Judicial Watch's Weekly Update: Court Victory Against Deep State FBI

A petulant child or employee will perform a task halfway and wait to see if he can get away with it. Such seems to be the strategy of the entire Deep State bureaucracy.The FBI is particularly good at this, and we are particularly good at calling them on it. Luckily for the American people we have judges who respect the Freedom of Information Act.

Judicial Watch's Weekly Update: Court Victory Against Deep State FBI Judge Declares FBI's Search for Peter Strzok Records Inadequate   A petulant child or employee will perform a task halfway and wait to see if he can get away with it. Such seems to be the strategy of the entire Deep State bureaucracy.   The FBI is particularly good at this, and we are particularly good at calling them on it. Luckily for the American people we have judges who respect the Freedom of Information Act.   A case in point: U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper for the District of Columbia has agreed with that the FBI did not adequately search for records related to the removal and reassignment of Peter Strzok from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team. He was a former deputy to the assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI.   In granting our request, Judge Cooper ordered the FBI to further search their records.  (The original, deficient search had only returned 14 pages.) The order comes in the December 2017 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit we filed after the DOJ failed to respond to and August 17, 2017, request (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Federal Bureau of Investigation (No. 1:17-cv-02682)). Judicial Watch seeks:   All records regarding the assignment of FBI Supervisor Peter Strzok to the special counsel's investigation led by former Director Robert Mueller. All records related to the reassignment of FBI Supervisor Peter Strzok from the special counsel's investigation to another position within the FBI. All SF-50 and/or SF-52 employment forms, as well as all related records of communication between any official, employee, or representative of the FBI and any other individual or entity.   On July 31, 2018, we released the first 14 pages of FBI documents produced in this FOIA lawsuit, showing that Strzok insisted on retaining his FBI security clearance before moving to the Mueller team and confirmed that Strzok played a pivotal role in the flawed Hillary Clinton email investigation.   In his decision, Judge Cooper called the FBI's search "overly cramped:"   Notwithstanding that Judicial Watch's request referred to Mueller by name … the Bureau searched only for the term "special counsel." But surely one would expect that Agent Strzok and other FBI personnel might use the Special Counsel's name — "Mueller" — rather than his title when discussing Strzok's assignment to the Russia investigation, especially in informal emails. Another logical variation on "special counsel" is its commonly used acronym "SCO," which appears to be used within the Special Counsel's Office itself, as reflected by documents that the FBI uncovered and produced to Judicial Watch.   The ruling also stated that the FBI did not adequately respond to our FOIA lawsuit because it limited its search to only Strzok's email account. Judge Cooper ordered that the FBI must conduct a new search that includes "the email accounts of any of Agent Strzok's superiors or other Bureau officials who were involved in the decision to assign him to the Special Counsel's Office or the decision to reassign him to the FBI's Human Resources Division after his removal from the Mueller investigation." The FBI must also expand its search to other forms of communication in addition to email. Given Strzok's well-known use of text messaging, "it strikes the Court as reasonably likely that he discussed his assignment to the Special Counsel's Office in text messages—which again is the standard for assessing an agency's selection of search locations." Strzok was reportedly removed from the Mueller investigative team in August 2017 and reassigned to a human resources position after it was discovered that he and then-FBI lawyer Lisa Page exchanged text messages during the Clinton investigation and 2016 election season that raised serious questions about his anti-Trump/pro-Clinton bias. They were also engaged in an extramarital affair. Strzok infamously texted "there's no way he gets elected — but I'm afraid we can't take that risk." Strzok reportedly oversaw the FBI's interviews of former National Security Adviser, General Michael Flynn; changed former FBI Director James Comey's language about Hillary Clinton's actions regarding her illicit email server from "grossly negligent" to "extremely careless;" played a lead role in the FBI's interview of Clinton and is suspected of being responsible for using the unverified dossier to obtain a FISA warrant in order to spy on President Trump's campaign. The Court rightly slammed the FBI for its gamesmanship in searching for records about one of the most notorious FBI agents of all time – Peter Strzok. The FBI leadership is in cover-up mode on its abuses targeting President Trump, and we're pleased a federal court pushed back on this stonewall.     Judicial Watch Sues for Key Anti-Trump Coup Doc   Perhaps you remember the 1964 film "Seven Days in May," in which a Deep State cabal plotted a takeover of the government. Burt Lancaster starred, and Rod Serling, appropriately, wrote script.   Now we're living through a real life "Eight Days in May" featuring Rod Rosenstein, the disgraced former FBI official Andrew McCabe and a slew of characters conniving to bring down a real life President.   In the latest scene we are suing the Department of Justice for the communications of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein between May 8 and May 17, 2017.   We filed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit after the DOJ failed to respond to a September 21, 2018, FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:19-cv-00481)). We are seeking:   Any and all e-mails, text messages, or other records of communication addressed to or received by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein between May 8, 2017, and May 22, 2017.   This time period is critical. On May 8, 2017, Rosenstein wrote a memo to President Trump recommending that FBI Director James Comey be fired. The next day, President Trump fired Comey. On May 17 Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.   Between May 8 and May 17, Rosenstein met with then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and other senior Justice Department FBI officials and discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump and whether Rosenstein and others should wear a wire to secretly record conversations with the President.   