When The President Does It, That Means That It’s Not Illegal

List of officials who sought to ‘unmask’ Flynn released;

The list was declassified in recent days by Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and then sent to GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, who made the documents public. It features top figures including then-Vice President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey and intelligence chiefs John Brennan and James Clapper. It also included Obama’s then-chief of staff, Denis McDonough.
 
“I declassified the enclosed document, which I am providing to you for your situational awareness,” Grenell wrote to GOP senators in sending along the list. […]
 
The list revealed that then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power made unmasking requests seven times between Nov. 30, 2016 and Jan. 11, 2017. The list revealed that Clapper made three requests from Dec. 2, 2016 through Jan. 7, 2017; that Brennan made two requests, one on Dec. 14 and one on Dec. 15, 2016. Comey also made a request on Dec. 15, 2016. On Jan. 5, 2017, McDonough made one request, and on Jan. 12, 2017, then-Vice President Biden made one request.
 
The document comes just a day after Biden told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that he knew “nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn,” and called the topic a “diversion” from the coronavirus pandemic.

More at Politico: Clapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McDonough declined to comment. The Biden campaign and representatives for Grenell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Related: Flynn’s case dismissal delayed by this cheap shot stunt by Judge Sullivan

36 Replies to “When The President Does It, That Means That It’s Not Illegal”

  1. “Each individual was an authorized recipient of the original report and the unmasking was approved through NSA’s standard process, which includes a review of the justification for the request,”

    Now we need to see the requests themselves. What was the justification from Biden for example. I mean the VP doesn’t need to do anything other than stump for the president. What about the chief of staff. What in god’s name was the justification from him for this other than to deliver the information to Obama.

  2. The Watergate lawyers included Hillary Clinton (although they fired her for (unethical) concealing points of legal pleadings)

    Nice to know the Names of those Lawyers front & Center… The Communist at the WAPO provided ALL the FBI Information that (deep throat ) Felt provided…. Felt also investigated Mob practices in Utah (hey MITT) It was Mitts father who returned to the USA from Mexico,, He opened a Car manufacturing Co .. Silver.. Silver

  3. Same old, same old bunch of crooks. Likely all their crimes committed at the direction of Bath House Barry.
    Time to pay the Barr tab. Hopefully.
    Remember it’s not about the virus, it’s about the election.

  4. I have found the persons who repeat the saying the ‘problem with common sense is it is not very common and doesn’t make sense are attempting wisdom beyond their lack of cognitive capability. e.g. (The Coasts and D.C Swamp with the Quebottawa Sewer ‘We know better crowd’.
    Why? similar to Anthoney Fauci having someone actually pay attention brings on the Napoleonic Complex and Celebrity seeking is really quite common among Napoleon dreamers.
    Now after setting the Stage for My Common Sense, not really as short as Anthony Fauci; therefore doubt this will bring any celebrity. President Xi takes the usual China negotiation stance after China has established and signed a Contract.
    First of all; start laughing at the other Contract Signer, as was done throughout history of China Dynasty period. Which commenced when Qin dynasty after destroying the other half dozen ‘Kingdoms’. Then the Mongolian Kublai Khan decided China was once again ripe after His grandfather, Genghis Khan scared the Dynasty out of the Qi.
    This became s the china of seclusion and hiding behind the slave labor Great Wall constrution which started to erode and tumble down before it was even completed. China continually fell apart after a few centuries.
    As the ingenuity of the Great Trading Countries established the Wealth to allow the “Holy See'” to become just another despotic way of living until Martin Luther and England’ Henry The VIII re-established competition.
    The evolutionary plan; whether One believes it is part of Intelligent Design or not. Growth and motivation for Action to happen will never happen when Leadership is wasted on squalid little minds of Bureaucracy. Great Leaders recognize it is Common Sense, not CYA of saving ‘My Position’; which is necessary to inittiate motivation.
    Paying attention to the Common Sense of Adam Smith in detailing the real “Wealth of Nations”. Which was coincidentally published in 1776. A period long enough prior to decades prior “Poor Richards Almanac” using humor and anecdotal Commoin Sense to sink in to the Minds of People. who actually recognize S.O.A.P. has been the means to clean out the But -But – But of ‘ I am important’ and then in 1776 said enough is enough, as Poor Richard’s Almanack had presented for a few Decades.
    Well it is time for precedence in History to bring Common Sense into its place in general discussion. China has fallen back into centuries upon centuries of dealing through Laughter to minimize the words of the ‘I am Important’ which truly began in the North American culture after World War Two. It is time for the Other Side of the Contract which China has set aside by stating ‘it is not good enough’ — We want more.
    Now that the Contract has been re-opened by China; the only Reality is to start the Laughter first by stating there are Lawsuits by some of the United — States of our Republic; We believe each and everyone of the States will be also expecting compensation for the Harm China created through ignorance; ineptness; Or possible Intent.
    The U.S.A. Federal Government also has justification to claim damages for similar failures by China. Therefore the U.S.A. will be placing all of the Monies now registered as a Debt Obligation by the United States of America to the Government of China into Escrow until all obligations of Chaina regardless of which Partiuclar Political Entity is acting as Authority; has contro;l and has security of the Tax-Funding receipts before and after the China Government’ laxity of responsibility created harm.

