Thursday, March 3, 2016

Noose Tightens on Hillary Clinton’s Neck in FBI’s E-mails Probe


According to the Washington Post (and other sources), HRC’s Information Tech Bryan Pagliano is NOW  cooperating in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary of State & Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton’s private E-mail server & he has been given “immunity” in exchange for his “cooperation”

“There was wrongdoing...”  —  Key quote by the Washington Post from a former law enforcement official

“.... With the completion of the email review, FBI investigators are expected to shift their focus on whether the highly sensitive government information, including top secret and other classified matters, found on Clinton's private email server constitutes a crime....”  —  CNN

HILLARY CLINTON EXPECTED TO BE QUESTIONED IN FBI PROBE



“The Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staffer, who worked on Hillary Clinton’s private email server, as part of a criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information, according to a senior law enforcement official....  The official said the FBI had secured the cooperation of Bryan Pagliano, who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before setting up the server in her New York home in 2009....  As the FBI looks to wrap up its investigation in the coming months, agents are likely to want to interview Clinton and her senior aides about the decision to use a private server, how it was set up, and whether any of the participants knew they were sending classified information in emails, current and former officials said....”  ( See “Justice Dept. grants immunity to staffer who set up Clinton email server” by Adam Goldman, 3/2/16, Washington Post/ National Security
[//www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-clinton-email-investigation-justice-department-grants-immunity-to-former-state-department-staffer/2016/03/02/e421e39e-e0a0-11e5-9c36-e1902f6b6571_story.html]).

FBI’S INVESTIGATION IS FOR POSSIBLE CRIMES   —   “THERE WAS WRONGDOING...  BUT WAS IT CRIMINAL WRONGDOING?” —   NO INDICATION THAT MATERIAL HAS YET BEEN PUT BEFORE A GRAND JURY BY DOJ

The Wa-Po put everything into a clearer context with these observations: “....  So far, there is no indication that prosecutors have convened a grand jury in the email investigation to subpoena testimony or documents, which would require the participation of a U.S. attorney’s office....   As part of the inquiry, law enforcement officials will look at the potential damage had the classified information in the emails been exposed. The Clinton campaign has described the probe as a security review. But current and former officials in the FBI and at the Justice Department have said investigators are trying to determine whether a crime was committed.... ‘There was wrongdoing,” said a former senior law enforcement official. “But was it criminal wrongdoing?’...  Clinton has since apologized for what happened: ‘Yes, I should have used two email addresses, one for personal matters and one for my work at the State Department. Not doing so was a mistake. I’m sorry about it, and I take full responsibility.’...”

The Adam Goldman – Washington Post article also pointed out that  “....  So far, there is no indication that prosecutors have convened a grand jury in the email investigation to subpoena testimony or documents, which would require the participation of a U.S. attorney’s office.... ” [However, it should be noted that FBI investigators would have consulted with DOJ attorneys before any grant of immunity to Mr. Pagliano --- probably with some showing of proof concerning what his questioning/ testimony will reveal about the bigger case.]

CNN ALSO SEES IT AS A SEARCH FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

Here’s how a CNN report addressed the issue of the FBI engaging in a criminal probe:  “.... With the completion of the email review, FBI investigators are expected to shift their focus on whether the highly sensitive government information, including top secret and other classified matters, found on Clinton's private email server constitutes a crime....  The emails released publicly show some Clinton aides sent the sensitive information, often from the State Department's unclassified email system, to others, and eventually to Clinton at her private email address. She didn't use a State Department email account....  The released emails appear to align with her public statements that she didn't send emails that were marked as classified....  She did receive emails from aides that, while not marked as classified, did contain information that should not have been handled outside the government's secure email system, the emails released so far have found....  The FBI reviewers oversaw the process that upgraded the emails now known to be highly sensitive as part of a series of State Department Freedom of Information Act releases that ended Monday.”  (See “DOJ grants immunity to ex-Clinton staffer who set up email server” by Evan Perez, 3/2/16,  CNN/ Justice Reporter [http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/02/politics/hillary-clinton-email-server-justice-department/index.html]).

