Report: Strzok Co-Authored Comey Letter That Reopened Hillary Investigation
He did “harbor reservations about Comey making a public announcement just days before the election.”
CNN has reported that FBI Agent Peter Strzok, the man who exchanged anti-Trump texts with an FBI lawyer, co-authored the letter from former FBI Director James Comey that reopened the investigation into failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s emails.
I have seen people on the left continue with the narrative that Comey cost Hillary the election because of this letter, which goes to show how out of touch they remain. Hillary lost because she sucked, a horrible candidate, and a horrible person.
From CNN:
Strzok, who co-wrote what appears to be the first draft that formed the basis of the letter Comey sent to Congress, also supported reopening the Clinton investigation once the emails were discovered on disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s laptop, according to a source familiar with Strzok’s thinking. The day after Strzok sent his draft to his colleagues, Comey released the letter to Congress, reigniting the email controversy in the final days of the campaign.
Strzok did, however, harbor reservations about Comey making a public announcement just days before the election and sent a text message to that effect, two sources said. And Strzok’s text messages provided to Congress show him grappling with the fallout of making the letter public, according to a CNN review of his texts.
This latest news appears to show a different side of Strzok, but two sources also told CNN that the agent did “harbor reservations about Comey making a public announcement just days before the election and sent a text message to that effect.”
CNN continued:
In an October 27, 2016, email the FBI provided to congressional investigators, Strzok informs his colleagues he and another FBI agent had drafted “the first cut” of the letter notifying Congress of the decision to reopen the Clinton email investigation. His colleagues then exchanged two additional emails referencing further comments and changes to Strzok’s initial draft, which was ultimately forwarded to Comey by then-FBI chief of staff James Rybicki.
One of the drafts, reviewed by CNN, was recently produced to Congress with the email chain. But it is unclear whether that draft was the initial copy written by Strzok or one incorporating others’ edits. That draft states that the FBI had an “obligation to take appropriate investigative steps to review” the newly discovered emails on Weiner’s laptop.
The next day, on October, 28, 2016, Comey sent the final letter to Congress, editing out the line that he had an “obligation” to take steps to review. Instead, new language was added saying that Comey had been briefed by his team “yesterday” and that he “agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps.”
The key line noting that the “FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation” appears in both the final version and the earlier draft reviewed by CNN.
It’s quite a change from a previous story about Strzok, who was the #2 on the Hillary investigation. Strzok has come under fire from the GOP and those on the right for the anti-Trump texts he exchanged with his mistress FBI lawyer Lisa Page. Special Counsel Robert Mueller let Strzok go from the investigation this summer due to the text messages.
The FBI and DOJ found themselves in hot water a few weeks ago when officials said they did not preserve five months worth of texts between Strzok and Page. Miraculously, a few days later, officials located the texts!
Last month, reports revealed that the agent softened the language in the letter that exonerated Hillary in July 2016:
The shift from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless,” which may appear pedestrian at first glance, reflected a decision by the FBI that could have had potentially significant legal implications, as the federal law governing the mishandling of classified material establishes criminal penalties for “gross negligence.”
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CNN has also learned that Strzok was the FBI official who signed the document officially opening an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, according to sources familiar with the matter. As the No. 2 official in counterintelligence, Strzok was considered to be one of the bureau’s top experts on Russia.
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Comments
None of this makes a single drop of sense to me.
It makes sense when you hear the stories leaked from the FBI (that the press refused to cover) that the agents that discovered the laptop threatened to go to the press themselves if Comey and McCabe didn’t stop refusing to even apply for a warrant to LOOK at the emails and begin an investigation into it.
Comey was left in this position because of his idiotic public closing of the investigation previously. Since he had publicly told Congress the investigation was closed, he was now forced to inform them that the investigation was re-opened.
As bad as Comey’s letter was, just imagine how utterly DISASTROUS it would have been if an FBI agent leaked to Fox News that there were thousands of Hillary emails on a child molester’s laptop and Comey was refusing to even allow anybody to look at them.
