New: "F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia"

[MelissaB]

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

WASHINGTON — In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.

The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.

The investigation the F.B.I. opened into Mr. Trump also had a criminal aspect, which has long been publicly known: whether his firing of Mr. Comey constituted obstruction of justice.

Agents and senior F.B.I. officials had grown suspicious of Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign but held off on opening an investigation into him, the people said, in part because they were uncertain how to proceed with an inquiry of such sensitivity and magnitude. But the president’s activities before and after Mr. Comey’s firing in May 2017, particularly two instances in which Mr. Trump tied the Comey dismissal to the Russia investigation, helped prompt the counterintelligence aspect of the inquiry, the people said.

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html

[MelissaB]

1. More:

The decision to investigate Mr. Trump himself was an aggressive move by F.B.I. officials who were confronting the chaotic aftermath of the firing of Mr. Comey and enduring the president’s verbal assaults on the Russia investigation as a “witch hunt.”

A vigorous debate has taken shape among some former law enforcement officials outside the case over whether F.B.I. investigators overreacted in opening the counterintelligence inquiry during a tumultuous period at the Justice Department. Other former officials noted that those critics were not privy to all of the evidence and argued that sitting on it would have been an abdication of duty.

[yardwork]

17. Overreacted?

But Hillary's emails.

Face palm.

[erronis]

40. ""The decision to NOT investigate Mr. Trump himself would be an aggressive move by F.B.I."

Note my NOT.

When does an investigative agency in charge of security within the country NOT investigate possible criminal activities?

Why should they be in a position of making value judgements of these magnitudes?

After this shit has dried off the fan from the prosecution of trump/family/(R)/enablers/funders, I hope we have a very deep investigation into the role of the various agencies that are supposed to protect this country.

CIA, NSA, FBI, DIA, ETC.

[bitterross]

2. They would have been remiss not to.

It is their job.

[FreeState]

3. Part of the Muller investigation now too!

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, took over the inquiry into Mr. Trump when he was appointed, days after F.B.I. officials opened it. That inquiry is part of Mr. Mueller’s broader examination of how Russian operatives interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Trump associates conspired with them. It is unclear whether Mr. Mueller is still pursuing the counterintelligence matter, and some former law enforcement officials outside the investigation have questioned whether agents overstepped in opening it.

[enough]

4. Can someone explain what there is in this article that is new? I've read it twice and

can’t see anything. I’m sure Rachael will explain.

[BigmanPigman]

6. It is on both CNN and MSNBC as "new" right now.

Breaking news on both stations.

[fountainofyouth]

8. It's a new investigative line of inquiry

Previously we knew that Acting FBI Director McCabe approved a criminal investigation into obstruction of justice against the President, on top of the pre-existing investigations into Manafort, Flynn, Papadopoulos, and whoever else.

But it was never revealed (until now) that the Bureau started a counterintelligence investigation into the President himself -- in other words, an investigation to determine whether the President was acting as an agent of a foreign power.

[wishstar]

9. Adds counterintelligence probe of Trump in WH helping Russia to the collusion and obstruction probes

Previously we only knew FBI was investigating Trump campaign collusion with Russia to get him elected and then Trump's obstruction of the investigation into his campaign. This new bombshell says FBI decided to investigate Trump's activities as President as potential threat to our country because of his pro-Russia policies and the firing of Comey to shut down the investigation into Russia involvement in campaign.

[Honeycombe8]

21. I've not heard before that Trump was personally under investigation...

for what amounts to be treason or traitorous behavior.

The investigation for Mueller was to investigate the interference of Russia in our election process, and possible obstruction of justice by Trump.

Before the obstruction of justice assignment to Mueller, Trump was not personally being investigated. Trump wanted Comey to make a public statement to that effect (he asked at that dinner mtg w/Comey, per Comey), and Comey confirmed at the hearing that Trump was not personally being investigated by the FBI.

As this article says, it was the firing of Comey that caused them to start investigating Trump personally, when added to other things they knew. Just a few days later, it was transferred to Mueller.

[triron]

32. It is new for MSM. Not for a lot of us.

I figured this 2 years ago.

