Just Don't Call It "Spying"

The NY Times learns more about Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI effort to totally not spy on the Trump campaign:

F.B.I. Sent Investigator Posing as Assistant to Meet With Trump Aide in 2016

WASHINGTON — The conversation at a London bar in September 2016 took a strange turn when the woman sitting across from George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign adviser, asked a direct question: Was the Trump campaign working with Russia?

The woman had set up the meeting to discuss foreign policy issues. But she was actually a government investigator posing as a research assistant, according to people familiar with the operation. The F.B.I. sent her to London as part of the counterintelligence inquiry opened that summer to better understand the Trump campaign’s links to Russia.

The American government’s affiliation with the woman, who said her name was Azra Turk, is one previously unreported detail of an operation that has become a political flash point in the face of accusations by President Trump and his allies that American law enforcement and intelligence officials spied on his campaign to undermine his electoral chances. Last year, he called it “Spygate.”

She was working with Stefan Halper and may have gone along so that, in the event of a trial, she could be the FBI witness and somewhat preserve Halper's anonymity.

A nod to the obvious here, my emphasis:

The decision to use Ms. Turk in the operation aimed at a presidential campaign official shows the level of alarm inside the F.B.I. during a frantic period when the bureau was trying to determine the scope of Russia’s attempts to disrupt the 2016 election, but could also give ammunition to Mr. Trump and his allies for their spying claims.

AG Barr knew, or made a lucky guess recently:

Mr. Barr reignited the controversy last month when he told Congress, “I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal.” He backed off the charged declaration later in the same hearing, saying: “I think spying did occur. The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I’m not suggesting that it wasn’t adequately predicated. But I need to explore that.”

Mr. Barr again defended his use of the term “spying” at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, saying he wanted to know more about the F.B.I.’s investigative efforts during 2016 and explained that the early inquiry likely went beyond the use of an informant and a court-authorized wiretap of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, who had interacted with a Russian intelligence officer.

“Many people seem to assume that the only intelligence collection that occurred was a single confidential informant” and the warrant to surveil Mr. Page, Mr. Barr said. “I would like to find out whether that is in fact true. It strikes me as a fairly anemic effort if that was the counterintelligence effort designed to stop the threat as it’s being represented.”

Apparently the effort was less anemic than we have been told so far.

Comments

[1/2aboy&1/2aman]

First, seriously.

[Comanche Voter]

Barr knew Mueller for 30 years. Someone noted that it was interesting that when Mueller and Barr had a telephone conversation, Barr did it on a speaker phone with people taking notes. (Which Barr refused to give to Senator Whitehouse.) What does it say about Barr's opinion/knowledge of Mueller that he thinks he needs witnesses and records of those conversation. Mueller is a whining lying weasel--that's what it says, and Barr knows it.

[Thomas Collins]

Jim, Sunnyvale, in the event no one answered your query about whether OL got hosed on a bet with me, the answer is no. I recommended a Boston restaurant for what I recall was an OL family event. I believe the family liked the food and liked even more the fact that it was OL's funds that were financing the food and beverages. Since then, OL won't even take my recommendation for a friendly neighborhood coffee shop for fear that it's the most expensive coffee in the cosmos! :-))

[Thomas Collins]

The bet being referred to was a bet I had with several friends here. I said if Trump got the GOP nomination, I would get a tattoo and text a pic of it to those on the other side of the bet. If our paths crossed in person, I agreed to a live showing (it's on the right shoulder). There were various other sides of the bet, including homemade cookies and restaurant dinners. Needless to say, I lost the bet and stepped up with the ink. On the bright side, I never have had such positive reactions to texts I have sent to people!

[Threadkiller]

BTW just like with TK I thank you for acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

Posted by: Tom R | May 02, 2019 at 01:44 PM

You do realize that I have acknowledged the uncertainty for 2 years.

I guess I need to amend my 1:44 and add TK to the list.

If I have a comic book superpower it would be the ability to adopt the opinion of others and then get them to disagree with themselves.

Posted by: Tom R | May 02, 2019 at 01:50 PM

When I recommended that you read your comments out loud before you post them, to aid you in being more polite, I probably should have suggested that you read other's posts out loud to aid you in comprehending what was written.

As far as comic superpower you are somewhat reminiscent of Homer Simpson in the boxing ring.

[clarice]

I said that, Comanche, and I stand by it. I've taken detailed notes of all conversations with govt liars, never of a conversation with a trusted friend.

[Extraneus]

Since when did popularity of an opinion determine if it was the truth?