That’s where it makes sense. This was 100% damage control by Democrat operatives.
Well, ok.
But they appear to be attempting to play both sides against the middle…
A sum Zero.
What the article above fails to point out is the delay between the discovery of the emails on Weiner’s laptop and this letter & announcement of reopening the campaign. Three weeks, as I recall. Something like that.
The rank & file agents were, reportedly, near open revolt over the fact that nothing had been done after finding the classified emails on Weiner’s laptop
Not only that, but also remember that at that point in time, everybody was still sure that Hillary was going to win. So, it was better to come out with this info before the election, that have it cloud her presidency right after the election. The only problem was, she didn’t win 🙂
If you recall, most of the information and announcements were directed at Weiner AND Huma, even though the subject was Hillary.
I think Stzrok believed the hildebeast would be elected in spite of the notorious Weinie-wagger’s laptop.
Clinton News Network, remember?
# 1 : If they want to keep the Russian Collusion lie alive they have to cleanup the agents ( backstabbing ) partisan image / reputation.
# 2 : Someone is leaking in an effort to minimize the effect of the upcoming memo release.
# 3 : Deep State is trying to preserve one of their own. That tells me this “so-called” agent should be in prison.
# 4 : CNN’s reporters couldn’t tell the truth to save their own lives.
Did that make things any more clear?
No, but it makes some sense.
I sleep better at night knowing Sessions recused himself. Turning over rocks is dangerous work. Best let someone else pick the fleas before wrestling the Clinton’s dog.
Glad that’s over with.
If Sessions had gone down that rat-hole…
He’d be completely stale-mated.
Frozen.
And spending every waking moment in battle over it.
Instead, he is working hard on relevant isues, and kicking tail.
Clinton’s dog is dead.
It died back in November.
You should be having nightmares Sessions abrogated his responsibility – and to the very criminals he should have been investigating.
Sessions is the boehner of attorney generals.
He also authored the one that closed it, and softened the result.
Dismissed FBI agent changed Comey’s language on Clinton emails to ‘extremely careless’: report
BY OLIVIA BEAVERS – 12/04/17 05:02 PM EST 609
Peter Strzok, who served as a counterintelligence expert at the bureau, changed the description of Clinton’s actions in Comey’s statement, CNN reported Monday, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
One source told the news outlet that electronic records reveal that Strzok changed the language from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless,” scrubbing a key word that could have had legal ramifications for Clinton. An individual who mishandled classified material could be prosecuted under federal law for “gross negligence.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/363194-former-fbi-agent-changed-comeys-language-of-clinton-email-use-to
I’d probably TRY my best to be an impartial juror in the upcoming Hillary Clinton trial …
But if it came down to pretending that the clear meaning of “extremely careless” isn’t EXACTLY the same as “gross negligence”, my vote will naturally be to send her to the slammer.
And regardless of how the Constitution-indifferent Obama-appointed federal judge instructs us.
Re-opening the case was purely a CYA move by Comey. Strzok’s caution was warranted, and he struggled with making it public.
Had he not done so, and the emails been revealed after the election, Comey would have faced immediate termination and an even larger shitstorm than the current one engulfing FBI. It may have triggered internal armed conflict.
The only reason FBI (Comey) had to do something was due to Weiner’s carelessness which blew up the conspiracy to exonerate Hillary back in July.
McCabe, Strzok, Priestap, and the others had a collective Oh shit moment when the additional emails were discovered.
Now where could they (CNN) have heard this?
Lol can we RICO the FBI?
For those of you keeping score, one of the factors keeping Fen on his leash was the comforting fact that the Rule Of Law was backed up by a bunch of Boy Scouts with Laser Rifles.
Boy was I naive. Fenrisulven wakes.
Absolutely:
Federal prosecution of public corruption in the United States:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_prosecution_of_public_corruption_in_the_United_States
“Boy was I naive.”