We previously filed a FOIA lawsuit seeking the communications of former FBI Deputy Director McCabe, the Office of the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, or the Office of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein discussing the 25th Amendment or presidential fitness. Additionally, that lawsuit seeks all recordings made by any official in the Office of the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General of meetings in the Executive Office of the President or Vice President.   These critical days in May, a scant three months into President Trump's term, included extraordinary targeting of President Trump by Rod Rosenstein and other Deep State officials at the DOJ and FBI. Our focused FOIA lawsuit aims to uncover exactly what Mr. Rosenstein's role was in any discussions to overthrow President Trump.   I don't have much use for Hollywood, but sometimes it ominously foreshadows reality.     Judicial Watch Files Ethics Complaint Against Congressman Adam Schiff   The plot deep within the Justice Department to bring down President Trump is but one of three legs: The DOJ/FBI maneuver has been given covering fire all along by the media, and it has been buttressed by members of the Congress, whose unhinged behavior has seriously eroded that institution's credibility.   No one has been more eager to get in front of the cameras and spout knowingly false conspiratorcy theories than Adam Schiff, the California Democrat who is, remarkably, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.   We have now filed an official complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics about Rep. Schiff's controversial communications and contacts with two congressional witnesses: Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS and Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer.   We are asking that Rep. Schiff be investigated in connection with recent revelations that he met with Simpson in Aspen, Colorado, in July 2018 and that he and his staff coordinated with Michael Cohen on Cohen's recent testimony to congressional committees. Cohen's testimony is alleged to be false in several important respects.   You will recall that we filed an ethics complaint on April 13, 2018, against Rep. Schiff and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) for improperly confirming classified information in violation of House rules but the Committee has yet to take any public action on the complaint.   Rep. Schiff has an ethics problem. His and his staff's irregular communications with anti-Trump witnesses reflect poorly on the credibility of the House and its committees' investigations. It has long been apparent that Rep. Schiff can't be trusted to lead the Intelligence Committee, so we hope that Democrats on the Ethics Committee stop protecting Mr. Schiff and take action.   In our complaint we elaborate on our concerns:   Dear Chairman Skaggs,   Judicial Watch is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government and fidelity to the rule of law. We regularly monitor congressional ethics issues as part of our anti-corruption mission.   This letter serves as our official complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) concerning the activities of Rep. Adam Schiff. Rep. Schiff appears to have violated House Code of Official Conduct, Rule 23, clauses 1 and 2, by inappropriately communicating with witnesses. Clauses 1 and 2 provide:   1. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.   2. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall adhere to the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House and to the rules of duly constituted committees thereof.   Rep. Adam Schiff attended the Aspen Security Forum conference in July 2018, which was also attended by Glenn Simpson, the founder of the firm Fusion GPS. Press reports have detailed evidence of a meeting and discussion between Rep. Schiff and Glenn Simpson at the July 2018 Aspen Security Forum. As noted in The Hill newspaper:   At the time of the encounter, Simpson was an important witness in the House Intelligence Committee probe who had given sworn testimony about alleged, but still unproven, collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.   Fusion GPS is the political opposition research firm involved in procuring "unverified" information claiming the Trump presidential campaign had "colluded" with Russia, among other things. That Fusion GPS-supplied information was the basis upon which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtained Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) surveillance warrants against Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page.   Mr. Simpson's leadership of Fusion GPS and his centrality to events resulted in his having to testify before congressional committees or their staffs. Specifically, Mr. Simpson testified before the House Intelligence Committee, of which Rep. Schiff was the ranking Democratic member, on October 16, 2018 – approximately three (3) months after the Aspen Security Forum.   We note that following revelations in 2017 that Rep. Devin Nunes had informed President Trump that U.S. intelligence agencies had been engaging in "incidental collection" of his campaign's communications, Rep. Schiff demanded that Rep. Nunes, then Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, recuse himself from any investigations involving alleged Trump collusion with Russia. Indeed, Rep. Schiff wrote the following on twitter:   This is not a recommendation I make lightly … But in much the same way that the attorney general [Jeff Sessions] was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after failing to inform the Senate of his meetings with Russian officials, I believe the public cannot have the necessary confidence that matters involving the president's campaign or transition team can be objectively investigated or overseen by the chairman.   Then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi concurred with Rep. Schiff's call for Mr. Nunes to recuse himself.   The July 2018 contacts between Rep. Schiff and Mr. Simpson create, at a minimum, the appearance of impropriety. As a result of Rep. Schiff's previously undisclosed, private discussions with Mr. Simpson, the public's confidence in Mr. Schiff's ability to objectively and impartially carry out his duties as Committee Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has been gravely damaged.   Further, Rep. Schiff's contacts with Mr. Michael Cohen should also be scrutinized in the same light as the Simpson contacts. Journalists have reported:   President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen told House investigators this week that staff for Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., traveled to New York at least four times to meet with him for over 10 hours immediately before last month's high-profile public testimony, according to two sources familiar with the matter – as Republicans question whether the meetings amounted to coaching a witness.   