Thread by @JohnWHuber

Collusion Media & Democrats are saying that FISA and 302 information shouldn't be declassified as @realDonaldTrump has ordered because it would:

1. "Expose sources and methods"
2. "Interfere with the investigation"

These arguments are ridiculous

THREAD

First - @realDonaldTrump was lawfully elected as President & is therefore head of the executive branch

He's the highest declassification authority, the FBI/DOJ/IC work for him and he's accountable to the public

Anonymous, unaccountable leakers in the DOJ/FBI/IC are NOT

So lets go through the last year or two and see what "sources and methods" have already been revealed and what "interference with the investigation" has already happened - due to illegal leaks by the same people who are opposing lawful declassification today

1. "Sources"

FBI/DOJ/IC leakers have ALREADY LEAKED this info on Confidential Human Sources (CHS), merely to advance/protect a narrative, not for legit authorized purposes:

—MILLIAN (probable CHS) to WaPo Mar 17
—DOWNER (CHS) to NYT Dec 17
—HALPER (CHS) to NYT & WaPo May 18

Note: @ChuckRossDC reported prior to NYT/WAPO that HALPER was in contact with @GeorgePapa19 and @carterwpage, but he didn't allege or confirm he was a US government long time asset of CIA/FBI. That only came from specific, intentional DOJ/FBI leaks of his nationality, bio & role

Also, the exposure of DOWNER as a CHS is particularly egregious because it came as a defensive response to the disclosure of STRZOK/PAGE texts (which made the FBI/DOJ look bad). And much of the details were later proven false.

HALPER is a good example of Collusion Twitter hypocrisy too

When @DevinNunes was asking legitimate oversight questions about the FBI's use of sources against the Trump team due to HALPER, @benjaminwittes could barely contain his "anger"

When DOWNER was exposed? A gleeful "Boom"

2. "Methods" (1/2)

—SIGINT penetration on senior Putin Kremlin figures, naming the countries carrying it out, to Luke Harding for his "Collusion" book, Dec 16

—U.S surveillance capabilities on Russian Amb KISLYAK (a top secret transcript of calls with @GenFlynn) to WaPo, Jan 17

2. "Methods" (2/2)

—SIGNT on Russians, including channels being monitored, which officials intercepted, the contents of these communications & agency doing the monitoring, to NYT, Jan 17

—Exact numbers of calls/messages between Trump officials & Russians, to Reuters, May 17

3. "Investigation interference" (1/9)

—Confirmation IC had @carterwpage visit to Moscow "on the radar", to Yahoo, Sep 16

—Sharing of @GeorgePapa19's name as a person of interest with CHRIS STEELE who was not FBI, and did not have a "need to know", in Rome, Oct 16

3. "Investigation interference" (2/9)

—Existence of a counterintel investigation into Trump/Russia, to NYT, Oct 31 16

—STEELE dossier (IF credible* would tip off potential targets), to CNN/BuzzFeed, Jan 17

—Existence of FISA against two Russian banks, to BBC, Jan 17

*LOL

3. "Investigation interference" (3/9)

—@GenFlynn phone calls with KISLYAK, to WaPo, Jan 17 (came between two FBI interviews)

—Declined FISA on 4 Trump campaign officials, to Guardian, Jan 17

—Allegations AG SESSIONS met with Amb KISLYAK, to WaPo, Mar 17 (results in recusal)

3. "Investigation interference" (4/9)

—Existence of @carterwpage FISA to WaPo, Apr 17 (came before renewals, without Page knowing he was under surveillance)

—Details of FISA on @carterwpage, including use of STEELE dossier, which not even Senate Judiciary knew, to CNN, Apr 17

3. "Investigation interference" (5/9)

—Seychelles meeting with Erik Prince/Russian in UAE, to WaPo, Apr 17 (possible "method" too)

—Investigative details on @carterwpage Moscow visit, while Page was still under FISA, to NYT, Apr 17

3. "Investigation interference" (6/9)

—That KUSHNER had become "a focus" of the Mueller investigation, to WaPo, May 17

—Specific details (date/location) of FBI interviews with @carterwpage to WaPo, Jun 17

3. "Investigation interference" (7/9)

—Grand Jury subpoenas for @GenFlynn, to CBS News, Jun 17

—@GeorgePapa19 emails from the campaign looking to set up Russian meetings, to WaPo Aug 17 (*before* he was indicted)

3. "Investigation interference" (8/9)

—Paul Erickson (husband to alleged Russian spy BUTINA) emails to Trump team about meeting with Russians at NRA conv, to CNN, Aug 17

—Existence of longtime FISA on MANAFORT, to CNN/BBC, Sep 17 (likely to influence a court hearing next day)

3. "Investigation interference" (9/9)

—MIFSUD's name and bio (*before* he was named as "the professor" in an indictment and while he was still attending public conferences) to WaPo, Sep 17

—Existence of McCabe perjury investigation into AG SESSIONS, to NBC, Mar 18

WOW, thats a lot of sources and methods blown, and interference in an ongoing investigation which is supposed to be either secret (if pure counterintelligence) or only made public when there is something criminally chargeable.

*This doesn't even include Fusion GPS/Clinton leaks*

"Profound concerns about the volume & extent of unauthorized media contacts by FBI personnel...We identified numerous [staff] at all levels of the organization and with no official reason to be in contact with the media, who were nevertheless in frequent contact"—@JusticeOIG

"The majority of leaks during the Trump administration...concerned the Russia probes, with many revealing closely-held information such as intelligence community intercepts, FBI interviews & intelligence, grand jury subpoenas, and even the workings of [FISC]" — @SenRonJohnson

SUMMARY

1. FBI/DOJ/IC & Collusion Media hacks, please spare us the sermons about sources/methods & interference in an ongoing investigation

2. @realDonaldTrump declassification is lawful and accountable - not illegal & opaque

3. "Journalists" should want more info, not less

Sources:

IG report: justice.gov/file/1071991/d…

Sen Johnson leaking report: hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…

Also, please reply or DM if you want a link to any specific story I referenced

/ENDS