Last week (September 17, 2020) the investigators for US Attorney for the Eastern District, Jeffrey B. Jensen, who is conducting an ongoing review of the FBI investigation that led to charges in this case of General Michael Flynn, interviewed FBI Special Agent William Barnett, who handled the counterintelligence investigation of Mr. Flynn, and was subsequently assigned to the Special Counsel’s Office investigating Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential Election. Barnett’s testimony is devastating for Jim Comey, Andy McCabe and Peter Strzok and a host of other FBI collaborators keen on destroying Donald Trump.
Barnett’s testimony is succinct. Here are the key snippets from his sworn testimony:
BARNETT thought the Crossfire Hurricane investigation was “opaque,” with little detail concerning specific evidence of criminal events. BARNETT thought the case theory was “supposition on supposition.” Initially, BARNETT believed his lack of understanding concerning the case was a result of his just becoming familiar with the case.
After being involved in the investigation for six weeks, BARNETT was still unsure of the basis of the investigation concerning Russia and the Trump Campaign working together, without a specific criminal allegation.
The Department of Justice and FBI Headquarters were having meetings concerning the RAZOR investigation which neither BARNETT nor any other line agents were invited to attend. The RAzOR investigation was ”top down,” meaning direction concerning the investigation was coming from senior officials.
BARNETT still did not see any evidence of collusion between the TRUMP Campaign and the Russian Government. . . .BARNETT believed the investigation was a check the box exercise, making sure all bases were covered, before the case was closed. BARNETT did not think the RAZOR investigation was leading or headed toward prosecution.
The information obtained through the NSLs did not change BARNETT’s mind that FLYNN was not working with the Russian government.
BARNETT said the “get TRUMP” attitude was exhibited in two ways. BARNETT referred to incidents involving TRUMP which were taken in the most negative manner, or in some cases misinterpreted.
BARNETT said numerous attempts were made to obtain evidence that TRUMP directed FLYNN concerning [contact with Russia] with no such evidence being obtained. BARNETT said it was just an assumption, just “astro projection,” and the “ground just kept being retreaded.”
With respect to FLYNN’s [conversations] with the Russian Ambassador in December 2016, BARNETT did not believe FLYNN was being directed by TRUMP. BARNETT did not believe FLYNN had any additional information to provide to Special Counsel’s Office (SCO). BARNETT believed the prosecution of FLYNN by SCO was used as a means to “get TRUMP.”
It is clear that Barnett’s testimony represents a damning piece of evidence to support the case that senior FBI Officials, including Comey, McCabe and Strzok, conspired and abused power in a futile effort to indict Donald Trump for a non-existent conspiracy with Russia. The release of this information is a clear signal that Attorney General Barr is good for his word to get to the bottom of this travesty. Kudos to Special Agent Barnett–he kept his honor intact.
**NSL is the acronym for National Security Letters. A national security letter (NSL) is an administrative subpoena issued by the United States government to gather information for national security purposes. NSLs do not require prior approval from a judge. The Stored Communications Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Right to Financial Privacy Act authorize the United States government to seek such information that is “relevant” to authorized national security investigations. By law, NSLs can request only non-content information, for example, transactional records and phone numbers dialed, but never the content of telephone calls or e-mails.[1]
Where’s Barnett been up to now?
BTW, where have the rest of the FBI agents in this “investigation” been?
They take an oath to the Constitution or to their pension?
Deep state paper pushers.
The FBI Agents are telling their stories and the truth is coming out. Just because you’ve not heard about it does not mean that nothing is happening. I hope your appreciate that Barnett gave his statement a week ago and now it is part of the record. That signals something big is coming.
Mr. Johnson it did happen four years ago. And we have been told repeatedly that “something big” is about to happen. I think the FBI is not the FBI of old, too bad they are not fighting a right wing threat instead of Antifa, because then at least their sniper would have to be lying about his gun mis-firing.
Everyone here has been watching this in real time as it played out over the last 5 years. It passed the average Joe by like so much static. The reveal appears to be being stage managed like a tightly written crime drama. I will sleep well tonight.
The real problem is that people have been watching all this play out in real time–but they’ve been watching it in real time through two quite different sources: the MSM and FOX. Some have been following political blogs. But, frankly, not as many as one might think. Many, many don’t follow politics at all really.
I’d say the vast majority of a-political citizens (a larger group than you think) just do not give political intrigue much thought at all. They find it demeaning and boring.
