These startling revelations changed nothing, however, because there was no trove of documents. The Trump records had been destroyed. Despite knowing back in 2001 that Trump might want to file a lawsuit, his companies had deleted emails and other records without checking if they might be evidence in his case. Beginning around 2003, the company wiped clear the data from everyone’s computers every year. Lawyers for Trump Hotels had never sent out the usual communication issued during litigation instructing employees to stop destroying records that might be related to this case. The deletions continued, and backup tapes were reused—thus erasing the data they held. Power Plant lawyers also discovered that after the lawsuit was filed, Trump Hotels disposed of a key witness’s computer without preserving the data on it.
Dear Director Comey:
Your actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another. I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law.
The double standard established by your actions is clear.
In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government – a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity. The public has a right to know this information. I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public. There is no danger to American interests from releasing it. And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information.
By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicize it in the most negative light possible.
Moreover, in tarring Secretary Clinton with thin innuendo, you overruled longstanding tradition and the explicit guidance of your own Department. You rushed to take this step eleven days before a presidential election, despite the fact that for all you know, the information you possess could be entirely duplicative of the information you already examined which exonerated Secretary Clinton.
As you know, a memo authored by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on March 10, 2016, makes clear that all Justice Department employees, including you, are subject to the Hatch Act. The memo defines the political activity prohibited under the Hatch Act as “activity directed towards the success or failure of a political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.â€
The clear double-standard established by your actions strongly suggests that your highly selective approach to publicizing information, along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group.
Please keep in mind that I have been a supporter of yours in the past. When Republicans filibustered your nomination and delayed your confirmation longer than any previous nominee to your position, I led the fight to get you confirmed because I believed you to be a principled public servant.
With the deepest regret, I now see that I was wrong.
Sincerely,
Senator Harry Reid
FBI agents argued — based at least in part on news accounts — earlier this year that the Clinton Foundation should be investigated for potentially giving donors special political access and favors. The Justice Department’s public integrity unit said they did not have enough evidence to move forward.
The Clinton Foundation said it was never contacted by the FBI, suggesting the bureau’s efforts were in a preliminary stage as prosecutors weighed in. But agents in New York have sought to keep their inquiries alive, feuding with the Justice Department about the lengths to which they can go, according to people familiar with the matter.
(snip)
It is unclear what, if any, evidence they had to substantiate those allegations, particularly through subpoenas or search warrants. One person familiar with the matter said their presentation drew at least in part from media accounts over various foundation-related controversies.
The Justice Department has replaced the New York team of agents and lawyers investigating the death of Eric Garner, officials said, a highly unusual shake-up that could jump-start the long-stalled case and put the government back on track to seek criminal charges.
(snip)
Federal authorities have been investigating whether officers violated Mr. Garner’s civil rights in his fatal encounter with the police. But the case had been slowed by a dispute because federal prosecutors and Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in New York opposed bringing charges, while prosecutors with the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department in Washington argued there was clear evidence to do so.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, who as the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York oversaw the beginning of the federal inquiry before her appointment to Washington, has been considering for months how to proceed.
In recent weeks, the F.B.I. agents who have been investigating the case were replaced with agents from outside New York, according to five federal officials in New York and Washington. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are no longer assigned to the case. It is not clear whether civil rights prosecutors from Washington will work alone in presenting evidence to a grand jury in Brooklyn and in trying the case if charges are eventually brought.
In 1997, for instance, he was “principal for a day†at a public school in an impoverished area of the Bronx. The chess team was holding a bake sale, Hot & Crusty danishes and croissants. They were $5,000 short of what they needed to travel to a tournament.
Trump had brought something to wow them.
“He handed them a fake million-dollar bill,†said David MacEnulty, a teacher and the chess team’s coach.
The team’s parent volunteers were thrilled.
Then disappointment.
Trump then gave them $200 in real money and drove away in a limousine.
On Saturday night in Phoenix, Arizona, a man wearing a “Hillary for prison 2016†T-shirt turned around during a chant of “USA†to face the press enclosure, calling reporters the “enemy†and shouting “Jew-S-Aâ€.
“That man’s conduct was deplorable,†Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told CNN after Tapper suggested the adjective. “His conduct is completely unacceptable and does not reflect our campaign or our candidate.
“And had I been there, I would have asked security to remove him immediately. Clearly, he doesn’t speak for the campaign or the candidate.â€
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Expect to vote tonight, as Monday is the only night the Town Hall is open late. The Mrs already has.
Later tonight I will be webcasting a remote broadcast of Ramon Raquello and His Orchestra.
Quote by BobR:
How you know you've gone too far...
“One of the things that you all have not talked about,†Cummings continued. “I listened to the interview with Jason Miller about information out there about Mr. Trump, Mr. Manafort and the Russian government. Members of Congress, including myself, have asked for months for the FBI to provide us with information as to whether Mr. Trump other associates and the Russian government have any coordination or connection with each other.†Not one ounce of information has been given to Congress on it.