    Continue to laugh subtly, but with enough of the mocking expression China has used for Centuries: actually millenniums. They will understand the U.S.A. means Business; after all it was China that broke the Contract.

    1. I find Condensation to be the second most difficult task in writing. I know you can do it. You occasionally send really concise stuff and when you do I enjoy reading it.

  5. The document comes just a day after Biden told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that he knew “nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn,” and called the topic a “diversion” from the coronavirus pandemic.

    I believe Joe. I don’t think he does remember anything about this.

    1. Seen on Instapundit:
      “What did the Vice President forget, and when did he forget it?”

      — Bad News

  6. I have been following this from the start and have yet to see any justice, lots of law, but no justice.

    1. If our “Justice” in 2020 … is anything like “justice” in 1865 … then the Public Hangings will be televised by CSPAN. No … so far as we know, nobody tried to physically assassinate PDJT by murder … however … the Dems (Obama) tried to end PDJT’s Presidency. Multiple times … in multiple ways. Same thing, effectively. At least two attempts to assassinate a duly elected President. Treason. A violation of our entire Constitution. Quite a long list of co-conspirators who should all hang from the neck till dead. Mary Surratt was hanged for doing less than Susan Rice to assassinate our President.

  7. I find it plausible that these folks won’t suffer the torment of being brought before the courts for their malfeasance, plausible but not the actual outcome.
    What this will do is make association with them politically damaging.
    Biden may want to keep distance from anyone in Clinton Inc.

  8. Vince Foster was killed in 1993, the FBI, SS, Klinton’s White House, and the coroner who signed the death certificate all were in on it, or at least the cover up, and there i s NO investigation to date, even tho it’s been a while since they found out!

  9. It is so ridiculous to see Trump partisans who mindlessly defend his corruption (e.g. attempting to pressure a foreign government to conduct a dubious investigation into Trump’s political rival) at every turn complain about the FBI not following proper procedure.

    What do they say about glass houses and throwing stones?

    When Trump is gone the subsequent investigations will likely reveal corruption that makes Obama look like a boy scout.

      1. Why do you think your are not delusional?
        Why are you uniquely able to determine what is truth and what is partisan spin?

        Sure the allegations coming out today make it sound like the FBI was out of control. But do we really have the entire context or are these allegations simply “fake news” invented by the Trump administration desperate to distract people from its own gross incompetence?

        1. I know I’m not delusional because I base my reasoning on evidence.

          Not on spin from a biased media.

          Look at the recent performance by Chuck Todd and you’ll know why I rely on actual documents and not “journalists” for information.

          Also read Saul Alinsky, and know it’s the playbook for Democrats. They said so, not me.

          1. Deb, what complete nonsense!

            You are basing your opinion on the evidence you choose to accept. Any evidence contrary to what you want to believe is presumed to be false. Your own post proves this when you dismiss any evidence from the “biased media”. This is not logical reasoning.

            Case in point: Trump incriminated himself with his transcript of his Ukraine call but his loyalists insisted the words in the document don’t mean what a non-biased speaker of English would think they mean.

            Same problem with these so called documents. You like to pretend they are facts but what you are really doing is imposing your interpretation of the words which make any conclusions drawn from the documents nothing but partisan opinion. It would take a lot work to discover and understand the context to determine whether those documents really mean what you claim they mean.

