Chinese phone maker Huawei says it didn't take Facebook data

Chinese phone maker Huawei, a firm flagged by U.S. intelligence officials as a national security threat, on Wednesday said it neither collected nor stored user data Facebook provided as part of a partnership with the social media giant.

Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly said the arrangement was about making Facebook’s services more convenient for users, particularly for older phones.

The recent revelation that Facebook has data-sharing partnerships with at least four Chinese electronics companies, including telecom equipment firm Huawei, founded by former Chinese military officer Ren Zhengfei, is drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Members of the Senate Commerce Committee said CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to them earlier this year that he would improve security practices — but he failed to tell them his firm had data-sharing partnerships with at least 60 device manufacturers.

“The bottom line is these revelations are yet another example of questionable business practices by Facebook that could undermine basic consumer privacy,” Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, said Wednesday on the Senate floor. “Remember, less than two months ago, Mr. Zuckerberg appeared in front of our committee and apologized for his company’s negligence and pledged to do better.”

The latest reports, Mr. Nelson added, made it “hard to know what’s true anymore. And now we learn that Facebook gave Chinese companies believed to be national security risks access to user data. What in the world is next and what in the world is going to protect Americans’ personally identifiable private information?”

On Tuesday, Facebook’s vice-president of mobile partnerships, Francisco Varela, disclosed that the Silicon Valley-based firm has data-sharing partnerships with Chinese firms Huawei, Lenovo, OPPO and TCL.

“Huawei is the third largest mobile manufacturer globally and its devices are used by people all around the world, including in the United States. Facebook along with many other US tech companies have worked with them and other Chinese manufacturers to integrate their services onto these phones,” Francisco Varela, Facebook’s VP of mobile partnerships, said in a statement.

Huawei and its Shenzhen-based rival ZTE have been the subject of security concerns in the U.S. for years. In May, the Pentagon banned the sale of Huawei and ZTE phones on military bases, months after AT&T dropped a deal to sell a new Huawei smartphone.

Facebook has also spent months in the spotlight — initially for failing to stop a wave of Russian propaganda from abusing the social media platform during the 2016 presidential election — then for the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The now defunct British political research firm collected personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users and allegedly used it to attempt to influence voter opinion in elections. The ensuing controversy forced Mr. Zuckerberg to testify before Congress in April.

Earlier this week, Senate Commerce Committee chairman John Thune, South Dakota Republican, and Mr. Nelson, the committee’s ranking Democrat, demanded answers from Mr. Zuckerberg in a letter written in response to a New York Times report that the manufacturers who shared user data were able to access “user friends data” even if the friends had denied giving permission to share info with third parties.

In their letter, the senators asked if Facebook audited any of the data-sharing partnerships under a 2011 consent order imposed by the Federal Trade Commission, which required the firm to secure consumers’ “express consent” before sharing personal data with third parties. They also asked if Mr. Zuckerberg wanted to revise his testimony before the committee.

Meanwhile in London Wednesday, the former head of Cambridge Analytica clashed with British lawmakers investigating the use of Facebook data in election campaigns.

Alexander Nix told the U.K. Parliament’s media committee that while he was embarrassed at having been caught on camera boasting that he could entrap political figures by compromising them with bribes and Ukrainian women — he denied his firm acted unethically and insisted he was entrapped by unscrupulous, undercover journalists.

The firm filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after former employees alleged that it used personal information harvested from Facebook accounts to target voters during Donald Trump’s 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

Mr. Nix’s testimony comes just days after U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham told the European Parliament she was “deeply concerned” about the impact on democracy of the misuse of social media users’ personal information. She said legal systems had failed to keep up with the rapid development of the internet.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/chinese-phone-maker-huawei-says-it-didnt-take-face/

Inspector general report says Comey 'insubordinate,' raps Loretta Lynch for Clinton server probe

The Justice Department’s watchdog report says former FBI Director James B. Comey defied authority and it chastises former Attorney General Loretta Lynch for her handling of the Clinton email probe, according to ABC News.

Citing unnamed sources, ABC News said the inspector general report, which could be released as soon as this week, said Mr. Comey’s behavior was “insubordinate.”

The outlet also reported Inspector General Michael Horowitz criticized Ms. Lynch’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

The inspector general also criticizes former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe — as well as other top FBI officials — for the late discovery and handling of a laptop containing evidence linked to the Clinton investigation.

The president tweeted earlier this week, questioning why the report hasn’t yet been released.

