thedailycaller--2020-08-15--Major Development In Durham Probe Ignored During CNN, MSNBC Primetime Coverage

• CNN and MSNBC devoted little coverage Friday and Saturday to the first development in U.S. Attorney John Durham ’ s investigation of the origins of the Trump-Russia probe .
• Kevin Clinesmith , a former FBI lawyer , is expected to plead guilty to altering an email regarding former Trump aide Carter Page ’ s past association with the CIA .
• CNN and MSNBC employ at least three former FBI and CIA officials as analysts , though none appeared on air to discuss the Clinesmith case .
• MSNBC host Chuck Todd questioned whether the Durham probe was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and MSNBC largely ignored the news Friday that a former FBI lawyer will plead guilty to altering an email related to Carter Page , the former Trump campaign aide .
Neither network mentioned the case against the former FBI lawyer , Kevin Clinesmith , in their primetime broadcasts , according to a review conducted by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
The networks had brief segments during the daytime broadcasts that reported the news that Clinesmith would plead guilty to making false statements by altering an email that downplayed Page ’ s past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an operational contact for the CIA through at least 2013 and provided information about his interactions with a Russian intelligence officer .
Clinesmith , 38 , added a line to a CIA liaison ’ s email in June 2017 that said that Page was “ not a ‘ source ' ” for the spy agency , according to the charging documents .
The case is the first major development in an investigation led by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe .
CNN and MSNBC would be well-positioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between them employ at least three analysts who worked on either Crossfire Hurricane or the special counsel ’ s probe .
MSNBC also has former CIA Director John Brennan as an analyst .
( RELATED : 15 Former Spooks Who Work At CNN And MSNBC Now ) MSNBC recently hired Lisa Page , a former FBI lawyer , and Andrew Weissmann , a top prosecutor on the special counsel ’ s probe , as analysts .
Page was general counsel to Andrew McCabe when he served as FBI deputy director .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane .
Neither appeared on MSNBC on Friday .
McCabe is an analyst at CNN , though he also did not appear on TV to discuss the Clinesmith development .
CNN last year also hired former FBI general counsel Jim Baker .
He also did not appear on air , though it is unclear if he is still with the network .
The lack of coverage of the Clinesmith case is in stark contrast to CNN and MSNBC ’ s handling of developments during the special counsel ’ s investigation .
Both networks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every twist and turn in the Russia probe .
Neither of the networks ’ primetime hosts addressed the Clinesmith news .
MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow , one of the leading proponents of the Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy theory , did not mention the story .
A review of Grabien , the television monitoring service , shows that the Clinesmith news was reported on CNN during Brooke Baldwin ’ s and John King ’ s shows .
Evan Perez , a CNN justice reporter , appeared for a total of less than five minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s case .
MSNBC spent more time discussing Clinesmith , though the coverage was more dismissive of the development .
NBC reporter Pete Williams outlined the case in a segment on Andrew Mitchell ’ s show .
Brian Williams spent 30 seconds on the case during his show airing just before midnight .
Chuck Todd , an MSNBC host who also anchors “ Meet the Press , ” was dismissive of the case .
He suggested that the Durham probe is less important than an investigation of WikiLeaks .
“ What ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into what else like the issue of WikiLeaks and how many American citizens ’ privacy and rights were violated by these Russian hackers who did this , ” he said .
He also asked whether the Durham probe was aimed at “ creating confusion about investigating the investigators here.
” “ We will wait for this investigation and see if there is any concern about how many American citizens were targeted by WikiLeaks , something that seems to have gotten lost with this Justice Department , ” Todd continued .
Contrary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel ’ s office brought charges against a Russian intelligence unit that provided stolen emails to WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign .
The U.S. government has also charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a case unrelated to the Russian email hacks .
MSNBC host Ari Melber discussed the case during a segment questioning the motives of Attorney General William Barr .
Melber ’ s guest , former federal prosecutor John Flannery , called the Clinesmith plea “ pretty weak tea.
” Neither MSNBC nor CNN immediately responded to requests for comment .
Content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

CNN and MSNBC devoted little coverage Friday and Saturday to the first development in U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation of the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.
Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer, is expected to plead guilty to altering an email regarding former Trump aide Carter Page’s past association with the CIA.
CNN and MSNBC employ at least three former FBI and CIA officials as analysts, though none appeared on air to discuss the Clinesmith case.
MSNBC host Chuck Todd questioned whether the Durham probe was aimed at “creating confusion.”
CNN and MSNBC largely ignored the news Friday that a former FBI lawyer will plead guilty to altering an email related to Carter Page, the former Trump campaign aide.
Neither network mentioned the case against the former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, in their primetime broadcasts, according to a review conducted by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The networks had brief segments during the daytime broadcasts that reported the news that Clinesmith would plead guilty to making false statements by altering an email that downplayed Page’s past work for the CIA.
Page had been an operational contact for the CIA through at least 2013 and provided information about his interactions with a Russian intelligence officer. Clinesmith, 38, added a line to a CIA liaison’s email in June 2017 that said that Page was “not a ‘source'” for the spy agency, according to the charging documents.
The case is the first major development in an investigation led by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.
CNN and MSNBC would be well-positioned to discuss the case since the networks between them employ at least three analysts who worked on either Crossfire Hurricane or the special counsel’s probe. MSNBC also has former CIA Director John Brennan as an analyst. (RELATED: 15 Former Spooks Who Work At CNN And MSNBC Now)
MSNBC recently hired Lisa Page, a former FBI lawyer, and Andrew Weissmann, a top prosecutor on the special counsel’s probe, as analysts.
Page was general counsel to Andrew McCabe when he served as FBI deputy director. She was directly involved in decisions made in Crossfire Hurricane.
Neither appeared on MSNBC on Friday.
McCabe is an analyst at CNN, though he also did not appear on TV to discuss the Clinesmith development.
CNN last year also hired former FBI general counsel Jim Baker. He also did not appear on air, though it is unclear if he is still with the network.
The lack of coverage of the Clinesmith case is in stark contrast to CNN and MSNBC’s handling of developments during the special counsel’s investigation. Both networks were known for their wall-to-wall coverage of every twist and turn in the Russia probe.
Neither of the networks’ primetime hosts addressed the Clinesmith news. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, one of the leading proponents of the Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy theory, did not mention the story.
A review of Grabien, the television monitoring service, shows that the Clinesmith news was reported on CNN during Brooke Baldwin’s and John King’s shows. Evan Perez, a CNN justice reporter, appeared for a total of less than five minutes to report the developments in Clinesmith’s case.
MSNBC spent more time discussing Clinesmith, though the coverage was more dismissive of the development.
NBC reporter Pete Williams outlined the case in a segment on Andrew Mitchell’s show. Brian Williams spent 30 seconds on the case during his show airing just before midnight.
Chuck Todd, an MSNBC host who also anchors “Meet the Press,” was dismissive of the case. He suggested that the Durham probe is less important than an investigation of WikiLeaks.
“What’s unclear is whether this is a serious investigation into what else like the issue of WikiLeaks and how many American citizens’ privacy and rights were violated by these Russian hackers who did this,” he said.
He also asked whether the Durham probe was aimed at “creating confusion about investigating the investigators here.”
“We will wait for this investigation and see if there is any concern about how many American citizens were targeted by WikiLeaks, something that seems to have gotten lost with this Justice Department,” Todd continued.
Contrary to Todd’s claim, the special counsel’s office brought charges against a Russian intelligence unit that provided stolen emails to WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign. The U.S. government has also charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a case unrelated to the Russian email hacks.
MSNBC host Ari Melber discussed the case during a segment questioning the motives of Attorney General William Barr. Melber’s guest, former federal prosecutor John Flannery, called the Clinesmith plea “pretty weak tea.”
Neither MSNBC nor CNN immediately responded to requests for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--Georgia Republican Who Endorsed QAnon, 9/11 Trutherism Says She’s Dropped QAnon

Republican Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene disavowed her past videos endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory in an interview with Fox News on Friday .
Greene is running for Georgia ’ s 14th Congressional District and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump .
Videos from 2018 and 2019 show her openly endorsing QAnon , disparaging black Americans and Jews , as well as claiming there is no evidence a “ so-called plane crashed into the Pentagon ” on 9/11 .
She now says the QAnon conspiracy doesn ’ t represent her , and objected to the moniker “ QAnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News .
Greene did not address her 9/11 comments in the interview .
“ No , it doesn ’ t represent me , ” she told Fox News .
“ But I don ’ t expect a lot of the left-leaning media to change their stance .
I think they ’ re going to continue to attack me because they actually do see me as someone who ’ s unapologetically conservative .
And I won ’ t back down on my beliefs and my values.
” Greene said she had delved into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation in an attempt to gather information .
“ I was just one of those people , just like millions of other Americans , that just started looking at other information , ” Greene said .
“ And so , yeah , there was a time there for a while that I had read about Q , posted about it , talked about it , which is some of these videos you ’ ve seen come out .
But once I started finding misinformation , I decided that I would choose another path.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican leadership in the House had been heavily critical of Greene .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise both called on her to suspend her campaign , calling her various comments “ appalling.
” Asked about Greene ’ s prospects on Wednesday , however , McCarthy ’ s office told the Daily Caller they “ look forward to Georgians Andrew Clyde and Marjorie Taylor Greene – and all of our Republican candidates across the country – winning in November so that we can enact policies to renew the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.
” Georgia ’ s 14th is a heavily Republican district , and Greene ’ s primary win all but ensures she will secure a seat in Congress come November .

