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Elijah Cummings statement over Comey's firing

Cummings Statement on Abrupt Firing of FBI Director James Comey Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2017)-Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump abruptly fired Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James Comey "Congress needs to have immediate emergency hearings to obtain testimony directly from Attorney General Sessions, the deputy attorney general, and FBI Director Comey. The White House was already covering up for Michael Flynn by refusing to provide a single document to Congress, and now the President fired the one independent person who was doing the most to investigate President Trump and his campaign over allegations of coordination with Russia. It is mindboggling that the Attorney General - who claimed to have recused himself- was directly involved in the decision to fire Director Comey according to the White House itself. There is now a crisis of confidence at the Justice Department, and President Trump is not being held accountable because House Republicans refuse to work with us to do our job. Congress must restore credibility, accountability, and transparency to this investigation and finally pass legislation to create a truly independent commission."

Cummings Statement on Abrupt Firing of FBI Director James Comey Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2017)-Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump abruptly fired Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James Comey "Congress needs to have immediate emergency hearings to obtain testimony directly from Attorney General Sessions, the deputy attorney general, and FBI Director Comey. The White House was already covering up for Michael Flynn by refusing to provide a single document to Congress, and now the President fired the one independent person who was doing the most to investigate President Trump and his campaign over allegations of coordination with Russia. It is mindboggling that the Attorney General - who claimed to have recused himself- was directly involved in the decision to fire Director Comey according to the White House itself. There is now a crisis of confidence at the Justice Department, and President Trump is not being held accountable because House Republicans refuse to work with us to do our job. Congress must restore credibility, accountability, and transparency to this investigation and finally pass legislation to create a truly independent commission."

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Bob Corker's statement regarding Comey's firing

Corker Statement on FBI Director James Comey WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey "While the case for removal of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey laid out by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was thorough, his removal at this particular time will raise questions," said Corker. "It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion, and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time." 29 29

Corker Statement on FBI Director James Comey WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey "While the case for removal of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey laid out by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was thorough, his removal at this particular time will raise questions," said Corker. "It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion, and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time." 29 29

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Patrick Leahy's statement of Comey's firing

Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Judiciary Committee, And Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman, On President Trump's Firing Of FBI Director James Comey The President's action, and the way it has been handled, is shocking. No one should accept President Trump's absurd justification that he is now concerned that FBI Director Comey treated Secretary Clinton unfairly. The President in fact celebrated the Director's mistakes in that investigation. That fig leaf explanation seeks to cover the undeniable truth: The President has removed the sitting FBI Director in the midst of one of the most critical national security investigations in the history of our country- one that implicates seniorof campaign and administration. Thisis nothing less than Nixonian. Given that the Attorney General supposedly recused himself from the Russia investigation, he should not have played any role in removing the lead investigator from his duties. Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein now has no choice but to appoint a Special Counsel. His integrity, and the integrity of the entire Justice Department, are at stake The President's letter, in which he refers to Russian interference and possible collusion with the President's associates, is bizarre and raises troubling questions about the President's motivations There simply is no avoiding the compelling fact that this cascading situation demands the mveurgearolfan indgpeadet pecial pleces of these investigations

Reaction Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Judiciary Committee, And Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman, On President Trump's Firing Of FBI Director James Comey The President's action, and the way it has been handled, is shocking. No one should accept President Trump's absurd justification that he is now concerned that FBI Director Comey treated Secretary Clinton unfairly. The President in fact celebrated the Director's mistakes in that investigation. That fig leaf explanation seeks to cover the undeniable truth: The President has removed the sitting FBI Director in the midst of one of the most critical national security investigations in the history of our country- one that implicates seniorof campaign and administration. Thisis nothing less than Nixonian. Given that the Attorney General supposedly recused himself from the Russia investigation, he should not have played any role in removing the lead investigator from his duties. Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein now has no choice but to appoint a Special Counsel. His integrity, and the integrity of the entire Justice Department, are at stake The President's letter, in which he refers to Russian interference and possible collusion with the President's associates, is bizarre and raises troubling questions about the President's motivations There simply is no avoiding the compelling fact that this cascading situation demands the mveurgearolfan indgpeadet pecial pleces of these investigations

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More senators respond to Comey's firing

Senator Tim Kaine_atimkaine Replying to @timkaine Comey firing recommended by Sessions. I thought he had recused himself from Russia investigation! Chris Van Hollen_@ChrisVanHollen 2 Replying to @ChrisVanHollen @POTUS Yet another reason we need an independent prosecutor to investigate Trump's ties to Russia. Senator Jack Reed @SenJackReed Trump's firing of FBI Dir. #Comey raises serious questions & highlights need for special prosecutor to look into Trump-Russia ties.

