Opinion Piece in Observer Politics says Comey's Investigation Was a Sham

From Observer Politics

By John R. Schindler
John Schindler is a security expert and former National Security Agency analyst and counterintelligence officer. A specialist in espionage and terrorism, he's also been a Navy officer and a War College professor.

The FBI Investigation of EmailGate Was a Sham

NSA Analyst: We now have incontrovertible proof the Bureau never had any intention of prosecuting Hillary Clinton

According to Schindler, the FBI "never had much enthusiasm for prosecuting Hillary" or anyone over what's come out about her email situation at the State Department.

...the FBI completely ignored the appearance of highly classified signals intelligence in Hillary’s email, including information lifted verbatim from above-Top Secret NSA reports back in 2011. This crime, representing the worst compromise of classified information in EmailGate – that the public knows of, at least – was somehow deemed so uninteresting that nobody at the FBI bothered to ask anybody on Team Clinton about it.

This week, he says, by adding to the list of known immunity deals, it becomes clear to him that there was never any intention to prosecute anyone. He speaks of Pagliano and his recent refusal to show up for a Congressional subpoena (I've been meaning to do a piece on the Oversight Committee hearing to hold him in contempt, but it will take more hours of concentration than I have had recently). Of course he lists John Bentel and Heather Samuelson, but he saves his column inches for Cheryl Mills, about whom he says, "When Bill and Hillary need a fixer to help them bury the bodies – as they say inside the Beltway – trusty Cheryl Mills has been on call for the last quarter-century":

Mills served as the State Department’s Chief of Staff and Counselor throughout Hillary’s tenure as our nation’s top diplomat. Granting her immunity in EmailGate, given her deep involvement in that scandal – including the destruction of tens of thousands of emails so they could not be handed over to the FBI – now seems curious, to say the least, particularly because Mills sat in on Hillary’s chat with the Bureau regarding EmailGate.

(snip)

She played a key role in the Whitewater scandal of the 1990s – and so did James Comey. Fully two decades ago, when Comey was a Senate investigator, he tried to get Mills, then deputy counsel to Bill Clinton’s White House, to hand over relevant documents. Mills went full dog-ate-my-homework, claiming that a burglar had taken the files, leading Comey to unavoidably conclude that she was obstructing his investigation. Mills’ cover-up, the Senate investigators assessed, encompassed “destruction of documents” and “highly improper” behavior.

He comments about the recent revelation that President Obama was corresponding with Clinton on her private email on an email he kept under a pseudonym. How, Schindler asks, did the President NOT KNOW that this was not a State.gov email? I've read (and written here previously) that recipients did not see the full email address in the 'from' field in their email, but just the initial, "H". One would think the President may be more savvy than underlings at State, but I digress.

Schindler sums up with an argument which seems obvious to me:

Why Comey decided to give Mills a get-out-of-jail-free card is something that needs proper investigation. This is raw, naked politics in all its ugly and cynical glory. Corruption is the tamest word to describe this sort of dirty backroom deal which makes average Americans despise politics and politicians altogether.

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Bollox Ref's picture

is a sham.......... and always has been. One law for the 'in crowd', lots of awful laws for the shitheads beyond the walls.

And our blessed commentariat wonder why people don't give a shit and don't vote.

(Edited)

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

Pricknick's picture

and paid for.
Did anybody really expect anything else?
This countries so-called representation, is nothing but an new age mob I.e. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO). There's a law against that and the mob are making the rules for it. The fix is in and anybody that gets in the way will be sterilized at best.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Wink's picture

clear by Christmas last year that HRC was going to escape Email-gate like she's escaped all other "scandals." It was fun reading all them "we got her now!" posts from those still believing Email-gate would bring down Her Highness. Huh? If she were going down it would have happened last December... Since it didn't she isn't.
It also exposed our bigger troubles. Wasn't just the DNC and HRC we had to beat. We also had to beat Village Security (all the way up to the FBI and CIA) and the MSM that also serves to protect the Village and its media, wonks.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

reflectionsv37's picture

We've missed you!

It seems like just a couple weeks ago that we were all so interested in what testimony Brian Pagliano gave the FBI for his immunity deal. And then we find out that EVERYONE got immunity deals!! Party time at FBI headquarters!! All that immunity and no indictment or prosecutions? Who would have guessed?

