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Minor FBI official pleads guilty of altering evidence in Russian collusion hoax

Yawn: The so-called Durham investigation into the effort by high-level FBI and Justice Department officials to misuse their power to try to overthrow the election of President Trump has gotten its first guilty plea, that of a minor FBI lawyer who had altered evidence in order to help justify the FISA warrant against Carter Page that made possibly the political spying on the Trump campaign and administration.

Clinesmith was charged in federal court in Washington D.C. with one count of making a false statement for altering information he had received from the CIA in June 2017 to hide the fact that Trump campaign official Carter Page was a source for the Agency. The alteration caused the Justice Department to make a false representation to the FISA Court that approved surveillance of Page for nearly a year, the criminal information filed by Durham states.

Clinesmith “did willfully and knowingly make and use a false writing and document knowing the same to contain a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement and entry in a matter before the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch,” the court filing said.

The statement Clinesmith’s lawyer released to the Washington Post is especially laughable:

“Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email. It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate. But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility,” the lawyer told the Post. [emphasis mine]

“It was never his intent.” What a bald-faced lie. Clinesmith was told by the CIA that Carter Page was a source of information for them. He then consciously changes the words in a CIA email (which stated as much) so that it stated the exact opposite. This faked evidence is then included in the warrant request presented to the FISA court to justify spying on Page, and the Trump administration. If the FISA court had known Page was a CIA source, the entire FISA warrant request, as written, would have made no sense, and would have been denied.

Regardless, while it is good that this guy has plead guilty, he is small potatoes. Unless some of the big fish get fried — such as James Comey and Andrew McCabe and maybe even Barack Obama — this investigation is junk and the first administrative coup attempt by an unelected bureaucracy will go unpunished, guaranteeing more such coup attempts in the future.

Or to put it even more bluntly, since the administrative state is tightly aligned with the Democratic Party, it will become impossible for anyone from any other party to ever gain power ever again. For even if they should win an election, that administrative state will quickly move to remove them, under false pretenses, knowing it will not be punished for voiding a legal election.

A more hopeful take would be to say that Clinesmith has struck a deal and is going to provide the information necessary to indict these big fish. Recent history has not born out such hopeful takes, however, as the Justice Department, under Republican rule, even under the Trump administration, has routinely failed to follow through in this manner. Instead, they scapegoat the people at the bottom (maybe), and then make excuses for those in charge.

We shall see.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

18 comments

  • Cotour

    “A more hopeful take would be to say that Clinesmith has struck a deal and is going to provide the information necessary to indict these big fish.”

    And without doubt if Trump is not successful this will not go much further.

    But this is the direction that things are going IMO:

    DONT OR CANT SEE THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS WITH BLM?

    Your a compassionate and caring young American political activist? You see a need? You see inequality in America?

    https://summit.news/2020/08/14/black-lives-matter-mob-demands-white-people-give-up-their-homes/

    Now do you understand what the problems with the organization Black Lives Matter are? How does a political movement get to this point of justification for chaos, violence, threats, extorsion and mayhem?

    MARXISM and Communism, its their foundation.

    You think its all about something else that is righteous, “injustice” and “inequality”, but its not, its about Marxism and Communism. Discontinue fooling yourself please. Why? Because you are neither of those.

    Marxism and Communism use the black population in America to foster a race war of one form or another, a war in which those brain washed and manipulated black Americans become the first casualties in that war. Tell me what holds back any black American today in 2020 America other than their vision, aspirations, drive and natural talents?

    What holds any black American back in 2020 other than the culture of dependency that has been invested in, instilled and grown by the Democrat party leadership over the last 70 years in order that they acquire and retain their political power? I see and know many, many very successful black Americans today in 2020 America. Lots and lots, I see them every day. How did that happen in such an institutionally racist country?

    Your and every Americans good life sits upon two foundational concepts, 1. The Constitution, and 2. Capitalism. And anyone who attempts to sell you some other reason that your life is so good and needs changing is lying to you and they are seeking to steal your freedom in order to gain in their political power. That is just how simple all of this is to understand. Never surrender your foundation and your freedom, never.

    Black Lives Matter? Black lives certainly matter, but the organization Black Lives Matter is seeking to steal your freedom in the name of “Equality”.

    What do I like? I like: BLACK LIVES MAGA. Much more honest, inclusive and truly just and equal.

    This will be an important component to the Trump reelection.

  • Cotour

    I just heard John Solmon being interviewed and he pointed out that because the major players here are being interviewed and commenting that that would not be a good sign for indictments because no rational defense lawyer would allow such interviews.

    But he also pointed out that there were other investigations going on.

    And we have to face the reality that this all exists within the political realm and for it to be dragged out and into the pedestrian realm may not entirely happen.