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't Condolezza Rice do the same thing ?

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "FALSE COMPARISON" EDITION

No, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice did not do the same thing as Hillary Clinton....

Anonymous said...

Its not a big deal that the Feds are granting immunity to witnesses and have a grand jury hearing testimony. I remember Mike Grimm explaining that its just routine stuff.

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE: THE "GOP ESTABLISHMENT & ROMNEY'S HISSY FIT" EDITION

The biggest news item in today's news cycle would have been the latest steps taken by the FBI & DOJ in the Hillary Clinton E-mail server investigation, except that Mitt Romney, carrying water for the Republican Wall Street -- K Street -- Capital Hill "Establishment" was on camera doing his take on the "Norma Desmond" routine from "Sunset Boulevard."

The most interesting thing about Mitt's speech was his ironic reference to Ronald Reagan's election-eve pro-Barry Goldwater speech. That part of the Romney speech was quite "Ironic" -- in that Mitt's dad, George Romney, was guilty of the same kind of GOP apostasy with respect to the GOP candidate for president in 1964, Barry Goldwater. Even though it isn't clear that Michigan Republican Governor George Romney was part of the crowd of Eastern Establishment Liberal Republicans that walked out of the Cow Palace during the 1964 GOP convention, Romney the father was open in his non-support of the Goldwater candidacy right up to the end of the campaign.

It's like both Romneys, George and Mitt, shared in a sort of inherited illness, as if political betrayal was a genetic predisposition. This would be not unlike the "Treason in the Blood" suffered by St. John and Kim Philby vis a vis Great Britain in particular and the West generally.

Anonymous said...

Treason in the Blood

Are you on something?

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "TREASON IN THE BLOOD" EDITION

THE ROMNEYS HAVE BEEN >>>DISLOYAL<<< REPUBLICANS FOR A LONG LONG TIME

When I mentioned the dual biography of Kim and St. John Philby, "Treason In The Blood," in my comment above, I was making a comparison or analogy. My remarks were not intended to be taken as a statement of fact, syllogism or proof that the Romneys were guilty of criminal treason against the United States.

However, I reiterate that both Mitt Romney and George Romney do appear to share what I called a "genetic predisposition" for something that I termed "political betrayal." Clearly both of them have not been loyal Republicans throughout their lives. In fact, not only did George Romney first oppose and then NOT SUPPORT Barry Goldwater in 1964; George Romney didn't support the GOP nominee Richard Nixon in 1960, and again in 1968 he actively opposed Nixon's candidacy. When it comes to both Romneys, it's clear that the only Republican that they surely backed for president was named either Mitt Romney or George Romney.

Q.E.D.: The Romneys are very similar to the Philbys.... And, as a corollary, the Romenys' dual biography could easily be entitled "Betrayal In The Blood"; and that's certainly not very far from the Philbys' "Treason In The Blood."

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE: THE “HOW LONG HAS BRYAN PAGLIANO BEEN TALKING ???” EDITION

IT LOOKS LIKE HILLARY’S I-T GUY THAT SET UP HER PRIVATE SERVER HAS BEEN COOPERATING WITH FBI INVESTIGATORS SINCE LATE 2015

WHY DIDN’T HILLARY CLINTON & HER TEAM KNOW THAT, OR DID THEY ???

MAKE NO MISTAKE — THIS FBI INVESTIGATION INTO HILLARY CLINTON’S E-MAILS & SERVER SYSTEM IS A >>> CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION<<< INVOLVING THE DOJ AND ITS LAWYERS — OTHERWISE THERE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ANY IMMUNITY DEAL FOR PAGLIANO

According to a report from CNN last night, “Bryan Pagliano, the former State Department staffer who helped set up Hillary Clinton's private email server, began his cooperation with the FBI and the Justice Department under an immunity deal late last year after initially rebuffing investigators, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.... The FBI has done at least one interview with him, and under the cooperation agreement, he may be asked to do more interviews, the official said.... While he has turned over documents to the FBI related to his management of the Clinton server, investigators sought to interview him because they believed he could shed light on the period during which the server was set up and any discussions with Clinton and her aides about the security for a system that would be storing sensitive government information, according to the official....” (See “Ex-Clinton staffer began cooperating with FBI, DOJ last year over email server” by Evan Perez, 3/3/16, CNN/ Justice Reporter [http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/hillary-clinton-email-server-bryan-pagliano/index.html]).

