Below is my column in Fox.com on yesterday’s hearing with Special Counsel John Durham and the personal attacks that he faced from the Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee. Without challenging a single fact in the report as untrue, members heaped personal attacks on one of the most respected prosecutors at the Justice Department. Durham’s testimony was detached, detailed, and unbiased. He was everything that the members were not. However, one moment stood out more than the rest . . .
Here is the column:
Special Counsel John Durham has spent decades investigating and prosecuting mob leaders to murderers. Yet, nothing could have prepared him for what unfolded this week in the House Judiciary Committee.
Long praised as a professional and apolitical prosecutor, Durham looked about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip joint. Democrats accused Durham of being a MAGA stooge and a lowlife for his report detailing the lack of professional standards and factual support leading to the Russian collusion investigation.
What Durham found was that the investigation showed an abundance of bias and a paucity of evidence.
As expected, the Democrats attacked Durham and suggested that he was “tasked” with defending Trump and fostering conspiracy theories. However, the most telling moment came early when Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen issued a dire warning to Durham.
Cohen said that Durham no longer had a good reputation because he has undermined the basis for the Russian collusion investigation: “You had a good reputation. You had a good reputation … but the longer you hold on to Mr. Barr … your reputation will be damaged … you will end up on the bottom of a pyre.”
Durham seemed less concerned about liars than pyres in presenting the facts from his team: “My concern about my reputation is with the people who I respect, my family, and my Lord, and I’m perfectly comfortable with my reputation with them, sir.”
It was like a Joseph Welch moment in another hearing with then-Wisconsin Republican Sen. Joe McCarthy. After McCarthy criticized a young lawyer in the office of Welch, who was chief counsel for the Army, Welch famously responded, “Until this moment, senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness.” He continued the exchange, adding, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”
This is not the first moment in recent weeks that raises analogies to the McCarthy period.
I testified recently in Congress on the Twitter Files and how they suggest what I have called “censorship by surrogate” or proxy. In my testimony, I warned that the government’s support of blacklists and censorship was reminiscent of the McCarthy period where the FBI targeted socialists, communists, and others. I encouraged Congress not to repeat its failures from the 1950s by turning a blind eye to such abuse.
That appeared to be taken by Democrats as more of an invitation than an admonition. At that hearing, Democrats attacked virtually every witness, including former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was labeled a “Russian asset” by Hillary Clinton.
Soon after the end of the hearing, MSNBC contributor and former Sen. Claire McCaskill appeared on MSNBC to denounce fellow witnesses Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson, and Gabbard as “Putin apologists” and Putin lovers. She exclaimed, “I mean, look at this, I mean, all three of those politicians are Putin apologists. I mean, Tulsi Gabbard loves Putin.” (For the record, she also attacked me as not being “a real lawyer.”)
In later hearings, Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-VI, the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee, attacked the reporters appearing as witnesses as “so-called journalists” and said they were “a direct threat” to the safety of others by reporting the censorship story. Plaskett also later called for the possible arrest of Taibbi.
Virgin Islands Democrat Del. Stacey Plaskett attacked reporters appearing as witnesses at a previous hearing as “so-called journalists.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Democrats have attacked experts, whistleblowers and former FBI agents who came forward to raise concerns with Congress.
Now it is Durham’s turn. Rep. Ted. Lieu, D-Calif., accused a man who has served his country honestly and faithfully for decades as acting as a “political hack.”
While Durham noted that no one has challenged the facts in his reports, he was labeled as a handmaiden of MAGA and one more body to throw on “the pyre.”
Of course, the pyre reference ignored who was stoking and feeding that fire for those who depart from the mainstream narrative. Many have found themselves tossed on that pyre. Even when allegations were disproven, it did not matter.
Indeed, in the hearing, various Democrats were resurrecting bogus past claims about criminal acts linked to a meeting in Trump Tower with Russian figures. No one, including former FBI director Robert Mueller, found any such criminal conduct despite a host of legal experts declaring clear evidence of crime on cable programs.
Despite dozens of crimes long alleged by pundits and politicians that were never charged, their reputations are of course intact. That’s the point of Cohen’s advice. If you want a future, get on the team.
After all, figures like Peter Strzok were fired for bias and misconduct. It was Strzok who was part of launching a full investigation within three days of an account of a comment in a pub. It was Strzok who promised his colleague and lover Lisa Page that she did not have to worry about Trump being elected: “there’s no way he gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take the risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.”