Republican Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene disavowed her past videos endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory in an interview with Fox News on Friday.
Greene is running for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Videos from 2018 and 2019 show her openly endorsing QAnon, disparaging black Americans and Jews, as well as claiming there is no evidence a “so-called plane crashed into the Pentagon” on 9/11.
She now says the QAnon conspiracy doesn’t represent her, and objected to the moniker “QAnon Candidate” in a Friday interview with Fox News. Greene did not address her 9/11 comments in the interview.
“No, it doesn’t represent me,” she told Fox News. “But I don’t expect a lot of the left-leaning media to change their stance. I think they’re going to continue to attack me because they actually do see me as someone who’s unapologetically conservative. And I won’t back down on my beliefs and my values.”
Greene said she had delved into the QAnon rabbit hole during the Trump-Russia investigation in an attempt to gather information.
“I was just one of those people, just like millions of other Americans, that just started looking at other information,” Greene said. “And so, yeah, there was a time there for a while that I had read about Q, posted about it, talked about it, which is some of these videos you’ve seen come out. But once I started finding misinformation, I decided that I would choose another path.”
Despite Trump’s endorsement, Republican leadership in the House had been heavily critical of Greene. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise both called on her to suspend her campaign, calling her various comments “appalling.”
Asked about Greene’s prospects on Wednesday, however, McCarthy’s office told the Daily Caller they “look forward to Georgians Andrew Clyde and Marjorie Taylor Greene – and all of our Republican candidates across the country – winning in November so that we can enact policies to renew the American dream, restore our way of life, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.”
Georgia’s 14th is a heavily Republican district, and Greene’s primary win all but ensures she will secure a seat in Congress come November.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--FACT CHECK: Does This Photo Show The Crater From The Beirut Explosion?

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows the crater produced by the massive explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Aug. 4 .
The photo actually shows the crater from a 2015 explosion in China .
The claim started circulating after a massive explosion on Aug. 4 rocked Beirut , killing at least 170 people and displacing over 300,000 others from their homes .
The deadly blast has been linked to a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored at the port , according to the Wall Street Journal .
Through a reverse image search , Check Your Fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency website .
The caption states that it shows an “ aerial view of a large hole in the ground in the aftermath of a huge explosion that rocked the port city of Tianjin , China , 15 August 2015.
” ( RELATED : Image Falsely Links Sam Hyde To Beirut Explosion ) The Tianjin explosion occurred in 2015 after illegally stored ammonium nitrate and other hazardous compounds caught fire in a chemical warehouse , according to BBC News .
173 people , most of them firefighters and police officers , were killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
USA Today and CNN published photos of the crater created by the massive explosion in Beirut .

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows the crater produced by the massive explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Aug. 4.
Verdict: False
The photo actually shows the crater from a 2015 explosion in China.
Fact Check:
The claim started circulating after a massive explosion on Aug. 4 rocked Beirut, killing at least 170 people and displacing over 300,000 others from their homes. The deadly blast has been linked to a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored at the port, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the photo on the European Pressphoto Agency website. The caption states that it shows an “aerial view of a large hole in the ground in the aftermath of a huge explosion that rocked the port city of Tianjin, China, 15 August 2015.” (RELATED: Image Falsely Links Sam Hyde To Beirut Explosion)
The Tianjin explosion occurred in 2015 after illegally stored ammonium nitrate and other hazardous compounds caught fire in a chemical warehouse, according to BBC News. 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers, were killed in the blast, The Associated Press reported.
USA Today and CNN published photos of the crater created by the massive explosion in Beirut.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--University Of Miami Hasn’t ‘Made Any Final Decisions’ On The Football Season

The Miami Hurricanes remain unsure about the upcoming football season .
According to David Hale , university president Julio Frenk said Friday that the team hasn ’ t “ made any final decisions ” about playing the upcoming season during the coronavirus pandemic .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) The ACC is pushing ahead with football and no teams have decided to sit out .
Miami should 100 % play football .
Every single school in America should be playing football unless we see something to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ACC , the ACC is hellbent on games happening and there ’ s no reason at all why the Hurricanes can ’ t play .
This country needs football , and we need our conferences to actually have a spine , unlike the Big 10 .
We need football to happen in the fall .
Miami is a historic program and they have a lot of power in the ACC .
It ’ d be very bad if they opted out .
Let ’ s hope like hell they don ’ t .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing once September rolls around .

The Miami Hurricanes remain unsure about the upcoming football season.
According to David Hale, university president Julio Frenk said Friday that the team hasn’t “made any final decisions” about playing the upcoming season during the coronavirus pandemic. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
The ACC is pushing ahead with football and no teams have decided to sit out.
On the future of the season: “I don’t think we’ve made any final decisions. … We’re aware that the pandemic is still a huge and very serious threat. If we see things changing, we’re ready to change and be adaptive. We’re not locked into a rigid decision making frame.” — ????????♈???? (@ADavidHaleJoint) August 14, 2020
Miami should 100% play football. Every single school in America should be playing football unless we see something to suggest otherwise.
Miami is in the ACC, the ACC is hellbent on games happening and there’s no reason at all why the Hurricanes can’t play.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miami Hurricanes Football (@canesfootball) on Aug 14, 2020 at 10:55am PDT
This country needs football, and we need our conferences to actually have a spine, unlike the Big 10. We need football to happen in the fall.
Miami is a historic program and they have a lot of power in the ACC. It’d be very bad if they opted out. Let’s hope like hell they don’t.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miami Hurricanes Football (@canesfootball) on Aug 10, 2020 at 7:23pm PDT
We need as many teams as possible playing once September rolls around.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--‘What They’re Doing Is Very Divisive’: Jason Whitlock Blasts Kneeling Players

Sportswriter Jason Whitlock criticized professional sports players for kneeling and engaging in other forms of social justice activism before and during games .
During a Saturday morning “ Fox & Friends ” segment , the Outkick the Coverage partner called their actions “ divisive ” and said they ’ ve “ run-off ” a significant number of fans .
“ I think we ’ re going to have to wait a little longer to figure out exactly what the impact is in terms of fan interest only because we ’ re at such an unusual time in global history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many more pressing issues beyond sports , ” he said .
“ I would tend to think though , my guess would be they ’ ve run off quite a bit of fans.
” Whitlock questioned whether today ’ s athletes understand the role of patriotism in the history of sports , which have always been “ a celebration of Americana and our best ideals.
” “ [ A ] nd to see the athletes , I don ’ t think they really understand the business and how they got there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much money , and the attachment of patriotism and how that played a role in that.
” Instead of caring “ about the business , ” Whitlock contended that players instead “ want their popularity over social media.
” ( RELATED : ‘ Don ’ t Act Like A Clown ’ : Mike Ditka Rips Kneeling Players , Says They Would Have Been Benched On His Teams ) “ [ A ] nd I think many of them have been led to believe that these symbolic acts , kneeling during the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their name on the back of jerseys , they think they ’ re having real impact , and pushing the country forward , ” he concluded .
“ I don ’ t think they fully understand the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s .
I don ’ t think they understand a strategy that leads to actual growth and improvement .
What they ’ re doing is very divisive .
”

Sportswriter Jason Whitlock criticized professional sports players for kneeling and engaging in other forms of social justice activism before and during games.
During a Saturday morning “Fox & Friends” segment, the Outkick the Coverage partner called their actions “divisive” and said they’ve “run-off” a significant number of fans.
WATCH:
“I think we’re going to have to wait a little longer to figure out exactly what the impact is in terms of fan interest only because we’re at such an unusual time in global history, let alone American history and there are so many more pressing issues beyond sports,” he said. “I would tend to think though, my guess would be they’ve run off quite a bit of fans.”
Whitlock questioned whether today’s athletes understand the role of patriotism in the history of sports, which have always been “a celebration of Americana and our best ideals.”
“[A]nd to see the athletes, I don’t think they really understand the business and how they got there to the point where they’re making so much money, and the attachment of patriotism and how that played a role in that.”
Instead of caring “about the business,” Whitlock contended that players instead “want their popularity over social media.” (RELATED: ‘Don’t Act Like A Clown’: Mike Ditka Rips Kneeling Players, Says They Would Have Been Benched On His Teams)
“[A]nd I think many of them have been led to believe that these symbolic acts, kneeling during the national anthem, wearing t-shirts, putting say their name on the back of jerseys, they think they’re having real impact, and pushing the country forward,” he concluded. “I don’t think they fully understand the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. I don’t think they understand a strategy that leads to actual growth and improvement. What they’re doing is very divisive.”


