Fed Gov’t Just Admitted It Will Continue Warrantless Spying—Even If Congress Votes to Stop It

U.S. officials admit they are not planning on shutting down the government"s warrantless spying program, even if it is not reauthorized by 2018.

Mike Flynn Refuses To Honor Senate Subpoena

Just a few short days after receiving a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee, requesting documents relevant to the Committee"s investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election, AP reports that Senator Burr, the top Republican on the committee, says that Michael Flynn"s lawyers say he will not honor subpoena.

Last week, in a joint statement from Commttee chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and ranking member Mark Warner (D-Va.) the committee disclosed that it had first requested the documents in an April 28 letter to Flynn, but he "declined" to cooperate with the request.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today issued a subpoena for former National Security Advisor Lieutenant General Michael Flynn. The subpoena requests documents relevant to the Committee"s investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election. The Committee first requested these documents in an April 28, 2017 letter to Lieutenant General Flynn, but he declined, through counsel, to cooperate with the Committee"s request.

CNN also reported that the FBI had also issued subpoenas relating to Flynn"s business records, so the ousted National Security Adviser is now at at the center of both investigations, although as disclosed, he did not comply with the committee"s earlier request.

And today we get confirmation from Senator Burr, via AP, that Michael Flynn"s lawyers say he will not honor subpoena.

This is perhaps not entirely surprising given Yahoo"s reporting that late last month, fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn—under investigation by federal prosecutors, with his lawyer seeking immunity for him to testify to Congress–met with a small group of loyalists at a restaurant in the northern Virginia suburbs.
Saddled with steep legal bills, Flynn wanted to reconnect with old friends and talk about potential future business opportunities. But one overriding question among those present were his views on the president who had fired him as national security advisor. Flynn left little doubt about the answer.  Not only did he remain loyal to President Trump, he indicated he and the president were still in communication. “I just got a message from the president to stay strong,” Flynn said after the meal was over, according to two sources who are close to Flynn and are familiar with the conversation, which took place on April 25.

We are sure Democratic leadership will have some great soundbites soon (of course, forgeting Hillary-related obfuscations of various government subpoenas during the election campaign).

Sessions Considering "Outside Special Counsel" To Review "Highly Politicized" Actions Of Obama DOJ

Even though Obama spent the waning days of his administration boasting about how he had managed to spend 8 years in the White House without a single "scandal", current Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems to have a slightly different view of how to define "scandal". 

But perhaps Obama just "did not recall" some of the highly controversial efforts of his administration including the intentional IRS targeting of conservative political groups, Eric Holder"s "Fast and Furious" gun running program which ultimately resulted in him being held in contempt of Congress and, of course, that infamous meeting between Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch on the tarmac in Phoenix just as the DOJ and FBI were contemplating whether or not to press charges against Hillary Clinton over her email scandal.

Appearing on the air with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Sessions was asked if he would consider designating an outside counsel "not connected to politics" to take a second look at Justice Department actions that provoked Republican ire over the last eight years. Hewitt contended during his radio interview that the department had become "highly politicized" during the Obama administration and floated the idea of a special review by an attorney with the authority to bring criminal charges and "just generally to look at how the Department of Justice operated."

While Sessions was somewhat noncommittal, he did leave the door open, saying he would do everything he could to "restore the independence and professionalism of the Department of Justice." According to the AP, Sessions said that "generally, a good review of that internally is the first step before any such decision is made" but continued on to say that he "would have to consider whether or not some outside special counsel is needed."

Hewitt:  Now let me switch to the Department itself, Mr. Attorney General.  It has a bad eight years.  I"m a proud veteran of the Department of Justice as you are, but the IRS case, the Fast and Furious case, Secretary Clinton"s server.  The Department of Justice came under great criticism.  How about an outside counsel, not connected to politics, to review the DOJ"s actions in those matters with authority to bring charges if underlying crimes are uncovered in the course of the investigation, and just generally to look at how the DOJ operated in the highly politicized Holder-Lynch years.

Sessions:  Well, I"m going to do everything I possibly can to restore independence and professionalism of the DOJ, so we"re going to have to consider whether or not some outside special counsel is needed.  Generally, a good review of that internally is the first step before any such decision is made.

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Sessions went on to say the outcome of the IRS case, in particular, remained "of real concern." The Justice Department in 2015 found mismanagement at the tax agency but no evidence that it had targeted a political group based on its viewpoints or obstructed justice.

But we"re sure this is just all "much ado about nothing" as they say...after all Loretta Lynch already said Bill just stopped by her plane to chat about his grandkids for 30 minutes...surely she wouldn"t attempt the mislead the American people just to protect her administration, right?

PATRIOT Act At 15: Do You Feel Safer?

Fifteen years ago yesterday, President George W. Bush signed the PATRIOT Act into law. It was said to be a necessary – and temporary – response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. It has since become a permanent scar on the Fourth Amendment and the national-security state in Washington D.C. tells us we are in more danger than ever. Is this working?