That statement from Susan Rice’s lawyer denying knowledge of a FISA warrant, and justifying the efforts of Rice, Comey, and Obama to hide intelligence from the Trump administration is…. very Bill Clinon-esque.
The letter admits that all parties to the meeting – Yates, Comey, Rice, and Obama – knew of the substance of the communications of members of Trump’s team BEFORE and AFTER the election. Obama sought guidance on the topic. He knew. They all knew.
President Barack Obama meets with, from left: Kathryn Ruemmler, Lisa Monaco, and Susan E. Rice (Credit: Pete Souza/White House Flickr photo)
“There was no discussion of Christopher Steele or the Steele dossier.”
This leaves open the possibility that the allegations within the Steele dossier were discussed.
The reason that Rice memorialized the meeting on the day of Trump’s inauguration? “Because that was the first opportunity she had to do so.”
Doubtful she couldn’t find time to write a 5-minute e-mail in two weeks. And convenient that it was sent on inauguration day.
Rice drafted the memo “upon the advice of the White House Counsel’s Office.” How to hide motives? Trigger attorney-client privilege. What’s the advice she was given? We’ll never know.
“Rice was not briefed on the existence of any FBI investigation into allegations of collusion between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia” “briefed” This is not a denial of Rice’s knowledge of the investigation – just that she was never formally briefed on it.
What an awkward sentence. What “fact” is she referring to? Nobody knows because it’s unknowable. She never says Rice learned of the investigation itself from Comey’s testimony.
“Rice was not informed of any FISA applications sought by the FBI in its investigation.” What about FISA applications sought by the DOJ? Yates signed off on an application – she was in the meeting with Rice.
“Rice was not informed of any FISA applications sought by the FBI in its investigation.”
Ok. What about Rice being informed of the unlawful surveillance of Page and, in effect, the surveillance of the Trump team? Look back to the 1st page. She knew. Nunes needs to find out how. (Read more: @Techno_Fog, 2/23/2018) (Archive) (Grassley Letter to Rice, 2/08/2018) (Ruemmler Letter, 2/23/2018)