“What is taking so long with the Inspector General’s Report on Crooked Hillary and Slippery James Comey. Numerous delays. Hope Report is not being changed and made weaker! There are so many horrible things to tell, the public has the right to know. Transparency!” Mr. Trump tweeted Tuesday.

The report is currently being reviewed and is expected to be released this month.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/inspector-general-report-says-james-comey-defied-a/

Senators hammer Facebook for answers on latest data-sharing fiasco

Lawmakers on Wednesday lashed out at Facebook in the wake of recent revelations that the social media giant appeared to hide data-sharing partnerships with Chinese firms that U.S. intelligence officials have flagged as security threats.

Members of the Senate Commerce Committee expressed deep frustration that CEO Mark Zuckerberg stood before them earlier this year and publicly pledged to improve security practices but made no mention of how the firm shared user data with at least 60 device manufacturers.

“The bottom line is these revelations are yet another example of questionable business practices by Facebook that could undermine basic consumer privacy,” Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, said Wednesday on the Senate floor. “Remember, less than two months ago, Mr. Zuckerberg appeared in front of our committee and … apologized for his company’s negligence and pledged to do better.”

The latest reports, Mr. Nelson added, made it “hard to know what’s true anymore. And now we learn that Facebook gave Chinese companies believed to be national security risks access to user data. What in the world is next and what in the world is going to protect Americans’ personally identifiable private information?”

On Tuesday the Silicon Valley-based firm admitted it has data-sharing partnerships with at least four Chinese electronics companies, including telecom equipment firm Huawei, which U.S. intelligence officials have called a national security threat.

In recent months, Chinese tech and telecom firms have faced intensifying scrutiny from U.S. intelligence officials who worry the outfits are possible portals for foreign espionage.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, South Dakota Republican, and Mr. Nelson, the committee’s ranking Democrat, began demanding answers from Mr. Zuckerberg in a letter they sent Facebook on Tuesday.

The correspondence was written in response to a New York Times report that the manufacturers who shared user data were able to access “user friends data” even if the friends had denied giving permission to share info with third parties.

In their letter, the senators asked if Facebook audited any of the data-sharing partnerships under a 2011 consent order imposed by the Federal Trade Commission, which required the firm to secure consumers’ “express consent” before sharing personal data with third parties.

They also asked if Mr. Zuckerberg wanted to revise his testimony before the committee in April.

Meanwhile Wednesday, the former head of political consultant Cambridge Analytica clashed with British lawmakers investigating the use of Facebook data in election campaigns. That private data scandal earlier this spring forced Mr. Zuckerberg to testify before Congress in Washington.

Alexander Nix told the U.K. Parliament’s media committee that while he was embarrassed at having been caught on camera boasting that he could entrap political figures by compromising them with bribes and Ukrainian women — he denied his firm acted unethically and insisted he was entrapped by unscrupulous, undercover journalists.

Cambridge Analytica filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after former employees alleged that it used personal information harvested from Facebook accounts to target voters during Donald Trump’s 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

Mr. Nix’s testimony comes just days after U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham told the European Parliament she was “deeply concerned” about the impact on democracy of the misuse of social media users’ personal information. She said legal systems had failed to keep up with the rapid development of the internet.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/senators-hammer-facebook-data-sharing-fiasco/

Secret Service blames local police for delayed arrest of dangerous fugitive working at White House

The Secret Service Wednesday night blamed the delay in arresting a White House National Security Council contractor wanted for attempted murder on the failure of Prince George’s County authorities to enter necessary information into a national crime database.

The agency said the case of Martese Edwards didn’t come to the attention of the Secret Service until Monday, even though Prince George’s official entered “limited information” about the suspect into the national database on May 17.

“Edwards did not come to the attention of the Secret Service at the time of warrant entry; due to the fact the original entry lacked a Universal Control Number or other personal identifiable information which would trigger an ‘alert’ to the Secret Service from the Criminal Justice Information System,” the Secret Service said in a statement.

Edwards, 30, of Suitland, was arrested Tuesday at a White House checkpoint as a fugitive who had evaded U.S. Marshals for weeks. He is charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting and injuring his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend last month.

The Prince George’s sheriff’s department said the warrant for Edwards had been listed in the criminal database since May 17. It said the department updated the warrant on Monday to add more personal details about Edwards, including his Social Security number, the fact that he has a tattoo on his right arm, and that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The county authorities asserted that the changes to the database would not have affected the timing of the Secret Service learning of the warrant.

But the Secret Service said it did not “receive notification of the warrant entry from the Criminal Justice Information System on May 17… nor was the Secret Service contacted by any law enforcement organization regarding the subject.”

