Just Human #354

In this episode, I bring you up to speed on the latest filings in United States v. Comey, particularly regarding the grand jury proceedings that generated the indictment and the issue of Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. One judge is examining whether or not privileged material was shared with the grand jury, and another judge is considering the lawfulness of Halligan’s appointment. Both issues have the potential to sink the case. In support of their case and the appointment, DOJ has filed new affidavits from two FBI agents and one each from Attorney Halligan and AG Bondi, plus a timeline of the grand jury proceedings. Next, I walk you through a newly disclosed 2017 email chain about a potential investigation into the Hillary Clinton campaign’s payment for the Steele Dossier. An FBI agent sought to open the probe and requested advice on proceeding from a key figure in the DOJ’s Public Corruption Unit and a chief legal official in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Both advised against pursuing it. The email chain was provided to Senator Grassley by FBI Director Patel and Attorney General Bondi after Grassley was tipped off by a whistleblower.Finally, in the show’s final hour, I present a “for your consideration”-style segment. I take you back to 2016 and revisit the early months of Crossfire Hurricane and Russiagate, framing the saga in a fresh—or perhaps evolved—light. While many individual elements have been discussed on the podcast before, I assemble them with a new narrative that I hope elucidates the story of the scandal in a new way. Chapters00:00 Start00:45 Introduction to Episode10:52 Preface to Comey Update Segment29:10 Comey and DOJ Filings Pre-Nov 10 Hearing with Judge Fitzgerald, including two new affidavits from FBI agents52:50 Recap of Hearing with Judge Fitzgerald54:00 Recap of Hearing with Judge Currie55:38 DOJ Filings post-hearing with Judge Currie, including new affidavits from Attorney Halligan and AG Bondi and a timeline for the grand jury proceedings1:24:00 Comparing AG Bondi’s Order appointing Lindsay Halligan to AG Garland’s Order appointing Jack Smith1:35:35 New Disclosures from Sen Grassley: Email Chain between FBI agent and DOJ-PIN Pilger and USADC Cooney regarding investigation into Hillary payment for Steele Dossier2:29:02 Revisiting the origins of Crossfire Hurricane and RussiagateIf you find this episode informative, please like, share, and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Just Human is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or using one of the support options below.Other ways to support:Coffee—click here.Just Human Merch—click here.Benson’s Honey Farm affiliate link: click here.Bootleg Products affiliate link: click here.Manly Cans affiliate link—click here.To find all of my links in one place, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justhuman.substack.com/subscribe