  • Ray Van Dune

    I think we can all identify the Clintons as getting the trashing this country underway by the example of their criminal behavior over the past several decades. What utter scum the Democrats chose as their role models, and how effectively they aped them!

  • Max

    “For even if they should win an election, that administrative state will quickly move to remove them, under false pretenses, knowing it will not be punished for voiding a legal election.”

    That was just a small sample of the power they assume they have. This coronavirus has been a masterful peace of work coordinated in every state shutting down the economy and now bankrupting our system.
    The democrat candidates are weak and a joke. A distraction. Is there another plan afoot? Anybody noticing the problems with the post office? And guess who’s going to handle all the mail in ballots across the country… Are they going on strike just before the elections even if they get money from President Trump? Will the elections be postponed during the chaos, and the speaker of the house will take power until the issues are resolved? (if they ever are) Regan fired the air traffic controllers, I don’t see such action will be peaceful under these circumstances.

  • David Eastman

    The best take I’ve heard is that if they take the kind of evidence that people like us have been hearing, and really push that out hard as “no, this isn’t right-wing fringe conspiracy theory, it’s hard evidence that we’re going to be using in trials of really big household names that media pushed all along as lily-white defenders of the truth” it will basically result in the destruction of the FBI, CIA, and main Justice. Especially if they start going after the big national names, the democrats are going to come in on the side of “destroy our guys, and we’ll burn it ALL down.” And there is nothing in the wings that would lead to a better replacement, anything we got after the bonfire would certainly be worse. So the people in charge, like Barr, who know what happened, and would really like to punish those responsible, don’t dare. They just have to poke around the edges, go after people who are still in government or low level, and hope the message gets across. They won’t be going after anybody who already resigned, and they certainly won’t be going after the big elected and appointed officials.

  • James Street

    “A more hopeful take would be to say that Clinesmith has struck a deal and is going to provide the information necessary to indict these big fish.”

    I’ll take you up on that bet.

  • James Street: What bet? I was not making my prediction, I was offering possibilities. Personally I think the worst will happen, as no one in Washington really has the interests, or the law, in mind in anything they do.

  • Alex Andrite

    Chaos !!
    It is chaos which assaults us.
    And even now it is here in our midst.
    Chaos is their weapon of choice.
    Their only weapon. Jealousy, Envy, Strife.

    And what are our weapons in this war ?

  • Edward

    Favored Democrats have been getting away with murder ever since Chappaquiddick, when the Massachusetts voters reelected Ted Kennedy. The Party became shameful, after that, becoming more and more shameful with each passing decade. Democrat voters lack ethics, so it is no surprise that their politicians lack them, too. No wonder the Democrats think that they can get away with this scandal, as well as elect a senile president.

    This is a slow start with a minor official. I will not be impressed until there are big fish in prison. I have been hearing all day what a wonderful thing this is, but it took too long and does not get anyone of consequence. Flynn and Stone, for example, were charged quickly, and both have suffered greatly, along with other victims of Obama’s cronies in his deep state resistance brigade.

    For decades, we have believed that “it can’t happen here,” but we believed that because the Constitution was followed. So long as the politicians and bureaucrats follow the Constitution (the supreme law of the land) and the laws and rules, we can operate with minimal corruption.

    Unfortunately, not only is the parenthetical clause of the first sentence of the Fourteenth Amendment not followed, but more and more of the Constitution is violated with each passing year. The result is that it now can happen here, and is already happening.

    Even the president is no longer immune from bogus accusation and trial, with the Democratic Party willing to vote to impeach and vote to convict despite their admission that the impeachment is “bereft of evidence.” Corruption is rampant in the Democratic Party, because we have let them get away with it for too many decades.

    No one is safe from the vindictive, power mad Democratic Party.

  • Cotour

    Related: WHEN SANITY RETURNS TO AMERICA

    When sanity returns to America the color of your skin will have nothing to do with the consequences you pay for the violent crime against all of society that you commit.

    https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/14/district-attorney-larry-krasner-jovaun-patterson-shooter-mike-poeng-deli-store-owner/

    When sanity returns to America if you enter a business holding a loaded AK-47 and your intent is to rob that business and you either kill or injure someone with that AK-47 in the commission of what we can all agree on that it is a violent crime against us all, you will pay dearly for your actions. Possibly with your life. You pose a threat to everyone no matter the color of your skin.

    When sanity returns to America a political party that rails against AK-47 and AR-15 type firearms and threatens to confiscate them from all of the law abiding Americans who have a naturally born Right to own, possess and protect themselves with them will stop their irrational and un American political rhetoric of chaos, confusion and racially based double standards.

