"the facts reveal this new assessment was based on information that was known by those involved to be manufactured i.e. the Steele Dossier or deemed as not credible. This was politicized intelligence..."
From the Durham Report discussion of the 371 conspiracy statute:
Dasting footnote from the Durham Report on when political activity, such as opposition research, becomes criminal activity:
🤔
Would this letter happen to include the numbers 28 and 600 anywhere on it?
Did @AGPamBondi just appoint a Special Counsel?
Because you don’t announce grand juries or send letters to prosecutors saying “hey, go do a grand jury now.”
Grand juries are secret, from beginning to end and are a product of an investigation that’s already been well in motion for a period of time.
So, this backstory of the source doesn’t make sense.
@AGPamBondi But it DOES make sense if the letter Fox News saw contains language like this:
@AGPamBondi DOJ announced the Strike Force just ten days ago.
@AGPamBondi And @DNIGabbard made the referral(s) only 15 days ago.
@AGPamBondi @DNIGabbard I know people don’t want to hear this, but...
It's far too soon for indictments.
An indictment coming out less than a month after the referral would likely be for some low level crimin’, not big time conspiracy crimin’.
@AGPamBondi @DNIGabbard I think the backstory for this Fox News report makes a lot more sense if the letter they saw names a special counsel, but there's an embargo on using that term, so they characterized it in the manner that they did.
Of course, I don't know if AG Bondi just appointed a special counsel. This could just be Fox News sensationalizing a letter that was leaked, and all the letter does is name someone to lead the strike force.
I do think a special counsel is necessary, though, and that she will appoint one before the end of the year.
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At the detention hearing on Dec 30, we learned that prosecutors had a 2-count indictment against Cole from a "local grand jury," meaning one empaneled by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia—not one empaneled by the federal court.
🧵Richman v. United States
(Arctic Haze search warrant material case)
ORDER: DOJ must get a search warrant for Arctic Haze/Richman materials seized from Richman in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
And that includes materials under seal in the EDVA and within DOJ "component" offices.
Backstory:
Just days after United States v. Comey was dismissed for Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan being unlawfully appointed, Daniel Richman, who is Person 3 from the indictment in the Comey case, filed a civil case against the DOJ.
Richman wants the property he volunteered to DOJ in 2017 and the materials that were seized from him pursuant to the four Arctic Haze search warrants in 2019 and 2020 to be returned to him.
A D.C. Superior Court grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Cole for the same two counts charged in the criminal complaint—18 U.S.C. 844(d) and 844(i).
This indictment has not been filed publicly but was presented to the judge yesterday.
2/5
Federal prosecutors using a local grand jury in this way is a new thing in DC. It came about thanks to the Trump Admin's push to neutralize criminal activity in the capital.
But the issue is currently before the Court of Appeals.