Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

In my day, never was longer.

When they say they’re pro-life, they don’t mean yours.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Republicans in disarray!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. Do not congratulate. This is not business as usual.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

The words do not have to be perfect.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

You are here: Home / Politics / America / Just A Quick Note On The Russia Investigation

Just A Quick Note On The Russia Investigation

by | 95 Comments

This post is in: , , , , , , ,

Jane Mayer has produced an excellent piece of long form reporting on Christoper Steele and the investigation into Russia’s active measures and cyberwarfare campaign to both influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential elections and to continue to influence US politics (h/t: Paul Campos at LGM). I just want to highlight what I think are two of the most important points, if not the two most important points, in Mayer’s article, which Campos also highlighted, with some commentary.

First:

Robert Hannigan, then the head of the U.K.’s intelligence service the G.C.H.Q., had recently flown to Washington and briefed the C.I.A.’s director, John Brennan, on a stream of illicit communications between Trump’s team and Moscow that had been intercepted.

I cannot emphasize how important this is. While this has been reported and/or alluded to in other reporting, what Mayer is unequivocally stating is that the head of Britain’s equivalent of the NSA hand carried the signals intelligence (SIGINT) of communications between the Trump campaign and/or Trump organization with the Russians. Moscow in this sentence means Russian government, not just people living and/or working in Moscow. This is important because it means that counterintelligence task force that Director Comey set up, and that Special Counsel Mueller inherited, has had the actual communications captured by British intelligence. Thanks to our British allies, from the start of his investigation, Special Counsel Mueller and his team have known exactly who from the Trump campaign and/or businesses were in touch with Russian officials and what they said to each other. So when you see reporting on Mueller’s investigation or what he is seeking in subpoenas, just keep in mind that the Special Counsel has known a lot about the who, the what, and the when since he started. What he and his team have been doing is fleshing this out. Mapping the overall network. Determining the directions of influence. And, of course, following the money.

The second important part of Mayer’s reporting I want to highlight is:

One subject that Steele is believed to have discussed with Mueller’s investigators is a memo that he wrote in late November, 2016, after his contract with Fusion had ended. This memo, which did not surface publicly with the others, is shorter than the rest, and is based on one source, described as “a senior Russian official.” The official said that he was merely relaying talk circulating in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but what he’d heard was astonishing: people were saying that the Kremlin had intervened to block Trump’s initial choice for Secretary of State, Mitt Romney. (During Romney’s run for the White House in 2012, he was notably hawkish on Russia, calling it the single greatest threat to the U.S.) The memo said that the Kremlin, through unspecified channels, had asked Trump to appoint someone who would be prepared to lift Ukraine-related sanctions, and who would coöperate on security issues of interest to Russia, such as the conflict in Syria. If what the source heard was true, then a foreign power was exercising pivotal influence over U.S. foreign policy—and an incoming President.

The question here is who was the American conduit of interference? The contemporary reporting at the time was that Kellyanne Conway played the leading role in dissuading the President from nominating Governor Romney as Secretary of State.

President-elect Donald Trump’s former campaign manager again strongly suggested on Sunday that his supporters would not back former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for secretary of state.

Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump’s top advisers, told CNN’s Dana Bash that while she hoped Romney would be a gracious secretary of state if selected, his aggressive criticism of Trump during the 2016 Republican primary did not sit well with the president-elect’s supporters.

“It’s just breathtaking in scope and intensity the type of messages I have received from all over the country,” Conway said. “The number of people who feel betrayed to think that Governor Romney would get the most prominent Cabinet post, after he went so far out of his way to hurt Donald Trump — there was the Never Trump movement, and then there was Mitt Romney.”

Just who was Kellyanne Conway receiving messages from about a potential Romney nomination to be Secretary of State? And is she still receiving them? Or, if it wasn’t Conway, or only just Conway, which other staffer, friend, or family member close to the President is taking direction from the Kremlin? I’m sure Special Counsel Mueller and his team are diligently trying to answer these questions.

Stay Frosty!

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

95Comments

  1. 1.

    Another Scott

    Relatedly, … Reuters:

    LONDON (Reuters) – Former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain, was critically ill on Monday after exposure to unidentified substance in Britain, a source close to the investigation told Reuters.

    Skripal, once a colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence, was convicted in Russian of betraying agents to British intelligence before he was later swapped as part of a Cold War style spy swap in Vienna in 2010.