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show Donald Trump Disparaging Kamala Harris’ Name In A Tweet

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from President Donald Trump that disparages Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris ’ name .
The tweet is fabricated .
There is no record of Trump tweeting the statement .
The image claims to show a screengrab of a tweet , purportedly from Trump ’ s verified Twitter account @ realDonaldTrump , that disparages Harris , who recently became former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s running mate .
It also appears to reference the debunked theory that Harris is not an American citizen .
The alleged tweet reads , “ KARMALA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
?
?
Sounds like a terrorist !
Not EVEN American !
!
Need birth certificate !
When Obama was president , he allowed 9/11 .
We can ’ t LET that happen again !
!
!
” ( RELATED : Did Donald Trump Tweet , ‘ Some Oldies Will Have To Die ’ ? )
While Trump did promote a “ birther ” conspiracy theory about Harris and retweet posts calling her “ Camel Laugh , ” there is no record of Trump ever sending the tweet .
Searching Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ POTUS – and ProPublica ’ s archive of his deleted tweets didn ’ t turn up any matches .
Such a tweet would almost certainly have garnered media attention .
In recent months , Check Your Fact has debunked numerous fabricated Trump tweets .
They can be easily generated using websites such as FakeTrumpTweet.com and TweetGen.com .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ @ @ @ @

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from President Donald Trump that disparages Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris’ name.
Verdict: False
The tweet is fabricated. There is no record of Trump tweeting the statement.
Fact Check:
The image claims to show a screengrab of a tweet, purportedly from Trump’s verified Twitter account @realDonaldTrump, that disparages Harris, who recently became former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate. It also appears to reference the debunked theory that Harris is not an American citizen.
The alleged tweet reads, “KARMALA what the hell is that name anyway??? Sounds like a terrorist! Not EVEN American!! Need birth certificate! When Obama was president, he allowed 9/11. We can’t LET that happen again!!!” (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Tweet, ‘Some Oldies Will Have To Die’?)
While Trump did promote a “birther” conspiracy theory about Harris and retweet posts calling her “Camel Laugh,” there is no record of Trump ever sending the tweet. Searching Trump’s verified Twitter accounts – @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS – and ProPublica’s archive of his deleted tweets didn’t turn up any matches. Such a tweet would almost certainly have garnered media attention.
In recent months, Check Your Fact has debunked numerous fabricated Trump tweets. They can be easily generated using websites such as FakeTrumpTweet.com and TweetGen.com.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--White House To Unveil Newly Renovated Rose Garden

The White House is expected to unveil its newly renovated Rose Garden on Thursday , the final day of the Democratic National Convention and just in time for the Republican National Convention .
First Lady Melania Trump announced the construction project in July , with the project updating both the garden ’ s technological aspects and rearranging flowers and walkways , according to CNN .
The unveiling is scheduled for just days before the Republican National Convention , where both Melania and President Donald Trump will be giving speeches digitally from the White House .
Trump has frequently used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcements in recent months as the wider space allows for easier social distancing .
The area has been off-limits to White House staff and press since July , however .
( RELATED : RNC Responds To Jacksonville ’ s Mask Order Ahead Of Convention ) In addition to the new flowers and additional limestone walkways , the renovation will add audio and visual capabilities to the area , as well as quality of life changes that facilitate the use of TV cameras in the space , according to CNN .
Trump announced on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential nomination at the White House , and the Rose Garden is one of the options for delivering the speech .
The RNC will take place August 24-27 , with small in-person events taking place in Charlotte , North Carolina , but all major speakers will address the convention virtually .
Trump had initially pushed hard for a traditional convention , packed stadium and all .
He made plans to shift the event away from North Carolina to Jacksonville , Florida , where Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis would allow such a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks became more severe in the state and elsewhere , however , Trump was forced to cancel the event and follow suit with the Democrats in holding a virtual convention .

The White House is expected to unveil its newly renovated Rose Garden on Thursday, the final day of the Democratic National Convention and just in time for the Republican National Convention.
First Lady Melania Trump announced the construction project in July, with the project updating both the garden’s technological aspects and rearranging flowers and walkways, according to CNN.
The unveiling is scheduled for just days before the Republican National Convention, where both Melania and President Donald Trump will be giving speeches digitally from the White House.
Trump has frequently used the Rose Garden for press briefings and other announcements in recent months as the wider space allows for easier social distancing. The area has been off-limits to White House staff and press since July, however. (RELATED: RNC Responds To Jacksonville’s Mask Order Ahead Of Convention)
In addition to the new flowers and additional limestone walkways, the renovation will add audio and visual capabilities to the area, as well as quality of life changes that facilitate the use of TV cameras in the space, according to CNN.
Trump announced on Friday that he will accept the GOP presidential nomination at the White House, and the Rose Garden is one of the options for delivering the speech.
The RNC will take place August 24-27, with small in-person events taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina, but all major speakers will address the convention virtually.
Trump had initially pushed hard for a traditional convention, packed stadium and all. He made plans to shift the event away from North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would allow such a large gathering to move forward. As coronavirus outbreaks became more severe in the state and elsewhere, however, Trump was forced to cancel the event and follow suit with the Democrats in holding a virtual convention.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--Bill Maher Worried Biden Isn’t ‘Comfortably Ahead’ In Race

HBO host Bill Maher seemed worried that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden isn ’ t “ comfortably ahead ” in the race against President Donald Trump .
“ Biden ’ s ahead , but he ’ s not , to my view , comfortably ahead .
Not for my comfort , ” Maher told a Friday night “ Real Time ” panel comprised of former Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg , The Hill reported .
“ I mean , Hillary ( Clinton ) was ahead by more at some point .
And I just got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against this walking disaster ( Trump ) that you can ’ t close the gap better than that ?
” “ Republicans never had a plan for health care .
Still don ’ t , ” he continued , discussing the ongoing coronavirus epidemic .
“ What do you think it is that keeps Republicans so close to a party like that ?
” “ The policies of this administration were a disaster , the leadership of this administration is a disaster , we know that , ” Buttigieg told Maher , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think there are a lot of folks who heard a message — fraudulent though it was , a message that here ’ s somebody who sees you and cares about you .
Now ’ s our chance to change that.
” ( RELATED : ‘ This Race Resets ’ : Ari Fleischer Describes ‘ What The Democrats Have To Fear ’ ) While Biden has been consistently ahead of Trump , often by double digits , in most summer polling as coronavirus continues to hit hot spots across the nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late to inside double digits and sometimes within the margin of error in some battleground states .
The above portion wasn ’ t included in HBO ’ s YouTube clip of the panel discussion , but the network did post a clip that included Buttigieg explaining why he believes the electoral college should be abolished .

