thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Secularism and Islam are Colluding to Attack the Church

January 7 , 2019 ( Turning Point Project ) — Jesus assured us that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church .
But we 're not told how much damage will be done to the Church in the meantime .
So much damage has been done in recent years that , from a purely worldly perspective , it sometimes looks as if Christianity is on the path to extinction .
Polls in the U.S. and in Europe reveal that fewer people identify as Christians with each passing year , while a growing number — the `` nones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion .
That trend seems likely to continue .
One reason is that advances in technology , medicine , and science have created the illusion that our needs can be met on a purely secular level .
The gospel of wealth and health and positive thinking that was popular with many Protestant Christians in the first half of the twentieth century has been revived — only this time without the Gospel .
You can easily find it on the internet : `` 8 Life lessons everyone should learn before 2020 '' , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiety by up to 65 % '' , and `` 5 ways to reduce your risk of developing dementia according to new research '' .
And this is only a very small sampling of the myriad ways you can improve your life and boost your self-esteem without recourse to religion .
Thus , the Internet with its many answers to life 's problems , can , for some , become a substitute for religion .
And for most of the rest of us , it serves to distract our attention away from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
But the decline of Christianity is caused not just by the many distractions of modern life , but also by direct attacks against it .
And these seem to be escalating .
The three main assaults against Christianity come from secularism , Islam , and , ironically , from within Christianity itself .
Most Christians who pay attention are aware of the first threat .
Committed secularists maintain that Christians are free to believe whatever they want just as long as they do n't bring their beliefs into the public realm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman , but if you 're a baker , a florist , or a wedding photographer , you must lay your beliefs aside for the sake of `` community standards '' — that is , for the standards of the ideological left .
It 's becoming apparent , however , that secularists wo n't be satisfied merely with policing the public sphere .
It 's not unreasonable to conclude the day is approaching when the reading of an epistle at Mass will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forced to perform same-sex `` weddings '' , and it will be compulsory for Catholic schools to teach the joy of LGBT sex .
Even if militant secularists could be stopped from breaking down the doors of Catholic churches and schools , they have already managed to undermine Christianity in significant ways .
One of the most effective ways is to consign Christian teachings to the realm of the unfashionable , or worse .
How is this accomplished ?
It 's simple enough .
When the fashionable people who control advertising , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the public schools say that trans and gay are A-OK , any individual or institution who says otherwise is , almost by definition , unfashionable .
And that 's all that those who aspire to `` woke '' status need to know about Christianity .
The second major attack on Christianity comes from Islam .
In places where Muslims are a distinct minority , the attack often comes in the form of demands for equal treatment which soon become demands for special rights .
In Europe , Muslims present themselves as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism and discrimination who deserve special treatment to compensate for their sufferings .
In liberal , secular Europe this ploy is quite effective .
Thus , the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that criticism of Islam is a crime .
And in England , police arrest Christian street preachers for fear that the Christian message will offend Muslims .
In parts of Asia , Africa , and the Middle East , Christians come in for much harsher treatment .
They face daily persecution and even genocide .
But relatively few Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent of the Islamic assault on Christianity , either in Europe or in the developing world .
Why ?
Because the same fashionable people who think it 's fine to bring drag queens into your public library act like Victorian-era prudes when it comes to Islam .
Persecution of Christians at the hands of Muslims ?
You should be ashamed of yourself for even broaching such a delicate topic .
Polite people do n't talk about such things .
Indeed , the fashionable people who feel that they have a perfect right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also believe that they have a God-given ( excuse the language ) mandate to teach them that Islam is a religion of peace and justice — unlike that other religion that supposedly introduced slavery , sexism , and homophobia to the world .
The frequency and intensity of Muslim attacks on Christians is magnified by the media 's silence .
Reporters and journalists who raise an outcry whenever other groups are persecuted , are stricken with laryngitis when Christians are the target .
When elephants are hunted in Africa , reporters jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Christians who are in danger , all they can muster is a shrug of the shoulder .
The tacit and sometimes not-so-tacit alliance between secularists and Islamists means that Christians are up against a combination of formidable foes .
What makes the situation worse is that the Church is also under attack from powerful people within its own ranks .
These Churchmen seem intent on transforming the Church from a God-centered institution to a man-centered organization .
Their goal is not to seek the Kingdom of Heaven , but to create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — possibly in partnership with the United Nations .
However , in the process of making the Church more acceptable to the world , they have weakened the Church in the eyes of the world .
When the Church claimed to be the One True Church , she commanded more respect ( though sometimes grudgingly ) from the world .
Now that leading Churchmen make no claim to exclusivity , the Church commands much less respect .
Of course , this loss of respect is compounded by the recent revelations of corruption in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and everything in between .
It may well be that this corruption is the direct result of exchanging the goal of sanctification for more humanistic goals .
In any event , it seems fair to say that the Church in recent years has lost both respect and credibility , and has even become something of a laughing stock — an old boys club where the old boys act like frat boys .
The world , however , seems willing to overlook these `` foibles '' because the `` new Church '' has proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Church have proven useful to the Muslim world as well .
That 's because various churchmen have become apologists for , and enablers of , Islam .
Many Church leaders long ago joined the chorus of world leaders who — with hardly a shred of evidence — claimed that Islam is a religion of peace — a tranquil faith that has nothing to do with terror .
Not only were church leaders willing to whitewash Islamic history and doctrine , they were , in large part , willing to overlook the Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Benedict XVI had the temerity to decry the bombing of Christian churches in Egypt , the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar broke off the university 's dialogue with the Vatican , and only agreed to reopen it if Pope Francis promised not to cross the `` red line '' — namely , criticism of Islam .
Francis gladly agreed , presumably on the assumption that terrorists are misunderstanders of `` true '' Islam .
As he stated in Evangelii Gaudium : `` Authentic Islam and a proper reading of the Koran are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' It appears that Francis and his circle not only think that Catholicism can be turned into a sort of humanistic religion , they apparently think the same of Islam .
The `` Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together '' which was signed jointly by Francis and the Grand Imam is full of humanistic nostrums , and it seems to assume that the coming one-world religion is only a step away .
Of course , if Francis 's assessment of Islam as a nascent humanistic religion is correct , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more peaceful world .
But if he is wrong — if , as President Erdogan of Turkey has said , `` Islam is Islam , and that 's that '' — then the newly humanized Church has put itself in a very bad position vis-à-vis both Islam and secularism .
In times past , the Catholic Church was a rallying point against both the aggressiveness of Islam and the excesses of secularism .
In its present weakened state , however , it is hard to imagine it as a rallying point for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes .
Like Francis , secularists long for a one-world government , but it takes a special kind of naiveté to believe that the one they envision will be hospitable to Catholics and other Christians .
Like Francis , Muslims , too , yearn for a one-world religion , but the one world religion they have in mind is Islam — not a syncretic blend of spiritualities .
The watered-down religion of human fraternity which some Catholics hope to bring about will be no match for either militant secularism or militant Islam .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a simultaneous assault from both forces .
From a worldly perspective , the odds for the survival of Christianity do not look good .
On the other hand , we have Christ 's promise that the Church will emerge victorious .
And that changes the odds considerably .
This article originally appeared in the January 5 , 2020 edition of Catholic World Report .
It is published here with permission from the Turning Point Project .

