“Chairman Nunes met with his source at the White House grounds in order to have proximity to a secure location where he could view the information provided by the source.”
Coincidentally, there is an orange rumped agouti in residence and a whole bunch of weasels jumping sharks.
Apparently Nunes did go to the WH grounds but to a meeting in the EEOB, or so they say, and even though there have been interesting concurrent visitors. Information access not completely shared or perhaps inappropriately shared intelligence documentation could be construed as an ethics violation.
And surprise, surprise… “New special assistant to the president, NSC deputy legal adviser Michael Ellis served as Nunes’ aide, HPSCI gen. counsel til early March…”.
In a phone interview, Nunes confirmed to CNN that he was on the White House grounds that day — but he said he was not in the White House itself. (Other buildings, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, are on the same grounds.)
No one in the White House was aware that he was there, Nunes said.
The California Republican said he was there for additional meetings “to confirm what I already knew” but said he wouldn’t comment further so as to not “compromise sources and methods.”
He told CNN he wanted to “reiterate this has nothing to do with Russia.”
Nunes went to the building because he needed a secure area to view the information, he told CNN. A government official said Nunes was seen Tuesday night at the National Security Council offices of the Eisenhower building which, other than the White House Situation Room, is the main area on the complex to view classified information in a secure room…
Laura Rozen notes that Nunes’ former aide, Michael Ellis, now works as NSC Deputy Legal Adviser.
New special assistant to the president, NSC deputy legal adviser Michael Ellis served as Nunes’ aide, HPSCI gen. counsel til early March 3/
Hi Raff,
Speaking of “creep” there was another CREEP four decades ago. Final toll:
– One presidential resignation
– One vice-presidential resignation; however, Agnew’s crimes were unrelated to Watergate
– 40 government officials indicted or jailed
– Many lawyers disbarred
History has a tendency to repeat itself, especially for those who refuse to learn its lessons.
We may never know all the people on the list of suspects. However, if Nunes was not in the FBI crosshairs before, he is now.
Some of these folks are in other, more malignant, crosshairs as well. As we discussed backchannel yesterday, the list of bodies is growing, and those are just the ones we know about.
Raff,
He may refuse to share with the Committee, but if FBI agents want to interview him, he will either have to talk to them or plead the Fifth. He can’t lie. When talking to an FBI agent, your statements must be truthful. Martha Stewart found that out the hard way.
Everyone is focused on what is public, because that is all we have. You can bet the FBI, and possibly IRS, has a lot more incriminating information that will never see the light of day in our lifetimes.
I would like to think so, but am skeptical. I may have been watching too many documentaries about Blechley Park. Some of their secrets are still classified at levels well above Top Secret, seventy years on. And that is just the stuff they did not burn in bonfires at the end of the war.
I think you’re right on that one, Chuck. At the end of the day it will be decided that full disclosure would do irreparable harm to the institution of government in the U.S.
Just like the run up to war in Iraq, the U.S. torture (oops, enhanced interrogation) program and the collapse and bailout of the banking industry. No one will go to prison, except maybe a few lower level clerks or secretaries (someone who doesn’t really know where the bodies are buried) but does know something unlawful was occurring.
Trump will be left in office. A figurehead, powerless and neutered, ready to be voted out at the next election. We will be told to look ahead, not back and a squirrel will be tossed out to distract whatever media has, up to this point, reported what they could find out.
I just hope the squirrel won’t involve a shooting war.
I wouldn’t look for anyone important to be making a perp walk. Might be bad for business.
I see Pete’s reply as being a prime scenario, probably the most troubling one for me. I am a law and order type, and want to see the wrongdoer pay for the crime. The higher up the food chain one is, the less likely that happens, unless a vigilante steps in to interrupt the system. Wild west justice was swift, but often inaccurate, and it is a one way street.