HBO host Bill Maher seemed worried that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden isn’t “comfortably ahead” in the race against President Donald Trump.
“Biden’s ahead, but he’s not, to my view, comfortably ahead. Not for my comfort,” Maher told a Friday night “Real Time” panel comprised of former Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg, The Hill reported. “I mean, Hillary (Clinton) was ahead by more at some point. And I just got to ask: What is your party doing against this walking disaster (Trump) that you can’t close the gap better than that?”
“Republicans never had a plan for health care. Still don’t,” he continued, discussing the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. “What do you think it is that keeps Republicans so close to a party like that?”
“The policies of this administration were a disaster, the leadership of this administration is a disaster, we know that,” Buttigieg told Maher, according to The Hill. “But still, I think there are a lot of folks who heard a message — fraudulent though it was, a message that here’s somebody who sees you and cares about you. Now’s our chance to change that.” (RELATED: ‘This Race Resets’: Ari Fleischer Describes ‘What The Democrats Have To Fear’)
While Biden has been consistently ahead of Trump, often by double digits, in most summer polling as coronavirus continues to hit hot spots across the nation, the president has narrowed the gap of late to inside double digits and sometimes within the margin of error in some battleground states.
The above portion wasn’t included in HBO’s YouTube clip of the panel discussion, but the network did post a clip that included Buttigieg explaining why he believes the electoral college should be abolished.
WATCH:


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--UAB Football Player Allen Merrick Dies After Being Shot

UAB football player Allen Merrick has died after being shot .
According to the New York Post , Merrick was shot Thursday in Gadsden , Alabama and died from his wounds Friday .
Police believe the shooting was accidental .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) Merrick was entering his freshman year with the program .
This is obviously incredibly tragic .
There ’ s no other way to say it .
Young men shouldn ’ t be dying and they definitely shouldn ’ t be dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire life was ahead of him as a football player , and now it ’ s all over at the age of 19 .
I can ’ t think of too many things more tragic than that .
More details aren ’ t known at this time , but again , police don ’ t believe there was any malicious intent here .
If you ’ re going to be handling weapons or near loaded weapons , please make sure everyone knows what they ’ re doing .
There ’ s never a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughts and prayers are with Merrick ’ s family during this terrible time .

UAB football player Allen Merrick has died after being shot.
According to the New York Post, Merrick was shot Thursday in Gadsden, Alabama and died from his wounds Friday. Police believe the shooting was accidental. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Merrick was entering his freshman year with the program.
This is obviously incredibly tragic. There’s no other way to say it. Young men shouldn’t be dying and they definitely shouldn’t be dying in accidental shootings.
Merrick’s entire life was ahead of him as a football player, and now it’s all over at the age of 19. I can’t think of too many things more tragic than that.
More details aren’t known at this time, but again, police don’t believe there was any malicious intent here.
If you’re going to be handling weapons or near loaded weapons, please make sure everyone knows what they’re doing. There’s never a reason for an accidental shooting.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Merrick’s family during this terrible time.


thedailycaller--2020-08-15--‘Very Strange’: Trump Slams Biden And Harris For Nixing Questions — And Reporters For Letting Them

President Donald Trump called out his presumptive opponent Saturday , criticizing former Vice President Joe Biden for refusing to take questions at a Friday event .
“ Very strange .
Sleepy Joe never takes questions , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Also , his reporters have zero drive .
Why can ’ t my reporters behave like that ?
Something is going on !
” Just a few days after it was officially announced that Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris would serve as Biden ’ s running mate , the two had appeared together — for the second time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would get them on the November ballots as the Democratic Party ’ s presidential ticket .
And for the second day in a row , the campaign rushed reporters from the room before they could ask questions .
( RELATED : Kamala Harris Makes Misleading Attack On Trump By Comparing Coronavirus To Ebola ) President Trump was not the only one to notice that Biden was not giving reporters the chance to ask questions .
CNN ’ s Brianna Keilar mentioned it on the air , saying , “ We keep pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more questions from reporters , we know that.
” Prior to being ushered from the room , one reporter was able to get one question out .
The reporter asked Harris what she made of the attacks against her since being named as the vice presidential pick .
Harris responded but did not answer the question , instead saying , “ I ’ m signing this because I am in this race to win , with that guy right there , and we ’ re gon na get it done .
”

President Donald Trump called out his presumptive opponent Saturday, criticizing former Vice President Joe Biden for refusing to take questions at a Friday event.
“Very strange. Sleepy Joe never takes questions,” Trump tweeted. “Also, his reporters have zero drive. Why can’t my reporters behave like that? Something is going on!”
Very strange. Sleepy Joe never takes questions. Also, his reporters have zero drive. Why can’t my reporters behave like that? Something is going on! https://t.co/SQAq0KVUqw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2020
Just a few days after it was officially announced that Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris would serve as Biden’s running mate, the two had appeared together — for the second time in two days — to sign the papers that would get them on the November ballots as the Democratic Party’s presidential ticket. And for the second day in a row, the campaign rushed reporters from the room before they could ask questions. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Makes Misleading Attack On Trump By Comparing Coronavirus To Ebola)
For second day in a row, Biden staffers shoo away reporters immediately following a media event pic.twitter.com/f7v0g3FTCY — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 14, 2020
President Trump was not the only one to notice that Biden was not giving reporters the chance to ask questions. CNN’s Brianna Keilar mentioned it on the air, saying, “We keep pressing the Biden campaign. There needs to be more questions from reporters, we know that.”
WATCH: As soon as reporters got a chance to ask Joe Biden a question, his handlers swiftly moved to protect Biden and kick them out. Even CNN noticed: “We keep pressing the Biden campaign. There needs to be more questions from reporters.” What are they so afraid of? pic.twitter.com/q62PgbYc8Q — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 13, 2020
Prior to being ushered from the room, one reporter was able to get one question out.
A reporter did manage to sneak in a (very tepid) question before they were ordered out pic.twitter.com/8eWVW5MDhs — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 14, 2020
The reporter asked Harris what she made of the attacks against her since being named as the vice presidential pick.
Harris responded but did not answer the question, instead saying, “I’m signing this because I am in this race to win, with that guy right there, and we’re gonna get it done.”


thedailycaller--2020-08-16--Michigan Rejects More Than 10,000 Absentee Ballots, Including Some From Voters Who Died

More than 10,000 absentee ballots were rejected in Michigan ’ s Aug. 4th primary , Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ’ s office said Friday .
At least 6,400 ballots were turned away because they arrived after Election Day , while 787 were tossed out because the signature did not match the registration , according to Benson ’ s office .
Another 1,111 were rejected because the voter had moved , and 846 were not accepted because voters died “ after casting their absentee ballot but before Election Day.
” “ The data demonstrates that thousands of people who cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participate in last week ’ s election solely because the Legislature failed to act ahead of the primary , ” said Benson .
“ With turnout and absentee ballot numbers expected to double or even triple in November , we could be looking at tens of thousands of Michigan citizens disenfranchised if the legislature fails to act.
” The news comes right after the U.S Postal Service warned Benson in a letter that mail delivery times posed a “ significant risk ” to ballots sent too close to the election which could lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit News .
USPS General Counsel Thomas J. Marshall wrote to Benson that Michigan election laws were “ incompatible ” with the Postal Service ’ s delivery standards .
“ This mismatch creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be countered under your laws as we understand them , ” Marshall wrote .
Michigan law allows voters to apply by mail for a ballot until Election Day , and allows for ballots to be sent to voters until four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Detroit News .
Marshall warned in his letter that this can impede the chances of a ballot being received by Election Day and said voters should submit their ballot requests early enough to be received by election officials at least 15 days before the election .
Benson is calling on the Michigan legislature to pass two reform bills ahead of the November election to prevent issues seen in the primary , according to her office .
One bill would allow mailed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day even if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while another would require clerks to contact voters if the signature on the absentee ballot does not match the one on their registration .
Meanwhile , Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters launched an investigation into the Postal Service delays in a bid to avoid complications during the upcoming presidential election , according to The Detroit News .
President Donald Trump , who ’ s raised concerns about mass mail-in voting , narrowly won Michigan in 2016 by just 10,704 votes , according to The New York Times .

More than 10,000 absentee ballots were rejected in Michigan’s Aug. 4th primary, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office said Friday.
At least 6,400 ballots were turned away because they arrived after Election Day, while 787 were tossed out because the signature did not match the registration, according to Benson’s office. Another 1,111 were rejected because the voter had moved, and 846 were not accepted because voters died “after casting their absentee ballot but before Election Day.”
“The data demonstrates that thousands of people who cast otherwise valid votes were not able to participate in last week’s election solely because the Legislature failed to act ahead of the primary,” said Benson. “With turnout and absentee ballot numbers expected to double or even triple in November, we could be looking at tens of thousands of Michigan citizens disenfranchised if the legislature fails to act.”
The news comes right after the U.S Postal Service warned Benson in a letter that mail delivery times posed a “significant risk” to ballots sent too close to the election which could lead to their disqualification, according to The Detroit News.
USPS General Counsel Thomas J. Marshall wrote to Benson that Michigan election laws were “incompatible” with the Postal Service’s delivery standards.
“This mismatch creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be countered under your laws as we understand them,” Marshall wrote.
Michigan law allows voters to apply by mail for a ballot until Election Day, and allows for ballots to be sent to voters until four days before the election, according to The Detroit News.
Marshall warned in his letter that this can impede the chances of a ballot being received by Election Day and said voters should submit their ballot requests early enough to be received by election officials at least 15 days before the election.
Benson is calling on the Michigan legislature to pass two reform bills ahead of the November election to prevent issues seen in the primary, according to her office. One bill would allow mailed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive up to two days late, while another would require clerks to contact voters if the signature on the absentee ballot does not match the one on their registration.
Meanwhile, Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters launched an investigation into the Postal Service delays in a bid to avoid complications during the upcoming presidential election, according to The Detroit News.
President Donald Trump, who’s raised concerns about mass mail-in voting, narrowly won Michigan in 2016 by just 10,704 votes, according to The New York Times.