I'd say I'm completely disgusted but only because I can't find the words to truly express how $%ing pissed I am over this. Why should anyone ever talk to the FBI again without a grant of immunity?

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“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
George W. Bush

MsGrin's picture

There may be a hearing in the full house on the move to censure Pagliano - or not, but the Oversight Committee hearing on the topic was popcorn-worthy to me, watching the Repugs make diligent, pro-democracy statements and the Dems all nothing-burger-ing and false-equivalencing about shrugging off a Congressional Subpoena. I found it riveting. Would take a long time to summarize and/or transcribe the crucial parts.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Pricknick's picture

Would take a long time to summarize and/or transcribe the crucial parts.

If I followed it all, I would likely be nauseated.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

MsGrin's picture

Hearing Republicans assert civic rights and demand democracy is quite surprising and engaging...

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

now. Sadly, I think the Repugnants have played us very, very well also. All those Tea Party loons that we all found so overwhelmingly threatening and concentrated on defeating (at least I sure did) while ConservaDems were playing it all out behind the scenes. Make us think the Repugnants are the only crazy corporate and war loving shills so we go out and vote Democrat, while all along, the One Party of America was fully in control. And they're still in control. Sure, we may see a few hearings, and some of those Tea Bags will scream to high heaven for their constituents eyes. But at the end of the day, nothing will really change, and those Repukes can only go so far in talking about corruption, they won't risk exposing it all, not in a million years. They are not only part of it but in many ways invented it's new iteration in America. They won't go far enough at all.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Wish MsGrin was running the FBI...

The corruption has become the norm, after consistently being 'left to stand as a done deal'.

Bush2 was apparently the first President to not only corporate-interest-stack the top levels of government but all the way down. And of course corrupt all agencies and isolate/demote and otherwise harass/dispose of individuals in their ranks who protested the lack of action against corporate offenders. That's Hillary's precedent from which she'll expand to direct corporate control, as personified by the Bush-initiated TPP Trojan Horse (and Fast-Tracked others waiting) being shoved though by Obama in what's claimed to be a 'legal and binding' on an unwitting public privately signed illegal and unconstitutional privately made agreement for which only those signing can be held responsible. The traitorous public officials being held responsible as such is essential.

So, Bush will be there palling around with the Obama's to help/see his scam going into effect and those pesky publics being officially enslaved for corporate profiteering as his countrymen and life on the planet all die of their abuses.

The government should and must be brought down over the exposure of all of this, before they bring all of the rest of us down with them.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

ggersh's picture

the government now is, all those "conspiracy theories" may not be all that theoretical after all. Wacko

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

RantingRooster's picture

[video:https://youtu.be/dwQT2cf_xWE algin:center]

Apparently the FBI needs hand written note from Hillary confessing her guilt.

RR Drinks

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C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

MsGrin's picture

This is some fancy tap-dancing:

Here's the link since the previous embed seems to be an embad: http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/09/25/clinton-mook-fbi.cnn

Have substituted embed code.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

snoopydawg's picture

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

MsGrin's picture

It didn't work for me either before and now it does with the new one...

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Amanda Matthews's picture

believe that MsGrin has it pretty well covered. I might have a bone or two to throw in, but probably not much left.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

Hey, if Hillary ever made a signed confession it would have been jokingly and yet another 'mistake'. The whole world is at stake here, and the Greeds are just about to close the deal on forever.

If I were stonetear, I'd never fly again. Or use exercise equipment. Or walk down the street alone...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

snoopydawg's picture

http://truepundit.com/exclusive-fbi-used-agents-as-pawns-to-insulate-hil...
FBI agents had been working hard to find evidence about not only Hillary's misuse of her private email server, but they were also looking into the pay for play with the Clinton foundation.
They started questioning whether they were working to bring charges against her or to cover up the charges.
This got their attention.

Agents, along with the country, had just absorbed the troubling optics of Attorney General Loretta Lynch meeting privately with the husband of the investigation’s primary target on a jet tarmac just days earlier. And then hours after that debacle, the FBI announced Hillary would venture to its headquarters, in a matter of hours, to finally answer the bureau’s lingering questions about how she handled classified and top secret emails as secretary of state.

