Cocktails & Popcorn: Matt Whitaker Is Back To Say Barr & Ratcliffe Are The Perfect Team - The Celestial Goddess Of The Woodshed Concurs

"TEVA, anyone?", said Herrington, the
Super Secret Agent Whistleblower.

Yes, John Ratcliffe is leaving Congress, the U.S. Judiciary Committee, to become the new Director of National Intelligence, replacing Dan Coats, to work with U.S. Attorney Bill Barr.

Yes, they make the perfect team because this is about trafficking tiny humans.

For those who do not remember, or simply do not like to click the links I provide to review what I have been presenting, here is a fun video on Ratcliffe and his work in trafficking tiny humans.

You can see how effective Ratcliffe was when it came to trafficking tiny humans by watching Gowdy's lovely facial expressions.

Trey knows all the stuff.

Matt knows lots of stuff, too.

Trump’s spy chief pick, Texan John Ratcliffe, accused of fudging role in 'Holy Land' terrorism case

WASHINGTON -- The North Texas Republican picked by President Donald Trump to be America's next intelligence chief is grappling with reports that he embellished his role in a high-profile anti-terrorism case he's cited as proof of his national security bona fides.

At issue is the extent of Heath Rep. John Ratcliffe's involvement as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. vs. Holy Land Foundation case, which ended in 2009 with officials at a Texas-based charity being found guilty of funneling money to the terrorist group known as Hamas.

While Ratcliffe has touted that he "convicted individuals" involved in the scheme, ABC News and NBC News this week cast doubt on that account.

Jim Jacks, one of the Holy Land case's lead prosecutors, also told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that Ratcliffe "wasn't part of the trial team or the investigative team." Asked if it was accurate to say that Ratcliffe "convicted individuals" in the case, he said, "No."

In response to those reports, Ratcliffe spokeswoman Rachel Stephens clarified this week that the Texan, while serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, was appointed to investigate issues related to the mistrial that occurred in the case's first trial.

"Because that investigation did not result in any criminal charges, it would not be in accordance with Department of Justice policies to make further details public," she said, confirming a written statement provided to ABC News and NBC News.

Jacks, a former U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Texas, confirmed that depiction, explaining that Ratcliffe was "appointed to look into a collateral matter after the first trial" and that the assignment lasted for a "relatively short-lived period of time."

He added that he found Ratcliffe to be "very smart, a very good lawyer, just first-rate."

The dispute over the Holy Land case is no mere résumé dispute.

Ratcliffe, a three-term lawmaker, was already facing criticism that he lacks the experience to be Director of National Intelligence, given that outgoing spy chief Dan Coats and his predecessors came into the job with extensive national security and foreign affairs backgrounds.

That dynamic, along with Ratcliffe's standing as a Trump loyalist, could jeopardize his confirmation in the GOP-run Senate.

Some key Republican senators have so far offered muted reactions, with a few admitting that they were simply unfamiliar with the Texan's credentials. Some top Senate Democrats have already weighed in against Ratcliffe's nomination, casting him as a partisan warrior unfit for the job.

Several intelligence officials have also made clear their unease.

"Mr. Ratcliffe appears to be somebody who is more interested in pleasing Donald Trump," John Brennan, CIA director under President Barack Obama and a frequent Trump critic, said this week on MSNBC.

Stephens rejected those criticisms, pointing to Ratcliffe's experience as a federal prosecutor and then as a congressman serving on the House intelligence and judiciary committees.

"Ratcliffe opened, managed and supervised numerous domestic and international terrorism related cases," she said of his time in the U.S. attorney's office, adding that he "handled top secret, secret and confidential national security information as part of his daily responsibilities."

The Texan's allies have also defended his qualifications.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Monday called Ratcliffe a "worthy successor" to Coats, upon whom he heaped praise. Trump on Tuesday hailed Ratcliffe as a "very talented guy. "And former U.S. attorney Matt Orwig, who hired Ratcliffe, said he was "imminently qualified."