You wouldn’t be the first.
Some of Strzok and Lisa,Page early emails suggested the wanted nothing to do with the hot potato of the Clinton emails .The emails also hint of pressure from above .It appears to me as someone who realized he had screwed up and was furiously trying to cover up .
Hillary leaves a wake of destruction everywhere she goes.
How is it possible for anyone to not see just how wrong this is?
EVERYBODY sees how wrong it is – including the left, which is why they and their media are acting even more hysterical and dishonest than usual: their asses are on the line.
Even Sessions gets it. Which is why he ran away: he’s likely implicated in some way, or he’s being shaken down.
AND this isn’t the only critter living under the rocks of the Obama cartel. There are still plenty of rocks to overturn before the effects of the past administration are cleaned up.
Sorry, too many tabs open. I meant to make that comment on the high school play thread.
LOL Arminius. I liked that comment on the HS Play before coming here. When I came to your comment above I said to myself that your response is a good general comment for many of the posts. So…your comment above fits and it is right and I will give it the basically meaningless thumbs up approval. If the comments could be listed by popularity additionally to the provided chronologically listed comments the thumbs up would have a bit more meaning. Most threads are still small enough that you can generally go through all of them on the articles that interest the reader.
“… according to a source familiar with Strzok’s thinking …”
From CNN, the Fake News Headquarters, this is code for “everything following is pure fantasy.”
The media has done things like that many times. I remember reading an article that claimed that despite what Trump said, he really meant… and the rest of the article was hammering on what he really meant ignoring what he said. The media has engaged in opinion pieces being treated as if they are real news.
“… according to a source familiar with Strzok’s thinking …”
CNN is talking to God, or the Chinese Ambassador.
Or they are hearing voices (a.k.a. emanations) from the twilight fringe (a.k.a. penumbra).
Another insurance policy? Did he pay his premium? Penalty?
Deep Plunger was a professional. Water Closet is still leaking.
After letting her off the hook, they had no choice but to re-open. What if they hadn’t and Weiner’s laptop had loads of top secret stuff. In other words, they were covering their tails.
That’s what had to happen by going public with her exoneration in the first place.
At this point, in hindsight, she was probably going to lose no matter what. The fakery and corruption was too much to overcome.
I’ve been commenting on this for awhile. Here’s my ex-detective take:
1. McCabe threatened to take down the FBI if they went after his retirement. If there was nothing wrong, then how can he do that? My ex-partner pointed out that he should keep it. The bigger picture is that we should not take money from someone if they went against something (McCabe went against the law). Because that might effect whistleblowers etc int the future. Plus he said that McCabe will be spending that money on attorneys and settlements from civil suits he is going to lose.
2. Mueller just delayed the sentencing of Flynn. Either Flynn is flipping (on what exactly), or more likely even the dogged Mueller sees his no wheel, no engine jalopy of an investigation just ground to a halt! He cannot sentence Flynn if the interviewing FBI agent may have lied on his 302s (as requested by McCabe) or is compromised by his illegal actions, or the “evidence” of Flynn’s crime was gathered by an illegal, a VERY illegal, surveillance operation. Flynn plead to avoid Weinstein going after Flynn’s son. (I will note to you that the Podesta crew- who did the same thing- hasn’t been charged…so…)
Weinstein is going to be found dirty. McCabe,Comey, Rosenstein, Ohr, Strozk, Rybicki, Carlin, Page, Lynch and more will also be found dirty. Mueller is an old guy with a reputation to protect. He’s a typical swamp rat and he has no loyalty to anyone. Comey is going to find that out soon.
Victor Davis Hanson at the NRO has a great article about the “why they did it” motive. It were all going to get rewarded by Hillary when she was elected and ALL OF THIS would be covered up.
Which is why all of us should be so frightened. They actually tried to subvert a federal election.
They have to go to jail.