    BUT if someone of a certain skin color or of any any skin color for that matter happens to commit this kind of violent crime with that kind of firearm or any firearm or weapon and kills or injures someone and the prosecutor who is closely associated with that certain political party who is charged with protecting the public from such violent and dangerous people sees that its his or her “moral” duty to give that violent person a pass because of their skin color or some culturally based or perceived inequity, then that is proof that we, or at least they, are no longer sane.

    When sanity returns to America the “progressive” agenda of insanity and double standards and the political party that is well behind and drives it will no longer exist.

    When sanity returns to America.

    BLACK LIVES MAGA

  • Cotour

    I want to share part of a response from a young Liberal / “Progressive” friend of mine to my above email. This is what is whirling around in their minds:

    Her: “People make plea deals all the time. Often rich white dudes benefit from them tremendously (I’m looking at you Jeffrey Epstein), and poor, uneducated or troubled folks end up getting screwed by them (being convinced to plead to things they’re innocent of to avoid the harsher punishments they’re led to believe they’ll incur if they don’t).”

    To her this is all about plea deals and she is unable to understand and see the greater threat these actions have related to every and all Americans lives, especially minorities lives. She goes on to ramble about Trump and some other non related issues.

    In essence she is making excuses for the violent bad acts of this criminal who would have no problem eliminating her or anyone else from what his goals might be, and giving a pass to the “Progressive” agenda that now threatens much of the country. This was my response to her.

    ——

    “When sanity returns to America violent crimes committed with firearms, which IMO are crimes that stands alone and apart, from all other crime and any perceived or actual inequities in society will be seen in color blind terms. Because they threaten everyone of all and every skin color or political stripe in America. (Actually these kinds of crimes threaten the minority population in America much more than the rest)

    He can have a weapon like that because he is a criminal and threaten me, you and your wife, but you can not have one (?). And I know you want to have one or some form of similar protection. But you still can not have one. And the prosecutor, just like now goes on by law in NYC, essentially releases him in short order, to do it again?

    Reasonable reforms in the law should not require insanity accompany them, and if they do then they are unreasonable and must be objectively recognized and corrected. Political correctness and the “Progressive” agenda does not allow this.

    The message that is sent by these actions is that there are no consequences for bad acts, so do what ever you like. Shoot and wound or even kill. And I doubt that that is what you actually believe is good for anybody.

    What I sent you has nothing to do with Trump or plea deals, it has to do rational thinking and with your, your wife’s and my safety. And if you have not noticed specifically because of the newly imported “Progressive” agendas yours my and our safety in NYC has been thrown out the window. I have to deal with this “New” and “Improved” “Progressive” potential in the law that these agendas create everyday, up close and personal.

    Stay calm, take a breath, you sound like you are about to have a nervous break down. And no one wants that, not me anyway.

    I care about both of you. ”

    ——–

    The ability to rationally and to some what objectively think about just about anything in the country is not available to at least a segment of our American population. And that is without doubt by design, have no doubt.

  • pzatchok

    If one lied and got away with it look at all the others.
    If they found out (and they did) that one guy could fool the court they would all try it eventually. Find out how many did.

  • Cotour

    Related: I THINK ITS TIME “PROGRESSIVES”

    I think it is time for all of the “Progressives” in America to face the real world reality of what their version of compassion, caring and good intentions for the alleged down trodden and put upon minorities and other so called disadvantaged in America has become.

    In the below story headline is the reality of the utopia that you have imagined and through political manipulations have been able to be realized. But unfortunately these kinds of imaginings can only exist in ones idealistic mind and when they are able to be manifested in the real world turn into a big pile of XXXX (Please excuse my choice of word here but I could not think of a better one) that destroys everyone equally and never raises everyone up to a better life. Always and every time. This is counter to the spirit of America and being an American.

    “NYC 3 DEAD. 15 SHOT IN SEPARATE SHOOTINGS IN NEW YORK CITY LAST NIGHT” (Just like Chicago now)

    Denzel Washington: “It starts in the home, If the father is not in the home the boy will find the father in the streets”.

    https://youtu.be/nAoWV-e1PUE 1:33

    And when you look at this condition in any family, the black family specifically, you find that the black family has been systematically destroyed and it has been systematically destroyed specifically by the “Good intentions” of the Democrat party and the “Progressive” agenda. Which is in fact throughout our history the party of slavery, control and oppression.

