>>1748833 The guy is not admitting defeat. He is acknowledging that some very damning stuff was said that helps Trump's cause, while whining and wringing his hands. Let the butthurt flow, Cillizza
BAKER
I will take pages 220-240 if no one is on it. Or another segment if more timely.
Anon review of OIG Report pp.81-100 14June2018 continued
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pp. 88-90
p.88 Chapter 4. Examines FBI/DoJ decision to publicly acknowledge there's an investigation (after a public referral from IC IG); allegation that Lynch told Comey to call it a "matter"; and Obama's statements about it (WH influence?) These are the events that influenced Comey to make 7/5/16 public statement closing the investigation, w/o Dept coordination.
IC IG referral to FBI sparked media + congress to ask FBI/DoJ if they had opened a criminal investigation of Hillary.
ODAG and FBI had significant disagreement on whether to admit a criminal investigation was opened. FBI wanted to admit investigation into "matter"; ODAG wanted to "neither confirm nor deny".
Comey wanted to say "we don't comment on investigations".
Rybicki: Comey thought DoJ/FBI needed to say more because IC IG referral was public … so refusing to acknowledge an investigation would “stretch…any credibility the Department has.” (DOH!)
p.89 Lynch + Comey met 9/28/15 for 15 min. to coordinate their stories before media + congressional appearances. Also present: DoJ's Axelrod & Toscas; FBI's Comey, Rybicki, then-DD Giuliano.
Comey's Account of 9/28/15 meeting with Lynch
Agreed to confirm existence of investigation – here is where Lynch said to call it a 'matter'. Comey got a bad feeling in his stomach; "worried that Lynch was carrying water for the Clinton campaign". In direct contradiction, Comey then told investigators he was trusting Lynch's motives and independence. Lynch's instruction influenced his unilateral decision to make the 7/5/16 public statement closing the investigation. .
p.90 Toscas joked to Comey "Federal Bureau of Matters".
Rybicki + Biuliano did not recall much about that meeting except "call it a matter".
Giuliano thought ridiculous, what they called it wouldn't change what they did. He thought Comey was troubled b/c politics getting into investigation.
Rybicki didn't think Comkey was troubled or concerned about Lynch's instruction. Rybicki did not believe Lynch was (politically) biased.
Lynch's recollection of 9/28/15 meeting with Comey
Lynch felt they were not ready to publicly confirm an investigation. She recalled that Comey expressed concern about this.
Discussed how they could testify about resources on the investigation without breaking DoJ policy, since the referral was already public.
Lynch recalled the Comey meeting being around the same time as a call from Sen. Grassley about DoJ's handling re: Bryan Pagliano.
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…to be continued…
Anon review of OIG Report pp.81-100 14June2018 continued
pp.91-92
Grassley had called Lynch before deciding if Congress should grant Bryan Pagliano (Clinton server administrator) immunity to testify. Grassley asked Lynch to confirm if there was a criminal investigation of Clinton; the targets, subjects, if a grand jury, has Pagliano gotten immunity, wanted copies of related paperwork…
As a result, Lynch decided not to confirm an investigation of Clinton to Grassley.
At the meeting with Comey, Lynch recalled saying "[T]hey don’t need us to tell them that there is an investigation. They need us to confirm that there is an investigation. And there is a difference.”
She explained:
"And once we confirm it publicly, either by saying yes there is an
investigation, or by talking about it in a way that confirms it, the next
series of questions is going to be is it criminal. And it’s all going to be
about is the Secretary a subject or a target. And there were others
involved as well. There are other people beyond her who may or may
not be named, but, you know, you start having these discussions.
When will it be over? What are you finding? All those things that in
fact Grassley did ask."
The OIG asked Lynch if she instructed or told Comey, “I want you to call it a
matter.” Lynch said that she did not and would not have, because that was not
how she spoke to people. She told the OIG that she remembered saying the
following at the meeting:
"Well I, I do remember saying, you know, we typically say we have
enough resources to handle the matter…. I don’t know if I used other
words like the case, you know, the inquiry, or something like that. But
I do remember saying that, and I think I may have been saying that
because, again, I was always careful not to talk about an investigation."
p.92
How Lynch recalls saying it was a "matter":
"I remember saying but of course you’ve got to…respond. And one way to respond is just to
say…you’ve got what you need to handle the matter."
Lynch said that the decision to avoid confirming an investigation was not made with any political motive in mind, and that she did not coordinate messaging with the Clinton campaign.
Lynch was surprised to learn from Comey’s later congressional testimony that he interpreted the discussion at this meeting as evidence of potential political bias. "I was disappointed, somewhat angry" because if he had a concern he never expressed it in the meeting.
Axelrod: Discussion about whether to acknowledge an “investigation” was a small part of that meeting … Lynch suggested the term “matter” as a way of “thread[ing] the needle” to avoid violating Dept policy while also not appearing evasive.
Axelrod: meeting was collegial; no one from the FBI raised objections during the mtg.
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to be continued
Anon review of OIG Report pp.81-100 14June2018 (continued)
pp.93-94-95 (partial)
Toscas provided his extensive notes of the meeting to the OIG. Lengthy because he wanted to report to AAG Carlin after Carlin returned from a trip.
Toscas testified from his notes that:
"Comey told Lynch that he planned
to acknowledge at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI)
roundtable that the FBI had received the referral from the IC IG and that it was
being properly staffed and receiving all necessary resources. Comey stated that he
planned to say that the FBI does not comment on its investigations per
longstanding policy, but that all of its investigations are done professionally and
timely. Toscas said that Comey assured Lynch that he would not say that they had
opened an investigation, but that this would be implicit in what he said, and there
would be news reports afterwards saying that there was an investigation.
He believed it was Lynch's preference to call it a "matter" but not an "instruction" to Comey.
Toscas: Axelrod wanted language to be used consistent with a letter sent the previous week from the FBI General Counsel to State Dept. where FBI was careful not to confirm there was an investigation. He and Comey debated how to treat it like any other case.
p.94
Toscas: Only a fraction of referrals are opened as criminal investigations. He didn't want to set a precedent of a referrals turning into criminal investigations.
Comey concluded the meeting by agreeing to call it a "matter", saying "OK, I think that will work."
Comey's 10/1/15 Meeting with the Media
Comey again used the word "matter" when questioned if FBI had an investigation open.
Comey said FBI had received the referral involving Clinton's private email account and possible exposure of classified info, but he could not talk about FBI's ongoing work. He deflected the question saying FBI had resources + personnel assigned to the "matter" and FBI's work would be professional, prompt, independent.
News reports then said Comey had acknowledged existence of an investigation on Clinton's use of a private email server. Rybicki already quoted Comey's exact //ass-covering// words to DoJ.
[emphasis mine]
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to be continued