[bdamomma]

41. No not

for us, those of us who have reading between the lines know that this Russian interference is and is still happening.

Putin an Ex KGB'er agent wanted to see the demise of the US, and it's happening and he couldn't be happier.

Also McConnell is also involved and those who have slithered away after destroying the Departments they were heading.

Stephen Miller has to be brought into the spotlight too.

[NBachers]

5. I hope they're looking into Giuliani's New York FBI election-influencing Hillary-hating cell.

[karynnj]

16. Giuliani, Hillary hating cell -- just hit me that they ran against each other until he had to drop

of his Senate run. he dropped out - speaking of his prostate cancer diagnosis, but no one in NY believed that having seen the front page of the NYC tabloids including stories of telling the media he was divorcing his wife before telling her.

[dhol82]

37. Oh god, yes!

I really, really, really want that subhuman group to go to the ninth circle of hell!

[erronis]

44. But slowly. To slowly descend through each gradient while broadcast on SatanTV

Could be a long-running Comedy of Terrors.

I'd like to watch his sepulcher smile peal back from those false teeth as he rots.

(Ok, I like morbid stuff. Sorry!

[dhol82]

67. Oooh, I love the way you think!

[PeeJ52]

7. Warm up the Twitter Machine

I feel a Tweet storm approaching.....

[superpatriotman]

28. No collusion

Witch hunt
Deep state
National emergency
Etc

[bdamomma]

42. WH response

called this NYT bomb

"It's absurd"



I want to see this regime go down in flames.

[superpatriotman]

47. Deflect to Obama

Deflect to Hillary

Anything but answering the question.

I can’t wait for this entire corrupt admin to be sent into the wilderness

[UniteFightBack]

10. I just woke up from a little nap and boy did i love waking up to that !!! nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

11. So the whole article is written in the past tense

No mention of anything ongoing. It would suck if they have since abandoned that tangent of the investigation.

[jberryhill]

13. We would not know if it was ongoing

[Amaryllis]

19. Mueller has it all.

[wishstar]

20. Mueller's Special Counsel investigation took over everything Trump/Russia related

All of the counterintelligence info collected by FBI is part of Mueller probe which we found out recently is investigating Trump Tower Moscow (involving Cohen) and the sanctions relief proposals involving Manafort , Cohen, Flynn and Sater and there were 3 mystery investigations that were redacted in the Flynn sentencing memo.

[mastermind]

49. If the MSM was really doing its job this breaking news would have happened back in 2017. nt

[lanlady]

54. to be fair

CI investigations are among the Government's mostly closed held secrets.

[manor321]

12. K&R

[Honeycombe8]

14. This is explosive. Nothing good for Trump came from firing Comey, it seems.

Wow. I did not know this.

I haven't read the article yet. I wonder if it says who is saying this, or if it was leaked. Did Trump and his attorneys know it? Is that why McCabe was fired? What did they find, if anything? Was it shut down? So many questions.

[hedda_foil]

15. "Whether T was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow's influence

[yardwork]

18. Everything he does is unwitting. He has no wits.

[flibbitygiblets]

34. It's true. That man is utterly witless.

Also possibly dickless.

[yardwork]

35. Lol! I love that scene.

[dhol82]

38. Exactly!

[Poiuyt]

61. I think he's a halfwit.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

63. but he's as devious as a weasel with the morals of a rat

[dhol82]

68. I would go with quarter or nit.

[wishstar]

22. Interesting timing right before Barr hearings start and right after Mnuchin wants sanctions lifted

About time there is more emphasis on the national security importance of the Trump/Russia investigations since Trump and Repubs politicized it all and are ignoring the potential national security threat of Trump and Russia.

[mucifer]

25. Yup seems like there is some purposeful leaking going on.

[superpatriotman]

31. Rosenstein

Has to be

Or it could be one of thousands of patriots who recognize that we are truly fucked if this criminal administration continues unchecked.

I want McConnell investigated next.

[dhol82]

39. Oh, please - McConnell!

May the man die in slime above his head.

[bdamomma]

45. McConnell

Lindsey Graham, Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, and those other Congress people we don't know about who committed treason on our country.