    Police said two people had been found unconscious on a bench on Sunday in the city of Salisbury. They were being treated for“suspected exposure to an unknown substance” and they remained critically ill, police said.

    It was unclear what the substance was.

    At the moment, they’re not treating it as “terrorism”, but one wouldn’t think it was “terrorism” in the usual meaning these days…

    Vlad seems to be up to his old tricks again.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  2. 2.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Another Scott: I’m already tracking that. SVR wet work.

    But I can only do one post at a time. I’m a nat-sec professional, not a miracle worker…

  4. 4.

    Corner Stone

    While I never believe anything KAC says at face value, I actually would tend to think her statement about Romney criticizing Trump may be her motivation.

  5. 5.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Yutsano: I’m sorry I have failed to live up to your expectations. I will withdraw from all public life and adopt a life of ascetic introspection to make up for this failure.

  6. 6.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Corner Stone: Her actual employers are the Mercers. Who is Mercer’s business partner in Cambridge Analytica? A Russian oligarch close to Putin.

    Conway had no experience in campaign management/as a campaign professional. She was a marginal, niche GOP pollster. Making her even a figurehead campaign manager makes no sense unless you keep in mind that the Mercer’s put her and Bannon on the campaign to watch out for their investment.

  9. 9.

    cope

    “Oh boy is this great” (channeling my inner Flounder).

    Tiny rivulets of hope are beginning to flow throw my rage-clogged veins and arteries.

  11. 11.

    Corner Stone

    Nunberg going down! Refusing to comply with grand jury subpoena. Where’s a Yarrow when you need one?

  12. 12.

    randy khan

    The Trump-Romney thing is interesting, but I always thought it was Kabuki, mostly intended to humiliate Romney. There’s no evidence that Trump wanted anybody who was remotely competent in the job, as such people would know so much more than him that it would be painful for all concerned.

    Now, pleasing the Russians at the same time he was doing something he wanted to do, that’s something I could see him being very happy about.

  13. 13.

    SiubhanDuinne

    That’s a terrific piece of reporting by Jane Mayer. In case you don’t read the morning threads, Cheryl linked to it in an Anne Laurie post earlier today:

    Cheryl Rofer
    March 5, 2018 at 9:38 am
    LONG and very important article by Jane Mayer in the New Yorker. It puts a lot of things together about the Steele dossier very clearly. Mayer is a historian, and she does a good job of putting things into perspective and evoking the way we processed things before we became accustomed to an incompetent president who admires Vladimir Putin.
    A few new tidbits, too. Like a report that she is careful to qualify as unconfirmed that the Russians asked Trump not to make Mitt Romney Secretary of State. That would answer some of the questions I raised last night.

    The more of Jane Mayer’s reporting I read, the more impressed I am. Such a good, careful writer. Hope (and assume) that she’ll have a book on this entire mess at an appropriate time.

  14. 14.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    This loopy fucker is yapping on MSNBC right now

    Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg tells @ jdawsey1 that he will refuse to comply with special counsel subpoena. “Let him arrest me. Mr. Mueller should understand I am not going in on Friday.”

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    I recently watched a few videos of Sarah Kendzior from Feb and March 2017. It’s frightening how all the things she said at that time have just been amplified over the last year. And the one with Peter Brooks (Heritage) and Steve Biegun (possible replacement for McMaster?) just makes them look fucking ridiculous.

  16. 16.

    Just One More Canuck

    I’m a Doctor, not a historian!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a botanist.”
    “I’m a doctor, not a counterinsurgent!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a dragonslayer!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a peeping Tom!”
    I’m a doctor, not a database!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a battery!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a performer!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a zoo keeper!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a voyeur!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a bartender!”
    “I’m a doctor, Mr. Neelix, not a decorator.”
    “I’m a doctor, not a doorstop!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a commando!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer!”
    “I’m a surgeon, not a psychiatrist!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a mechanic!”
    “I’m a doctor, not a escalator!”
    “I’m not a magician, Spock, just an old country doctor.”
    “I will not peddle flesh! I’m a physician.”
    “I’m a doctor, not a coal miner!”
    “I’m a Doctor, not an engineer!”
    “Dammit man, I’m a Doctor not a physicist!”

  19. 19.