Quote by Raine:Quote by BobR:
How you know you've gone too far...
I am so pissed about this entire fiasco.
This morning Elijah Cumming Confirmed What Reid is saying.“One of the things that you all have not talked about,†Cummings continued. “I listened to the interview with Jason Miller about information out there about Mr. Trump, Mr. Manafort and the Russian government. Members of Congress, including myself, have asked for months for the FBI to provide us with information as to whether Mr. Trump other associates and the Russian government have any coordination or connection with each other.†Not one ounce of information has been given to Congress on it.
Quote by Scoopster:
THERE WE GO YAY!
I'd hate to suggest that donald's supporters aren't bright, but they did ALL misspell "PRISON" in their favorite hashtag #HillaryForPrision
— Carlitos 🙋â€â™‚ï¸ðŸ» (@Vagabondster) October 31, 2016
Quote by Raine:I'd hate to suggest that donald's supporters aren't bright, but they did ALL misspell "PRISON" in their favorite hashtag #HillaryForPrision
— Carlitos 🙋â€â™‚ï¸ðŸ» (@Vagabondster) October 31, 2016
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Good morning, bloggers!!!
I think that Comey is going to have a lot of explaining to do if all the e-mails have nothing to do with Secretary Clinton except for her sympathizing with Huma Abedin about a spouse acting badly.
I look forward to voting next week. A lot of my friends here are tired of the elections. However, I am curious about Trump's ties to Russia as we have not seen his taxes.
Quote by Scoopster:
Jill Stein is really effing terrible at this supposedly extreme leftist thing.
In other news, my farts this morning have been something corporate.
Quote by Scoopster:
Oh apparently there's more to that hashtag misspelling - seems they think Twitter is BLOCKING the correctly spelled hashtag.
Quote by Scoopster:
Jill Stein is really effing terrible at this supposedly extreme leftist thing.
In other news, my farts this morning have been something corporate.
Quote by wickedpam:
Afternoon
I've been on highs and lows thanks the this all weekend long. Hillary may still be up on 538 but its creeping and I don't like that.
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Afternoon
I've been on highs and lows thanks the this all weekend long. Hillary may still be up on 538 but its creeping and I don't like that.
I was just wondering where you were.
glad you are ok.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Scoopster:
Jill Stein is really effing terrible at this supposedly extreme leftist thing.
In other news, my farts this morning have been something corporate.
Wut?
Quote by livingonli:
I have an appointment today to see another specialist. I don't know if anyone saw my Facebook note last night. I know Mala did.
Quote by livingonli:
I have an appointment today to see another specialist. I don't know if anyone saw my Facebook note last night. I know Mala did.
Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
This?
Yeah, that will go far. I guess that's it for Chaffetz then.
Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
This?
Yeah, that will go far. I guess that's it for Chaffetz then.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
This?
Yeah, that will go far. I guess that's it for Chaffetz then.
Any other source beside the somewhat dubious Politicus?
A complaint has been filed against Jason Chaffetz https://t.co/GIpa7XOK3O
— KUTV 2News (@KUTV2News) October 31, 2016
Quote by Scoopster:
Aaaand now Trump is stiffing his campaign pollster a quarter mil.
But does he think he doesn't owe it to 'em because it's only a performance bonus for when they give him good numbers?
Quote by Raine:I am waiting to see how much Kellyanne actually gets paid when this is said and done.Quote by Scoopster:
Aaaand now Trump is stiffing his campaign pollster a quarter mil.
But does he think he doesn't owe it to 'em because it's only a performance bonus for when they give him good numbers?
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Raine:I am waiting to see how much Kellyanne actually gets paid when this is said and done.Quote by Scoopster:
Aaaand now Trump is stiffing his campaign pollster a quarter mil.
But does he think he doesn't owe it to 'em because it's only a performance bonus for when they give him good numbers?
Oh goodness did I say a quarter mil? I meant 3/4 of a mil!
Quote by Raine:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
This?
Yeah, that will go far. I guess that's it for Chaffetz then.
Any other source beside the somewhat dubious Politicus?A complaint has been filed against Jason Chaffetz https://t.co/GIpa7XOK3O
— KUTV 2News (@KUTV2News) October 31, 2016
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by BobR:
I looking for a confirmation, but I've seen info that the Dems filed a House Ethics Complaint against Chaffetz for the Comey announcement
This?
Yeah, that will go far. I guess that's it for Chaffetz then.
Any other source beside the somewhat dubious Politicus?A complaint has been filed against Jason Chaffetz https://t.co/GIpa7XOK3O
— KUTV 2News (@KUTV2News) October 31, 2016
I did the quick Google and got the kutv thing as well. That is where I found that Dems Against Trump is a super PAC.