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-Lurid Crime Tales-
In Final Days, Trump Gave Up on Forcing Release of Russiagate Files, Nunes Prober Says
2021-02-26
[Real Clear Politics] After four years of railing against "deep state" actors who, he said, tried to undermine his presidency, Donald Trump relented to U.S. intelligence leaders in his final days in office, allowing them to block the release of critical material in the Russia investigation, according to a former senior congressional investigator who later joined the Trump administration.

Kash Patel, whose work on the House Intelligence Committee helped unearth U.S. intelligence malpractice during the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe, said he does not know why Trump did not force the release of documents that would expose further wrongdoing. But he said senior intelligence officials "continuously impeded" their release — usually by slow-walking their reviews of the material. Patel said Trump's CIA Director, Gina Haspel, was instrumental in blocking one of the most critical documents.

Patel, who has seen the Russia probe's underlying intelligence and co-wrote critical reports that have yet to be declassified, said new disclosures would expose additional misconduct and evidentiary holes in the CIA and FBI's work.

"I think there were people within the IC [Intelligence Community], at the heads of certain intelligence agencies, who did not want their tradecraft called out, even though it was during a former administration, because it doesn't look good on the agency itself," Patel told RealClearInvestigations in his first in-depth interview since leaving government at the end of Trump's term last month, having served in several intelligence and defense roles (full interview here).

Trump did not respond to requests seeking comment sent to intermediaries.

Although a Department of Justice inspector general's report in December 2019 exposed significant intelligence failings and malpractice, Patel said more damning information is still being kept under wraps. And despite an ongoing investigation by Special Counsel John Durham into the conduct of the officials who carried out the Trump-Russia inquiry, it is unclear if key documents will ever see the light of day.

Patel did not suggest that a game-changing smoking gun is being kept from the public. Core intelligence failures have been exposed — especially regarding the FBI’s reliance on Christopher Steele’s now debunked dossier to secure FISA warrants used to surveil Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. But he said the withheld material would reveal more misconduct as well as major problems with the CIA’s assessment that Russia, on Vladimir Putin's orders, ordered a sweeping and systematic interference 2016 campaign to elect Trump. Patel was cautious about going into detail on any sensitive information that has not yet been declassified.
Posted by:Besoeker

#9  Deadeye - lose the attitude or find another forum. Perhaps, create your own?
Posted by: Frank G   2021-02-26 21:25  

#8  Fred still has dealings with his former colleagues in various corners of government, Deadeye Jaiting7534, which means Rantburg continues to get attention. The moderators are not willing to let avoidable misunderstandings cause problems for him.

Especially now, when he is recovering from yet another nasty health issue.
Posted by: trailing wife   2021-02-26 19:29  

#7   Trashed the constitution. Lied to the FISA court. Told Congress one thing, and told the public the opposite. Enlisted foreign agents to spy on US persons. Forged documents. Fabricated evidence. Nothing to see here, move along please.
Posted by: Albemarle Sproing6685   2021-02-26 19:25  

#6  Sorry you misunderstood and your apparently delicate sensibilities got offended, but there was no threat, only a desire for justice regarding Brennan and Haspell being traitors.

"Don’t say things you would be uncomfortable your pre-teen daughter or Great-Aunt Minnie read."

I didn't write anything that I wouldn't say in public or mixed company, and indeed I have said that about Brennan in the company of friends - like this: "Brennan should be hanged for treason".

And it was not a credible threat for pete's sake!. Only a wish for justice - that the miscreant and her mentor should be hanged. That phrase was deliberately chosen because it was the old legal pronouncement AFTEr a trial and conviction: "The sentence of this court is that You shall be hanged by the neck until dead"

I'll be sure to be clear that its a desired legal outcome, but I think you are going overboard, and I have seen similar sentiments expressed here without censorship.

Perhapos you could clarify the source of your obvious misunderstanding? Or should we assume this is becoming yet another "Censorship for your own good" place?

Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534   2021-02-26 18:42  

#5  I'm hoping he created himself a dead-man's switch document dump. Like Julian Assange. Regardless of the legality; he's fighting for his life and the life of his family against the Deep State that cares nothing for laws.
Posted by: Bob Grorong1136   2021-02-26 11:26  

#4  And another Trump nominee/hire, correct?
Posted by: Clem   2021-02-26 05:10  

#3  What a government we have.
Posted by: Clem   2021-02-26 05:07  

#2  Gina Haspel, was instrumental in blocking one of the most critical documents.

No. We don’t have a great many rules here, because y’all are grownups. But the two big ones are

1. This is a family site. Don’t say things you would be uncomfortable your pre-teen daughter or Great-Aunt Minnie read. My pre-teen daughters were not the only Rantburg offspring to grow up reading over shoulders, nor my darling mother-in-law the only older relative to quietly check out where we get our information.

2. Do not say things that could be interpreted as a credible physical threat to an American citizen. There are other ways to express your feelings.
Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534   2021-02-26 02:44  

#1  .....disclosures would expose additional misconduct and evidentiary holes in the CIA and FBI's work.

Translation: Disclosures expose criminal activity, blatant violations of EO 12333, and the knowledge of who is really in charge of this country.

Perhaps we should 'take note' when an organization which enjoys an unlimited secret budget, abandons it's original mission and undertakes kak disturbing and political slander on a global level.

Posted by: Besoeker   2021-02-26 02:33  

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