The Durham report is out
And here it is.
Now, you may be forgiven for ironically asking, “Durham who?” Not that you’ve forgotten him, but that you’ve lost any sense that anything in this report will matter in any real sense in terms of consequences. And if you feel that way, I have to say I share that very same judgment about the effect this will have.
However, here’s Steven Hayward writing about it:
…[E]ven the mainstream media can’t conceal or disguise the blows Durham delivers at the FBI…
It will take a while to get through the 306-page report, but in the meantime, here are a few of the early headlines:
CNN:
Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched full Trump-Russia probe…
The Washington Post:
Durham report sharply criticizes FBI’s 2016 probe of Trump campaign…
The New York Times:
In Final Report, Trump-Era Special Counsel Denounces Russia Investigation.
Hayward provides quotes from each article. Here’s one from the Times which illustrates the way the MSM has decided to handle the report so that no Democrat pays a particle of attention to it:
Mr. Durham’s 306-page report appeared to show little substantial new information about the F.B.I.’s handling of the Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane, and it failed to produce the kinds of blockbuster revelations impugning the bureau that former President Donald J. Trump and his allies had once suggested that Mr. Durham would find.
Why would we need something new? There’s enough old stuff to fully implicate the FBI in nefarious activity. Plus, what’s the definition of “blockbuster” according to the Times? Are there any allegations about wrongdoing by the FBI against Trump that they’d consider worthy of censure or outrage or prosecution? Absolutely not.
Why would we need something new? There’s enough old stuff to fully implicate the FBI in nefarious activity.
–neo
Too true.
However, what has Durham been doing these past few years since he slid through the meaningful deadline of clearing Trump before the 2020 election?
It seems to me that Durham has had a sufficiently strong case for some time. I’m sure there is no end to the gold-plating one might invest in improving the Report, but what was critical about delaying the report for all this time?
As the old saying goes, I Question the Timing.
Is it late enough that people have largely forgotten the FBI corruption in Russiagate? Is it early enough so the Durham Report can largely be forgotten before the 2024 elections preoccupy voters’ attention?
In any event, thanks a heap, John Durham.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
“In any event, thanks a heap, John Durham.” **EXACTLY**.
“Justice delayed is justice denied.” [grrrrr]
“There’s enough old stuff to fully implicate the F.B.I….”
Oh, you mean the “old stuff” that the Times entirely ignored, intentionally glossed over and/or totally misrepresented? (IOW brazenly and unapologetically—even triumphantly—lied about?)
That “old stuff”…?
(It’s “only” the most serious political scandal in U.S. history, superseded only by the national hijacking in November 2020…)
“Nothing to see” morphs into “old news” immediately on a routine basis. Liars lie. Slanderers slander. And morally defective, incompetent news orgs do what they do.
No sane, moral, intelligent American views MSM as honest or credible. [whether they are honest enough to admit it is a different matter]
As I indicated in the Open Thread, who gives a flying f*ck at this point. We are so far past “equal justice for all” I doubt we will ever recover. The country at the federal level is a lost cause.
If we can see our way clear to repairing federal policing and courts, one element is going to have to be the dissolution of the FBI.
Vivek is right. The FBI must be disbanded. He would also put an 8-year term limit on federal bureaucrats.
So…. essentially he looked into it, brought a couple of insipid, low-octane indictments, leading to penalties that have already been liquidated (functionally), and then wrote a nasty note to show his outrage.
https://youtu.be/8ZYG2PCyNfE
I didn’t see anything new that I hadn’t already learned from the Nunes memo and the Horowitz report.
If there had been indictments, that would be news.
So I will continue to ask why the following former DOJ officials have not been indicted for perjury:
Comey
Rosenstein
McCabe
Yates
All singed-off on those FICA spying requests KNOWING that the so called evidence had NOT been verified as required by law.
A soft coup that defamed Trump and his supporters and NOBODY is going to be held responsible??
Nothing will change. We will continue down this road. And the ending will be very bad.
A report that Durham could have written over 3 years ago.
Captain Obvious.
What was the impeachment attempt about?
“The country at the federal level is a lost cause.”
