Thread by @kurteichenwald

1. There is a lot of confusion about what Trump meant in call with Ukraine regarding "Crowdstrike" and the server.

This has nothing to do with Clinton server. It is far worse.

Trump is trying to conduct his own intel inquiry to challenge CIA conclusion that Russia hacked DNC..

2...and in doing so, he is trying to get evidence that is linked to Roger Stone's fight to prove Russia did not hack the DNC.

Crowdstrike was the security firm hired by the DNC to investigate hacking of its server. Crowdstrike concluded that Russia did it....

3...The conspiracy theory, pro-Russian Trumpers have long argued that our intel agencies are wrong, that Russia had nothing to do with it, and it was Ukraine - the enemy of Russia and our ally - that was responsible for hacking.

Remember: This phone call took place *not only*..

4...after Mueller was done (and charged a lot of Russians and their entities for hacking, agreeing with Crowdstrike conclusion) but also after Mueller had given his one and only testimony. The entire Russia thing was over, particularly since Barr was keeping everything buried...

5...so Trump was not only arguing against collusion, he was attempting to use Ukraine to undermine the entire American intelligence system and Mueller indictments. Trump was aiding the defense of the Russians and Russian entities charged by Mueller for the hacking by targeting...

6...the "Russia did it" decision at the very beginning of the investigations. In fact, before the intel agencies even reached a concurring decision.

Now, on May 10, 2019 - two months before the phone call - Roger Stone filed a document in court attempting to have the entire...

7...Russian narrative blocked from being told in court (which would undermine the case against him.) In that filing, Stone attacks Crowdstrike.

One of the technical advisors to Stone's filing - who filed an affidavit - is a man named William Binney, former NSA technical guy...

8...and, Trump pushed then CIA-director Pompeo to meet with Binney and hear out his theories. The meeting, held in October 2017, allowed this private person Binney to tell the CIA that Russia did nothing....

9...the conclusions of all this...the timing between Stone's filing specifically regarding Crowdstrike and Trump's phone call seeking Ukraine to investigate it is disturbing. Trump was pushing to exonerate Russia through another country, Ukraine, conducting an investigation...

10...such an investigation not only could aid his friend Stone (and coincide with exactly what Stone was seeking) but also could be used as evidence by the Russians and Russian groups still indicted in the Mueller investigation.

Trump was in no legal danger at that time....

11...the Mueller case was over. And yet he was still trying to prove that our intelligence agencies were wrong, Russia was innocent and the hacking came from Ukraine.