[Achilleaze]

65. repubes sold out America for dirty money from the evil empire* of russia

* per ronald freaking reagan (R)

[uponit7771]

66. +1

[Generic Brad]

23. Geez. Its like the FBI doesn't like presidents giving state secrets to Russians in the Oval Office

Nothing suspicious there.

[Ilsa]

24. I would hope the FBI would investigate.

It seemed pretty obvious to us on DU after we got the Russian pics and audio of trump telling the russians he had invited into the Oval Office that he got rid of Comey to relieve the pressure on himself.

[RHMerriman]

27. Definitions: "Counterintelligence investigation" is of Benedict Arnold;

Definitions: "Counterintelligence investigation" is of what Benedict Arnold was doing; "criminal investigation" is of Mrs. Arnold lying to the investigators about where Benedict was last night...

Trump makes Arnold and Wilkinson look like patriots.

[Gothmog]

26. This is a BFD

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Turbineguy]

29. Secretly?

as in "pretty fucking obvious"?

[Gothmog]

30. We were warned

Link to tweet

?s=20

[byronius]

33. And all decent Americans heard her, and sounded the alarm.

All traitorous dolts kept pushing it over the edge, to where we are now.

Freefall.

[Doodley]

36. No, Trump has NOT secretly work for the Russians. He has done it out in the open.

[kyburbonkid]

43. Trump is a freaking Russian stooge

That's a known fact. Impeach the bastard.

[bdamomma]

48. Destroying

this country, look at what's happening now, everything is hurting, our people, environment.

This POS must be stopped, McConnell needs to be held accountable too.

[Gothmog]

46. The FBI had the facts to justify this investigation

Link to tweet

?s=20

[ffr]

50. Afghanistan, Belarus, and Montenegro

What we have are three instances—Afghanistan, Belarus, and Montenegro—when Donald Trump has promoted propaganda embraced by no one in the world except Vladimir Putin. Here is Chuck Rosenberg, former DEA administrator, commenting on what that means:

Link to tweet

"I don’t mean to be an alarmist but...POTUS is echoing directly the line of the Kremlin on a whole bunch of things.... this is something U.S. Intel officials have to understand: why is the Pres. saying what hes saying?"- Chuck Rosenberg w/ @NicolleDWallace - WashingtonMonthly

When it's hard to understand how something can be so complicated, it's very possible that the answer you seek is the simplest one.

What else would explain his secret one-on-one meetings with Putin behind closed doors.

RUSSIAN
ASSET

TRAITOR

If Trump Is Not a Russian Asset, What Explains His Behavior?

[Roadside Attraction]

51. Don't say you weren't warned

All this has been covered before . . . in detail.


Trump/Russia: A Definitive History, by Seth Hettena.

House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia, by Craig Unger.

Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and how Russia Helped Donald Trump Win, by Luke Harding.

The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy, by Greg Miller.

Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America, by Seth Abramson.

[Hekate]

52. Kick and kick and kick

[Gothmog]

53. Putin owns trump

Link to tweet

?s=20

[dalton99a]

55. Beyond any doubt.

[Blue Owl]

56. Red Dawn III starring Red Don

n/t

[ffr]

58. lol

[Nitram]

57. We have never had a president who conspired against our nation with a hostile power.

We never believed it was possible. So, yes, maybe the FBI and intelligence services erred on the side of caution.Who can blame them. The alternative we unthinkable until Trump and Co. came along. But now they all know what they're dealing with, and they are dealing with it. They know it takes time and finesse. Jumping the gun will just help Trump and Co achieve their ends.

[UniteFightBack]

59. I believe this is laying the groundwork to prepare the American people for the biggest political

scandal to possibly ever befall this country.

And to think we knew about IT ALL from the BEGINNING.

[Dream Girl]

60. Yep they are breaking it to us slowly

[Stuart G]

62. Yes, a HUGE SHOW.....is coming. And this is the Opening Credits.

Why..?? A crook with lots of experience and the belief that he will never get "caught" is at the top
.....................and that crook is not named "Putin" but is named "Trump"

[Achilleaze]

64. republicans betrayed America

They will pay for their treason

[ck4829]

69. K&R