Orwig sought to further buttress Ratcliffe's standing by telling ABC News that his one-time protégé worked several terrorism-related cases, though he declined to specify them.

The former top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Texas also told The News that when Ratcliffe served as his anti-terrorism and national security chief, he worked to "bring together all the state, federal and local agencies" involved in security efforts.

"That's the job that he did," Orwig said. "He did it very, very well."

Federal Judge Hands Downs Sentences in Holy Land Foundation Case

Holy Land Foundation and Leaders Convicted on Providing Material Support to Hamas Terrorist Organization

Today, in federal court in Dallas, U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis sentenced the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its leaders following their convictions by a federal jury in November 2008 on charges of providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

"Today's sentences mark the culmination of many years of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work at the federal, state and local levels. All those involved in this landmark case deserve our thanks," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "These sentences should serve as a strong warning to anyone who knowingly provides financial support to terrorists under the guise of humanitarian relief."

HLF was incorporated by Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, and Ghassan Elashi. Mufid Abdulqader and Abdulrahman Odeh worked as fund raisers. Together, with others, they provided material support to the Hamas movement.

Shukri Abu Baker, 50, of Garland, Texas, was sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison. He was convicted of 10 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization; 11 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, funds, goods and services to a Specially Designated Terrorist; 10 counts of conspiracy to commit, and the commission of, money laundering; one count of conspiracy to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and one count of filing a false tax return.

Mohammad El-Mezain, 55, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Ghassan Elashi, 55, of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison. He was convicted on the same counts as Abu Baker, and one additional count of filing a false tax return.

Mufid Abdulqader, 49, of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to provide goods, funds, and services to a specially designated terrorist, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Abdulrahman Odeh, 49, of Patterson, New Jersey, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was convicted on the same counts as Abdulqader.

HLF, now defunct, was convicted on10 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization; 11 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, funds, goods and services to a Specially Designated Terrorist; and 10 counts of conspiracy to commit, and the commission of, money laundering.

The Court reaffirmed the jury’s $12.4 million money judgment against all the defendants, with the exception of El Mezain, who was not convicted of money laundering.

From its inception, HLF existed to support Hamas. Before HLF was designed as a Specially Designated Terrorist by the Treasury Department and shut down in December 2001, it was the largest U.S. Muslim charity. It was based in Richardson, Texas, a Dallas suburb. The "material support statute," as it is commonly referred to, was enacted in 1996 as part of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. That statute recognizes that money is fungible, and that money in the hands of a terrorist organization — even if for so called charitable purposes — supports that organization’s overall terrorist objectives.

The government presented evidence at trial that, as the U.S. began to scrutinize individuals and entities in the U.S. who were raising funds for terrorist groups in the mid-1990s, the HLF intentionally hid its financial support for Hamas behind the guise of charitable donations. HLF and these five defendants provided approximately $12.4 million in support to Hamas and its goal of creating an Islamic Palestinian state by eliminating the State of Israel through violent jihad.

The government’s case included testimony that in the early 1990's, Hamas’ parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, planned to establish a network of organizations in the U.S. to spread a militant Islamist message and raise money for Hamas. The government’s case also included testimony about Hamas material found in zakat committees. The defendants sent HLF-raised funds to Hamas-controlled zakat committees and charitable societies in the West Bank and Gaza. Zakat is an Arabic word referring to the religious obligation to give alms.

HLF became the chief fundraising arm for the Palestine Committee in the U.S. created by the Muslim Brotherhood to support Hamas. According to a wiretap of a 1993 Palestine Committee meeting in Philadelphia, former HLF President and CEO Shukri Abu Baker, spoke about playing down their Hamas ties in order to keep raising money in the U.S. Another wiretapped phone call included Abdulrahman Odeh, HLF’s New Jersey representative, referring to a suicide bombing as "a beautiful operation."