It was Strzok who countermanded agents who wanted to close Crossfire Razor due to a lack of evidence against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former National Security Adviser.
As expected, the Democrats attacked Durham and suggested that he was “tasked” with defending Trump and fostering conspiracy theories. However, the most telling moment came early when Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen issued a dire warning to Durham.
However, Strzok did what Cohen suggested. He stuck with the narrative and found a soft landing on sites like LawFare, CNN and MSNBC as an analyst. He got the parade not the pyre.
There was an obvious frustration that the attacks did not seem to matter to Durham. His North Star has remained constant in maintaining his own integrity and his reputation with “the people I respect.” That clearly does not include some of these members.
However, it likely includes some of the professionals referenced in Durham’s testimony. He spoke of FBI agents who came to him to apologize for assisting in the Russian collusion investigation after learning the full story. It includes an agent who Durham said broke down emotionally when he learned what the FBI leadership hid from him and had to leave the room.
Durham has nothing to worry about on his reputation. History will be less kind to the members who have attacked him.
I am waiting, apparently to no end, for the nation to get away from narratives and just to the reporting of truth.
For this abrogation of duty, I fault most elements of the press, who appear determined to forge relationships with members of the government, in the creation of the narratives to push daily. I also fault those who don’t care about truth in general, but want to work effortlessly to divide the views of the people. I also fault the leaders of the institutions, who want to make sure that there are, at most, two views aired on any subject, so that there is always a lack of independent thought being presented to us.
I could rant further, but I’ll stop here; this story isn’t about me.
Jonathan: John Durham was appointed by Donald Trump and Bill Barr to do one thing–try to prove the Russian-collusion scandal was hatched by the Clinton campaign and they committed serious crimes in the process. It was a fool’s errand. Durham, if he wanted to keep his reputation intact, should have declined the appointment as a political witch hunt. He didn’t and his reputation is now in tatters. What you don’t mention is that after a 4 year investigation Durham could find only 2 people to charge–for lying to the FBI. Both trials ended in acquittals. A pretty dismal record for some one you describe “spent decades investigating and prosecuting mob leaders to murders”.
Nothing you say about about Durham or his report can change the facts. He was tasked with trying to find “crimes” that did not exist. It is not what Durham now claims in his report but what he could prove in court in front of a jury. They say “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”. Durham proved to be a poor pastry chef. His report will gather dust in the archives of the DOJ–probably only of intertest to a historian writing a book entitled “How the DOJ was weaponized under AG Barr to serve the political interests of Donald Trump”.
Dennis, how about we have a Mueller-Durham debate to settle which is the political witch hunt and which is a real investigation? How about we have Thomas Massie debate Steve (KFC chicken hat) Cohen as well?
There should be a SI for the Biden family, Biden should be impeached and you should just go away because you are as boring as Svelaz and you may even be Svelaz.
HullBobby,
Just more misinformation, disinformation and lies.
Durham’s reputation is well intact, just like the good professor’s is.
Our leftist friends have to tell their lies as if it is truth for all when it is only in their little minds they believe their own lies.
It is all they have.
The crimes exist. Russia collusion was a hoax, hatched by Hillary, discussed in Obama’s Oval Office, and carried out by Comey’s corrupt FBI.
Eventually the silly narratives promoted by the CCP, the nat sec state, and their running dogs in Congress will collapse under the weight of their own lies and contradictions. As the truth comes out, these brain-dead sociopaths will seem sillier and sillier to a public that is gradually getting educated about the truthy.
The fact that the likes of that braindead sack of cooking oil soaked fried chicken, with a mouth full of marbles such that he is unable to articulate a comprehensible sentence, is elected to the House and winds up on such a committee is a mirror to what gets to vote in this country. Perhaps the founders had the right idea establishing the Electoral College.
I did not have the time to listen to all of the questions/grilling of yesterday’s hearing, but from what I hear it went the way I expected it to go. Durham knew what he was in for, and he respected or expected from everyone who question him, he is a great American for providing everything he exposed. The Democrats are not the same as the Democrats of the JFK era which is when I started paying attention to politics, I was willing to become one of them, but later in the 60’s I changed parties, and I am glad I did. Now I can see some hope if the Republicans root out the corruption I see in Washington and the establishment of the “deep state”. Plus, Johnathan your input is greatly appreciated and respected from me, and I am sure by a lot of fellow Americans. Thank you for what you do for US.
