By: Al Perrotta – stream.org – December 9, 2019

The Department of Justice Inspector General has put out his long awaited report on the FISA abuses by the Obama FBI, but Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham aren’t buying what Michael Horowitz’s summary is selling. Or at least what the media has immediately begun peddling.

You can read the full 476-page IG report here.

Horowitz and his team of investigators found 17 failures or “significant inaccuracies” by those who secured four FISA warrants against a Trump campaign official. However, as with the IG probe of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, he does not see anything nefarious: He concludes the FBI had “authorized purpose” to conduct the investigations. And he could not prove political bias:

We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decisions (to open the investigations.)

The media has been running with the “no political bias” headline like kiddies with a candy cane from grandma. But that candy cane quickly proved bitter.

Barr Blasts the FBI Behavior

Attorney General William Barr says the IG’s finding show a “clear abuse of the FISA process.”

Said Barr, “The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken.”

Barr didn’t stop there.

It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory. Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump’s administration. In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source. The Inspector General found the explanations given for these actions unsatisfactory.

You can read Barr’s statement here.

U.S. Attorney Durham Also Stomps on the Media’s Parade

If Barr’s take wasn’t enough, U.S. Attorney John Durham has given James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok and the rest of the DOJ/FBI cabal real reason to worry. Durham is conducting a broader criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe. Unlike Horowitz, Durham’s investigation is not limited to developing information from within the DOJ. He’s been developing information from persons and entities in the U.S. and abroad. And he says he’s found the goods.

“Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”

Why is the Media Cheering?

Mollie Hemingway has a great thread on some of what Horowitz found. Some low-lights.

“Numerous serious factual errors and omissions.”
“A failure across three investigative teams to advise NSD (DOJ’s National Security Division) of significant information that undercut certain allegations in the FISA applications.” (Translation: They left out the stuff that could clear the targets of the investigation.)
“lack of satisfactory explanations for these failures”
“continuous failure to reassess the factual assertions supporting probable cause in the FISA applications as the investigation proceeded and information was obtained raising significant questions about the Steele” dossier.
The Steele dossier was “essential” in getting a FISA warrant on Page. In fact, The Federalist pointed out the IG Report proves John Brennan lied to Congress when he said the Steele Dossier was not included in a 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment used to brief President Obama and President-elect Trump. (By the way, what’s one of the things Roger Stone just got convicted of? Lying to Congress. Will Brennan be similarly charged?)
Carter Page was spied on “based on significant omissions and inaccurate information in the initial and renewal FISA applications.

In fact, information on Page was deliberately doctored to falsely paint Page as a Russian spy in order to get the warrant. A warrant that allowed them to spy on the Trump campaign.

Here is John Solomon’s rundown of “The Comey FBI’s 17 Worst Failures, Inaccuracies and Omissions Flagged in the Russia FISA Report.

Curious how all of the errors, omissions, violations and inaccuracies worked against Trump. Just like all the actions, omissions and inaccuracies worked in Hillary’s favor during the Clinton email investigation.

What are the odds? Assume you have 50-50 chance of an error going against person — in this case Donald Trump. The odds of all 17 errors going against Trump? 1 in 131,072.

Yet all the mainstream outlets are insisting tonight the game wasn’t fixed.

Durham and Barr, though — in other words, the two people who really count — are suggesting otherwise.

To see this article, others by Mr. Perrotta, and from the Stream, click read more.

Source: Barr, Durham Rain on Media Parade Celebrating FISA Report Conclusions | The Stream