No idea what you're talking about. What I said is that you don't seem to know when you're outgunned. Trying to school MJW and calling JMH's schooling of you "speculation" tells me you have no idea who you're dealing with.

[Beasts of England]

'I recommended a Boston restaurant for what I recall was an OL family event. I believe the family liked the food and liked even more the fact that it was OL's funds that were financing the food and beverages.'

I missed that detail, TC - well done!! :)

[MissMarple2]

Just saw this!

Ann
🕊
‏ @Doodisgirl
15m15 minutes ago

The President will be interviewed by Catherine Herridge at 6 on Foxnews tonight.
She’s the real deal

[henry]

Can we call it ”voyeurism” instead of “spying”? Does that help their feels?

[clarice]

Frankly, it's obvious to me that Barr was well aware that the letter was a stink bomb and was non too delighted about it when he called his old friend. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if expletives were used..

[Beasts of England]

'...but could also give ammunition to Mr. Trump and his allies for their spying claims.'

Trump's allies pounce!!

[lyle]

I remember TC’s tat text. It wasn’t just the Firebird but the massive, bulging shoulder muscles that stuck out...

😎

[Tom R]

TK @ 5:49

No doubt your snark will go over well with a lot of people here but just so you know I enjoyed adopting the negative opinion of Weissman displayed by numerous posters here and then watching people trying to discredit a point based on that popular opinion.

[Threadkiller]

I’ve gotten a couple of people to admit to uncertainties today

Please read my 5:49 out loud.

[JM Hanes]

Miss Marple:

I got to your post at precisely 6:00. Thanks for the heads up!

[Threadkiller]

I enjoyed adopting the negative opinion of Weissman displayed by numerous posters here and then watching people trying to discredit a point based on that popular opinion.

You clearly are enjoying something. To bad nothing happened here today that remotely resembles this claim.

[MissMarple2]

Steven Mnuchin
‏Verified account @stevenmnuchin1
2h2 hours ago

With labor productivity up by 2.4% over the past year – the fastest pace since 2010 – it is clearer than ever that President @realDonaldTrump’s economic policies are delivering results for hardworking Americans.

[1/2aboy&1/2aman]

Regarding pictures of the Dem congressman’s stunt with the chicken: Does KFC even include the words Kentucky Fried Chicken on any packaging or advertising anymore? I thought such was unhealthy taboo. Besides why couldn’t the esteemed idiot used a more inclusive brand such as Popeye’s or Church’s?

[Extraneus]

NY state considers legalizing lemonade stands run by children

The move follows the controversial shutdown of a 7-year-old's lemonade stand last year

With blatant disregard to the apparent scourge of underage beverage sellers, a New York state senator is introducing a bill to legalize lemonade stands run by children in the state.

[Another Bob]

Clarice from the last thread: “it's no longer relevant what color hat Mueller is wearing. Once he handed in his report, he has no further role in this,”

Clarice (or anyone), I assume you’d agree that should Mueller continue to, directly or indirectly, inject himself into this process (say, by agreeing to testify before Congress) the color of his hat would become beyond all sane doubt?

[Extraneus]

ABC Yawns at Own Poll Showing More Dems Calling the Border a ‘Crisis’

ABC News and The Washington Post ignored or downplayed their own poll finding that a growing numbers of Democrats, adults, and independents now find the southern border to be at a crisis situation. ABC hasn’t reported on the poll at all. The Post on Wednesday buried the story, relegating it to page A-7 in the print edition.

The ABC News/Washington Post survey found this big result: “More than a third of Americans say that illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border is at a ‘crisis,’ up 11 percentage points since January as Democrats have grown sharply more concerned about the issue...”

Writers Emily Guskin and David Nakamura noted:

The poll, conducted by cellular and landline telephone between April 22 and 25, finds that 35 percent of Americans believe the situation is a crisis, up from 24 percent in January. While that figure included a modest increase among Republicans and independents, the percentage of Democrats who agree jumped from 7 percent to 24 percent, nearly a quarter of the party.

CBS and NBC have also ignored the poll, thus meaning all three network newscasts skipped the bad news for elected Democrats. However, Guskin and Nakamura explained, “The shifting views have altered the political calculus for Democrats, including the 20 candidates already in the race for the party’s presidential nomination, who have sought to challenge Trump’s hard-line rhetoric on immigration.”

Fox Business’s Evening Edit, unlike the networks, covered the story. Host Liz MacDonald explained:

[Jane]

Commanche,

I agree with you, I also think he's not quite right in the head these days.