In *45’s case, his ego may be bruised enough that his physiology may be affected to a point that his health becomes affected, and he leaves for health reasons. Perhaps he may enjoy a nice cup of tea with his friends to relax his nerves and help him calm down.
Pete,
Paul Manafort is the one I am betting on to go down first. Backchannel chatter says Flynn has been flipped and there is speculation he is singing like a canary. As for Paul Manafort, my educated guess it is a tossup as to which happens first: Will he go to jail or have an “accident.”
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Nicole Plyler Fisk
Gene Howington
FFS Guest Blogger
Joy of Fishes
Chuck Stanley
shortfinals
Terry Welshans
ann li-summers
wordcloud9
Flowers For Socrates 
Walter Scott covered this in 1808.
Amen Chuck. Mission creep is going to take on a whole new meaning!😡
Hi Raff,
Speaking of “creep” there was another CREEP four decades ago. Final toll:
– One presidential resignation
– One vice-presidential resignation; however, Agnew’s crimes were unrelated to Watergate
– 40 government officials indicted or jailed
– Many lawyers disbarred
History has a tendency to repeat itself, especially for those who refuse to learn its lessons.
Most of those creeps weren’t even born when Nixon was President.
I’d say it will be creeping right up his butt crack. This guy should be on the FBI list as well.
We may never know all the people on the list of suspects. However, if Nunes was not in the FBI crosshairs before, he is now.
Some of these folks are in other, more malignant, crosshairs as well. As we discussed backchannel yesterday, the list of bodies is growing, and those are just the ones we know about.
Yep.
Does anyone else think Nunes saw his own name on the alleged evidence that he is still keeping from his entire committee?
Raff,
He may refuse to share with the Committee, but if FBI agents want to interview him, he will either have to talk to them or plead the Fifth. He can’t lie. When talking to an FBI agent, your statements must be truthful. Martha Stewart found that out the hard way.
Everyone is focused on what is public, because that is all we have. You can bet the FBI, and possibly IRS, has a lot more incriminating information that will never see the light of day in our lifetimes.
Chuck,
I hold you are wrong about the information not seeing the light of day!!
I would like to think so, but am skeptical. I may have been watching too many documentaries about Blechley Park. Some of their secrets are still classified at levels well above Top Secret, seventy years on. And that is just the stuff they did not burn in bonfires at the end of the war.
I think you’re right on that one, Chuck. At the end of the day it will be decided that full disclosure would do irreparable harm to the institution of government in the U.S.
Just like the run up to war in Iraq, the U.S. torture (oops, enhanced interrogation) program and the collapse and bailout of the banking industry. No one will go to prison, except maybe a few lower level clerks or secretaries (someone who doesn’t really know where the bodies are buried) but does know something unlawful was occurring.
Trump will be left in office. A figurehead, powerless and neutered, ready to be voted out at the next election. We will be told to look ahead, not back and a squirrel will be tossed out to distract whatever media has, up to this point, reported what they could find out.
I just hope the squirrel won’t involve a shooting war.
I wouldn’t look for anyone important to be making a perp walk. Might be bad for business.
I see Pete’s reply as being a prime scenario, probably the most troubling one for me. I am a law and order type, and want to see the wrongdoer pay for the crime. The higher up the food chain one is, the less likely that happens, unless a vigilante steps in to interrupt the system. Wild west justice was swift, but often inaccurate, and it is a one way street.
In *45’s case, his ego may be bruised enough that his physiology may be affected to a point that his health becomes affected, and he leaves for health reasons. Perhaps he may enjoy a nice cup of tea with his friends to relax his nerves and help him calm down.
Well above Top Secret, you say? You bet they are! (And I signed H.M.The Official Secrets Act, 1917 (As Amended), way back in the 1980s)
Pete,
Paul Manafort is the one I am betting on to go down first. Backchannel chatter says Flynn has been flipped and there is speculation he is singing like a canary. As for Paul Manafort, my educated guess it is a tossup as to which happens first: Will he go to jail or have an “accident.”