    Brachiator

    While this has been reported and/or alluded to in other reporting, what Mayer is unequivocally stating is that the head of Britain’s equivalent of the NSA hand carried the signals intelligence (SIGINT) of communications between the Trump campaign and/or Trump organization with the Russians. Moscow in this sentence means Russian government, not just people living and/or working in Moscow. This is important because it means that counterintelligence task force that Director Comey set up, and that Special Counsel Mueller inherited, has had the actual communications captured by British intelligence. Thanks to our British allies, from the start of his investigation, Special Counsel Mueller and his team have known exactly who from the Trump campaign and/or businesses were in touch with Russian officials and what they said to each other.

    Damn!

    However, Trump has to realize this as well. Surely, this was explained to him during some intelligence briefing. He has to know what offices and personnel were involved with this. And wouldn’t the heads of US intelligence agencies know this information as well? And then, Congressional committees and the GOP leadership?

    A too basic question: isn’t intelligence information just intelligence information, even if it implicates the president or staff in improper (if not outright illegal) conduct?

  20. 20.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Corner Stone: He’s been missing for weeks. He will most likely never be seen again and/or found. Either because he’s been able to use his connections to disappear or because he’s been scarfed up already.

  21. 21.

    randy khan

    @Corner Stone:

    From the WaPo story:

    Nunberg said he was planning to go on Bloomberg TV and tear up the subpoena.

    Well, at least the Federal Marshalls will know where to find him.

    Also, I wonder how he’ll enjoy living without all of his computers and backup drives when Mueller’s team seizes them.

  22. 22.

    Chyron HR

    @Brachiator:

    Trump has to realize this as well.
    Surely, this was explained to him during some intelligence briefing.

    What is the logical connection between these two statements?

  23. 23.

    Corner Stone

    the head of Britain’s equivalent of the NSA hand carried the signals intelligence (SIGINT) of communications between the Trump campaign and/or Trump organization with the Russians.

    And the NZ, and Aussies, and Germany, and….

  25. 25.

    Yutsano

    @Brachiator:

    However, Trump has to realize this as well.

    The only thing Dolt45 truly realizes is how to press the button to get the Diet Coke delivered to his desk when he wants it.

  27. 27.

    jacy

    Sam Nunberg on MSNBC right now, saying he’s going to laugh when Meuller arrests him, that his lawyers will probably drop him, and basically answering any question Katy Tur is asking him. Katy Tur sounds kind of amazed that he just keeps blabbing.

    It amazes me how stupid these people are, and I accepted that they were really, really stupid from the get go.

    ETA : he just said, “Meuller isn’t going to do anything to me. That’s ridiculous.”

  28. 28.

    The Moar You Know

    Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg tells @ jdawsey1 that he will refuse to comply with special counsel subpoena. “Let him arrest me. Mr. Mueller should understand I am not going in on Friday.”

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Shake that motherfucker down. Nobody squalls like that unless they’re guilty as shit.

  32. 32.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @David Anderson: He’s pretty much daring Meuller to arrest him, to my layman’s ears. I didn’t know how close he is to Roger Stone, and he sounds just as goofy as his mentor.

    He’s talking about Bill Clinton’s illegitimate black child. He would have had this unicorn at the first debate.

    ETA: I don’t have rewind on this TV. Did he just say he thinks trump did something illegal during the campaign? or Roger Stone? I can’t follow this loon. Muller may have to depose him at the Shady Rest Nervous Hospital.

  38. 38.

    jacy

    Now Nunberg is going on about having Bill Clinton’s illegitimate black child at the debate, and that may not even be the most insane thing he’s said during this interview. He’s batshit crazy.

  40. 40.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    “Trump may very well have done something… I don’t know what”.

    This guy keeps going on TV and pretty much begging Meuller to bring him in

  43. 43.

    The Moar You Know

    LONDON (Reuters) – Former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain, was critically ill on Monday after exposure to unidentified substance in Britain, a source close to the investigation told Reuters.

    Skripal, once a colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence, was convicted in Russian of betraying agents to British intelligence before he was later swapped as part of a Cold War style spy swap in Vienna in 2010.

    Police said two people had been found unconscious on a bench on Sunday in the city of Salisbury. They were being treated for“suspected exposure to an unknown substance” and they remained critically ill, police said.

    It was unclear what the substance was.

    @Another Scott: That’s really bad. I’d read that the Russians are operating largely with impunity in Britain, but that’s pretty scary that they’ve gone back to “openly murdering people who piss Vlad off”. The Brits needed to up their game with regards to London being a Russian crime playground a long, long time ago. But now would be a good time.

  44. 44.

    jl

    ‘ “It’s just breathtaking in scope and intensity the type of messages I have received from all over the country,” Conway said. ‘
    Conway didn’t way which country, so if confirmed, it would make the statement slightly less dishonest.