The watered-down religion of human fraternity which some Catholics hope to bring about will be no match for either militant secularism or militant Islam.
January 7, 2019 (Turning Point Project) — Jesus assured us that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church. But we're not told how much damage will be done to the Church in the meantime. So much damage has been done in recent years that, from a purely worldly perspective, it sometimes looks as if Christianity is on the path to extinction.
Polls in the U.S. and in Europe reveal that fewer people identify as Christians with each passing year, while a growing number — the “nones” — don't identify with any religion. That trend seems likely to continue.
One reason is that advances in technology, medicine, and science have created the illusion that our needs can be met on a purely secular level. The gospel of wealth and health and positive thinking that was popular with many Protestant Christians in the first half of the twentieth century has been revived — only this time without the Gospel. You can easily find it on the internet: “8 Life lessons everyone should learn before 2020”, “Neuroscience says listening to this song reduces anxiety by up to 65%”, and “5 ways to reduce your risk of developing dementia according to new research”. And this is only a very small sampling of the myriad ways you can improve your life and boost your self-esteem without recourse to religion.
Thus, the Internet with its many answers to life's problems, can, for some, become a substitute for religion. And for most of the rest of us, it serves to distract our attention away from the deeper questions about the purpose of our life.
But the decline of Christianity is caused not just by the many distractions of modern life, but also by direct attacks against it. And these seem to be escalating. The three main assaults against Christianity come from secularism, Islam, and, ironically, from within Christianity itself.
Most Christians who pay attention are aware of the first threat. Committed secularists maintain that Christians are free to believe whatever they want just as long as they don't bring their beliefs into the public realm. Thus, you are free to believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, but if you're a baker, a florist, or a wedding photographer, you must lay your beliefs aside for the sake of “community standards” — that is, for the standards of the ideological left.
It's becoming apparent, however, that secularists won't be satisfied merely with policing the public sphere. It's not unreasonable to conclude the day is approaching when the reading of an epistle at Mass will be a hate crime, priests will be forced to perform same-sex “weddings”, and it will be compulsory for Catholic schools to teach the joy of LGBT sex.
Even if militant secularists could be stopped from breaking down the doors of Catholic churches and schools, they have already managed to undermine Christianity in significant ways. One of the most effective ways is to consign Christian teachings to the realm of the unfashionable, or worse. How is this accomplished? It's simple enough. When the fashionable people who control advertising, the entertainment industry, the NFL, and the public schools say that trans and gay are A-OK, any individual or institution who says otherwise is, almost by definition, unfashionable. And that's all that those who aspire to “woke” status need to know about Christianity.
The second major attack on Christianity comes from Islam. In places where Muslims are a distinct minority, the attack often comes in the form of demands for equal treatment which soon become demands for special rights. In Europe, Muslims present themselves as the “new Jews” — victims of racism and discrimination who deserve special treatment to compensate for their sufferings. In liberal, secular Europe this ploy is quite effective. Thus, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that criticism of Islam is a crime. And in England, police arrest Christian street preachers for fear that the Christian message will offend Muslims.
In parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Christians come in for much harsher treatment. They face daily persecution and even genocide. But relatively few Christians in the West are aware of the extent of the Islamic assault on Christianity, either in Europe or in the developing world.
Why? Because the same fashionable people who think it's fine to bring drag queens into your public library act like Victorian-era prudes when it comes to Islam. Persecution of Christians at the hands of Muslims? You should be ashamed of yourself for even broaching such a delicate topic. Polite people don't talk about such things. Indeed, the fashionable people who feel that they have a perfect right to teach your children that gay is okay, also believe that they have a God-given (excuse the language) mandate to teach them that Islam is a religion of peace and justice — unlike that other religion that supposedly introduced slavery, sexism, and homophobia to the world.
The frequency and intensity of Muslim attacks on Christians is magnified by the media's silence. Reporters and journalists who raise an outcry whenever other groups are persecuted, are stricken with laryngitis when Christians are the target. When elephants are hunted in Africa, reporters jump to their defense, but when it's Christians who are in danger, all they can muster is a shrug of the shoulder.
The tacit and sometimes not-so-tacit alliance between secularists and Islamists means that Christians are up against a combination of formidable foes. What makes the situation worse is that the Church is also under attack from powerful people within its own ranks.
These Churchmen seem intent on transforming the Church from a God-centered institution to a man-centered organization. Their goal is not to seek the Kingdom of Heaven, but to create a humanitarian and egalitarian community here on earth — possibly in partnership with the United Nations.
However, in the process of making the Church more acceptable to the world, they have weakened the Church in the eyes of the world. When the Church claimed to be the One True Church, she commanded more respect (though sometimes grudgingly) from the world. Now that leading Churchmen make no claim to exclusivity, the Church commands much less respect.
Of course, this loss of respect is compounded by the recent revelations of corruption in the Church — sexual and financial corruption and everything in between. It may well be that this corruption is the direct result of exchanging the goal of sanctification for more humanistic goals. In any event, it seems fair to say that the Church in recent years has lost both respect and credibility, and has even become something of a laughing stock — an old boys club where the old boys act like frat boys. The world, however, seems willing to overlook these “foibles” because the “new Church” has proven useful to progressive causes.
Some in the Church have proven useful to the Muslim world as well. That's because various churchmen have become apologists for, and enablers of, Islam. Many Church leaders long ago joined the chorus of world leaders who — with hardly a shred of evidence — claimed that Islam is a religion of peace — a tranquil faith that has nothing to do with terror.
Not only were church leaders willing to whitewash Islamic history and doctrine, they were, in large part, willing to overlook the Muslim slaughter of Christians in the developing world.
When Benedict XVI had the temerity to decry the bombing of Christian churches in Egypt, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar broke off the university's dialogue with the Vatican, and only agreed to reopen it if Pope Francis promised not to cross the “red line” — namely, criticism of Islam.
Francis gladly agreed, presumably on the assumption that terrorists are misunderstanders of “true” Islam. As he stated in Evangelii Gaudium: “Authentic Islam and a proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.”
It appears that Francis and his circle not only think that Catholicism can be turned into a sort of humanistic religion, they apparently think the same of Islam. The “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” which was signed jointly by Francis and the Grand Imam is full of humanistic nostrums, and it seems to assume that the coming one-world religion is only a step away.
Of course, if Francis's assessment of Islam as a nascent humanistic religion is correct, then there is reason to hope for a more peaceful world. But if he is wrong — if, as President Erdogan of Turkey has said, “Islam is Islam, and that's that” — then the newly humanized Church has put itself in a very bad position vis-à-vis both Islam and secularism.
In times past, the Catholic Church was a rallying point against both the aggressiveness of Islam and the excesses of secularism. In its present weakened state, however, it is hard to imagine it as a rallying point for anything other than LGBT initiatives and socialist schemes. Like Francis, secularists long for a one-world government, but it takes a special kind of naiveté to believe that the one they envision will be hospitable to Catholics and other Christians. Like Francis, Muslims, too, yearn for a one-world religion, but the one world religion they have in mind is Islam — not a syncretic blend of spiritualities.
The watered-down religion of human fraternity which some Catholics hope to bring about will be no match for either militant secularism or militant Islam. And it will certainly be no match for a simultaneous assault from both forces.
From a worldly perspective, the odds for the survival of Christianity do not look good. On the other hand, we have Christ's promise that the Church will emerge victorious. And that changes the odds considerably.
This article originally appeared in the January 5, 2020 edition of Catholic World Report. It is published here with permission from the Turning Point Project.
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thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Here’s a Look Inside LA’s New $600,000 to $700,000 Condos for the Homeless

Sure , most of us ca n't afford a $ 600,000 condo in a trendy neighborhood , in one of the most expensive places to live in the country .
But if you 're homeless in Los Angeles , a condo can be yours !
The new condo development is the first of 118 projects to be built over the next six years to house the homeless and other needy people in Los Angeles , California , according to the mayor 's office .
There are studio apartments and one- , two- and three-bedroom apartments with decent-sized kitchens .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a family with five children : Last summer , USA Today reported that between the costs imposed by regulations and real estate prices and spiffs , such as fitness centers and homeless services , the costs for these homes are prohibitive : The median cost of housing in LA is $ 618,000 , less than most of the units are costing taxpayers .
But at the rate the city is building and with droves of homeless people making their way to California , there 's a problem .
Can you guess what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times reports that homeless advocates are already declaring the 118 projects as not enough : That 's right , what they 're building now is not going to be good enough .
LA residents will be asked for more than $ 1.2 billion : And there 's more .
In addition to giving thousands of people housing , there will be the maintenance and upkeep and – oh yes – the rent subsidies that also come from the pockets of citizens : A scathing audit last year found the costs of the housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put to better use building shelters .
In the meantime , the race in the City of Angels to build expensive condos for homeless people continues apace .
And it will never be enough .
As we learned from experience and in the microcosm of Middletown , Ohio ( see my story nearby ) , if you build it and make it easy , soon you 'll outstrip your supply of generosity .
Check them out yourself :

Sure, most of us can’t afford a $600,000 condo in a trendy neighborhood, in one of the most expensive places to live in the country. But if you’re homeless in Los Angeles, a condo can be yours!
The new condo development is the first of 118 projects to be built over the next six years to house the homeless and other needy people in Los Angeles, California, according to the mayor’s office.
The first of many #PropHHH-funded housing projects for formerly homeless and vulnerable Angelenos is now open! 🏘🏘🏘 pic.twitter.com/vmoUJ6i0dy — Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 6, 2020
There are studio apartments and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with decent-sized kitchens.
The first recipient of a $600,000 condo was a family with five children:
The Catzin family is one of many families moving into #PropHHH supportive housing. Jonathan and Leticia struggled, sleeping in shelters or a car with their children — but now they have a place to call home. We want everyone in our city to know what home is. #EveryoneIn pic.twitter.com/smlzaKPByj — Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 6, 2020
Last summer, USA Today reported that between the costs imposed by regulations and real estate prices and spiffs, such as fitness centers and homeless services, the costs for these homes are prohibitive:
“[The homeless] will receive keys to one of 72 new apartments,complete with a fitness center, in the heart of trendy Koreatown, built at a projected cost of $690,692 for each unit, according to the city controller’s office. Two additional projects in the pre-approval phase are expected to top $700,000 per unit in total costs. “This kind of cost is utterly unacceptable,” Controller Ron Galperin said. “I believe we need a fundamental course correction.”
The median cost of housing in LA is $618,000, less than most of the units are costing taxpayers.
But at the rate the city is building and with droves of homeless people making their way to California, there’s a problem.
Can you guess what that might be?
Using #PropHHH dollars + other resources, we have nearly 150 projects open or in the pipeline to deliver more than 10,000 affordable and supportive units for homeless Angelenos and our most vulnerable neighbors all across L.A. pic.twitter.com/pfLZSWeOXz — Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 6, 2020
The Los Angeles Times reports that homeless advocates are already declaring the 118 projects as not enough:
“This is just the beginning,” said Elise Buik, president and chief executive of United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which was a major backer of Proposition HHH and the Measure H countywide sales tax for homeless services. The initial public campaign for the ballot measure had promised 10,000 units in 10 years. To meet that goal, the city would have to build another 300 housing units a year using other funding.”
That’s right, what they’re building now is not going to be good enough.
LA residents will be asked for more than $1.2 billion:
“Even that goal of 10,000 units is now too small, as it was based on past homeless counts when the population was smaller. With the number of people living in tents and makeshift shelters on the city’s streets ballooning to 27,000 out of 36,000 overall, and the number of chronically homeless Angelenos increasing, the current pace of construction is not keeping up.”
And there’s more.
In addition to giving thousands of people housing, there will be the maintenance and upkeep and – oh yes – the rent subsidies that also come from the pockets of citizens:
“The mayor’s office said monthly rents at the 88th and Vermont development will range from $473 for a studio unit to $703 per month for a three-bedroom apartment. Rent subsidies for tenants will be provided by a Los Angeles County Department subsidy pool program and the Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles through housing vouchers.”
A scathing audit last year found the costs of the housing to be outrageous and could have been put to better use building shelters.
In the meantime, the race in the City of Angels to build expensive condos for homeless people continues apace. And it will never be enough. As we learned from experience and in the microcosm of Middletown, Ohio (see my story nearby), if you build it and make it easy, soon you’ll outstrip your supply of generosity.
Check them out yourself:


thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Plaintiffs Who Sued Joe Biden’s Brother for Fraud Receive Terroristic Threat: FBI Investigating

