Thread by @ClimateAudit

for those weary of election, some Russiagate.
Upon receipt of Horowitz report, Barr (video ; script realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/12/…) identified key issue as why FBI persisted with Crossfire, even concealing exculpatory Danchenko interview info. Assigned to Durham.

3 years later, Durham hasn't provided any answer. His prosecution of Sussmann was irrelevant to Barr's question. And his prosecution of Danchenko perversely targeted the person whose information ought to have "collapsed" the FBI operation, rather than using him to answer Barr.

despite pointlessness of Durham indictments, exhibits to Sussmann trial had some interesting information though unfortunately the information was almost entirely limited to 2016 BEFORE the events relevant to Barr's question. Thus far, shamefully, NO Danchenko exhibits available

Notice that Mar 8, 2017 Talking Points repeat, almost verbatim, an important footnote in Oct 2016 Carter Page FISA application. (In process, providing additional confirmation of "Russian-based sub-source" as infill to redaction.)

A couple of important observations on this.
By March 2017, it was KNOWN to FBI that Steele's "Russian-based sub-source" actually lived in northern Virginia and that, rather than FBI having "no control" over him, FBI was in process of making him an FBI "made man" CHS.

investigation of these (and similar) misrepresentations by FBI were what Barr assigned Durham to do, but which Durham has either not done or not reported on.

The version of the Mar 8, 2017 Talking Points memo didn't show the lead author who was responsible for these false misrepresentations. Or who approved it.

The answer is quite delicious. I'll pick up this thread in a few hours, but readers are invited to guess.

Readers were quick to guess the right answer: Lisa Page was lead author of the Mar 8 Talking Points. There is proof of this in multiple emails involving DOJ scattered through a FOIA series. (No corresponding FBI disclosure). I'll probably do sepaate thread on them.

due to the Strzok-Page texts, Lisa Page was obviously a person of extreme interest to Horowitz who discussed her involvement at Crossfire at considerable length, but either was unaware of her authorship of Mar 8 Talking Points or failed to discuss. Here are H's two main findings:

in the opening summary of Horowitz Report (which is all that most reporters read), Horowitz said that Page "attended some of the discussions regarding opening" of Crossfire, but "did not play a role in the decision" to open. One other irrelevant mention in Summary.

while Horowitz' statement in Summary was technically correct, we now know that Page, as lead author of Mar 8 Talking Points misrepresentations, had integral role in escalation of Crossfire Hurricane from a investigation that had lost its predicate into lawfare insurrection.

Horowitz gave a longer set of findings re Lisa Page in text on 67-68. Priestap said Page was "'not in charge of anything' and that he never witnessed her attempt to steer the investigation or dictate investigative actions". Horowitz didn't ask Priestap about Talking Points memo.

James Baker (now with Twitter) said Page "attended high-level meetings and knew facts of the case, but was not in a 'decision making position' and had no 'decision making
authority'". He didn't mention that Page wrote memo to authorize the critical escalation of Crossfire.

McCabe said Page "was the 'facilitation point' between CD and his office during the investigation". McCabe left out the part about Lisa Page being lead author of the Mar 8 Talking Points which escalated Crossfire into lawfare insurrection.

Lisa Page herself said "she did not have a formal role in Crossfire Hurricane investigation but may have participated in team meetings to keep McCabe aware of status of investigation".

Page's statement concealed critical information about the period that later concerned Barr.

as I've mentioned previously, ONE DAY AFTER Sessions' recusal, Comey held meeting with his top consiglieres in which they decided to take Crossfire public, using Congressional briefings as a mechamism. They were tired of "being beaten up" and criticized.

on Saturday Mar 4, 2017 (recusal +2) at 8:34 PM, McCabe sent a text to REDACTED saying that “boss [Comey] wants us to push the congressional side as much as possible”.

a few weeks later, on March 30, after s..t hit the fan from Comey's public reveal of Crossfire at public House Intel Committee hearing on Mar 20, Comey lied to Trump that he hadn't appeared at hearing "as a volunteer", but documents prove that Comey instigated and orchestrated it

back to Sat Mar 4. McCabe held conference call with DOJ about their plan to take Crossfire public via Congress. At 9:01 PM, McCabe emailed Priestap and Lisa Page commissioning them to draft talking points to "frame the brief to the hill".
They were moving quickly after recusal.

Lisa and Priestap were at the office before 8 AM Sunday Mar 5, later joined by Strzok. Many texts from that day (in several versions), all of which make more sense in context now available.

at 4 PM Mar 5, McCabe scheduled a conference call between senior Comey consiglieris and the Talking Points trio of Priestap, Page, Strzok - all of whom had also been present at the conception of Crossfire Hurricane in late July 2016.

at 6:20PM on Sunday Mar 5, Lisa Page distributed the first draft of the Talking Points to senior FBI officials (Comey's consiglieris) plus Moffa and Strzok

the next day (March 6 - 3 days since recusal), FBI officials briefed senior DOJ (ODAG) officials. Notes on this meeting by Scott Schools, Mary McCord and Tash Gauhar were made available on May 8, 2022 during Sussmann disclosure courtlistener.com/docket/6039058…

according to the notes by DOJ officials, the FBI agents made NO mention in the briefing about Danchenko's revelations on the lack of valid sourcing for Steele dossier allegations.

