Wait... Devin Nunes installed a fake Ukraine expert in the WH to keep the real one away from Trump?

[DetlefK]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/30/1896106/-Actual-NSC-Ukraine-expert-was-shut-out-of-meetings-to-make-room-for-fake-expert-via-Devin-Nunes

It may seem strange that Trump didn’t even recognize the National Security Council’s Ukraine expert, who had taken part in multiple White House meetings and listened in on Trump’s calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, it turns out there’s a good reason that Vindman didn’t seem all that familiar to Trump: One of Rep. Devin Nunes’ pals had been pretending to be the White House Ukraine expert. And officials kept Vindman away from Trump because the presence of the actual expert might “confuse him.”

...

“At the last second,” Vindman said, he was told to stay away from the meeting. The reason he was steered away was that Nunes staffer Kashyap Patel had already “misrepresented” himself to Trump as the NSC’s expert on Ukraine, even though he had no background, no expertise, and no experience to make that claim. But Patel’s pretend position, which he had used to dip into secure intelligence information, had already made him a Trump favorite. So the genuine Ukraine expert was shut out in favor of the fraud.

[TheBlackAdder]

1. So Nunes is in neck deep. It almost sounds like a conspiracy with others in the White House.

[riversedge]

3. Isn't Pelosi or other Dems able to file a complaint against Nunes and

at the very least, refer him to the House Ethics Committee??

This is outrageous that this would happen.

[vlyons]

21. My thoughts exactly

Why won't the Dems refer him to the Ethics committee?

[lagomorph777]

9. Devil Nunes needs to be locked up.

This is very serious shit.

[Grasswire2]

2. another thread

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212637770

[underpants]

4. What security clearance did Patel have? And how did he get it?

That’s what I want to know.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. Does not matter who's the expert really, since rump, alone, can do it all (sarcasm here)...

[eShirl]

6. That is screwed-up.

[Iliyah]

7. Sounds about right . . .

And the WH is so inept it's scary.

[struggle4progress]

8. Moo!

[dhill926]

10. This is a what the fuck...

of what the fucks. I mean seriously...WHAT THE FUCK!!!

[Marie Marie]

12. I know - right? The lunatics are indeed running the asylum.

[crickets]

11. Vindman's testimony dovetails with that of Fiona Hill

Apologies NYT is behind a paywall, but the gist is here:

OCT23 White House Aides Feared That Trump Had Another Ukraine Back Channel - Senior national security officials grew concerned about Kash Patel, a colleague who had been involved in Republicans’ efforts to undermine the Russia investigation.

Fiona Hill, the National Security Council’s former senior director for Eurasian and Russian affairs, testified to House investigators last week that she believed Mr. Patel was improperly becoming involved in Ukraine policy and was sending information to Mr. Trump, some of the people said.

Ms. Hill grew alarmed earlier this year when an aide from the White House executive secretary’s office told her that Mr. Trump wanted to talk to Mr. Patel and identified him as the National Security Council’s “Ukraine director,” a position held by one of Ms. Hill’s deputies. The aide said Mr. Trump wanted to meet with Mr. Patel about documents he had received on Ukraine.

Ms. Hill responded by asking who Mr. Patel was. While the aide from the executive secretary’s office did not state explicitly that Mr. Patel sent the Ukraine documents to Mr. Trump, Ms. Hill understood that to be the implication, according to a person familiar with her testimony.

Mr. Patel’s apparent communications with the president prompted Ms. Hill to raise concerns with her superiors, including John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, that Mr. Patel was meddling outside his portfolio. As early as May, Ms. Hill had begun discussing with colleagues her concerns about whether Mr. Patel was running a shadow effort on Ukraine at the White House, according to four people briefed on the discussions.
[snip]

Mr. Patel joined the National Security Council in February and began getting involved in Ukraine matters in April, as Mr. Giuliani pushed the Ukrainian government to discredit evidence against Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman. It was not clear who hired him.

It's becoming clear now that Devin Nunes is likely responsible for 'hiring' Patel.

The 'position held by one of Ms. Hill’s deputies' that Patel usurped would be that of Lt Col Vindman.

Unbelieveable. A rogue group of people just pushed the real staff out of the way and started freestyling. And we're all just supposed to be okay with this?

[AtheistCrusader]

13. This will be spun by the Right as reason for 'attacking trump'.

Had a grudge/was shut out, etc.

Wait and see. The fact that Patel was unqualified won't be discussed.

[Nasruddin]

14. the cage

The various mini-narcs, enablers, and other sycophants (psychopants?) surrounding Mr Trump are doing their best to keep him caged up and fed. Only curated info gets to him - only the meat they want him to eat.

They all think they can ride this tiger. It doesn't matter that others have tried, failed, and been consumed - many of these guys are narcs at heart too and think they are smarter than everybody else, including the tiger.

The tiger may be stupid, but he's mean, and hungry.

[tclambert]

15. I admit it. I checked to see if it was The Onion.

[Firestorm49]

16. What a pathetic bunch of idiots.

Which reminds me of the old adage, there’s nothing more pathetic than a poor Republican. Perhaps not applicable to this post but accurate nonetheless.

[Leghorn21]

17. Oh man

??!?!?

[Grins]

18. Shades of....Vietnam...

Vietnam. Field officers were telling top commanders the real shit in 1962, but those commanders filtered out the real story and JFK got shit.

And Trump is no JFK.

[erlewyne]

19. Homina Homina

I am speechless!

I had to look up Homina Homina and the Honeymooners a few days ago
because I recognized Jackie Gleason on a post here on DU a day or so ago.
I remembered that skit from what? sixty years ago but did not understand it
until now.

These Republicans today are deplorable.

I live in a red state and stay home. Enjoy my wife,
children, and grandchildren but keep the kids away
from politics.

[BHDem53]

20. Makes sense

coming from a pretend congressman.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. tRump is a puppet, so easily manipulated. . . . nt

[lastlib]

23. Sounds kinda like the Presidency.....

the REAL one was kept out, in favor of the fraud.

Nunes needs to be drawn and quartered. I have a SEEETHING hatred for that smarmy futhermucker.