” IRS removes investigative team from Hunter Biden probe in move whistleblower claims is ‘clearly retaliatory’ “—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/irs-cans-investigative-team-from-hunter-biden-probe-in-move-whistleblower-claims-is-clearly-retaliatory/
It would seem that “Biden” either doesn’t have enough manpower at the IRS…or…is far too busy with the really important stuff…
“Woman suing Rudy Giuliani over alleged sexual assault details more shocking claims in new complaint”—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/noelle-dunphy-files-10m-lawsuit-alleging-rudy-giuliani-sexually-assaulted-her/
Another IMPRESSIVE display of timing…
And from the “Nothing to See Here, Move Along” File (from one of the Nation’s two papers of record):
“Durham proves that Hillary and the FBI tried to rig the 2016 election”—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/durham-proves-that-hillary-and-the-fbi-tried-to-rig-the-2016-election/
“GOP lawmakers say FBI was ‘weaponized’ against Trump in light of Durham probe findings”—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/gop-lawmakers-say-durham-probe-shows-fbi-was-weaponized-against-trump/
“FBI, DOJ’s Trump-Russia ‘collusion’ probe was ‘seriously flawed,’ no basis in evidence when opened: Durham”—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/fbi-doj-failed-to-observe-fidelity-to-the-law-in-trump-russia-investigation-durham/
To be fair to Durham, he was working against a stacked deck of collusion and protection.
To his credit, though, he persisted…and even evolved from thinking that the FBI was an unwitting victim to believing that the FBi was a willing “victim”.
Not sure he’s been able to make the final leap to “the FBI was actually a co-conspirator and instigator” but maybe he feels that making such a contention in public would be less effective than the “high road” he’s decided to take—that the FBI should have KNOWN better, should have DONE better, and FELL DOWN on the job…which is, of course, alas, pure malarkey…
Something that sticks in my craw–
In a debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump
said something like “One of the first things I will do after I am elected, is to see that Hillary is investigated and prosecuted for all of her corruption and criminality.” Some in the audience then chanted “Lock her up! Lock her up!”
After the election Trump said that “We’re not going to do that; she’s suffered enough.”
Hindsight is 20/20, but Trump lost this game of 4D tic-tac-toe big time!
P.S. I voted for him in 2016 and 2020, and will do the same if he is the GOP nominee in 2024.
Just a reminder…(refresher?)…FWIW
Here’s this blast from the past (J.E. Dyer in July 2020):
“Latest Flynn document release clarifies strategic depth of ‘Obamagate’ “—
https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/07/13/latest-flynn-document-release-clarifies-strategic-depth-of-obamagate/
Demonstrating that among its many different DESTRUCTIVE facets, the “Fundamental Transformation” of America MEANT fundamentally screwing your successor (who had the temerity to win an election he should NOT have won)…as a necessary step to ensuring the planned “transformation” of the country, even if the time schedule for such DESTRUCTION would have to be—ALAS SO UNEXPECTEDLY—delayed.
The Republic died years ago. Too little too late. At some point you have to stop picking through the ashes and move on.
OTOH Lee Smith, J.E. Dyer, Jeff Carlson, Hans Mahncke, et al. are not happy with it, not happy at all…
https://twitter.com/LeeSmithDC
https://twitter.com/themarketswork
https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/
A conglomeration of corruption (permit to use without attribution) like this wouldn’t rig an election, too?
Here’s a useful overview from “Just the News”….
“Top 10 takeaways from Durham report”—
https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/holdtop-10-takeaways-durham-report
– Government Had No Evidence
– No New Charges
– U.S. Foreign Allies Refused to Aid in the Effort
– Former Intel Officials Promoted the Narrative Despite Knowing There Was No Evidence
– Key Foreign Affairs Officials Saw No Evidence
– The Clinton Campaign Was Behind The Whole Thing
– There Were Double Standards for Trump and Clinton
– Clinton Opposition Research Firm Fusion GPS Went to the Media Before the FBI
– Media Reporting on Trump-Russia Collusion
– Durham Recommends No New Policies, But Advises DOJ and FBI to Follow Existing Ones
The question of course is whether anyone will change their mind…the corrupting and corrosive nature of the demonization of Trump and the Right having been such a tremendously successful operation.
And the tsunami of lies and subversion is ongoing….
windbag on May 16, 2023 at 7:07 am said:
The Republic died years ago. Too little too late. At some point you have to stop picking through the ashes and move on.
Move on to what?? Communism?
I’ve posted this elsewhere, but it bears repeating over and over again…..