The sources said the sessions covered a slew of topics addressed during the public hearing before the oversight committee – including the National Enquirer 's "Catch and Kill" policy, American Media CEO David Pecker and the alleged undervaluing of President Trump's assets.   Again, Rep. Schiff' s conduct creates the appearance of unethical collusion and synchronization of efforts that calls into question whether Cohen's testimony was a legitimate congressional hearing or well-rehearsed political theatre.   During Mr. Cohen's congressional testimony, he was questioned by Rep. Mike Turner concerning the number, nature and subject of his [Cohen's] contacts with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep Jim Jordan pressed Cohen on the subject in subsequent questioning. Cohen hesitantly acknowledged that he had spoken with Schiff "about topics that were going to be raised at the upcoming hearing."   A pattern of conduct on the part of Rep. Schiff in these matters would exponentially increase the gravity of the prejudice and harm to the public's confidence in the institution of the House of Representatives.   Rep. Schiff's conduct and contacts with witnesses must be treated with the same gravity that Reps. Schiff and Pelosi accorded Rep. Nunes's actions. Rep. Nunes recused himself for a time from certain oversight responsibilities with respect to the Russia-Trump investigations.   In the least, Rep. Schiff and his staff communications with Glenn Simpson and Michael Cohen, undermine the "credibility of the House" and its committee proceedings, especially given Mr. Cohen's subsequent alleged false testimony.   We call upon the OCE to investigate Rep. Schiff and his previously undisclosed, inappropriate contact with key witnesses in congressional investigation over which that Member holds significant sway.   Thank you for your attention.   The ethics process in the House is a mess so I don't expect something quickly to happen, but it is important that we put the House on official notice so no politician there has an excuse to let Adam Schiff 'suntoward behavior slide.   Clinton Email Scandal Witness Testimony Begins   In January U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered senior Obama Administration officials — including Susan Rice, Ben Rhodes, Jacob Sullivan, and FBI official E.W. Priestap – to respond under oath to our questions regarding Benghazi and the Clinton email scandal.   We now have a schedule for the depositions.   This court-ordered discovery comes in our July 2014 FOIA lawsuit filed after the U.S. Department of State failed to respond to a May 13, 2014 FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:14-cv-01242)). Judicial Watch seeks:   Copies of any updates and/or talking points given to Ambassador Rice by the White House or any federal agency concerning, regarding, or related to the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.   Any and all records or communications concerning, regarding, or relating to talking points or updates on the Benghazi attack given to Ambassador Rice by the White House or any federal agency.   Remember that this lawsuit led directly to the disclosure of the Clinton email system in 2015.   Our discovery will seek answers to:  Whether Clinton intentionally attempted to evade the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by using a non-government email system; whether the State Department's efforts to settle this case beginning in late 2014 amounted to bad faith; and whether the State Department adequately searched for records responsive to Judicial Watch's FOIA request. The confirmed discovery schedule now includes:   March 12: State Department's responses to interrogatories and document requests were due.   March 14: Deposition of Justin Cooper, a former aide to Bill Clinton who reportedly had no security clearance and is believed to have played a key role in setting up Hillary Clinton's non-government email system.   April 5: Deposition of John Hackett, a State Department records official "immediately responsible for responding to requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act."   April 16: Deposition of Jacob "Jake" Sullivan, Hillary Clinton's former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff.   April 23: Deposition of Sheryl Walter, former State Department Director of the Office of Information Programs and Services/Global Information Services.   April 26: Deposition of Gene Smilansky, a State Department lawyer.   April 30. Deposition of Monica Tillery, a State Department official.   May 7: Deposition of Jonathon Wasser, who was a management analyst on the Executive Secretariat staff. Wasser worked for Deputy Director Clarence Finney and was the State Department employee who actually conducted the searches for records in response to FOIA requests to the Office of the Secretary.   May 14: Deposition of Clarence Finney, the deputy director of the Executive Secretariat staff who was the principal advisor and records management expert in the Office of the Secretary responsible for control of all correspondence and records for Hillary Clinton and other State Department officials.   June 11: 30(b)(6) Deposition, which will be designated by the State Department.   June 13: Deposition of Heather Samuelson, the former State Department senior advisor who helped facilitate the State Department's receipt and release of Hillary Clinton's emails.   As yet to be determined is the deposition date for Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Eric Boswell, who wrote a March 2, 2009, internal memorandum titled "Use of Blackberries on Mahogany Row," in which he strongly advised that the devices not be allowed.   Written questions under oath are to be answered by:   Monica Hanley, Hillary Clinton's former confidential assistant at the State Department.   Lauren Jiloty, Clinton's former special assistant.   E.W. Priestap, is serving as assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division and helped oversee both the Clinton email and the 2016 presidential campaign investigations. Priestap testified in a separate lawsuit that Clinton was the subject of a grand jury investigation related to her BlackBerry email accounts.   Susan Rice, President Obama's former UN ambassador who appeared on Sunday television news shows following the Benghazi attacks, blaming a "hateful video." Rice was also Obama's national security advisor involved in the "unmasking" the identities of senior Trump officials caught up in the surveillance of foreign targets.   Ben Rhodes, an Obama-era White House deputy strategic communications adviser who attempted to orchestrate a campaign to "reinforce" Obama and to portray the Benghazi consulate terrorist attack as being "rooted in an Internet video, and not a failure of policy."   We're doing the heavy lifting in the Clinton email scandal, even as Congress dropped the ball and DOJ and State continued to obstruct our quest for the truth. The Court in our case wants real answers on the Clinton email scandal, which is why our request for basic discovery was granted.   