Saturday, May 19, 2018

The dog that still isn't barking

Andrew McCarthy continues to unwrap the real scandal in the Trump/Russia investigation, but see if you can spot the problem with this otherwise excellent bit of analysis:
The fons et origo of the counterintelligence investigation was the suspicion — which our intelligence agencies assure us is a fact — that the Democratic National Committee’s server was hacked by covert Russian operatives. Without this cyber-espionage attack, there would be no investigation. But how do we know it really happened? The Obama Justice Department never took custody of the server — no subpoena, no search warrant. The server was thus never subjected to analysis by the FBI’s renowned forensics lab, and its evidentiary integrity was never preserved for courtroom presentation to a jury. 
How come? Well, you see, there was an ongoing election campaign, so the Obama Justice Department figured it would be a terrible imposition to pry into the Democrats’ communications. So, yes, the entire “Russia hacked the election” narrative the nation has endured for nearly two years hinges on the say-so of CrowdStrike, a private DNC contractor with significant financial ties to the Clinton campaign. 
In Investigations 101, using foreign-intelligence authorities to spy on Americans is extraordinary, while taking custody of essential physical evidence is basic. By the way, the government’s failure to ensure the evidentiary integrity of the DNC server by taking possession of it and performing its own rigorous testing on it makes it practically impossible to prosecute anyone for “colluding” in Russia’s cyber-espionage. It’s tough to prove that anyone conspired in something unless you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the something actually happened the way you say it happened. To do that in a courtroom, you need evidence — a confident probability analysis by your intelligence agencies won’t do.

Emphasis in original. Still, there's something important here -- the question isn't about CrowdStrike, or about the FBI's perfidy. The real question is why the DNC didn't want their server to be analyzed? Any guesses? I have two:

  • If the FBI analyzed the server, they'd have found some things the DNC would not have wanted anyone to know
  • Was the server actually hacked? Or did the information come out in some other way, like grabbed on a zip drive?
Someone knows the truth. A lot of very powerful people in Washington don't want the truth to come out. 

3 comments:

Gino said...

McCarthy needs to keep hammering on this stuff... til somebody in a proper position to bring justice brings it.

how long has it been since McCabe was refered for prosecution? why still no indictment?
we got beyond a doubt proof of Comey's lawbreaking. where is the indictment?

Why is Mueller allowed to go along unfettered, destroying lives of people for an investigation that he knows is a sham?
I have a guess... he knows his investigation, and his reputation, are swirling the drain. he's trying to beat the clock hoping the Dems take the house at which point he will recommend impeachment proceedings. He cannot stop. he has too much to lose. He lost a great deal of respect already in many quarters. he needs to preserve what ever cocktail parties he'll be invited to in the future.
Mueller, at this point, is a desperate man. This also makes him even more dangerous.

Mr. D said...

Why is Mueller allowed to go along unfettered, destroying lives of people for an investigation that he knows is a sham?
I have a guess... he knows his investigation, and his reputation, are swirling the drain. he's trying to beat the clock hoping the Dems take the house at which point he will recommend impeachment proceedings. He cannot stop.


A lot of people are depending on him. It's difficult to be patient, but there's enough already in the public record to suggest this is all going to blow up on the Deep State big time. I often don't like what Trump says, but I've learned that he understands timing better than just about anyone in public life. Mueller was foisted upon him, but he's had the strategic patience to let it play out and now his opposition is out on a limb and he has a saw.

Gino said...

i hear ya...
Trump, the celebrity billionaire, i never really was a fan of, and at times was disgusted by him.
i always knew he was smart packager of himself, and gave him credit for that.

but him as President... he amazes me almost every day.
as his sons say repeatedly "He is the most amazing man".

i cant wait for the day when he holds a summit with Putin. whispers are, he wants one but Putin keeps backing down.