truepundit--2020-09-30--15-Year-Old Arrested For Allegedly Gunning Down Two Teens In NYC Drive-By

A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a July drive-by shooting that killed two teenagers while they played basketball in New York City , according to a Tuesday Fox News report .
The teen ’ s arrest comes after 23-year-old Joshua Bonilla was arrested in connection to the case , and both face two counts of murder , Fox reported .
The incident was caught on video and Kleimer Mendez , 16 , and Antonio Villa , 17 , were fatally shot during an evening basketball game , according to Fox .
“ Yesterday , at approximately 6:40 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hanging out of the sunroof of a late model Honda CRV at George Walker Jr. Park , ” New York City Police Department chief of detectives Rodney Harrison wrote in a tweet on July 27 .
“ The perpetrator struck three people , killing two innocent teenagers playing basketball.
” Another man in his 20s was reportedly wounded in the shoulder during the gunfire , according to Fox .
Police have not yet released a suspected motive for the attack .
Shootings in 2020 are up 166 % in NYC as of August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of murders seeing a 47 % uptick , according to NYPD crime data .

A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a July drive-by shooting that killed two teenagers while they played basketball in New York City, according to a Tuesday Fox News report.
The teen’s arrest comes after 23-year-old Joshua Bonilla was arrested in connection to the case, and both face two counts of murder, Fox reported. The incident was caught on video and Kleimer Mendez, 16, and Antonio Villa, 17, were fatally shot during an evening basketball game, according to Fox.
“Yesterday, at approximately 6:40 p.m., an unknown male opened fire while hanging out of the sunroof of a late model Honda CRV at George Walker Jr. Park,” New York City Police Department chief of detectives Rodney Harrison wrote in a tweet on July 27. “The perpetrator struck three people, killing two innocent teenagers playing basketball.”
Another man in his 20s was reportedly wounded in the shoulder during the gunfire, according to Fox. Police have not yet released a suspected motive for the attack.
Shootings in 2020 are up 166% in NYC as of August compared to 2019, with the number of murders seeing a 47% uptick, according to NYPD crime data.


truepundit--2020-09-30--10 Questions James Comey Should Face During His Senate Testimony

• Much has been learned about the FBI ’ s Trump-Russia probe since former FBI Director James Comey last appeared before Congress .
• Multiple reports have undercut the FBI ’ s initial theory that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election .
• Documents have also shred the reliability of the Steele dossier .
• Comey will be grilled about some of those findings during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday .
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his role in Crossfire Hurricane , the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been learned about the probe since Comey last appeared on Capitol Hill .
His last public testimony was on June 7 , 2017 , before the Senate Intelligence Committee .
He appeared for closed-door depositions in the House in December 2018 .
Since then , the special counsel has released a report finding that there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election , which was the initial focus of the Crossfire Hurricane inquiry .
The Justice Department inspector general has also released a report saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direction made “ significant ” errors and omissions in applications for surveillance warrants against Carter Page .
A slew of declassified documents has also called into question certain aspects of the investigation , many dealing with the bureau ’ s handling of the Steele dossier .
Comey , who was fired as FBI chief on May 9 , 2017 , is likely to be grilled Wednesday about his decisions during the Trump-Russia probe regarding the Steele dossier and an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn .
Comey is also likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include portions of the dossier in an Obama administration Intelligence Community Assessment ( ICA ) regarding Russia ’ s election meddling efforts .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , the chairman of the Judiciary panel , has said that he will quiz Comey about the FBI ’ s knowledge of problems with the dossier , which the FBI cited extensively in applications to get surveillance warrants against Trump campaign aide Carter Page .
Here are 10 questions that Comey could face during the hearing .
What did Comey know about the Steele dossier ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an FBI memo declassified and published last week , the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against Igor Danchenko , the primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele , in 2009 .
Danchenko , a Russia analyst , had contact in 2005 and 2006 with known Russian intelligence officers , according to the FBI memo .
The FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane team learned of the investigation of Danchenko in December 2016 , but continued to rely on the dossier for its investigation of the Trump team .
The bureau obtained three additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrants against Carter Page after December 2016 .
According to Graham , the allegation that Danchenko might have been a Russian agent raised the likelihood that Russian disinformation was planted in the dossier .
But Graham noted that the bureau did not disclose the investigation of Danchenko to the FISA Court .
Comey said in an interview last week on CNN that he had not read the FBI memo about Danchenko , but that he would review it prior to the Senate hearing .
What did Comey know about Danchenko ’ s FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an FBI supervisory intelligence analyst interviewed Danchenko over the course of three days in January 2017 .
The IG report says that Danchenko ’ s statements raised questions about the reliability of the dossier , yet that assessment was not included in the two FISA warrants sought after the interviews .
Danchenko told investigators that he provided Steele with unverified rumors of Trump and his associates ’ activities .
He said that Steele portrayed some of the information as having been verified when it wasn ’ t .
Despite the red flags about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 to report that parts of the document had been verified .
The FBI did not intervene to correct the narrative .
The IG report is unclear about how far up the chain Danchenko ’ s statements went at the FBI .
Peter Strzok , who served as deputy chief of counterintelligence , oversaw most of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation .
According to the IG report , then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was briefed more frequently on the investigation than was Comey .
Why did Comey fight so hard to use the dossier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spearheaded the effort to include information from the dossier in the ICA , according to the IG report and testimony provided to the Senate .
Former CIA Director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the agency “ pushed back ” aggressively against Comey to try not to include the dossier in the ICA .
A CIA analyst told the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017 that CIA and FBI had a “ bitter argument ” over whether to put the dossier in the ICA , according to a Senate report .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed relying on the dossier because it read like “ Internet rumor.
” Comey , McCabe and others at the FBI initially wanted details from the document placed in the body of the report , but eventually settled on using it as a two-page annex to the full ICA .
By the time the Obama administration released the ICA on Jan. 7 , 2017 , the FBI had several pieces of evidence that raised questions about the dossier .
Investigators had not only learned about the prior investigation of Danchenko , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Priestap and Peter Strzok , had spoken with several of Steele ’ s former colleagues in the United Kingdom who raised questions about the ex-spy ’ s judgement .
Steele had also cast doubt in an interview with the FBI in early October 2016 about one of the alleged sources for the dossier .
According to the IG report , Steele told the FBI that the source was a “ boaster ” and “ egoist.
” The FBI had also ended its relationship with Steele on Nov. 1 , 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureau to a reporter who published a story about allegations in the dossier .
It is unclear which of those details Comey knew of when he pushed to include dossier information in the ICA .
Why did Comey use briefings for Trump and Flynn to collect evidence for Crossfire Hurricane ?
According to IG reports , Comey and other FBI officials used briefings provided to Donald Trump and Michael Flynn to collect evidence for the Crossfire Hurricane probe .
The IG report says that FBI leaders approved using FBI agent Joseph Pientka to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then-candidate Trump and Flynn in mid-August 2016 .
The report says that the FBI wanted to assess Flynn ’ s demeanor as part of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation .
Comey also used a briefing he gave to Trump on Jan. 6 , 2017 to collect evidence for the counterintelligence probe , according to IG report released in August 2019 .
Comey briefed Trump about the Steele dossier ’ s unverfied allegation that the Kremlin had video of Trump with prostitutes in Moscow in 2013 .
Comey told the House Oversight Committee in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to “ alter the incoming President ” that the allegation was likely to be reported in the media and that Trump should be aware of it beforehand .
But according to the IG report , Comey used the briefing for a different reason .
FBI officials decided that Comey would document “ salient details ” of his conversation with Trump .
Comey also directed investigators to include a memo he wrote after the meeting because it was “ central to investigative activity.
” Comey has not publicly addressed his inconsistent statements about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Would Comey sign still sign FISA warrants against Carter Page ?
The Justice Department in January 2020 invalidated two of the four FISA orders granted against Carter Page because of the FBI ’ s numerous errors .
Comey signed three of the four FISA warrants , including one that the DOJ has invalidated .
Other signees of warrants — former Deputy Attorneys General Rod Rosenstein and Sally Yates — have both said that they would not have signed the warrants in light of the revelations about the Steele dossier .
Comey has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the warrants , though he will likely have the opportunity to weigh in on Wednesday .
What did Comey know about possible disinformation in the Steele dossier ?
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence in January and February 2017 that Russian intelligence operatives may have fed disinformation to Steele , a former MI6 officer .
The report said that Steele ’ s allegations that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen met with Kremlin officials , and that the Russian government had blackmail material on Donald Trump , may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go into detail about the FBI ’ s assessment regarding disinformation .
It is unclear who all at the FBI was aware of the possibility that disinformation was fed to Steele .
Comey does not appear to have updated Trump about the possibility of Russian disinformation being fed to Steele .
When did FBI learn that allegations about Michael Cohen were inaccurate ?
The FBI reportedly knew by mid-2017 that the dossier ’ s most specific allegation of Trump-Russia collusion was false , but did not communicate that information to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump lawyer Michael Cohen visited Prague in August 2016 to meet with Kremlin insiders to discuss paying hackers .
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence on Jan. 12 , 2017 , that the allegations about Cohen might have been Russian disinformation .
It is unclear exactly how the FBI determined that the Cohen allegation was false .
What are Comey ’ s thoughts on statements by FBI Special Agent William Barnett , who questioned the basis of the Flynn investigation ?
William Barnett , the FBI ’ s lead agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney Jeffrey Jensen earlier this month that the predicate of the Flynn investigation was “ not great.
” Barnett ’ s internal FBI messages show that FBI officials planned to shut down the Flynn portion of Crossfire Hurricane as early as Nov. 8 , 2016 .
Barnett told a colleague that he was “ glad ” that the investigation was coming to an end .
But Barnett ’ s celebration was premature , as the FBI kept the investigation open .
Whose idea was it to investigate Michael Flynn for Logan Act violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jan. 4 , 2017 to shut down its open counterintelligence investigation against Flynn .
But the bureau kept the probe open after receiving a transcript of Flynn ’ s phone call on Dec. 29 , 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
FBI documents and other testimony show that the bureau began investigating whether Flynn violated the Logan Act during his calls with Kislyak , in which they discussed the U.S. ’ s expulsions of Russian diplomats over election hacking .
The Logan Act has never been successfully prosecuted in U.S. history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the FBI used the law to justify keeping open its investigation of Flynn and conducting the White House interview that led to charges against him .
What does Comey believe are the appropriate punishments for FISA abuse at the FBI ?
Prior to the release of the IG report , Comey adamantly denied that the FBI did anything wrong in the Crossfire Hurricane probe or in its pursuit of FISAs against Carter Page .
He was forced to revise the statement after the IG report came out .
Comey accepted responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ sloppiness ” rather than something more nefarious .
“ I was overconfident in the procedures that the FBI and Justice had built over 20 years .
I thought they were robust enough , ” Comey said in an interview on Fox News on Dec. 15 , 2019 .
Comey has not said what the appropriate punishment should be , if any , for all of the FBI ’ s omissions and errors in the Crossfire Hurricane probe .
The inspector general referred FBI personnel discussed in the report to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OPR ) for an internal investigation .
Several of the FBI officials who worked on Crossfire Hurricane have been fired ( Comey , McCabe and Strzok ) , but not over the abuses during the FISA process .
Only one Crossfire Hurricane team member , Kevin Clinesmith , has faced any repercussions specifically related to their activities on the investigation .
Clinesmith , who was a lawyer in the FBI ’ s national security branch , pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to making false statements by altering a June 2017 email from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ not a ‘ source ’ ” for the spy agency .
Page had been an operational contact for the CIA through at least 2013 .
Republicans have called for more prosecutions of the Crossfire Hurricane team members .
The FBI has not released details on the status of its OPR investigations .