Judicial Watch is #1 on FOIA! Since 2001 we have led all nonprofit organizations in filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits, according to figures released late last year by The FOIA Project of Syracuse University. We are announcing this in honor of "Sunshine Week," March 10-16, which is an "annual nationwide celebration of access to public information."   According to the FOIAproject.org's most recent study, we were again No. 1 on the top ten list of most frequent Nonprofit/Advocacy Groups (Jan 21, 2001-July 2018) challenging federal government withholding in court and for the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.   Overall Top 10 FOIA Filers (Jan 21, 2001 – July 2018) Rank       Plaintiff in FOIA Suit Number Filed 1.         Judicial Watch 391 2.         American Civil Liberties Union 130 3.         Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility 94 4.         Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington   88 5.         Electronic Privacy Information Center 74 6.         Natural Resources Defense Council 59 7.         Center for Biological Diversity 47 8.         Cause of Action Institute 44 9.         American Oversight 43 10.         Electronic Frontier Foundation 43 The FOIA Project "aims to: (1) create a shaming mechanism by which agencies and officials who ignore the law are held accountable, and (2) arm the public with the full record of FOIA efforts that have and haven't worked, so anyone can more effectively surmount frequently used roadblocks to public access."   We use the open records or freedom of information laws and other tools to uncover misconduct by government officials and hold to account those who engage in corrupt activities. When agencies balk at releasing information that is of value to the public, we sue.   The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 to improve public access to government records. The FOIA Project says there is wide agreement that the FOIA's administrative process has many flaws, with federal agencies frequently resisting its mandates by either refusing to provide properly requested records or ignoring the requirements that the documents be made available within specified time periods.   The most-sued agency is the Department of Justice, which has been the defendant in 2,312 FOIA suits since 2001. Within the DOJ, the FBI has been the most sued division with 712 suits. We frequently clash with the DOJ and FBI in court, often in cases involving IRS malfeasance, the Clinton email scandal, and the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation. Judicial Watch currently is pursuing 40 lawsuits against the DOJ.   We are the most important transparency watchdog organization in the country. For 25 years, we've led the way in holding the government to account as both the media and Congress have gone AWOL. Most of what we know about government corruption – from Clinton emails to Deep State abuses – are as a result of our historic FOIA lawsuits.   We couldn't have done this without the loyalty of our many supporters. Thank you.   Until next week, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton   Daywatch Updates Peter Strzok is absolutely shameless FBI agent Peter Strzok was full of indignant outrage Thursday as he testified before Congress. But the basic facts speak for themselves: With his flagrant misconduct, Peter Strzok brought shame to the FBI and the entire Justice Department. He should be ashamed of himself, rather than playing the victim. READ MORE Emails Reveal FBI Official Peter Strzok Insisted on Retaining Declassification During Mueller Special Counsel Assignment Judicial Watch released 14 pages of FBI documents concerning the assignment of former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's operation, showing that Strzok insisted on retaining his FBI security clearance before moving to the Mueller team and confirming that Strzok played a pivotal role in the flawed Hillary Clinton email investigation. READ MORE Follow us on Twitter! Follow Judicial Watch and Tom Fitton on twitter! READ MORE Judicial Watch, Inc. 425 3rd St Sw Ste 800 Washington, DC 20024 202.646.5172   ©2017-2019, All Rights Reserved View in browser

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If everyone knew all there is to know, they would not do half the things they do, including myself, therefore I must foregive them, including myself.

"President Trump will unveil his fiscal 2020 budget request to Congress on Monday which calls for $2.7 trillion in spending cuts."

President Trump's 2020 Budget Calls for $2.7T in Spending Cuts, Promises to Erase Deficit in 15 Years "President Trump will unveil his fiscal 2020 budget request to Congress on Monday which calls for $2.7 trillion in spending cuts and balances [the budget] in 15 years," Melissa Quinn reports for the Washington Examiner.   The President's spending plan prioritizes core responsibilities for the Federal Government, "including strengthening border security to address the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and tackling the opioid crisis." The plan will also keep taxes low while cutting wasteful spending to refocus money on providing quality services for the American people.     Click here to read more. "The president's budget was written with the everyday American taxpayer in mind. All across the country, hardworking taxpayers have to balance their household budgets, finding ways to do more with less and save for the future. Our federal agencies and departments should be held to the same level of responsibility and accountability," Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought writes in Fox News. "It's time for Congress to come to the table, work with the president, and rein in Washington's spending addiction." In NPR, Tamara Keith reports that Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump is leading a White House effort to increase the availability and affordability of child care in the United States. "The centerpiece is a proposed one-time investment of $1 billion to increase the supply of child care to underserved populations. States would apply for funding and could use it to encourage employers large and small to invest in child care or to support child care providers that operate during nontraditional work hours or that cater to parents who are enrolled in school." "MS-13 members made up more than half of the 808 gang members Border Patrol agents apprehended at international boundaries in fiscal 2018, according to newly released data," Anna Giaritelli reports in the Washington Examiner. "MS-13 apprehensions at the border are up significantly from 228 in 2017 and 253 in 2016, according to Customs and Border Protection data." Privacy Policy | Contact the White House |  The White House · 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW · Washington, DC 20500 · USA · 202-456-1111

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If everyone knew all there is to know, they would not do half the things they do, including myself, therefore I must foregive them, including myself.