thedailycaller--2020-08-16--President Trump’s Younger Brother, Robert Trump, Dies

“ It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother , Robert , peacefully passed away tonight , ” Trump said in a statement Saturday evening .
“ He was not just my brother , he was my best friend .
He will be greatly missed , but we will meet again , ” the president continued in the statement .
“ His memory will live on in my heart forever .
Robert , I love you .
Rest in peace.
” ( RELATED : Trump Tells Hannity He ’ d Consider Pardoning Those Convicted In The Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 71 , in his NYC hospital on Friday , spending roughly an hour at his bedside .
It was Robert ’ s second hospitalization since June , when he spent more than a week in the intensive care unit of an NYC hospital .
“ Uncle Robert , we love you .
You are in our hearts and prayers , always , ” Ivanka Trump tweeted Saturday night .
Eric Trump said his uncle “ was an incredible man – strong , kind and loyal to the core.
” Correction : This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s correct age , 71 .

President Donald Trump’s younger brother, Robert Trump, died Saturday night in a New York City hospital.
“It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” Trump said in a statement Saturday evening.
“He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again,” the president continued in the statement. “His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace.” (RELATED: Trump Tells Hannity He’d Consider Pardoning Those Convicted In The Mueller Investigation)
President Trump reportedly visited Robert, 71, in his NYC hospital on Friday, spending roughly an hour at his bedside.
It was Robert’s second hospitalization since June, when he spent more than a week in the intensive care unit of an NYC hospital.
“Uncle Robert, we love you. You are in our hearts and prayers, always,” Ivanka Trump tweeted Saturday night.
Uncle Robert, we love you. You are in our hearts and prayers, always. — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 16, 2020
Eric Trump said his uncle “was an incredible man – strong, kind and loyal to the core.”
Robert Trump was an incredible man – strong, kind and loyal to the core. Anyone who encountered him felt his warmth immediately. He will be deeply missed by our entire family. — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) August 16, 2020
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Robert Trump’s correct age, 71.


thedailycaller--2020-08-17--‘More Than Just A Peace Deal’: Leading Security Expert On Israel-United Arab Emirates Deal

James Carafano , vice president for national security and foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation , spoke with the Daily Caller ’ s Samantha Renck about the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates , implications for the future and more .
On Thursday , President Donald Trump announced a historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
Trump tweeted the joint statement : “ It ’ s more than just a peace deal , ” Carafano said .
“ It ’ s about [ the ] normalization of relations , which means we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal countries.
” He added that “ this is the first time that the U.S. has brokered a deal on this scale in over a quarter of a century and it ’ s probably not the last .
We ’ re probably going to see similar arrangements.
” ( RELATED : Kushner : ‘ Very Good Chance ’ More Israel Peace Deals Will Be Announced Before Election ) “ It ’ s probably the most significant , transformative moment we have seen in the Middle East since the 1970s , ” Carafano said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush and President Barack Obama ’ s foreign policy in the Middle East .
“ Regardless of what President Bush believed his foreign policy was going to be coming into office , ” he explained , “ 9/11 was really a defining moment .
There was really a press to defend the United States .
I think our notion was to jump into the Middle East , essentially , and solve all the problems .
Quite honestly — that just didn ’ t work.
” On the contrary , “ the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s just walk away from the problems in the Middle East.
’ Of course , that was even worse because it just created gaps and spaces for terrible things to happen.
” Carafano further discussed the implications of the deal , what other countries might be impacted and more .
Check out more from the Daily Caller : Chicago College Student Speaks Out About Returning To Campus This Fall Former Navy SEAL : ‘ We Live In A World Where Oxygen Is Going To Be Considered Political ’

James Carafano, vice president for national security and foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation, spoke with the Daily Caller’s Samantha Renck about the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, implications for the future and more.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced a historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Trump tweeted the joint statement:
Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates pic.twitter.com/oVyjLxf0jd — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2020
“It’s more than just a peace deal,” Carafano said. “It’s about [the] normalization of relations, which means we’re going to treat each other like normal countries.”
He added that “this is the first time that the U.S. has brokered a deal on this scale in over a quarter of a century and it’s probably not the last. We’re probably going to see similar arrangements.” (RELATED: Kushner: ‘Very Good Chance’ More Israel Peace Deals Will Be Announced Before Election)
“It’s probably the most significant, transformative moment we have seen in the Middle East since the 1970s,” Carafano said.
Carafano also discussed President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama’s foreign policy in the Middle East.
“Regardless of what President Bush believed his foreign policy was going to be coming into office,” he explained, “9/11 was really a defining moment. There was really a press to defend the United States. I think our notion was to jump into the Middle East, essentially, and solve all the problems. Quite honestly — that just didn’t work.”
On the contrary, “the Obama administration’s alternative to that was ‘let’s just walk away from the problems in the Middle East.’ Of course, that was even worse because it just created gaps and spaces for terrible things to happen.”
Carafano further discussed the implications of the deal, what other countries might be impacted and more.
WATCH:
Check out more from the Daily Caller:
Chicago College Student Speaks Out About Returning To Campus This Fall
Former Navy SEAL: ‘We Live In A World Where Oxygen Is Going To Be Considered Political’
EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Calls Out Democrats Ignoring Antifa Anarchy In Portland


thedailycaller--2020-08-17--REVIEW: ‘Yellowstone’ Is Incredible In The New Episode ‘Meaner Than Evil’

“ Yellowstone ” was amazing in the new episode “ Meaner Than Evil.
” WARNING : THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS BELOW .
DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU AREN ’ T CAUGHT UP .
CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED .
I can ’ t believe how amazing the episode Sunday night was !
What an absolutely brutal episode from start to finish !
( REVIEW : ‘ Yellowstone ‘ Is Outstanding In The New Episode ‘ I Killed A Man Today ’ ) We knew death was on the horizon , and we got it tonight .
Obviously , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foremost , Walker is back !
Despite the fact that Rip wanted to have Kayce just kill him , the heir apparent actually convinced Walker to return to the ranch .
The only other option was death .
When given the choices between working on the Yellowstone or death , it ’ s an easy decision .
Having said that , Walker still is a liability in Rip ’ s eyes and they need something to hold over him .
That leads us to the death in the episode .
Wade Morrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was coming to them after beating the hell out of Teeter and Colby .
In one of the coolest moments in the history of the show , Walker was used as bait and we were off to the races once Morrow went after him !
The son died quick , as noted by Lloyd , but they hung Morrow from a tree !
First , John had to get his property back , and Walker cut off Morrow ’ s brand .
Props to me for predicting that Morrow was a former branded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
I knew that he was getting that brand cut off .
Now , the entire bunkhouse is branded .
They got their revenge , but they all paid a heavy price for it .
On a couple other notes , Jamie finally met his birth father and Beth was fired from her job by Willa after Roarke , who was behind Morrow ’ s actions , took control .
Now , we just have one episode left .
If there ’ s anything we know about the Duttons , they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
That means Roarke ’ s time on this planet is probably nearing a rapid end .
Make sure to tune in next Sunday for the season three finale !
It ’ s going to be awesome !

