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FBI Tag

Wednesday, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), held a press conference where he claimed he possessed proof that "U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition" were "incidentally" surveilled by the Obama administration. Nunes clarified that the evidence he'd reviewed was not related to, "Russia, the investigation of Russian activities, or the Trump team." Rep. Nunes' announcement came as a shock to ranking committee Democrats, who learned the news via the press conference. The White House was also unaware of Nunes' findings until the press conference. An Intelligence Community (IC) insider approached Rep. Nunes with the bombshell evidence after FBI Director Comey's testimony before Congress Monday. Or at least that's what Nunes claims.

As the rest of the Morning Joe panel remained in three-alarm, apocalyptic mode this morning, there was one lonely voice bringing some balance to the discussion. MSNBC analyst Mark Halperin said it was "completely improper" of FBI Director James Comey to have revealed the existence of an ongoing investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Rejecting Mika Brzezinski's suggestion that Comey was "compelled" to make the revelation, Halperin added that Comey "says the standard is, if the public is interested in something, I'll reveal an ongoing probe. I've never heard of this standard. I think it's a dangerous one to set."

Authorities found two Super Bowl jerseys worn by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The lost jerseys were found with a credentialed member of the international media. From KPRC:
Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said that a tip from someone in Houston led investigators to a location in Mexico, where the jerseys were found. "You don't come to Texas and steal when the eyes of the world are upon our state," Acevedo said.

FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers addressed the House Intelligence Committee today about allegations of Russian interference with our presidential election and President Donald Trump's accusations that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) told Fox News on Sunday that the wiretap never happened. Top Democrat Adam Schiff expects "Comey to rebut the president's claim" at the hearing.

This is a truly bizarre case. Remember Kurt Eichenwald? The Journalist who claimed he was assaulted by a tweet? Well, the FBI confirmed Friday they've arrested John Rivello, the suspect they believe sent a "seizure-inducing" tweet to Dallas reporter, Kurt Eichenwald. Eichenwald claims the tweet triggered an epileptic seizure. Professor Jacobson covered the case in December. For background, see here.

We reported a few days ago on the unsealing of a criminal complaint against Ahlam al-Tamimi, the mastermind of the 2001 Sbarro Pizzeria suicide bombing in Jerusalem, U.S. to seek extradition of Ahlam Tamimi, the Savage of Sbarro Pizzeria bombing. The Sbarro bombing killed fifteen people, including two American citizens. Ahlam's only regret, expressed multiple times in interviews (see prior posts) is that she did not kill more people. She smiled with joy during one interview when she learned that she killed 8 children, not the 3 she previously thought. After the bombing, Ahlam presented a news story on the bombing in her role as an announcer on Palestinian television, without a hint that she had masterminded it:

Yesterday we reported how the mastermind of the 2001 Sbarro Pizzeria bombing, Ahlam Tamimi, might be brought to justice in the U.S. for the killing of two American citizens (among a total of 15 people killed). Tamimi currently lives in Jordan, where she is a TV announcer, after being released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange in October 2011. She continues to brag about her role in planning the suicide bombing, including scouting the location, which she chose because of the crowds and presence of religious Jews. She helped guide the suicide bomber to the location. Her only regret is that she didn't kill more people.

You probably have heard the term "suicide by cop." It refers to attacks on police that are intended by the assailant to be met with deadly force. A 2014 FBI study provided this description:
Suicide by cop (SBC) is a situation where individuals deliberately place themselves or others at grave risk in a manner that compels the use of deadly force by police officers. There are many known SBC-specific risk factors, warning signs, and triggers.[1] Individuals who feel trapped, ashamed, hopeless, desperate, revengeful, or enraged and those who are seeking notoriety, assuring lethality, saving face, sending a message, or evading moral responsibility often attempt SBC.[2] In the field of suicide prevention, SBC has received little attention.
The FBI report also explained the psychological dynamic, and how it usually is not a spontaneous occurrance:

Officials within the CIA and FBI will open an investigation to find out how Wikileaks almost 9,000 pages that details the CIA's hacking operations:
The investigation is looking into how the documents came into WikiLeaks' possession and whether they might have been leaked by an employee or contractor. The CIA is also trying to determine if there are other unpublished documents WikiLeaks may have.

FBI Director James Comey just cannot win! Yesterday, Kemberlee blogged that the Department of Justice will review his investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. Today, House Democrats are angry after a confidential briefing over allegations that Russia "hacked" the DNC and Hillary campaign chair John Podesta to sway the election towards President-elect Donald Trump. Those briefed believe Comey is "unfit to lead the agency."

Hillary's email problems aren't going away just because the election is over. A watchdog within the Department of Justice announced Thursday it would be reviewing Director Comey's investigation into Hillary's use of a private email account and a homebrewed server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The DOJ's Inspector General Michael Horowitz indicated numerous "Chairmen and Ranking Members of Congressional oversight committees, various organizations, and members of the public" requested the review.

The FBI published around 300 pages of documents associated with Hillary Clinton's email investigation on Sunday night when the most of us enjoyed football, hockey, or the Golden Globes. These emails include discussions within Hillary's team about the computer hardware during the FBI's investigation:
At first, Clinton was unwilling to surrender her private server, but hacked emails appear to show her team advised her to let the FBI take control of the materials.

WOLVERINES! Or maybe not. The Obama Administration was quick to blame Russian agents for "hacking the election", despite little evidence supporting this conclusion. There's no question Democratic National Convention servers were hacked, nor is it a question whether Hillary campaign advisor and longtime Clintonite John Podesta's email was hacked. This much we know for certain. See Wikileaks. President Obama was confident Russians were to blame for the hacks, which Democrats have also suggested swayed the outcome of the presidential election.

President Barack Obama has placed more sanctions against Russia and expelled intelligence operatives from America for allegedly interfering with our 2016 election. The sanctions include expelling 35 Russian intelligence officers and closing two Russian compounds. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security found some information that Russians may have phished into the Democratic National Committee over the summer. (Before I go on, I need to correct the media. NO ONE hacked the election. Saying Russia hacked the election implies Russians invaded our voting booths and physically changed votes. That did NOT happen.)

We live in very dangerous times, with Democrats trying to flip the Electoral College against Trump through cajoling, and when that fails, threats and intimidation. It still seems unlikely that Democrats will pull it off by Monday, December 19, 2016, when the Electoral College votes. I shudder to think what will happen if Democrats manage to steal the election this way, just as I would have shuddered to think what would have happened in 2008 had Republicans succeeded in stealing the election from Obama using similar tactics. This Coup de Electoral College attempt is premised mostly on assertions that Russia "hacked the election," and that there is new information after the election that could not have been considered by voters. In that theory, the Electoral College must act to protect the nation.

Since the night of the election, when media coverage of election night went from joyous to stunned to near-weepy, the progressive left has been in a self-righteous lather about President-elect Trump's victory.  They are pulling out all stops in an effort to undermine President-elect Trump and his presidency.  Indeed, they seem intent on seeing that he not take office at all. Blaming everything and everyone but themselves and their candidate (with a few notable exceptions), the left took to the streets to riot, they took up their pens to advocate the end of the Electoral College, they bully and harass electors attempting to sway their votes, and they've recently landed on Russian involvement in the elections.