Much has been learned about the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe since former FBI Director James Comey last appeared before Congress.
Multiple reports have undercut the FBI’s initial theory that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
Documents have also shred the reliability of the Steele dossier.
Comey will be grilled about some of those findings during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his role in Crossfire Hurricane, the investigation of the Trump campaign.
Much has been learned about the probe since Comey last appeared on Capitol Hill. His last public testimony was on June 7, 2017, before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He appeared for closed-door depositions in the House in December 2018.
Since then, the special counsel has released a report finding that there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election, which was the initial focus of the Crossfire Hurricane inquiry.
The Justice Department inspector general has also released a report saying that the FBI under Comey’s direction made “significant” errors and omissions in applications for surveillance warrants against Carter Page.
A slew of declassified documents has also called into question certain aspects of the investigation, many dealing with the bureau’s handling of the Steele dossier.
Comey, who was fired as FBI chief on May 9, 2017, is likely to be grilled Wednesday about his decisions during the Trump-Russia probe regarding the Steele dossier and an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Comey is also likely to face questions about his lobbying effort to include portions of the dossier in an Obama administration Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) regarding Russia’s election meddling efforts.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Judiciary panel, has said that he will quiz Comey about the FBI’s knowledge of problems with the dossier, which the FBI cited extensively in applications to get surveillance warrants against Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Here are 10 questions that Comey could face during the hearing.
What did Comey know about the Steele dossier’s primary source, Igor Danchenko?
According to an FBI memo declassified and published last week, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against Igor Danchenko, the primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele, in 2009.
Danchenko, a Russia analyst, had contact in 2005 and 2006 with known Russian intelligence officers, according to the FBI memo.
Graham, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, called the revelation “stunning.”
The FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane team learned of the investigation of Danchenko in December 2016, but continued to rely on the dossier for its investigation of the Trump team. The bureau obtained three additional Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Carter Page after December 2016.
According to Graham, the allegation that Danchenko might have been a Russian agent raised the likelihood that Russian disinformation was planted in the dossier. But Graham noted that the bureau did not disclose the investigation of Danchenko to the FISA Court.
Comey said in an interview last week on CNN that he had not read the FBI memo about Danchenko, but that he would review it prior to the Senate hearing.
What did Comey know about Danchenko’s FBI interviews?
An FBI special agent and an FBI supervisory intelligence analyst interviewed Danchenko over the course of three days in January 2017.
The IG report says that Danchenko’s statements raised questions about the reliability of the dossier, yet that assessment was not included in the two FISA warrants sought after the interviews.
Danchenko told investigators that he provided Steele with unverified rumors of Trump and his associates’ activities. He said that Steele portrayed some of the information as having been verified when it wasn’t.
Despite the red flags about the dossier, news outlets continued through 2017 to report that parts of the document had been verified. The FBI did not intervene to correct the narrative.
The IG report is unclear about how far up the chain Danchenko’s statements went at the FBI.
Peter Strzok, who served as deputy chief of counterintelligence, oversaw most of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. According to the IG report, then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was briefed more frequently on the investigation than was Comey.
Why did Comey fight so hard to use the dossier in the ICA?
Comey and McCabe spearheaded the effort to include information from the dossier in the ICA, according to the IG report and testimony provided to the Senate.
Former CIA Director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the agency “pushed back” aggressively against Comey to try not to include the dossier in the ICA.
A CIA analyst told the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017 that CIA and FBI had a “bitter argument” over whether to put the dossier in the ICA, according to a Senate report.
The IG report said that one CIA analyst opposed relying on the dossier because it read like “Internet rumor.”
Comey, McCabe and others at the FBI initially wanted details from the document placed in the body of the report, but eventually settled on using it as a two-page annex to the full ICA.
By the time the Obama administration released the ICA on Jan. 7, 2017, the FBI had several pieces of evidence that raised questions about the dossier.
Investigators had not only learned about the prior investigation of Danchenko, but the FBI’s two top counterintelligence officials, Bill Priestap and Peter Strzok, had spoken with several of Steele’s former colleagues in the United Kingdom who raised questions about the ex-spy’s judgement.
Steele had also cast doubt in an interview with the FBI in early October 2016 about one of the alleged sources for the dossier. According to the IG report, Steele told the FBI that the source was a “boaster” and “egoist.”
The FBI had also ended its relationship with Steele on Nov. 1, 2016, after he revealed his relationship to the bureau to a reporter who published a story about allegations in the dossier.
It is unclear which of those details Comey knew of when he pushed to include dossier information in the ICA.
Why did Comey use briefings for Trump and Flynn to collect evidence for Crossfire Hurricane?
According to IG reports, Comey and other FBI officials used briefings provided to Donald Trump and Michael Flynn to collect evidence for the Crossfire Hurricane probe.
The IG report says that FBI leaders approved using FBI agent Joseph Pientka to collect evidence during a defensive briefing for then-candidate Trump and Flynn in mid-August 2016. The report says that the FBI wanted to assess Flynn’s demeanor as part of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
Comey also used a briefing he gave to Trump on Jan. 6, 2017 to collect evidence for the counterintelligence probe, according to IG report released in August 2019.
Comey briefed Trump about the Steele dossier’s unverfied allegation that the Kremlin had video of Trump with prostitutes in Moscow in 2013.
Comey told the House Oversight Committee in December 2018 that the purpose of the briefing was to “alter the incoming President” that the allegation was likely to be reported in the media and that Trump should be aware of it beforehand.
But according to the IG report, Comey used the briefing for a different reason.
FBI officials decided that Comey would document “salient details” of his conversation with Trump. Comey also directed investigators to include a memo he wrote after the meeting because it was “central to investigative activity.”
Comey has not publicly addressed his inconsistent statements about the purpose of the Trump briefing.
Would Comey sign still sign FISA warrants against Carter Page?
The Justice Department in January 2020 invalidated two of the four FISA orders granted against Carter Page because of the FBI’s numerous errors.
Comey signed three of the four FISA warrants, including one that the DOJ has invalidated. Other signees of warrants — former Deputy Attorneys General Rod Rosenstein and Sally Yates — have both said that they would not have signed the warrants in light of the revelations about the Steele dossier.
Comey has not said whether he would still sign off on the warrants, though he will likely have the opportunity to weigh in on Wednesday.
What did Comey know about possible disinformation in the Steele dossier?
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence in January and February 2017 that Russian intelligence operatives may have fed disinformation to Steele, a former MI6 officer.
The report said that Steele’s allegations that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen met with Kremlin officials, and that the Russian government had blackmail material on Donald Trump, may have been Russian disinformation.
The IG report does not go into detail about the FBI’s assessment regarding disinformation. It is unclear who all at the FBI was aware of the possibility that disinformation was fed to Steele.
Comey does not appear to have updated Trump about the possibility of Russian disinformation being fed to Steele.
When did FBI learn that allegations about Michael Cohen were inaccurate?
The FBI reportedly knew by mid-2017 that the dossier’s most specific allegation of Trump-Russia collusion was false, but did not communicate that information to the public or Congress.
Steele alleged that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen visited Prague in August 2016 to meet with Kremlin insiders to discuss paying hackers.
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence on Jan. 12, 2017, that the allegations about Cohen might have been Russian disinformation.
It is unclear exactly how the FBI determined that the Cohen allegation was false.
What are Comey’s thoughts on statements by FBI Special Agent William Barnett, who questioned the basis of the Flynn investigation?
William Barnett, the FBI’s lead agent on the Flynn probe, told U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Jensen earlier this month that the predicate of the Flynn investigation was “not great.”
Barnett’s internal FBI messages show that FBI officials planned to shut down the Flynn portion of Crossfire Hurricane as early as Nov. 8, 2016. Barnett told a colleague that he was “glad” that the investigation was coming to an end. But Barnett’s celebration was premature, as the FBI kept the investigation open.
Whose idea was it to investigate Michael Flynn for Logan Act violations?
The FBI was poised again as of Jan. 4, 2017 to shut down its open counterintelligence investigation against Flynn. But the bureau kept the probe open after receiving a transcript of Flynn’s phone call on Dec. 29, 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
FBI documents and other testimony show that the bureau began investigating whether Flynn violated the Logan Act during his calls with Kislyak, in which they discussed the U.S.’s expulsions of Russian diplomats over election hacking.
The Logan Act has never been successfully prosecuted in U.S. history. Flynn’s defenders have claimed that the FBI used the law to justify keeping open its investigation of Flynn and conducting the White House interview that led to charges against him.
What does Comey believe are the appropriate punishments for FISA abuse at the FBI?
Prior to the release of the IG report, Comey adamantly denied that the FBI did anything wrong in the Crossfire Hurricane probe or in its pursuit of FISAs against Carter Page.
He was forced to revise the statement after the IG report came out.
Comey accepted responsibility for the failures, but chalked them up to “sloppiness” rather than something more nefarious.
“I was overconfident in the procedures that the FBI and Justice had built over 20 years. I thought they were robust enough,” Comey said in an interview on Fox News on Dec. 15, 2019.
Comey has not said what the appropriate punishment should be, if any, for all of the FBI’s omissions and errors in the Crossfire Hurricane probe.
The inspector general referred FBI personnel discussed in the report to the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) for an internal investigation.
Several of the FBI officials who worked on Crossfire Hurricane have been fired (Comey, McCabe and Strzok), but not over the abuses during the FISA process.
Only one Crossfire Hurricane team member, Kevin Clinesmith, has faced any repercussions specifically related to their activities on the investigation.
Clinesmith, who was a lawyer in the FBI’s national security branch, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to making false statements by altering a June 2017 email from a CIA analyst to say that Carter Page was “not a ‘source’” for the spy agency.
Page had been an operational contact for the CIA through at least 2013.
Republicans have called for more prosecutions of the Crossfire Hurricane team members. The FBI has not released details on the status of its OPR investigations.


