WTF Community

Day 489

General Discussion
#13

From today’s “Notables”:

Jared Kushner received his security clearance after a year of background checks conducted by the FBI. (New York Times / CNN)

Does anyone else find this as disheartening as I do? Wow. I was sure the FBI was getting ready to throw down some indictments or at least some subpoenas on Kushner. But now this hardly seems likely in light of the FBI granting him a security clearance. As the NYT article states:

The resolution of his clearances does not guarantee that Mr. Kushner faces no legal jeopardy. But Mark S. Zaid, a veteran Washington lawyer who handles security clearances, said it was highly unlikely that the special counsel would uncover evidence of improper foreign entanglements and not flag it for security officials.

“If I were Jared Kushner, I’d be sighing a breath of relief today,” Mr. Zaid said.

Does anybody out there have another perspective on this?

#14

@Keaton_James

I agree…was not prepared to think he would be redeemed, with all the devious re-doing of paperwork. It could be a white wash that WH is fashioning…Kushner has been super coached by Abbe Lowell, his lawyer so he could give plausible answers.

Checked twitter feed and Rep @tedlieu (D) CA had an interesting take

@tedlieu
.@FBI does not grant or adjudicate security clearances. Decision to give Jared Kushner a clearance was made solely by the White House.

Kushner omitted his Trump Tower meeting not once, but TWICE on his SF-86s. If he wasn’t the son-in-law of @POTUS, he would not have a clearance https://twitter.com/nedprice/status/999364696749887493

There still should be some indictable areas though, and the lawyer who said that, maybe more partisan in responding.

Outstanding Q’s and potential areas of indictments.

  • close alliance in working with Cambridge Analytica; setting up back channel communications to Russia with Kislyak; financing of his buildings with Citibank mags at WH and loans appearing; qatar mtgs…yup there is a LOT he could be on the hook for.

T 'n Co are waging an all out defensive strategy to make it appear that there was absolutely NO areas that they are culpable for. In fact, they construe that if Mueller and DOJ weren’t so politically motivated…(#witchhunt. & #spygate) this would all disappear.

I would say that Kushner’s legal and PR team are working triple time, AND T would want him get those clearances.

We are still in wait-and-see mode.

My take…FWIW

2 Likes
#15

Ok…good. FBI is on it.

EXCERPT

FBI agents armed with a court order have seized control of a key server in the Kremlin’s global botnet of 500,000 hacked routers, The Daily Beast has learned. The move positions the bureau to build a comprehensive list of victims of the attack, and short-circuits Moscow’s ability to reinfect its targets.

The FBI counter-operation goes after “VPN Filter,” a piece of sophisticated malware linked to the same Russian hacking group, known as Fancy Bear, that breached the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign during the 2016 election. On Wednesday security researchers at Cisco and Symantec separately provided new details on the malware, which has turned up in 54 countries including the United States.

#16

What Mueller’s Investigation Could Mean for President Trump

Fantastic explainer from the New York Times

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, will likely reach one of two conclusions about the president: Either there is evidence that he broke the law, or there is not. Mike Schmidt, a New York Times reporter, explains the possible outcomes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXAvLauqXPU

1 Like
#17

Great dissection of the ‘what if’s’ - and did not know that if Mueller requests an indictment of T then a report is automatically generated…but goes to McConnell/Ryan…but hopefully after midterms to Pelosi and Schumer.

This looks like a clip from a new Showtime series the NYT is doing on the first 1000 Days…starts Sunday 25th.

Yes, Michael Schmidt has been the one who breaks so many stories in this admin. Very clear-eyed and one to watch.

Thx for link.

1 Like
#18

@dragonfly9 Thanks – an insightful analysis – you helped lower my anxiety level a few points – I’ve been able to stop breathing into a paper bag.

2 Likes
#19

I don’t know about it being Showtime thing, the NYTimes whole YouTube channel is just really well produced mini documentaries. Highly recommended, I check out their videos almost every evening.

#20

I got the name wrong…it is called The Fourth Estate, and does cover all things T. Very similar to The Circus. And May 27th is start date…(glad I fact checked) :slight_smile:

The YouTube daily looks great. Thx!

#21

NYTimes: Truth in a Post-Truth Era: Sandy Hook Families Sue Alex Jones, Conspiracy Theorist

What Jones has done to the Sandy Hook families is unbelieveable.

#22
#23

I suspect it’s true the WH grants the clearance the FBI does the background check to determine if there are legal reasons to not grant the clearance. When I was in the military and had a TS clearance, the material I was handling, the FBI wouldn’t have had an interest in that much but the military branch would.

3 Likes
#24

More…

Excerpt
But Trump said in his signing statement that the Constitution makes him responsible for the security clearance process.

1 Like
#26

@SEPTGUY Very interesting: “I suspect it’s true the WH grants the clearance the FBI does the background check. . .” So if it’s the WH, do you think that means that Trump himself granted Kushner clearance? Do you think there are any “checks” that would prevent Trump from reading a very negative FBI report on Kushner, yet totally ignoring the report and granting Kushner clearance anyway? That would seem outrageous, but sadly, we’ve come to expect outrageous behavior from our President.

#27

@dragonfly9 Thanks for posting the article on the security clearance reform bill – I totally missed that this was in the works. I guess the obvious question is one of timing. Do you think that Trump signing this bill and Kushner receiving a security clearance are related?

#28

I would suspect someone manages the office that grants clearances, actually that’s a good question who actually grants them and manages the database as a clearance can be pulled due to conduct.

#29

Yes indeedy. Two birds with one stone. Gots to keep up with appearances for poor Jared.

#30

I’ve watched several of the Showtime’s “Fourth Estate” series, it does give a sense of how fast paced the work environment in the NY Times is with this administration and a sense of the personalities behind the by-lines.

#31
#9

Wow, with the EPA meeting today and the ultimate banning of reporters…giving lip service last night (or today giving reporters 1 hour to participate, but then close the meeting down) …EPA knows the press will upend what their nasty intentions are…#NilTransparency.

From Politico

But on Wednesday, the agency again said no reporters would be allowed to attend.

The event, where attendees are discussing whether and how to regulate a class of chemicals linked to immune disorders and certain cancers, included federal and state officials, health groups and industry interests on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it is limited to the agencies that handle chemical oversight and state regulators, according to an EPA statement.

4 Likes
#3

It’s a good place to point out stories flying under the radar or obvious stuff I missed :hugs::hugs::hugs:

1 Like