Judicial Watch's Weekly Update: Judicial Watch Exposes Deep State Anti-Trump Collusion

Big news. We just uncovered 339 pages of heavily redacted records from the Justice Department which reveal that former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr remained in regular contact with former British spy and Fusion GPS contractor Christopher Steele after Steele was terminated by the FBI in November 2016 for revealing to the media his position as an FBI confidential informant.

Judicial Watch's Weekly Update: Judicial Watch Exposes Deep State Anti-Trump Collusion DOJ Records Showing Numerous Bruce Ohr Communications with Clinton-linked Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele   Big news. We just uncovered 339 pages of heavily redacted records from the Justice Department which reveal that former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr remained in regular contact with former British spy and Fusion GPS contractor Christopher Steele after Steele was terminated by the FBI in November 2016 for revealing to the media his position as an FBI confidential informant.    The records show that Ohr served as a go-between for Steele by passing along information to "his colleagues" on matters relating to Steele's activities. Ohr also set up meetings with Steele, regularly talked to him on the telephone and provided him assistance in dealing with situations Steele was confronting with the media.   "Get Trump" Dossier author Steele worked for the Glenn Simpson's Fusion GPS, the Hillary Clinton campaign/DNC contractor that also employed Nellie Ohr, Bruce Ohr's wife.    We obtained the records through a March 2018 Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed after the Justice Department failed to respond a December 2017 request Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:18-cv-00490)). The lawsuit sought: All records of contact or communication, including but not limited to emails, text messages, and instant chats between Bruce Ohr and any of the following individuals/entities: former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele; owner of Fusion GPS Glenn Simpson; and any other employees or representatives of Fusion GPS. All travel requests, authorizations and expense reports for Bruce Ohr. All calendar entries for Bruce Ohr. We asked for records from January 1, 2015, to December 7, 2017. Of course, the emails between Bruce Ohr and Steele were heavily redacted, including some of the dates they were sent and received.   Here is a sampling.   On Friday, July 29, 2016, Steele emails Bruce Ohr about a meeting that is to include Bruce's wife Nellie Ohr, who then worked for Fusion GPS, at the Mayflower Hotel:              Steele: Dear Bruce, Just to let you know I shall be in DC at short notice on business from this PM till Saturday eve, staying at the Mayflower Hotel. If you are in town it would be good to meet up, perhaps for breakfast tomorrow morn? Happy to see Nellie too if she's up for it. Please let me know. Best, Chris   Ohr: Dear Chris –  Nice to hear from you! Nellie and I would be up for breakfast tomorrow and can come into town. What would be a good time for you? Bruce   Steele: Thanks Bruce.  On me at the Mayflower Hotel, Conn Ave NW at 0900 should work but I'll confirm the time for definite this eve if I may. Looking forward to seeing you. Chris   Ohr: Sounds good, but we won't let you pay for breakfast! I'll wait for your confirmation on time. Bruce   Steele: Let's do 0900 then. See you in the lobby. Chris   Ohr: Very good. See you at 900.   On Saturday, July 30, 2016, Steele sends his thanks to Bruce Ohr for the meeting, "Great to see you and Nellie this morning:"   Ohr: Great to see you and Nellie this morning Bruce. Let's keep in touch on the substantive issues/s. Glenn [Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson] is happy to speak to you on this if it would help. Best, Chris   On Friday, September 16, 2016, Steele and Ohr begin planning a meeting in the Capital Hilton:     Steele: Dear Bruce,  I hope you are well. I am probably going to visit Washington again in the next couple of weeks on business of mutual interest. I would like to see you again in person and therefore to coordinate diaries. So when are you planning to be in town please? Thanks and Best, Chris P.S. I don't think I have up to date cell or landline phone numbers for you. Grateful if you could send met them.   Ohr: Hi Chris –  It would be great to see you I DC. I'll be out of town Sept 19-21 but should be here the rest of the time. My numbers are office 202 307 2510 and cell [Redacted] Let me know what works best for you.    Steele: Dear Bruce,  I have now arrived in DC and am staying at the Capital Hilton, 1101 16th Street NW. I don't know my client-related programme yet but am keen to meet up with you. Might we provisionally say breakfast on Friday morn or even tomorrow morn if necessary? Look forward to hearing back from you. Best, Chris            Ohr: Hi Chris Would tomorrow for breakfast still work for you? My calendar is pretty good tomorrow morning, not so good on Friday. An early breakfast Friday, say 8 am?, would work too. Should I come to your hotel? Bruce   Steele: Thanks Bruce.  0800 on Friday would still be better for me, at the hotel. More useful to all I think, after my scheduled meetings tomorrow. Thanks, Chris             Ohr: Chris –           Perfect. I'll see you Friday at your hotel at 8 am. Bruce   Bruce Ohr's December 8, 2016, phone log shows he called Simpson for a meeting "tomorrow at 3."   Bruce Ohr's December 13, 2016, phone log shows he spoke with Glenn Simpson the day before and received "some more news." The log also lists "Rod Rosenstein 5:48 pm."   An exchange beginning December 11, 2016, between Bruce Ohr and Simpson shows them discussing a Daily Beast and a Think Progress article and setting up a phone call between them.   