[JM Hanes]

Another Bob:

I'm not sure what Mueller's legal position is with regard to being able to accept or decline an order to appear before Congress, since he is no longer a Justice Dept. employee. I wouldn't necessarily read anything one way or the other into an agreement to testify. I expect he would actually be more cautious in public under oath than he might be behind the scenes.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

You probably have not noticed something missing in the Mueller Report. There is a missing document in the appendices. The Charter letter from Rosenstein is part of the report.

The second scope expansion letter from Rosenstein used to investigate Manaforte is not. We have only seen a bit of that letter. Where is it?

- Neil Chernoff

[lyle]

“Trump’s hard-line rhetoric on immigration”

So, following the law is “hard-line”? O

Of course it is. Silly me.

[Jane]

I doubt very much Mueller "wants" to testify. He's a dirty bird.

[Porchlight]

When Thomas Collins makes a bet involving a tattoo (or anything else), he means it! Respect.

[JM Hanes]

Stephanie:

I thought the expanded scope was verbal.

[Another Bob]

JMH, you presume the dems would put him under oath. I don’t.

[PDinDetroit]

Trump: Biden is a lightweight pantywaist.

(he was nicer though)

[Extraneus]

I think Barr mentioned something about former employees testifying yesterday, and referred to the fact that they'd most likely be testifying about "privileged information," apparently implying that they're not free to just say whatever they want.

[JM Hanes]

Another Bob:

There's a reason Mueller has survived so long in DC, and I just don't see him putting himself at risk by anything resembling rank partisanship in public.

Jane:

The Republicans sure could make some hay with Mueller, no? Maybe that's why the Dems keep claiming they want to hear from him -- without ever scheduling an actual appearance.

[Porchlight]

Good news off topic. The bishop of our diocese has had a scary bout with cancer. He was diagnosed in September 2018 with a rare form of sarcoma in his right chest wall. This type of sarcoma is malignant and aggressive and does not respond well to chemotherapy.

After unsuccessful radiation and chemo, he was able to join a trial at MD Anderson in Houston for a new stem-cell therapy which had not yet been tried on sarcoma. He was randomly assigned to the new therapy, called CAR T-cell therapy.

The procedure is short and the outcome is known within just a few days. So far, the treatment appears to be totally successful. Relapse is very possible with this therapy, so he will be closely monitored.

Truly amazing. Thank God for Western medicine.

https://www.mdanderson.org/treatment-options/car-t-cell-therapy.html

[JM Hanes]

Extraneus:

"Former employees..." Hmm. It would be interesting to know what the constraints on Mueller might be.

[PDinDetroit]

Porch - Thank God indeed (and in words)

[Extraneus]

I think anonamom mentioned that "immuno" therapy a couple of days ago when I asked if there were any cancer therapies that didn't kill good cells.

[Porchlight]

Here is the latest in "conservatives pounce!"

Unbelievable, as our friend pagar would say.

Ryan Saavedra @RealSaavedra

A Democrat politician literally talks about killing “unwanted,” “retarded,” and “half deformed” babies and far-left publications like The Hill frame their report on it as “conservatives pounce”

https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1123801249915265025

[JM Hanes]

Wow, Porch. Results within days is amazing. A lot of the progress has been more incremental, so sometimes it's hard to realize how much better treatment has become over the last few decades, but it's nice to hear about something potentially miraculous once in awhile!

[henry]

@natashanerstrand

NBC now reports that House Judiciary Dems are negotiating directly with Mueller for his testimony, bypassing the AG.

https://twitter.com/natashabertrand/status/1124077569794613249?s=21

[Extraneus]

Venezuela’s Violent Suppression of Protesters Aided by Chinese Military Supplies

Including the vehicle that ran over the protesters.

[Porchlight]

Thanks, PD and Ext (and anonamom). I guess the treatment has been around for awhile, but hadn't yet been tried on sarcoma. Good to know about. MD Anderson is incredible.

[joan]

Deal With It: :)

https://saraacarter.com/viral-video-sen-grassley-drops-mic-on-media-jigs-up/

[Captain Hate]

I'm really disappointed that the "conservative press" dropped the ball so badly on the use of the word "spying" causing donk conniptions when fat boy Clapper used it twice on The View.

Up your game, boys and girls; this isn't quantum physics.

[Porchlight]

oops, and JMH. Typed too slow.

Yes, it's crazy. I guess there is some aggressive but short chemo and then they take the T-cells, genetically modify them to fight the cancer, and then re-infuse them into the patient. So other than the chemo and the blood draw/re-infusion, the patient is barely involved.