This story nearly slipped through the cracks .
In December of this year , Knox News reported that Michael and Natalie Frey filed a federal lawsuit against Jim Biden , Joe Biden 's brother , alleging that he had convinced them to turn over a business plan to turn around struggling rural hospitals and then stole it .
The Freys say the Biden brother convinced them that Joe Biden 's star power would open many doors for their company .
After giving it to him , the Freys and their partner , Dr. Mohannad Azzam , say that Jim Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names `` His and Her Excellency Jim and Sarah Biden , '' and omitting the Freys and Azzam .
That was n't all .
Over the months Jim Biden and his partner Michael Lewitt , a hedge fund manager , allegedly pushed the Freys to take out huge loans to buy failing hospitals on the premise that Turkish money was on the way .
That money never materialized , leaving the Freys with loans they could not pay .
Lewitt has already settled with the Freys out of court in a sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard about this story is that only Knox News , a local outlet in Tennesee , reported it .
A Google search for `` Jim Biden lawsuit '' turned up zero news stories anywhere but Knox News .
Now , the Freys say they 're lives are being threatened .
The threat came in August in a plain white envelope to the McMinnville home of Michael Frey and his wife , Natalie Frey , just days after Knox News publicly revealed their claims of fraud and deception against Biden ’ s brother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Inside the envelope was what appeared to be blood-stained currency from a Middle Eastern country commonly known as a haven for terror groups and a “ torture ticket ” — a voucher for the infliction of torture .
The FBI confirmed with Knox News that they are investigating the terroristic threat .
The Freys are scared for their lives .
Natalie Frey still cries at the memory of her husband ’ s face as he walked inside the house with the envelope .
“ He hadn ’ t slept well in weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meets me at the door .
He had just barely opened it .
He handed it to me and said , ‘ You need to call ( Peal ) .
’ I just lost it .
I was hysterical .
My kids are here .
I thought , ‘ Is someone watching us right now ?
’ ” The Freys packed up their children and sent them to stay with relatives while Peal arranged a meeting with the FBI .
“ It enraged me , ” Michael Frey said of the threatening mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my family .
I ’ m not running from anybody .
With everything going on in the world , you can ’ t turn your back on this kind of stuff .
My parents , her parents were a nervous wreck.
” But it is not deterring them from pursuing their lawsuit , he said .
“ The question has been posed to me — is it worth it ?
My answer is very simple , ” he said .
“ It ’ s David and Goliath .
We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world but at some point this kind of stuff has got to stop .
We had to dig ourselves out of a tremendous hole.
” For continued coverage of this story , check Knox News because none of the mainstream press is going to cover any of the Biden relatives who seem to have a habit of using Joe Biden 's influence for monetary gain Megan Fox is the author of “ Believe Evidence ; The Death of Due Process from Salome to # MeToo.
” Follow on Twitter @ MeganFoxWriter

This story nearly slipped through the cracks. In December of this year, Knox News reported that Michael and Natalie Frey filed a federal lawsuit against Jim Biden, Joe Biden’s brother, alleging that he had convinced them to turn over a business plan to turn around struggling rural hospitals and then stole it. The Freys say the Biden brother convinced them that Joe Biden’s star power would open many doors for their company. After giving it to him, the Freys and their partner, Dr. Mohannad Azzam, say that Jim Biden pitched their plan to Turkish investors using the names “His and Her Excellency Jim and Sarah Biden,” and omitting the Freys and Azzam.
That wasn’t all. Over the months Jim Biden and his partner Michael Lewitt, a hedge fund manager, allegedly pushed the Freys to take out huge loans to buy failing hospitals on the premise that Turkish money was on the way. That money never materialized, leaving the Freys with loans they could not pay. Lewitt has already settled with the Freys out of court in a sealed agreement.
The reason you’ve never heard about this story is that only Knox News, a local outlet in Tennesee, reported it. A Google search for “Jim Biden lawsuit” turned up zero news stories anywhere but Knox News. Now, the Freys say they’re lives are being threatened.
Knox News reported,
The threat came in August in a plain white envelope to the McMinnville home of Michael Frey and his wife, Natalie Frey, just days after Knox News publicly revealed their claims of fraud and deception against Biden’s brother, Jim Biden, in a federal lawsuit. Inside the envelope was what appeared to be blood-stained currency from a Middle Eastern country commonly known as a haven for terror groups and a “torture ticket” — a voucher for the infliction of torture.
The FBI confirmed with Knox News that they are investigating the terroristic threat. The Freys are scared for their lives.
Natalie Frey still cries at the memory of her husband’s face as he walked inside the house with the envelope. “He hadn’t slept well in weeks,” she said. “He meets me at the door. He had just barely opened it. He handed it to me and said, ‘You need to call (Peal).’ I just lost it. I was hysterical. My kids are here. I thought, ‘Is someone watching us right now?’” The Freys packed up their children and sent them to stay with relatives while Peal arranged a meeting with the FBI. “It enraged me,” Michael Frey said of the threatening mail. “Now you’re dealing with my family. I’m not running from anybody. With everything going on in the world, you can’t turn your back on this kind of stuff. My parents, her parents were a nervous wreck.” But it is not deterring them from pursuing their lawsuit, he said. “The question has been posed to me — is it worth it? My answer is very simple,” he said. “It’s David and Goliath. We’re not trying to be martyrs or save the world but at some point this kind of stuff has got to stop. We had to dig ourselves out of a tremendous hole.”
For continued coverage of this story, check Knox News because none of the mainstream press is going to cover any of the Biden relatives who seem to have a habit of using Joe Biden’s influence for monetary gain
Megan Fox is the author of “Believe Evidence; The Death of Due Process from Salome to #MeToo.” Follow on Twitter @MeganFoxWriter
.


thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--President Trump Should Pardon Michael Flynn

This won ’ t be a long article .
It doesn ’ t need to be .
General Michael Flynn is a patriot , but the Department of Justice has recommended up to six months in jail .
He was set up by nefarious forces in our government who have been trying to take down President Trump since before he was even elected .
Flynn was a casualty of this effort , and despite evidence that clearly shows he was entrapped and then mislead by his own counsel , the Department of Justice has decided to send him to jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If Flynn spends a moment in jail , the Deep State wins .
America loses .
Law abiding citizens lose to a system that is designed for vengeance rather than justice .
Patriots lose in knowing someone who has dedicated his life to serving our nation can be rewarded with entrapment and incarceration .
The Constitution loses by being utilized for wrong instead of right .
President Trump should put an end to this heinous miscarriage of justice .
It ’ s time to send a message that Deep State operators can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stab anyone they don ’ t like .
# PardonMichaelFlynn now .

See all the latest videos and articles patriots need to watch and read at Discern.tv.
This won’t be a long article. It doesn’t need to be. General Michael Flynn is a patriot, but the Department of Justice has recommended up to six months in jail. He was set up by nefarious forces in our government who have been trying to take down President Trump since before he was even elected. Flynn was a casualty of this effort, and despite evidence that clearly shows he was entrapped and then mislead by his own counsel, the Department of Justice has decided to send him to jail.
The Justice Department now says Michael Flynn deserves up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI. Andrew McCabe has openly admitted to lying to the FBI. Why hasn’t McCabe been indicted yet? Two-Tiered Justice System.#PardonFlynnNowhttps://t.co/WXdmPsWIuz — Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 7, 2020
Prosecutors recommend General Michael Flynn be sentenced to up to six months in jail. Meanwhile, John Brennan, James Comey, Andrew McCabe and the rest of the Obama cabal are still cashing checks from book deals and fake news television contracts. We live in a clown world. — thebradfordfile™ (@thebradfordfile) January 7, 2020
Rt if you stand with General Michael Flynn! A total and complete Patriot who loves our country and stands with President Trump! — ACT for America (@ACTforAmerica) January 7, 2020
Here’s the thing. If Flynn spends a moment in jail, the Deep State wins. America loses. Law abiding citizens lose to a system that is designed for vengeance rather than justice. Patriots lose in knowing someone who has dedicated his life to serving our nation can be rewarded with entrapment and incarceration. The Constitution loses by being utilized for wrong instead of right.
Have you ever heard of Democrat privilege? You know — Andrew McCabe being let off the hook, for the same the thing Michael Flynn is going to PRISON for? HYPOCRISY! Who agrees? ? — Tea Party Patriots (@TPPatriots) January 7, 2020
Bill Barr DOJ recommends prison for Michael Flynn https://t.co/SHTjibhiyA — TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) January 7, 2020
Why did the DOJ reverse course & recommend 6 months in prison for Michael Flynn? Because he fought back against the Deep State This is how they silence his defense & protect themselves General Flynn is a patriot He deserves an immediate pardon in the face of this decision RT — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 7, 2020
President Trump should put an end to this heinous miscarriage of justice. It’s time to send a message that Deep State operators cannot wield our Constitution like a dagger to stab anyone they don’t like. #PardonMichaelFlynn now.
American Conservative Movement
As we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
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thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Former US Attorney: ‘Too Many Inconsistencies’ To Declare Clinton-Linked Democrat Jeffrey Epstein’s