The documents we obtained show a string of encrypted text messages from January to November 2017, well after the FBI had terminated Steele, discussing a possible new point of contact should Ohr leave the FBI; a series of appointments for phone calls; and assurance that Ohr shared information with his "colleagues":   On January 31, 2017, messages are exchanged between Bruce Ohr and Steele regarding fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates:   Steele: B, doubtless a sad and crazy day for you re-SY [Sally Yates]. Just wanted to check you are OK, still in situ and able to help locally as discussed, along with your Bureau colleagues, with our guy if the need arises? Many Thanks and Best as Always, C Ohr: Bruce: Yes, a crazy day. I'm still here and able to help as discussed. I'll let you know if that Changes. Thanks! Steele: Thanks. You have my sympathy and support. If you end up out though, I really need another (Bureau?) contact point/number who is briefed. We can't allow our guy to be forced to go back home. It would be disastrous all round, though his position right now looks stable. A million thanks. C Ohr: Bruce: Understood. I can certainly give you an FBI contact if it becomes necessary.   On March 6, 2017, Senator Grassley wrote a letter to former FBI Director Comey regarding payments to Steele.    On March 7, 2017, messages are exchanged between Steel and Bruce Ohr about the Grassley letter:    Steele: Would it be possible to speak later today please? We're very concerned by the Grassley letter and it's possible implications for our operations and our sources. We need some reassurance. Many thanks Ohr: Bruce: Sure Would 1:30 today, DC time, work? Steele: Yes thanks it would…. I know you'll appreciate why we are concerned.  Ohr: Bruce: Of course. Ohr: Bruce: My Skype app is acting up. Can we use the Whatapp [sic] voice call? Ohr: Bruce: I think my skype is working now if you want to call me. Steele: Thanks for that, old friend. Please do fight our cause and keep in touch. Really fundamental issues at stake here. Very Best Ohr: Bruce: Likewise, hang in there!   An exchange beginning on March 18, 2017, tells of apprehension regarding Comey's scheduled March 20, 2017, testimony before Congress and hopes that "important firewalls will hold":   Steele: Hi! Just wondering if you had any news? Obviously we're a bit apprehensive given Comey's scheduled appearance at Congress on Monday. Hoping that important firewalls will hold. Many thanks, Ohr: Bruce: Sorry, no new news. I believe my earlier information is still accurate. I will let you know immediately if there is any change.   Beginning on March 24, 2017, following Comey's testimony, Ohr and Steele discuss "our response:"   Steele: Hi Bruce, … we understand an approach from the Senate Intelligence Committee to us is imminent. I would like to discuss this and our response with you in the next couple of days if possible. Please let me know when might suit? Many thanks and Best, Chris Ohr: We can chat this weekend if you are available. Would sometime on Sunday work for you? I'm pretty open. Steele: Thanks Bruce. Let's speak on Sunday eve UK time, maybe 1400 or 1500 EST if that works for you? Best Ohr: Bruce: 1400 east coast time on Sunday will work. Thanks and talk with you then.   On March 30, 2017, Steele writes to Bruce Ohr about concerns with Senate Intelligence Committee leaks:   Steele: Hi Bruce, any news? The Senate Intel Committee is leaking like a sieve [Redacted] Hopefully speak soon. Best, Chris Ohr: Chris, no news on this end, aside from what I'm reading in the papers. Just amazing. [Redacted] Let me know if you would like to talk.   In May several messages are exchanged regarding scheduling calls ending on May 15, 2017, with Bruce Ohr confirming that he spoke with the FBI and will update Steele:    Ohr: Bruce: thanks again. I chatted with my colleagues and can give you an update when you have a minute.   On July 16, 2017, Steele asks Bruce Ohr to pass on information, and Ohr agrees:   Steele: Hi Bruce, hope you're enjoying the summer. [Redacted] Please pass this on as appropriate.  Crazy week over there just past!  Best, Chris Ohr: Bruce: Hi Chris, it's good to hear from you. Hope all is well. I will pass this along to my colleagues. Thanks!   On October 26, 2017, Steele says he's "very concerned" about documents the FBI intends to turn over to Congress "about my work and relationship with them:"   Steele: Hi Bruce. Can we have a word tomorrow please? Just seen a story in the media about the Bureau handing over docs to Congress about my work and relationship with them. Very concerned about this. Peoples live may be engangered [sic]. [Redacted] Thanks, Chris   On October 30, 2017, Steele writes that he spoke to Simpson about information discussed with Bruce Ohr:   Steele: Bruce, having spoken with Glenn [Simpson] in London today, I now understand and appreciate what you were talking about on Saturday. Love and Best Wishes to you, Nellie and all the family.   On November 18, 2017, Steele and Ohr plan to discuss "difficulties and uncertainty" via Whatsapp:   Steele: Dear Bruce, I hope you and the family are well. It's been another tough week here under the media spotlight and with legal pressures bearing down on us. I am presuming [redacted]. Also, we remain in the dark as to what has been briefed to Congress about us, our assets and previous work. I know you understand the importance of all this and have done your very best to support us, but we would be grateful if you could continue to [Redacted]. Sincere thanks for everything you are doing and I hope to speak to you again soon. Best, Chris Ohr: Chris, thanks for reaching out. I understand the difficulties and uncertainty you are experiencing. I [redacted]. Let's plan to talk early in the week – Bruce Steele: Hi Bruce, is there any chance we could have a catch-up Whatsapp call this eve GMT, maybe around 1500 with you? Otherwise tomorrow eve GMT? Many thanks, Chris Ohr: Bruce: Chris – I have a meeting ending at 1500 today that might spill over a few minutes. Would 1515 work for you? Steele: Yes, of course. C Ohr: Bruce: I will call you then.   The documents also show that Nellie Ohr sent numerous emails and reports to Bruce Ohr and other Justice Department officials on Russia issues.   These smoking gun documents show that Christopher Steele, a Hillary Clinton operative and anti-Trump foreign national, secretly worked hand-in-glove with the Justice Department on its illicit targeting of President Trump   These documents leave no doubt that for more than a year after the FBI fired Christopher Steele for leaking, and for some 10 months after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, Bruce Ohr continued to act as a go-between for Steele with the FBI and Justice Department. The anti-Trump Russia investigation, now run by Robert Mueller, has been thoroughly compromised by this insider corruption.   