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“You Will End Up on the Bottom of a Pyre”: Democrats Attack Special Counsel John Durham 

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.

 

206 thoughts on ““You Will End Up on the Bottom of a Pyre”: Democrats Attack Special Counsel John Durham ”

  1. The Dictatorship of relativism reigns. What John Durham endured was similar to what Matt Taibbi endured: insults and threats. Politics is the new religion of America, where there is no salvation for anyone except for the “elect”

    OceanGate CEO Missing in Titanic Sub Had History of Donating to GOP Candidates | The New Republic
    https://newrepublic.com/post/173829/oceangate-ceo-missing-titanic-sub-history-donating-gop-candidates

    Matt Taibbi
    @mtaibbi
    Welp, I guess we should hope they all die slowly and gasping in terror, then.
    Congrats @newrepublic you found a new low on Twitter!

  2. Will the Public awaken and see the forest or only see the trees? The left is trying its darnedest to divide this country? They must be shunned, ridiculed and destroyed; they are menace to society and this Great Country the United States of America.
    We’ve allowed the door to remain open and the fools have come to pillage our Constitution.

  3. Dear swing voters, please, watch the link below. It’s very short and illustrative.

    https://youtu.be/3_aluekfYmo

    If you watched congressional Democrats in action yesterday, you might notice some similarities.

    We had to kick several people out of the FBI for conducting witch hunts on behalf of Hillary, but the witch hunts keep happening. In fact, show trials of political opponents are becoming common place in NYC, D.C., and college campuses all over the country.

    Mr. Durham, Mr. Trump, and Daniel Penny are not similar in most respects, but they have a common enemy for whom everyone is a potential Hitler.
    History doesn’t always repeat, but when it does, it’s fat with irony.

    Then there’s Joe and Hunter’s sweetheart plea deal. They would have never done that for any drug addict named Hunter, and even many Democrats know it. They did it to cover up for Joe Stealin’. More toxic irony.

    Swing voters, maybe it’s time to upset the apple cart before it runs you over?

    1. What a breath of fresh air Hageman is for Wyoming compared to the Cheney carpetbag of trash that she put out on the curb.

    3. Thersites,
      That was a good read.
      Thank you for bringing that to our attention.

  5. All Durham had to do was wave a KFC drumstick 🍗 at Rep Cohen and Rep Cohen would have said Durham was as good as Clarence Darrow.

  6. Again senator McCarthy is pilloried. The Democratic Party was the communist party’s patsy then and now. As we should know by now fanatics daytime job does not correlate with the deadly venom they’re capable of. Just the vice President under FDR a communist. American who helped define the UN charter again a communist. The afore mentioned individual by J Turley Esq. also a communist. The black cloud hanging over our nation since the 1930’s is the Democratic Party collusion with Communism

  7. Republicans need to know what time it is in America.
    Communist thugs (The Democrat Party) are in power and will destroy anyone and anything that tries to stop their agenda.
    Joe Biden was not elected. He was installed. The election was rigged.
    The entire US government is corrupt. The president (Biden) is compromised and demented.
    The justice system is corrupt. The rule of law is gone.
    The FBI is corrupt to its core.
    What makes anyone believe there will be a free and fair 2024 election? There won’t be.

  8. “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.”

    Perhaps the esteemed Mr. Cohen has ties to the “brave, masked, wonderful warriors of Antifa ™” and ask them to pay Durham a personal visit?

    Wait…Antifa is only an idea, right? Nothing to see or worry about.

    antonio

  9. The Democrats are calling him names just for show. They have to pretend to be mad at him for producing a report that seems critical of the Democrats and the Democrat captured institutions FBI/DOJ. In reality, they should be giving him a medal for covering up how deep the corruption really was. Weissmann orders the Mueller team to in-almost-unison reset their phones to default, destroying government records and information necessary for his investigation. He didn’t even ask a question about it. Who ordered the female FBI agent to honeypot Popadopolous? Who was the female FBI agent? He’s not interested. What about the leak of the FISA warrant on Page by that Senate Intelligence Committee funkie? Was he really just trying to get laid, or were senators involved in the leak? Who leaked it to him? Don’t know, don’t care. How much did Obama and Biden know, and when? The one Democrat operative caught red handed and served up as the scapegoat just got a wrist slap and is back to practicing law in DC. This has been a joke, and the joke is on any who thought this was the greatest political scandal in American history.

