<THREAD>
The Durham Report Analysis of Corruption Around the 2016 Election--and Why We Need Real, Grown Up National Discussion If We Want Democracy.
A follow up on my last Space. One of the most important and (likely) least popular threads.
Let's go.
The Durham Report Analysis of Corruption Around the 2016 Election--and Why We Need Real, Grown Up National Discussion If We Want Democracy.
A follow up on my last Space. One of the most important and (likely) least popular threads.
Let's go.
This starts with two equally important statements, one that will be unpopular, and one that we all need to act on.
1. The Durham Report proved a conspiracy between the FBI, the Clinton campaign, and the media attacking the 2016 election.
2. We need honest national debate.
1. The Durham Report proved a conspiracy between the FBI, the Clinton campaign, and the media attacking the 2016 election.
2. We need honest national debate.
You'll note that replies are turned off.
That's because whenever you bring up the Durham investigation, Twitter swarms with bots because there are foreign intel services who do NOT want an honest discussion here.
Thus, I'll be sharing my findings without that hassle.
That's because whenever you bring up the Durham investigation, Twitter swarms with bots because there are foreign intel services who do NOT want an honest discussion here.
Thus, I'll be sharing my findings without that hassle.
This is the report from the John Durham Special Counsel's Office. It is one of the most important documents in the history of the U.S. Government. It's 300 pages long.
It's about some bad behavior during the 2016 election. Read it for yourself.
justice.gov
It's about some bad behavior during the 2016 election. Read it for yourself.
justice.gov
Before we get started with my summary and analysis of what the Durham Report found, three things:
1. Take a deep breath. This isn't emotional.
2. Some people tried to make this *real* partisan.
3. We need to fix some stuff incorporated here so we have a better democracy.
1. Take a deep breath. This isn't emotional.
2. Some people tried to make this *real* partisan.
3. We need to fix some stuff incorporated here so we have a better democracy.
OOPS! One more thing, in case anyone's confused:
None of what is to follow says Trump didn't get help from Russia, or that he isn't a traitor.
You may recall I was the first with (part of) the real story. So none of this exonerates him. At all.
OK LET'S DO IT.
None of what is to follow says Trump didn't get help from Russia, or that he isn't a traitor.
You may recall I was the first with (part of) the real story. So none of this exonerates him. At all.
OK LET'S DO IT.
My takeaways from the Durham Report *combined with other similar reports*:
1. BOTH candidates in 2016 worked with agents of the Russian Federation and other foreign powers. Donald Trump — as a candidate — did so passively.
Hillary Clinton appears to have done so ACTIVELY.
1. BOTH candidates in 2016 worked with agents of the Russian Federation and other foreign powers. Donald Trump — as a candidate — did so passively.
Hillary Clinton appears to have done so ACTIVELY.
1. (Con't) Hyperventilate all you want. With Trump, the Russians mostly did stuff in 2016 without him asking.
Hillary's campaign worked with agents of Russia - and others - really, really actively. With the FBI's assistance.
Aaaaand it's really ugly. Sorry.
Hillary's campaign worked with agents of Russia - and others - really, really actively. With the FBI's assistance.
Aaaaand it's really ugly. Sorry.
2. Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into Trump campaign associates George Papadopoulos and Carter Page, was started in total absence of intelligence or evidence. Further, it was started in violation of most practices associated with investigations.
3. There was, by stark contrast, intelligence about Hillary Clinton’s dealings with foreign nationals and her campaign's plan to fabricate an intentionally false narrative about a Trump plan to conspire with the Russian government.
4. The Durham Report does not refute or conflict with past reports from the Department of Justice, such as the Mueller SCO’s report in 2019. Neither does it refute or conflict with Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reports.
4. (Cont.) Those reports detailed significant, if not historic efforts by the Russian Federation to help Trump and hurt candidate Clinton. They also detailed connections between Trump and individuals affiliated with Russia, including connections to Russian intelligence officers.
5. The accuracy or reliability of the DOJ and Senate reports do not exonerate the DOJ employees or private actors who conspired on behalf of the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign to create deliberately fraudulent intelligence to deceive the United States Intelligence Community.
6. The U.S. media took a vigorous position politicizing the Durham SCO’s work, on the right and on the left. Right-wing media characterized the work as an attack on Clinton. Left or centrist media characterized it as a political hit-job from former Attorney General Bill Barr.
6. (Con't.) No U.S. media outlets characterized the Durham SCO Report as an evaluation of the unhealthy interaction between the Clinton campaign, private actors, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. media.
7. The Durham investigation led to multiple criminal investigations, and three prosecutions. FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty. Michael Sussmann was indicted, proceeded to trial, and was acquitted. Igor Danchenko was indicted, proceeded to trial, and was acquitted.
7. (Con't) The Durham Report explores the role of public popularity in the decision to seek criminal charges, and the potential role of popularity in obtaining a conviction. The media’s role in politicizing these trials and the work in general may have led to the two acquittals.
8. Durham’s report shows that the FBI used supposed intelligence about Carter Page in its FISA applications about which even major media reporters without security clearance had significant doubt.
9. Durham’s report does not explore the role of Rupert Murdoch and his employees in disseminating, feloniously, classified defense information such as the Carter Page FISA warrant.