I think you would be absolutely flabbergasted at how little many many people–those who lean left and those who lean right–really know any details about the issues discussed on a blog like this one.
That is why people like LJ and others MUST keep drilling down on the details–for the sake of what is recorded about our history.
History keeps repeating itself BECAUSE so many people do not really know the details of history.
Just one example: I recently was confronted by a woman from my high school class. She had known that I leaned Democrat when Kennedy was running against Nixon. This was all during my time in junior high. So, now, years and years later, she thought I was being hypocritical for not liking the horrid Obama since at one time when I was fourteen I was for a Democrat.
She is a woman who married right out of high school–one of those who “had” to get married. She has been living in a bubble since then for all intents and purposes. She hears only bits and pieces of the news. She spends her time in her bridge parties. She attends yard sales and, though it is not a bad thing to do, spends a LOT of time following her grandchildren’s sports events and club activities, etc.
But, her intellectual growth is not advancing much at all.
You’re not the only person saying this, and I hope yall are correct.
But.
If “what is coming” is not a complete refurbishment of national law enforcement, but just another round of “gee this case was total bullshit but all the others are great police work really”… then I dont think it’s going to help much.
Anybody ever find out what the FBI was doing with the poor folks who lost their kid in New Mexico? remember the one where they bulldozed the campsite instead of picking up the ammunition stockpiles?
Point is, the FBI hasn’t done anything in this case that is a new travesty for them, so far as I know. They just got much more publicity this time.
Larry you have done a very fine job covering this topic for the past couple of years, but I’ve grown to accept “it’s Chinatown.”
Trump has such a hard time finding anyone willing to help. He had been undermined so much it’s hard for him to even find good people for his administration. For example, the head of the FBI is more interested in protecting his job and the agency than exposing what happened.
Trump has done himself no favors either. He alienates people with his behavior. He’s not making any efforts to reform the problem that allowed this to happen. Where are the efforts reform of the FBI, CIA, NSA? Trump gave these agencies more powers. Assange is on the verge of suicide after Trump helped to put him in jail. Flynn is still under the gun after he was fired by Trump. Why would anyone want to stick their neck out for Trump if Assange and Flynn are having theirs placed under guillotine?
I also don’t think what Obama did rose to the level of treason. Obama was protecting his legacy and even though millions Americans will say it was treasonous, for millions of other Americans it will be seen as heroic. Need I remind anyone Lincoln committed treason as defined in the constitution when he declared his war against the rebel states… and Lincoln’s a hero!
That doesn’t excuse what Obama did, but he’s protected too. He only signed off on something that was presented to him with a nod and a wink. It’s no different to what Bush claimed with his Iraq war lies, “the intelligence said Iraq had WMDs.” Bush will never face war crimes for what he did. Obama didn’t devise a campaign to spy on Trump and make this stuff up. That’s not his alley. Hillary too played a part, but she wasn’t in the administration, at least not yet.
It’s really the three stooges who are to blame for making this mess. It’s harder to say who between Comey and Clapper is Larry or Curly; however, Brennan is definitely Moe. The way they went about investigating Trump proves they really believed Hillary would win and that she would cover their tracks. They were wrong, but even they’re a little protected too. After all, Clapper got away with lying to Congress about surveillance powers before.
Maria Bartiromo, a sober media resource, is now claiming – no indictments, no reports ……before election day. Or does she mean never? Or is this a planted head fake to focus only on the SCOTUS nomination.
Probably a good call at this late date. If Trump can’t beat Biden, we deserve what we get. There is still a full 2.5 months for Trump to get our the fruits of this long investigation on his own terms, should he be asked by the voters to leave office in late January 2021. (God forbid)
“Who wins race: turtle or hare”?
Keep in mind what justice does NOT! look like. . . .1] Chauvin charged with murder before any evidence was in.
2] Ditto the Atlanta officer
3] Flynn, PapaG, and the hell Mueller himself put KTM through.
And keep in mind it take longer to build a house than burn one down.
Mueller we now know was hell bent on destroying KTM, too.
Imagine you are Chris Wray, new director of FBI, and your boss is Rod Rosenstein. [And Jeff Sessions, and de fact, Bob Mueller and Andrew Weissmann.]
Think about it.
Two agencies FBI/DOJ chock full of leadership monsters. These monsters setting fires like BLM/Antifa! [Tell me how these seditionists are any different in purpose?]
And Mueller is de facto in charge of DOJ [until Barr told him in March 2019 the gig was up]. And we paid $30M, that is the ultimate kick in the arse. $30M for Mueller to try and ‘verify’ the Steele Dossier — I have never seen such nonsense.