The government also presented evidence that several HLF defendants have family members who are Hamas leaders, including Hamas’ political chief, Mousa Abu Marzook, who is married to a cousin of Ghassan Elashi, HLF’s former Chairman of the Board. Ghassan Elashi, who also served as the vice-president of marketing for Infocom Corporation, is currently serving an 80-month sentence following his conviction on several charges related to export violations. Mohammed El-Mezain was HLF’s Director of Endowments and Mufid Abdulqater was a major HLF fundraiser. Two named defendants, Akram Mishal and Haitham Maghawri are fugitives.

The defendants provided financial support to the families of Hamas martyrs, detainees, and activists knowing and intending that such assistance would support the Hamas terrorist organization. Since 1995, when it first became illegal to provide financial support to Hamas, HLF provided approximately $12.4 million in funding to Hamas through various Hamas-affiliated committees and organizations located in Palestinian-controlled areas and elsewhere.

During trial, the government also presented evidence that HLF was so concerned about investigators uncovering the group’s intentions that they kept a manual entitled "The Foundation’s Policies and Procedures." HLF followed various security procedures outlined in the manual to include hiring a security company to search the HLF for listening devices, ordering defendant Haitham Maghawri, a fugitive, to take training on advanced methods in detecting wiretaps, shredding documents after board meetings, and maintaining incriminating documents in off-site locations.

The case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, involving agents from federal, state, and local agencies including: FBI, IRS - Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of State, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Dallas, Plano, Garland and Richardson, Texas, Police Departments. In addition, the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section provided assistance.

The case was prosecuted by James T. Jacks, acting U.S. Attorney; Barry Jonas, Trial Attorney for the Department of Justice Counter-terrorism Section; and Elizabeth J. Shapiro, Deputy Director, Federal Programs Branch, Department of Justice, serving as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Just a naming coincidence, I am sure.

Mississippi Medicaid Fraud ... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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SENATE JUDICIARY: Comey Testifies On FISA Renewal & Not The Ex Parte Russian Election Interference Origins

"I disagree with your preamble."

"I do not agree with your predicate."

James Comey

Whatever you do, do not tell them that all the information the committee seeks is already public.

Ssssshhh... "Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending) at work...

#maytheheavensfall

Intel chief releases Russian disinfo on Hillary Clinton that was rejected by bipartisan Senate panel

Former top officials were aghast at the move by John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence.

The assessment claims that Hillary Clinton personally approved an effort during the 2016 election “to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee.” | Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Tuesday declassified a Russian intelligence assessment that was previously rejected by Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee as having no factual basis, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The extraordinary disclosure, released to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) earlier Tuesday, rankled Democrats, who said the move effectively put Russian disinformation into the public sphere in order to boost President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about the government’s efforts to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“It’s very disturbing to me that, 35 days before an election, the director of national intelligence would release unverified Russian rumint,” or rumor intelligence, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) told reporters.

And several former senior intelligence officials described Ratcliffe’s move as incendiary and irresponsible, given the manner in which he was publicly releasing unverified information that originated from a foreign adversary.

The assessment claims that Hillary Clinton, then a Democratic candidate for president, personally approved an effort “to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee.” But in his letter to Graham, Ratcliffe noted that the U.S. intelligence community “does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee issued five reports on Russia’s sweeping effort to meddle in the 2016 election to boost Trump, ranging across thousands of pages. The panel was made aware of that allegation early on in its investigation, and quickly dismissed it, the sources said.

“I’m very, very proud of the bipartisan work of the Intelligence Committee — three and a half years, five volumes — and that work speaks for itself,” Warner said.

According to Ratcliffe, former CIA Director John Brennan briefed former President Barack Obama on the Russian assessment, which included the allegation that Clinton approved the plan to tie Trump to the hack of the DNC after it was proposed by one of her foreign policy advisers.

Asked about Ratcliffe’s claims, Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for Clinton, said in a text message that the allegations were “baseless bullshit.“

Nick Shapiro, Brennan’s former deputy chief of staff at the CIA, said Ratcliffe “should be ashamed of his blatant politicization of his position.”