  10. Even though the Durham Report is public, Democrats still claim the RussiaHoax was real.

  11. When all else fails, they call you names and attack your character.

    Nobody challenged the finding or called them untruthful.

    They just called him names.

    2. @the quiet man

      “When all else fails, they call you names and attack your character.
      Nobody challenged the finding or called them untruthful.
      They just called him names.”

      I am going to attempt to engage in “wokespeak”.

      We don’t debate or engage ‘nazis’. No free speech for ‘nazis’. And if you don’t agree you are probably a ‘nazi’.

      How did I do s@@tlibs? I’m new at “wokespeak”.

      antonio

  12. This is a rather ironic article, considering that the Democratic Party IS the party of “socialists, communists and others” and has been since the 1960s. The irony is that Joe McCarthy was right, and socialists and Communists, who were linked to the USSR, were out to destroy America and establish “a new social order.” As for Steve Cohen, he’s but the latest in a series of corrupt Memphis politicians who are part of a political machine dating back to Boss Crump and the Fords. The difference today is that while Crump ran the whole state, Cohen has been bottled up in the southwest corner of Tennessee. He’s a Jewish scumbag, just like his perhaps distant relative Michael in New York. Democrats offer no facts because they have none. Their strategy is to attack and stir up their base of blacks, far leftists and diehard Democrats who would vote for Satan if he ran as a Democrat. There is no telling what they”re going to do now. The sad fact is that they now control much of government, now including the military, which has become another social justice machine. I see civil war on the horizon and it may end with the foot of Jesus touching down on the Mount of Olives.

    1. Semc, Cohen is a scumbag, why the need to call him a Jewish scumbag? That makes you a scumbag.

    2. You diminish the points in your post by conflating race/ethnicity with malefeasance.

      Cohen is worse than Maccarthy as you demonstrate.
      That he is jewish is irrelevant.

  13. Jonathan: What you should be discussing, instead of John Durham, is the continuing scandal at the Supreme Court. This time it’s not about Clarence Thomas but Sam Alito–who also is the beneficiary of expensive gifts from billionaires he has not reported.

    According to ProPublica, Alito went on an all-expense paid fishing trip to Alaska–courtesy of the hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer. This included air travel on Singer’s private jet. Alito didn’t disclose this trip on his financial disclosure statements. Not only this but Singer’s businesses had at least 10 cases before the Court, including a 2014 case in which Alito sided with the majority in Singer’s favor–a case of conflict of interest.

    In a bizarre turn of events Alito refused to answer inquiries by ProPublica as it was preparing its report. Instead, anticipating the report, Alito wrote an opinion piece in the WSJ, owned by Rupert Murdock, trying to blunt the ProPublica article that had not yet been published. In his defense Alito claimed he was not aware of Singer’s connection to cases before the Court and he interpreted reporting requirements as not including “hospitality”. It’s called the “Clarence Thomas” defense. Alito further claims he accepted travel on Singer’s private jet only because using regular commercial air travel “would have imposed a substantial cost and inconvenience on the deputy US Marshals” who would have to travel with him. All pretty feeble defenses.

    So now we have 2 conservative members of the SC who have further tarnished the Court’s image–engaged in a flagrant violation of federal ethics rules enforced on every other member of the federal judiciary. The public perception is now that SC Justices can be bought by billionaires who have business before the Court. As a close Court observer this scandal should be of concern to you. I guess not. You would rather discuss the “corruption scandal” of the Biden “crime family”.