            Bottom line. You have failed to answer the question. You have offered no evidence for why I am delusion and you are not.

        2. Well, son of a bitch, Tim G. … because Biden actually got a Ukrainian FIRED! Because of his corrupt actions. That’s why! … gawd you’re a willfully blind fool.

          1. Context is everything Kenji.

            The official fired was accused failing to investigate corruption. This was an opinion shared by many western donor nations and the IMF. They wanted him gone because they were afraid the aid money they were giving was getting stolen. Biden actions were intended to make it more likely that his son’s company would be investigated.

            But I know you don’t want to believe that narrative because it is easier to tell yourself that Biden is corrupt so you can safely ignore the grotesque and ongoing corruption of Trump. You try to tell yourself that Biden can’t prove that his narrative is true so it must be false. But that is nonsense. Your preferred narrative can’t be proven either and there is no reason to assume it is true.

    1. You’re a hoot Sparky!

      PANIC IN DC. The Obongo admin is up to their eyeballs in corruption, and very soon, criminal charges. If there’s true justice, Bongo will be facing charges too. Mebbe MAGAMAN will show mercy to Bongo and pardon him anyways, but only him.

      Or banish him to Kenya.

      ENJOY!

    2. Obtusion alert;

      You’re right, a phrase in a twenty minute conversation that went nowhere is exactly like, or perhaps worse, than a concerted deep state effort, now becoming probably guided by an outgoing president against an incoming, opening up junk data to 17 “intelligence agencies” for the express purpose of selectively and illegally leaking classified material, while illegally unmasking political opponents, while framing some of them with government informants giving information or money, with government whistleblowers at the ready at the other end, still with no criminal predicate whatsoever, on anyone, apparently hiding in plain sight, with Dems lying through their teeth at every opportunity, for years, with know nothing Joe Biden-Schultz on Flynn just their latest mendactic caper.

      You’re right, they’re basically the same. There’s a future for you at CNN. I understand some they’ll have some openings soon.

  10. Good work there Timmy,just as when the Adscam blew open,the Media Party line was But..Mulroney.
    Just as if Justine’s crew ever get investigated,the CBC will bleat endlessly”But Harper..”

    If Trump was as corrupt as you keep insisting,why can’t the intelligence agencies of 5 countries,with help from Russia and all the USA Intelligence agencies hard at work find a crime?..4 years,millions of dollars and so far?
    Not even an unpaid parking ticket.

    They are so desperate they want to use his tax returns,but are too frightened to just leak them,because right there Americans stop paying taxes..And nobody in the Uni-Party wants that.

    Done with concern troll.

    Seems to me Trump plays a different game,these fools threatened him and his family,I suspect the Secret Service is the B team on their personal security.
    Payback is a bitch and old school “righteous dudes” just love scorched earth solutions to really ugly enemies..
    Trump did not attack these fools,they attacked him,way outside the supposed rules of the game and they lost.
    But in doing so they taught Trump a lesson.
    Evil is as evil does..
    Democrats are terrified,because they told Trump that “There are no rules, Sucker” but then they failed to oust him..
    And President Trump and the millions who voted him into office, believe the Democrats.

    1. I think Mr. Trump was talking to Mr. Prince about security before he announced.

  11. What is very interesting is that some of the unmasking happened before the Kisylak (sp?) phone call. Why were they targeting Flynn during the transition period? Were they unmasking other transition members as well? This is where abuse of power laws take effect. One administration using the levers of power (CIA, FBI, NSA, etc) targeting the next administration during the transition of governments.

    1. It was a set up from the start. Many of us have been watching this whole thing happen in real time.

      Flynn was fired by Obama, he was hated for being a stand up guy and he knew a lot of dirt. He was targeted the second he joined the PDJT campaign.

  12. When will Clinton’s emails start to trickle out?
    The way in which these documents were kept from the public,indicates more to come.
    I have no doubt they still exist.Nor do I doubt they show Obama using the “private” emails.
    We already know,Wiener kept a copy,as insurance.
    But what was so toxic they had to be wiped in the face of Court orders to preserve them,department policy to archive all correspondence and the sheer optics of insanity..?
    Declassification is a Trump Card,one this president is free to play.
    Small wonder every criminal inside the bureaus fears him,to the point of irrational hatred.
    And those who voted for him.
    How dare you elect a Non-Party man?

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