Senator Tim Kaine_atimkaine Replying to @timkaine Comey firing recommended by Sessions. I thought he had recused himself from Russia investigation! Chris Van Hollen_@ChrisVanHollen 2 Replying to @ChrisVanHollen @POTUS Yet another reason we need an independent prosecutor to investigate Trump's ties to Russia. Senator Jack Reed @SenJackReed Trump's firing of FBI Dir. #Comey raises serious questions & highlights need for special prosecutor to look into Trump-Russia ties.

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More senators respond to Comey's firing

Kirsten Gillibrand aSenGillibrand No more excuses: We need an independent special prosecutor to investigate the Trump Administration's ties to Russia. Bill Nelson Now it is more clear than ever that we need an independent commission to get to the truth of Russia's interference with our election Senator Jeff Merkley_@SenJeffMerkley In case the need for an independent special prosecutor to investigate #Trum-Russia ties wasn't clear enough already... it sure is now Martin Heinrich aMartinHeinrich im Replying to @MartinHeinrich If this is an effort to stop the investigations into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, it won't succeed

Kirsten Gillibrand aSenGillibrand No more excuses: We need an independent special prosecutor to investigate the Trump Administration's ties to Russia. Bill Nelson Now it is more clear than ever that we need an independent commission to get to the truth of Russia's interference with our election Senator Jeff Merkley_@SenJeffMerkley In case the need for an independent special prosecutor to investigate #Trum-Russia ties wasn't clear enough already... it sure is now Martin Heinrich aMartinHeinrich im Replying to @MartinHeinrich If this is an effort to stop the investigations into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, it won't succeed

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Senators respond to Comey's firing

Tom Udall aSenatorTomUdall Replying to @SenatorTomUdall @POTUS Only DOJ special counsel and an independent bipartisan commission-like 9/11 commission-can get the full, unbiased answers Americans deserve Cory Booker_CoryBooker Now it's even more important that an independent special counsel is appointed to investigate the Russian interference in our elections. Brian Schatz_@brianscha The arguments against establishing a Special Prosecutor were weak in the first place. They have now evaporated Senator Tim Ka ine @timkain e Replying to @timkaine Comey firing recommended by Sessions. I thought he had recused himself from Russia investigation!

Tom Udall aSenatorTomUdall Replying to @SenatorTomUdall @POTUS Only DOJ special counsel and an independent bipartisan commission-like 9/11 commission-can get the full, unbiased answers Americans deserve Cory Booker_CoryBooker Now it's even more important that an independent special counsel is appointed to investigate the Russian interference in our elections. Brian Schatz_@brianscha The arguments against establishing a Special Prosecutor were weak in the first place. They have now evaporated Senator Tim Ka ine @timkain e Replying to @timkaine Comey firing recommended by Sessions. I thought he had recused himself from Russia investigation!

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FBI Director James Comey fired

..ooo Verizon 5:45 PM 2 of 6 THE WHITE HOUSIE WASHINGTON May 9.2017 Dear Director Comey I have received the attached letters from the Attormey General and Deputy Attorncy General of the United Investigation. I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effeetive immediately. States recommending your dismissal as the Director of the Federal Bureau of While I greatly appreciate you forming me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Donald J. Trump Bloomberg

..ooo Verizon 5:45 PM 2 of 6 THE WHITE HOUSIE WASHINGTON May 9.2017 Dear Director Comey I have received the attached letters from the Attormey General and Deputy Attorncy General of the United Investigation. I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effeetive immediately. States recommending your dismissal as the Director of the Federal Bureau of While I greatly appreciate you forming me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Donald J. Trump Bloomberg

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Eric Trump needs to keep his goddamn mouth shut

"Trump was strutting up and down, talking to his new members about how they were part of the greatest club in North Carolina," Dodson says. "And when I hrst met him, I asked him how he was- you know, this is the journalist in me I said, 'What are you using to pay for these courses?' And he just sort of tossed off that he had access to $100 million." $100 million. "So when I got in the cart with Eric," Dodson says, "as we were setting off, I said, 'Eric, who's funding? I know no banks - because of the recession, the Great Recession-have touched a golf course. rou know, no one's funding any kind of golf construction. It's dead in the water the last four or five years.' And this is what he said. He said, Well, we don't rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.' I said, 'Really?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah. We've got some guys that really, really love golf, and they're really invested in our programs. We just go there all the time.' Now that was three years ago, so it was pretty interesting." Well, yeah. It is.

