Damn this is frustrating. Sorry folks, but this absolutely confirms the ongoing corruption within the DOJ that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is allowing. This is a Trump administration cover-up. The DOJ has issued a press release [SEE HERE] outlining a plea agreement with Mr. Wolfe where all charges are dropped except a single count of lying to investigators.
Here is the 10-page plea agreement [Cloud pdf Link Here and SCRIBD pdf Link Here]
Senate Security Chief James Wolfe was given a plea deal by the DOJ allowing him to plead guilty to a single count of lying to federal authorities, and avoiding all other consequences.
The DOJ never openly admitted that Wolfe leaked the 83 Page FISA application on March 17th, 2017 from the Senate Intelligence Committee; and the media have never admitted to receiving it. This pleading today covers-up the entire scheme and throws a blanket over massive and consequential downstream ramifications to the Senate Intelligence Committee and U.S. Media that will now remain hidden. FUBAR !
WASHINGTON DC – Former veteran Senate Intelligence Committee staffer James Wolfe pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of making false statements to federal agents.The guilty plea represents an about-face for Wolfe, 57, who earlier in the proceedings had vowed, through his lawyers, to “vigorously” fight charges that he lied to the FBI about his contacts with reporters. Monday’s hearing had been on the calendar as a routine status hearing, but the judge began by announcing Wolfe was in court to enter a guilty plea.
Wolfe wasn’t charged with leaking classified or other sensitive information, a fact his lawyers repeatedly emphasized. He was indicted earlier this year on three counts of making false statements to the FBI who questioned him about his contacts with reporters. By pleading guilty, the number of charges was knocked down to just one count. (read more)
This is a cover-up, plain and simple. The political ramifications to the disclosures would be too damaging to the institutions. Wolfe claiming he never leaked classified information, and the DOJ allowing him to make that statement, means they current DOJ has made the decision to hide the most damaging information to preserve politicians, protect the intelligence community and, as a consequence, cover for the media.
Here’s the backstory:
Connecting the Wolfe indictment to the recently released Carter Page FISA application it becomes obvious in March 2017 Senate Staffer James Wolfe sent reporter Ali Watkinsa copy of the 82-page FISA Title-1 origination application. Here’s how we know:
On/around March 16th, 2017, the Senate Intelligence Committee requested a copy of the FISA application used against Carter Page. How do we know this? Because a part of the indictment against James Wolfe tells us what took place.
Page #5 of the Wolfe indictment (unsealed in June 2018) describes Reporter #2 Ali Watkins.
Page #6 describes one of the leaks; one of the very specific leaks by Wolfe to Watkins. Read carefully:
That document described is clearly the FISA application used against Carter Page that was disclosed Saturday. Note the description (above) and the date of the FISC release disclosed: March, 17th, 2017 – FISC CLERK COPY STAMP page 83
♦Yes, that means the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has had the FISA application against Carter Page in their possession since March 2017.
Next: Note the FISA application (original first application) is 83 pages, with a blank page. That’s 82 pages total.
Note page #6 of the Wolfe indictment: “82 text messages” corresponds with James Wolfe texting 82 images of the FISA application to Ali Watkins. Wolfe likely took pictures of each application page and sent them to Ms. Watkins.
Important to note: depending on how the FISA copy was processed by the DOJ(?), and considering this was to the Senate Intel Committee, it is likely the SSCI copy was not heavily redacted (if at all).
♦Yes, that means reporter Ali Watkins (Buzzfeed then New York Times) has had a copy of the original FISA application against Carter Page since March 17th, 2017.
♦Yes, that also means the U.S. DOJ has known since December 15th, 2017, that SSCI Chief Staffer James Wolfe leaked the FISA application to the media in March 2017.
♦Yes, that also means the U.S. DOJ has known the media has been holding a copy of the original FISA application since March 17th, 2017.
Further….
SSCI Chairman Richard Burr and SSCI Vice-Chair Mark Warner are “Gang-of-Eight” intelligence oversight members.
They have top level security clearances, so they could/would be permitted to see the FISC release w/out redactions.