Former US Attorney: ‘Too Many Inconsistencies’ To Declare Clinton-Linked Democrat Jeffrey Epstein’s Death a Suicide

Former Utah U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman told “ Fox & Friends ” hosts that there are “ too many gaps now and too many inconsistencies ” to rule wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ’ s death a suicide .
“ We want to say this is just suicide and we want to be able to put it aside and understand what happened , but there are too many gaps now and too many inconsistencies , so it may be a while before we are able to put this to bed as either a homicide or a suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66 , died in his cell on Aug. 10 , having pleaded not guilty on a slew of charges including sex trafficking and criminal conspiracy .
The New York City medical examiner ’ s office ruled on Aug. 23 that he had committed suicide .
TRENDING : Comedian George Lopez on Iran 's 'Bounty ' on Trump : 'We 'll Do It for Half' On Monday , graphic images of Epstein ’ s injuries and the scene inside his jail cell after he allegedly hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supposed suicide .
Tolman said that the “ biggest key right now is how much pressure is applied to the guards that were charged.
” “ It may seem like they are the scapegoats , and in some ways they are , but they are the only ones that can piece together what occurred in those moments : why the body was moved against protocol , why there were so many monumental failures , ” he said .
In November , federal law enforcement announced charges against two Federal Bureau of Prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hours leading up to his death .
According to a Department of Justice news release , Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are charged with falsifying official documents to “ defraud the United States by impairing the lawful functions ” of the Metropolitan Correctional Center and bury workplace improprieties that may have indirectly resulted in Epstein ’ s death .
“ As a prosecutor , I would be really concerned about some of the facts that are in this case that I either want to flush out with , you know , witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I can try to get them to talk to us and tell us if there ’ s anything more that ’ s happening here , ” Tolman said .
“ Because we want to know , when you have the highest-profile criminal defendant and you have the largest budget of any agency in the Departement of Justice , and you can ’ t keep him safe while he is incarcerated ?
” Forensic pathologist and former New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden told the hosts of Fox ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the images seem to be “ more indicative of homicide.
” “ I think there ’ s a lot of information that still hasn ’ t been revealed yet that is essential in order to arrive at a conclusion , whether this is a suicide or homicide , ” Baden said .
“ I think the closing out of the case as a suicide so quickly was premature.
” RELATED : FBI Reportedly Investigating Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Others Who 'Facilitated ' His Behavior The pictures from the New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained by “ 60 Minutes ” and released during its broadcast on Sunday .
Because of the ongoing investigations , the Justice Department and the FBI did not comment on the new images .
“ We have examined so many photos , looked at the evidence , and talked to so many people , ” “ 60 Minutes ” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi said .
“ But we still have many questions .
And we ’ re looking forward to getting more answers.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Former Utah U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman told “Fox & Friends” hosts that there are “too many gaps now and too many inconsistencies” to rule wealthy financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s death a suicide.
“We want to say this is just suicide and we want to be able to put it aside and understand what happened, but there are too many gaps now and too many inconsistencies, so it may be a while before we are able to put this to bed as either a homicide or a suicide,” Tolman said.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
Epstein, 66, died in his cell on Aug. 10, having pleaded not guilty on a slew of charges including sex trafficking and criminal conspiracy.
The New York City medical examiner’s office ruled on Aug. 23 that he had committed suicide.
On Monday, graphic images of Epstein’s injuries and the scene inside his jail cell after he allegedly hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell were released, raising more questions about his supposed suicide.
Tolman said that the “biggest key right now is how much pressure is applied to the guards that were charged.”
“It may seem like they are the scapegoats, and in some ways they are, but they are the only ones that can piece together what occurred in those moments: why the body was moved against protocol, why there were so many monumental failures,” he said.
In November, federal law enforcement announced charges against two Federal Bureau of Prisons employees reportedly responsible for watching Epstein in the hours leading up to his death.
Do you agree with Tolman's analysis? Yes No
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According to a Department of Justice news release, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are charged with falsifying official documents to “defraud the United States by impairing the lawful functions” of the Metropolitan Correctional Center and bury workplace improprieties that may have indirectly resulted in Epstein’s death.
“As a prosecutor, I would be really concerned about some of the facts that are in this case that I either want to flush out with, you know, witnesses that were there or apply the pressure that I can try to get them to talk to us and tell us if there’s anything more that’s happening here,” Tolman said.
“Because we want to know, when you have the highest-profile criminal defendant and you have the largest budget of any agency in the Departement of Justice, and you can’t keep him safe while he is incarcerated?”
Forensic pathologist and former New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden told the hosts of Fox’s “America’s Newsroom” on Monday that the images seem to be “more indicative of homicide.”
“I think there’s a lot of information that still hasn’t been revealed yet that is essential in order to arrive at a conclusion, whether this is a suicide or homicide,” Baden said. “I think the closing out of the case as a suicide so quickly was premature.”
The pictures from the New York City medical examiner’s office were first obtained by “60 Minutes” and released during its broadcast on Sunday.
Because of the ongoing investigations, the Justice Department and the FBI did not comment on the new images.
“We have examined so many photos, looked at the evidence, and talked to so many people,” “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi said. “But we still have many questions. And we’re looking forward to getting more answers.”
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thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--3 Times The IG Report Suggests Spygate Is Worse Than We Thought