“On June 4, 2018, the [Prince George’s sheriff’s department] entered additional identifiable information, including a Universal Control Number pertaining to Edwards into the same national database,” the Secret Service said. “As a result of that PGCSO update on June 4, 2018, the Secret Service was notified by the Criminal Justice Information System that Edwards was the subject of a warrant issued out of Prince George’s County.”

The agency said the warrant was verified, and Edwards “was promptly arrested” on Tuesday by Secret Service Uniformed

Division Officers at a checkpoint outside of the White House complex.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/martese-edwards-arrest-secret-service-blames-princ/

>>1656902

My thoughts exactly, perps won't be around much longer, I hope.

California's new water restrictions send residents fleeing to saner states

“Please sir, I want some more,” is no longer a sentiment just for Oliver Twist in the orphanage. A new law in California limits how much water can be used by each household. Now their showers, how many flushes, and how often they can do their laundry will be under the watchful eye of the state government.

This from politicians who have pushed policies creating homeless and drug abuse crises throughout the state. They have now decided to clamp down on the use of the most basic needs of civilized living.

As the blog Zero Hedge put it, “it’s now against the law to do laundry and shower on the same day in the Sunshine State,” and they’re not exaggerating. Under the guise of addressing “climate change,” the new bill rations water to a degree that makes it impossible to maintain a healthy home environment.

Perhaps the state wants everyone to feel like the drug addicts living in California’s ever-expanding homeless tent cities?

Zero Hedge reported, “Assembly Bill 1668 is where it gets personal. This establishes limits on indoor water usage for every person in California and the amount allowed will decrease even further over the next 12 years. ‘The bill, until January 1, 2025, would establish 55 gallons per capita daily as the standard for indoor residential water use, beginning January 1, 2025, would establish the greater of 52.5 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use, and beginning January 1, 2030, would establish the greater of 50 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use …’”

How do families feel about the rationing of water? CBS-13 in Sacramento asked a few: “‘With a child and every day having to wash clothes, that’s, just my opinion, not feasible. But I get it and I understand that we’re trying to preserve … but 55 gallons a day?” said Tanya Allen, who has a 4-year-old daughter.”

To give you perspective on how much water basic chores require, the station noted an eight-minute shower uses about 17 gallons of water, a load of laundry up to 40, and a bathtub can hold 80 to 100 gallons of water.

Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, explained this is happening, “So that everyone in California is at least integrating efficiency into our preparations for climate change.” That’s nice. This same bureaucrat then noted to CBS-13, “Right now we lose up to 30 percent of urban water just to leaks in the system.”

As the state rations the water of the average of family, making it impossible for everyone to shower and wash clothes, let alone use water to wash the dishes, and perform any myriad of other efforts to keep a home clean and a family healthy, it’s the state itself and its crumbling infrastructure that is the biggest waster of water.

In 2014, during the drought, Californians found out what happens when policy focuses on controlling people, which is much easier than actually governing and maintaining infrastructure.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/californias-new-water-restrictions-send-residents-/

Houston registrar battles to keep non-citizens on voter rolls

Official tests limits in cleaning up election lists

Houston’s registrar says she’s under no obligation to remove non-citizens from her voter rolls under the National Voter Registration Act, testing the limits of how far states and localities can go in trying to thwart efforts to clean up their election lists.

Ann Harris Bennett, registrar for Harris County in Texas, is battling to keep secret the names of non-citizens who signed up to vote and, in some cases, may have even cast ballots. In a federal court filing last week she said people can be removed for other reasons, but there is no requirement she erase names of people even after they tell her they aren’t citizens.

“Once a person is officially registered to vote, a state may only remove them from the voting list if: the person dies, changes residence, asks to be removed from the list, or becomes ineligible under state law because of criminal conviction or mental incapacity,” Ms. Bennett said in court papers. The National Voter Registration Act “does not create any obligation for a state to conduct a list maintenance program to remove the names of voters who may be ineligible due to lack of citizenship.”

Ms. Bennett is fighting a request by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a conservative group pushing to clean up voter rolls, which asked the county to turn over records of people who’d signed up to vote then later admitted they weren’t citizens.

She is one of what appears to be a trend of registrars arguing that groups looking to add more names to the voter rolls are protected by the NVRA, but those looking to trim bloated lists of old or erroneous names are not entitled to use the 1993 law to pry loose records.