    @Brachiator:

    Good point. However, not clear that every thing that every countries’ IC knew would be conveyed in a briefing. Like Deep State Dutch were literally following every key stroke and video feed of one of most important groups of Russian associated hackers. Or that UK IC had text messages and emails.

  45. 45.

    Immanentize

    @jacy: Mueller might not do anything to Nunberg, but the Judge overseeing the grand jury will be happy to issue a contempt order and let him cool his heels in jail while he contemplates testifying.

  46. 46.

    Brachiator

    @Chyron HR:

    @Yutsano:

    Trump has to realize this as well.
    Surely, this was explained to him during some intelligence briefing.

    What is the logical connection between these two statements?

    The Trump mockery (Trumpery?) sometimes overlooks the key fact that Trump has a brutal, primitive ego-driven sense of self-preservation. He always knows who his enemies are (especially since he often has a hand in creating them in the first place) and those who might threaten him. And he is often clumsily obvious about fighting back.

  47. 47.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brachiator: What Hannigan brought over and shared with DCI Brennan was probably both the raw intelligence – the actual intercepts including the recordings and transcripts of the calls, as well as GCHQ’s and British Intelligence’s formal analysis of the SIGINT. If anything has been distributed within the US IC, or to key US leaders – like the Congressional Gang of 8 and other leaders of the IC – would only be the finished intelligence product, not the raw data. Both British and American. That said, because of what this was, it is also probable that it was highly compartmented within the counterintelligence investigation.

  49. 49.

    Dave

    @jacy: Is this just the natural end result of adopting “owning the libs” as your primary motivation? Maybe the guy is just really stressed and has decided that prison will be significantly more relaxing?

  50. 50.

    gvg

    @Adam L Silverman: Last few elections we were so worried about the Kochs. As far as I know they were just rich libertarian ass*s. I’d like to see them investigated for financial fraud because I bet they couldn’t resist but this go round we have more urgent issues.
    The Meyers are very suspicious in a Russian sort of way. So many connections. However they originally backed Rubio right? that was one Russia didn’t want. Maybe the rich just don’t have any loyalty to a country except $. there are a whole list of people who need their finances inspected.

  51. 51.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    How long till Jethrene HUcksterbee declares Nurnberg a coffee boy?

  52. 52.

    ChrisS

    Remember … “We must maintain law and order at the highest level or we will cease to have a country, 100 percent,” [Trump] said during a speech in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in which he heaped praise upon America’s law enforcement officers. “We will cease to have a country. I am the law and order candidate.”

  56. 56.

    gvg

    oh yeah, forgot to say it seems entirely possible to me that our intelligence agencies have NOT explained this clearly to Trump. Not only are they suspicious of him, he doesn’t want to here it, regards it as an attack on his lovely big win and is likely to get anyone who told him that fired. Even Comey’s firing seems like it might be related to him being the one stuck with telling him about the golden showers rumors. Besides he doesn’t understand what he doesn’t want to.
    After the alarming stories about how unhinged he is and isolated, I have been wondering if Jared and Ivanka leaving would be safe. I don’t think they are doing a darned thing I consider a valid job, but Trump is so vicious and stupid……of course the problem is I think they are stupid too. I just don’t know what Trump would do.
    Getting towards the end and its all dangerous.
    Stupid treasonous GOP congress won’t do what they should.

  57. 57.

    John Revolta

    This is interesting. Nunberg has seen Bannon and Lewandowski stonewall the HIC and seemingly get away with it. Mueller’s holding back may be giving some of the dimmer bulbs a false sense of security. At some point there are going to have to be actual consequences for these guys…………at which time the whole process kicks up to the next level.

  58. 58.

    eric

    My best guess: He is being crazy in public to undermine his value as a witness by creating crazy snippits for a defense cross examination. Otherwise, dude is whack.

  61. 61.

    Leto

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Such a good, careful writer.

    For the most part, yes but early on in the article:

    Under the arrangement, Orbis was a subcontractor working for Fusion GPS, a private research firm in Washington. Fusion, in turn, had been contracted by a law firm, Perkins Coie, which represented both Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Several months after Steele signed the deal, he learned that, through this chain, his research was being jointly subsidized by the Clinton campaign and the D.N.C. In all, Steele was paid a hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars for his work.