After receiving pushback against the declassified material, Ratcliffe said in a statement: “To be clear, this is not Russian disinformation and has not been assessed as such by the Intelligence Community. I’ll be briefing Congress on the sensitive sources and methods by which it was obtained in the coming days.”

Graham responded to his critics later Tuesday, saying that the veracity of the Russian intelligence assessment was irrelevant.

“I’m not saying whether it’s true or not,” Graham told reporters. “I’m asking Democrats, do you give a damn whether the FBI investigated it, or do you just care only about investigating Trump?”

When pressed on why he released the information even though it was unverified, Graham called it “the ultimate double standard.”

“They took the whole damn country through hell for two and a half years — and is it far-fetched to believe that the Clinton campaign would do something like this after Christopher Steele?” Graham said referring to the author of an unverified dossier of claims about Trump’s connections to Russia.

A former senior intelligence official said it was “a surprising choice to release this information — that is not new and that seems unconfirmed — now and in an unclassified letter,” adding: “I don’t know what good purpose is served.”

It has long been known that the Russians were trying to stir up false narratives about Clinton through similar avenues.

Another former senior intelligence official said Brennan would frequently brief Obama on Russia’s actions regardless of whether it was about Trump or Clinton, adding that Brennan also wanted to “demonstrate the extent of the U.S. intelligence community’s ability to collect against Russia.”

In recent days, Trump’s allies have been dripping out several disclosures related to the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and other information aimed at denigrating Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Graham’s committee will hear from former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday as part of that sweeping GOP-led probe. Graham also announced on Tuesday that former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe will testify before the panel next week. McCabe agreed to appear voluntarily, according to an aide. McCabe’s lawyer said earlier Tuesday that he was being denied access to his old files that he says are necessary for him to prepare for his testimony.

The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was among those on the right who spotlighted Tuesday’s disclosure, writing on Twitter: “The Russia hoax was Hillary’s plan, and the Obama-Biden White House was briefed on it.”

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Prelude To Detroit: Ratcliffe Gets To Tell Congress That They Are Going Dark On The 2020 General Election

The U.S. House Judiciary Minority Subcommittee of
"Legal Geniuses" (trademark pending)

JORDAN: "Here is the insurance policy, but whatever you do, never say his name.

NUNES: "Got it. On my way to tell White House Counsel."

RATCLIFFE: "Oh, boy! I get to tell Congress we are going dark."

#maytheheavensfall

READ: DNI Ratcliffe's letters to Congress on election security briefings

(CNN)Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Saturday informed members of Congress that "the ODNI will primarily meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products."

DOCUMENT

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JUDICIARY: CHAIRMAN NADLER & RANKING MEMBER COLLINS HOLD FIRST JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE 116TH CONGRESS, ANNOUNCE COMMITTEE ROSTER

Washington, D.C. -- Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee held its first full Committee meeting to introduce new Members, adopt Committee Rules of Procedure, appoint Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members, and approve the assignment of Members to Subcommittees. Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) released the following statements after the Committee’s first meeting of the 116^th Congress:

Chairman Nadler said, “I’m proud to welcome all of our Members to the House Judiciary Committee this Congress. The Committee has remained one of the most active committees in the House through lively debates, bipartisan partnerships, and advancing critical legislation.  I expect this to continue and look forward to hearing from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we prepare to take on some of the most pressing issues of our time. I have worked closely with Ranking Member Collins on many issues in the past and hope that we will find more common ground over the next two years.”

Ranking Member Collins said, “It’s a great pleasure to join Chairman Nadler in welcoming our colleagues to the House Judiciary Committee. The opportunities our committee has to serve Americans and strengthen our democratic institutions are almost limitless. Together, we’ve built a legacy of passionate debate and bipartisan success. I look forward to hearing from every lawmaker on this committee and to deepening our collaboration throughout this Congress.”