"Trump was strutting up and down, talking to his new members about how they were part of the greatest club in North Carolina," Dodson says. "And when I hrst met him, I asked him how he was- you know, this is the journalist in me I said, 'What are you using to pay for these courses?' And he just sort of tossed off that he had access to $100 million." $100 million. "So when I got in the cart with Eric," Dodson says, "as we were setting off, I said, 'Eric, who's funding? I know no banks - because of the recession, the Great Recession-have touched a golf course. rou know, no one's funding any kind of golf construction. It's dead in the water the last four or five years.' And this is what he said. He said, Well, we don't rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.' I said, 'Really?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah. We've got some guys that really, really love golf, and they're really invested in our programs. We just go there all the time.' Now that was three years ago, so it was pretty interesting." Well, yeah. It is.

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Tomorrow's White House talking points

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Sally Yates testimony tomorrow

Testimony from a former acting attorney general on Monday is expected to be a compelling public moment in the so-far largely secretive investigations into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election Sally Yates, a top Justice Department official in the Obama administration, was serving as President Donald Trump's acting attorney general when she told a top White House official about conversations between former national security adviser Mike Flynn and a Russian diplomat. The White House has said Ms. Yates provided a "heads up" to the official, White House Counsel Donald McGahn, about the conversations, without describing the nature of them Ms. Yates, who had access to intelligence transcripts of the calls, will say rather that she told Mr. McGahn explicitly that Mr. Flynn hadn't been truthful about the conversations and that his actions could put him at risk of being compromised by Russian intelligence services, according to people familiar with her account.

Testimony from a former acting attorney general on Monday is expected to be a compelling public moment in the so-far largely secretive investigations into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election Sally Yates, a top Justice Department official in the Obama administration, was serving as President Donald Trump's acting attorney general when she told a top White House official about conversations between former national security adviser Mike Flynn and a Russian diplomat. The White House has said Ms. Yates provided a "heads up" to the official, White House Counsel Donald McGahn, about the conversations, without describing the nature of them Ms. Yates, who had access to intelligence transcripts of the calls, will say rather that she told Mr. McGahn explicitly that Mr. Flynn hadn't been truthful about the conversations and that his actions could put him at risk of being compromised by Russian intelligence services, according to people familiar with her account.

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Trump transition team stole classified documents!

The outgoing White House also became concerned about the Trump team's handling of classified information. After learning that highly sensitive documents from a secure room at the transition's Washington headquarters were being copied and removed from the facility, Obama's national security team decided to only allow the transition officials to view some information at the White House, including documents on the government's contingency plans for crises

The outgoing White House also became concerned about the Trump team's handling of classified information. After learning that highly sensitive documents from a secure room at the transition's Washington headquarters were being copied and removed from the facility, Obama's national security team decided to only allow the transition officials to view some information at the White House, including documents on the government's contingency plans for crises

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Two Prosecutors!

HIRONO: So in the investigations that you're currently doing on the Russian interference and the Trump team's relationship, are you coordinating with any U.S. attorney's office in these investigations? COMEY: Yes, well - two sets of prosecutors, the Main Justice the National Security Division and the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Attorney's Office.

HIRONO: So in the investigations that you're currently doing on the Russian interference and the Trump team's relationship, are you coordinating with any U.S. attorney's office in these investigations? COMEY: Yes, well - two sets of prosecutors, the Main Justice the National Security Division and the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Attorney's Office.

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Rand Paul panics!