Neal Kelley, the registrar in Orange County, California, made a similar argument in a response to the PILF last week, saying he would only turn over records “if the request is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the National Voter Registration Act which is to enhance voting opportunities for every American.”

Mr. Kelley demanded PILF provide proof that it’s trying to add more names to the voting rolls in order to get a look at the county’s citizenship records.

The pushback is perhaps to be expected after the PILF used the NVRA, popularly known as the “motor-voter law,” to demand records from other states and localities that showed their voting lists were bloated with people who admitted to not being citizens.

The NRVA gives private citizens the power to demand election officials share data on their efforts to maintain their voter rolls. But Mr. Kelley and Ms. Bennett say that power can only be invoked by people trying to add more names to the rolls, not for organizations like PILF trying to cut down on bogus names.

Logan Churchwell, a spokesman for the PILF, said Ms. Bennett was defending “needless government secrecy.”

He said one of their requests was for people who specifically asked to be removed, citing their own status as non-citizens — one of the conditions Ms. Bennett herself said was valid for list maintenance.

Mr. Churchwell and PILF founder J. Christian Adams both said Ms. Bennett is also misconstruing the history of the NVRA, which specifically says one goal is to ensure “accurate” voter lists.

“You cannot have ‘Motor Voter’ without list maintenance. We cannot gauge the efficacy of Harris County’ list maintenance efforts without lines of sight into their processes,” Mr. Churchwell said.

The question of non-citizens registered and, in some cases, voting in elections has become heated since President Trump claimed millions of illegal votes skewed the results of the 2016 election, costing him the popular vote, even though he won the Electoral College.

Then a city commissioner in Philadelphia last year said perhaps 100,000 non-citizens were registered to vote in Pennsylvania. The state has disputed that number but acknowledges a glitch in its systems that may have allowed some legal immigrants to register even though they didn’t have citizenship.

PILF has sued to try to get a look at records on those 100,000 people.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/ann-harris-bennett-houston-registrar-battles-to-ke/

Firefighters search 116-year-old London hotel amid blaze

LONDON (AP) — More than 100 firefighters tackled a blaze at a luxury hotel in central London that produced thick black smoke visible for miles around and required people inside the building to evacuate Wednesday.

London Fire Brigade said it was called to the 12-story Mandarin Oriental Hotel just before 4 p.m. (1500 GMT.) Less than an hour later, 20 engines and 120 firefighters were at the scene, and much less smoke was billowing from the top of the hotel.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were searching the structure to see if anyone still was inside, the fire brigade said.

The cause of the fire was not yet known. One witness said laborers had been working earlier on the roof of the 116-year-old hotel, which recently underwent extensive renovations.

Writer Juno Dawson tweeted: “Well that was drama. The Mandarin Oriental is literally on fire. Evacuated mid photoshoot. Hope everyone is ok. It was the construction site on the roof that seemed to be on fire.”

Hotel employees evacuated to nearby Hyde Park and were given bottles of water as they waited for instructions.

Firefighters were “working extremely hard to bring the fire under control” and likely to be on the scene for several hours, Fire Brigade Station Manager Pam Oparaocha said.

The road in front of the hotel in London’s ritzy Knightsbridge neighborhood was closed, causing rush-hour traffic chaos in the area.

Parts of the busy Knightsbridge Underground station also were closed as a precaution.

Mandarin Oriental said that “as the situation is still unfolding, we have no further details to share at this time, but will provide an update soon.”

The ornate Edwardian building near Hyde Park opened as a hotel in 1902. It has 181 bedrooms and suites, and is located near Harrods, an iconic department store that itself was destroyed by fire in 1883 and rebuilt.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/firefighters-search-116-year-old-london-hotel-amid/

Sex abuse panel seeks witness statement from Prince Charles

LONDON (AP) — Prince Charles has been asked to give a witness statement to an ongoing public inquiry into how abuse allegations against a pedophile bishop were handled.

The request for a statement from Charles and his private secretary were made public Wednesday during an Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse hearing.

The inquiry is looking into the way abuse allegations against ex-bishop Peter Ball were dealt with. He was sentenced to 32 months in prison in 2015 for numerous sexual offenses going back to the 1970s.

Inquiry lawyer Fiona Scolding said Charles’ lawyers have indicated he is willing to assist and have raised a number of issues being reviewed.

Charles’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He had exchanged letters with Ball, whose diocese includes Charles’ country estate.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/sex-abuse-panel-seeks-witness-statement-from-princ/

>>1656981

As usual, which makes me wonder if this had anything to do with the water indecent at the FEMA Meeting, were Potus and VP sending a message to CA?

