Discussion: FBI Has Adequate Resources For Russia Probe, Acting Director Says

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FBI Has Adequate Resources For Russia Probe, Acting Director Says FBI Has Adequate Resources For Russia Probe, Acting Director Says Back to article
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The question that I would ask this fellow is:

Is Trump under investigation by the FBI for criminal activities unrelated to Russia; issues involving cases of domestic fraud and malfeasance?

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This is a tell. He will not outright obstruct the investigation – he will leave it underfunded at the request of his benefactor Trump.

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Well, that’s a real fuckin’ surprise right there.

I’m absolutely SHOCKED he’d say such things…

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I’m going to disagree, slightly.

  1. Instead of unequivocally issuing a statement, he used the (technically redundant) qualifier “I believe.”
  2. Because of the above point (and the timing of the inquiry), he can always ‘re-assess’ without losing face.
  3. He refused to comment on whether Comey asked for additional funds.

While I wouldn’t stake my life on it, my read is that he’s basically stalling. The neutral wording staves off a Trumpquisition while simultaneously being easily retractable (given the circumstances) without damaging the legitimacy of the investigation.

Possible motivations?

  • Maybe he’s giving the Deputy AG some breathing room due to friendship/loyalty/internal-code-of-conduct/advantage/olive-branch-for-redemption.
  • Maybe neither he nor Comey are sure how they want to play that particular chip.
  • Maybe he’s just giving himself some breathing room, since maybe he was blindsided by the firing since it is so painfully politically untenable to anyone not disabused of the notion that our elected officials have any shred of loyalty to the USA and the philosophical precepts of the founding fathers that are so frequently invoked.

Granted, a lot of these conclusions are informed by my gut-level contrasting of his statements regarding the funds question vs. Comey’s reputation within the FBI. I feel like if he was more ‘Trump-clined,’ he would have been more reticent on that latter issue. Something like, “I’ve great respect for former director Comey, and while I haven’t heard any direct complaints, I can see how someone could come to that conclusion.”

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But gosh…Hugh Hewitt tried to tell us the other night that the FBI has 2000 more important investigations than the RUSSIAN one…doncha’ know.