There have been numerous leaks about the IG report, all of them downplaying the negative impact on people like Comey and McCabe. We can be sure that people like Comey & McCabe were mentioned in the report and their attorneys were allowed to review reported facts. It is unlikely that they were allowed to read the executive summary or the even conclusions reached based on this information.

That means that when it leaked that neither Comey nor McCabe were acting with bias, that opinion in unlikely to come from the IG report itself, but rather from what their attorneys want you to believe. It probably falls in the category of wishful thinking. In addition, it is may be nothing more or less than a preemptive response to a potentially devastating IG report.

We know that two people already know exactly what is in that report: William Barr and President Donald Trump. Obviously, John Durham also knows what is in that report, but he isn’t talking to anyone. Trump probably did not read the actual report, but he would certainly have been briefed on the findings by William Barr. More importantly, he would have been briefed on the significance of those findings.

This means that unless Barr is delusional or hopelessly biased, his comments before the Federalist Society are the best insight into the actual report. So are the recent public comments by President Trump. Trump said that the FBI was plotting against my election. He described the IG report as a horror show. He said the DOJ report totally exonerates him. He said that what Comey did was criminal.

Now compare that with what Barr said at the federalist society. He literally described a war against a duly elected government. He is either delusional, hopelessly biased, or telling the truth. If he is telling the truth, the IG report is not only going to be a strong public rebuke, it is likely to include criminal referrals. In fact, we already know that, because John Durham has been pursuing a criminal investigation for quite some time. It has been acknowledged that this includes requesting assistance from Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy and Ukraine.

The liberal left has described this as reexamining conspiracy theories and baseless allegations of misconduct. When reading these types of comments, remember they are coming from the same people who pushed the Trump Campaign Russian Collusion theory, with zero evidence. Talk about a conspiracy theory and baseless allegations of misconduct.

Today, the DOJ took action that should set off alarm bells. They filed a joint request, with the defense, to the court regarding the Michael Flynn sentencing hearing to postpone that until after the IG report is released. Flynn’s attorney already says there is Brady material that has not been released.

One thing is certain, the IG report will be released next Tuesday and Lindsey Graham will start holding hearings next Thursday. Combine that with the request, by Lindsey Graham, for specific documents regarding Joe Biden. It is unlikely that Graham would ask for these documents unless he knew what was already in there. He has obviously been hesitant to hold hearings until the IG report was released. Some in the conservative media have loudly criticized him for that. But perhaps Lindsey was less interested in a public show hearing than in letting the professionals conduct a true criminal investigation.

It is quite possible that the spin cycle will come to a halt next Wednesday. Remember that even the attorneys for people like Comey and McCabe may not fully realize the extent of legal jeopardy for their clients until that report is released. Wise attorneys representing clients who are charged with serious crimes tend to clam up and stop volunteering information.

We have seen far too many cases where a bombshell is expected and the result is a big dud. We should not be unrealistically optimistic that this will be different. But we should also not ignore the comments by William Barr and President Donald Trump since, if accurate, this may just be that rare exception.

TDM