And instead of seeing where the investigation would take them, they weren't able to ask certain questions.

Allegations of pay-for-play involving the Clinton Foundation were not properly vetted, ultimately white washed
FBI agents were blocked from serving search warrants to retrieve key evidence
Attempts to secure Clinton’s medical records to confirm her head injury were sabotaged by FBI Director James Comey
FBI agents were not allowed to interrogate witnesses and targets without warning
Clinton and aides were provided special VIP accommodations during interviews
FBI suspended standard investigative tactics employed in other probes
FBI agents efforts were often blocked, suppressed by FBI, DOJ brass
Agents lost faith that their superiors and DOJ wanted to see

And they were concerned about why Cheryl Mills was allowed to accompany Hillary when she was questioned because they knew that Mills was also under investigation.
Then they learned that she and others had been given immunity.
The fact that so many people were given immunity is a big tell for me that the FBI was never going to bring charges against Hillary and that Obama had stepped in to shut down the investigation. Who else would have the power to do that?
Obama, who has charged more people under the espionage act then all presidents combined also didn't charge Petrayous under the espionage act for giving his mistress classified information. Why the hell not? And rumors are that he is going to be in Hillary's administration.
The Best president since FDR has been the biggest disappointment to the millions who voted for his Hope and Change bullshit!

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

MsGrin's picture

...I am under the impression that it is ONLY for the material found on their computers from when they went through the emails from Clinton's server. Or at least that is how it has been presented so far.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

reflectionsv37's picture

it's difficult to believe much of anything they say at face value. The fact they basically kept these immunity deals quiet so long seems to indicate they never really wanted this information to become public in the first place. Pagliano's limited immunity deal was announced long ago, almost appearing that he used it as an excuse not give testimony to other investigations.

The FBI doesn't have much credibility anymore. If Mills and Samuelson were only given partial immunity, why did they give testimony in other actions? It wouldn't surprise me to find out they were given full immunity for any acts, past, present and future. The whole thing stinks!

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“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
George W. Bush

snoopydawg's picture

is that the FBI agents did want Hillary charged but it was Comey, Lynch and probably Obama that is making sure that she isn't charged.
Why else is Obama making sure that her emails aren't released until after the election. Did you have a chance to read the article?

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

recommendations about prosecution. But then, that statement comes from James B. Pants on Fire Comey.

So that’s what we found. Finally, with respect to our recommendation to the Department of Justice:

In our system, the prosecutors make the decisions about whether charges are appropriate based on evidence the FBI has helped collect. Although we don’t normally make public our recommendations to the prosecutors, we frequently make recommendations and engage in productive conversations with prosecutors about what resolution may be appropriate, given the evidence. In this case, given the importance of the matter, I think unusual transparency is in order.

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/statement-by-fbi-direct...

And, if you think about it, the statement doesn't make sense. What does transparency have to do with doing something you don't normally do at all? It would have made more sense if he had said something like, We don't normally make our prosecution recommendations public, but given the importance of this matter, transparency seems required."

The fact is that Lynch said she was going to leave the prosecution decision to the FBI because of her tarmac meeting with Bubba.

The whole thing just smells. Why am I even trying to make sense of their double speak?

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Perhaps because by so doing, you've exposed their double-speaking non-sense?

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

powerful organization and I am surprised that they have not blown the whistle on this affair. FBI agents are usually very protective of the agency's reputation and profile and this organization often speaks for them when active agents cannot themselves. I would have thought the investigative handcuffs the agents endured in this sham investigation would have warranted press releases.

I seldom agree with anything the FBI does, being the federal police arm of the conservative establishment(in my view), but they used to be very protective of their reputation.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

This needs to go viral! Unfortunate that the level of government corruption is such that verification of much of this is not even feasible...

The rank and file FBI would also be best advised not to fly, use exercise equipment or walk down any streets alone...

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0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Amanda Matthews's picture

King of the Loons, Screwey Louie Gohmert, who got all this entered into the Congressional Record.

Here's Louie at his finest. He starts out with this: (on Page H5324, first column, about 1/4 down the pg.)