As bad as the IG ’ s findings were , the details in its report suggest worse is coming when U.S. Attorney John Durham concludes his investigation into the Russia collusion hoax .
The inspector general ’ s report on FISA abuse revealed significant , systemic malfeasance by the FBI .
But as bad as the IG ’ s findings were , the details included in last month ’ s 478-page report suggest worse is coming when U.S. Attorney John Durham concludes his investigation into the Russia collusion hoax .
Three aspects of the IG ’ s report foreshadow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to come , implicating other parts of the U.S. intelligence community and possibly those of our supposed allies .
First , we have the IG ’ s findings that the FBI did not use any confidential human sources ( CHSs ) or undercover employees ( UCEs ) prior to the July 31 , 2016 , launch of Crossfire Hurricane , and the report ’ s conclusion that the New York Field Office had not used any CHSs to target Trump campaign associate Carter Page during its previously launched investigation into Page .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the members of the Crossfire Hurricane team told the OIG that no investigative steps of any type were taken prior to receipt of the predicating information for the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 28 , 2016 , and we found no evidence to the contrary.
” Second , the IG report reveals that the FBI did not have access to the databases of other members of the U.S. intelligence community .
We know this because one of the early investigative steps the Crossfire Hurricane team took , according to the IG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , among others , individuals associated with the Trump campaign to other U.S. government intelligence agencies for any further information.
” We also know the FBI did not have access to the source files or databases for other intelligence agencies because the FBI only learned that another government agency had approved Page for “ Operational Contact ” based on a memorandum provided to the FBI .
Later , when the FBI sought to clarify whether Page had been a source for that agency , an FBI attorney wrote the liaison for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a source .
He had , but as the IG report revealed , the FBI attorney then altered the email to indicate that Page had not been .
The IG report did not identify the other agency .
But Page told The Federalist that while he had “ helped several of the agencies , ” in this instance , he was “ pretty sure they meant my support of the CIA.
” No matter which intelligence agency it was , the IG report shows that the FBI didn ’ t have direct access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other members of the intelligence community .
The third significant point to note concerns the material the IG had access to and reviewed .
According to the report , the IG was “ given broad access to relevant materials by the Department [ of Justice ] and the FBI .
In addition , we reviewed relevant information that other U.S. government agencies provided the FBI in the course of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation .
However , because the activities of other agencies are outside our jurisdiction , we did not seek to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received or reviewed , except for a limited amount of State Department records relating to Steele ; we also did not seek to assess any actions other agencies may have taken.
” FBI Might Not Have Exclusively Spied on Trump These three points , when considered together , establish that if any sources were run against the Trump campaign before July 31 , 2016 , they were not controlled by the FBI , but by other members of the intelligence community , and that that information was withheld from the FBI .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names that come to mind : Joseph Mifsud and Stefan Halper .
According to the IG report , the FBI launched the investigation into the Trump campaign after an unnamed “ Friendly Foreign Government , ” widely known to be Australia , reported that in May 2016 , “ then Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos ‘ suggested the Trump team had received some kind of suggestion from Russia that it could assist this process with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Mrs. Clinton ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The IG report added that “ Papadopoulos stated that the source of the information he shared with the FFG official was a professor from London , Joseph Mifsud.
” The FBI had nothing to do with Mifsud , the IG concluded , noting it had searched the FBI CHS database , called Delta , and “ the FBI ’ s Delta files contain no evidence that Mifsud has ever acted as an FBI CHS.
” It bears mention , though , that we know from the IG ’ s previous audit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in November 2019 , that “ the FBI ’ s official electronic record-keeping system for CHS management ” “ does not identify and track extraterritorial sub-sources.
” Accordingly , as the IG concluded , the Delta system “ will lack complete and accurate information on its CHS coverage stemming from extraterritorial sub-sources.
” As part of the investigation , the IG also interviewed individuals and reviewed documents to determine if there was any evidence that Mifsud had been “ working with the FBI and this was some sort of operation ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of the witnesses or documents supported that allegation , adding in two footnotes that the FBI had requested some information , but what , and from whom , was redacted .
Had the FBI received any documents or information from other U.S. intelligence agencies concerning Mifsud , the IG report would have likely provided some hint of that fact .
So , it appears the FBI did not learn anything more about Mifsud than that summarized in the special counsel report , which was bareboned and demonstrated a complete lack of curiosity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Trump campaign .
Durham ‘ Is Not Just Looking at the FBI ’ In brief , the special counsel noted that the FBI had interviewed Mifsud in February 2017 , at which time he acknowledged he had met Papadopoulos , “ but denied having told him about any suggestion or offer from Russia.
” “ Mifsud also told the FBI that ‘ he had no advance knowledge Russia was in possession of emails from the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) and , therefore , did not make any offers or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mueller would conclude , though , that Mifsud had also lied about some of his contacts with Papadopoulos .
But that the FBI did not know more about Mifsud does not mean the wider U.S. intelligence community didn ’ t , either directly or through intel shared from our Western partners .
As the IG report demonstrates , the FBI would not have access to other intelligence information or databases , and in the investigation into the FISA abuse , the IG did not “ seek to obtain records ” concerning the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdiction .
.
.
” That ’ s where Durham comes in .
“ He is not just looking at the F.B.I.
, ” Attorney General William Barr said during an interview on Fox News , “ He is looking at other agencies.
” It is a “ much broader investigation , ” with Durham “ looking at all the conduct—both before and after the election , ” the attorney general noted .
Part of that broader investigation concerns Mifsud , with Durham and Barr reportedly having traveled to Italy to meet with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor .
Attorney Sidney Powell , who represents Trump ’ s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn , added to the intrigue by revealing she has learned that Durham obtained two Blackberry devices Mifsud used .
However , neither Barr nor Durham have confirmed the claim .
Durham Knows a Lot More than Horowitz Does What Durham has learned to date is unknown .
But following the release of the IG report , a statement by the U.S. attorney indicates it is much more than what IG Michael Horowitz uncovered .
After noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff , ” Durhan noted that his “ investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department.
” So , was another agency running Halper at that time ?
Rather , Durham stressed that their “ investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities , both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. ” and “ [ b ] ased on the evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation is ongoing , last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report ’ s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.
” Besides Mifsud , the IG report raises more questions about FBI CHS Halper .
We know that Halper had spoken with Page in mid-July 2016—before the launch of Crossfire Hurricane .
But the IG report was adamant that the FBI agents involved “ each told the OIG that the FBI did not have anything to do with any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 31 , 2016.
” So , was another agency running Halper at that time ?
Or was the man identified as “ Source 2 , ” who had once been closed as a CHS for “ aggressiveness toward handling agents as a result of what [ he ] perceived as not enough compensation , ” gratuitously chatting up Page ?
We also know Halper was already on the payroll of the Department of Defense at that time .
Sen. Chuck Grassley raised questions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work for the FBI , in a recent interview with Fox News ’ Maria Bartiromo .
In “ overseeing waste of defense money , ” Grassley noted , Halper ’ s name shows up as a contractor at the “ same time that he is involved in Russiagate.
” Grassley added that he wanted the DOD IG to question Halper , but that there was “ some question about his health.
” So , now , all we have are questions , Grassley said , such as “ where does his payment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and getting ahold of Carter Page and Sam Clovis ?
” Halper ’ s outreach to Page in mid-July , however , was not his only pre-Crossfire Hurricane link to Trump-campaign-connected people .
As the IG report explained , Halper told the FBI he “ had known Trump ’ s then campaign manager , Manafort , for a number of years and that he had been previously acquainted with Michael Flynn.
” Another Reason to Suspect Halper Was Freelancing It is Halper ’ s prior acquaintance with Flynn , when coupled with allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lokhova filed against Halper and the IG ’ s finding that the FBI had not used Halper prior to July 31 , 2016 , that further suggest that Halper was serving as a source for more than just the FBI during the Russia collusion investigation .
So , was Halper ’ s interest in Lokhova purely professional ?
Or was he working for another agency ?
Lokhova ’ s lawsuit , which the Russian historian filed last year , detailed her connection to Halper , and her brief meeting of Flynn in 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic position .
According to her complaint , “ in January 2014 , while working to complete her Ph.D. at Cambridge University , her mentor Professor Christopher M. Andrew ( ‘ Andrew ’ ) , and Sir Richard Dearlove ( ‘ Dearlove ’ ) , invited Lokhova to attend a group dinner with Flynn , ” who then served as President Barack Obama ’ s director of the Defense Intelligence Agency .
After the dinner , Lokhova spoke briefly with Flynn .
Then came an unexpected dinner invitation : Two years later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David North ) , to dine at his house with Halper and his wife .
While Andrew “ ‘ stated the purpose of the dinner was to discuss the book that Lokhova and he were authoring , ’ Lokhova notes that she was perplexed by the “ unexpected invitation ” because Halper had never previously expressed an interest in her research .
In fact , as Lokhova tells it in her complaint , Halper fell asleep during her Cambridge seminar presentations and avoided any contact with her.
” Lokhova declined the January 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was merely a pretext “ to probe her for information relating to Flynn in the hopes that his FBI handlers might find a basis upon which to file an application to conduct and spy on General Flynn.
” But according to the IG , the FBI had not yet tasked Halper with investigating any of the targets of Crossfire Hurricane .
So , was Halper ’ s interest in Lokhova purely professional ?
Or was he working for another agency ?
What happened next provides a clue : On February 19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s former mentor at Cambridge , “ penned an article for the London Sunday Times , ‘ Impulsive General Misha Shoots Himself in the Foot.
’ That article portrayed the unnamed Lokhova ’ s brief meeting with Flynn during a dinner event two years prior at Cambridge as the beginning of a compromising relationship between Flynn and a Russian spy.
” When the declassification comes , it will include much more than the FBI records the IG reviewed , which alone established overwhelming evidence of misconduct .
Andrew ’ s article prompted several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New York Times , and Washington Post to run stories about Flynn and a supposed Russian spy .
Then in a March 31 , 2017 , story The Guardian claimed “ Multiple sources , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , said the CIA and FBI were discussing ” Flynn ’ s meeting with Lokhova at Cambridge , and that U.S. and U.K. officials were troubled by Flynn ’ s encounter with Russian-linked Lokhova .
The Guardian ’ s claim is consistent with former CIA Director John Brennan ’ s congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign , ” Brennan told Rep. Trey Gowdy .
“ As we came upon that , we would share it with the bureau , ” the former CIA head added .
Brennan refused to identify the specific individuals connected with the Trump campaign for whom he had “ encountered information and intelligence ” that he shared with the FBI .
But the more intriguing question is : Who provided him that information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham , who The New York Times reported “ has requested Mr. Brennan ’ s emails , call logs and other documents from the C.I.A.
, according to a person briefed on his inquiry.
” So , we wait for Durham .
But , as Grassley stressed during his interview last week with Bartiromo , Durham ’ s investigation “ has the full support of Attorney General , and the Attorney General has the full support of the President of declassifying.
” When the declassification comes , it will include much more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which alone established overwhelming evidence of misconduct .
How much more malfeasance took place in broader the intelligence community remains to be seen .

