Republicans Rush to delete material from "credible source" who turned out to be a Russian asset

[The Barbarian]

Republicans Rush to Scrub Mention of FBI Informant in Impeachment Letter​

House Republicans are quietly trying to remove traces of indicted ex–FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in their Biden impeachment quest.​

House Republicans quietly deleted a reference to their epic fail of an FBI informant in a letter to a potential witness in the somehow-still-ongoing impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.
Republicans have hinged their Biden investigation on accusations from a supposedly credible but confidential FBI source that Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes from a Ukrainian oligarch. But the Justice Department has since charged that source, former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, with making false statements and revealed his accusation may have been Russian disinformation.

As a result, House Republicans have begun to scrub mentions of Smirnov from their imploding investigation. Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Oversight Chair James Comer, who have spearheaded the probe, sent a letter Tuesday to former State Department official Amos Hochstein requesting an interview. The GOP has accused Hochstein of advising Hunter Biden when the latter served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

The original letter, which was obtained by The New Republic, included a section explaining the reason for the Biden investigation, with a paragraph that described a credible, confidential source’s accusation that a Ukrainian gas company executive had bribed the president. This background information has been standard for Republicans’ interview request letters during the impeachment inquiry thus far.
But an hour later, Republicans sent out a second version of the letter, also obtained by TNR. This time, the entire paragraph about the informant had been deleted.

Republican leadership has recently been forced to acknowledge that their impeachment efforts are a total bust. Comer said just last week that the inquiry is highly unlikely to result in an impeachment vote. He told Spectrum News that the “math keeps getting worse,” both in terms of his party’s shrinking House majority and growing skepticism about the impeachment.

Republicans Rush to Scrub Mention of FBI Informant in Impeachment Letter

House Republicans are quietly trying to remove traces of indicted ex–FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in their Biden impeachment quest.

newrepublic.com

 

[The Barbarian]

Kind of the way a kid caught with his mitts in the cookie jar, panics and dumps the jar over on the counter.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Republicans Rush to Scrub Mention of FBI Informant in Impeachment Letter​

House Republicans are quietly trying to remove traces of indicted ex–FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in their Biden impeachment quest.​

House Republicans quietly deleted a reference to their epic fail of an FBI informant in a letter to a potential witness in the somehow-still-ongoing impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.
Republicans have hinged their Biden investigation on accusations from a supposedly credible but confidential FBI source that Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes from a Ukrainian oligarch. But the Justice Department has since charged that source, former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, with making false statements and revealed his accusation may have been Russian disinformation.

As a result, House Republicans have begun to scrub mentions of Smirnov from their imploding investigation. Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Oversight Chair James Comer, who have spearheaded the probe, sent a letter Tuesday to former State Department official Amos Hochstein requesting an interview. The GOP has accused Hochstein of advising Hunter Biden when the latter served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

The original letter, which was obtained by The New Republic, included a section explaining the reason for the Biden investigation, with a paragraph that described a credible, confidential source’s accusation that a Ukrainian gas company executive had bribed the president. This background information has been standard for Republicans’ interview request letters during the impeachment inquiry thus far.
But an hour later, Republicans sent out a second version of the letter, also obtained by TNR. This time, the entire paragraph about the informant had been deleted.

Republican leadership has recently been forced to acknowledge that their impeachment efforts are a total bust. Comer said just last week that the inquiry is highly unlikely to result in an impeachment vote. He told Spectrum News that the “math keeps getting worse,” both in terms of his party’s shrinking House majority and growing skepticism about the impeachment.

Republicans Rush to Scrub Mention of FBI Informant in Impeachment Letter

House Republicans are quietly trying to remove traces of indicted ex–FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in their Biden impeachment quest.

newrepublic.com

So what? Is there enough other evidence to proceed? That is all that matters. But here in this story, the relevant thing seems to be to mock Republicans for doing what Democrats do all the time. What actually happened here according to your NewRepublic story is that someone else has been requested to appear for an interview. Ok.