truepundit--2020-09-30--DOJ Lawyer Who Signed Carter Page Spy Warrants Now Regrets Doing So

The Justice Department attorney who signed the four surveillance warrant applications against Carter Page says they would not have done had they known of the information withheld by the FBI , according to a letter sent to the Senate this month .
Sen. Lindsey Graham read portions of the letter at the beginning of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday .
The attorney , who works in the Justice Department ’ s Office of Intelligence ( OI ) , is not identified in the letter .
The attorney signed all four of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrants granted against Page .
Stephen Boyd , the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs , sent the document to Graham on Sept. 16 .
“ The OI attorney advises that had he/she been aware of the significant errors and omissions identified by the OIG and the errors in the Woods process , he/she would not have signed the filed Page FISA applications , ” reads the letter , obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation .
A Justice Department inspector general ’ s ( IG ) report said that the FBI made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in applications to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrants against Carter Page .
The IG report said that FBI investigators withheld evidence that undermined the credibility of the Steele dossier , which the bureau cited extensively in its FISA applications .
Comey signed FISA applications granted against Page in October 2016 and January 2017 .
Two other signees — former Deputy Attorney Generals Rod Rosenstein and Sally Yates — previously testified that they would not have signed the FISA warrants if they had known about the FBI ’ s @ @ @ @ @

The Justice Department attorney who signed the four surveillance warrant applications against Carter Page says they would not have done had they known of the information withheld by the FBI, according to a letter sent to the Senate this month.
Sen. Lindsey Graham read portions of the letter at the beginning of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday.
The attorney, who works in the Justice Department’s Office of Intelligence (OI), is not identified in the letter. The attorney signed all four of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants granted against Page.
Stephen Boyd, the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, sent the document to Graham on Sept. 16.
“The OI attorney advises that had he/she been aware of the significant errors and omissions identified by the OIG and the errors in the Woods process, he/she would not have signed the filed Page FISA applications,” reads the letter, obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
A Justice Department inspector general’s (IG) report said that the FBI made 17 “significant” errors and omissions in applications to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Carter Page.
The IG report said that FBI investigators withheld evidence that undermined the credibility of the Steele dossier, which the bureau cited extensively in its FISA applications.
Comey signed FISA applications granted against Page in October 2016 and January 2017.
Two other signees — former Deputy Attorney Generals Rod Rosenstein and Sally Yates — previously testified that they would not have signed the FISA warrants if they had known about the FBI’s omissions at the time.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Kamala Harris Dodges Court Packing Question Following Debate (VIDEO)

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris dodged questions about whether or not her party would seek to add Supreme Court justices if Republicans were to confirm a justice before the November election .
“ There should be consideration to adding seats to the U.S. Supreme Court , ” CNN ’ s Jake Tapper said following the first presidential debate on Tuesday .
“ Neither you nor Joe Biden are willing to give a straight answer as to whether or not you ’ re willing to entertain that idea.
” Harris responded : “ We are 35 days away from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election of our lifetime and our children ’ s lifetime , and there is nothing about these next 35 days that Joe or I will take for granted , and so the focus right now is on reminding people that we have this election that it is very much in play.
” At the end of the segment , Tapper said , “ I will respectfully note you also declined to answer that question with me.
” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden avoided the question on the issue of court packing during Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position I take , that will be the issue , ” Biden said to a question on adding justices .
“ I ’ m not going to answer that question because , ” Biden said before he was cut off by President Donald Trump .
In another interview following the debate , Harris told CBS News ’ John Dickerson that Biden ’ s answer was clear .
Dickerson called Biden ’ s answer to the Supreme Court question a “ straight-up dodge ” in an interview with Harris , asking why Biden “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to do , what he thinks should happen ?
” “ He is very clear , John , which is that he is very focused as we all should be on the next 35 days , ” Harris said .
Trump selected Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to replace former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died Sept. 18 , and the Senate Republicans promised to hold a vote on her nomination , according to CNN .

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris dodged questions about whether or not her party would seek to add Supreme Court justices if Republicans were to confirm a justice before the November election.
“There should be consideration to adding seats to the U.S. Supreme Court,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said following the first presidential debate on Tuesday. “Neither you nor Joe Biden are willing to give a straight answer as to whether or not you’re willing to entertain that idea.”
Harris responded: “We are 35 days away from an election that is probably the most important election of our lifetime and our children’s lifetime, and there is nothing about these next 35 days that Joe or I will take for granted, and so the focus right now is on reminding people that we have this election that it is very much in play.”
At the end of the segment, Tapper said, “I will respectfully note you also declined to answer that question with me.”
Kamala Harris for the second time tonight refuses to directly answer a question about court-packing. She did not close the door on it, noting they can deal with it “later.” Tapper notes at the end that Harris dodged again. pic.twitter.com/0hCStWKZ4y — Joe Gierut (@Joe_Gierut) September 30, 2020
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden avoided the question on the issue of court packing during Tuesday’s debate. “Whatever the position I take, that will be the issue,” Biden said to a question on adding justices. “I’m not going to answer that question because,” Biden said before he was cut off by President Donald Trump.
Joe Biden is asked if he would expand the size of the Supreme Court: “Whatever the position I take, that will be the issue.” pic.twitter.com/ZVKl2HYsrm — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 30, 2020
In another interview following the debate, Harris told CBS News’ John Dickerson that Biden’s answer was clear.
Dickerson called Biden’s answer to the Supreme Court question a “straight-up dodge” in an interview with Harris, asking why Biden “won’t talk about what he wants to do, what he thinks should happen?”
“He is very clear, John, which is that he is very focused as we all should be on the next 35 days,” Harris said.
Trump selected Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to replace former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18, and the Senate Republicans promised to hold a vote on her nomination, according to CNN.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Military Jet Collides With Aircraft While Refueling And Crashes

A U.S. military jet crashed after colliding with an aircraft while refueling Tuesday in California , the Marine Corps announced @ @ @ @ @ jet collided with a KC-130J tanker during an air-to-air refueling operation and crashed at approximately @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Nine people were @ @ @ @ @ reported safe , according to the Marine Corps .
“ The pilot of the F-35B @ @ @ @ @ being treated , ” a Marine Corps spokesman told the DCNF in the statement .
@ @ @ @ @ and co-pilot ejected out of the aircraft before crashing in Thermal , California , the @ @ @ @ @ , according to Fox News .
“ The official cause of the crash is currently @ @ @ @ @ military spokesperson said in the statement .
“ Updates will be provided as information becomes @ @ @ @ @ said .