You read things like this and then some eco-freak tries to tell you how amazing it is that a monkey actually uses a tool to crush nuts and you're like, whatever.

[Jane]

JMH,

I didn’t know it hasn’t been schedulED. I should have guessed!

[Extraneus]

'Double standard': Activists say Biden's hardline drugs policies didn't apply to his children's cocaine and marijuana use

(Click to open.)

[JM Hanes]

My 2¢ on indictments etc. I'm not putting much stock in Horowitz accomplishing much. He seems to be err on the "mistakes were made" side of the ledger. Hope I'm wrong. I somehow find it so amazing that we've had nary a leak, or a word from anyone about having been interviewed, or documents subpoenaed by Huber that I really do wonder if there's actually much going on there. Maybe he runs a really tight ship, or maybe the media is studiously uninterested in that particular probe.

I don't believe there's any way Clinton or Obama will be indicted from anything. A lot of reputations may end up in ruins, but I doubt the legal consequences will be as brutal as I would like to see. I find that one slimeball I most want to see in jail is Comey. I do think that is conceivably, if unlikely. Barring that, I'd settle for shredding his reputation so thoroughly that even the left wants nothing to do with him

[Extraneus]

TRUMP CAMPAIGN Responds to NY Times Report FINALLY Admitting Obama Admin Spied on Him and His Campaign

(Click to open.)

[JM Hanes]

Jane:

I don't know for sure whether Mueller is/isn't scheduled to appear anywhere, I just hadn't heard any mention of a date/ time/place. Prolly best to verify, rather than just taking my word for it.

[Tom R]

JMH @ 6:23

The classified scope of the Mueller SC is documented in writing. We know that because an redacted copy was shown to the judge in Manafort’s trial to confirm his indictment fell under the scope of Mueller’s investigation.

[Tom R]

S/b unredacted copy

[Threadkiller]

I think Barr mentioned something about former employees testifying yesterday, and referred to the fact that they'd most likely be testifying about "privileged information," apparently implying that they're not free to just say whatever they want.

One of the Dems was screaming that they can put Don McGahn on the Senate stage and ask him anything they want and he would have to answer because he is a private citizen. Barr explained that Executive Privilege can still be exerted for anything McGahn delt with while employed in The Executive Branch.

[PDinDetroit]

Short-version: Sit and spin on it, Dems the terms.

[Extraneus]

Dems know the kinds of questions Republicans could ask him, JM. I find it hard to believe that will ever be allowed to happen, though I'd pay to see it!

"When did you first realize your investigation was predicated on phony opposition research and what was your state of mind when you learned that? Did you discuss it with the Deputy Attorney General?"

"When were you able to conclude that no 'collusion' occurred, and if it was before the 2018 midterms, why didn't you tell the American public at that time?"

"Did you consult with DoJ ethics professionals before making your staff selections, and were you unconcerned about the appearance of impartiality and the obvious political allegiances of your chosen staff?"

Etc., etc., etc.

[Tom R]

I hope Mueller testifies before Congress. Doesn’t matter to me if its the Senate or House. He would be dealing with Democrat mental midgets either way. If it happens I hope Barr is sitting next to him and determining which questions he would be allowed to answer.

[henry]

@GeorgePapa19

Will be on @TuckerCarlson tonight discussing all the spies thrown my way! Tune in!

[Threadkiller]

"Did you interview for FBI director the day before you were appointed Special Counsel?"

"Why did you leave your phone behind the day you met with Trump?"

[MissMarple2]

Dan Bongino
‏Verified account @dbongino
2h2 hours ago

The police-state Democrats are panicking because even their pals at The NY Times have been forced to acknowledge that the Trump team was spied on. Just wait until the Mifsud story drops. They’ll need a mental health intervention when it does. It’s ALL coming out. #Spygate

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

IDK I was just reporting a factoid from FB. Interesting if true.

++++++++++++++++++

Ariel has learned to take her clothes off and decorated her nursery with poo yesterday. Was it wrong of me to laugh uproariously as the daughter relayed the story saying payback is a bitch?!?

[Jane]

Love it Ex, and really love Pascale!

[Comanche Voter]

I stopped reading the NYT 15 years ago; but on the other hand, I stopped reading Mad Magazine when I was 16 or 17. Mad Magazine made more sense then (the late 50s) than the NYT does now.

But having read the WSJ's report on the Barr testimony hoohah yesterday, I thought I'd break a rule and buy a copy of the NYT on my visit to Starbucks. And I found a nugget in their story.