However, in March 2017, at the time this application was sent to the SSCI, there was also an ongoing Intelligence Community leak investigation taking place. Actually, more like a “leak hunt”. This ongoing “leak hunt”, in connection to the later capture of James Wolfe, becomes a more important consideration when you think about the recent FISA application public release.
From the Wolfe indictment we discover: On December 15th, 2017 James Wolfe was busted; the FBI had him dead-to-rights. However, the grand jury proceedings didn’t start until May 3rd, 2018; and the indictment was sealed until June 7th, 2018. That means six months passed between busting Wolfe on Dec. 15th, 2017, and indicting Wolfe on June 7th, 2018.
It is difficult to gain a search and seizure warrant on a journalist. However, it is noted Reporter #2, Ms. Ali Watkins, was identified and an appropriate search warrant was authorized by the court. Ms. Watkins was notified after execution of the search warrant. February 13, 2018:
RECAP: Wolfe FBI interview 12/15/17; one search warrant executed Jan-Feb 2018; grand jury seated May 2018; indictment/arrest of Wolfe June 2018
Here is where it gets interesting. Back to the FISC application released. Remember, we must think of this release in four segments:
♦Original application – Oct ’16
♦Renewal – Jan ’17
♦Renewal – April ’17
♦Renewal – June ’17
♦Renewal – Jan ’17
♦Renewal – April ’17
♦Renewal – June ’17
However, when the FISA application was released publicly, *they* (unknown) released the March 17th, 2017 copy (the one sent to the SSCI) of the original.
Why release (segment #1) from the March 17th, 2017, copy?
The answer to that question goes back to the leak hunting taking place on/around March 17th, 2017, when the FISA application was first released to the SSCI.
*They* (again, unknown) likely put a subtle leak tracer in the FISC application when it was released. A slight variation in the copy sent to the SSCI that would help the leak hunters identify the leak, if the tracer information was found in media reporting.
So there is something slightly different about the March 17th, 2017, version of the Carter Page FISA application…. than the unmodified original version held at the FISC.
That is why the publicly released version has segment #1 dated as March 17th, 2017. Whoever made the decision to release the application needed to publicly release the same version as was previously used to track leakers.
NOTE: It is highly likely one of the “leak tracers” was to change the dates within the FISA application and/or the FISA renewal(s). This explains why the dates are all redacted in the FISA Application release:
However, as the case against Wolfe continued there were more curious and troubling legal developments.
First, we know from overwhelming circumstantial evidence, conveniently overlooked by media, that one of Wolfe’s specific leaks involved sending his concubine Ali Watkins a copy of the 82-page FISA application used to gain a Title-1 surveillance warrant against U.S. person Carter Page. {Full Backstory Here} Some key things about this leak:
- It is highly likely there were no redactions in the copy Wolfe leaked to the media.
- It is highly likely Wolfe was caught in a leak hunt, and the copy given to him included a specific, and intentionally wrong, internal date using October 19th as the origination date for FISA application approval. (The actual date was Oct 21st).
- The October 19th date then shows up in subsequent media reports which were based on the leak. The New York Times and Washington Post used the wrong date; the concentric reporting of the NYT and WaPo spread the wrong date like a virus.
- However, despite overwhelming and easy to prove evidence against him, Wolfe was never charged with the Carter Page FISA leak. The DOJ/FBI have him dead-to-rights on that leak, but he was charged with the more disingenuous crime of lying to the FBI.
These explosive details have been largely ignored by media, and two recent legal filings add even more layers of intrigue. Last week a federal judge denied a request by Wolfe’s lawyers to put a gag order on the entire U.S. government; to include President Trump:
The scant media coverage all focused on a narrative that Mr. Wolfe was requesting a gag order against President Trump in his case. However, as you can see above, that was not the request. More broadly Wolfe’s attorneys were attempting to bar any government official from any public statement. This is Key…. keep that in mind as you look at the second development.
After losing the gag order request, lawyers for Mr. Wolfe have sent letters to every Senator who sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. [As we have shared for years, the SSCI is the deepest and most corrupt part of the Deep State swamp.]
