Devin Nunes locked and loaded: 8 criminal referrals ready, including 3 targeting 'conspiracy' and 'global leaks'

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., announced on Sunday he is ready to send eight criminal referrals to the Justice Department next week related to the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. "We're prepared this week to notify the attorney general that we're prepared to send those referrals over and brief him if he wishes to be briefed," Nunes said on Fox News. The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee has been teasing a referral for months and previously predicted its delivery by the end of last week.

However, Nunes backed away from that deadline, hinting that his team of investigators found more people, potentially up to two dozen, who could be the subject of a criminal referral. Nunes said on "Sunday Morning Futures" that the people ensnared in his eight-person referral "may not be all of them." Nunes did not disclose any names, but he did break down three categories in which they fall."Five of them are what I would call straight up referrals so just referrals that are, that name someone and name the specific crimes. Those crimes are lying to Congress, misleading Congress, leaking classified information," Nunes said. The other three, he said are more complicated, related to charges of conspiracy to lie to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

"There are three that I think are more complicated so you mentioned conspiracy. So the question on conspiracy is what, there's the conspiracy statute, and then what do they need to look at under that statute. So on the first one, is FISA abuse and other matters we believe there is a conspiracy to lie to the FISA Court, mislead the FISA court by numerous individuals that all need to be investigative and looked at," Nunes said. "The second conspiracy one is involving manipulation of intelligence. That also could [involve many] many Americans and we are, so that's kind of the second one. As you know, we've had a lot of concerns with the way intelligence was used."

The third referral Nunes called a "global leak referral." "There are about a dozen highly sensitive classified information leaks that were given to only a few reporters over the last two and a half-plus years, so we don't know if there's actually been any leak investigations that have been open, but we do believe that we've got pretty good information and a pretty good idea of who could be behind these leaks," Nunes said. "Doesn't mean we know all the people behind the leaks because when you read these a lot of these they're always anonymous sources, and they always say something to the effect of current and former senior officials."

Nunes has looked to Attorney General William Barr to make headway toward completing an investigation begun last year by a joint GOP-led task force comprising the Judiciary Committee and the Oversight Committee. Key to this effort, which has been bolstered by intelligence panel Republicans, was investigators looking over roughly 15 transcripts of interviews conducted by the task force last year. In recent weeks, House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins, R-Ga., released transcripts of the private interviews of former FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, his wife Nellie Ohr, former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, and former top FBI official Bill Priestap. Also a potential contributing factor to Nunes' efforts is the House Intelligence Committee's vote last fall to release the transcripts of more than 50 interviews it conducted in its now-completed Russia investigation, which had been submitted to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for declassification review.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/devin-nunes-locked-and-loaded-8-criminal-referrals-ready-including-3-targetting-conspiracy-and-global-leaks

Jerry Nadler says Congress could get Mueller report within a week

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said on Sunday that Congress could get special counsel Robert Mueller's final report as early as next week. "Attorney General Barr said by the middle of April. It could be the end of this week or beginning of next week, but the important thing is not do we get it this week or next week, the important thing is what do we get?" Nadler said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Nadler has demanded to see Mueller's full report without any reactions. Attorney General William Barr recently revealed the report is around 400 pages long and his office is working to redact classified information before releasing it to Congress this month. Unsatisfied with Barr's four-page summary of Mueller's report that President Trump and his allies claim provided him exoneration, the House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Mueller’s full report.

Adding fuel to their wrath were reports Wednesday evening cited officials saying some of the investigators involved in the 22-month inquiry are worried public perception of the investigation has been improperly shaped by Barr’s initial summary, a four-page memo to Congress in which he said Trump did not collude with Russia. The summary also said Mueller did not find Trump committed obstruction of justice nor did he exonerate the president, but Barr said he concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a crime. "Our position is that he should redact none of it. Congress, the Judiciary Committee, in every similar situation in the paths, whether with Nixon or with Clinton or with in other situation, the Judiciary Committee has gotten all the information, all the underlying documents and evidence, and the Judiciary Committee has decided what of that cannot be released to the public." Nadler said. Nadler said that he expects a court order will be necessary for the release of grand jury information.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jerry-nadler-says-congress-could-get-mueller-report-within-a-week

Rudy Giuliani says Jerry Nadler should get 'everything' in Mueller's report

Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to President Trump, said on Sunday that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., should get all of the information in Robert Mueller's report on collusion between the Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. "I would like him to get all the information," Giuliani said. "Everything," he added, including grand jury material.

Attorney General William Barr has been preparing the roughly 400-page report for Congress with redactions said he expected to be sent to Congress by the end of this month. But congressional Democrats have demanded the full, unredacted Mueller report, and the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve a subpoena to get it.

Nadler, who said Congress could obtain the full report by the end of the next, and other congressional Democrats have suggested Mueller's findings could include damning information on actions that do not rise to the level of criminal conspiracy but could jeopardize Trump's presidency. "There could be grounds for impeachment. There could be grounds for other action. There could be things the American people ought to know," Nadler said Sunday on CBS.

Giuliani brushed off concern about the full report producing damning information on Trump, pointing to Barr's four-page summary to Congress on the main findings in the report that said there is no information that rises to the level of criminal conspiracy or criminal obstruction of justice. "I guarantee you, except for little quibblers, I'm not worried about the report at all. There is no way those two good lawyers would have written that kind of letter if there is any issue," Giuliani said. Although Barr's summary said Mueller did not find Trump committed obstruction of justice, it was also noted that Mueller did not exonerate Trump on this charge. However, Barr said he concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a crime.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rudy-giuliani-says-jerry-nadler-should-get-everything-in-muellers-report