The actions of these people recall not just the McCarthy era (interesting that we are technically in another McCarthy era now at least nominally) but a dark time in German history. In both instances, there was no fear of reprisal. The bad guys believe they can’t lose and there will never be any consequences. History contradicts that and with the internet history moves faster and it doesn’t forget. It’s always darkest before the dawn. But the dawn always comes.
Once again, conservatives avoid the logic fallacies and smears but the Democrats put on a coordinated smear campaign, rife with nasty quotes and ignorance. Durham, trying to be logical and cogent and respectful, is grandstanded by the emotional outrage of the liberals who are pining for Press coverage of their hissy fits. The Press ignores the report showing the obvious illegal activities and civil liberty infringements of the FBI and the Project Hurricane investigation as well as the Democrat involvement. The AMerican public is left ignorant.
why did the GOP give trillions to Democrats last week?
It is like upon arriving in DC…your integrity is bought!
My fear is that large segments of “the American public” are irretrievably nihilistic and now consider politics to be a mere “spectator sport.” When that happens, you are just another banana republic. (e.g. see the opening scene of Woody Allen’s movie “Bananas”).
@higheducatedsuburbanwoman: re:”The American public is left ignorant” They are not LEFT ignorant, They ARE ignorant. Tulsi Gabbard lifted the curtain Wednesday evening on ‘The Five’ by describing how the Democrat members of these committees organize themselves for such a session. They decide what their goals are going to be an assign each member to a topic. The deliberate and intentional obfuscation of facts and introduction of half-truths is designed for an already ignorant constituency without the support of which, these reprobates would not be sitting in the House of Representatives. The contempt for the intelligence of those voters is rife, re-enforced by their repeatedly being returned to D.C. every cycle. Groucho Marx would have put it this way: “I could never respect a constituency which would raise ME to high office.”
weird that “Republicans” just gave trillions of dollars to Democrats to Continue their crimes!
It is like GOP leaders endorse the Democrats crime wave!
TAKE AWAY Democrats power and Money
-Cut 50% of Fed gov
-Move 75% of DC to Heartland
-Remove entire leadership of DOJ, IRS, DHS and FBI
-5% tax Gross wall street trans & money goes offshore
-Tax all non-profits anyone gets $100k: colleges, hospitals, etc
-Ban fed aid/loans cities, states & college, make them fund themselves
-Jail Russian Hoax, COVID liars & Biden protectors, etc
-Ban public unions $ politics, only voters can fund politics
-Remove tax credits renewables, affordable housing, etc
-voting 1 day, in person, with ID, I don’t care if you vote, I care if you cheat
– 12 year limit on federal office….judge, president, senate, congress
Leave the jails for the real criminals, like Trump. However, I like the 12 year limit on federal offices. And no Judge Lifetime appointments anymore, especially on the sullied Supreme Court.
Lots of talk from Cuin. All mouth, no facts.
Really like this list! This also applies to RINO’s
Fascists care about Power…not truth or the American people.
After watching Mr. Durham in action yesterday, I found new respect for him. It was clear to me the reason he failed to bring additional charges and further investigate those responsible for this fabrication and abuse of the Justice System was he was blocked by the DC District Court System and the DC Grand Jury system. The Regime has those in the bag!!
Don’t be fooled by Durham. He did his “job.” Exposed enough, but not too much, of the subversive plot against Trump.
3 years TOO LATE!
They impeached Trump twice in the time…while doing the Russian Hoax Conpiracy!
I agree with you. Three areas where Durham seems to me to have let sleeping dogs lie:
1. Mifsud — did he work for US intelligence, national security or law enforcement agencies. Was he tasked to approach Papadopoulous. Not mentioned in the Report, and when asked by Massie and Gaetz he had nothing to say.
2, Subpoenas — when asked why he did not subpoena Comey, McCabe, Priestap, Strozk, etc when they refused to be interviewed his only explanation was that they had no relevant information. Are you kidding me?
3. Mueller Investigation — despite being tasked to look into this he did not do so. When asked by Gaetz why he did not look into who ordered cell phones wiped he had no answer.
