Thread by @LoopEmma

Non-Iowa caucus news from last night: We got the newest batch of #MuellerMemos from the FBI — 289 pages this time. Get up to speed:

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

A few highlights: First, an interview with Tom Barrack, who oversaw Trump’s inauguration.

Barrack said the inaugural committee was approached by “many Chinese businessmen” and a Venezuelan subsidiary of the Citgo company.

#MuellerMemos
buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

Next: Bannon said there was no “real transition” team because they didn’t think Trump would win.

"Bill Hagerty, the director of the transition, had scheduled a trip to the Bahamas for after the election, assuming they would not win.” #muellermemos

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

Bannon also told the FBI that after the election, Flynn sought advice from Susan Rice & Ben Rhodes “about how to do things.”

And Bannon was unhappy when news broke of Kushner trying "to back channel for communications with Russia during the transition”

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

More Bannon:

Giuliani wanted to be secretary of state, but Bannon worried there would be "issues" in Giuliani's confirmation if he was nominated "because of some of his companies and foreign contacts.”

👀

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl… #muellermemos

Next: Rick Gates told investigators about how he first met Konstantin Kilimnik in 2007.

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

#MuellerMemos

Next is James Rybicki, former FBI director Jim Comey’s chief of staff. I highlighted some of his interviews with the special counsel’s office here:

https://twitter.com/LoopEmma/status/1224458480322596864

More from Rybicki: FBI leaders agreed before Comey briefed Trump on the Steele Dossier in early Jan. 2017 that he would write a memo about the meeting after. Comey had a “classified laptop” waiting for him in the vehicle so he could do so.

#muellermemos

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

Rybicki also talked about how he & Comey kept track of the FBI director’s conversations with the president, which Comey memorialized in writing.

Rybicki said he had printed copies of the memos, which Comey signed or initialed “in blue ink.” buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl… #muellermemos

Rybicki kept the memos in folders in his desk drawer. He even got a menu card from Comey after the Jan. 27, 2017, dinner where Trump asked him for loyalty.

Rybicki also said that they referred to the White House switchboard as “the Royal Crown.”

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

Sean Spicer’s 302 is heavily redacted, but here’s one line that wasn’t: “Trump said he never asked Comey for loyalty, but added even if he had asked for it, ‘Who cares?’”

\buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

#muellermemos

Former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe described the scene at the FBI after Comey was fired. He recalled seeing people “in the hallways of the FBI ‘bawling’ and described the termination as ‘very emotional’ for employees.”

#MuellerMemos

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…

Stephen Miller shed light on how Trump’s tweets come together.

Miller was also asked about Trump’s thoughts on Ukraine in 2016. “Trump would say, ‘Who’s gonna send their kids to defend Ukraine?’" the interview summary said.

#muellermemos

buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…