    60 or so years ago 70 percent of the black families in America were comprised of a mother and a father in the home. And today its less than 25 percent of the black families in America have a mother and a father in the home. Why do you think Hillary Clinton spoke about “It Takes A Village”? (The “village” is analogous to the Socialist / Communist / communal Globalist model, and that is exactly what the Democrat party wants us all hurtling towards)

    Because after the Democrat party and the “Progressive” agenda destroys the family and specifically the black family there must be some entity that people look to for guidance, security and $tability. And that would be government in their grand plan. And in that grand plan lies their Democrat “Progressive” access to eternal power in government. That is just how sick this has all been allowed to become, its all about power. And I assure you, I know exactly what I am talking about. Politics is a mind game.

    That is just a fact and we can see how this systematic destruction, compliments of primarily the Democrat party and the “Progressive” agenda, has now expressed itself in the many gang related shootings and rampant crime in the streets that freely occur every day and night like its an acceptable everyday event in major American cities. And this violence is perpetrated primarily by young no fathers in the home black men. Its a tribal / gang thing. That is just the stark reality.

    Don’t like it? Don’t want to see it for what it is? Sorry, I do not care, I will not allow your intellectual investment in your idealistic reality to destroy my / our country. (I not only care about my own self and my family, but I also care about you and your family and our country and I write this with love in my heart for all concerned. And I know that most of you well intention Americans did not intend what has become of your movement. Most of you.)

    And you can see it all plainly play out before your own eyes today in cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago and now the latest to join the insane club of Leftist “Progressive” agenda, New York City. Our illustrious “junior Sandinista” mayor, Bill DeBlasio along with an all Socialist “Progressive” city council and an alleged “Progressive” governor have through law and unreasonable bail reform and the de funding and disbanding of the police department and their very effective anti crime unit that actually took illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of these criminals of New York. The result of this utopian thinking and action is death and fear and gang violence. And I refuse to live in that kind of country, why do you “Progressives” accept it? This is your look in the mirror moment before its too late. Im sorry, but someone must tell you.

    The Social issues you are concerned about can be dealt with effectively, but not in these destroy and kill everyone equally through “political correctness” and subjective “Social Justice” agendas of insanity and self destruction. Its just not reasonable. And I know you see it but are reticent to say so. But you are going to have to get over yourself.

    Now you know I could ramble on for 10 or 20 pages more laying it all out for you and give all of the objective statistics and numbers that unequivocally support what I propose. But I will not, that would be too much. Its now up to you “Progressives” to realize that your agenda of “equality” and “compassion” for the alleged down trodden in America is an utter failure. But in being able to recognize that there is hope, and I refuse to allow your political suicide pact to include me and the majority of my fellow Americans.

    And that is why Joe Biden and his presidential running mate will never, or let me say should never, prevail in this presidential race of 2020. Its not about Covid deaths, its about what I just pointed out above and the self interests of rational and patriotic Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, want for their country.

  • Cotour

    Go and ask your wife, girl friend, aunt, grand mother etc., political party affiliation aside: How do you feel about all of these street gang shootings growing and growing in the cities of the United States?

    Then ask them: Do you know which political party has primarily run all of these cities for the last many decades?

    And if they do not know you point out to them: All of these cities have been run by the Democrats and the current results of violence, looting, chaos and crime in the streets is directly connected to todays Democrat party and the people who are running for president and vice president will not disavow any of it.

    Then ask them: Whisper in my ear, I won’t tell anyone, who are you really going to vote for in the 2020 presidential race?

    2020 is all about 2024 for primarily the Democrats this year. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? Really?

  • Cotour

    Political realm corruption remains in the political realm and is smoothed over.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/14/hillary-clinton-emails-deposition-overturned-395361

    And I am certain that no one in Washington on either side if the aisle really wants to drag Hillary and everything that she has been involved in into the pedestrian realm where the consequences for such self serving actions while a politically appointed and empowered player might require actual consequences.

    Not for a Democrat anyway.

  • Cotour

    If it wasn’t for double standards you wouldn’t have any standards.

    https://youtu.be/3OKtp3AlQQs

    I have said it from the beginning of this political cycle, documented right here on BTB, now many years ago. We are witness to the existential death spiral of the Democrat party as it tears itself apart as they are being fractured and taken over by the extreme Leftists among them. All while trying to convince the American public that they act in their American interests.

    And it is clear to most all everyday good and hard working, tax paying, voting Americans whether they want to admit it or not, that that is not so and the Democrat party’s death spiral is exactly what is underway because they have become un and anti American. They in fact are all Globalists, and Globalism demands the destruction of the American Constitution which stands directly in their way.

    The only chance that the Democrats can win? Chaos and confusion brought about by forcing mail in voting. That is all they have in their political weapons cache. And the chaos and doubt that it fosters is their only strategy going into the future and the second Trump administration. Thats it.

    Ask any Democrat that you know: Please give me 3 agendas in the American peoples interests that the Democrat party stands for and is pushing? (Get ready for a very long wait because there are no answers to that question.)

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