Do we expect [and want?] Barr [and Wray*] to act like those that take actions — as in: 1] 2] and 3] above?
Weissmann admitted in his book there was nothing about what SCO was doing, to do with justice viz. Trump, etc. rather it was – in Weissmann’s world [words]: SCO as “checking function Mueller provided on the actions of the president.”
None pushed this arrangement to be in place harder than Liz Warren, a fake liberal who knows nothing about actual principles of The Liberal Tradition in spirit of Enlightenment. She demanded a SC that could not be removed.
Where the hell was that —“checking function Mueller provided on the actions of the president” —- in the Rosenstein Scope Memos to Mueller? Since those have yet to be fully redacted for public inspection, maybe we will find that out too someday.
I can attest, having read it, that Weissmann’s ‘checking function’ ain’t found in USA Constitution.
And don’t forget the boy sent to do a man’s job, then-AG Sessions recused himself for no rational reason.
Sessions shitting his pants is no rational reason to recuse himself as the AG; there have been myriad hyenas demanding Barr do the same, and did he?
In retrospect, think of the massive damage Sessions did by his incompetence. Don’t expect an essay in NYTimes elucidating this majestic failure.
Did Barr fold up tent when the hyenas called for him to recuse and was threatened with impeachment?
Nope: he laughed at them. He mocked them. And don’t say this didn’t happen. I watched him do that.
Barr. . .He keeps on plodding along like the hare.
Ask Gen. Flynn and/or KTM if they want Barr to change how the AG is doing his job.
Thank you Larry for this essay.
PS
Also, the below essay, and comments, well worth reading:
https://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-barnett-302.html?m=1#more
And, yes, Trump has made mistakes.
And, yes, he has been betrayed by many of the men he has appointed to serious jobs that he expected would help him lead the government.
[And don’t forget, there is now evidence Barry himself leaked the Flynn/Kislyak meeting to Ignatius/Washington Post, that was filed by DOJ last week in federal court, right under Judge Sullivan’s long nose]
“Where are the people of poetry and the people of light?
Where are the people of knowledge and first tribes?
Like all others, they have come and gone.
Not a one of them has remained,
neither those who succeeded nor those who failed.
.
.
.
and do not say that these things did not happen.
.
.
.
Do not say you are a victim of fate
Everyone who takes a road
Arrives at its destination. . . .”
-30-
Larry, I wonder if this might be of interest to Team Mueller:
“Amy Coney Barrett Demolishes the Qualified Immunity Claim of a Detective Accused of Framing a Man for Murder”
https://reason.com/2020/09/23/amy-coney-barrett-demolishes-the-qualified-immunity-claim-of-a-detective-who-framed-a-man-for-murder/
Given the way the Flynn case is heading it looks like Justice Barrett might be writing another majority opinion demolishing qualified immunity for various and sundry deep state hacks. No wonder the left is desperate.
why did Trump stonewall the Mueller investigation, giving democrats reason to stretch it out past the mid term elections? Why did Roger Stone refuse to testify at his own trial? Why was the republican controlled house not able to get all of this info revealed back then?
I do not doubt what Larry is saying here. Just that things do not add up.
Steve,
Trump was advised by lawyers that he would have been seen as obstructing justice if he impeded the Mueller investigation in any way.
As for Roger Stone, he really put his foot in his own mouth and there was nothing he could do to fix that. He would have been testifying against himself in effect by suggesting he was lying and making things up before.
Republican-led house couldn’t get information because investigations were being undermined left and right. Their efforts were undermined by the same people who were leaking negative information about the Trump administration like a sieve.
It turns out the CIA had asked the FBI to investigate if Hillary created the Russian hack narrative to tie it back to Trump. See here:
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/chairman-graham-releases-information-from-dni-ratcliffe-on-fbis-handling-of-crossfire-hurricane
Looks like Obama and Brennan covered their asses well.
Too bad for Comey, at least he has a Showtime series! Jeff Daniels got to play him. Maybe that will be enough to save his ass.
Hillary is in a spot of trouble too, but I think the Clintons remain too well protected.
Maybe Trump does something with this, maybe he just uses it to protect himself from further investigation. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe something good will come of all this. This new developments are the most promising to date.
Too bad for Comey, at least he has a Showtime series! Jeff Daniels got to play him. Maybe that will be enough to save his ass.
Hillary is in a spot of trouble too, but I think the Clintons remain too well protected.