HIGH NUNES!

It is always a good idea to review original source documents when trying to evaluate events. There are two letters from Devin Nunes, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. While the media has reported on both letters and has published excerpts, the actual letters contain significant facts that are not being reported.

Following is a link the first letter dated December 28, 2017. Both letters are addressed to Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General:

https://www.scribd.com/document/368046067/Devin-Nunes-letter-to-Rod-Rosenstein

The letter states that the DOJ informed the Committee that FBI Form FD-302 interview summaries did not exist. However, in early December, the DOJ subsequently located and produced the “missing” FD-302 records. These documents involved senior DOJ and FBI officials who were swiftly reassigned.

It sure looks like there was a cover-up within the FBI and the DOJ and it is quite possible that critical documents were withheld from FBI Director Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. It is obvious that a subsequent search for records was conducted that yielded documents previously reported as missing. That would explain the rapid personnel actions.

Nunes also asked the FBI to schedule interviews with Bruce Ohr, Peter Strzok, James Baker, Lisa Page, Sally Moyer and Greg Brower.

The second letter, dated January 4, 2018 provides more clarity:

https://www.scribd.com/document/368478391/CHM-Ltr-to-DAG-Re-Memorialization-of-Call-and-Subpoena-Compliance-4-Ja#fullscreen&from_embed

Designated Committee investigators and staff will be given access to all remaining investigative documents in unredacted form. There is one document that will be shown directly to Devin Nunes and his senior investigators by FBI Director Christopher Wray next week.

The DOJ agreed to furnish the witness interviews and there are now additional names, Bill Priestap and James Rybicki. It appears Nunes received additional information between the December 28, 2017 letter and the January 4, 2018 letter. It seems likely this was the result of information provided to Nunes on January 3, 2018.

Then there is a very interesting statement. “It was further agreed that all documents made available to the Committee will also be available for review by the minority Ranking Member and designated staff.” That implies that the meeting yesterday, January 5, 2018, did not include Adam Schiff and while documents will be made available to him there does not seem to be a specific date scheduled.

There are numerous reports of leaks from the House Intelligence Committee. A lot of people suspect Adam Schiff. By allowing access to these documents to Republicans and Democrats at different times it will be much more difficult to leak this information to the press without being caught.

Nunes makes a summary statement: “the Committee’s investigation of potential abuses into intelligence and law enforcement agencies’ handling of the Christopher Steel dossier. The Committee is extremely concerned by indications that top U. S. Government officials who were investigating a presidential campaign relied on unverified information that was funded by the opposing political campaign and was based on Russian sources.”

For months Democrats have been screaming about alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Yet, as of this date, we know of no evidence supporting this allegation and no one has even identified any act done by Russia that had any effect on the election. There was an allegation that Russia hacked the DNC servers, but the DNC server was never given a forensic evaluation by the FBI or the NSA, so this opinion has suspect credibility.

Nunes, on the other hand, is making allegations of collusion by the Hillary Clinton campaign and he is being very specific. When you combine this with allegations that this was enabled by senior DOJ and FBI officials it has the potential to be the worst political scandal in American history. That would explain why Nunes, Session, Wray and Rosenstein are playing this so close to the vest. As Nunes said, they are all trying to be as transparent as possible because of the major impact this could have on this country.

I do not know all the facts and neither does anyone else. But it is obvious who thinks they have the facts and who clearly doesn’t have the facts.  I also recognize the pattern used by prosecutors when they are getting ready to issue indictments.

TDM