And we've heard the screeches of "RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION!!!" numerous times before when it actually was not true at all. Hillary Clinton securing the Steele dossier. The letter of 51 experts who say the laptop IS NOT REAL. Etc. etc. So that "boy who cried wolf" phrase isn't persuasive now.

We shall see, but Biden will escape all this, most likely.

SO who cares....everyone knows that Biden is going to skate on this one. It's a foregone conclusion.

 

[Bradskii]

So what? Is there enough other evidence to proceed? That is all that matters.

You'd like to think so. But no. It ain't 'all that matters'. This was front and center the juiciest, most rock solid, one-of-a-kind monster truck of a claim with which they would beat Biden into submission. The guy with the info was 'the most credible witness.' All the Republicans shouting it from the rooftops, rubbing their hands with glee and hugging themselves at what they had dug up.

And it was a crock. It was all lies. It was a complete and total embarrassment to the whole investigation and everyone involved with it. And you say 'So what?' Good grief, man. The whole process was seen as a farce, a veritable clown show from Day One. And now it is proved to be such.

But wait. Is there other evidence to proceed? Let's completely ignore that everyone now looks even more foolish than they did before this came to light and don't look over there! Forget that! It never happened! Literally strike it from the record. Never mention it again. No, look over here where we have...well, still absolutely nothing.

If I were a Democratic senator I would wander down to the local Fancy Dress outlet and buy a big box of clown shoes, you know...the very long ones that squeak when you walk, some face paint and red noses and deliver it to whoever is running this farcical 'investigation.' They should dress for the part.

 

[The Barbarian]

So what? Is there enough other evidence to proceed?

If there was, I would think they would have brought that up before touting stuff they knew or suspected of being faked and Russian propaganda.

But here in this story, the relevant thing seems to be to mock Republicans for doing what Democrats do all the time.

I don't think whattaboutism will save them from the consequences of their behavior. Particularly since they can't find a relevant counter-example.

And we've heard the screeches of "RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION!!!" numerous times before when it actually was not true at all.

This is just the latest example of Putin's manipulation of republicans to spread his disinformation. Remember when over a dozen of Trump's underlings were indicted, pleaded guilty, or were found guilty of the same things? Some of them..

PAUL MANAFORT​

Manafort cut a deal with prosecutors in September and pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice. That plea deal headed off a second trial on charges tied to Ukrainian political consulting work.

MICHAEL FLYNN​

Trump’s former national security adviser, a retired Army lieutenant general who had led the Defense Intelligence Agency, was the first White House official charged in Mueller’s probe. His plea last December to one count of lying to the FBI requires Flynn to cooperate with prosecutors.

In August, the special counsel’s office said Flynn was still not ready to be sentenced, a sign that he is still cooperating.

Flynn was a national security surrogate during the later parts of the campaign. He was charged with lying about conversations with a Russian ambassador during the transition.

GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS​

George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, was sentenced in September to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries.

Papadopoulos was the first campaign aide sentenced in Mueller’s investigation, and he was also the person who triggered the initial Russia investigation two years ago. Memos written by House Republicans and Democrats, now declassified, show that information about Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller.

Roger Stone​

Stone was indicted and arrested in January of 2019 on seven counts, including lying to Congress, obstruction of an official proceeding and witness tampering. This was related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Stone was convicted and sentenced to more than three years in prison in February of 2020. Trump commuted his sentence before he had to report to prison in July of that year. The former president then pardoned him in December of 2020.

A Guide to Trump Allies Who've Pleaded Guilty or Been Convicted of Crimes

Longtime Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg is the latest, pleading guilty on Thursday to 15 felonies.

www.newsweek.com

Alex Van der Zwaan, a lawyer who once worked closely with Manafort and Gates, pleaded guilty in February to lying to Mueller's investigators about contacts with an official in the Trump election campaign. Van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, was sentenced on April 3 to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000.

Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort aide in Ukraine and political operative with alleged ties to Russian intelligence, was charged on June 8 with tampering with witnesses about their past lobbying for Ukraine’s former pro-Russian government.

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1LU2BH/

We shall see, but Biden will escape all this, most likely.

Lack of evidence of wrongdoing is a real impediment to a conviction, yes.

SO who cares....everyone knows that Biden is going to skate on this one. It's a foregone conclusion.

After the latest revelation about the republicans' "reliable source" being a Russian asset, I would think so.

The point is the difference between all these criminals being brought to justice, and Donald Trump being impeached, while Biden almost certainly will not be, even when the republican house leader admits he wants to do so, is evidence. All those Trump criminals got caught doing real crimes. And all the House republicans have to go on is fear and hatred of Dark Brandon.

 

[Pommer]

Kind of the way a kid caught with his mitts in the cookie jar, panics and dumps the jar over on the counter.

I dunno, this’d place the GOP in a no-win situation: If they do nothing then the charge would be that they just completely disregarded the “facts-on-the-ground”; if they “correct the record*” they’re “scrubbing” it.

*either party would do THIS, this is “normal”; please allow them the freedom to do the correct thing.

 

[Bradskii]

I dunno, this’d place the GOP in a no-win situation:

That's quite true. It's a lose-lose situation. They look like a bunch of clowns whatever they do.

 

[Larniavc]

They look like a bunch of clowns whatever they do.

Corrupt lying clowns.

 

[The Barbarian]

*either party would do THIS, this is “normal”; please allow them the freedom to do the correct thing.

If the democrats had done this sort of thing, I have no doubt that they'd be trying to get rid of the evidence, too. Point is, democrats didn't do it. Republicans did. And now people are finding out. Did you expect the democrats would help them hide it from the rest of us?

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

If there was, I would think they would have brought that up before touting stuff they knew or suspected of being faked and Russian propaganda.

I don't think whattaboutism will save them from the consequences of their behavior. Particularly since they can't find a relevant counter-example.

This is just the latest example of Putin's manipulation of republicans to spread his disinformation. Remember when over a dozen of Trump's underlings were indicted, pleaded guilty, or were found guilty of the same things? Some of them..

PAUL MANAFORT​

Manafort cut a deal with prosecutors in September and pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice. That plea deal headed off a second trial on charges tied to Ukrainian political consulting work.

MICHAEL FLYNN​

Trump’s former national security adviser, a retired Army lieutenant general who had led the Defense Intelligence Agency, was the first White House official charged in Mueller’s probe. His plea last December to one count of lying to the FBI requires Flynn to cooperate with prosecutors.

In August, the special counsel’s office said Flynn was still not ready to be sentenced, a sign that he is still cooperating.

Flynn was a national security surrogate during the later parts of the campaign. He was charged with lying about conversations with a Russian ambassador during the transition.

GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS​

George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, was sentenced in September to 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries.

Papadopoulos was the first campaign aide sentenced in Mueller’s investigation, and he was also the person who triggered the initial Russia investigation two years ago. Memos written by House Republicans and Democrats, now declassified, show that information about Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. That probe was later taken over by Mueller.

Roger Stone​

Stone was indicted and arrested in January of 2019 on seven counts, including lying to Congress, obstruction of an official proceeding and witness tampering. This was related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Stone was convicted and sentenced to more than three years in prison in February of 2020. Trump commuted his sentence before he had to report to prison in July of that year. The former president then pardoned him in December of 2020.

A Guide to Trump Allies Who've Pleaded Guilty or Been Convicted of Crimes

Longtime Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg is the latest, pleading guilty on Thursday to 15 felonies.

www.newsweek.com

Alex Van der Zwaan, a lawyer who once worked closely with Manafort and Gates, pleaded guilty in February to lying to Mueller's investigators about contacts with an official in the Trump election campaign. Van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, was sentenced on April 3 to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000.

Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort aide in Ukraine and political operative with alleged ties to Russian intelligence, was charged on June 8 with tampering with witnesses about their past lobbying for Ukraine’s former pro-Russian government.

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1LU2BH/

Lack of evidence of wrongdoing is a real impediment to a conviction, yes.


After the latest revelation about the republicans' "reliable source" being a Russian asset, I would think so.

The point is the difference between all these criminals being brought to justice, and Donald Trump being impeached, while Biden almost certainly will not be, even when the republican house leader admits he wants to do so, is evidence. All those Trump criminals got caught doing real crimes. And all the House republicans have to go on is fear and hatred of Dark Brandon.

You haven't sourced anything here. If your assertions are indeed accurate, and not dis/misinformation fed to you by the media, well...we shall see. It happens so often these days that we kind of have to wait and see in the long run.

Garland-appointed Weiss indicted Smirnov. Is he in fact lying or is he inconvenient in this election year? We will find out. He hasn't even filed a plea yet, last I read.,

 

[Bradskii]

...well...we shall see...It happens so often these days that we kind of have to wait and see in the long run...We will find out...He hasn't even filed a plea yet, last I read...

Ah, the new MO. Is it official yet? I see it so often these days, I was wondering if it's been 'officially approved'.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Ah, the new MO. Is it official yet? I see it so often these days, I was wondering if it's been 'officially approved'.

I don't even know what this response means. I was speaking of Smirnov, the freshly indicted witness. What is your issue with that?

 

[Bradskii]

I don't even know what this response means. I was speaking of Smirnov, the freshly indicted witness. What is your issue with that?

Just read the quoted section. Do you really need me to explain it?

We'll wait for the appeal....who knows what might turn up....are we sure we have all the details...we shouldn't jump to an early conclusion...things may not be as they appear at this time...

I mean, c'mon. These type of comments are replete in threads where it has been clearly shown that someone on the right has done something wrong. There is no 'well, I guess he had it coming'. That's a bridge too far for most. These days (and there have been plenty of opportunities) it's any combo of those sentiments.

Makes me chuckle.

 

[iluvatar5150]

You haven't sourced anything here. If your assertions are indeed accurate, and not dis/misinformation fed to you by the media, well...we shall see.

Have you been asleep? None of those convictions are new. (and they're listed in the newsweek article that he included in his post that you quoted)

 

[The Barbarian]

You haven't sourced anything here.

All public record. The indictments, guilty pleas, convictions, and in many cases Trump pardoning them. All public record. No point in denial.

Garland-appointed Weiss indicted Smirnov.

He's already confessed to lying and to feeding Russian disinformation to federal agencies. No point in denial.

We will find out. He hasn't even filed a plea yet, last I read.,

Man accused of lying to FBI about Hunter Biden claims fake info came from Russia​

Washington — The man accused last week of delivering false allegations to federal investigators about Hunter Biden and President Biden's business dealings told officials after his arrest that individuals "associated with Russian intelligence" were tied to apparent efforts to peddle a story about the first son, federal prosecutors revealed in a court filing Tuesday.

MSN

At this point, the question is "how much did the House republicans know about Smirnoff's ties to Russian intelligence?"

 

[NxNW]

So what? Is there enough other evidence to proceed? That is all that matters.

Well, is there?

But here in this story, the relevant thing seems to be to mock Republicans for doing what Democrats do all the time.

So are Republicans doing the right thing, or not?

And we've heard the screeches of "RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION!!!" numerous times before when it actually was not true at all.

Example?

Hillary Clinton securing the Steele dossier.

What about it?

The letter of 51 experts who say the laptop IS NOT REAL.

What laptop? Do you have evidence it even exists?

What letter? There is no such letter fitting your description.

We shall see, but Biden will escape all this, most likely.

Escape what?

SO who cares....everyone knows that Biden is going to skate on this one. It's a foregone conclusion.

That's what happens when the accusations are lies.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Garland-appointed Weiss

BZZZZT!