Below is the full House Judiciary Committee Structure for the 116^th Congress:

DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9) Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-4) Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22) Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37) Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-2) Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) Rep. David Cicilline (RI-1) Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15) Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33) Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8) Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-7) Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46) Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), Vice Chair Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2) Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-6) Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-9) Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-4) Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE Rep. Doug Collins (GA-9), Ranking Member Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-5) Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1) Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-1) Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) Rep. Ken Buck (CO-4) Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-4) Rep. Martha Roby (AL-2) Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1) Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-4) Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-5) Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-4) Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ-8) Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) Rep. Ben Cline (VA-6) Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large) Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law

Democrats Rep. Cicilline, Chair Rep. Johnson Rep. Raskin Rep. Jayapal Rep. Demings Rep. Scanlon Rep. Neguse, Vice Chair Rep. McBath

Republicans Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Ranking Member Rep. Gaetz Rep. Buck Rep. Armstrong Rep. Steube

Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Democrats Rep. Cohen, Chair Rep. Raskin, Vice Chair Rep. Swalwell Rep. Scanlon Rep. Dean Rep. Garcia Rep. Escobar Rep. Jackson Lee

Republicans Rep. Johnson, Ranking Member Rep. Gohmert Rep. Jordan Rep. Reschenthaler Rep. Cline Rep. Armstrong

Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

Democrats Rep. Bass, Chair Rep. Jackson Lee Rep. Demings, Vice Chair Rep. McBath Rep. Deutch Rep. Richmond Rep. Jeffries Rep. Cicilline Rep. Lieu Rep. Dean Rep. Mucarsel-Powell Rep. Cohen

Republicans Rep. Ratcliffe, Ranking Member Rep. Sensenbrenner Rep. Chabot Rep. Gohmert Rep. McClintock Rep. Lesko Rep. Reschenthaler Rep. Cline Rep. Steube

Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship

Democrats Rep. Lofgren, Chair Rep. Jayapal, Vice Chair Rep. Correa Rep. Garcia Rep. Neguse Rep. Mucarsel-Powell Rep. Escobar Rep. Jackson Lee Rep. Scanlon

Republicans Rep. Buck, Ranking Member Rep. Biggs Rep. McClintock Rep. Lesko Rep. Armstrong Rep. Steube

Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet

Democrats Rep. Johnson, Chair Rep. Deutch Rep. Richmond Rep. Jeffries Rep. Lieu Rep. Stanton Rep. Lofgren Rep. Cohen Rep. Bass Rep. Swalwell Rep. Correa, Vice Chair

Republicans Rep. Roby, Ranking Member Rep. Chabot Rep. Jordan Rep. Ratcliffe Rep. Gaetz Rep. Johnson Rep. Biggs Rep. Reschenthaler Rep. Cline

In addition to holding the first organizational meeting, the Judiciary Majority appointed the following Members to serve as Vice Chairs for the Subcommittees:

• Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee

Vice Chair Joe Neguse

• Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee

Vice Chair Jamie Raskin

• Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee

Vice Chair Lou Correa

• Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

Vice Chair Val Demings

• Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee

Vice Chair Pramila Jayapal

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JUDICIARY: Impeachment - Day 2 - Enters Whitewater & Watergate - Will Judiciary Summon Judiciary From The Grave?

Whitewater& Watergate have officially been referenced into the public record as a precedent in conducting impeachment hearings.

Well, why should we call "Legal Geniuses (trademark pending)" when we can just subpoena the original sources, which, of course, includes staff.

Matt Gaetz dropped Hunter Biden's crackpipe.

I am quite sure there will be some form of psyoptic reprisal.

Matt Gaetz’s talk of mug shot raises questions about DUI arrest

Hank Johnson does not understand the origins of quid pro quo.

Ratcliffe just introduced Obama.

Ratcliffe refuses to mention the referrals to the Districts from the OIG.

#maytheheavensfall

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JUDICIARY & OVERSIGHT: Cummings and Nadler Call for Release of Full Strzok Transcript

Hundreds of GOP Questions Show Extensive

Interference with Mueller Investigation

Washington, D.C. (July 11, 2018)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary, called for the release of the full unclassified transcript of the 11-hour, closed-door interview of FBI Agent Peter Strzok, which includes hundreds of questions by Republicans regarding Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing criminal investigation of President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Despite repeated promises by Republicans that they would not interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, they asked hundreds of questions during our recent interview of Peter Strzok demonstrating that their investigation has become exactly that—an attempt to obstruct Special Counsel Mueller’s work and act as President Trump’s defense counsel,” said Cummings. 