“Yellowstone” was amazing in the new episode “Meaner Than Evil.”
WARNING: THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU AREN’T CAUGHT UP. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.
I can’t believe how amazing the episode Sunday night was! What an absolutely brutal episode from start to finish! (REVIEW: ‘Yellowstone‘ Is Outstanding In The New Episode ‘I Killed A Man Today’)
We knew death was on the horizon, and we got it tonight. Obviously, there’s two major takeaways. First and foremost, Walker is back!
Despite the fact that Rip wanted to have Kayce just kill him, the heir apparent actually convinced Walker to return to the ranch.
The only other option was death. When given the choices between working on the Yellowstone or death, it’s an easy decision. Having said that, Walker still is a liability in Rip’s eyes and they need something to hold over him.
That leads us to the death in the episode. Wade Morrow and his moron son finally got what was coming to them after beating the hell out of Teeter and Colby.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yellowstone (@yellowstone) on Aug 10, 2020 at 6:00am PDT
In one of the coolest moments in the history of the show, Walker was used as bait and we were off to the races once Morrow went after him!
The son died quick, as noted by Lloyd, but they hung Morrow from a tree! First, John had to get his property back, and Walker cut off Morrow’s brand.
Props to me for predicting that Morrow was a former branded man, and John was coming for him. I knew that he was getting that brand cut off.
Now, the entire bunkhouse is branded. They got their revenge, but they all paid a heavy price for it.
On a couple other notes, Jamie finally met his birth father and Beth was fired from her job by Willa after Roarke, who was behind Morrow’s actions, took control.
Now, we just have one episode left. If there’s anything we know about the Duttons, they don’t treat those who cross them well.
That means Roarke’s time on this planet is probably nearing a rapid end.
Make sure to tune in next Sunday for the season three finale! It’s going to be awesome!


thedailycaller--2020-08-17--Creator Of Website That Doxxes ‘Cop Callers’ Served Prison Time For Sending Death Threat