In addition, in his opening statement Durham stressed the need for “accountability” to change things. Wasn’t that his job? What accountability did he bring or recommend?
Durham’s disclosures of guilt are appreciated, but I agree with you. There is no good answer for why specific interviews never happened while he didn’t investigate questionable circumstances.
Was there a fear that the American government would collapse from the disclosures where an entire party, President on down, is corrupt? I don’t think America would collapse, but that could be a reason for not doing a full investigation.
MRR
Notice all the people that refused to be interviewed. I thought a Special counsel had power to compel being deposed. Anybody have know how they avoided being put under oath?
Just more proof this harlot will be nuked off the planet before this decade is finished!:
https://sumofthyword.com/2021/01/07/mystery-babylon-the-great-and-her-beast/
Everybody in America knows the names of “Durham indictments are coming soon” crowd. They yapped about it every night on
@foxnews for TWO YEARS. People like @seanhannity and @jsolomonReports owe people a public apology.
@EmeraldRobinson
Mike Davis 🇺🇸
@mrddmia
Q. Again, why the hell is Biden so terrified–including ordering an unprecedented raid on his political enemy and filing unprecedented legal actions?
A. Because Trump declassified and took his copy of the Crossfire Hurricane records–which are very politically damaging to Biden.
__________________________
Garland/Biden’s unprecedented raid on Mar a Lago was to get back the Xfire Hurricane docs.
That is the real conspiracy, the actual subversion.
Seditious conspirators are Obama, Biden.
Trump broke the law. End of story. You can’t take classified documents home with you even if you are the President. If you do, you can be embarrassed, like Pence and Biden. But if you REFUSE to return them, you are violating the Espionage Act. Your’e a Traitor. Like Trump.
Good law. If you are in power and do something criminal, simply make it “confidential” then there can never be evidence and anyone that attempts to expose you is a criminal.
Yeah!!! Great stuff, very compelling. Dems are POS, period. Cohen and the rest of the neobolshies should swing.
Hey Cuin, I noticed that you left Hilary out of your little piece of garbage. Why? Did she obstruct? Did she get prosecuted? Why not?
🤡
Biden is the criminal. Even a blind man can see that Biden is the criminal.
IMPEACH BIDEN NOW!
The Democrats have turned America into a train wreck. They have such little regard for truth, honesty, morality and integrity, and such an enormous appetite for unbridled power, that they’re willing to trample on the law, the Constitution, and decency itself to maintain it.
the question is how to STOP it!
7 of the 10 richest counties are around DC now. We need to remove 75% of Federal government from DC. TOO MUCH POWER!
Pearls before swine
I’m from TN. Cohen is an embarrassment who would have never been elected except that he has catered to the black vote, constantly anti-white. His votes come from Memphis, not TN.
Sad that the honest and integrious can’t dumpster fight….Durham should have gone feral with each ad hominem bile spewed at him by those bilious, lowlife scum suckers and torn apart each of the rabidly woke Torquemada wannabes ….had he listed the sins of that bald puke Steve Cohen et al. It would have been popcorn-worthy…the namby- pamby ripostes about his reputation to ‘people he cares about’ was too milquetoast even to the ahimsa. It’s just so frustrating to watch the train wreck of democracy go in slow motion
John, just once, and hoping once would be enough, I’d like to see the witness being questioned push back with true, very personal, very private, very-very embarrassing facts against the questioner. Then, ask if they’d like all of their dirty laundry aired out during their time badgering the witness. Let’s see once and for all who’s shineola doesn’t stink.
Actually Durham did fairly brilliantly – though slightly cryptically.
I had forgotten that Schiff was the one that got catfished by Fake Russians offering Dirt on Trump.
But apparently Durham had not when Schiff questioned him.
As Durham pointed out taking calls from alleged russians offering dirt on political opponents might be unwise. but it is not illegal.
Or Adam Schiff would be in jail.
“Other” John. Good to hear from you though, Say! 😁
‘Note that none of the 2 impeachments of President Trump or the 2 indictments of former President Trump has anything to do w/ taking foreign bribes, influence-peddling or public corruption. These are things of which the CURRENT occupant of the Oval Office has been credibly accused’
@paulsperry
The lack of spine in Washington, DC is breathtaking!
Hive minded Democrats never stop lying.