The article cited above also said this: “.... With the completion of the email review, FBI investigators are expected to shift their focus on whether the highly sensitive government information, including top secret and other classified matters, found on Clinton's private email server constitutes a crime....”

DID HILLARY & HER FOLKS KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THIS ???
A very interesting sub-story developed in the Perez-CNN article is how the Hillary Clinton team has handled the issue of Bryan Pagliano’s non-cooperation and/or cooperation with investigators.
The HRC team’s statements about Pagliano’s early refusal to cooperate and his recently-disclosed cooperation indicate that the Hillary folks were: A) either completely in the dark about what was going on between the FBI and Bryan Pagliano; or B) intentionally trying to throw the media off the scent of how the FBI’s investigation of Hillary’s E-mails was progressing. Both of those propositions are bad for HRC and her team. It is quite problematic which of those alternatives is worse for her in the long run.

THIS IS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INVOLVING BOTH THE FBI & DOJ
Sources other than CNN [on Fox News] have indicated that the immunity deal for Bryan Pagliano show that the FBI & DOJ are making a CRIMINAL case and that they are targeting bigger fish than Pagliano.

Hmmmm !!! I wonder who that might be.....

Galewyn Massey said...

UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE “CHARLOTTE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HILLARY’S E-MAILS” EDITION

According to a report in the Charlotte Observer by a reporter named Anita Kumar — “We’ve learned a lot about Hillary Clinton during the last year as the State Department gradually released tens of thousands of her emails.... We learned whom she emailed with and caught a glimpse of her insecurities. And we learned that her computer system wasn’t as secure as she’d hoped and why some think it’s possible she shared classified information.... Now, with the 14th and final batch of emails released this week, [there are six specific things that] we’ve learned....”
(See “6 things we’ve learned from Hillary Clinton’s emails” by Anita Kumar [akumar@mcclatchydc.com], 3/4/16, Charlotte Observer [http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article63918367.html]).

Here are the Ms. Kumar’s observations that I believe are the most notable and problematic:
Hillary Clinton used more than one device – “.... Clinton said she’d used one only as a matter of convenience so she would not have to carry two devices. “I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two,” she said last March.... But her emails show she did have two devices – a BlackBerry and an iPad....”

Secretary of State Clinton’s email system’s security was flawed – “.... Hackers with ties to Russia tried at least five times to access Clinton’s account over four hours early on the morning of Aug. 3, 2011, by sending her emails of fake speeding tickets from New York.... The emails show hackers had Clinton’s personal email address and knew enough to send her a fake ticket from New York, where she lives....”

Their was some kind of special relationship between Hillary Clinton & Sidney Blumenthal that was manifestin the E-mails – “.... Clinton exchanged 616 emails with Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime friend who had been a senior adviser for her husband, former President Bill Clinton. The Obama White House said Clinton could not hire Blumenthal at the State Department.... In response to a question last spring, Clinton said Blumenthal’s frequent communications had been ‘unsolicited.’... But the emails show Clinton asked Blumenthal for advice on diplomacy and messaging. She often responded to his memos positively, sometimes forwarding them to aides....”

Secretary of State Clinton was aware of the possibility of sending classified email – “.... None of Clinton’s emails was marked as classified during her tenure, State Department officials say, but intelligence officials say some material was clearly classified at the time. Emails show Clinton knew there was a possibility that classified material might have existed on the system.... On Feb. 10, 2010, after Sullivan told Clinton he couldn’t send something she wanted because it was on a classified system, she responded, ‘It’s a public statement! Just email it.’ On June 17, 2011, Clinton told Sullivan that if there were a continued problem sending a set of talking points over secure fax to ‘turn it into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure.’... On April 25, 2012, Clinton raised the possibility that a message she’d received may have contained classified information. ‘If it’s not classified or otherwise inappropriate can you send to the NYTimes reporters...?’ she wrote to Sullivan....”