    Why no mention of the original funders of the research, The Washington Free Beacon? That’s a very important part. The DNC/Perkins Cole became involved in this after the Free Beacon pulled out. I know I’m being nitpicky, but it needs to be continually repeated that Republicans started/funded this. I don’t want this erased from the record. Hopefully if she writes a book on this, which I’ve loved her two previous ones, she’ll include it.

  62. 62.

    Gretchen

    I’d given up hope that KellyAnne would get caught up in the Russia thing. Hope lives!

  63. 63.

    Adam L Silverman

    @John Revolta: There is a significant difference between the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chaired by Congressman Nunes and Special Counsel Robert Mueller and a Federal grand jury.

  68. 68.

    Adam L Silverman

    @gvg: I do not know. Given how far Putin and his folks have penetrated the US Christian right, I’m not sure if anything was ever formally reported one way or the other.

  69. 69.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Leto: Because the Free Beacon funding had been stopped before Fusion hired Steele. So yes, the overall Fusion oppo research effort was first funded by the funder of the Free Beacon, presumably for use by the Free Beacon. However, Steele and his company were hired after that original funding source had stopped and the funding was solely coming from Perkins Cole on behalf of the DNC and Clinton campaign.

  70. 70.

    sukabi

    @jacy: the flip side to that is he’s already talking to Mueller’s team and this public display is for drumpfs benefit…it will keep Drumpf and team from pulling out their knives and going to town on him.

  71. 71.

    diierent-church-lady

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I will withdraw from all public life and adopt a life of ascetic introspection to make up for this failure.

    Our work here has not been in vain.

  73. 73.

    Leto

    @Adam L Silverman: Ah, I had my time frames mixed up. I still think it should be included because of the fact that what Fusion GPS dug up on Trump led them to hire Orbis. Again, just being nitpicky and wanting to show this part of the mess was their own doing. She’ll probably include it in her book because she’s usually really thorough in them.

  74. 74.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Leto: Not arguing with you: the initial work clearly led the Fusion leadership to feel the need to hire Steele and his company.

  75. 75.

    trollhattan

    “Let him arrest me. Mr. Mueller should understand I am not going in on Friday.”

    What’s the “Men in Black” line? “I accept your offer.”

  76. 76.

    mozzerb

    @Leto: The article states: “The funding for the project originally came from an organization financed by the New York investor Paul Singer, a Republican who disliked Trump.” So it does note the original funding source, it just doesn’t mention the Washington Free Beacon by name.

  79. 79.

    Leto

    @Adam L Silverman: I know you’re not; just admitting my understanding of the time frame was wrong.

    @mozzerb: I just got to that part in the article. Reading it in bits and pieces as it’s a busy day at work, though it’s winding down now.

  80. 80.

    catclub

    @Yutsano:

    Shaved head and saffron robes or GTFO

    has a very different meaning in Burma, where the leading ethnic cleansers appear to be Buddhist monks..

  81. 81.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Leto: Those are clearly bespoke blue and red Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake bucket caps. They are most definitely not boonie hats.

  82. 82.

    Lyrebird

    @Corner Stone: @Adam L Silverman:

    Just looking at the pleasure KAC expresses while lying and slandering, there’s not much I would put past her. Maybe fewer lives lost due to her conniving than to Manafort’s, considering their entire careers, but I hope she’s snared in this net with the other evildoers!

  83. 83.

    Scotian

    For me just the thought that the equivalent of the head of the NSA from the UK is the one hand delivering this information speaks volumes about its nature. That this also means Mueller has had this from the outset, well that gives me all kinds of tingles and goosebumps in all the fun places.

    Thanks for highlighting that element first Adam.

  84. 84.

    MomSense

    I don’t think I was dreaming that KellyAnne Conway’s husband was in Moscow in the summer of 2016. I think he tweeted or IG’d a photo of the inside of an elevator or something weird like that.

    Anyone else remember this?

  85. 85.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    @Corner Stone:

    And the NZ, and Aussies, and Germany, and….

    Hey, we only eavesdrop on your traffic if it happens to get routed through the South Pacific, or through one of the Pacific geosats. Or so I hear from a friend.

  88. 88.

    agorabum

    Mueller might know a lot of the answers already. He’s just asking questions to see what the Trump crime syndicate will try to say.

    Then he nails them with the lies. Then they realize they are busted. And then they roll on Trump. Like Gates.

    Brick by brick (is the hope, anyway)

  89. 89.

    Ian R

    Of course, the US intelligence agencies having this information makes Comey ratfucking the election even worse, which was something I didn’t think was possible.

Comments are closed.