DNI chief John Ratcliffe on Thursday declassified documents that revealed the FBI’s so-called ‘defensive briefing’ given to Donald Trump and General Flynn in August of 2016 was actually a part of the ‘insurance policy’ to take out Trump and his campaign.
Ratcliffe sent the partially declassified documents to GOP Senators Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Ron Johnson, with the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The FBI was not giving Trump a defensive briefing on August 17, 2016, rather, they were spying on him and collecting information on his campaign.
The August 2016 briefing notes were filed under the FBI Russia probe “Crossfire Hurricane,” and the FBI probe into GEN Flynn dubbed “Crossfire Razor.”
Catherine Herridge reported that Ratcliffe said “The August 2016 briefing was apparently part of the so-called “insurance policy” to ensure an outcome that would block then candidate Trump. The defensive briefer admits gathering questions..”
or issues “related to the Russian federation,” and significantly, the briefing notes are filed under the FBI Russia probe “Crossfire Hurricane,” and the FBI probe into GEN Flynn dubbed “Crossfire Razor.” One of the players, a former FBI lawyer, was later..
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) July 23, 2020
Investigative reporter Sara Carter has reviewed the newly declassified briefing which she says was written by FBI Special Agent Joe Pientka.
Recall, Joe Pientka was with Peter Strzok during the January 2017 ambush interview of General Flynn.
The briefing, given by Joe Pientka, lasted 13 minutes.
The now declassified defensive briefing documents from 2016, were signed and approved by former FBI Special Agents Kevin Clinesmith, who was outed by the DOJ’s Inspector General for falsifying and omitting information in the Foreign Intelligence Application warrant against Carter Page. Moreover, former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok is also a signatory who approved the defensive briefing notes.
The case ID on the defensive briefing document titled ‘(Redacted) Document Brief to Republican Candidate for U.S. President’ is noted as 97-HQ-2026661 (Redacted) Crossfire Hurricane; Foreign Agents Registration Act – Russia. It was a summary written by FBI Special Agent Joe Pientka, who is still employed by the bureau. Pientka also conducted the briefing with Trump and the officials on the 25th floor of the FBI’s New York Field Office in a classified SCIF.
“(Redacted) Statistically speaking the FBI has approximately (redacted) cases of Known or Suspected Russian IOs posted to the US,” stated Pientka during the briefing.
“We also have approximately (redacted) cases on Known or Suspected Chinese IOs – almost (redacted) the Russian establishment presence,” he told the group that day. No one realized that while Pientka was debriefing them, he was also collecting information on them believing that Flynn, along with Trump, may have been in the pocket of Russia’s intelligence services.
Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) spoke to Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs about this breaking story.
“It was a set up,” Gaetz said. “They weren’t trying to warn the Trump campaign, they were trying to ensnare them.”
WATCH:
#BREAKING: John Ratcliffe has just declassified the memo that describes the August 17th briefing the FBI gave President @realDonaldTrump back in the 2016 election.
The FBI said it was a defensive briefing. The evidence today proves it was a setup of @POTUS and @GenFlynn. pic.twitter.com/oENmOSODw1
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) July 23, 2020