10. Durham’s report does not explore the role of Israeli-connected individuals connected to the Clinton campaign’s 2016 conspiracy leading the social media campaign against Durham’s work.
11. Durham’s report does not explore the role of China, the UAE, Malaysia, or other nations seeking to influence the election through either candidate. However, it does reference countries in an anonymous fashion.
SUMMARY: The Durham Special Counsel's Report has richly demonstrated a deeply dysfunctional chapter in FBI and American political history, one which polluted the national discussion with disinformation while the White House teemed with dangerous foreign agents.
*WHEW*
OK, now that the truly formal stuff is up-thread, I can't show you what's in the Durham Report.
The 2016 election was an EPIC shitshow.
This is just about the Clinton-FBI-Media part of the shitshow. But holy crap, it's really bad.
OK, now that the truly formal stuff is up-thread, I can't show you what's in the Durham Report.
The 2016 election was an EPIC shitshow.
This is just about the Clinton-FBI-Media part of the shitshow. But holy crap, it's really bad.
Moreover, what really irritates me is that we could have been having really detailed discussions about what happened in 2016, but some political actors, naughty FBI personnel, and the media created a bullshit narrative that harmed national security.
Here's one of the *biggest* problem with the "Trump-Russia" frame: The narrative was tricky, with both sides arguing whether Trump worked with Putin's government directly. He didn't.
And neither did Page or Papadopoulos.
And neither did Page or Papadopoulos.
This had everyone squabbling over semantics, and missed the fact that we had foreign agents everywhere, all over multiple campaigns, and then Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes got to yell about it...
...and we missed what actually happened.
...and we missed what actually happened.
Here's another trick of the Trump-Russia propaganda machine that you can glean from the Durham Report.
Crossfire Hurricane was a bullshit investigation - if not criminal - and it was maybe the only story NOT accurate about Trump's voluminous ties to Russia!
Crossfire Hurricane was a bullshit investigation - if not criminal - and it was maybe the only story NOT accurate about Trump's voluminous ties to Russia!
Get this: Strzok and McCabe reportedly opened a full investigation into Carter Page without any of the intelligence they normally have.
Then the FBI didn't actually investigate stuff about Hillary Clinton's campaign when they actually HAD intelligence.
Then the FBI didn't actually investigate stuff about Hillary Clinton's campaign when they actually HAD intelligence.
The FBI not only had intelligence about attempted foreign compromise of the Clinton campaign, but *also* had intelligence that the Clinton campaign was conspiring to create a false narrative about Trump and Russia.
And they didn't investigate like normal.
And they didn't investigate like normal.
Also, the FBI didn't give Trump a defensive briefing despite apparently deciding his campaign was full of traitors.
That's a thing you normally warn candidates. (It's more common than you think.) And they didn't brief Trump. Without a good reason not to.
That's a thing you normally warn candidates. (It's more common than you think.) And they didn't brief Trump. Without a good reason not to.
Big headline here: The Steele Dossier was bullshit, and Crossfire Hurricane was stalled until they got those "reports."
And afterwards, nobody could corroborate the material, which is usually the case with made-up horseshit.
And afterwards, nobody could corroborate the material, which is usually the case with made-up horseshit.
Now think about this: McCabe, Comey, Strzok - all experts in Russian Mob stuff and New York.
Trump was a Mob guy in a town run by the RuMob. Who went to Russia. For business. But the Steele Dossier was full of *only* bullshit.
HOW HARD COULD IT HAVE BEEN???
Trump was a Mob guy in a town run by the RuMob. Who went to Russia. For business. But the Steele Dossier was full of *only* bullshit.
HOW HARD COULD IT HAVE BEEN???
Trump was surrounded by Russian Mob guys all day long.
And Crossfire Hurricane picks like the only two guys Trump knows NOT involved with the Russian Mob.
Seriously. How the fuck did Strzok and McCabe pull it off? It was quite impressive.
And Crossfire Hurricane picks like the only two guys Trump knows NOT involved with the Russian Mob.
Seriously. How the fuck did Strzok and McCabe pull it off? It was quite impressive.
This part is really bad: How did these FBI guys justify the FISA on Carter Page?
By doing stuff that was at BEST sloppy and in some cases criminal.
I mean, just horrible stuff.
By doing stuff that was at BEST sloppy and in some cases criminal.
I mean, just horrible stuff.
Also, another summary anyone can understand:
What was the Steele Dossier based on?
A bunch of bullshit from a Russian spy.
Just shameful, rotten stuff - and we were all lied to about it.
What was the Steele Dossier based on?
A bunch of bullshit from a Russian spy.
Just shameful, rotten stuff - and we were all lied to about it.
And who knew Danchenko was a Russian spy? The FBI.
And then they started paying him.
WTF?
And then they started paying him.
WTF?
Who else provided bullshit for the Steele Dossier?
American PR exec Chuck Dolan, a Clinton associate who worked with Russian clients. And who worked with the Russian spy, Danchenko.
You see how much the media lied about this, right?
American PR exec Chuck Dolan, a Clinton associate who worked with Russian clients. And who worked with the Russian spy, Danchenko.
You see how much the media lied about this, right?
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