.

        1. Excerpted from the article linked above:

          Schiff’s status report lists 30 witnesses the Democrats want to call, along with entities they would subpoena or seek documents from.

          The potential witness list includes some senior officials from the Trump administration such as former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. But it also includes more obscure names who haven’t figured prominently in the Russia investigation.

          One of those names is Roman Beniaminov. The memo states that the committee “has reason to believe” that Beniaminov — who reportedly has New Jersey business ties to Emin Agalarov, the Russian pop star who helped organize the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer — had advance knowledge of the Trump Tower meeting. But the memo does not elaborate or provide evidence

          1. From the Wikipedia article on Ike Kavaladze:

            On June 9, 2016, he was present at a meeting in Trump Tower between three people associated with the Donald Trump campaign – Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort – and several other people including Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya. The meeting had been proposed by Azerbaijani singer Emin Agalarov and his father, Moscow-based oligarch Aras Agalarov – Kaveladze’s employer. Kaveladze attended the meeting as a representative of the Agalarov family and to serve as an interpreter if necessary, according to his attorney.

            1. Excerpted from the article linked above:

              Kaveladze is a Georgian émigré who came to America in 1991 and is now a citizen. It is not clear from property records whether Kaveladze ever lived in North Jersey or the New York City area.

              At the behest of Congress, the U.S. General Accounting Office launched an investigation into money laundering in the late 1990s. The GAO, now known as the Government Accountability Office, published a report in 2000 that said Kaveladze was responsible for setting up more than 2,000 corporations in Delaware on behalf of Russian brokers.

              He then opened corporate accounts with two U.S. banks – Citibank in New York and Commercial Bank of San Francisco – through which an estimated $1.4 billion in Russian money was laundered, according to the GAO report.

              Kaveladze used International Business Creations and another company, Euro-American Corporate Services Inc., to set up the shell companies, the report says. Delaware has lax incorporation laws that allow foreign nationals to easily set up shop on U.S. soil.

              “It is relatively easy for foreign individuals or entities to hide their identities while forming shell corporations that can be used for the purpose of laundering money,” the GAO report said.

              The GAO also found that the banks were lax in their oversight, frequently failing to require proof of corporate ownership when receiving the assets.

              Former Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who requested the GAO investigation, posted a statement on his Facebook page this week calling Kaveladze the “poster child” of Russian money laundering.

              “Kaveladze claimed he did all this without knowing for whom he was doing it,” Levin wrote. “Based on the example of Kaveladze, who was in a sense the poster child of this practice, and other examples we uncovered over the years, we’ve been trying for decades to end the hidden ownership of American corporations.”

              Kaveladze cooperated with the GAO investigation and was never charged with a crime. Seventeen years after the probe, he’s facing scrutiny again, and his lawyer, Scott Balber, told The Washington Post that he is cooperating once again.

              1. L4D,..
                – Kavaleladze has testified before both the Senate Intellinge Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.
                This was reported in 2017, but I don’t remember if his testimony was in open or closed sessions.
                I never saw a summary of his testimony, or leaked info about his testimony.
                But his presence at the Trump Tower meeting has been well known for some time, as is the fact that he has testified before Congress.

        2. My preference would be for the HPSCI to run their investigation agressively – Mueller be damned.
          It is more important to find out what occured – and that means a broad investigation covering TFA, HFA, DNC, … It also means thoroughly looking at the election related political corruption in the Obama administration.

          Comey’s interview tour is making it crystal clear that an SC was required in the Clinton investigations.

          Comey has not repeatedly stated his resolution was driven by the far that the Prosecutors would not prosecute – that means DOJ. As Andrew McCarthy notes “the fix was in” regarding Clinton and it is now obvious.

          It is also clear that a cabal within DOJ/FBI and State and with the cooperation of Brennan and Clapper – possibly initially at the direction of the Obama whitehouse and independently afterwords the DOJ/FBI ran their own politically driven investigation of Trump
          That this was NOT conducted like an ordinary investigation. That it did NOT follow normal channels, that all of the interagency exchange of information was outside of the normal process, and that as needed the Press was hooked in through selective leaking.

          Again it is the role of congress to investigate the president and the administration NOT DOJ/FBI and not an SC.

          To that end – the phone records should have been subpeoned, as well as witnesses – even if that witnesses interfered with Mueller.

          I am not sure if Schiff’s 30 witnesses are germain. But I am prepared to err in favor of them – presuming that their questioning is confined to directly relevant issues.

          Just as Congress investigates the conduct of the president. ‘

          the DOJ/FBI investigate ordinary crimes.

          1. Excerpted from the article linked above:

            The FBI is investigating whether a top Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump win the presidency, two sources familiar with the matter have told McClatchy.

            FBI counterintelligence investigators have focused on the activities of Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the NRA, the sources said.

            It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections.

            1. The Russians gave money to the NRA. The NRA supports candidates. Thus Russia “owns” the candidates.

              ===

              It could be true.

              1. BTW how is the Hillary $84 million money laundering case coming? Rumors are there is foreign money involved.

    2. I am not sure what difference the call makes. At best it MIGHT support another claim that Trump has misrepresented something in public.

      It would be better to know who the call was from than to speculate.

      That said no matter who it was from it will be hard to tell what was said.

      I think Turley is correct that it should have been subpeoned.

      But the “worst case” scenario – that it was Trump, changes nothing.

      1. Well we know for sure that unproven Collusion is not a crime and we know that the DNC and Clinton conspired and paid money in support of a criminal act What we don’t know is when does the jury trial start?.

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