A U.S. military jet crashed after colliding with an aircraft while refueling Tuesday in California, the Marine Corps announced.
The Marine Corps F-35B jet collided with a KC-130J tanker during an air-to-air refueling operation and crashed at approximately 4 p.m., the military said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Nine people were on the tanker and were reported safe, according to the Marine Corps.
“The pilot of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated,” a Marine Corps spokesman told the DCNF in the statement.
The F-35’s pilot and co-pilot ejected out of the aircraft before crashing in Thermal, California, the emergency dispatch radio personnel reported, according to Fox News.
Nine people are safe after a military cargo plane clipped a fighter plane mid-air above Thermal Tuesday afternoon. https://t.co/4NbkTcX07H — KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) September 30, 2020
#BREAKING A plane made an emergency landing in a farm field in Thermal just East if the airport. Early reports of 8 on board. It reportedly clipped another plane mid-air. We are live in scene wirh the early details. @KESQ pic.twitter.com/b4rDWJgoat — Jake Ingrassia (@JakeKESQ) September 30, 2020
“The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation,” the military spokesperson said in the statement. “Updates will be provided as information becomes available,” the spokesperson said.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Adidas Touts Donations To Minnesota Freedom Fund, Which Bailed Out Convicted Domestic Abusers, Man A

Adidas Touts Donations To Minnesota Freedom Fund, Which Bailed Out Convicted Domestic Abusers, Man Accused Of Sexually Penetrating Child

Athletic apparel giant Adidas is still touting its donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund , which bailed out a lengthy list of alleged violent criminals , including multiple convicted domestic abusers and a man accused of sexually penetrating a child .
Adidas ran a Twitter advertisement Tuesday that linked to a page on its website showcasing Adidas ’ s efforts to create “ meaningful and lasting change ” on the issue of racial justice , which includes matching employee donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund by 200 % .
“ We are matching employee donations by 200 % through DEED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support nonprofit organizations driving racial justice and human rights for underrepresented communities , ” reads the page .
“ This currently benefits the NAACP , the National Urban League , Campaign Zero , ACLU , The Innocence Project , Transgender Law Center and the Minnesota Freedom Fund , ” it states .
Adidas last updated the page on Sept. 9 , according to its website .
The Minnesota Freedom Fund helped bail out a man accused of sexually penetrating an eight-year-old child in July , court records reviewed by the Daily Caller News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped free from jail six men accused of domestic violence between July and August , according to court records reviewed by the DCNF .
All but one of those men had previously been convicted of domestic violence , court records show .
The athletic apparel company isn ’ t the only large name to support the Minnesota Freedom Fund , which also received donations from a long list of celebrities .
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris also promoted the bail fund to her followers on Twitter following the May 25 death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 13 staffers working for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign donated to the bail fund in the first week following Floyd ’ s death , Reuters reported .

Athletic apparel giant Adidas is still touting its donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which bailed out a lengthy list of alleged violent criminals, including multiple convicted domestic abusers and a man accused of sexually penetrating a child.
Adidas ran a Twitter advertisement Tuesday that linked to a page on its website showcasing Adidas’s efforts to create “meaningful and lasting change” on the issue of racial justice, which includes matching employee donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund by 200%.
“We are matching employee donations by 200% through DEED, our online donation platform, to support nonprofit organizations driving racial justice and human rights for underrepresented communities,” reads the page.
“This currently benefits the NAACP, the National Urban League, Campaign Zero, ACLU, The Innocence Project, Transgender Law Center and the Minnesota Freedom Fund,” it states.
Adidas last updated the page on Sept. 9, according to its website.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund helped bail out a man accused of sexually penetrating an eight-year-old child in July, court records reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.
The bail fund also helped free from jail six men accused of domestic violence between July and August, according to court records reviewed by the DCNF. All but one of those men had previously been convicted of domestic violence, court records show.
Adidas didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.
The athletic apparel company isn’t the only large name to support the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which also received donations from a long list of celebrities.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris also promoted the bail fund to her followers on Twitter following the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody.
At least 13 staffers working for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign donated to the bail fund in the first week following Floyd’s death, Reuters reported.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Trump Says Biden Has ‘Treated The Black Community About As Bad As Anybody’

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden has “ treated the black community about as bad as anybody.
” Trump responded to a question from moderator Chris Wallace at the first one-on-one presidential debate where Wallace asked : “ Why should Americans trust you over your opponent to deal with racism ?
” “ You did a crime bill , 1994 , when you called them super predators , African-Americans , super predators , and they have never forgotten it , ” Trump told Biden .
“ They ’ ve never forgotten it.
” The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 1998 speech when Biden said , referring to juveniles arrested for violent crimes : “ There ’ s about 100,000 of them , if you want to be rhetorically extreme about it , who are the predators .
There are 100,000 real bad apples out there , 100,000 of the kids you read about in the front page of the newspaper every day.
” “ You have treated the black community about as bad as anybody in this country , ” Trump said in the debate Tuesday .
“ And that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls , I ’ m doing better than any Republican has done in a long time because they saw what you did .
You call them super predators and you ’ ve called them worse than that because you look back at your testimony over the years — you ’ ve called them a lot worse than that.
” Trump boasted that he has the support of military leaders and generals and law enforcement .
“ I have Florida , I have Texas , I have Ohio , I have everybody , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think you have any law enforcement .
You can ’ t even say the word law enforcement because if you say those words , you ’ re going to lose all of your radical left supporters .
And why aren ’ t you saying those words , Joe ?
Why don ’ t you say the words law enforcement ?
” Biden promised that if elected president he would assemble civil rights leaders to address issues of racism .
“ What I ’ m going to do as president of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people at the White House , everything from the civil rights groups to the police officers and the police chiefs and we are going to work this out .
We are going to work this out so we change the way in which we have more transparency and when these things happen , these cops aren ’ t happy to see what happened to George Floyd , ” a black man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
“ These cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened to Breonna Taylor .
Most don ’ t like it , but we have to have a system where people are held accountable .
And by the way , violence and response is never appropriate .
Never appropriate .
Peaceful protest is .
Violence is never appropriate , ” Biden said .

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden has “treated the black community about as bad as anybody.”
Trump responded to a question from moderator Chris Wallace at the first one-on-one presidential debate where Wallace asked: “Why should Americans trust you over your opponent to deal with racism?”
“You did a crime bill, 1994, when you called them super predators, African-Americans, super predators, and they have never forgotten it,” Trump told Biden. “They’ve never forgotten it.”
The president’s comment appears to refer to a 1998 speech when Biden said, referring to juveniles arrested for violent crimes: “There’s about 100,000 of them, if you want to be rhetorically extreme about it, who are the predators. There are 100,000 real bad apples out there, 100,000 of the kids you read about in the front page of the newspaper every day.”
“You have treated the black community about as bad as anybody in this country,” Trump said in the debate Tuesday. “And that’s why when you look at the polls, I’m doing better than any Republican has done in a long time because they saw what you did. You call them super predators and you’ve called them worse than that because you look back at your testimony over the years — you’ve called them a lot worse than that.”
Trump boasted that he has the support of military leaders and generals and law enforcement.
“I have Florida, I have Texas, I have Ohio, I have everybody,” Trump said. “I don’t think you have any law enforcement. You can’t even say the word law enforcement because if you say those words, you’re going to lose all of your radical left supporters. And why aren’t you saying those words, Joe? Why don’t you say the words law enforcement?”
Biden promised that if elected president he would assemble civil rights leaders to address issues of racism.
“What I’m going to do as president of the United States is called together an entire group of people at the White House, everything from the civil rights groups to the police officers and the police chiefs and we are going to work this out. We are going to work this out so we change the way in which we have more transparency and when these things happen, these cops aren’t happy to see what happened to George Floyd,” a black man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
“These cops aren’t happy to see what happened to Breonna Taylor. Most don’t like it, but we have to have a system where people are held accountable. And by the way, violence and response is never appropriate. Never appropriate. Peaceful protest is. Violence is never appropriate,” Biden said.


truepundit--2020-09-30--‘Nobody Will Show Up’: Trump Gets Chris Wallace To Laugh With Jab At Biden’s Crowd Sizes