The inspector general’s report on FISA abuse revealed significant, systemic malfeasance by the FBI. But as bad as the IG’s findings were, the details included in last month’s 478-page report suggest worse is coming when U.S. Attorney John Durham concludes his investigation into the Russia collusion hoax.
Three aspects of the IG’s report foreshadow the possibility that more revelations of misconduct are yet to come, implicating other parts of the U.S. intelligence community and possibly those of our supposed allies.
First, we have the IG’s findings that the FBI did not use any confidential human sources (CHSs) or undercover employees (UCEs) prior to the July 31, 2016, launch of Crossfire Hurricane, and the report’s conclusion that the New York Field Office had not used any CHSs to target Trump campaign associate Carter Page during its previously launched investigation into Page. According to the IG report, “all of the members of the Crossfire Hurricane team told the OIG that no investigative steps of any type were taken prior to receipt of the predicating information for the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 28, 2016, and we found no evidence to the contrary.”
Second, the IG report reveals that the FBI did not have access to the databases of other members of the U.S. intelligence community. We know this because one of the early investigative steps the Crossfire Hurricane team took, according to the IG report, was to “send names of, among others, individuals associated with the Trump campaign to other U.S. government intelligence agencies for any further information.”
We also know the FBI did not have access to the source files or databases for other intelligence agencies because the FBI only learned that another government agency had approved Page for “Operational Contact” based on a memorandum provided to the FBI. Later, when the FBI sought to clarify whether Page had been a source for that agency, an FBI attorney wrote the liaison for that agency, asking whether Page had been a source. He had, but as the IG report revealed, the FBI attorney then altered the email to indicate that Page had not been.
The IG report did not identify the other agency. But Page told The Federalist that while he had “helped several of the agencies,” in this instance, he was “pretty sure they meant my support of the CIA.” No matter which intelligence agency it was, the IG report shows that the FBI didn’t have direct access to the records or source files for other members of the intelligence community.
The third significant point to note concerns the material the IG had access to and reviewed. According to the report, the IG was “given broad access to relevant materials by the Department [of Justice] and the FBI. In addition, we reviewed relevant information that other U.S. government agencies provided the FBI in the course of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. However, because the activities of other agencies are outside our jurisdiction, we did not seek to obtain records from them that the FBI never received or reviewed, except for a limited amount of State Department records relating to Steele; we also did not seek to assess any actions other agencies may have taken.”
FBI Might Not Have Exclusively Spied on Trump
These three points, when considered together, establish that if any sources were run against the Trump campaign before July 31, 2016, they were not controlled by the FBI, but by other members of the intelligence community, and that that information was withheld from the FBI.
When considering this possibility, there are two names that come to mind: Joseph Mifsud and Stefan Halper.
According to the IG report, the FBI launched the investigation into the Trump campaign after an unnamed “Friendly Foreign Government,” widely known to be Australia, reported that in May 2016, “then Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos ‘suggested the Trump team had received some kind of suggestion from Russia that it could assist this process with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Mrs. Clinton (and President Obama).’” The IG report added that “Papadopoulos stated that the source of the information he shared with the FFG official was a professor from London, Joseph Mifsud.”
The FBI had nothing to do with Mifsud, the IG concluded, noting it had searched the FBI CHS database, called Delta, and “the FBI’s Delta files contain no evidence that Mifsud has ever acted as an FBI CHS.” It bears mention, though, that we know from the IG’s previous audit of the FBI’s CHS validation process, released in November 2019, that “the FBI’s official electronic record-keeping system for CHS management” “does not identify and track extraterritorial sub-sources.” Accordingly, as the IG concluded, the Delta system “will lack complete and accurate information on its CHS coverage stemming from extraterritorial sub-sources.”
As part of the investigation, the IG also interviewed individuals and reviewed documents to determine if there was any evidence that Mifsud had been “working with the FBI and this was some sort of operation” to entrap Papadopoulos. The IG concluded that none of the witnesses or documents supported that allegation, adding in two footnotes that the FBI had requested some information, but what, and from whom, was redacted.
Had the FBI received any documents or information from other U.S. intelligence agencies concerning Mifsud, the IG report would have likely provided some hint of that fact. So, it appears the FBI did not learn anything more about Mifsud than that summarized in the special counsel report, which was bareboned and demonstrated a complete lack of curiosity about the man who triggered the investigation into the Trump campaign.
Durham ‘Is Not Just Looking at the FBI’
In brief, the special counsel noted that the FBI had interviewed Mifsud in February 2017, at which time he acknowledged he had met Papadopoulos, “but denied having told him about any suggestion or offer from Russia.” “Mifsud also told the FBI that ‘he had no advance knowledge Russia was in possession of emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and, therefore, did not make any offers or proffer any information to Papadopoulos.’” Mueller would conclude, though, that Mifsud had also lied about some of his contacts with Papadopoulos.
But that the FBI did not know more about Mifsud does not mean the wider U.S. intelligence community didn’t, either directly or through intel shared from our Western partners. As the IG report demonstrates, the FBI would not have access to other intelligence information or databases, and in the investigation into the FISA abuse, the IG did not “seek to obtain records” concerning the “activities of other agencies are outside our jurisdiction . . .”
That’s where Durham comes in. “He is not just looking at the F.B.I.,” Attorney General William Barr said during an interview on Fox News, “He is looking at other agencies.” It is a “much broader investigation,” with Durham “looking at all the conduct—both before and after the election,” the attorney general noted.
Part of that broader investigation concerns Mifsud, with Durham and Barr reportedly having traveled to Italy to meet with Italian intelligence agents about the mysterious Maltese professor. Attorney Sidney Powell, who represents Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, added to the intrigue by revealing she has learned that Durham obtained two Blackberry devices Mifsud used. However, neither Barr nor Durham have confirmed the claim.
Durham Knows a Lot More than Horowitz Does
What Durham has learned to date is unknown. But following the release of the IG report, a statement by the U.S. attorney indicates it is much more than what IG Michael Horowitz uncovered. After noting his “utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff,” Durhan noted that his “investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department.”
So, was another agency running Halper at that time?
Rather, Durham stressed that their “investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.” and “[b]ased on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”
Besides Mifsud, the IG report raises more questions about FBI CHS Halper. We know that Halper had spoken with Page in mid-July 2016—before the launch of Crossfire Hurricane. But the IG report was adamant that the FBI agents involved “each told the OIG that the FBI did not have anything to do with any operational activities against Carter Page prior to the start of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 31, 2016.”
So, was another agency running Halper at that time? Or was the man identified as “Source 2,” who had once been closed as a CHS for “aggressiveness toward handling agents as a result of what [he] perceived as not enough compensation,” gratuitously chatting up Page?
We also know Halper was already on the payroll of the Department of Defense at that time. Sen. Chuck Grassley raised questions about those payments and the overlap with his work for the FBI, in a recent interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo.
In “overseeing waste of defense money,” Grassley noted, Halper’s name shows up as a contractor at the “same time that he is involved in Russiagate.” Grassley added that he wanted the DOD IG to question Halper, but that there was “some question about his health.” So, now, all we have are questions, Grassley said, such as “where does his payment of $1 million overlap with the timeline and getting ahold of Carter Page and Sam Clovis?”
Halper’s outreach to Page in mid-July, however, was not his only pre-Crossfire Hurricane link to Trump-campaign-connected people. As the IG report explained, Halper told the FBI he “had known Trump’s then campaign manager, Manafort, for a number of years and that he had been previously acquainted with Michael Flynn.”
Another Reason to Suspect Halper Was Freelancing
It is Halper’s prior acquaintance with Flynn, when coupled with allegations contained in a lawsuit the Russian-born Svetlana Lokhova filed against Halper and the IG’s finding that the FBI had not used Halper prior to July 31, 2016, that further suggest that Halper was serving as a source for more than just the FBI during the Russia collusion investigation.
So, was Halper’s interest in Lokhova purely professional? Or was he working for another agency?
Lokhova’s lawsuit, which the Russian historian filed last year, detailed her connection to Halper, and her brief meeting of Flynn in 2014 at Cambridge, where Halper maintained an academic position. According to her complaint, “in January 2014, while working to complete her Ph.D. at Cambridge University, her mentor Professor Christopher M. Andrew (‘Andrew’), and Sir Richard Dearlove (‘Dearlove’), invited Lokhova to attend a group dinner with Flynn,” who then served as President Barack Obama’s director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. After the dinner, Lokhova spoke briefly with Flynn.
Then came an unexpected dinner invitation: Two years later, Andrew invited Lokhova and her partner (David North), to dine at his house with Halper and his wife. While Andrew “‘stated the purpose of the dinner was to discuss the book that Lokhova and he were authoring,’ Lokhova notes that she was perplexed by the “unexpected invitation” because Halper had never previously expressed an interest in her research. In fact, as Lokhova tells it in her complaint, Halper fell asleep during her Cambridge seminar presentations and avoided any contact with her.”
Lokhova declined the January 2016 dinner invitation, alleging in her complaint that it was merely a pretext “to probe her for information relating to Flynn in the hopes that his FBI handlers might find a basis upon which to file an application to conduct and spy on General Flynn.”
But according to the IG, the FBI had not yet tasked Halper with investigating any of the targets of Crossfire Hurricane. So, was Halper’s interest in Lokhova purely professional? Or was he working for another agency?
Here’s Another Clue
What happened next provides a clue: On February 19, 2017, Andrew, Lokhova’s former mentor at Cambridge, “penned an article for the London Sunday Times, ‘Impulsive General Misha Shoots Himself in the Foot.’ That article portrayed the unnamed Lokhova’s brief meeting with Flynn during a dinner event two years prior at Cambridge as the beginning of a compromising relationship between Flynn and a Russian spy.”
When the declassification comes, it will include much more than the FBI records the IG reviewed, which alone established overwhelming evidence of misconduct.
Andrew’s article prompted several other outlets like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post to run stories about Flynn and a supposed Russian spy. Then in a March 31, 2017, story The Guardian claimed “Multiple sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the CIA and FBI were discussing” Flynn’s meeting with Lokhova at Cambridge, and that U.S. and U.K. officials were troubled by Flynn’s encounter with Russian-linked Lokhova.
The Guardian’s claim is consistent with former CIA Director John Brennan’s congressional testimony. “I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign,” Brennan told Rep. Trey Gowdy. “As we came upon that, we would share it with the bureau,” the former CIA head added.
Brennan refused to identify the specific individuals connected with the Trump campaign for whom he had “encountered information and intelligence” that he shared with the FBI. But the more intriguing question is: Who provided him that information and intelligence?
That brings us back to Durham, who The New York Times reported “has requested Mr. Brennan’s emails, call logs and other documents from the C.I.A., according to a person briefed on his inquiry.”
So, we wait for Durham. But, as Grassley stressed during his interview last week with Bartiromo, Durham’s investigation “has the full support of Attorney General, and the Attorney General has the full support of the President of declassifying.”
When the declassification comes, it will include much more than the FBI records the IG reviewed, which alone established overwhelming evidence of misconduct. How much more malfeasance took place in broader the intelligence community remains to be seen.
Margot Cleveland is The Federalist's senior legal correspondent. She is also a contributor to National Review Online, the Washington Examiner, Aleteia, and Townhall.com, and has been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Cleveland is a lawyer and a graduate of the Notre Dame Law School, where she earned the Hoynes Prize—the law school’s highest honor. She later served for nearly 25 years as a permanent law clerk for a federal appellate judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Cleveland is a former full-time university faculty member and now teaches as an adjunct from time to time. As a stay-at-home homeschooling mom of a young son with cystic fibrosis, Cleveland frequently writes on cultural issues related to parenting and special-needs children. Cleveland is on Twitter at @ProfMJCleveland. The views expressed here are those of Cleveland in her private capacity.


thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Andrea Mitchell Claims Defending President Trump has Made Mike Pompeo ‘The Most Powerful Secretary o

Andrea Mitchell Claims Defending President Trump has Made Mike Pompeo ‘The Most Powerful Secretary of State in Decades’

With fiery defenses of President Donald Trump 's order to kill Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Mike Pompeo has emerged as the most powerful secretary of state in decades , rivaling Henry Kissinger , James Baker and Condoleezza Rice for his unchallenged access to the Oval Office .
After the forced departures of national security adviser John Bolton , a notable hawk , and Defense Secretary James Mattis , a more cautious , pragmatic military adviser , Pompeo is the sole survivor of Trump 's original national security team .
He is far more experienced than Robert O'Brien , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Esper .
Unlike Esper , who pushed back against the president 's recent threat to bomb Iran 's cultural sites if Iran sought revenge for Soleimani 's death , Pompeo argued forcefully Tuesday that Trump had not suggested targeting Iran 's cultural sites .
Destroying cultural sites is considered a war crime , forbidden by a 1954 agreement signed by the United States .
But on Air Force One on Sunday night , the president clearly suggested that was under consideration , telling reporters : `` They 're allowed to kill our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maim our people .
They 're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people .
And we 're not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It does n't work that way . ''
When those comments were read back to Pompeo on Tuesday , he seemed to come up with his own interpretation of international law .
`` I was unambiguous on Sunday , '' he said .
`` It is completely consistent with what the president has said .
... Every action we take will be consistent with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo , who is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was first in his class at the U.S. Military Academy , was a prominent member of the House committee that grilled Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2015 for 11 hours about her responsibility for the deaths of four Americans in a terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi , Libya , on Sept. 11 , 2012 .
Many diplomatic observers believe the Benghazi episode animated Pompeo and Trump when they watched as pro-Iran rioters tried to storm the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to strike back forcefully against Iran .
Top officials told NBC News that Pompeo upset some of his own team by canceling a long-delayed trip to Ukraine to ride herd on the response to Iran .
The stakes were very high : The New York Times reported Sunday that Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence were the two hawks on the national security team arguing for a strong response to Iranian aggression .
And The Washington Post reported this week that Pompeo had been `` morose '' last summer when , with only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided not to respond militarily after Iran downed a U.S. surveillance drone .
Trump also restrained his advisers in September by not retaliating when Iranian proxies struck Saudi Arabia 's largest oil field .
Multiple diplomatic sources said the Saudis were distressed by the lack of U.S. support , to the point of reaching out to their arch-rival Iran for back channel diplomacy through Pakistan .
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics All of that set the backdrop for what critics called an overcorrection with the strike that killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarify his claim that the strike had been based on intelligence of an `` imminent threat , '' Pompeo added to the confusion by saying , `` If you 're looking for imminence , you need to look no further than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against Soleimani . ''
Was it a future threat or past aggression that led to the strike ?
The only thing clear from the secretary 's remarks was that he was in lockstep with the president .
Pompeo has so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department and publicly from former top U.S. diplomats for not having come to the aid of Marie Yovanovitch , who was ousted as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , and for not having put a stop to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani 's parallel diplomacy with Ukraine , both of which were investigated by the House impeachment committees .
He has declined to furnish any emails or other State Department documents to House investigators , a posture that severely damaged morale among foreign service officers , according to multiple accounts .
Many of the veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of his powerful alliance with the president , in contrast with his fired predecessor , Rex Tillerson , who remained an outsider .
The bottom line : With less experienced new leaders at the Pentagon , an acting director of national intelligence and an untested national security adviser , Mike Pompeo is very much in charge .
He has acknowledged ambitions to run for president one day , but he declared definitively Tuesday that he will not run for the open Senate seat this year in his home state , Kansas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I 'm going to stay serving as secretary of state so long as President Trump shall have me . ''

With fiery defenses of President Donald Trump's order to kill Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Mike Pompeo has emerged as the most powerful secretary of state in decades, rivaling Henry Kissinger, James Baker and Condoleezza Rice for his unchallenged access to the Oval Office.
After the forced departures of national security adviser John Bolton, a notable hawk, and Defense Secretary James Mattis, a more cautious, pragmatic military adviser, Pompeo is the sole survivor of Trump's original national security team. He is far more experienced than Robert O'Brien, who replaced Bolton, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Unlike Esper, who pushed back against the president's recent threat to bomb Iran's cultural sites if Iran sought revenge for Soleimani's death, Pompeo argued forcefully Tuesday that Trump had not suggested targeting Iran's cultural sites. Destroying cultural sites is considered a war crime, forbidden by a 1954 agreement signed by the United States.
But on Air Force One on Sunday night, the president clearly suggested that was under consideration, telling reporters: "They're allowed to kill our people. They're allowed to torture and maim our people. They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn't work that way."
When those comments were read back to Pompeo on Tuesday, he seemed to come up with his own interpretation of international law. "I was unambiguous on Sunday," he said. "It is completely consistent with what the president has said. ... Every action we take will be consistent with the international rule of law."
Pompeo, who is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was first in his class at the U.S. Military Academy, was a prominent member of the House committee that grilled Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2015 for 11 hours about her responsibility for the deaths of four Americans in a terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012.
Many diplomatic observers believe the Benghazi episode animated Pompeo and Trump when they watched as pro-Iran rioters tried to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, solidifying their determination to strike back forcefully against Iran.
Top officials told NBC News that Pompeo upset some of his own team by canceling a long-delayed trip to Ukraine to ride herd on the response to Iran. The stakes were very high: The New York Times reported Sunday that Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence were the two hawks on the national security team arguing for a strong response to Iranian aggression. And The Washington Post reported this week that Pompeo had been "morose" last summer when, with only 10 minutes to spare, the president decided not to respond militarily after Iran downed a U.S. surveillance drone.
Trump also restrained his advisers in September by not retaliating when Iranian proxies struck Saudi Arabia's largest oil field. Multiple diplomatic sources said the Saudis were distressed by the lack of U.S. support, to the point of reaching out to their arch-rival Iran for back channel diplomacy through Pakistan.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
All of that set the backdrop for what critics called an overcorrection with the strike that killed Soleimani. Pressed on Tuesday to further clarify his claim that the strike had been based on intelligence of an "imminent threat," Pompeo added to the confusion by saying, "If you're looking for imminence, you need to look no further than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against Soleimani."
Was it a future threat or past aggression that led to the strike? The only thing clear from the secretary's remarks was that he was in lockstep with the president.
Pompeo has so far withstood intense criticism privately within the State Department and publicly from former top U.S. diplomats for not having come to the aid of Marie Yovanovitch, who was ousted as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and for not having put a stop to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's parallel diplomacy with Ukraine, both of which were investigated by the House impeachment committees.
He has declined to furnish any emails or other State Department documents to House investigators, a posture that severely damaged morale among foreign service officers, according to multiple accounts. Many of the veterans had high hopes upon Pompeo's arrival because of his powerful alliance with the president, in contrast with his fired predecessor, Rex Tillerson, who remained an outsider.
The bottom line: With less experienced new leaders at the Pentagon, an acting director of national intelligence and an untested national security adviser, Mike Pompeo is very much in charge.
He has acknowledged ambitions to run for president one day, but he declared definitively Tuesday that he will not run for the open Senate seat this year in his home state, Kansas, telling reporters, "I've said that I'm going to stay serving as secretary of state so long as President Trump shall have me."


thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Carolina Panthers Give Former Baylor Coach Matt Rhule A 7-Year Contract Worth Up To $70 Million

Matt Rhule ’ s contract with the Carolina Panthers is absolutely huge .
According to Adam Schefter , the contract to make him the Panthers new head coach is for seven years , and has a base value of $ 60 million .
( RELATED : David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football ) With incentives , the contract could be worth up to $ 70 million .
Below is a live look at Rhule as soon as the ink dries on his deal .
This is a monster contract for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much unheard of .
I can ’ t remember the last time I heard of a first-time head coach getting this kind of cash .
Clearly the Panthers were very serious about making sure he didn ’ t coach for anybody other than them .
They just made him one of the highest paid coaches in the world .
Remember when I said he was absolutely going to leave Baylor ?
Yeah , he would have been a moron to turn down this kind of cash .
Now , he ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When you ’ re getting that kind of cash , you better be winning a hell of a lot more than you ’ re losing .
I ’ m honestly just sitting here stunned at the numbers .
Mind-boggling to say the least .