• The creator of a website that allows people to doxx those who call the police once served two years in prison for threatening to kill a woman , court documents show .
• Cyrus Sullivan told the Daily Caller News Foundation he launched Cop Blaster so he could doxx “ pretty much anybody involved ” in his federal criminal case .
• A Seattle auto repair shop owner was exposed on Cop Blaster after he called the police on a man who had broken into his shop and emptied his cash register , The New York Times reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ websites and services that prosecutors said in 2013 was a fraud .
The creator of a website that allows users to doxx people who call the police served two years in federal prison for threatening to kill a woman who said false information was posted about her on of his other sites , court documents show .
A federal grand jury indicted Cyrus Sullivan in 2013 on charges of extortion and internet stalking for demanding the woman pay him $ 10,000 to remove her information from his website , STD Carriers .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a threatening communication .
In return , federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges “ known to the [ U.S. Attorney ’ s Office ] at the time of this agreement , ” the plea agreement stated .
Prosecutors said in a court filing one month before Sullivan entered his guilty plea that the network of websites he operates was a fraudulent scheme .
They said he profited from the “ substantial emotional distress ” imposed on his victims because of “ false and/or malicious postings ” about them on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network he runs is not fraud .
People who wish to suppress postings on STD Carriers accusing them of being infected have the option of paying Sullivan upwards of $ 1,000 to have him direct Google to not include the posts in search results , he told the Daily Caller News Foundation during an extensive phone interview Tuesday evening .
Sullivan said does not delete posts for people who pay him .
Sullivan said he still operates the same websites and services that the prosecutors had called a fraud in 2013 .
Sullivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of operating his websites .
He said his income is completely tied to the revenue his sites bring in .
Sullivan launched Cop Blaster in 2017 .
It operates similarly to STD Carriers , allowing registered users to submit the personal information of police officers as well as anyone they consider to be “ Cop Callers ” and “ Snitches.
” Sullivan said he provides a platform for those seeking to expose such people because they “ have a history of causing a lot of problems for people.
” Sullivan said he launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to prison for six months for disabling a court-ordered computer monitoring program while he was on probation .
He said he launched the site so he could dox “ pretty much anybody involved ” in his federal criminal case .
“ A lot of times these cop callers are just vindictive people that can ’ t solve their own problems using other ways , so they start crying to the police about just trying to get people in trouble , ” he said .
“ People need to know about people like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that somebody they ’ re dealing with is liable to go running their mouth about them if they get into a dispute that angers them too much , ” Sullivan continued .
Cop Blaster was highlighted in a story in The New York Times about a Seattle auto repair shop owner , John McDermott , whose picture and business address was featured on the website after McDermott called the police on a man who had broken into his shop and emptied his cash register .
McDermott told the Times that his store received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information was put on Cop Blaster that some of his employees had to take time off work .
Sullivan rejected the notion that Cop Blaster led to the harassing phone calls , noting that he didn ’ t publish the phone number for McDermott ’ s business on the site .
However , Sullivan said he had no regrets exposing McDermott ’ s information online .
“ It seemed like they were going a little further than they needed to just keep the dude off their property , like holding him there and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Sullivan told the DCNF .
“ It seemed like he was trying to leave once they showed up.
” “ People don ’ t usually consider the type of jacket they put on somebody when they hold them for police , ” he continued .
‘ It ’ s been the same service for the past eight-plus years or so ’ Sullivan told the DCNF that he still operates STD Carriers and his reputation management service , which he recently rebranded as Post Almost Anything Reputation Improvement Services ( PAARIS ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same service for the past eight-plus years or so , ” Sullivan said of PAARIS .
And when asked if federal prosecutors believe the reputation management service he ’ s been offering for over eight years is a fraud , Sullivan said : “ I believe that ’ s still their official position.
” Sullivan said he doesn ’ t remove content from his sites for people who pay for the service because he “ felt it would violate the spirit of the value proposition given to the original authors.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their content unless it was proven to be false , ” he said .
Sullivan said people seeking to block Cop Blaster posts about them from showing up on Google are ineligible to enroll in his reputation management service .
Sullivan acknowledged that some people do consider the service to be “ blackmail ” in a post on his eponymous website refuting the notion that he ’ s an extortionist .
( RELATED : ‘ Incitement To Violence Against My Family ’ : Tucker Blasts New York Times For Plans To Write Story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The main difference between what Cyrus does and extortion is that extortion requires a threat of action if someone fails to do something , but Cyrus doesn ’ t threaten to do anything , he just does nothing by default and offers to do something if paid , ” Sullivan ’ s website states .
Sullivan rejected the notion that his reputation management service is a fraud .
He pointed to the service ’ s webpage , which states that it removes “ negative search engine results.
” Sullivan also has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , one of which being it “ does not remove original pages ” from the websites he operates .
Sullivan also said the judge who presided over his criminal case in 2013 , U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernandez , concluded that he was operating his websites in a legal manner .
Court documents show that Hernandez said he was operating on an assumption that Sullivan ’ s websites were legal after stating he had no interest in debating their legality .
“ I don ’ t want to get into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as legal or not , whether you have a First Amendment right or not , because that ’ s not important to me , ” the judge told Sullivan during his sentencing hearing .
“ I ’ ll assume you did have a First Amendment right to run the kind of website you did , ” Hernandez continued .
“ Let ’ s operate under the assumption that it ’ s completely legal.
” Sullivan knows people post false information about others on his websites Sullivan said he doesn ’ t have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what people post on his websites .
“ The terms of use says you ’ re only supposed to make true statements , but unfortunately people have been [ posting false statements ] over the years , ” Sullivan told the DCNF .
When asked what he ’ s done to prevent people from posting false information about others on his websites , Sullivan told the DCNF he created Cyber Bullying Reports so that people “ post up information about people that abuse the STD Carriers service for that purpose.
” Sullivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carriers on rare occasions , such as when people can prove posts are false by mailing him the results of a negative STD test or if he suspects a post is targeting a minor .
As part of Sullivan ’ s guilty plea in 2013 , federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges that arose out of the investigation into his death threat against a woman who had asked him to remove false information posted about her on STD Carriers .
Sullivan told the DCNF that he was the victim of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that authorities started working with the woman to “ provoke me into some sort of response.
” “ I shouldn ’ t have even been prosecuted in the first place .
If you actually look at the evidence you ’ ll see I ’ m the real victim there , ” Sullivan told the DCNF .
Sullivan had refused the woman ’ s initial request to remove her information from his website , so in response , she obtained and posted Sullivan ’ s personal information online , according to Sullivan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She then calls 911 and says she ’ s holding hostages at his mother ’ s house and a SWAT team reports , ” Iniguez said before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 in an appeal to modify Sullivan ’ s supervised release conditions .
“ She also creates not one , not two , but three separate YouTube videos where she uses defamatory language , calls him a slew of names that are in the record , ” Iniguez said .
“ This is what escalates the tension between these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman an email that stated : “ You just don ’ t learn your lessons do you ?
Now I have no choice but to come to your house armed and put an end to you once and for all .
The only way you can stop this is by removing your stalker site and paying me $ 10,000.
” Sullivan told the DCNF he was “ really drunk ” when he sent that email .
Federal prosecutors also stated that an individual who identified as Sullivan left a voicemail on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice investigator that stated in reference to the woman : “ I have some events in motion that are going to eliminate her as a threat to my company .
And those events will kill her if she doesn ’ t stop it.
” Despite insisting he was the victim of a government setup , Sullivan told the DCNF the email he sent to the woman “ was a death threat , yes it was.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The creator of a website that allows people to doxx those who call the police once served two years in prison for threatening to kill a woman, court documents show.
Cyrus Sullivan told the Daily Caller News Foundation he launched Cop Blaster so he could doxx “pretty much anybody involved” in his federal criminal case.
A Seattle auto repair shop owner was exposed on Cop Blaster after he called the police on a man who had broken into his shop and emptied his cash register, The New York Times reported.
Sullivan said he still operates the websites and services that prosecutors said in 2013 was a fraud.
The creator of a website that allows users to doxx people who call the police served two years in federal prison for threatening to kill a woman who said false information was posted about her on one of his other sites, court documents show.
A federal grand jury indicted Cyrus Sullivan in 2013 on charges of extortion and internet stalking for demanding the woman pay him $10,000 to remove her information from his website, STD Carriers. He ultimately pleaded guilty to one charge of making a threatening communication.
In return, federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges “known to the [U.S. Attorney’s Office] at the time of this agreement,” the plea agreement stated.
Prosecutors said in a court filing one month before Sullivan entered his guilty plea that the network of websites he operates was a fraudulent scheme. They said he profited from the “substantial emotional distress” imposed on his victims because of “false and/or malicious postings” about them on his websites.
Sullivan has maintained that the network he runs is not fraud.
People who wish to suppress postings on STD Carriers accusing them of being infected have the option of paying Sullivan upwards of $1,000 to have him direct Google to not include the posts in search results, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation during an extensive phone interview Tuesday evening. Sullivan said does not delete posts for people who pay him.
Sullivan said he still operates the same websites and services that the prosecutors had called a fraud in 2013.
Sullivan said he currently has no work outside of operating his websites. He said his income is completely tied to the revenue his sites bring in.
Sullivan launched Cop Blaster in 2017. It operates similarly to STD Carriers, allowing registered users to submit the personal information of police officers as well as anyone they consider to be “Cop Callers” and “Snitches.” Sullivan said he provides a platform for those seeking to expose such people because they “have a history of causing a lot of problems for people.”
Sullivan said he launched Cop Blaster just before he was sent back to prison for six months for disabling a court-ordered computer monitoring program while he was on probation. He said he launched the site so he could dox “pretty much anybody involved” in his federal criminal case.
“A lot of times these cop callers are just vindictive people that can’t solve their own problems using other ways, so they start crying to the police about just trying to get people in trouble,” he said. “People need to know about people like that.”
“They need to know that somebody they’re dealing with is liable to go running their mouth about them if they get into a dispute that angers them too much,” Sullivan continued.
Whose the #snitch protesting #policebrutality that went to the #cops? Filing #policecomplaints for any reason is no way to lead by example for people seeking to #DefundThePolice. Sounds like people know who it was anyway, so they should man up and handle it themselves. #putinwork https://t.co/8jDMn81lu2 — CopBlaster (@CopBlaster) August 9, 2020
Cop Blaster was highlighted in a story in The New York Times about a Seattle auto repair shop owner, John McDermott, whose picture and business address was featured on the website after McDermott called the police on a man who had broken into his shop and emptied his cash register.
McDermott told the Times that his store received so many harassing phone calls after his information was put on Cop Blaster that some of his employees had to take time off work.
Sullivan rejected the notion that Cop Blaster led to the harassing phone calls, noting that he didn’t publish the phone number for McDermott’s business on the site. However, Sullivan said he had no regrets exposing McDermott’s information online.
“It seemed like they were going a little further than they needed to just keep the dude off their property, like holding him there and hoping the cops would come get him,” Sullivan told the DCNF. “It seemed like he was trying to leave once they showed up.”
“People don’t usually consider the type of jacket they put on somebody when they hold them for police,” he continued.
‘It’s been the same service for the past eight-plus years or so’
Sullivan told the DCNF that he still operates STD Carriers and his reputation management service, which he recently rebranded as Post Almost Anything Reputation Improvement Services (PAARIS).
“It’s been the same service for the past eight-plus years or so,” Sullivan said of PAARIS.
And when asked if federal prosecutors believe the reputation management service he’s been offering for over eight years is a fraud, Sullivan said: “I believe that’s still their official position.”
Sullivan said he doesn’t remove content from his sites for people who pay for the service because he “felt it would violate the spirit of the value proposition given to the original authors.”
“I promised them I wouldn’t delete their content unless it was proven to be false,” he said.
Sullivan said people seeking to block Cop Blaster posts about them from showing up on Google are ineligible to enroll in his reputation management service.
Sullivan acknowledged that some people do consider the service to be “blackmail” in a post on his eponymous website refuting the notion that he’s an extortionist. (RELATED: ‘Incitement To Violence Against My Family’: Tucker Blasts New York Times For Plans To Write Story About Location Of His New Home)
“The main difference between what Cyrus does and extortion is that extortion requires a threat of action if someone fails to do something, but Cyrus doesn’t threaten to do anything, he just does nothing by default and offers to do something if paid,” Sullivan’s website states.
Sullivan rejected the notion that his reputation management service is a fraud. He pointed to the service’s webpage, which states that it removes “negative search engine results.” Sullivan also has a page disclosing “pitfalls” for the service, one of which being it “does not remove original pages” from the websites he operates.
Sullivan also said the judge who presided over his criminal case in 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernandez, concluded that he was operating his websites in a legal manner.
Court documents show that Hernandez said he was operating on an assumption that Sullivan’s websites were legal after stating he had no interest in debating their legality.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with you about whether that website as legal or not, whether you have a First Amendment right or not, because that’s not important to me,” the judge told Sullivan during his sentencing hearing.
“I’ll assume you did have a First Amendment right to run the kind of website you did,” Hernandez continued. “Let’s operate under the assumption that it’s completely legal.”
Sullivan knows people post false information about others on his websites
Sullivan said he doesn’t have a way to verify the accuracy for much of what people post on his websites.
“The terms of use says you’re only supposed to make true statements, but unfortunately people have been [posting false statements] over the years,” Sullivan told the DCNF.
When asked what he’s done to prevent people from posting false information about others on his websites, Sullivan told the DCNF he created Cyber Bullying Reports so that people “post up information about people that abuse the STD Carriers service for that purpose.”
Sullivan said he only removes posts from STD Carriers on rare occasions, such as when people can prove posts are false by mailing him the results of a negative STD test or if he suspects a post is targeting a minor.
‘I’m the real victim here’
As part of Sullivan’s guilty plea in 2013, federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges that arose out of the investigation into his death threat against a woman who had asked him to remove false information posted about her on STD Carriers.
Sullivan told the DCNF that he was the victim of a “government set up,” alleging that authorities started working with the woman to “provoke me into some sort of response.”
“I shouldn’t have even been prosecuted in the first place. If you actually look at the evidence you’ll see I’m the real victim there,” Sullivan told the DCNF.
Sullivan had refused the woman’s initial request to remove her information from his website, so in response, she obtained and posted Sullivan’s personal information online, according to Sullivan’s defense lawyer, Robin Iniguez.
“She then calls 911 and says she’s holding hostages at his mother’s house and a SWAT team reports,” Iniguez said before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 in an appeal to modify Sullivan’s supervised release conditions.
“She also creates not one, not two, but three separate YouTube videos where she uses defamatory language, calls him a slew of names that are in the record,” Iniguez said. “This is what escalates the tension between these two.”
Court documents show Sullivan sent the woman an email that stated: “You just don’t learn your lessons do you? Now I have no choice but to come to your house armed and put an end to you once and for all. The only way you can stop this is by removing your stalker site and paying me $10,000.”
Sullivan told the DCNF he was “really drunk” when he sent that email.
Federal prosecutors also stated that an individual who identified as Sullivan left a voicemail on the work telephone of an Oregon Department of Justice investigator that stated in reference to the woman: “I have some events in motion that are going to eliminate her as a threat to my company. And those events will kill her if she doesn’t stop it.”
Someone did that to my mother years ago and the police called it “reasonable” just because I wouldn’t remove the person’s name from a website. When I found out who it was I got arrested for threats, my lawyer argued that was a mitigating circumstance, and the court disagreed. — CopBlaster (@CopBlaster) August 13, 2020
Despite insisting he was the victim of a government setup, Sullivan told the DCNF the email he sent to the woman “was a death threat, yes it was.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


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thedailycaller--2020-08-16--Ex-FBI Counterintelligence Chief Facing Scrutiny Over Steele Dossier Briefing