The Charlotte Observer article ended on this note: “....At least 2,079 emails that she sent or received contained classified material. The FBI is investigating.”

Anonymous said...

President Cruz?

Anonymous said...

Or will it be Vice President Cruz

Anonymous said...

Relax Mrs Cruz who is posting the comments above.
Rubio just won all 23 delegates today in Puerto Rico.

Galewyn Massey said...

MORE BACKFILL: THE " 'RECORD' IS FILLING-IN ON HILLARY'S E-MAILS" EDITION

ANOTHER "...THINGS WE'VE LEARNED..." TYPE ARTICLE ABOUT HRC'S E-MAILS IS MAKING THE ROUNDS ON THE WIRES --- THAT MEANS THAT SOME VERY REAL THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO FALL INTO PLACE ON THE MSM'S "RECORD" OF HILLARY'S E-MAIL SCANDAL

IN THIS AP ARTICLE, E-MAILS PIECES THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE RECORD ON BENGHAZI ARE HIGHLIGHTED --- EVEN IF SOME PEOPLE SEE "NO SMOKING GUN"

THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION MIGHT BE VERY CLOSE TO A "SMOKING GUN": >>> HOW DID HILLARY CLINTON KNOW TO TELL CHELSEA AT 11:12 PM ON 9/11/12 — THAT THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE “... MORE OF THE SAME..." --- AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE DEATHS OF AMBASSADOR STEVENS AND INFORMATION SPECIALIST SEAN SMITH --- BUT BEFORE SHE KNEW ABOUT THE DEATHS OF GLEN DOHERTY AND TYRONE WOODS

As was mentioned in my March 5, 2016 Comment at 1:17 AM, above, ".... We’ve learned a lot about Hillary Clinton during the last year as the State Department gradually released tens of thousands of her emails...."

Another very well constructed article does a similar overview highlighting many of the same points (See “Things we learned from 50,000-plus pages of Clinton emails” by Bradley Klapper & Matthew Lee, 3/5/16, Yahoo News/ Associated Press [https://www.yahoo.com/news/things-learned-50-000-plus-pages-clinton-emails-080510407--election.html]). However, there are some salient items that stand out in that Klapper-Lee-AP piece that raise it up to a higher level of overview.

This is one item that particularly stands out to me. >>> According to Messrs. Klapper & Lee, at 11:12 PM on September 11, 2012, Hillary Rodham Clinton sent the following message to her daughter Chelsea using the now-infamous private E-mail system, which was being used by Mrs. Clinton while she was Secretary of State. Secretary Clinton sent the E-mail to her daughter, who was using an account under the alias "Diane Reynolds" at the time. That E-mail message from Hillary to Chelsea said this: "Two of our officers were killed in Benghazi by an al-Qaida-like group: The Ambassador, whom I handpicked, and a young communications officer on temporary duty w(ith) a wife and two young children...." Equally, or perhaps even more important, Secretary Clinton added this key OBSERVATION to her daughter: "...."Very hard day and I fear more of the same tomorrow," the secretary wrote...."

According to the Klapper-Lee-AP report, ".... Republicans on the House Benghazi Committee seized on that email as evidence Clinton quickly saw the attack as the work of Islamic extremists, not a spontaneous street protest against an anti-Muslim video — a description provided by then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice...."

I think Hillary Clinton's electronic missive to her daughter Chelsea, is much more of a "Smoking Gun" than that..... HOW DID HILLARY CLINTON KNOW TO TELL CHELSEA AT 11:12 PM ON 9/11/12 — THAT THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE “... MORE OF THE SAME TOMORROW...” ? ? ? --- According to the published Benghazi Timelines, at 11:12 PM EDT, the attack on the Benghazi [CIA] Annex had only recently begun minutes before, and Americans Glen Doherty and Tyrone S. Woods were either still alive, or being killed at about that moment.

Then again, if you see the world the same way as Hillary Rodham Clinton, you might look at all this and say, ".... What difference does it make ???"