Thread by @ClayJrStaves

This is interesting: "The Obama administration was eager to prosecute Assange and WikiLeaks for publishing hundreds of thousands of classified documents, but ultimately concluded that there was no way to do so without either also prosecuting ..

newspapers such as the New York Times and the Guardian which published the same documents, or create precedents that would enable the criminal prosecution of media outlets in the future."

MSM will be in a bind. If the IC goes after JA, MSM will have to defend him or risk losing a future legal/ public opinion battle. Trump would be able to use it against MSM and the possibility of discovering new information to combat a narrative.

In comes the IC to save MSM and the Dems by making the Russia-Wikileaks a part of their indictment. If it was Russia who was releasing it, MSM is off the hook. The timing is suspicious. Was it a ploy to help Trump or sabotage him?

Will Trump's DOJ use it to prosecute? But the U.S. Justice Department has never wanted to indict and prosecute anyone for the crime of publishing such material, contenting themselves instead to prosecuting the government sources who leak it"

Or will Trump make a deal not prosecute JA and tell MSM you are safe.
Why would he do this?
1) destroys MSM's narrative Trump is out to get them
2) JA could reveal info that MSM, the IC and Dems don't want revealed

"Their (DOJ) reluctance has been due to two reasons: first, media outlets would argue that any attempts to criminalize the mere publication of classified or stolen documents is barred by the press freedom guarantee of the First Amendment, a proposition the DOJ has never wanted-

-to test; second, no DOJ has wanted as part of its legacy the creation of a precedent that allows the U.S. Government to criminally prosecute journalists and media outlets for reporting classified documents."

What cards does Trump & Co show?
"But the Trump administration has made clear that they have no such concerns. Quite the contrary: last April, Trump’s then-CIA Director Pompeo, now his SOS, delivered a deranged, rambling, highly threatening broadside against WikiLeaks"

The trap:
" (MSM) consumed with hatred for Assange due to personal reasons, professional jealousies, and anger over the role they believed he played in 2016 in helping Hillary Clinton lose – would unite behind the Trump DOJ and in support of its efforts to imprison Assange."

"Sessions surely knows, large numbers of U.S. journalists – along with many, perhaps most, Democrats – would actually support the Trump DOJ in prosecuting Assange for publishing documents."

So Dems AKA MSM would look hypocritical if this happened. So the IC rescued them. Or did they?
Notice they didn't name wikileaks or JA in the indictment, but we all know it's them. Why didn't the IC reveal his name? BC JA could appear in court and ask for the evidence.

No need for the 12 or 13 Russians to show up. So by not naming them it buys the IC some wiggle room. If the case is so strong against the Russians there would no need to not name JA and WL. But they didn't. It's a sign the case they have is weak and are afraid of JA.

It seems the IC is trying to kill the clock in regards to JA. Why would they do this to a Russian agent? Wouldn't they want to prosecute him quickly? Even a sealed indictment would cause a delay.

"Assange would, of course, resist any such extradition on the ground that publishing documents is not a cognizable crime and that the U.S is seeking his extradition for political charges that, by treaty, cannot serve as the basis for extradition."

So the IC would not name him in the indictment, which would would defeat the sealed "publishing charge" and insert an "espionage charge", yet they chose not to. 🤔

Why is the IC playing footsy w/ WL and JA ?
Isn't this a serious charge that Russia hacked us?
Why isn't MSM screaming to bring in JA and WL like the 12 Russians?
They know it's JA and WL in that indictment yet they are silent.

I have an answer:
IC and MSM are playing games to protect their arses and JA could bring it all down.
But you can decide for yourself.

theintercept.com/2018/07/21/ecu…