Not only for what they did, but to discourage the next Lerner or Holder or Comey or Strzok in the next generation of bureaucrats.
The bigger picture is that we should not take money from someone if they went against something (McCabe went against the law). Because that might effect whistleblowers etc int the future.
But McCabe’s not a whistleblower; he’s one of the cockroaches.
If the roach turns rat then maybe a reward for turning rat might be for the best. After all, can you imagine how much McCabe knows regarding all of this? McCabe could be the John Dean of this scandal.
Exactly! http://www.nationalreview.com/article/455885/expected-clinton-victory-explains-federal-employee-wrongdoing
Strzok’s behavior at first seems a bit bizarre, as the texts have revealed Strzok to be a total Dumb-o-crat zealot and a de facto Clinton campaign volunteer while on the job. So, why the hell would he re-open an investigation — along with the self-serving, greasy Comey — that was certain to be the nail in the coffin of Clinton’s inept, tone-deaf campaign?
The only thing that makes sense, as some have already opined, here, is that some rank-and-file agents were revolting against Comey, McCabe and Strzok’s transparent partisan machinations and Clinton whitewashing, so, the investigation was re-opened to prevent a massive controversy from erupting at the Bureau. Transparent efforts at damage control, as someone else has stated.
The underlying irony, of course, is that the Dumbs have been ceaselessly complaining, bitterly (and, fallaciously), that Comey’s decision allegedly cost Hillary the election, but, now we know that it was a group of Clinton fanboys at the Bureau who had simply outsmarted themselves via their pro-Hillary machinations, and, had painted themselves into a corner.
Let’s see if Steven Spielberg will make a film about this chicanery, instead of milking a forty-year-old scandal that the infantile and morally bankrupt Left is still mining for self-perceived moral superiority, today — I won’t be holding my breath.
Do not hold your breath: move on with the rest of us andleave speilberg and the cult he is in in the dust.
We have things go do,and lots of people to put in prison, starting with klinton. She can share a cell with corrine brown.
Hmmmm………
RE: “.. some rank-and-file agents were revolting against Comey, McCabe and Strzok’s transparent partisan machinations and Clinton whitewashing…”
Ah yes! Once again the political consequences interfering with an investigation. Who would have thought that would happen in Washington.
According to our corrupt MSM, this Peter Strok guy was all over the place, wasn’t he? Next thing you know, the journ0s will say he was the actual director of the FBI, not Weasel Comey.
People in the MSM are trying to cast Strzok and Page as the evil geniuses who dream this whole operation up. They were not the top, but the bottom of the conspiracy.
Strzok and Page were typical ambitious bureaucratic lapdogs. They were more than willing to do their superior’s bidding to make sure that Donald Trump did not become President. But, they were total dolts who had a hugely inflated sense of self worth.
In order for all of this to work, several higher ups in both the FBI and the DOJ had to have been involved. None of them wanted their fingerprints on either Servergate or the Trump surveillance, so they had Strzok and Page handle all of that. We have no known recovered communications from S&P’s superiors which discuss any part of these operations and probably never will. But, S&P were like a couple of college interns and chatted with each other extensively about the whole thing. They were very likely the most inept clandestine operatives in history. And, they essentially shafted everyone else involved, below the level of POTUS, bcause of their loose lips.
But, Strzok was not totally inept. After Comey laid out a prima facia case of violation of the laws dealing with the handling of classified material, by HRC, and then closed the case, saying no one would ever prosecute her based upon the evidence, he was stuck when the Huma/Weiner communications. When other members of the bureau, who had been taking heat over the Comey Absolution, complained that the new emails could not, and should not, be buried, Strzok went to his bosses and it was decided that an announcement on the new emails should be made. And, because of his great expertise, the highly trusted [and totally expendable], Strzok was given the job of formulating the announcement.
So now, all we hear about is Strzok and Page, with regard to these operations. They are being set up as the fall guys. And, I would be very careful how I lived my life in the future, if I were either of them.