Let The Twitter Do The Talking 🔩

Lot to unpack. It certainly refutes any overall (and nonsensical ) ‘Deep State’ FBI narrative pushed by the right. Looking forward to take from FBI formers including @AshaRangappa_ @FrankFigliuzzi1 @selectedwisdom @petestrzok @tracy_walder @joshscampbell https://t.co/4KgPlBLm5z

— Marc Polymeropoulos (@Mpolymer) March 1, 2023

So let's start with the two prominent former FBI agents:

An astonishing article. In 20 years of working cases involving classified information, I never - not once - encountered prosecutors who wanted to get a search warrant and reluctant - even refusing! - agents. The other way around, sure.https://t.co/gZL2lUIydB

— Pete Strzok (@petestrzok) March 1, 2023

“Some of those field agents wanted to shutter the criminal investigation altogether in early June, after Trump’s legal team asserted a diligent search had been conducted and all classified records had been turned over”

How’d that work out?

Oh, right, Trump still had 100+ docs.

— Pete Strzok (@petestrzok) March 1, 2023

“They also heard from top FBI officials that some agents were simply afraid”

You know what would go a long way to erasing that fear?

Leadership that protected agents from political blowback, allowing them to do their job. pic.twitter.com/sR7GppMN4a

— Pete Strzok (@petestrzok) March 1, 2023

Afraid? Or complicit?

D’Antuono and other agents clearly wanted to protect Trump. Then D’Antuono resigned.

Sounds a bit like Tony Ornato.

Protect Trump then resign.

— Hear-Me-Roar🐯🗽🩸🦷🩸🇺🇦 ☮️ (@sara4SF) March 1, 2023

It's a fair concern.

WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR*

*How DOJ/FBI are supposed to work

— Asha Marie Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) March 1, 2023

Let’s hope Mad Dog Psycho Jack Smith 👹 has vetted the FBI agents on his team to make sure they aren’t afraid of Trump. Have to wonder if taking the matter out of Wray/D’Anuto’s hands was part of the reason Garland appointed a Special Counsel

— Asha Marie Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) March 1, 2023

Except to those who think the answer to every question about what's wrong with the DOJ is: "Merrick Garland!" I know we're deep into "it's all on Biden now" territory, but there's a fair argument to be made about Trump corrupting the FBI with fear of reprisals (Peter Strzok, come on down!) or just the corrupting influence of MAGA and authoritarianism, especially in an FBI founded by J. Edgar Hoover. Trust me, institutional culture lingers long after the founders are dead and buried and all but forgotten. It's like a genetic inheritance.)

I noted the hints of internal resistance and potential slow-rolling by agents sympathetic to Trump pic.twitter.com/UmH8ZFHocK

— Asha Marie Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) March 1, 2023

Yeah, like that.

The FBI has a problem, and it’s coming from inside the house: Senior FBI officials resisted executing a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago and even wanted to shut down the case https://t.co/aSfjs8BqmC

— Asha Marie Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) March 1, 2023

Yeah, but...but...CHINA!!!!

Nothing to see here. Just the Director of the FBI doing an interview with a network that literally just admitted under oath that it’s a propaganda factory wtaf 🤦🏽‍♀️ https://t.co/a96TCG4ghB

— Asha Marie Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) March 1, 2023

You will never convince me Wray didn't know this story was coming out (of course he did. Journalistic ethics.) and decided to "bigfoot" it on Hannity's show. How's that workin' out for ya, Director?

At this point, one cannot but wonder whether the FBI is primarily loyal to Trump or to the principles of justice & democracy for the American people. “Showdown before the raid: FBI agents and prosecutors argued over Trump” https://t.co/2bCZssV2fX

— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 1, 2023

Or maybe he'd hoped to get bigfoot this:

Needed: An FBI Director who'll conduct a true review of FBI's #January6th intelligence failure.

New GAO Report👇

"The ongoing FBI review of its actions during the weeks preceding January 6, 2021 has NOT INCLUDED an assessment of how it processed information."

h/t @ryanjreilly pic.twitter.com/4Xx2NibJy4

— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) February 28, 2023

The Donald Trump School of Political Distractions. Doesn't work that well for Trump, either. And then there's the WaPo story itself:

I wrote that up here.https://t.co/7fehFzn5pZ

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

This is where the focus should be: On D'Antuono, and the damage he may have done by coddling Trump. https://t.co/QJGxJlRWxB

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

And please tell me how much the culture of the FBI has changed since J. Edgar passed into memory.

This...

There's more evidence that both FBI HQ and DC Field Office did things that prevented finding Trump's terrorists were about to attack the Capitol. https://t.co/qPkoqSTnkM

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

Which is not to let WaPo off the hook:

Gonna keep reupping this.

WaPo story is important (tho I quibble w/view of what discredited FBI, and WaPo should do a WHOLLLLLLE lot more reporting on it).

But they ignore possibility D’Antuono Make It Easier for Trump to Steal 47 Classified Documentshttps://t.co/7fehFzn5pZ

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

Did Trump managed to fly 47 stolen documents to Bedminster, where the Saudis and their $3 billion were throwing a golf tournament, on June 3 because he got notice of FBI's investigation?

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

At least we know the GOP in Congress is busy with the appropriate oversight:

Lndsey Graham starts oversight of Merrick Garland by complaining about 2 deaths that happened under Bill Barr.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

Now he admits that it's Hunter Biden.

Chuck Grassley wants to know what happens when 12 sources, many fed by Russian agents, share information about someone Russian spies have targeted.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 1, 2023

Rest easy, America. You're in the good hands your collective electoral wisdom elected. God help us all, because we're clearly determined to screw ourselves into the ground.