• Sen. Lindsey Graham revealed on Friday that now-retired FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap provided a key briefing to the Senate Intelligence Committee in February 2018 regarding the primary source for the Steele dossier .
• Graham has accused the FBI of lying to the Senate panel during the briefing by downplaying information that dossier source Igor Danchenko told investigators in January 2017 .
• Priestap has largely avoided scrutiny amid revelations about Crossfire Hurricane .
But a Justice Department inspector general ’ s report provided several examples of Priestap withholding key information about Steele .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe of the Trump campaign , on Friday accused former FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap of providing misleading information to the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the Steele dossier .
“ You ’ ve got Bill Priestap on Feb. 15th , 2018 , with four other people from the FBI briefing this Senate Intel Committee , completely whitewashing the truth about the reliability of the dossier , ” Graham said in a Fox News interview on Friday .
Graham accused Priestap and his FBI colleagues of downplaying information that Igor Danchenko , the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided the FBI in January 2017 .
He also said that he intends to share information about the briefing with John Durham , the U.S. attorney conducting a sprawling investigation of the FBI and CIA ’ s Trump-related activities .
“ What I want to do with this is turn it over to Durham because I think the briefing in 2018 , a year after the sub-source told the FBI it was a bunch of garbage , whitewashing that report to the Senate Intel Committee is potentially another crime , ” Graham said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revelations of FBI misdeeds in its probe of the Trump campaign .
But a review of a Justice Department inspector general ’ s ( IG ) report of that investigation shows that Priestap withheld information that undercut dossier author Christopher Steele ’ s credibility .
According to the IG report , Priestap told the watchdog that he withheld derogatory information he obtained regarding Steele from the Crossfire Hurricane team because of an agreement he struck with officials at MI6 .
Priestap and Peter Strzok , his deputy , visited the U.K. in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former MI6 officer who owns a private intelligence firm in London .
While some of Steele ’ s former colleagues described him as “ smart ” and a “ person of integrity , ” others cast doubt on his judgment , according to the IG report .
Priestap and Strzok , the report said , were told that Steele “ [ d ] emonstrates lack of self-awareness , poor judgment , ” that he was “ underpinned by poor judgment , ” and that he reported “ in good faith ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would have done to validate.
” The IG report said that Priestap told investigators with the IG that he “ may have made a commitment ” to Steele ’ s former employer “ not to document the former employer ’ s views on Steele as a condition for obtaining the information.
” The information was not provided to the rest of the Crossfire Hurricane team or in applications to renew Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) orders against Carter Page , a former Trump aide who is a key fixture in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rosier assessment of Steele in correspondence with the CIA in mid-December 2016 .
According to the IG report , Priestap told a CIA analyst that Steele was “ reliable ” even though he had learned from MI6 by that time that the former British spy displayed questionable judgement .
At the time , FBI officials were lobbying to include information from Steele in an Intelligence Community Assessment of Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 election .
( RELATED : Ex-FBI Lawyer To Plead Guilty In Durham Probe ) CIA officials and analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assessment , with one analyst describing it as “ Internet rumor.
” The IG report said that Priestap and Strzok defended their assessment of Steele ’ s reliability “ because they were told that Steele was never untruthful.
” Priestap also told the IG that the FBI “ didn ’ t have any indication whatsoever ” by May 2017 that the Kremlin may have fed disinformation to Steele .
That claim is undercut by other evidence cited in the IG report .
Footnotes in the report say that the FBI received information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feb. 27 , 2017 , that Russian intelligence officers may have passed inaccurate information to Steele regarding Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and about a rumored sex tape of Trump .
The full details of Priestap ’ s briefing to SSCI regarding the dossier have not been revealed .
An FBI memo written before the briefing indicates that the FBI briefers did not point to any glaring differences between Danchenko ’ s statements and the contents of the dossier .
“ At minimum , our discussions with [ redacted ] confirm that the dossier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reads the memo .
It also said that Danchenko “ did not cite any significant concerns with the way his reporting was characterized in the dossier to the extent he could identify it.
” Graham asserts that both statements are inaccurate based on what Danchenko told the FBI during interviews in January 2017 .
In an interview last week , before he learned that Priestap briefing Senate Intelligence , Graham accused the FBI official who provided the briefing of lying to Congress .
“ Somebody needs to go to jail for this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired from the FBI in 2018 , could not be reached for comment .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Sen. Lindsey Graham revealed on Friday that now-retired FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap provided a key briefing to the Senate Intelligence Committee in February 2018 regarding the primary source for the Steele dossier.
Graham has accused the FBI of lying to the Senate panel during the briefing by downplaying information that dossier source Igor Danchenko told investigators in January 2017.
Priestap has largely avoided scrutiny amid revelations about Crossfire Hurricane. But a Justice Department inspector general’s report provided several examples of Priestap withholding key information about Steele.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is investigating the FBI’s probe of the Trump campaign, on Friday accused former FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap of providing misleading information to the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the Steele dossier.
“You’ve got Bill Priestap on Feb. 15th, 2018, with four other people from the FBI briefing this Senate Intel Committee, completely whitewashing the truth about the reliability of the dossier,” Graham said in a Fox News interview on Friday.
Graham accused Priestap and his FBI colleagues of downplaying information that Igor Danchenko, the primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele, provided the FBI in January 2017. He also said that he intends to share information about the briefing with John Durham, the U.S. attorney conducting a sprawling investigation of the FBI and CIA’s Trump-related activities.
“What I want to do with this is turn it over to Durham because I think the briefing in 2018, a year after the sub-source told the FBI it was a bunch of garbage, whitewashing that report to the Senate Intel Committee is potentially another crime,” Graham said.
Priestap has largely avoided scrutiny amid revelations of FBI misdeeds in its probe of the Trump campaign. But a review of a Justice Department inspector general’s (IG) report of that investigation shows that Priestap withheld information that undercut dossier author Christopher Steele’s credibility.
According to the IG report, Priestap told the watchdog that he withheld derogatory information he obtained regarding Steele from the Crossfire Hurricane team because of an agreement he struck with officials at MI6.
Priestap and Peter Strzok, his deputy, visited the U.K. in December 2016 to interview associates of Steele, a former MI6 officer who owns a private intelligence firm in London.
While some of Steele’s former colleagues described him as “smart” and a “person of integrity,” others cast doubt on his judgment, according to the IG report.
Priestap and Strzok, the report said, were told that Steele “[d]emonstrates lack of self-awareness, poor judgment,” that he was “underpinned by poor judgment,” and that he reported “in good faith” but that it was “not clear what he would have done to validate.”
The IG report said that Priestap told investigators with the IG that he “may have made a commitment” to Steele’s former employer “not to document the former employer’s views on Steele as a condition for obtaining the information.”
The information was not provided to the rest of the Crossfire Hurricane team or in applications to renew Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders against Carter Page, a former Trump aide who is a key fixture in the dossier.
Priestap also provided a rosier assessment of Steele in correspondence with the CIA in mid-December 2016.
According to the IG report, Priestap told a CIA analyst that Steele was “reliable” even though he had learned from MI6 by that time that the former British spy displayed questionable judgement. At the time, FBI officials were lobbying to include information from Steele in an Intelligence Community Assessment of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. (RELATED: Ex-FBI Lawyer To Plead Guilty In Durham Probe)
CIA officials and analysts opposed including Steele’s information in the assessment, with one analyst describing it as “Internet rumor.”
The IG report said that Priestap and Strzok defended their assessment of Steele’s reliability “because they were told that Steele was never untruthful.”
Priestap also told the IG that the FBI “didn’t have any indication whatsoever” by May 2017 that the Kremlin may have fed disinformation to Steele.
That claim is undercut by other evidence cited in the IG report. Footnotes in the report say that the FBI received information on Jan. 12, 2017, and Feb. 27, 2017, that Russian intelligence officers may have passed inaccurate information to Steele regarding Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and about a rumored sex tape of Trump.
The full details of Priestap’s briefing to SSCI regarding the dossier have not been revealed. An FBI memo written before the briefing indicates that the FBI briefers did not point to any glaring differences between Danchenko’s statements and the contents of the dossier.
“At minimum, our discussions with [redacted] confirm that the dossier was not fabricated by Steele,” reads the memo.
It also said that Danchenko “did not cite any significant concerns with the way his reporting was characterized in the dossier to the extent he could identify it.”
Graham asserts that both statements are inaccurate based on what Danchenko told the FBI during interviews in January 2017. In an interview last week, before he learned that Priestap briefing Senate Intelligence, Graham accused the FBI official who provided the briefing of lying to Congress.
“Somebody needs to go to jail for this,” he said.
Priestap, who retired from the FBI in 2018, could not be reached for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.