Commentary
I plead guilty to building up your expectations for indictments I predicted would result from John Durham’s stealthy investigations into the Deep State.
Now we are finally seeing headlines, “John Durham seeks indictment of Clinton Campaign Lawyer,” in the New York Times, and “Durham Delivers on Russiagate,” over an editorial board column in the Wall Street Journal.
By now you have most likely heard that Durham has charged Michael Sussman, an attorney at the Perkins Coie law firm that represented the Hillary Clinton campaign. He is accused of making false statements to then FBI general counsel James Baker in a September 29, 2016 meeting when he presented documents purporting to show secret internet communications between the Trump organization and Russia-based Alfa Bank.
Sussman is accused of lying to the FBI to trigger an investigation into a rival campaign based on a false claim of Russia-Trump collusion. When the FBI opened its probe into Trump, the media frenzy that followed severely damaged the Trump presidency over a two-year period.
Don’t be surprised if some familiar names surface in the case. James Comey and Baker, of course, but also Daniel Jones, a former staffer of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and then Clinton national security advisor Jake Sullivan, who now holds that position in the Biden administration.
My caution not to get excited should be understandable. Hillary Clinton escaped charges in her failure to protect Americans in Benghazi, and her secret e-mail server that held top secret material. And now, she will likely claim not to be aware of Sussman’s efforts on behalf of her campaign.
Comey is benefiting from book sales and personal appearances after his firing by Trump. Peter Strzok, who used his position in the FBI, along with Lisa Page, to develop the collusion case against Trump, was only fired. He, too, wrote a book. Page left the FBI, upset over the release of her communications with Strzok, and Trump’s mocking of their relationship.
Then there’s the case against former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who altered a FISA document that seriously harmed the reputation of Carter Page. Judge James Boasberg agreed that Clinesmith’s action had harmed the surveillance court’s reputation and forced reforms at the FBI, while not mentioning Page.
While Clinesmith’s actions were undoubtedly wrong and harmful, Boasberg “found no evidence that Clinesmith acted out of political bias,” and ordered him to perform 400 hours of community service.
This past week we again saw how our vaunted FBI failed its citizens in following the charges of sexual assault brought out in Congressional testimony by four U.S. gymnasts in mishandling the case against team doctor Larry Nassar, originally brought forward in the 2015-2016 period. Coincidentally, that’s when agents within the Deep State were more interested in building a case against President Trump.
Memories of the Parkland School shooting in Florida surfaced during reporting of the FBI’s failure in the charges brought against Nassar by the gymnasts.
Less than six weeks prior to the shooting that killed 17 people and injured many more, the FBI was tipped off about Nikolas Cruz’s “gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior and disturbing social media posts.” However, they failed to follow protocol.
After the screw up was revealed, FBI director Christopher Wray said, “we have spoken with victims and families and deeply regret the additional pain this causes all those affected by this horrific tragedy.”
Last week he told the gymnasts how “deeply and profoundly sorry” he was. “I’m sorry for what you and your families have been through,” Wray said. “I’m sorry so many people let you down over and over again.”
Kramerontheright believes that Wray should forego the apologies that will obviously be due President Trump, members of his cabinet and staff, and millions of supporters, following the Sussman collusion case, and resign.
We have heard how proud he is of his agency one too many times.
Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.