President Donald Trump told 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden that “ nobody will show up ” to Biden ’ s rallies , prompting a chuckle from moderator Chris Wallace .
The two presidential candidates discussed the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday in Cleveland , Ohio at their first one-on-one debate in the presidential election .
“ I want to ask about one last subject because your different approach has even affected the way that you have campaigned , ” Wallace said .
“ President Trump , you are holding large rallies with crowds packed together , thousands of people outside.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much smaller events , ” he continued , before Trump interrupted him to say , “ Because nobody would show up .
It ’ s true , nobody shows up to his rallies.
” “ All right , ” Wallace responded , laughing , “ in any case , you ’ re holding the big rallies , why ’ re you not ?
You go first , sir.
” Trump told Wallace he is holding big rallies because “ people want to hear what I have to say.
” “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35,000 people show up at airports , we use airports , ” he continued .
“ So far we have had no problem whatsoever .
It ’ s outside , that ’ s a big difference according to the experts .
We do them outside , we have tremendous crowds , as you see .
I mean , literally on 24 hours notice .
And Joe does the circles and has three people some places.
” Biden chimed in to say : “ By the way , did you see one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter came up to him to ask them a question and he said no , no , stand back , put on a mask , have you been tested ?
I ’ m way far away from those other people .
That ’ s what he said .
I ’ m going to be okay .
He ’ s not worried about you .
He ’ s not worried about the people on their breathing on them.
” Trump insisted that there has been “ no negative effect.
” “ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks , ” Biden said .
“ Basically encouraging them not to .
And he ’ s a fool on this .
”

President Donald Trump told 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden that “nobody will show up” to Biden’s rallies, prompting a chuckle from moderator Chris Wallace.
The two presidential candidates discussed the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio at their first one-on-one debate in the presidential election.
“I want to ask about one last subject because your different approach has even affected the way that you have campaigned,” Wallace said. “President Trump, you are holding large rallies with crowds packed together, thousands of people outside.”
“Vice President Biden, you are holding much smaller events,” he continued, before Trump interrupted him to say, “Because nobody would show up. It’s true, nobody shows up to his rallies.”
“All right,” Wallace responded, laughing, “in any case, you’re holding the big rallies, why’re you not? You go first, sir.”
Trump told Wallace he is holding big rallies because “people want to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m the president and I have 25,000, 35,000 people show up at airports, we use airports,” he continued. “So far we have had no problem whatsoever. It’s outside, that’s a big difference according to the experts. We do them outside, we have tremendous crowds, as you see. I mean, literally on 24 hours notice. And Joe does the circles and has three people some places.”
Biden chimed in to say: “By the way, did you see one of the last big rallies he has? A reporter came up to him to ask them a question and he said no, no, stand back, put on a mask, have you been tested? I’m way far away from those other people. That’s what he said. I’m going to be okay. He’s not worried about you. He’s not worried about the people on their breathing on them.”
Trump insisted that there has been “no negative effect.”
“He’s been totally responsible in the way he has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks,” Biden said. “Basically encouraging them not to. And he’s a fool on this.”


truepundit--2020-09-30--‘Disappointing’: Mueller Defends Trump Probe Against Criticism From One Of His Own Prosecutors

In a rare public statement issued Tuesday , former Special Counsel Robert Mueller defended his investigation of President Donald Trump against criticism from one of his top prosecutors , Andrew Weissmann .
In a book released Tuesday , Weissmann alleged that the special counsel ’ s team was not aggressive enough in its investigation of Trump .
Weissmann asserted that investigators should have pursued the president ’ s tax returns and looked deeper into his business activities from before he took office .
Weissmann , who led the investigation into Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort , also thought that Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsuccessful bid to interview Trump .
“ It is not surprising that members of the Special Counsel ’ s Office did not always agree , but it is disappointing to hear criticism of our team based on incomplete information , ” Mueller said in a statement reported by The Washington Post .
“ I did so as I have always done , without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences .
I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation.
” Mueller , who was director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the bureau , also took responsibility for all of the decisions made in the Trump investigation .
“ When important decisions had to be made , I made them , ” he said .
Weissmann laid most of the blame for the investigation ’ s alleged missteps at the feet of Aaron Zebley , a longtime Mueller ally who oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Trump probe .
Weissmann accused Zebley of blocking several paths of the investigation .
“ Repeatedly during our twenty-two months in operation , we would reach some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have Aaron say that we could not take a particular action because it risked aggravating the president beyond some undefined breaking point , ” Weissmann wrote in his book .
He also called Mueller ’ s report “ mealymouthed ” on the issue of whether President Trump tried to obstruct the FBI and special counsel ’ s investigation .
Weissmann , who joined MSNBC as a legal analyst last year , was one of the special counsel team ’ s most partisan prosecutors .
Campaign finance records show he contributed solely to Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton ’ s election night party in New York in November 2016 , and planned this June to host a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden .

In a rare public statement issued Tuesday, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller defended his investigation of President Donald Trump against criticism from one of his top prosecutors, Andrew Weissmann.
In a book released Tuesday, Weissmann alleged that the special counsel’s team was not aggressive enough in its investigation of Trump. Weissmann asserted that investigators should have pursued the president’s tax returns and looked deeper into his business activities from before he took office.
Weissmann, who led the investigation into Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, also thought that Mueller’s team pulled punches in an unsuccessful bid to interview Trump.
“It is not surprising that members of the Special Counsel’s Office did not always agree, but it is disappointing to hear criticism of our team based on incomplete information,” Mueller said in a statement reported by The Washington Post.
“I did so as I have always done, without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences. I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation.”
Mueller, who was director of the FBI when Weissmann was general counsel at the bureau, also took responsibility for all of the decisions made in the Trump investigation.
“When important decisions had to be made, I made them,” he said.
Weissmann laid most of the blame for the investigation’s alleged missteps at the feet of Aaron Zebley, a longtime Mueller ally who oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Trump probe.
Weissmann accused Zebley of blocking several paths of the investigation.
“Repeatedly during our twenty-two months in operation, we would reach some critical juncture in our investigation only to have Aaron say that we could not take a particular action because it risked aggravating the president beyond some undefined breaking point,” Weissmann wrote in his book.
He also called Mueller’s report “mealymouthed” on the issue of whether President Trump tried to obstruct the FBI and special counsel’s investigation.
Weissmann, who joined MSNBC as a legal analyst last year, was one of the special counsel team’s most partisan prosecutors. Campaign finance records show he contributed solely to Democratic political campaigns. He also reportedly attended Hillary Clinton’s election night party in New York in November 2016, and planned this June to host a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Police Departments Across The Country Report 911 Outages

The outages affected local police departments including in Arizona , Minnesota and Pennsylvania , Fox News reported .
Local police @ @ @ @ @ media platforms like Twitter to alert residents to the outages .
The Minneapolis Police Department @ @ @ @ @ dial an alternate emergency phone number in place of 911 if they were in “ @ @ @ @ @ or emergency medical assistance.
” The Delaware State Police reported a “ state-wide interruption in @ @ @ @ @ centers , Fox News reported .
However , the emergency call outages were typically resolved @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Departments such as Upper Darby Police in Pennsylvania posted on Twitter once their @ @ @ @ @ restored .
Monday ’ s outages coincided with Microsoft outages the same night , according @ @ @ @ @ ’ s cloud computing platform , Microsoft Azure , alerted users of performance errors on @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft said there is ‘ no indication ’ that the two outages were related , @ @ @ @

Police departments reported a nationwide outage of emergency 911 dispatch calls on Monday night.
The outages affected local police departments including in Arizona, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, Fox News reported. Local police departments posted information on social media platforms like Twitter to alert residents to the outages.
The Minneapolis Police Department instructed residents via Twitter to dial an alternate emergency phone number in place of 911 if they were in “need of police, fire or emergency medical assistance.”
The Delaware State Police reported a “state-wide interruption in service” within their dispatch centers, Fox News reported.
However, the emergency call outages were typically resolved in 30 minutes, CNN reported. Departments such as Upper Darby Police in Pennsylvania posted on Twitter once their emergency 911 dispatch lines were restored.
Monday’s outages coincided with Microsoft outages the same night, according to CNN. The company’s cloud computing platform, Microsoft Azure, alerted users of performance errors on their service health page.
Microsoft said there is ‘no indication’ that the two outages were related, according to Fox.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Trump Administration Sends Millions Of COVID Tests To States, Urges Them To Reopen Schools

The Trump administration will start to distribute millions of coronavirus tests this week and recommend the governors use them so that schools can reopen , officials announced at the White House Monday .
Adm. Brett Giroir , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , said in a press briefing that the Trump administration will distribute 6.5 million tests this week along with “ continuing support to other priorities , like nursing homes , ” according to a transcript of the event .
Giroir said the governors can decide how to use the tests , but the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that especially need the “ rapid , low tech , point-of-care tests , ” such as K-12 schools .
“ And it ’ s important to remember that as younger and healthier people return to work , and as we massively increase testing capacity , we will identify more cases and asymptomatic individuals in low-risk populations , ” President Donald Trump said at the briefing .
“ This should not cause undue alarm .
The total number of cases is not the full metric of success .
Hospitalization capacity and mortality rates are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ One hundred million rapid point-of-care tests will be given to states and territories to support efforts to reopen their economies and schools immediately and fast as they can , ” Trump said .
The president noted increased testing will lead to more confirmed positive cases .
“ We are relentlessly focused on protecting the vulnerable while enabling healthy Americans to go back to work .
We can do both as Florida , Arizona , and other states have recently shown , ” the president said .
A White House official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The amount of BinaxNOW tests being distributed will allow every teacher in every state to be tested weekly , with additional tests remaining for symptomatic children.
” “ Therefore , a baseline testing strategy in K-12 schools can easily be established .
If teachers and students are regularly tested , then those who do not have COVID can safely and securely return to the classroom , ” the spokesperson said .
One downside to the tests is accuracy , and a positive result requires more thorough laboratory tests to conclude if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press reported .
The new tests get results in up to 15 minutes and are the first that can analyze the data without relying on machines , Trump said .
The president announced that the government will distribute the 150 million tests stockpiled “ very , very soon , ” according to the transcript .