Matt Rhule’s contract with the Carolina Panthers is absolutely huge.
According to Adam Schefter, the contract to make him the Panthers new head coach is for seven years, and has a base value of $60 million. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
With incentives, the contract could be worth up to $70 million.
Panthers are giving former Baylor HC Matt Rhule a seven-year – seven year – deal worth $60 million that with incentives could be worth up to $70 million, per league sources. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 7, 2020
Below is a live look at Rhule as soon as the ink dries on his deal.
This is a monster contract for a rookie NFL coach. This is pretty much unheard of. I can’t remember the last time I heard of a first-time head coach getting this kind of cash.
Clearly the Panthers were very serious about making sure he didn’t coach for anybody other than them. They just made him one of the highest paid coaches in the world.
Remember when I said he was absolutely going to leave Baylor? Yeah, he would have been a moron to turn down this kind of cash.
Now, he’ll have to go out there and earn it. When you’re getting that kind of cash, you better be winning a hell of a lot more than you’re losing.
I’m honestly just sitting here stunned at the numbers. Mind-boggling to say the least.


thelibertydaily--2020-01-08--Three Democrat Candidates Running for Michigan State House Seat Have Criminal Records

• Three candidates running for a Michigan state House seat have criminal records .
One had weapons charges , one beat a man with a Bible , and one was arrested in July 2019 , The Flint Journal reported .
• The Flint chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists faulted the paper for its coverage , saying all the candidates were black males and that journalists should “ do no harm.
” • Politics in Flint is dominated by the fallout of its infamous water crisis , which was precipitated in part after voters elected a mayor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served prison time for financial fraud .
A National Association of Black Journalists ( NABJ ) chapter said a local newspaper was being unethical after it reported that a candidate for political office had a criminal record for climbing in a window , beating a man with a Bible , and choking him with a bike chain .
The Flint Journal found that of the 10 Democrats vying for state representative , three had criminal records , with one arrested in July 2019 .
It ran stories about those three cases Jan. 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stith , issued a statement Jan. 3 saying the three criminals were all black and journalists have an ethical duty to “ do no harm.
” The articles should have talked about their “ achievements , ” she said .
“ Our concerns arose from seeing three stories , all focused on African American males , emphasizing past arrests .
The style of the articles gave the impression the arrests may have happened recently , but one occurred in 2001 and the most recent as in July 2019 , ” Stith said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was able to talk with Flint Journal ’ s news leadership to open the dialogue on how we can better serve the Flint and Saginaw community in reporting stories that matter , ” she said .
( RELATED : Flint Councilman Berates Muslim Reporter : ‘ Nasty Woman .
Maybe It ’ s A Cultural Difference ’ ) Politics in Flint is dominated by the fallout of its infamous water crisis , which was precipitated in part after voters elected a mayor , Don Williamson , who had years earlier served prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was white , plunged the city into financial ruin , setting off a chain of events that culminated in lead-poisoned water .
The 10 Democrats vying for the state representative seat are running in an election that opened up after the incumbent , Sheldon Neeley , became Flint mayor .
The criminal background stories were just one part of The Flint Journal ’ s broad coverage of the race .
Flint Beat , another local publication , quoted Clark Hughes , an official with The Flint Journal ’ s corporate parent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FSABJ , we agreed that we should also run the candidates ’ campaign photos .
We took the feedback to heart and made a change that we feel is in the best interests of the reader and of the candidates.
” The media company declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Flint Beat said the mugshots were removed from the articles , though as of Tuesday , they were at the bottom of the articles , with campaign photos at the top .
A Flint Beat editorial note reads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reflect that the mugshots were not removed .
Instead , they are no longer being used as leading photos.
” Flint Beat quoted its own editor , Jiquanda Johnson , saying she hopes the coverage doesn ’ t “ impact the Jan. 7 primary election.
” She is a member of the black journalists group .
The national-level NABJ , whose president is Dorothy Tucker , did not respond to questions from the DCNF about whether it is racist to write standalone articles on the criminal backgrounds of those seeking higher office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine of the 10 candidates running for the Democratic nomination Tuesday are black , and those without criminal records were not impacted .
In 2001 , candidate Vincent Lang climbed in a window in the middle of the night , beat a man with a Bible , choked him with a chain , and pleaded guilty to felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder , The Flint Journal reported .
Lang owed $ 25,000 in child support in 2007 , the report stated .
He said he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paper said .
Michael Christopher-Floyd Clack was arrested in July 2019 for allegedly operating while impaired by liquor .
“ I was coming from a friend ’ s wedding and got home really late and my girlfriend wouldn ’ t let me in the house , ” Clack told The Flint Journal .
“ I fell asleep ( in the vehicle ) .
” A caller reported him to police , saying his car sat in an intersection for two light cycles .
He was taken into custody in April 2014 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concealed weapon .
“ I was actually test driving that motorcycle and I took the gun with me .
I was dealing with a high-dollar purchase , ” Clack told the paper .
Sean Croudy was arrested in 2013 for allegedly drunk driving .
He works for the City of Flint and was previously a school social worker .
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 @ @ @ @ @

Three candidates running for a Michigan state House seat have criminal records. One had weapons charges, one beat a man with a Bible, and one was arrested in July 2019, The Flint Journal reported.
The Flint chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists faulted the paper for its coverage, saying all the candidates were black males and that journalists should “do no harm.”
Politics in Flint is dominated by the fallout of its infamous water crisis, which was precipitated in part after voters elected a mayor, Don Williamson, who had years earlier served prison time for financial fraud.
A National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) chapter said a local newspaper was being unethical after it reported that a candidate for political office had a criminal record for climbing in a window, beating a man with a Bible, and choking him with a bike chain.
The Flint Journal found that of the 10 Democrats vying for state representative, three had criminal records, with one arrested in July 2019. It ran stories about those three cases Jan. 2.
The Flint NABJ president, Ebony Stith, issued a statement Jan. 3 saying the three criminals were all black and journalists have an ethical duty to “do no harm.” The articles should have talked about their “achievements,” she said.
“Our concerns arose from seeing three stories, all focused on African American males, emphasizing past arrests. The style of the articles gave the impression the arrests may have happened recently, but one occurred in 2001 and the most recent as in July 2019,” Stith said in the statement.
“I am glad I was able to talk with Flint Journal’s news leadership to open the dialogue on how we can better serve the Flint and Saginaw community in reporting stories that matter,” she said. (RELATED: Flint Councilman Berates Muslim Reporter: ‘Nasty Woman. Maybe It’s A Cultural Difference’)
Politics in Flint is dominated by the fallout of its infamous water crisis, which was precipitated in part after voters elected a mayor, Don Williamson, who had years earlier served prison time for financial fraud. Williamson, who was white, plunged the city into financial ruin, setting off a chain of events that culminated in lead-poisoned water.
The 10 Democrats vying for the state representative seat are running in an election that opened up after the incumbent, Sheldon Neeley, became Flint mayor. The criminal background stories were just one part of The Flint Journal’s broad coverage of the race.
Flint Beat, another local publication, quoted Clark Hughes, an official with The Flint Journal’s corporate parent, saying Monday, “After hearing from the FSABJ, we agreed that we should also run the candidates’ campaign photos. We took the feedback to heart and made a change that we feel is in the best interests of the reader and of the candidates.” The media company declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Flint Beat said the mugshots were removed from the articles, though as of Tuesday, they were at the bottom of the articles, with campaign photos at the top. A Flint Beat editorial note reads: “This story has been updated to reflect that the mugshots were not removed. Instead, they are no longer being used as leading photos.”
Flint Beat quoted its own editor, Jiquanda Johnson, saying she hopes the coverage doesn’t “impact the Jan. 7 primary election.” She is a member of the black journalists group.
The national-level NABJ, whose president is Dorothy Tucker, did not respond to questions from the DCNF about whether it is racist to write standalone articles on the criminal backgrounds of those seeking higher office, or how it was racist considering nine of the 10 candidates running for the Democratic nomination Tuesday are black, and those without criminal records were not impacted.
In 2001, candidate Vincent Lang climbed in a window in the middle of the night, beat a man with a Bible, choked him with a chain, and pleaded guilty to felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, The Flint Journal reported.
Lang owed $25,000 in child support in 2007, the report stated. He said he’s worked as a substitute teacher, the paper said.
Michael Christopher-Floyd Clack was arrested in July 2019 for allegedly operating while impaired by liquor.
“I was coming from a friend’s wedding and got home really late and my girlfriend wouldn’t let me in the house,” Clack told The Flint Journal. “I fell asleep (in the vehicle).”
A caller reported him to police, saying his car sat in an intersection for two light cycles. He was taken into custody in April 2014 for driving with a suspended license and carrying a concealed weapon.
“I was actually test driving that motorcycle and I took the gun with me. I was dealing with a high-dollar purchase,” Clack told the paper.
Sean Croudy was arrested in 2013 for allegedly drunk driving. He works for the City of Flint and was previously a school social worker.
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.