    1. Dennis, this ia ANOTHER tactic that the Left uses… when faced with their own duplicity, try to change the subject! I’m not even going to say whether the points you made and the conclusion you came up with are correct or not… You MAYBE right.. however, that is NOT what this particular issue is discussing…. when Turley talks about the Supreme Court, that might be a good time to make these points. In the meantime, I notice you have NO response to the topic at hand…

      1. Dennis is Svelaz is Gigi is sealioning Anonymous

        1. notice the upvote to “Dennis” comment minutes after posting
        2. Notice how Svelaz nor Gigi have commented in several days but their “voices” appear under new sock puppets: Wally, BabyTrump, Wyndham Earl…. it is all so predictable and unpersuasive

        trolls are gonna troll

        1. Estovir,
          I have noticed.
          And all the same shitck, to spread DNC talking points, to misinform, disinform or outright lie.

        2. This is how credibility, respect, reputation work.

          I do not expect ever to walk away from the pen name “john Say” that I use.

          I regret very few comments I have made, and mostly on those where I have been provoked to respond to the lying liars of the left in the same way they do.

          Durham is respected by those who matter.
          You are respected by those who matter,
          I am respected by those who matter.

          I do not expect in 10 years to be embarrassed by the comments I have made.

          Gigi, Svelaz, …. have no shame – they SHOULD be embarrassed – but apparently are not.

        3. All liberals sound alike to you.

          Darren banned Svelaz for an unknown reason.

          1. Has Svelaz been banned ?

            If so for what ?

            I will be happy to defend anyone who has been banned for being stupid or offensive.

            I support the free speech rights of Nazi’s and Marxists. While at the same time protesting their nonense and poking fun at them.

            Svelaz desrves ridicule not censorship.

    2. “Jonathan: What you should be discussing, . . .”

      You gotta love the pretension of those who tell a blog host what he should write about.

    3. Dennis McIntyre.. another back door attack! Thank God there are serious investigations now of the Biden Crime Family.. apparently operating for many years as a treasonous purveyor of Government Corruption according to the sobering research.. Peter Schweizer alone has uncovered evidence of a labyrinth of underground channels serving the flowing rivers of US High Tech to the CCP Military.. This is much more worthy of our attention than the distraction of debating whether gifts of hospitality from wealthy friends might influence their SC work which has nothing to do with the gift or the friend… This is no different than my parents frequently giving ‘gifts’ of hospitality over the years to their friends, a County Judge and his wife,’ ….and this, too, could have been used as an opportunity to bash the judge for political reasons had the need arose…..

    4. Fishing in alaska – oh, my. Hang him high.

      Has the entire supreme court collected over a decade as much as Biden did in 2017 ?

      Is there a credible FBI informatant reporting that Alito was provided an Alaskan fishing trip in return for his decision on a specific case ?

  14. I saw Mr. Durham and his wife at my church during Eastertime. I went up to him and said:”sir-I recognize you but I can’t place it”. He demurred gracefully but I pressed: “no- I recognize your face you are a public figure”. And then I saw him actually take a deep breath and quietly say “I’m John Durham, a US District Attorney “. Immediately my brain made all the connections and I said: “Sir- yes! I know what you are doing.” And with sincerity I said “Thank You For Your Service”. I actually saw him visibly relax and thank me. We exited the church. Saw him again since and I leave him alone. But yesterday as I watched the many ways this man was being dismissed and besmirched and slandered I told my husband: “ I am SO GLAD I was able to be someone who actually THANKED HIM for the years of dedication not only in this 4 year project but for his career”

    1. Diane,
      Thank you for doing that. I know he must have appreciated hearing some encouraging words for the very important and thankless task he was given.