The lawyers for Wolfe are putting the senators on notice they might be called as defense witnesses. Read carefully, including between the lines (emphasis mine):
WASHINGTON—Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee have been notified they may be asked for testimony as part of the criminal trial of a veteran Senate staffer accused of lying to the FBI while working for the panel.Attorneys for James A. Wolfe sent letters to all 15 senators on the committee, notifying them that their testimony may be sought as part of Mr. Wolfe’s defense, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Wolfe, who for nearly 30 years served as the director of security for the intelligence committee, was arrested last month and charged with lying to the FBI about his contacts with reporters while the bureau was conducting an investigation into leaks of classified information to journalists. Mr. Wolfe wasn’t charged with leaking any information.Mr. Wolfe’s defense lawyers are considering calling the senators as part of the proceedings for a variety of reasons, including as potential character witnesses and to rebut some of the allegations made by the government in the criminal complaint, these people say. (link)
Remember, Wolfe isn’t charged with the leaks, he’s charged with lying to the FBI. His lawyers inferring that Senators might be called to rebut the allegations, seems to imply that Senators might have authorized the content of those allegations; or, put simply, Senators might have authorized or instructed Wolfe to make the leaks to the media.
…”to rebut some of the allegations” … “in the criminal complaint”
Pause on that for a moment.
Two things jump out to me immediately; things that could be considered heavily corrupt based on how the reader views the current DOJ institution; if ‘corrupt’:
#1) perhaps that’s why the DOJ didn’t charge Wolfe with the specific leak(s). If the DOJ had charged him with specific leaks to the media there could be Senators at risk of criminal conspiracy.
#2) perhaps these notification letters are Wolfe saying he will burn everyone if he is taken down, therefore his defense is to hide behind the Senators and make them pressure the DOJ to drop/lessen charges against him.
Something sketchy is definitely going on.
WASHINGTON – [cont,,] People familiar with the case are bracing for the possibly that lawmakers could try to invoke constitutional immunity to avoid testifying. The “speech or debate” clause of the constitution states that members are largely privileged from arrest while attending sessions of Congress and that “they shall not be questioned in any other place” about their legislative duties.However, very little case law exists on the clause. David Schultz, who teaches law at the University of Minnesota, said he wouldn’t expect a court to entirely excuse members of Congress from testifying in a criminal proceeding, even if it is related to their official duties. (more)
Go read Jeff Carlson’s article at The Markets Work –SEE HERE– He too is noticing that something increasingly sketchy and curious is happening.
Again, here’s the FISA Application.
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Again, here’s the Wolfe Indictment.
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Again, here’s a time/date listing of the corrupt activity taking place by Vice-Chairman Mark Warner at the same time the March 17, 2017, FISA application was released to the SSCI:
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Timeline:
- March 16th, 2017, SSCI requests copy of FISA application from Court
- March 17th, 2017, a copy of the application with an intentionally adjusted date (Oct 19th) was delivered to James Wolfe, Director of Security for the SSCI.
- March 17th, 2017, Wolfe sends reporter Ali Watkins a copy of the original FISA application via 82 picture text messages (one per page) thereby distributing the wrong date. He may have also shared with other reporters.
- Numerous media reports surface using the October 19th false date.
- October 31st, 2017, FBI notifies Security Director James Wolfe of a leak investigation (hunt for leakers) looking at the Senate Intelligence Committee.
- December 14th, 2017, Ali Watkins announces she will no longer be covering the SSCI.
- December 15th, 2017, FBI confronts James Wolfe with evidence that he is one of the people leaking classified intelligence to journalists.
- Before the end of December 2017, Wolfe resigns.
- FBI gains national security search warrant against reporter Ali Watkins and all of her electronic communications. Watkins is notified by her network provider on February 13th, 2018.
- May 3rd, 2018, grand jury proceedings against Wolfe. Indictment remains under seal.
- June 7th, 2018, indictment is unsealed – James Wolfe is arrested.
RESOURCES :
♦Sketchy Richard Burr, Mark Warner and James Wolfe – SEE HERE
♦James Wolfe Arrest – SEE HERE
♦The Story Behind the Wolfe Arrest – SEE HERE
♦Details of Wolfe leaking FISA application – SEE HERE
♦James Wolfe Arrest – SEE HERE
♦The Story Behind the Wolfe Arrest – SEE HERE
♦Details of Wolfe leaking FISA application – SEE HERE
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