It seems that Team Mueller had prepared Executive Summaries of their report(s), and had given them to Barr along with the 480 page document. Barr--that dastardly villain!!!!!!--chose not to release the Executive Summaries. How could he reject Team Mueller's summaries, no doubt full of nuance and context and codswallop, and instead prepare his own lawyerly summary of what he saw!

Barr has some nerve! Sez the various noodniks on Team Mueller. Well the explains some of the hurt feelings on Team Mueller.

[Beasts of England]

Love it, Steph!! 😂

[Extraneus]

"After learning that your entire appointment was predicated on 'salacious and unverified' opposition research from a DNC-paid British agent and some unidentified Russians, what steps did you take to determine whether any related crimes had been committed?"

[Jane]

I still have those ‘25 guest in’s for Mueller’ sitting on my laptop!

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

I did have the sense that God gives a goose to run out to Walmart today and pick up some summer footie pajamas with zippers that she hasn't mastered unzipping yet, beasts.

The daughter got a 2nd job and will be in Seattle for a month being trained and then working TSA style scanners for several tech companies' conferences/seminars and such coming up. $6K a month to stand around and watch snowflakes go through TSA style scanners. Then two weeks on and two weeks off in various parts of the country.

Guess who Ariel will be staying with for parts of that month? Ain't no poo finger painting happening on my watch!!!!

[Beasts of England]

Also, Comanche Voter, Mueller gave Barr a non-redacted report, which delayed the release until the 6(e) items were reviewed.

[KevlarKid]

a promising cancer treatment modality. it's gained traction in Australia, but has had trouble advancing in the US. the researcher/inventor is Rafael Davalos, the brother of my (now silent) business partner.

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-26779-1_166-1

[JimNorCal]

TC, thanks for the explanations. I can well imagine that you'd relish a shot at revenge LOL

[Extraneus]

You got it, Comanche. That's was what it was about. And they purposely gave Barr an unredcated report, without recommending the passages to be considered for redaction, so as to delay the release of the full report while dominating the media narrative with their made-for-TV summaries. I've read speculation that this may also have been in defiance of Barr's direction or request to provide redaction recommendations.

But Barr didn't release the summaries when he released his 4-page memo, foiling Mueller. That's what the whining is about.

[Tom R]

Beasts,

I will go out on a limb and assume Barr preferred reading the unredacted report versus receiving a redacted report andtrying to figure out what was written behind the black blocks.

[JM Hanes]

Tom R:

I thought that Rosenstein had confirmed, in writing, to the judge that he had sufficiently expanded Mueller's mandate orally. I may not be remembering the details correctly, however.

On the one hand, we have this (excerpts from Politico)

"The May 17, 2017 [appointment] order was worded categorically in order to permit its release without confirming specific investigations involving specific individuals," Rosenstein wrote in the Aug. 2, 2017 memo. "The following allegations were within the scope of the Investigation at the time of your appointment and are within the scope of the Order: ... Allegations that Paul Manafort: Committed a crime or crimes by colluding with Russian government officials with respect to the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 election for President of the United States, in violation of United States law. Committed a crime or crimes arising out of payments he received from the Ukrainian government before and during the tenure of President Viktor Yanukovych."

On the other, there is this:

Prosecutors also said Rosenstein — who has sometimes been the focus of Trump's ire — gave a specific go-ahead for Manafort's indictment and Mueller's other critical moves in the probe.

"Every key step in this case — including the investigative path and the Indictment itself — has been authorized by the Acting Attorney General through ongoing consultation," Mueller's team wrote in a brief opposing Manafort's bid to throw out the D.C. case.

The new disclosures about the Justice Department's internal handling of the Manafort investigation came in response to a motion Manafort's lawyers filed last month in U.S. District Court in Washington asking to have the criminal charges pending against him there thrown out on the grounds that Mueller's appointment was defective and that he exceeded his authority in going after Manafort.

I seem to recall that there was more to the latter process than the relatively anodyne Politico description suggests, but I must admit, grabbing something from the fridge is suddenly a lot more appealing than the additional googling it would take to refresh my memory.

[Tom R]

JMH,

Here is the redacted memo.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4429989-Rod-Rosenstein-memo-outlining-scope-of-Mueller.html

[Threadkiller]

Barr probably would have preferred one of each. Redacted and not redacted.

[Beasts of England]

I thought Barr requested that the report be redacted, Tom R? I've read that a few different places, but don't have a quote offhand...