The Trump administration will start to distribute millions of coronavirus tests this week and recommend the governors use them so that schools can reopen, officials announced at the White House Monday.
Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said in a press briefing that the Trump administration will distribute 6.5 million tests this week along with “continuing support to other priorities, like nursing homes,” according to a transcript of the event.
Giroir said the governors can decide how to use the tests, but the administration recommends they use the tests for places that especially need the “rapid, low tech, point-of-care tests,” such as K-12 schools.
“And it’s important to remember that as younger and healthier people return to work, and as we massively increase testing capacity, we will identify more cases and asymptomatic individuals in low-risk populations,” President Donald Trump said at the briefing.
“This should not cause undue alarm. The total number of cases is not the full metric of success. Hospitalization capacity and mortality rates are far more instructive metrics,” Trump said.
“One hundred million rapid point-of-care tests will be given to states and territories to support efforts to reopen their economies and schools immediately and fast as they can,” Trump said.
The president noted increased testing will lead to more confirmed positive cases.
“We are relentlessly focused on protecting the vulnerable while enabling healthy Americans to go back to work. We can do both as Florida, Arizona, and other states have recently shown,” the president said.
A White House official told the Daily Caller News Foundation that “The amount of BinaxNOW tests being distributed will allow every teacher in every state to be tested weekly, with additional tests remaining for symptomatic children.”
“Therefore, a baseline testing strategy in K-12 schools can easily be established. If teachers and students are regularly tested, then those who do not have COVID can safely and securely return to the classroom,” the spokesperson said.
One downside to the tests is accuracy, and a positive result requires more thorough laboratory tests to conclude if it is actually a positive case, The Associated Press reported.
The new tests get results in up to 15 minutes and are the first that can analyze the data without relying on machines, Trump said.
The president announced that the government will distribute the 150 million tests stockpiled “very, very soon,” according to the transcript.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Convicted ISIS Member Resentenced To 30 Years, Says Police Became His ‘Mentors’

A convicted ISIS member that was part of a group that reportedly planned to “ kill boys in blue ” was resentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervision on Monday , according to the Boston Herald .
David Daoud Wright of Everett , Massachusetts , told federal Judge Douglas Woodlock that he was flawed , though he didn ’ t apologize for his actions , the Herald reported .
“ I have learned more about myself in nearly three years incarcerated than I had in almost 30 years of life , ” Wright said , the Herald reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I ’ m still learning things .
… I ’ m an imperfect creature like everybody else in need of perfection from the creator.
” Wright said that officers were “ mentors ” to him and that he considered becoming a “ federal probation officer , ” the Herald reported .
He added that “ snippets from phone calls ” between the terror cell he was a member of conspiring to kill “ boys in blue ” wasn ’ t his “ reality , ” according to the Herald .
Protesters gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boston demanding Wright ’ s freedom , the Herald reported .
Jessica Hedges , Wright ’ s attorney , said he was a “ misfit ” who “ retreated into online world ” of “ fantastical ” thoughts , according to the Herald .
Since Wright is obese , he ’ s concerned about his health if he were to remain in jail amid the coronavirus pandemic , Hedges said , the Herald reported .
Wright was sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction and 25 years for conspiracy , and ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herald reported .
Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Stephanie Siegmann asked that Wright be sentenced to life in prison since he is a “ radicalized ” threat , the Herald reported .
Wright was sentenced to 28 years two years ago , though one count of helping ISIS was overturned by an appeals court .
Wright had an ISIS flag in his prison cell , along with the “ emblem ” of the ISIS morality police , Siegmann said , the Herald reported .
The ISIS morality police are “ the most-feared branch of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He hated the United States and wanted to see police die , ” Siegmann said , the Herald reported .
“ He planned to behead Pam Geller.
” Geller told the court , “ If Daoud Wright ever walks free , no matter how old he may be at that time , I will not be safe , and those whom I love will not be safe , ” according to the Herald .
“ It is impossible to overstate the devastation that Daoud Wright has brought to my life and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only did he target me for a brutal , cruel and violent death , but he targeted also some of my close relatives , and this will never be over , ” Geller added , the Herald reported .
Wright was found guilty of planning to behead Geller and officers , and for his involvement in convincing his uncle to attack officers , the Herald reported .
Wright ’ s uncle , 26-year-old Usaamah Abdullah Rahim brandished a 13-inch knife and was fatally shot by police and federal agents on June 2 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Wright it was time to go after the “ boys in blue , ” according to the Herald .
“ He is not reformed , ” Siegmann said .
“ He is dangerous .
”

A convicted ISIS member that was part of a group that reportedly planned to “kill boys in blue” was resentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervision on Monday, according to the Boston Herald.
David Daoud Wright of Everett, Massachusetts, told federal Judge Douglas Woodlock that he was flawed, though he didn’t apologize for his actions, the Herald reported.
“I have learned more about myself in nearly three years incarcerated than I had in almost 30 years of life,” Wright said, the Herald reported. “What exactly have I learned? I’m still learning things. … I’m an imperfect creature like everybody else in need of perfection from the creator.”
Wright said that officers were “mentors” to him and that he considered becoming a “federal probation officer,” the Herald reported. He added that “snippets from phone calls” between the terror cell he was a member of conspiring to kill “boys in blue” wasn’t his “reality,” according to the Herald.
Protesters gathered at the U.S. District Court in South Boston demanding Wright’s freedom, the Herald reported. Jessica Hedges, Wright’s attorney, said he was a “misfit” who “retreated into [an] online world” of “fantastical” thoughts, according to the Herald.
Since Wright is obese, he’s concerned about his health if he were to remain in jail amid the coronavirus pandemic, Hedges said, the Herald reported.
Wright was sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction and 25 years for conspiracy, and ordered to supervision after his release, the Herald reported.
Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Stephanie Siegmann asked that Wright be sentenced to life in prison since he is a “radicalized” threat, the Herald reported. Wright was sentenced to 28 years two years ago, though one count of helping ISIS was overturned by an appeals court.
Wright had an ISIS flag in his prison cell, along with the “emblem” of the ISIS morality police, Siegmann said, the Herald reported. The ISIS morality police are “the most-feared branch of ISIS,” according to Siegmann.
“He hated the United States and wanted to see police die,” Siegmann said, the Herald reported. “He planned to behead Pam Geller.”
Geller told the court, “If Daoud Wright ever walks free, no matter how old he may be at that time, I will not be safe, and those whom I love will not be safe,” according to the Herald.
“It is impossible to overstate the devastation that Daoud Wright has brought to my life and that of members of my family. Not only did he target me for a brutal, cruel and violent death, but he targeted also some of my close relatives, and this will never be over,” Geller added, the Herald reported.
Wright was found guilty of planning to behead Geller and officers, and for his involvement in convincing his uncle to attack officers, the Herald reported.
Wright’s uncle, 26-year-old Usaamah Abdullah Rahim brandished a 13-inch knife and was fatally shot by police and federal agents on June 2, 2015, the Herald reported.
Rahim told Wright it was time to go after the “boys in blue,” according to the Herald.
“He is not reformed,” Siegmann said. “He is dangerous.”


truepundit--2020-09-30--‘120-Plus Days’: Portland Officer Hospitalized, Gun And Knives Recovered As Riots Continue

Portland rioters allegedly injured a police sergeant , resulting in hospitalization and officers recovered multiple weapons during continued Monday unrest in the city , police said .
Rioters reportedly punched on an officer in the face and sprayed five other cops with a “ chemical irritant ” during riots , which have been ongoing in the city for “ 120-plus days , ” according to a post from the Portland Police Bureau ( PPB ) .
Rioters donned body armor , helmets and shields and engaged in an “ unpermitted march , ” the department wrote .
Law enforcement located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical vehicle and arrested the driver while being pelted with rocks , according to the post .
Officers arrested some with “ press ” markings and media passes that were also carrying an assortment of bladed weapons and pepper spray , the police department wrote .
One rioter ’ s possessions appear to include a knife , two cans of pepper spray , a pocket blade and an industrial ventilator , according to a photo in the post .
One rioter who ran from officers reportedly threw a full-size wooden bat at pursuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland officers arrested 22 people , including an 18-year-old female , for allegedly interfering with a peace officer , disorderly conduct , escape , menacing and harassment , according to the post .
Another female , 17 , was also booked in a juvenile detention facility and two others were criminally cited , according to the police .
Police were able to quell the violence around 1:30 a.m. , according to the post .
Unrest has surged nationwide following a recent Louisville , Kentucky grand jury decision to charge one of three officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was killed during the execution of narcotics warrant in March , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal .

Portland rioters allegedly injured a police sergeant, resulting in hospitalization and officers recovered multiple weapons during continued Monday unrest in the city, police said.
Rioters reportedly punched on an officer in the face and sprayed five other cops with a “chemical irritant” during riots, which have been ongoing in the city for “120-plus days,” according to a post from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). Rioters donned body armor, helmets and shields and engaged in an “unpermitted march,” the department wrote.
Law enforcement located a loaded 1911 handgun in a makeshift medical vehicle and arrested the driver while being pelted with rocks, according to the post. Officers arrested some with “press” markings and media passes that were also carrying an assortment of bladed weapons and pepper spray, the police department wrote.
One rioter’s possessions appear to include a knife, two cans of pepper spray, a pocket blade and an industrial ventilator, according to a photo in the post. One rioter who ran from officers reportedly threw a full-size wooden bat at pursuing law enforcement, the department wrote.
Portland officers arrested 22 people, including an 18-year-old female, for allegedly interfering with a peace officer, disorderly conduct, escape, menacing and harassment, according to the post. Another female, 17, was also booked in a juvenile detention facility and two others were criminally cited, according to the police.
Police were able to quell the violence around 1:30 a.m., according to the post.
Unrest has surged nationwide following a recent Louisville, Kentucky grand jury decision to charge one of three officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during the execution of narcotics warrant in March, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.


truepundit--2020-09-30--Media Amplified People Of Praise Accuser Who Said Evangelical Christians Were ‘American Taliban’ In

Media Amplified People Of Praise Accuser Who Said Evangelical Christians Were ‘American Taliban’ In Amy Coney Barrett Stories

• Media outlets amplified the accusations of a woman with dubious credibility in stories linking Supreme Court nominee Amy Cony Barrett to the Catholic group People of Praise .
• An examination by the Free Beacon found that Theill has accused her parents , her therapists , her children and her attorneys of neglect and abuse and has brought in legal action against many of them .
• Theill frequently criticized the Catholic Church , accused Evangelical Christians of being “ the American Taliban ” on Facebook , and compared President Donald Trump and those who support him to Nazi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a woman with questionable credibility in stories linking Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Catholic group People of Praise .
Numerous outlets cited Coral Nika Theill ’ s negative depictions of People of Praise after former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Sept. 18 , according to the Washington Free Beacon .
These outlets included Reuters , Politico , Newsweek , the Los Angeles Times , the Chicago Tribune , the National Catholic Reporter , and the Washington Post .
An examination by the Free Beacon found that Theill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her children and her attorneys of neglect and abuse , and engaged in legal action against many of them for years .
Theill ’ s ex-husband Vaughn Martin Warner won a defamation suit against her in 2014 , the publication found , and she is reportedly estranged from her eight children .
Citing Theill ’ s descriptions , multiple news outlets falsely reported that People of Praise was the inspiration for Margaret Atwood ’ s “ The Handmaid ’ s Tale ” and highlighted Barrett ’ s reported connections with the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was no evidence that People of Praise inspired the book .
Theill claims in blog posts and a memoir that members of the Corvallis , Oregon , People of Praise branch made her sit on the floor during meetings , closely watched her daily activities and shunned her , according to the Free Beacon .
She says that she joined the Oregon branch in 1979 , the publication reported , but spokesman Sean Connolly told the Free Beacon that the Corvallis , Oregon , branch was not founded until 1982 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the People of Praise Corvallis branch are aware that there were ever any allegations of physical or mental abuse concerning Ms. Theill and her husband at the time , ” Connolly told the Free Beacon .
“ Her charges of the mistreatment of women , insularity , lack of privacy and shunning are contradictory to our beliefs and our practices as a community.
” Theill frequently criticized the Catholic Church , the Free Beacon noted , and criticized Catholics for liturgical “ decadent displays of opulent excesses.
” She accused Evangelical Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September Facebook posts , the publication reported , and compared President Donald Trump and those who support him to Nazi Germany .
The Free Beacon reported that Theill accused her husband of both physical and psychological abuse , of being both sexually needy and domineering , and of telling her children to keep watch over her and let him know if she disobeyed him , which gave the children “ more and more authority over my life.
” She described her mother as “ a cross between the Mommy Dearest and Carrie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyed throwing bibles at her when she was sleeping , the publication reported .
Her twin daughters “ support predators and dismiss victims , ” the Free Beacon reported that Theill wrote , adding that her divorce lawyers berated her and improperly billed her .
She also said that both her own counsel and her ex-husband ’ s counsel “ ridiculed and tormented ” her in court , the publication reported .
Her ex-husband received custody of the children .
In a 2017 lawsuit where she represented herself , Theill accused physicians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination and misconduct , according to the Free Beacon .
That case that was dismissed in 2018 .
Her August 2004 lawsuit against her former therapist was also dismissed , the publication reported .

Media outlets amplified the accusations of a woman with dubious credibility in stories linking Supreme Court nominee Amy Cony Barrett to the Catholic group People of Praise.
An examination by the Free Beacon found that Theill has accused her parents, her therapists, her children and her attorneys of neglect and abuse and has brought in legal action against many of them.
Theill frequently criticized the Catholic Church, accused Evangelical Christians of being “the American Taliban” on Facebook, and compared President Donald Trump and those who support him to Nazi Germany.
Media outlets amplified the accusations of a woman with questionable credibility in stories linking Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Catholic group People of Praise.
Numerous outlets cited Coral Nika Theill’s negative depictions of People of Praise after former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Sept. 18, according to the Washington Free Beacon. These outlets included Reuters, Politico, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the National Catholic Reporter, and the Washington Post.
An examination by the Free Beacon found that Theill has accused her parents, her therapists, her children and her attorneys of neglect and abuse, and engaged in legal action against many of them for years. Theill’s ex-husband Vaughn Martin Warner won a defamation suit against her in 2014, the publication found, and she is reportedly estranged from her eight children.
Citing Theill’s descriptions, multiple news outlets falsely reported that People of Praise was the inspiration for Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and highlighted Barrett’s reported connections with the group. These outlets later issued corrections admitting that there was no evidence that People of Praise inspired the book.
Theill claims in blog posts and a memoir that members of the Corvallis, Oregon, People of Praise branch made her sit on the floor during meetings, closely watched her daily activities and shunned her, according to the Free Beacon.
She says that she joined the Oregon branch in 1979, the publication reported, but spokesman Sean Connolly told the Free Beacon that the Corvallis, Oregon, branch was not founded until 1982.
“Neither the men nor women leaders in the People of Praise Corvallis branch are aware that there were ever any allegations of physical or mental abuse concerning Ms. Theill and her husband at the time,” Connolly told the Free Beacon. “Her charges of the mistreatment of women, insularity, lack of privacy and shunning are contradictory to our beliefs and our practices as a community.”
Theill frequently criticized the Catholic Church, the Free Beacon noted, and criticized Catholics for liturgical “decadent displays of opulent excesses.” She accused Evangelical Christians of being “the American Taliban” in September Facebook posts, the publication reported, and compared President Donald Trump and those who support him to Nazi Germany.
The Free Beacon reported that Theill accused her husband of both physical and psychological abuse, of being both sexually needy and domineering, and of telling her children to keep watch over her and let him know if she disobeyed him, which gave the children “more and more authority over my life.”
She described her mother as “a cross between the Mommy Dearest and Carrie movie” and said that her mother enjoyed throwing bibles at her when she was sleeping, the publication reported.
Her twin daughters “support predators and dismiss victims,” the Free Beacon reported that Theill wrote, adding that her divorce lawyers berated her and improperly billed her.
She also said that both her own counsel and her ex-husband’s counsel “ridiculed and tormented” her in court, the publication reported. Her ex-husband received custody of the children.
In a 2017 lawsuit where she represented herself, Theill accused physicians, attorneys, and state officers of both discrimination and misconduct, according to the Free Beacon. That case that was dismissed in 2018. Her August 2004 lawsuit against her former therapist was also dismissed, the publication reported.


truepundit--2020-09-30--‘Foremost Propagator Of Disinformation’: Joe Biden Campaign Hits Facebook For Not Removing Trump’s M

‘Foremost Propagator Of Disinformation’: Joe Biden Campaign Hits Facebook For Not Removing Trump’s Mail-In Voting Posts

Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s campaign criticized Facebook Monday for not allowing President Donald Trump ’ s alleged misinformation about mail-in-voting ahead of the election .
Facebook is allowing Trump to use the platform as a mouthpiece to promote false information about voting as a weapon to suppress the vote , campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon wrote in a letter Monday to CEO Mark Zuckerberg , Axios reported .
She called on the social media platform to penalize posts from the president that question the reliability of mail-in voting .
“ Facebook ’ s continued promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than an excuse for inaction , ” campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon wrote in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg .
“ We will be calling out those failures as they occur over the coming 36 days.
” “ Millions of people are voting .
Meanwhile , your platform is the nation ’ s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process .
This state of affairs can not be reconciled with a single public statement , ” Dillon wrote .
She provided one example of a Sept. 3 Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the president advised his supporters to physically go to a polling place to determine whether or not their mail-in vote was tabulated .
If their mail-in vote is not tabulated , then they should demand to vote in person , he suggested .
Facebook applied a statement to Trump ’ s post , telling users , “ Voting by mail has a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year.
” Biden ’ s campaign also requested in June while that Zuckerberg focus more attention on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an open letter to Facebook in June requesting the company “ change its policies to crack down on misinformation in ads.
” “ Folks , we saw in 2016 what can happen when social media platforms are left unchecked and allow disinformation to run rampant .
It puts the very integrity of our elections at risk , ” Biden wrote .
“ We simply can not let it happen again in 2020.
” Biden and others criticized Facebook after CEO Mark Zuckerberg refused to remove or flag a Trump post in May referencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THUGS.
” Trump ’ s post was in reference to protests regarding the death of George Floyd , a black man who died May 25 in police custody .
Zuckerberg reportedly defended the decision as an adherence to free speech principles .
“ While many Republicans think we should take one course , many Democrats think we should do the exact opposite , ” Andy Stone , a Facebook spokesman , told Axios in a statement .
“ We ’ ve faced criticism from Republicans for being biased against conservatives and Democrats for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact same content.
” Facebook will continue impartially applying rules to protect the integrity of U.S. elections , Stone added .