Senator Rand Paul @RandPaul Following I have formally requested from the WH and the Intel Committees info on whether I was surveilled by Obama admin and or the Intel community! RETWEETS 1,383 3,075 9:12 AM -5 May 2017 わ902 1.4K 3.1K Tweet your reply Louise Menschネ@LouiseMensch-5m Replying to @MrsSmh1 @RandPaul is "Tangled Up in #NYPD Blue" わ3 13 3 20 John Weaver@JWGOP 36m Replying to @RandPaul Out of boredom? 46

Senator Rand Paul @RandPaul Following I have formally requested from the WH and the Intel Committees info on whether I was surveilled by Obama admin and or the Intel community! RETWEETS 1,383 3,075 9:12 AM -5 May 2017 わ902 1.4K 3.1K Tweet your reply Louise Menschネ@LouiseMensch-5m Replying to @MrsSmh1 @RandPaul is "Tangled Up in #NYPD Blue" わ3 13 3 20 John Weaver@JWGOP 36m Replying to @RandPaul Out of boredom? 46

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FEC Complaint over Alfa Bank

10 56% 2:45 PM Summary: Trump and Russia's largest private bank communicate via hidden server since at least 2016 May Confronted with questions by NYT reporter, Alfa Bank denies any relationship . Hidden server belonging to Trump then disappears (no one but Alfa Bank was asked) Deleted host name mail1.Trump-Email.com is replaced with trump1.contact-client.com . Russian Alfa Bank is the first host seen to contact the new trump1. serve Comments: Trumps FEC filings fail to disclose any foreign bank account in Russia or relationship with the Russian Alfa Bank Network logs show a distinctively human pattern of communications between a hidden server dedicated for use by the Trump Organization and the Russian financial company Alfa Bank, which has close ties to the Kremlin. Trump campai also have relationshi h Alfa Bank The other frequent connection to Trump's hidden server with the same distinctive human pattern is Spectrum Health, a Michigan hospital with close ties to the DeVosly (http://www.spectrumhealth.org/locations /helen-devos-childrens-hospital). The Devos family founded Amway I Alticor which operates in Russia including transactions with Alfa Bank such as in idiary. The Devos family has given millions of dollars in the past few months to conservative super PACs (www.fec.gov). One member of the Devos family was a founder of Blackwater Trumps hidden server appears to be a specially configured outbound email server. The email server type normally would handle outbound bulk advertising or transactional mail for a large enterprise to customers, powerful enough to deliver millions of emails per day. ( http://www.marketerspublishinggroup.com/PMTA-UsersGuide-4.0.pdf) Different in every way from traffic seen on adjacent servers managed by the same server company, this specially configured server has been exclusively corresponding with Alfa-Bank and Spectrum since at least May 2016 with a cadence and rate of a human conversation. See the graph of the connections here The stealth server has had two different names mail1.Trump-Email.com (zone deleted on Friday, 2016-Sept-23 after the Russian Alfa-Bank was asked by the New York Times to explain the communications) and on 2016-Sept-27 a new name showed up trump1.contact-client.com When a reporter from the New York Times (NYT) asked the Russian Alfa Bank for comment about the apparent communications, Alfa Bank denied any relationship with the Trump Organization. The NYT reporter communicated with no one other than the Russian Alfa Bank - yet the Trump-Email.com domain began showing signs of panicked reconfiguration within hours of the New York Times asking the Russian Alfa Bank why they were making connections to Trump-Email.com. While