Durham report verdicts
Donald Trump- Innocent
FBI-Guilty
CIA-Guilty
IC-Guilty
Comey-Guilty
McCabe-Guilty
Strzok-Guilty
Page-Guilty
Fisa Judges-Guilty
Rosenstein-Guilty
Wray-Guilty
Gina Haspel-Guilty
Sally Yates-Guilty
Lisa Monaco-Guilty
John Carlin -Guilty
Michael Sussman-Guilty
Chrisopher Steele-Guilty
Stephen Halper-Guilty
Fusion GPS-Guilty
Mark Elias-Guilty
Hillary Clinton-Guilty
Bruce Ohr-Guilty
Nellie Ohr-Guilty
The American People- Robbed of Justice
– Kash Patel
wendybar, Unfortunately, I think it’s simply moving on to survival mode. There isn’t a New World to escape to and forge a new life. I’d argue that we’ve already been under communist rule for quite some time, if you consider the ten planks of communism, so we’ve passed that milestone.
The Republic died long ago, and this quantum of injustice proves the justice delayed SEVERAL YEARS is justice denied, where political crimes and perjury are manifest.
Windbag says time to “move on.” Acid retort from wendybar is “Move on to what?? Communism?”
FACE IT. As Angelo Codevilla stated after the Biden inaugural, January 2020, we are now a classic oligarchy. Oligarchy — as in, your Founders Warned that this was coming! Eventually.
The IC now organises One-party Rule, the post-Constitutional Fourth Branch of our authoritarian Federalocracy.
The IC cheerleads the media mob, and hunts and censors dissenters, nonconformists, and unapproved dissent…until, like Trump and Flynn, they must be prosecuted! We have a fake populist Rulership because traditional grass-roots powered “toss them out!” populism! represented by MAGA, Ist Now Verboten! “Sieg Hell” Biden!
The clarity of this moment and the fact that Oligarchies are always unstable is now what matters — that, and organising the authentically Constitutional remnant from so-called Red State America, the beacon of self-government that may inspire more, ever more states and counties to join us!
The Tablet has a lengthy story on the Hi-Tech Oligarchy’s split in Silicon Valley — basically the R-sympathetic (if not libertarian) Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen against the Socialist justice honchos Pierre Omydar, Reid Hoffman, Gary Tan, and WEF’r Bill Gates.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/silicon-valley-civil-war
Others want to rant in this vein? Please continue.
I agree that this Report, it’s conclusions deliberately delayed so that it would have no effect on the last election, and containing apparently no recommendations for what would seem to be a whole host of prosecutions, is another major tell about how defunct our political and “justice” system is.
Durham is a creature of the system, so he did what such a creature would do–withheld the Report so it wouldn’t damage Biden’s election chances, Democrats, and the members of the Deep State, but finally issued his Report–deliberately way too late to do any good–so he couldn’t be accused of not doing what he was tasked with doing.
Whatever system (anarcho-tyranny?) we are now living under, it is definitely not a Democratic Republic, or anything like what the Founders envisioned or we had, up until we started to go off the rails starting several decades ago.
The Mueller investigation went on forever, so there could be leaks published every month about big revelations coming. The investigation was in the news for years, and in the end it turned up with nothing. It could be that Durham’s investigation was stretched out so that in the end nobody would notice. But it could also be that these things always take time in DC. After seeing Mueller testify, I wonder if Durham was another empty suit or figurehead. He may have been more aware of what was going on than Mueller was, but was he really in charge?
No indictments, no consequences, no news. This report effectively green lights the Russia Collusion style of political attack.
And those of you recommending or calling for the dissolution of the FBI, etc., are simply deluding yourselves. That will never, ever happen, even if Trump is elected in 2024.
“The investigation was in the news for years, and in the end it turned up with nothing.”
It certainly helped the Democrats grab both houses of Congress in 2018.
(As it was intended to do.)
Techno Fog, with some sobering information, defends Durham from those who must blame him.
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658285308671139840?cxt=HHwWgIC9-fjstIMuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658284392295329797?cxt=HHwWisCztc23tIMuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658282645753610242?cxt=HHwWhIC21fjRs4MuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658225793586155521?cxt=HHwWgsC-gdvkmYMuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658207865079726080?cxt=HHwWgICwnZHRkYMuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658205768024203280?cxt=HHwWoICx-YjXkIMuAAAA
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1658205029755396097?cxt=HHwWgoCxtYyskIMuAAAA
Etc.
+ This on Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with the FBI. (He was apparently an FBI source…)
https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1653839578149560341?cxt=HHwWqoCxsa-Vz_MtAAAA
In addition, might one garner no little solace listening to master serial prevaricator Andrew Weissmann tell us that Durham’s report has proven absolutely nothing?
https://twitter.com/Lis_aLouu/status/1658335041427066882?cxt=HHwWhMC-7eK7y4MuAAAA
H/T Ron Coleman Twitter feed.