>>1657191

I agree with this, I am also thinking the Luxury hotel in London >>1657134 May also be connected, trying to hide or recover something in that building or under it.

>>1657129 @ >>1657168

Netanyahu continues European tour to persuade leaders to quit Iran nuclear deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday continued lobbying European leaders to follow in President Trump’s footsteps and quit the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Discussing the threat he believes Tehran poses to his country, Mr. Netanyahu began his three-day European trip on Monday by meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Tuesday featuring talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Wednesday, he gathered in London with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

While Ms. Merkel and Mr. Macron agreed Tehran’s continued efforts to develop ballistic missiles and assert regional influence represents threats, both leaders also publicly disagreed with Mr. Netanyahu regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name of the Iranian nuclear deal.

From Tehran’s perspective, earlier this week officials threatened to withdraw from the agreement and return to accelerated enrichment of uranium.

Tensions also continued mounting with Israel after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei tweeted that it was “a malignant cancerous tumor in the West Asian region that has to be removed and eradicated.”

Mr. Netanyahu shot back on Twitter: “It is amazing that at the beginning of the 21st century someone talks about destroying Israel,” he wrote, adding that many “very promising contacts with Arab states are developing.”

Since the JCPOA was signed by Iran, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Russia and China, Mr. Netanyahu has opposed the deal.

Last month when Mr. Trump withdrew, European leaders criticized the move, but Mr. Netanyahu praised it as a “bold decision.”

On Wednesday, Mrs. May, who supports saving some form of the agreement, is expected to tell Mr. Netanyahu that it has helped make the world a safer place by curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

British media also anticipated that she would raise the issue of recent violence in Gaza after Palestinians were killed there last month during protests over Washington moving its U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/6/benjamin-netanyahu-continues-european-tour-persuad/

Trump rarely conducts business as usual with foreign leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) - He hectored Mexico’s leader over border wall funding. Lobbed statistics at the Canadian leader without checking his facts. Cajoled the British prime minister to crack down on protesters. Had a tête-à-tête with Russia’s head of state on a whim. Bonded with France’s prime minister over military parades.

President Donald Trump rarely conducts business-as-usual diplomacy when he interacts with world leaders.

Heading into his expected summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump has a record on the international stage that suggests he’ll seek to charm the dictator and look for an agreement that he can pitch as a win - even if it’s more a triumph of appearance than policy. But never bet against the possibility that he’ll just walk away.

Trump’s unpredictable negotiating style has been on full display in the run-up to the historic June 12 summit in Singapore.

After months spent deriding Kim as “Little Rocket Man” and boasting about the size of his nuclear button, Trump has shifted tone in recent months, suggesting that a friendship was possible and agreeing to an unprecedented meeting.

Even when Trump temporarily backed out of the talks, he spoke of a “wonderful dialogue” building between the two leaders. And now that the talks are back on, Trump is shelving the “maximum pressure” phrase he coined to describe his sanctions against the North.

As he approaches the Kim talks, Trump’s avowed “America First” attitude has come increasingly to resemble “America alone.” His eagerness for a deal has unsettled Japan and South Korea. Elsewhere, talk of tearing up trade agreements and his imposition of tariffs to protect the American steel and aluminum industries have angered longtime partners.

An overriding theme of the president’s first 18 months of foreign policy has been his willingness to go it alone as he seeks to fulfill his nationalistic campaign promises - even if it unsettles allies.

“He just doesn’t care as much,” said Ian Bremmer, a foreign affairs columnist and president of the Eurasia Group. “In terms of postwar American history, no one has done more damage to American alliances than Trump has. All you have to do is talk to American allies.”

Critics have labeled Trump an inconsistent force, prone to publicly hectoring friendly partners, embracing foes and resistant to much advice or counsel. His loyal supporters see it all as a mark of Trump’s willingness to hold firm to his promised policies even when the conversations get awkward.

After nearly two years spent trying to understand the political novice, many world leaders are still struggling with how to engage Trump, though they have learned he is not easily moved from fulfilling the policies he promised to his most loyal voters during the campaign.

Foreign diplomats in the U.S. and leaders overseas have gone to great lengths to charm Trump, a rookie president schooled in New York negotiating who promised a major shift in foreign policy. Those efforts have included getting their messages on to Trump-friendly TV shows like “Fox and Friends” and rolling out the red carpet when Trump visits.

In France, Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron invited Trump to view a spectacular military parade on Bastille Day, one that inspired Trump to order up his own parade in Washington. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fêted Trump with golf and American-style hamburgers.

