*By Vincent Cavaleri, CLW Contributing Writer, Mill Creek City Council, Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff
I think when the Rolling Stones combined these two words into one of the greatest rock songs ever, they never envisioned their brilliant lyrical creation would become a corrupt metaphor by leadership at our nation’s top law enforcement agency, the FBI. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee was recently quoted as saying “I believe that Crossfire Hurricane was one of the most incompetent and corrupt investigations in the history of the FBI and DOJ”. Giving it the title of the “most incompetent”, certainly raises red flags, especially since we now know the history to Eric Holder’s “fast and furious” debacle, which left many dead; including an undercover FBI agent.
Going forward, this prominent organization and symbol of American justice will forever bear a stain in on its name due to the likes of former and disgraced FBI director James Comey and the number two-man Andrew McCabe. These two conspired and gave direction to commit fraud on the court and the American people for personal and political gain. The two disgraced former public officials created a template for subordinates to withhold exculpatory information, lied to the FISA court, obstructed justice and proceeded to illegally spy on a Presidential campaign; and to this day they are not behind bars. Inspector General Horowitz uncovered “massive abuses by the justice department and its employees”.
Horwitz wrote “The leadership of the FBI under Comey and McCabe was either grossly incompetent or they knowingly allowed tremendous misdeeds”. For example, the FISA warrant applications against Carter Page were a travesty of civil rights abuses. FISA judges have now admitted they “would not have signed them knowing what they know now”. Comey and McCabe utilized their positions of authority to submit the bogus applications four additional times, based on intel the CIA had already debunked. Four more intentional counts of fraud on the FISA court. This is weaponizing of the American justice system at the highest levels. The violation of civil liberties at this level is grotesque to say the least. Page was a CIA employee and had his name and reputation destroyed. To this day he has not been made whole.
Additionally, elected leaders like Eric Swalwell (D) California, recklessly continue to spew the lie publicly, while he was of course sleeping with a Chinese spy. You truly can’t make this stuff up. This traitorous bum still sits on the house foreign intelligence committee. To date there has been only one prosecution from the abusive operation, however it’s worth noting Special Investigator John Durham continues with his probe. Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath. This is the result of politicizing the checks and balances we have on these organizations.
The Congress is supposed to be the place to find truth within the lies; and then take firm action. Unfortunately, it has become a coconspirator for political hit jobs and personal gain. Zero accountability guarantees a future of abuses, simple as that. The now disgraced Comey said in the Washington Post that he “feels vindicated by the Horowitz report”, but Horowitz quickly replied “it doesn’t vindicate anyone at the FBI who touched this, including the leadership” Horowitz also admitted it would be fair to wonder how “the 17 errors in the FISA applications his office discovered could be purely incompetence”.
In a rare and scathing rebuke, FISA court Chief Judge Rosemary Collyer said, “the court was created in 1978 to oversee national security investigations and protect Americans constitutional rights”. “The government has a heightened duty of candor and an obligation to be forthcoming and scrupulously accurate, in the Page case it was not”. She went on to demand safeguards be put in place by January of 2021. Let’s see if that happens. Abuses of civil liberties are becoming all too common place in our society. When will elected leaders stand up and hold people accountable; or themselves? We are trending towards a climate of permissiveness, so long as we are not the one effected. Failing to give deference to liberty will always be the first step towards totalitarianism.
God bless…Vincent
