The Graymail Cometh - emptywheel

"In his bid to obtain the grand jury transcripts submitted yesterday, Comey laid out how important it was for him to see how Lindsey Halligan instructed the jury on this matter, especially given that the grand jury rejected the charge specifically pertaining to that intelligence, but Loaner AUSAs plan to use it to prove Count Two of the existing indictment."

"As part of that discussion, he lays out how obscene it was to even charge him for not remembering something simply because Kash and Ratcliffe had developed an obsession over it. Note, I have generally referred to that intelligence report as the "Clinton Plan," which is how Durham referred to it, though without the scare quotes making clear that Durham himself fabricated parts of this theory. Comey, in his filings, uses the FBI for all such referrals, CIOL."

"Kash, John Ratcliffe, Durham, his lead investigator Jack Eckenrode (who leads this investigation), Bill Barr - all of them! - believed that because the FBI received a single intelligence report repeating a Russian claim that Hillary planned to hold Trump accountable for his ties to Russia, it was proof that Hillary had intentionally fabricated the Steele dossier (disinformation into which was probably injected by Paul Manafort buddy Oleg Deripaska) and the Alfa Bank anomalies."

Durham, Kash Patel, John Ratcliffe, lead investigator Jack Eckenrode, and Bill Barr pursued a single intelligence report alleging a Clinton plan to hold Trump accountable for Russia ties and treated it as proof the Steele dossier and Alfa Bank anomalies were fabricated. That intelligence report is now known to have been based on Russian fabrications. Durham concluded the report was likely fabricated, and Comey's indictment revives the investigation with possible criminal implications. Comey sought grand jury transcripts to review Lindsey Halligan's jury instructions after the grand jury rejected the related charge while prosecutors plan to use it in Count Two.

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