But those overtures haven’t always yielded policy results.

Macron tried unsuccessfully to keep Trump in the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Abe wanted Trump to stay in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and has encouraged a more skeptical approach to Kim’s overtures.

White House officials privately assess that the world leaders most solicitous toward Trump are rarely the most effective. Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Theresa May, for instance, have both largely refused to play into Trump’s love for pageantry and have been candid about their disagreements with the president.

Indeed, even those who were inclined to buddy up to Trump appear to be changing course. During an April summit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Abe and Trump engaged in what U.S. officials described as a heated economic dialogue over Trump’s tariffs.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/7/trump-rarely-conducts-business-as-usual-with-forei/

>>1657242

Article is located here, >>1657134

doesn't appear that way

>>1657244

I think you can be respectful and send a clear message at the same time that playtime is over, which he did quite well.

>>1657269

@

>>1657296

>>1657325

I don't think saying exactly how it is, disrespectful at all, I think most people would rather honest convo whether you like the direction it's going or not. With that kind of dialogue there is no miss interpretation of where each other stands. Disagreeing on a topic is not disrespectful, imo.

Justice Department to offer additional FBI informant briefing to ‘Gang of Eight'

The Justice Department and FBI will be offering an additional briefing early next week to members of the “Gang of Eight” who were briefed last month on classified intelligence information related to the Russia investigation, the Washington Examiner has learned.

According to a senior Justice Department official, the Gang of Eight will allowed to review new documents that were not provided during the original May 24 briefing.

The briefing is to answer certain questions that have been raised by both House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other members, the official said.

“The Department and FBI believes it can provide information that is directly responsive to congressional inquiries in a manner that is consistent with its national security and law enforcement responsibilities, and is pleased to do so,” said the senior Justice Department official.

The briefing is expected Monday or Tuesday, depending on lawmakers’ schedules.

The Justice Department official noted that some of the documents to be allowed for review were already made available, "but not inspected by the members at the previous briefing along with some additional material."

The information was originally sought by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and pertains to classified documents and information about the Russia investigation.

President Trump has alleged that the Obama administration sent a “spy” — i.e. confidential informant — to infiltrate his campaign during the 2016 election, and dubbed it “spygate.”

After a contentious back-and-forth that included Trump-allied lawmakers threatening to hold Rosenstein in contempt, the White House announced Chief of Staff John Kelly would organize a briefing to go over the documents sought by Nunes and Gowdy.

Nunes and Gowdy were part of both May 24 briefings — the first which took place early afternoon at the Justice Department with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. House Speaker Paul Ryan also attended the first meeting because of a scheduling conflict.

Nunes and Gowdy then joined in on the second briefing with the same officials and the Gang of Eight members on Capitol Hill later that afternoon.

At the conclusion of both briefings, top Democrats announced there is “no evidence” of a spy in the 2016 Trump campaign.

“Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the FBI or any intelligence agency placed a spy in the Trump campaign or otherwise failed to show appropriate procedures and protocols,” House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a joint statement.

Schiff, like Nunes and Gowdy, was also allowed in both briefings.

Republican lawmakers have, in recent days, issued statements backing Democrats.

Gowdy said last week that he was not presented with any evidence in that original May 24 briefing of spying on the Trump campaign, and he believes the FBI did "exactly" what it should have done by using a confidential informant.

Ryan told reporters on Wednesday at a news conference that he agreed with Gowdy’s initial assessment, “but we have some more digging to do. We're waiting for some more document requests.”

"As Chairman Nunes said just the other day, if we got all the information we're looking for, we could wrap this up faster. But I have seen no evidence to the contrary of the initial assessment that Chairman Gowdy has made," he said. "But I want to make sure that we run every lead down and make sure we get final answers to these questions."

"I think that Trey Gowdy's description of the process was correct," said Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., also on Wednesday.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice-department-to-offer-additional-fbi-informant-briefing-to-gang-of-eight

The Gang of Eight are the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, as well as chairman and ranking member of both the House and Senate Intelligence committees.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice-department-to-offer-additional-fbi-informant-briefing-to-gang-of-eight

>>1657382

Won't that be telegraphing moves? You are right he wouldn't do that. But still brutal honestly I do see him doing that. (ie: You have gotten the better end of the deal for too long, not anymore.)

>>1657409

I believe that as well, it draws them out in to the light.

>>1657434

Like I said, it was an example, and that is all. Yes they will and that will be in the light as well, its already starting.

>>1657425

@

>>1657432