    2. Great story. Thanks for sharing

      Bishop Robert Barron was once asked, “what does it take to be a Saint?” His reply was the obvious: we should all want to be Saints instead of being mediocre. America is plagued with mediocrity. You met a Saint in John Durham, a true spiritual athlete. It simply requires the will to be a Saint much like St Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower

      “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.”
      – John Durham

      America would profit immensely if we all followed his example

    3. Why thank him for a years long, so-called investigation that gave us a…..report?
      No pressure put on the top perps, no subpoenas, no interviews, no arrests, no indictments, no accountability whatsoever.

  15. Very interesting the Democrats keep bringing up things that have been proven as wrong, or debunked.
    This is more of the misinformation, disinformation and outright lies they have to keep telling to keep their voters ignorant. We see it all the time from Democrats, MSM, and those who post here.
    No matter who the candidate is, even if it is Trump in jail, vote Republican.
    I know I will.

    1. @Upstate

      Yes, and an addendum, at the least, don’t vote dem. Let’s collectively abandon the party. 👍🏼

    1. Whimsicalmama,
      I agree.
      More and more whistlblowers come forward with evidence of misconduct and corruption, at some point it will become so overwhelming the Democrats will have to face the facts and the truth.
      The question I have is with that desperation what will they do?
      Something drastic I think.

      1. @Upstate

        My thoughts, too. They have already proven there is no low they will not stoop to. It’s occurred to me this may be the motivation of wokeifying the military. They may try a hard coup next time, and they may try to lock us down over ‘climate’. We need to resist their machinations mightily this time, I know I will. And thank God for the courts. Now pardon me while I cook on my gas stove (no chef is willingly giving up their gas stove, which BTW, are harmless).

        Our dems are cheap thugs. We even have parallel tax charges a la Al Capone at this point. They can bite me.

  17. Too bad that Democrat was not born in prewar Germany or in Stalin’s Russia; he is deserving of the fate that people like him received in those totalitarian regimes. A very hateful disgusting human being. He essentially said Durham should be burned; well then he should be gassed. The progressives in the Democratic Party have crossed the Rubicon; one day the unwashed masses will demand retribution and it wont be nice.

  18. Any pyre needs to be fueled by rafts of “experts”, who exist in excess.

  19. Imagine being governed by the likes of Cohen, Nadler, Hank Johnson, Cori Bush and the other weak-minded Democrats that decided before the hearing to just attack Durham and to ignore his findings.

    Of course the Republicans then throw in Matt Gaetz to lower our own IQ level and to also embarrass that party. UGH! Don’t forget Boebert and MTG having a cat fight on the floor of the House too.

    But when it comes to pure evil it is the Democrats that take the cake. The Republicans can be fools but they are not putting their opponents in jail, censoring, taking your money to give to “slaves” and the “oppressed”, defunding the police, opening our border, weakening our military, destroying our energy sector and forcing girls to play sports against men.

    Republicans aren’t perfect, Democrats hate America and are trying to intentionally ruin it.

    1. HullBobby,
      Well said and quite right.
      It is the lengths the Democrats seemingly willing to go to destroy America that I fear. They really do seem willing to burn it all down just to maintain power. Just read the comments from our leftists friends.

      OT,
      Just read an article about a Maryland school district having gender and sexual identity clubs . . . for K-3rd graders.

  20. About what I expected. Mr. Durham was exceptional. I was happy with what he did expose and the demeanor of his presentation. The fact that 1/2 of the committee were rabid dogs was not his fault. You can’t trade logic with a rabid dog. Only way to deal with them is by putting them down (ie:elections). I believe it is in Congress’s purview to change district court areas and Federal district attorneys sites of operation. I would suggest that they get redrawn if the Repub’s win in 2024. Gerrymander the district attorneys into 1 district encompassing DC and they area of Virginia and Maryland west of DC and the eastern half of West Virginia. That would certainly change the jury pool and alleviate some of the unemployment in West Virginia, because I am sure they would be busy. West Virginians in DC courthouses. Just makes me smile dreaming about it.
    That might put the fear of god in the mind of certain hacks in the DC area.

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