By Benjamin Arie
Call Peter Strzok the bad cop. The embattled FBI investigator already showed a strong political bias that almost certainly influenced his judgment on inquiries into both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump … and he’s now facing serious questions and a loss of his security clearance as a result.
He put on the bad cop act again during his recent testimony to Congress, where Strzok acted aloof and uncooperative as lawmakers tried to determine if FBI officials purposely tried to undermine the candidacy — and then presidency — of Donald Trump.
Now, fellow FBI employee Lisa Page may have a chance to play good cop and take a much more cooperative route.
The government attorney who was having an affair with the married Strzok was on the receiving end of many of his anti-Trump text messages and had an inside view into potentially widespread bias and political scheming within the bureau.
Experts including Chris Farrell of Judicial Watch believe Page may be willing to cut a deal that gives her leeway to unload the truth about what went on behind the FBI’s doors.
“Well, I think Page has the opportunity to become the anti-Strzok,” Farrell explained during a Monday appearance on Fox Business Network’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”
“She’s going to look for an immunity deal, or at least being treated as a cooperating witness,” the legal expert continued.
By simply cooperating with a congressional panel, Page would take a very different approach than the man she was constantly texting, and that could spell disaster for liberals if Trump’s claims of widespread Department of Justice corruption are true.
“She’s seen from last week what her boyfriend was doing, and she’s probably a pretty sharp attorney. She sees an opportunity or an opening to kind of recast herself, and I think she’s taking advantage of it,” Farrell said.
He may be right on target with that assessment. Page already has spoken to several members of Congress regarding the scandal, and while those discussions were not public, participants hinted that the FBI attorney was indeed more forthcoming than Strzok.
Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, for instance, told reporters on Friday that Page’s “willingness to cooperate today speaks well of her.”
Another Republican lawmaker, Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas, echoed that tone and said he believes Page is “a very forthcoming witness.”
“She gave us a lot of new information that we didn’t have before. That will lead us to ask for some more people to make some more requests for information we do not yet have,” Ratcliffe said.
The fact that GOP lawmakers were frustrated with Strzok’s evasive testimony but downright positive about Page’s cooperation does not bode well for Democrats. If she does strike an immunity deal that lets her dish on FBI insiders, figures like Andrew McCabe and James Comey could be hardest hit.
Even Barack Obama‘s reputation — what’s left of it, at least — could be on the chopping block.
As Farrell pointed out on Fox Business, there is evidence that the former president himself has his fingerprints on the “undermine Trump” scandal.
“There’s an earlier text message from Page where she says, ‘POTUS wants to know everything we’re doing,'” the legal expert reminded viewers.
“How much more evidence do we need? At what point does Mr. Obama come out of hiding and offer his version of the facts? That’s my question,” Farrell said. “All the hysteria over (Russian) hacking was all on Obama’s watch. Where’s the accountability? I want him deposed.”
Only time will tell if Page’s testimony lives up to that hype, but she has everything to gain and nothing to lose by cooperating with Congress. If Farrell is right, Page could be the key to unlocking our generation’s version of Watergate … with Obama playing the role of Richard Nixon.
go here for original post and two short videos
more by Benjamin Arie
No comments:
Post a Comment