Guest post by Larry C. Johnson
The release this week of Peter Strzok’s notes on the 5 January 2017 meeting convened by Barack Obama and attended by his national security and law enforcement chiefs makes it clear that Sally Yates and/or Susan Rice are lying about what transpired and when it happened.
Strzok adds scintillating details to the depth and scope of the plot to try to destroy Donald Trump and his Presidency and, for now, provides the only record of what transpired prior to Obama dismissing Clapper, Brennan and the NSC staff. Here is the problem, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told FBI agents that OBAMA DISMISSED THE GROUP (i.e., Joe Biden, Susan Rice, Jim Clapper, John Brennan and “others” from the National Security Council) and asked Yates and FBI Director Jim Comey to “stay behind.”
But that is not what Susan Rice claims. Her now infamous memo to the file (drafted in the final moments of the Obama Administration) notes that she, along with Sleepy Joe Biden, also stayed behind.
Strzok’s memo destroys the claims of Yates and Rice by the select group Obama asked to “stay behind.”
Yates account is that she only learned of the intercepted conversations between Michael Flynn and the Russian Ambassador after the others left. Channeling the spirit of Inspector Renault from Casablanca (he was shocked to discover gambling in the Casino), poor Sally was surprised and shocked when Obama, on his own, brought up Michael Flynn’s conversation with the Russian Ambassador and specifically identified “SANCTIONS” as the substance of that conversation. Obama then said, according to Yates, that he did not want any additional information on the matter, but was seeking information on whether the Obama White House should be treating Flynn differently going forward.
Yates told the FBI agents who interviewed her that she had “no idea what Obama was talking about but figured it out based on the conversation.” To paraphrase Jim Comey, “Lordy, Lordy, what’s a body to do.”
Susan Rice tells a different story. She claims that Obama kicked off the conversation by insisting that he was not “asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective”. Obama’s next move, according to Rice’s account, directs the staff to “ascertain” if there is any reason the Obama team cannot fully share intelligence relative to Russia.
Rice then pins the tail on the donkey Jim Comey. Comey affirms he’s doing everything by the book (except we now know he overruled the FBI agent recommending closing the case on Michael Flynn). It was Comey, according to Rice, not Obama who raised the specter of Michael Flynn chatting up the Russians. Comey could not point to any specific violation of classified information by Flynn, but commented that the level of communication is “unusual.”
Peter Strzok’s notes tell a completely different story from Yates and Rice. We do not know if Strzok was present as a notetaker for Comey or if he prepared this note at the direction of Comey. Regardless, Strzok’s note shows that the issue of going after Michael Flynn for his conversations with the Russian Ambassador occurred with everyone in the room, including CIA Director John Brennan and the Director of National Intelligence Jimmy Clapper.
It is the presence of Clapper and Brennan and what they said that explains the blacked out portions of the Strzok note on the “conversation” at the White House.
Strzok writes:
NSA Director (Susan Rice, National Security Advisor) and DAG (Deputy Attorney General Yates): Flynn calls(?) Other Ambassadors
D (Comey) and DAG: Lean forward on “?????”
VP (Biden): “Logan Act”
P (Obama): “These are unusual times”
VP (Biden): “I’ve been on the intel committee for ten years and I never . . .”
P (Obama): “Make sure you look at thing and have the right people on it.”
P (Obama): “Is there anything I shouldn’t be telling the transition team?”
D (Comey): “Flynn-Kislyak call but appear legit.
According to Strzok’s account, it was Comey who told Barack Obama not to say anything to the Trump team about the Flynn-Kislyak conversations. Rice’s account on this point appears to corroborate Strzok’s version of events.
However, Strzok states that Comey characterized the Flynn-Kislyak call as “legit.” Rice contends that Comey said it was unusual. Someone is lying.
Strzok’s notes destroys Yates claim that she did not know nothing about a Flynn-Kislyak call. She reportedly chimed in with Susan Rice to report that Flynn had conversations with other Ambassadors.
That interchange apparently struck a nerve with Vice President Joe Biden who, according to Strzok, raised the Logan Act.
Someone is lying. The only one right now in potential legal jeopardy is Sally Yates. Her account given to FBI agents with the warning that lying to the FBI is punishable under U.S. law, differs markedly from Rice and Strzok. Time to get Strzok and Rice under oath and ask them to go on the record.
If you want to see the original Yates and Rice statements, go here. Peter Strzok’s notes can be seen here.
The Obama/Biden coup is being fully exposed. More to come.