At 11:14AM, Monday Mar 6, 2017, Lisa Page emailed a draft version of the Talking Points to Tashina Gauhar (DOJ Office of DAG) and Mary McCord (DOJ National Security Division.) McCord was and is a very partisan Democrat activist.

through the day of March 6, 2017, the Talking Points - presumably containing the false information about the "Russian-based sub-source" over whom FBI "had no control" - was circulated to DOJ officials George Toscas, Stu Evans, plus Baker, Ghattas, Priestap, McCabe

in the evening, Strzok texted REDACTED saying that "entire process is trying to get DOJ to say yes on brief". And DOJ were "idiots if they really think we're going to wait for a yes. Or that the D[Comey] is like the idiots they work for and actually need TPs in order to brief".

most of these texts were withheld in original release of Strzok-Page texts. Below is the only text from this sequence in original drop. And the texts obviously have much more meaning when placed in context of documents about progressing TPs in order to take Crossfire to public.

the next day (Tues March 7 recusal+5), FBI urgently sought meeting with DOJ to review Talking Points. It seems to have taken place in mid-afternoon, tho (thus far) no minutes or notes from this important briefing have been released.

at 9:46AM Mar 7, REDACTED asked for info on scheduling of briefing.

at 11:3AM, an intriguing text: "we just sent the new version [TPs] to DOJ. Rybicki's view is earliest the briefing could be is mid-afternoon. Jay knows ... "

Who is Jay? FBI or DOJ?
Laufman and CECS were heavily involved in Russiagate. Could it be Laufman's deputy, Jay Bratt?

at 1:55PM, Mary McCord emailed Scott Schools (cc Toscas, Evans, Gauhar) with DOJ NSD comments on Talking Points, saying "FBI is eager to move" and offered to meet FBI that afternoon. Schools reverted with comments and proposed meeting times.

that afternoon, Devin Nunes announced first public hearing on Russia's meddling in US elections", inviting Comey. Strzok passed news on to Page.
Nunes had played into Comey's plan, as this was precisely the opportunity to take Crossfire public that Comey had been engineering.

at 6:36PM, Strzok was "about to explode", "furious" about some "exceptionally bad judgement" to do with the Russiagate case/Talking Points. Needless to say, no one seems to have asked Strzok what the "exceptionally bad judgement" was.

through Mar 7 evening, DOJ officials worked on Talking Points. None of them corrected the flagrant errors and falsehoods featured in the approved version. Schools at 7:59PM; Gauhar at 10:22PM. Gauhar and Rybicki worked at scheduling next day meet betw Comey and A/DAG [Boente]

on March 8, Lisa Page finalized the Talking Points memo that would be used to escalate Crossfire. Rybicki coordinated with DOJ officials to arrange meeting betw Comey and A/DAG Boente.

in the evening of Mar 8, Gauhar confirmed to Lisa Page and others that Comey and A/DAG Boente had met. She edited TPs to reflect "a concern" expressed by Boente. Which unfortunately wasn't about the multiple inaccuracies and omissions in the TPs.

while Comey and FBI were progressing their plan to take Crossfire Hurricane to the public, other plots were also festering. CNN did long article on March 9 reviving the Alfa Bank hoax that FBI cyber had sneered at in October. edition.cnn.com/2017/03/09/pol…

CNN reported that the Alfa Bank "communications" were being investigated by FBI counterintelligence. We now know that McCain's Armed Services Committee (pals with Joffe) was using Democrat operative Dan Jones, who was coordinating with Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS. A total hoax.

about one week after Comey's Mar 8, 2017 meeting with A/DAG Boente (then senior DOJ Russiagate official), Comey met with Senate Judiciary leadership (Grassley, Feinstein), thus progressing plan set in motion immediately after Sessions' recusal.

One presumes that Comey met with other congressional leadership (SSCI and Dem House leadership), but nearly all records of Comey's actions leading up to his March 20 testimony are presently concealed.

because documents from March 2017 (as lawfare insurrection ratcheted up) are so scarce, I'll parse the notes from Comey's briefing.
Their first question was about jurisdiction. First noted discussion was about Flynn. (In which, of course, FBI misrepresentations are large issue.)

next, there is mention of "Mayflower" - maybe someone can explain.
Discussion turned to contemporary Trump allegations of wiretaps. Comey: "no info to support to Potus". Other than Carter Page FISA, NSLs on Flynn and others, Joffe running around with DNS info (and disinfo)

second question was for documents/transcripts. Comey answer not reported.
third question was redacted beyond identification, but alluded once again to Flynn and whether they would get a summary report,

questions then turned to Steele dossier, then the main predicate for continuing Crossfire. Comey did NOT report to Senate Judiciary that Danchenko had revealed the lack of sourcing for dossier. Instead, Comey deceptively said "Smoke, no fire yet". A totally dishonest rendering.

Comey did admit to Senate Judiciary that "no evidence that Trump campaign colluded", but this admission was offset by "Smoke, no fire yet".

the Mar 8 Talking Points approved by DOJ for briefing congress contained the lurid Steele dossier claim that Manafort "managed" relationship between Trump campaign and Russia, using Carter Page as intermediary. Feinstein chimed in that "Manafort is the serious player".

(presumably) Comey raised question of how Papadop know about "the offer" when "news of hacking hadn't happened yet". In fact, email hacking itself hadn't happened yet (it took place on May 23-25). FBI was then and still obfuscates on the chronological impossibility.

Comey said (speaking accurately for a change) that "much in the press is not true".

on March 20, Comey testified to House Intel Committee, announcing for the first time that Trump campaign was under FBI investigation for possible collusion, at very time that original Crossfire predicate had more or less fallen apart. (Tho this was concealed by Comey).

Comey, who had long told Trump that he could not publicly disclose existence or non-of investigation, had just announced investigation into Trump campaign, but refused to comply with Trump request to say publicly what he said privately- that Trump himself was not undervestigation

on Mar 30, Trump made one of the telephone calls that Comey documented. Trump (reasonably) didn't understand why Comey could make the one announcement, but not the other. Comey blew him off with insolent bafflegab, more or less daring Trump to fire him. We know what happened next