“We call on our Republican Chairmen to release the full unclassified transcript of Mr. Strzok’s interview so the American people can see for themselves what Republicans are doing with their hard-earned tax money.  This investigation is a political charade—a platform to elevate far-right conspiracy theories and undermine the Special Counsel’s ongoing criminal investigation of the President and his campaign aides, which has already produced five guilty pleas and criminal charges against 23 individuals and entities,” said Nadler.

Republicans promised repeatedly that they would not interfere in any way with Special Counsel Mueller’s ongoing criminal investigation:

• On December 6, 2017, Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy wrote that he “specifically communicated to Special Counsel Robert Mueller I would not wittingly or unwittingly interfere with an ongoing criminal probe.”

• On March 18, 2018, Gowdy declared on Fox News Sunday, “I don’t know what Mueller has found.  I’ve been really very clear, leave him alone.  Let him do his job.”

• On June 28, 2018, Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte stated that he and Gowdy “had no intention of interfering with the substantive investigation of Mr. Mueller.”

Republican Interview Questions—By The Numbers

Contrary to these promises, Republicans asked hundreds of questions during the interview of Peter Strzok regarding Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, while essentially ignoring critical issues in desperate need of congressional oversight:

• The Special Counsel’s investigation of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign and the FBI’s  investigation into Russia’s interference with the election — more than 200 questions
• Russia’s actions to interfere with the election — fewer than 5 questions

• Agent Strzok’s conversations with the Special Counsel and his team — more than 30 questions
• President Trump’s conversations with Director Comey to stop or interfere with the investigation of his campaign — 0 questions

• Agent Strzok’s extramarital affair — more than 25 questions
• National security impact of Russia’s interference in the election — 0 questions

• FBI’s confidential human sources — 25 questions
• Risks to confidential human sources of Republican House investigations — 0 questions

• Agent Strzok’s voting practices — more than 10
• Russia’s actions regarding the upcoming 2018 elections — 0 questions

Republican questions included a host of queries designed to identify confidential human sources currently being used in the ongoing investigation; questions about George Papadopoulos, Christopher Steele, Glenn Simpson, and Carter Page; questions about the classified FISA process; and even personal questions about Mr. Strzok’s extramarital affairs and how and when he voted:

·         Rep. Meadows:  “In the month of July, was there any information from confidential human sources given to you as it relates to the Russia investigation?”

·         Rep. Jordan:  “Did you ever talk to George Papadopoulos?”

·         Rep. Jordan:  “I want to know when you first had access to the dossier and when you first looked at it.”

·         Rep. Jordan:  “Do you ever communicate with Christopher Steele?”

·         Rep. Jordan:  “Did you ever talk to Glenn Simpson?”

·         Rep. Gowdy:  “Were you part of the preparation of an affidavit in support of a FISA application?”

·         Rep. Gowdy:  “Did you consult with anyone who did help prepare it?”

·         Rep. Jordan:  “And any—any timeframe reference you can give us on the FISA application that was taken to the court to get the warrant for Carter Page; how long did that one take to put together?  Was it a day, or was it a year?”

·         Rep. Ratcliffe:  “I don’t mean to embarrass you, but is Lisa Page someone that you do or at some point in time did love?”

·         Rep. Ratcliffe:  “So what I’m trying to establish through all of that is, was Lisa Page someone that you cared about deeply at the time you were sending these messages?”

·         Rep. Gowdy:  “So it’s fair to say you were a Clinton supporter?”

·         Rep. Goodlatte:  “Did you vote in the Presidential primary in 2016?” 

·         Rep. Goodlatte:  “And which party did you cast a vote in?”

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