A STEP BACKWARD IN RACE RELATIONS AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. KNIGHT). Under the Speaker’s announced policy of January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. GOHMERT) for 30 minutes.

Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, it is always an honor to appear here on the House floor, especially following colleagues giving an important address. I was saddened to see what seemed, in fact, to be a huge step backwards in racial relations. ‘‘California State University Debuts Segregated Housing for Black Students."
'

And he really went off the rails when he gets a'goin' on this (Pg H5325, second column, 2/3 down the pg.)

In the meantime, we have an investigation by the FBI into all this money, tens of millions—hundreds of millions—of dollars flowing into the Clinton Foundation. When people heard FBI Director James Comey stand up and basically spell out a lay-down case against Hillary Clinton for violating the law that ultimately came to the conclusion that there is nothing behind this curtain, so no good prosecutor would consider prosecuting this case, he failed to talk to good prosecutors who were prosecuting cases in which they had much less to go on than what had already been admitted.

Okay, now he's really on a roll (H5326, top of page, first column, first paragraph)

But we heard over and over, gee, FBI Director Comey would never do anything but absolutely perfectly aboveboard.

But then this article by Patrick Howley, 10 September, came out. I was shocked. It said: ‘‘A review of FBI Director James Comey’s professional history and relationships shows that the Obama cabinet leader—now under fire
for his handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton—is deeply entrenched in the big-money cronyism culture of
Washington, D.C. His personal and professional relationships—all undisclosed as he announced the Bureau would not
prosecute Clinton—reinforce bipartisan concerns that he may have politicized the criminal probe.

WOW! Screwey's being a bad ass, talking *smack* to the Director of the FBI. He talks about his connections to the Clinton Foundation, his position on the board of HSBC Holding and the Clinton Foundation ties, and then he gets personal, he goes for family. (Page H5326, middle column, 1/4 down pg.) /ins>

‘‘James Comey was not questioned about his relationship with Peter Comey in his confirmation hearing. DLA Piper is the firm that performed the independent audit of the Clinton Foundation in November during Clinton-World’s first big push to put the
email scandal behind them. DLA Piper’s employees taken as a whole represent a major Hillary Clinton 2016
campaign donation bloc and Clinton Foundation donation base.

‘‘DLA Piper ranks number 5 on Hillary Clinton’s all-time career Top Contributors list, just ahead of Goldman Sachs. And here is thing: Peter Comey has a mortgage on his house that is owned by his brother’’ James another Comey, the FBI director. Peter
Comey’s financial records obtained by Breitbart News showed that he ‘‘bought a $950,000 house in Vienna, Virginia, in
June 2008. He needed a $712,500 mortgage from First Savings Mortgage Corporation.

‘‘But on January 31, 2011, James Comey and his wife stepped in to become Private Party lenders. They granted a mortgage on the house for $711,000.’’ Anyway, it is just rather interesting: Who had any idea that the Comey family had such ties to the Clinton Foundation?

‘‘Peter Comey designed the FBI building.

"

https://www.congress.gov/crec/2016/09/12/CREC-2016-09-12.pdf

So, someday when the planet has cooled down enough that it can't be seen by the naked eye from ten thousand light years away, and aliens can come and see what all the wreckage is about, they will be able to read about Shillary Clinton and James Comey and what dishonest shits the were/are.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

riverlover's picture

in the Clinton administration And Comey was told to back off and to shackle the investigation. Mr. HSBC made up New Rules and contaminated the process causing frustration of the professional FBI agents. Two sets of rules, the powerful are protected, the powerless are prosecuted or at least warned of job loss, pension loss and reputation damage. Nice collegial approach, Mr Comey. Livid agents were muzzled and apparently realized by January that the investigations were compromised. It was not in the FBI job descriptions that they would assume DoJ prosecutorial duties, at least by Comey.

The corporate capture of the three branches of government is a done deal. Burn it all down, nothing is worth saving. Parity of punishment.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

The FBI agents were required to sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), which is a very rare occurrence, before the "investigation" got underway. It was a sham indeed, Kabuki theater of the highest order, to run out the clock and protect a criminal traitor-in-chief. Ram Her down our throats and let the little people choke on Her nothing burger.

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riverlover's picture

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.