Justice Dept. Inspector General report -- was it good for you, too, Ivanka?
Tonight's cable-news coverage has centered on release of a long-awaited report by the Inspector General at DOJ. Few serious observers were surprised to learn there's nothing to Trump and AG Barr's claims of FBI wrongdoing -- no spying on Trump's campaign, nor "political" influence.
Barr promptly rejected those awkward conclusions, as did his designated investigator, John Durham (whose own report is still in the works-- and could suffer from comparisons to the now-released IG take).
The "IG Report" was correctly done (700 interviews!) and is supported strongly by FBI Director Robert Ray -- likewise his predecessor, one James Comey, about whom you've possibly heard things...
And, not least, the report arrives in the teeth of the vote Thursday on the House Judiciary Committee's articles of impeachment against Trump.
To boot, there's a pair of really intriguing notes in the IG Report: first, according to Brian Williams MSNBC "11th Hour" show, the famed Steele Dossier actually reached the FBI only AFTER it had taken its decision to investigate -- contradicting all the wacky conspiracy theorists.
But, tantalizingly, the report also says British ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele told IG that he originally thought kindly about the Trumps, having got to know IVANKA in New York some years before Trumpsky got into politics. He had even given her a gift with his family tartan -- who knew he was a Scot??
But the release* might stir some speculation about just HOW well the redoubtable British agent knew her. Won't THAT titillate ol' Dad?
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* one curious side note: NYTimes just before the report went public said that AG Barr had personally insisted that several blacked-out portions about Steele be released. One was MI6's negative assessment of Steele's work (obviously what Barr wanted released). I suspect the part about Ivanka may be "collateral damage," or -- in their haste to "nail" Steele -- perhaps Barr's minions simply didn't see it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/us/politics/ig-report-steele-dossier.html
Barr promptly rejected those awkward conclusions, as did his designated investigator, John Durham (whose own report is still in the works-- and could suffer from comparisons to the now-released IG take).
The "IG Report" was correctly done (700 interviews!) and is supported strongly by FBI Director Robert Ray -- likewise his predecessor, one James Comey, about whom you've possibly heard things...
And, not least, the report arrives in the teeth of the vote Thursday on the House Judiciary Committee's articles of impeachment against Trump.
To boot, there's a pair of really intriguing notes in the IG Report: first, according to Brian Williams MSNBC "11th Hour" show, the famed Steele Dossier actually reached the FBI only AFTER it had taken its decision to investigate -- contradicting all the wacky conspiracy theorists.
But, tantalizingly, the report also says British ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele told IG that he originally thought kindly about the Trumps, having got to know IVANKA in New York some years before Trumpsky got into politics. He had even given her a gift with his family tartan -- who knew he was a Scot??
But the release* might stir some speculation about just HOW well the redoubtable British agent knew her. Won't THAT titillate ol' Dad?
______________
* one curious side note: NYTimes just before the report went public said that AG Barr had personally insisted that several blacked-out portions about Steele be released. One was MI6's negative assessment of Steele's work (obviously what Barr wanted released). I suspect the part about Ivanka may be "collateral damage," or -- in their haste to "nail" Steele -- perhaps Barr's minions simply didn't see it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/us/politics/ig-report-steele-dossier.html