By J. Gary DiLaura
FBI Retired
Allow me to make some disclosures as this is an OPED column and you should know the basis for my opinions. I know a little about everything, a lot about a few things and everything about nothing!
I do know a lot about what I did for almost three decade as a FBI criminal agent. I participated in numerous, high profile criminal investigations from all angles. I drew up legal documents for arrest, search, seizure and Title 3 warrants. I participated in all aspects of the related investigations; surveillance, interview, arrests, searching, seizing, Title 3 monitoring, testifying, reporting… you name it!
I only know what I have read about the Roger Stone case and indictment and never met him, but my opinion is based upon, to some extent, what is said and how it is stated in the indictment. If you know how it works you can deduce a great deal just from the “wording”.
In my opinion, some of what is spelled out in the indictment came from wiretap(s) information. The only wiretap that Robert Mueller used on this case is or originated from, the Carter Page FISA warrant. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the Carter Page FISA wiretap will be judged illegal when it is challenged in any court! It is not possible for the phony probable cause [PC] to be able to pass the test of juris prudence, period.
The PC is founded on a dossier that the Director of the FBI himself, said is, “Unverified and salacious”, on National Television in Jan 2017. If it was “unverified and salacious” in Jan 2017, it was the same when Comey, Yates and others signed the FISA documents. Next, the origination of the PC foundation document, the dossier, was Hillary Clinton. These facts were intentionally withheld from the FISA Court Applications.
Anything that Mueller’s team garnered as a result of or from the Page wiretap will be determined to be fruits of the poisonous tree and likely useless.
Also, if I were an attorney, I would take Carter Page’s civil suit against Comey, Yates, Strzok, McCabe, Rosenstein et al, on a contingency basis for 5%!
Stone talking to WikiLeaks is not a crime. Stone talking to Julian Assange is not a crime. Stone garnering oppositional info on Hillary Clinton from any source he wants… is not a crime. If it is… somebody better tell Mueller that Hillary is the one who paid for the dossier!
It appears that there are no substantive crimes charged against Stone. Most are based upon supposition, innuendo and probability that he must have said or done something illegal because he worked with/for Donald Trump and talked to somebody Mueller believes to be a criminal.
Stone lying to the FBI that he talked or did not talk to Assange or lying about what he had for breakfast …is a crime… as much of a crime as what General Flynn, Manafort, Popadopolis or anybody else who was charged with lying by Mueller, plead to!
Somebody, please explain to Mueller that if somebody associated with Donald Trump, that is not PC of a crime, no matter what Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch or Barack Obama may have told him.
For Christ’s sake, Mueller, GIVE IT UP, a SWAT Team to arrest Roger Stone… really? You are an embarrassment to law enforcement!
Bobby …we need to talk… what the FBI is supposed to do is put CRIMINALS in jail….not Martha Stewart, General Flynn, Popodoplis, et al…for lying to you!
You spent $25-$30 million… for WHAT?
Stone is charged with lying that he maintained records, emails, etc about the DNC hacking. Hillary Clinton destroyed over 30,000 emails that were under subpoena. Destroying evidence, under subpoena is a substantive, felony crime. Stone destroyed nothing and is charged with lying that he had it…a non-substantive crime, if true.
When is Clinton’s indictment due?
Let’s be fair and equitable, most of the following lied under oath and admitted it: James Comey, John Brennan, James Clapper, Samantha Powers, Susan Rice… let’s clear the books of liars and nail them all… there’s much more from Obama’s Administration.. .give me a call!
You want Russian Collusion to effect a Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton hired Fusion GPS to do that very criminal act! You want paying for DIRT on an opponent Presidential Candidate… Hillary Clinton paid for the Fusion GPS DOSSIER on her opponent, Donald Trump.
The info that Stone allegedly garnered was true. The info Clinton garnered from Fusion GPS that was put into the Dossier is …phony.
Go get her!
A very well reasoned, rational and detailed article. I’d like to believe what you say is true, I think what you say will happen should happen, but I’m afraid it won’t. There’s a vast difference between what should be, and what really is.
Whether or not the CP FISA wiretap is legal is irrelevant, because it won’t be found illegal. Why? Because the real test of juris prudence is political power and fear and money. You write as if truth and justice will save the day, when realistically they haven’t had a lot to do in court for a very long time. Why isn’t Mueller or some other special prosecutor going after Hillary instead of completely ignoring her, as if she had complete immunity no matter what? Why is Trump accused of obstructing justice for firing Comey, when under Obama there was a huge uproar for someone to do just that – supposed loss of confidence, agents resigning, etc.?
In some ways Trump has been his own worst enemy in the way he expresses himself, but no matter how it comes out doesn’t mean what he says is automatically wrong. It does seem like Mueller is looking for a “jailhouse snitch” as if he were a county DA, arresting low level figures, terrifying them into cooperation against higher ones, and working his way toward the real target. That can be easily seen as the real reason for the incredibly unnecessary SWAT team arrest of Roger Stone: it creates the image of an evil drug lord or crime boss in the public eye, while also dazing the one arrested with shock and awe, terrorizing them into cooperation from the very start. The SWAT team arrest had nothing to do with police safety, and everything to do with public relations spin.
However, judging by past reports, it seems that’s exactly the wrong way to treat Stone. Probably the more investigators try to intimidate and threaten him, the more angry he gets, and more determined to not give them what they want.
Thank you for your FBI “insider” insights, Gary! I’m stunned at how politicized, in general, many of our public protection agencies seem to have become. Are you? …Maybe that was always the case but now it’s more spectator sport involving everyone on social media?
Everyone I hear discussing this, for instance, is elated if they’re liberals, mad if they’re MAGA…period. And what about, as you suggest, the implications on JUSTICE itself when it’s their turn?
If you don’t break the law it will never be “your turn”.
False arrest occasionally happen, but not very often. Obviously all the people who have been arrested in this investigation have broken a number of laws. The FBI has every right to investigate them, and should. Stones girlfriend/business associate in New York also had her apartment raided Friday morning.
If these people are innocent, then they needn’t worry, right? Hilary Clinton was previously investigated and not charged with any crimes.
Give it a rest lady. Do you even believe the bullshit you spout. Did you read how the Hillay Clinton investigation went down by Obammy’s FBI cronies? Don’t worry thou toots, a Grand Jury has been investigating your girl’s foundation. One nice benefit from that is once the results are out, you will not show up here under your current moniker.
Perhaps Mueller is the ultimate patriot and is trying to foment another Revolution.
Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a Man of wealth and taste. I’ve been around for a long, long year. Stole many a man’s soul to waste…
Pleased to meet you. Won’t you guess my name?
Donald Trump?
Did I guess right?
No you guessed wrong as usual. Your mouth seems to like to write checks that your ass can’t cash. De nut head is a democrap operative who trolls the frank report much like you, with the exception that he is a corrupt crooked democrap operative, while you just expel gaseous substances.
Obviously
You are a uninspired soul who lacks imagination, hiding behind stolen song lyrics from the 1960s.
I suppose you also rode a tank and held a generals rank when the blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank.
DeezNuts, my guess is your first name is Dennis.
Scott Johnson said it, Deez. Almost. He must’ve meant Dennis the Menace, though, as Scott would never want to offend anyone. …Of the stature of Dennis Burke or his known associates.