Trump-appointee David Weiss named special counsel in Hunter Biden probe as DOJ calls for trial​

• Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump to become a U.S. Attorney in 2018 and began investigating Hunter Biden in 2019 [i.e. while Trump was president].

Weiss was elevated to special counsel by Garland, but he was appointed to run the Hunter Biden case under the administration of President Donald J. Trump.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

BZZZZT!

Trump-appointee David Weiss named special counsel in Hunter Biden probe as DOJ calls for trial​

• Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump to become a U.S. Attorney in 2018 and began investigating Hunter Biden in 2019 [i.e. while Trump was president].

Weiss was elevated to special counsel by Garland, but he was appointed to run the Hunter Biden case under the administration of President Donald J. Trump.

For this particular investigation, he was selected by Garland. Previous choice of Barack Obama for the Supreme Court and appointed Attorney 86th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021 under Biden.

Garland has stated that he is in favor of pursuing the Jan 6 perpetrators whether present or not, if "otherwise criminally responsible".

22 members of Congress questioned Garland on his bad decision to raid a pro-life activist, Mark Houck, and arrest him with armed FBI agents in front of his children, when they could have just asked him to appear.
"After local authorities declined to press charges, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) stepped in, dispatching a team of FBI agents to arrest Houck at gunpoint in front of his terrified wife and children."

"The morning raid on Sept. 23, 2022, at the family’s home sparked outrage within pro-life circles and swift condemnation from many federal lawmakers, who blasted the FBI’s heavy-handed tactics and the Justice Department’s use of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act."

Houck was found not guilty.

According to The Hill: “David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under ‘Blue Slip,’” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “He would not have been picked by me.”

What is a Blue Slip? The “blue slip” process allows senators to indicate their support for or opposition to judicial nominees in their home state. Both Democratic senators from Delaware supported Weiss’ nomination.

Let's just say the totality of the evidence raises questions.

 

[essentialsaltes]

For this particular investigation, he was selected by Garland.

BZZZZZT.

Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump to become a U.S. Attorney in 2018 and began investigating Hunter Biden in 2019 [i.e. while Trump was president].

According to The Hill: “David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under ‘Blue Slip,’” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “He would not have been picked by me.”

You really can't trust what Trump says. Trump nominated Weiss for the role. The two senators didn't object, but they didn't pick Weiss. Trump did.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

BZZZZZT.

I guess every word needs to be spelled out. As SPECIAL COUNSEL, Weiss was selected by Garland, who has already made some questionably aggressive decisions on other matters.

You even stated so, so I didn't think it was necessary to say it again. He was selected by Garland to proceed as Special Counsel.

Before that, a whole lot of sketchy behind-the-scenes stuff happened, according to whistleblowers who testified before Congress:

According to Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler—two Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who testified to Congress—Weiss sought special counsel status, but his request was denied. Both Weiss and Garland denied these claims. Garland said that Weiss had "full authority" to bring cases.[9][10] In a July 10, 2023 letter to senator Lindsey Graham, Weiss wrote he had discussed with DOJ officials being given "special attorney" status that would allow him to file charges in any federal judicial district; that he was assured he would be granted such authority if it became necessary; and that he had "never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction".[11] Garland said had Weiss requested special counsel status, his request would have been approved. He added that Weiss would have more power as a U.S. attorney than as special counsel.[12][13]

According to a transcript obtained by news organizations, FBI agent Thomas Sobocinski, who since 2021 oversaw the investigation into Hunter Biden (as special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office), disputed Shapley and Ziegler's claims of political interference. In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, Sobocinski contradicted Shapley's claim that Weiss had said in an October 2022 meeting that he was "not the deciding person on whether charges are filed"; Sobocinski, who attended the meeting, said Weiss never said such a thing, and "If he would have said that, I would have remembered it."[14][15] CBS News later obtained what Shapley said were his contemporaneous notes of the meeting in which Shapley wrote, "Weiss stated – He is not the deciding person".[16]