[Beasts of England]

Good point, TK.

[Tom R]

RIP Peter Mayhew the actor who played Chewbacca.

[Thomas Collins]

I think that was my abdomen that was bulging out, lyle. :-)

Thanks, Porchlight, especially since I recall you are not a big fan of ink!

[henry]

Solomon:

Breaking: Ukrainian embassy confirms DNC contractor asked country for Trump dirt in 2016

https://twitter.com/jsolomonreports/status/1124089435640008704?s=21

[JM Hanes]

TomR:

Thanks for the link. That must have been what I was thinking about. I do remember there being a public version of his appointment and a "secret" version. I just thought the secret part came later, as an expansion, not as simply the classified elements of the original mandate. Rosenstein's August memo certainly fills that whole bill though.

[Extraneus]

I just went to Google for the first time in months, figuring they might know best whether Barr asked Mueller for redaction recommendations, but it's a fever swamp. Wow.

[MJW]

Jane: It happened long before the administration was in touch with him, Trump didn't know him.

I'm not certain if you're disagreeing with me or not, but the thesis of the Human Events article is that the Trump's lawyers worked with Barr in composing the obstruction letter. My point was, I expect during the confirmation hearings, Barr was asked whether he wrote the letter on his own, or at the behest of Trump.

[JM Hanes]

Beasts:

I think Barr asked for a report with proposed redactions indicated,

[Extraneus]

That Rosenstein memo seemed to be an authorization to investigate tangential figures like Roger Stone. The redactions didn't seem to be hiding a new scope.

[JimNorCal]

So .... sorry, I guess I'm not following the news closely enough but did the public ever get to see the Special Prosecutor's authorization and what crime he was investigating?
Some of the comments above seem to show that. But for quite a while it was a frequent question

[MJW]

Tom R:I consider all the stupidity displayed by the Democrat Senators yesterday extremely beneficial to Trump and Barr.

The give-them-enough-rope theory again? What action by Mueller can't it justify?

[Tom R]

DawsonSField on the new revelation in the Human Events article.

https://twitter.com/dawsonsfield/status/1124056569849819141?s=21

[clarice]

Barr wasn't asking for them to give him ONLY the redacted report for heaven's sake. He wanted them to give him a second one showing which things he wanted redacted. Good grief this is getting idiotic.

[henry]

@seanmdav

Trump told Catherine Herridge of Fox News to expect declassification of key documents about the Obama administration's anti-Trump spying operation in the coming weeks.

[JM Hanes]

Extraneus:

"That Rosenstein memo seemed to be an authorization to investigate tangential figures like Roger Stone. The redactions didn't seem to be hiding a new scope."

Yes, that's the point that TomR was making. I was the one who thought that Rosenstein had expanded the permissible scope, verbally, at a later date.

[clarice]

The expanded authorization which I read elsewhere gave Mueller authority to go after Flynn's son.

[MJW]

DawsonSField on the new revelation in the Human Events article.

It wasn't a revelation; it was a hypothesis -- and one I'm skeptical of, for the reason I've stated.

[Rocco]

Duct tape Steph, it works!

[henry]

This is bad:

researchers refer to a “startling rise” in the number of account takeover (ATO) attacks, with an analysis of those aimed at their own customers suggesting 29% of organizations had seen their Office 365 accounts compromised by hackers in March alone

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2019/05/02/microsoft-office-365-accounts-under-attack-what-you-need-to-know/

[henry]

@MZHemingway

My rule is to never ever ever ever hope that an IG report will really do anything meaningful or hold anyone accountable, but ... yes

https://twitter.com/mzhemingway/status/1124032448940126208?s=21

[Beasts of England]

'He wanted them to give him a second one showing which things he wanted redacted.'

Thanks, Clarice. That's how I should have phrased it.

[Narciso79]

Some interesting details:

https://mobile.twitter.com/watchful1/status/1124095955928866818

[Tom R]

MJW @ 8:01

The revelation was Barr’s point for point refutation of Weissman’s legal theory on OoJ. There is no way he could do that without having full access to Weissman’s theory.

The hypothesis is on how Barr acquired Weissman’s information,action. You were correct to question the hypothesis of the author. It failed the smell test to me. DawsonSField presented a different hypothesis.

[Threadkiller]

Trump told Catherine Herridge of Fox News to expect declassification of key documents about the Obama administration's anti-Trump spying operation in the coming weeks.

::yawn::

[Narciso79]

The bureau pulled the trigger, because Chapman's handler (who was the basis of a character in red sparrow) was a company asset.