10 56% 2:45 PM Summary: Trump and Russia's largest private bank communicate via hidden server since at least 2016 May Confronted with questions by NYT reporter, Alfa Bank denies any relationship . Hidden server belonging to Trump then disappears (no one but Alfa Bank was asked) Deleted host name mail1.Trump-Email.com is replaced with trump1.contact-client.com . Russian Alfa Bank is the first host seen to contact the new trump1. serve Comments: Trumps FEC filings fail to disclose any foreign bank account in Russia or relationship with the Russian Alfa Bank Network logs show a distinctively human pattern of communications between a hidden server dedicated for use by the Trump Organization and the Russian financial company Alfa Bank, which has close ties to the Kremlin. Trump campai also have relationshi h Alfa Bank The other frequent connection to Trump's hidden server with the same distinctive human pattern is Spectrum Health, a Michigan hospital with close ties to the DeVosly (http://www.spectrumhealth.org/locations /helen-devos-childrens-hospital). The Devos family founded Amway I Alticor which operates in Russia including transactions with Alfa Bank such as in idiary. The Devos family has given millions of dollars in the past few months to conservative super PACs (www.fec.gov). One member of the Devos family was a founder of Blackwater Trumps hidden server appears to be a specially configured outbound email server. The email server type normally would handle outbound bulk advertising or transactional mail for a large enterprise to customers, powerful enough to deliver millions of emails per day. ( http://www.marketerspublishinggroup.com/PMTA-UsersGuide-4.0.pdf) Different in every way from traffic seen on adjacent servers managed by the same server company, this specially configured server has been exclusively corresponding with Alfa-Bank and Spectrum since at least May 2016 with a cadence and rate of a human conversation. See the graph of the connections here The stealth server has had two different names mail1.Trump-Email.com (zone deleted on Friday, 2016-Sept-23 after the Russian Alfa-Bank was asked by the New York Times to explain the communications) and on 2016-Sept-27 a new name showed up trump1.contact-client.com When a reporter from the New York Times (NYT) asked the Russian Alfa Bank for comment about the apparent communications, Alfa Bank denied any relationship with the Trump Organization. The NYT reporter communicated with no one other than the Russian Alfa Bank - yet the Trump-Email.com domain began showing signs of panicked reconfiguration within hours of the New York Times asking the Russian Alfa Bank why they were making connections to Trump-Email.com. While

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Citgo getting bought by Rosneft

2:29 AM politico.com And Citgo, the U.S. refining arm of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, is under increasing scrutiny as the Trump administration takes a tougher line against the cash-strapped government of Venezuela, which has been accused of human rights abuses and drug trafficking. Complicating matters further, there are rising concerns that the Russian government-owned oil company Rosneft could be on the verge of taking control of Citgo. That's because Venezuela's national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, took out a loan from Rosneft in December, offering as collateral 49.9 percent of itgo's shares. International energy market analysts have predicted that the economic crisis in Venezuela could lead PDVSA to default on its debt, which would put Rosneft on the cusp of controlling three of the largest and most sophisticated refineries in the U.S., plus three major pipelines and dozens of fuel terminals The involvement of Russia is fraught for Trump's administration. The president's team is under scrutiny from law enforcement and congressional investigators examining Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, including by stealing and disseminating emails from allies of Trump's c riva bipartisan group of senators wrote a letter las month to Trump's Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, linking the election hacking and Russia's alleged violations of arms control reements with Rosneft's position in Citgo The sena extremely Tweet link

2:29 AM politico.com And Citgo, the U.S. refining arm of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, is under increasing scrutiny as the Trump administration takes a tougher line against the cash-strapped government of Venezuela, which has been accused of human rights abuses and drug trafficking. Complicating matters further, there are rising concerns that the Russian government-owned oil company Rosneft could be on the verge of taking control of Citgo. That's because Venezuela's national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, took out a loan from Rosneft in December, offering as collateral 49.9 percent of itgo's shares. International energy market analysts have predicted that the economic crisis in Venezuela could lead PDVSA to default on its debt, which would put Rosneft on the cusp of controlling three of the largest and most sophisticated refineries in the U.S., plus three major pipelines and dozens of fuel terminals The involvement of Russia is fraught for Trump's administration. The president's team is under scrutiny from law enforcement and congressional investigators examining Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, including by stealing and disseminating emails from allies of Trump's c riva bipartisan group of senators wrote a letter las month to Trump's Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, linking the election hacking and Russia's alleged violations of arms control reements with Rosneft's position in Citgo The sena extremely Tweet link

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Comey won't brief intel committees without deputy attourney general's approval

Despite Comeys professed Taith in Rosenstein, who has refused to commit to an independent investigation, this testimony unquestionably proves the necessity of a special prosecutor In short, Comey has declared that he will not brief the intelligence committees without permission from the Trump-appointed deputy attorney general; that he will not inform them if Trump's White House refuses to cooperate; and that the decision to prosecute will ultimately rest ina Trump appointee's hands Comey may be fine with that, but the American people are not

Despite Comeys professed Taith in Rosenstein, who has refused to commit to an independent investigation, this testimony unquestionably proves the necessity of a special prosecutor In short, Comey has declared that he will not brief the intelligence committees without permission from the Trump-appointed deputy attorney general; that he will not inform them if Trump's White House refuses to cooperate; and that the decision to prosecute will ultimately rest ina Trump appointee's hands Comey may be fine with that, but the American people are not

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