GOP Access to FBI Files Rattles Agents Caught in Political Fight

[DonViejo]

Source: Bloomberg News



By Chris Strohm and Greg Farrell

January 16, 2018, 4:00 AM EST Updated on January 16, 2018, 10:13 AM EST

The Justice Department’s decision to give congressional Republicans access to documents about FBI investigations risks exposing sensitive sources or material and poses a critical early test for bureau Director Christopher Wray, current and former U.S. law enforcement officials say.

Some officials view the department as capitulating to a small group of Republicans who are intent on helping President Donald Trump undermine the integrity of the FBI and, by extension, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump or any of his associates helped Russia interfere in the 2016 election.

It’s the latest setback for a law enforcement agency that has long held itself out as doggedly independent and above partisan politics, only to be besieged over the last two years by questions about its handling of politically sensitive investigations into Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Trump.

One agent said he’s now concerned that forms identifying FBI informants would be handed over to Congress. If that happened, he said, it would cause him to think carefully about whether to withhold sensitive information from future reports. Another agent said recent statements about the bureau by Trump and congressional Republicans have made it more difficult for him to get informants to open up.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-16/gop-access-to-fbi-files-rattles-agents-caught-in-political-fight

[CrispyQ]

1. This is serious shit. We are in serious shit.

Our government has been hijacked & there's no guarantee we'll get it back. I'm so angry with my non-political friends. They are disgusted with Trump, but they are equally confident that Mueller will save the day, or that we will win back Congress in 2018 & the dems will take out the trash. I tell them to take their rose colored glasses off & they will see the shit that we are really in. It's deep & getting deeper everyday. Trump had his Powerpoint presentation on how bad the midterms are going to be. The GOP will pull out all the stops to stay in power. A week before MSNBC let Joan Walsh go, she uttered the words "if we have elections," regarding 2018. People think it can't happen here, even as it's happening before their eyes.

[Nitram]

16. Calm down, our democracy is stronger than that.

Yes, it behooves us to stay informed and aware, but there are professionals the Trump team refersto as the "deep state" who will see us through this crisis.

[CrispyQ]

19. Time will tell.

[maxsolomon]

18. Its a race.

between the remaining forces of the "Deep State" and the Authoritarian impulse of the Trumpists.

Like you, I have little faith that Mueller will save the day. The GOP controls all the levers of Power and they have no qualms about using them, thanks to their Propagandist Media.

[pangaia]

2. THIS is serious stuff. well, isn;t it all ,, but this especially.

This is what leads to an SS,

OR-

FROM WIKI--

Oprichnik (Russian: опри́чник, IPA: [ɐˈprʲitɕnʲɪk], man aside; plural Oprichniki) was the term given to a member of the Oprichnina, an organization established by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to govern a division of Russia from 1565 to 1572.
The Oprichniki were required to swear an oath of allegiance:

I swear to be true to the Lord, Grand Prince, and his realm, to the young Grand Princes, and to the Grand Princess, and not to maintain silence about any evil that I may know or have heard or may hear which is being contemplated against the Tsar, his realms, the young princes or the Tsaritsa. I swear also not to eat or drink with the zemschina, and not to have anything in common with them. On this I kiss the cross

[lastlib]

7. "Oprichnik"--a good word to know!!

very definitely describes tRumpf's allies!

[bluestarone]

3. if the Repubs have access to the files i fear the

RUSSIANS will receive hidden secrets as well!! SOMETHING VERY WRONG HERE!!!

[mopinko]

6. this

people are gonna die for this shit.

[pandr32]

9. This is what I think as well

[SeaDoo77]

10. Republicans Would / Do Destroy Everything To Keep Power

And stay out of jail.

Party before country.

[pandr32]

20. Yep...sigh

And for love of money.

[lark]

4. It's yet another instance of this administration following practices that help Russia,

and put America last. Of course the person appointed by drumpf will release the information so that the orange assface will know what information Mueller has and can fight against it. It will also divulge the names of Russian agents who will also 100% be outted. Putin wins bigly in this treason and we all lose another piece of our country on the way to it's total planned devastation.

[Wounded Bear]

5. These are the same assholes who outed a CIA operative, Valerie Plame...

The GOP has no credibility when it come to security.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

8. Slightly off topic. Jeff Flake was questioned by Amanpour about his criticism of DT.

His main line of defense was "I'm a Conservative". So he voted with DT 90% of the time. He's getting out, but he is protecting what I fear are anti-socialists who have become authoritarians and remain in Congress. He won't go there. And the fascists who have taken on the name "Conservative" are still enabled by the oligarchs who own most of our media.- including MSNBC.

Amanpour asked good questions. I feel sure Flake was not happy with his performance.

[Honeycombe8]

13. Well, he's a Republican. So he will vote Republican most of the time.

Just as Democrats do.

If a Democrat were to come out excoriating Obama, I doubt that many Dems would say, "Oh, well, he votes for Democratic bills, so that proves he's a loyal Democrat."

For someone to come out critical of the head of the snake (Trump), I don't think it's necessary to require him to also excoriate the rest of the snake. Esp when no one else of his party is excoriating the snake head. It would be great if he did, but I don't think that is required.

[safeinOhio]

11. Playing with fire...

wouldn't want to be the one to rattle FBI agents....

[Honeycombe8]

12. Maybe that's what the mtg w/Ryan was about. Some requests for sensitive materials.

Why isn't this against the law? If it's not, then can't Democrats have access, too?

[Justice]

17. I agree that is what the mtg with Ryan was about - giving access, not turning over physical document

s to Nunes.

Also probably told Ryan he was responsible if anything leaked.

[Farmer-Rick]

14. Soon to be followed by a purge.

The FBI has mostly been more supportive of RepubliCONS than Dems. But they are not Trump RepubliCONS. Those who refuse to cover for the criminals in the white house will be purged.

[bluestarone]

15. can't Mueller get court to

stop this temporarily??? because of his investigation?

[McCamy Taylor]

21. Can you say Valerie Plame?

FBI agents and informants will be outed. Russia will threaten/blackmail and in a few case, assassinate anyone getting too close to the Russian mob. With the GOP now the party of con men and grifters, how can anyone give them secret info on the FBI?

Putin must be very proud of his loyal servants in Congress.

[riversedge]

22. oh crap!!

[Duppers]

23. Clue: Christopher Wray's law firm had ties to Russian Rosneft

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/06/08/trump-new-fbi-director-chris-wray-russian-ties-rosneft-gazprom-column/102603214/


This is a dangerous situation. TRump placed Wray as FBI Director for a reason. The safeguards of our democracy are being eroded in so many ways.