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign criticized Facebook Monday for not allowing President Donald Trump’s alleged misinformation about mail-in-voting ahead of the election.
Facebook is allowing Trump to use the platform as a mouthpiece to promote false information about voting as a weapon to suppress the vote, campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a letter Monday to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Axios reported. She called on the social media platform to penalize posts from the president that question the reliability of mail-in voting.
“Facebook’s continued promise of future action is serving as nothing more than an excuse for inaction,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “We will be calling out those failures as they occur over the coming 36 days.”
“Millions of people are voting. Meanwhile, your platform is the nation’s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process. This state of affairs cannot be reconciled with a single public statement,” Dillon wrote.
She provided one example of a Sept. 3 Facebook post from Trump’s account in which the president advised his supporters to physically go to a polling place to determine whether or not their mail-in vote was tabulated. If their mail-in vote is not tabulated, then they should demand to vote in person, he suggested.
Facebook applied a statement to Trump’s post, telling users, “Voting by mail has a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year.”
Biden’s campaign also requested in June while that Zuckerberg focus more attention on misinformation. Biden asked his followers in an open letter to Facebook in June requesting the company “change its policies to crack down on misinformation in ads.”
“Folks, we saw in 2016 what can happen when social media platforms are left unchecked and allow disinformation to run rampant. It puts the very integrity of our elections at risk,” Biden wrote. “We simply cannot let it happen again in 2020.”
Biden and others criticized Facebook after CEO Mark Zuckerberg refused to remove or flag a Trump post in May referencing “looting and shooting” and “THUGS.”
Trump’s post was in reference to protests regarding the death of George Floyd, a black man who died May 25 in police custody. Zuckerberg reportedly defended the decision as an adherence to free speech principles.
“While many Republicans think we should take one course, many Democrats think we should do the exact opposite,” Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman, told Axios in a statement. “We’ve faced criticism from Republicans for being biased against conservatives and Democrats for not taking more steps to restrict the exact same content.”
Facebook will continue impartially applying rules to protect the integrity of U.S. elections, Stone added.


truepundit--2020-09-30--US Intel Flagged Alleged Clinton Campaign Plan To Link Trump To Russian Hacking, Intel Chief Says

• John Ratcliffe , the director of national intelligence , said in a letter released Tuesday that the intelligence community sent an investigative referral to the FBI in September 2016 over an alleged plan by the Clinton campaign to link Donald Trump to Russia ’ s election-meddling efforts .
• Ratcliffe also revealed in the letter that John Brennan , the former head of the CIA , wrote of the Clinton plan in his notes in July 2016 .
• Russian intelligence may also have been aware of the Clinton campaign ’ s plan , according to Ratcliffe .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI in September 2016 regarding an alleged plan by Hillary Clinton to link Donald Trump to Russia ’ s election interference efforts , according to John Ratcliffe , the director of national intelligence .
Ratcliffe noted in the letter , which he sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , that U.S. intelligence is not certain whether the allegation underlying the referral was based on fabrications from Russian intelligence agencies .
Ratcliffe said in the letter that on Sept. 7 , 2016 , U.S. intelligence officials forwarded a referral for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comey and Peter Strzok , the deputy chief of counterintelligence .
Ratcliffe quotes the referral as dealing with Clinton ’ s “ approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.
” It is unclear who submitted the referral to the FBI and whether the bureau opened an investigation into the matter .
The letter does not say that the investigation was criminal in nature , or directly focused on Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information underlying the Clinton referral or the alleged plan to target Trump .
Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday .
The FBI did not respond to requests for comment .
Clinton ’ s campaign authorized hiring an opposition research firm , Fusion GPS , to investigate Donald Trump ’ s possible ties to Russia .
Fusion in turn hired former British spy Christopher Steele , who compiled a dossier that accused the Trump campaign of a “ well-developed conspiracy of cooperation ” with the Kremlin to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton campaign , the special counsel ’ s office determined that nobody on the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin .
Key allegations in Steele ’ s dossier remain either uncorroborated or have been debunked .
A Justice Department inspector general ’ s report said that the FBI received evidence in early 2017 that Russian intelligence officers may have fed disinformation into the dossier .
Last week , Graham released a declassified FBI memo which said that the bureau opened a counterintelligence investigation in 2009 against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Steele .
The FBI relied heavily on the dossier to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants against Carter Page .
According to Ratcliffe , U.S. intelligence agencies in late July 2016 “ obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis ” which alleged that Clinton had approved a campaign to link Trump to Russia ’ s hack of the DNC .
“ The does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication , ” Ratcliffe wrote .
The letter does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian intelligence analysis ” refers to intelligence activities conducted by the U.S. or by Russia .
According to Ratcliffe , former CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama in late July 2016 about Clinton ’ s approval of a plan to link Trump to Russia ’ s election-meddling efforts .
Ratcliffe said that Brennan ’ s handwritten notes from a briefing to Obama refer to the “ alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26 , 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security services.
” Graham said in a statement that Ratcliffe is making the underlying information available for review in a classified setting .
Ratcliffe released a statement shortly after publication of the letter saying that he will be briefing Congress in the coming days about the sources and methods by which the intelligence was obtained .
“ To be clear , this is not Russian disinformation and has not been assessed as such by the Intelligence Community , ” he said in a statement issued through the Office of the Director of National @ @

John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, said in a letter released Tuesday that the intelligence community sent an investigative referral to the FBI in September 2016 over an alleged plan by the Clinton campaign to link Donald Trump to Russia’s election-meddling efforts.
Ratcliffe also revealed in the letter that John Brennan, the former head of the CIA, wrote of the Clinton plan in his notes in July 2016.
Russian intelligence may also have been aware of the Clinton campaign’s plan, according to Ratcliffe.
U.S. intelligence officials submitted an investigative referral to the FBI in September 2016 regarding an alleged plan by Hillary Clinton to link Donald Trump to Russia’s election interference efforts, according to John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence.
Ratcliffe noted in the letter, which he sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, that U.S. intelligence is not certain whether the allegation underlying the referral was based on fabrications from Russian intelligence agencies.
Ratcliffe said in the letter that on Sept. 7, 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded a referral for an investigation regarding Clinton to then-FBI Director James Comey and Peter Strzok, the deputy chief of counterintelligence.
Ratcliffe quotes the referral as dealing with Clinton’s “approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.”
It is unclear who submitted the referral to the FBI and whether the bureau opened an investigation into the matter. The letter does not say that the investigation was criminal in nature, or directly focused on Clinton. It also does not describe the information underlying the Clinton referral or the alleged plan to target Trump.
Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
Clinton’s campaign authorized hiring an opposition research firm, Fusion GPS, to investigate Donald Trump’s possible ties to Russia. Fusion in turn hired former British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier that accused the Trump campaign of a “well-developed conspiracy of cooperation” with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election.
While the Russian government hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton campaign, the special counsel’s office determined that nobody on the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin.
Key allegations in Steele’s dossier remain either uncorroborated or have been debunked. A Justice Department inspector general’s report said that the FBI received evidence in early 2017 that Russian intelligence officers may have fed disinformation into the dossier.
Last week, Graham released a declassified FBI memo which said that the bureau opened a counterintelligence investigation in 2009 against Igor Danchenko, the primary source for Christopher Steele.
The FBI relied heavily on the dossier to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants against Carter Page.
According to Ratcliffe, U.S. intelligence agencies in late July 2016 “obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis” which alleged that Clinton had approved a campaign to link Trump to Russia’s hack of the DNC.
“The [Intelligence Community] does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication,” Ratcliffe wrote.
The letter does not make it clear whether the term “Russian intelligence analysis” refers to intelligence activities conducted by the U.S. or by Russia.
According to Ratcliffe, former CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama in late July 2016 about Clinton’s approval of a plan to link Trump to Russia’s election-meddling efforts.
Ratcliffe said that Brennan’s handwritten notes from a briefing to Obama refer to the “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.”
Graham said in a statement that Ratcliffe is making the underlying information available for review in a classified setting.
Ratcliffe released a statement shortly after publication of the letter saying that he will be briefing Congress in the coming days about the sources and methods by which the intelligence was obtained.
“To be clear, this is not Russian disinformation and has not been assessed as such by the Intelligence Community,” he said in a statement issued through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.