Steve Walsh is correct. The government never plans to return power that it has seized. That’s why when Obamacare passed, I said it would never go away. Did the GOP toss it in the trash when they had both houses of Congress and the White House? Nope. Why? The Dems had done their dirty work and they happily went along, while spewing tough guy rhetoric on Fox News and doing nothing to back it up. You know, Lindsey Graham style blustering.
Same thing with the Covid restrictions. Did a single Republican Legislature in the 50 States stand up its Governor and say no to the draconian measures they went to? Nope. Why? Power. Scream about it and do nothing about it, happy that the government now has even more power.
The Spanish American War Telephone tax lasted from 1898 until it was finally repealed in 2006. Power, held onto by an ignorant, incurious populace.
It’s been 22 years, yet we still remove our shoes before boarding airplanes. Power, held onto by fear.
Then there’s that “Eye of the Beholder” Thread a while back…
Well, here’s Ben Shapiro, for better or worse:
https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1658220224691273728
OTOH, Jeff Carlson is not a happy camper…
https://twitter.com/themarketswork
Hans Mahncke also digging deep…
https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/
Outright disestablishing the FBI and many other alphabet agencies which have been captured by the Left is probably off the table, but what about “the death of a thousand cuts” approach?
Agency X needs this, it doesn’t get it. Agency Y wants to do this but, instead, it’s ordered to urgently do B, personnel says Agency Q needs so many new hires but, it’s prevented from hiring them, etc., etc.
windbag:
It was John McCain who sabotaged the efforts to start to repeal and replace Obamacare. It was not the GOP as a whole. Yes, the GOP had trouble deciding how to replace it, and certainly there were other RINOs that stood in the way (Collins and Murkowski), but it was McCain who defected at the last minute and stunned the rest by sinking it.
Pingback:The Durham Report: in the eye of the beholder - The New Neo
Turley not backing down:
“‘Russia case’ against Trump was a shocking conspiracy that continues today”—
https://nypost.com/2023/05/16/russia-case-against-trump-was-a-shocking-conspiracy-that-continues-today/
+ Related (again):
https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1658534187132145664?cxt=HHwWgMDS_cmDpoQuAAAA
Here’s an “interesting” twist:
“Durham Report holds lingering consequence for Joe Biden, Congress and U.S. allies;
“Current president was briefed in August 2016 about Clinton plan for Russia collusion dirty trick”—
https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/durham-reports-lingering-consequence-joe-biden-congress
Opening grafs:
“Special Counsel John Durham’s final report will have lasting consequences far beyond the FBI failures he unmasked in the now-discredited Russia collusion scandal….”
In short, America as “Banana Republic” is now out of the bag.
“Transformation” always had ONE basic goal…with the cherry on the top being that the country is being “led” by a dementia-addled, vindictive crook; which really means that the country is being “led” by a crooked, vindictive corporate politburo.
Yes, the GOP had trouble deciding how to replace it,
==
They had ample time to develop an alternative. They just didn’t. McConnell and the people who keep him there are bagmen for corporate donors. They’re not interested in the welfare of their voters; those voters are marks to them. Paul Ryan favored schemes like replacing Medicare with vouchers, which incorporates crippling problems.
neo,
The GOP didn’t rein McCain in, so it is on them collectively, not individually. As far as an alternative goes, if I have a skunk in my kitchen, weighing whether to replace it with a badger vs. a porcupine isn’t the thing to do. Getting the skunk out is the proper approach. The GOP has failed consistently, as have all our politicians. Our country is a wreck thanks to both parties.
windbag:
The GOP has many flaws, but it doesn’t even begin to compare to the left, and it is not allied with it.
As for “reining McCain in,” he gave them no hint of what he was about to do with the Obamacare vote.
I’ll take windbag’s advice: I am a Patriotic non-voter. But perhaps my reasons remain different from his? (Or yours, Neo?)
After the ‘60s, one leading libertarian bumper sticker read “Don’t Vote – It Only Encourages ‘em.” Encourages ‘em to use and abuse Power against others.
It was as a plea for Pacifism court over-match ruling power. Yet it was naive to expect anything like this to succeed.
Revolution against tyranny is now mandatory. I can only organise to achieve that now.
is probably off the table,
==
Due to learned helplessness in Congress more than anything else.
neo,
Dems and GOP are two sides of the same filthy coin. They agree on the overwhelming majority of what they’re doing to us, with a miniscule handful of hot-button issues that they can bluster and babble about to sound tough, but in the end, they are working together.
They occupy the bridge while we swab the deck. We get into fights with the other deck-swabbers over those hot-button issues, while they gleefully take turns at the helm, giddy over their power, and caring not which party steers us ever closer to the rocks.