Earlier we released 412 pages of documents about FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) warrants targeting Carter Page, who had been a Trump campaign adviser, which seem to confirm that the FBI and DOJ misled the courts in withholding the material information that Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC were behind the "intelligence" used to persuade the courts to approve the FISA warrants that targeted the Trump team.   We revealed that the Justice Department (DOJ) admitted in a court filing that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the FISA spy warrant applications targeting Page, who was the subject of four controversial FISA warrants.   We also uncovered documents showing that Steele was cut off as a "Confidential Human Source" (CHS) after he disclosed his relationship with the FBI to a third party. The documents show at least 11 FBI payments to Steele in 2016 and document that he was admonished for unknown reasons in February 2016.   We have more documents coming and more lawsuits pending on this Deep State collusion to target President Trump, so stay tuned…   Judicial Watch Sues DOJ for Records on Effort to Rollback Trump Decision to Declassify Russia Probe Documents   The Deep State bureaucracy is adept at covering up misconduct by government officials – especially the misconduct related to the illicit spying on and targeting of President Trump.  This is why Judicial Watch's independent lawsuits to pry loose information on this assault on the rule of law are essential.   We just filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Department of Justice for records about the agency's involvement in persuading President Trump to defer his September 2018 decision to declassify DOJ documents related to the Russia investigation.   Our lawsuit is also seeking DOJ official Bruce Ohr's records of communications around the time of Trump's declassification announcement. Ohr, once the fourth-ranking official at DOJ, was a key conduit between anti-Trump dossier author Christopher Steele and the FBI.   We filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the DOJ failed to respond to a September 18, 2018, FOIA request (Judicial Watch v U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:19-cv-00507)). Judicial Watch seeks:   Any and all records regarding, concerning, or related to the proposed declassification of certain Department of Justice records as ordered by President Trump on September 17, 2018. The request includes, but is not limited to, any and all related records of communication sent by or addressed to any official, employee, or representative of the Department of Justice.   Any and all emails or other records of communication sent by or addressed to DOJ official Bruce Ohr between September 16, 2018 and September 18, 2018.   On September 17, 2018, President Trump ordered the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Justice Department to declassify certain documents related to the investigation of possible meddling by Russia in the 2016 election. The documents included FBI reports on interviews with Ohr; pages of an application for a renewed surveillance warrant against Carter Page; and all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all other applications to surveil Carter Page. Also included are text messages of Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.   White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump ordered the documents released "at the request of a number of committees of Congress, and for reasons of transparency."   On September 21, 2018, President Trump tweeted: "I met with the DOJ concerning the declassification of various UNREDACTED documents. They agreed to release them but stated that so doing may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies' called to ask not to release."   In a follow-on tweet, President Trump said: "Therefore, the Inspector General … has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. Speed is very important to me - and everyone!"   The documents have not yet been declassified.   The UK's Telegraph reported that the British spy agency MI6 had urged Trump not to declassify the documents.   We have little doubt the Deep State DOJ is improperly trying to cover-up FISA abuse and other Russia hoax documents that President Trump initially ordered declassified. President Trump should immediately declassify these documents in order to expose any other abuses by the DOJ and FBI. Regardless, Judicial Watch will continue to press for the truth through the courts in the ongoing Deep State scandal.   Obama Holdover Fires Journalists Over Report Critical of Soros   Two years into the administration of President Trump we have a holdover Obama appointee firing government employees in seeming retaliation for a report critical of the left-wing billionaire activist George Soros. The story involves your own Judicial Watch, as our Corruption Chronicles blog reports.   At the request of a scandal-plagued Democratic senator tried for bribery and corruption, the head of the government's international media networks is abusing his office to punish employees behind a broadcast critical of leftwing billionaire George Soros. U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Chief John F. Lansing, an Obama appointee, is utilizing Stalinist techniques to retaliate against the journalists and producers involved in the Spanish-language segment which aired in May 2018 on Television Martí and was available for months online. Eight reporters and editors at the taxpayer-funded media outlet have been fired and Lansing has ordered a review of all content to address "patterns of unethical, unprofessional, biased, or sub-standard journalism." An employee at the Miami, Florida-based Martí headquarters said in a local newspaper report "the environment that has been created by the upper hierarchy of the Agency for Global Media is repressive. People write with fear. Adjectives are no longer used." Television