Thread by @ClimateAudit

THREAD: Horowitz Report contained under-discussed chapter on bizarre interactions between Ohr, Strzok, Weissmann and Zainab Ahmad during transition, including suspicious Jan 31 and Feb 1 meetings just as resistance was coalescing.

2/ Horowitz reported that Weissmann, Ahmad and Ohr were all engaging in a more or less rogue operation without reporting to or informing their superiors. This ought to have prevented them from being on Special Counsel.

3/ On Jan 31, 2017 - recall that this is period in which attacks on Flynn were drawing blood on the incoming administration - Ahmad and Weissmann asked to see Ohr and Swartz. Ohr didn't attend. But NONE of Swartz, Weissmann, Ahmad "could recall" purpose of this unusual meeting.

4/ following the meeting (the purpose of which Weissmann, Ahmad purported to forget), Ahmad emailed Lisa Page, urgently seeking meeting the next morning to discuss "Criminal Division developments" that she and Weissmann were later unable to recall

5/ Horowitz asked both Weissmann and Ahmad about the "Criminal Division developments" that they wanted so urgently to discuss with Page and Strzok, but sadly neither of them "could recall".

6/ unbeknownst to the MLARS Section Chief or DOJ superiors, Weissmann, Ahmad, Ohr and Swartz were lobbying FBI to expand terms of Manafort investigation with which they were dissatisfied.

7/ Horowitz reported that NOONE at MLARS or the Criminal Division was informed of or aware of this freelancing by Weissmann and Ahmad. Senior DOJ official Crowell told the OIG that this was "not 'okay'" and "unbelievable".

8/ Horowitz reported that Boente also condemned the rogue freelancing by Weissmann and Ahmad et al.

9/ Horowitz reported that the then Acting Chief of MLARS only learned of the meeting as a result of OIG investigation.

10/ Kendall Day told OIG that he discovered rogue operation by Swatz, Ohr, Weissmann and Ahmad in April 2017 when he learned that Weissmann was meeting with reporters to obtain evidence related to "MLARS' Manafort investigation" - in which Weissmann was meddling.

11/ now for something new - or at least, some dots not connected in Horowitz Report. JW FOI 19-cv-01082 (released Oct 2019) contained emails between Ohr and Strzok from Feb 1 - very day of meeting that none of the DOJ officials could recall anything about.

12/ referring to their earlier discussion, Ohr forwarded documents to Strzok that he had obtained from FinCEN on late afternoon of Jan 4, 2017 (day which, by coincidence or not, Flynn call with Kislyak was being falsely used as cause of alarm)

13/ a minute later, Ohr forwarded another document obtained on Jan 4, 2017 to Strzok, promising to send further classified material in next email.

14/ at 13:45, Ohr asked Strzok for his JWICS address so that he could send classified material.

15/ at 17:45, Ohr sent Strzok the password for FinCEN documents. Strzok, at this time, had no way of knowing that Ohr was free-lancing.

16/ Ohr checked with Strzok on unclassified email to make sure that his classified email had got through. Strzok had sent a test email to Ohr previously to set up communications line.

17/ although Ohr has been thus far portrayed as a sort of amiable doofus, it seems implausible to me that such a naif could have risen to be #3 at competitive DOJ. Usually, when people as smart as him pretend to be a doofus, the reason is unsavory. Maybe Durham will explain.

18/ one unexpected name in this thread. Lisa Holtyn, who provided password to classified documents to Ohr, was regular and frequent correspondent with Nellie Ohr. A dig here.

19/ a second dig here: the Acting Section Chief 1 who attended the strange Feb 1, 2017 meeting between Weissmann, Ohr, Ahmad, Swartz and Page, Strzok was also present at the Oct 2016 Steele interview. It's ludicrous that such names are concealed.

20/ @walkafyre has identified Acting Section Chief 1, who attended both Oct 2016 Steele interview and Feb 1, 2017 resistance meeting of Weissmann, Ohr, Ahmad, Swartz, Strzok and Page as Michael Varacalli.

21/ W spotted Varacalli's name as an Acting Section Chief, CD-4 (Strzok's old section) in Sept 2016 in this contemporary document pogoarchives.org/straus/POGO_DO…. Moyer is OGC Unit Chief. Richard Scott was Laufman's deputy at Danchenko interview.

21/ Acting Section Chief 1 was quoted once and only once in Horowitz. About the Oct 2016 meeting with Steele in Rome. Not about the strange Feb 1, 2017 meeting among key resistance members.

22/ Horowitz thought the meetings of Jan 31 and Feb 1 among "resistance" figures in DOJ and FBI was odd. None of the parties (all very sophisticated) blurted out that they were engaged in skullduggery. Horowitz was not a criminal investigation. So H just left it there.