Smoking Gun
The pivotal evidence in the Republican investigation of the end days of Barack Obama’s Presidency was declassified yesterday. “Obamagate” they call it. It’s the “catchphrase” that Trump 2020 campaign and Republican Senator Ron Johnson hopes will match the “Hillary Emails” of 2016 MAGA rally fame. Trump and his fellow travellers tried to build this case of “Deep State Conspiracy” in 2018, now they are back again, just in time for the 2020 election.
Susan Rice was the National Security Advisor to President Obama in those waning days of his term in office. She wrote a “memo to self” on Inauguration Day, memorializing the national security discussions of the last few weeks. The national security team, including Obama, Rice, Vice President Biden and FBI Director Jim Comey, were aware of the FBI investigation into the Trump Campaign, titled Crossfire Hurricane. They were briefed that Russian intelligence had multiple interactions with Trump campaign operatives. And they knew that it was Russian Intelligence that broke into the Democratic National Committee computers and stole the emails that were dripped out in the last few months of the 2016 election.
Flynn
And now, they had transcripts of Trump’s top national security expert, former Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, discussing foreign policy with the Russian Ambassador, Sergei Kislyak. They knew that Flynn had asked the Russians not to respond to the Obama Administration actions in response to the Russian hacking, implying that Trump would withdraw the penalties. Flynn, as former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, knew that Kislyak’s phone was tapped, but had the conversations anyway. And they also knew that Flynn himself had connections to the Russian and Turkish governments as well.
The Memo
So what did these “nefarious” Democrats do? Donald Trump has literally accused them of treason, and now, with the release of this email, we have the evidence. Here’s what Susan Rice “memoed to self” (Fox).
- After a January 5th Intelligence Community leadership meeting on Russian hacking, there was a brief follow-on conversation. The President, the Vice President, Rice, Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates were present.
- President Obama began by committing that every aspect be handled “by the book”, and that he was not instructing or initiating anything from law enforcement.
- From a National Security perspective, the President wanted to be sure that as they engaged with the incoming team, that “…we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reasons that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia”.
- Comey affirmed that he is proceeding “by the book” as it relates to law enforcement.
- The FBI Director did have concerns about Flynn who was speaking frequently with Kislyak. Comey was concerned that Flynn might potentially share sensitive information. Obama asked if the NCS (National Security Council) should withhold sensitive information from Flynn. Comey replied, “potentially”.
- Comey added that Flynn had not passed classified information to Kislyak so far, just that that the “level of communication is unusual”.
- Obama asked Comey to inform him of any changes that might effect sharing classified information with the incoming team.
- Comey said he would.
Pop Gun
That’s it – the smoking gun. Obama, Biden, Rice, Comey and Yates sat around and discussed withholding information from a potential leak to Russian intelligence. They agreed to “go by the book” and share with the “incoming team” but be aware of any changes that might effect that sharing.
So let’s get this straight. As Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found twice, the FBI investigation into the Trump Campaign was “properly predicated”, despite later issues with the Carter Page FISA warrant. That means it had legitimate reasons to begin. We now know from the Mueller Report, that there were literally hundreds of contacts between Trump campaign personnel and Russian intelligence. We also know from the Senate Intelligence Committee Report, that the intelligence community was right. Russia was playing a significant role in the 2016 campaign, weighing-in to favor Trump.
We know that Flynn was in consistent communication with the Russian Ambassador. And we now know that while Flynn was advising Trump, and designated as the incoming National Security Advisor, he was on the payroll of the Turkish government.
Duty
So the President and his close national security team were concerned about Russian influence on the incoming Presidential team. And they talked about it. Isn’t that what the President and his team should do? They were aware of Flynn’s actions, so much so that President Obama warned President-elect Trump about it. Shouldn’t these folks have acted to protect American interests? Wasn’t that their job?
If this is “Obamagate”, Trump’s definition of treason and the “Deep State Conspiracy” that Trump 2020 will ride to re-election: they ain’t got – well – nothing.
Trump might try to turn this into another “lock him up” moment in a rally, but the reality is they should be chanting “Thank You” to Obama and his team for doing their duty for America.