Martí—and its radio counterpart—operate under the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) and comprise one of the USAGM's five international multimedia networks. The others are Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting. The media outlets get about $685 million a year from American taxpayers and reportedly reach 345 million people worldwide in 59 languages. The global media agency was created to counter disinformation spread by oppressive regimes abroad. The USAGM website states that its mission is "to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy." Television and Radio Martí were created to promote freedom and democracy by providing the people of Cuba with objective news and information programming. The Soros broadcast focused on his efforts to cripple sovereign governments in Latin America. Judicial Watch was cited as a source because it investigated State Department funding of Soros groups in Colombia and published a report on Soros' initiatives to advance a radical globalist agenda in Guatemala. Judicial Watch also released a special report documenting the financial and staffing nexus between Soros' Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the U.S. government. In that document, Judicial Watch connects the dots between U.S.-funded entities and OSF affiliates to further the Hungarian-born philanthropist's agenda seeking to destabilize legitimate governments, erase national borders, target conservative politicians, finance civil unrest, subvert institutions of higher education, and orchestrate refugee crises for political gain. A few years ago Judicial Watch exposed a scheme in which the U.S. government spent millions of dollars to destabilize the democratically elected, center-right government in Macedonia by colluding with Soros' OSF. More than five months after the Spanish-language Soros broadcast aired on Television Martí, the segment caught the eye of disgraced New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. In an October 31, 2018 letter to Lansing, the senator orders an immediate investigation into the Soros broadcast as well as an audit "on patterns of unethical and unprofessional reporting" at OCB. Menendez also smears Judicial Watch, stating that the Soros segment had "no credible sourcing" and "occasionally cites only a fringe website." Lansing uses similar language in a mainstream newspaper article about the recent Martí firings over the Soros video. "The person developing the Soros story was using Judicial Watch as a source as I understand it — the story was not only poorly sourced, it relied heavily on one less-than-credible source," Lansing says in the article, which states that "Soros has emerged as a leading boogeyman on the right." Menendez, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee despite his sordid history, blocked President Trump's nomination last year to replace Lansing as USAGM chief. A few years ago, Menendez was charged with federal bribery and corruption stemming from his relationship with a crooked south Florida eye doctor that lavished him with cash, gifts and trips in exchange for political favors. The eye doctor, Salomon Melgen, got convicted of stealing $73 million from Medicare and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Menendez got off because jurors were unable to reach a verdict and his trial ended in mistrial. His colleagues on the Senate Ethics Committee determined that the veteran lawmaker not only violated senate rules, but also federal law and applicable standards of conduct. In a public letter of admonition, the committee writes that over a six-year period Menendez knowingly and repeatedly accepted gifts of significant value from Melgen in violation of senate rules and federal law. "Additionally, while accepting these gifts, you used your position as a Member of the Senate to advance Dr. Melgen's personal and business interests," the committee writes. Menendez has been embroiled in other corruption schemes throughout his political career and Judicial Watch has served as a credible source in uncovering them. As far back as 2007, Menendez was investigated by a federal grand jury for illegally steering lobbying business to his former chief of staff Kay LiCausi, with whom he was also romantically linked. In just a few years, her firm reported $1.3 million in business with nearly $300,000 coming from a New Jersey medical center that was later awarded government funding thanks to a push from her former boss and lover. In 2010, Menendez and his colleague in corruption, New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg, allocated $8 million for a public walkway and park space adjacent to upscale, waterfront condos built by a developer whose executives donated generously to their political campaigns. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the developer's Washington D.C. lobbyist was a longtime senior aide to Menendez. The senator was also embroiled in a hooker scandal in the Dominican Republic with his incarcerated eye doctor pal and he hired an illegal immigrant sex offender to work in his senate office.   This is the muck of The Swamp. It stinks.   Until next week, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton   Daywatch Updates Tom Fitton Goes on the Chris Plante Show August 10, 2018- JW President Tom Fitton appeared on "the Chris Plante Show" on WMAL to discuss FBI payments to Christopher Steele and Judicial Watch's lawsuit for communications between Steele, Bruce Ohr, and Fusion GPS. READ MORE Tom Fitton on NRA TV: Obama ATF Tried to Do 'End-Run' Around 2nd Amendment by Banning Ammo October 10, 2018- JW President Tom Fitton appeared on "Cam and Co." on NRA TV to discuss the ATF's attempt to ban AR-15 ammunition under the Obama administration–and Judicial Watch's litigation efforts to obtain records on the measure. READ MORE Follow us on Twitter! Follow Judicial Watch and Tom Fitton on twitter! READ MORE Judicial Watch, Inc. 425 3rd St Sw Ste 800 Washington, DC 20024 202.646.5172   ©2017-2019, All Rights Reserved View in browser

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If everyone knew all there is to know, they would not do half the things they do, including myself, therefore I must foregive them, including myself.