Exclusive: Spicer arranged CIA, GOP intelligence push-back

[deminks]

https://www.axios.com/exclusive-spicer-arranged-sat-in-on-cia-gop-intelligence-push-back-2288082248.html

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer personally picked up the phone and connected outside officials with reporters to try to discredit a New York Times article about Trump campaign aides' contact with Russia, then remained on the line for the brief conversations, Axios has learned. Ten key points:

Why it matters: The new details show how determined the West Wing was to rebut a front-page Times report on Feb. 15 that Trump campaign aides "had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election."

Who was involved: The officials reached by Spicer were CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Senate Select Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C), according to a senior administration official. The reporters were from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, the official said. Spicer provided reporters' phone numbers to House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who offered to make the calls himself, according to the official: "He was in and out of an event."

When did this happen? On Feb. 15, when the two-column lead of the Times print edition, which Trump reads carefully, declared: "Trump Aides Had Contact With Russian Intelligence: U.S. Officials Tell of a Flurry of Phone Calls Intercepted Before the Election." An FBI official had volunteered privately to the White House that the story was "B.S." (but used the full word). When the FBI didn't immediately agree to tell that to the press, the White House tried to find other officials who would convey that idea to inquiring reporters.

(end snip)

So. Spicey and Rinsey involved in possible obstruction of justice.

Special Prosecutor needed now.

[caroldansen]

1. Definately.

A special prosecutor should investigate.

[BainsBane]

2. Notice how everyone is being implicated except Bannon?

I think he's a major source of leaks to the press, and he's doing it to take out his rivals.

[uponit7771]

3. Makes sense

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Yeah

Funny, that.

[lagomorph777]

10. Hah! Love it! And the harder Donnie squeezes the leakers, the more they leak.

Like squeezing a leaky water balloon.

[vlyons]

4. the plot thickens

Just one screw-up after another. Most incompetent WH staff ever. The butt of late-night comedian jokes FOREVER!

[Warren DeMontague]

5. JUST HOW FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE DOES THIS GO?

.....hmmmm?

[Docreed2003]

7. Lmao....well played!

[Tanuki]

8. And he's receiving a salary, healthcare benefits, etc. from you, me,

and all other taxpayers to actively undermine our government and obstruct justice

[Achilleaze]

9. disinformation is SpiceBoy's republican speciality

[kentuck]

11. I do not believe Spicer would make that decision on his own?

He was taking orders, in my opinion.

[PatSeg]

13. I don't think Spicer ever makes

any decisions on his own. He has been used and abused from the beginning, and he has "scapegoat" written all over him.

[LiberalFighter]

17. If true, he still is allowing himself to be used.

[PatSeg]

18. I know

I wonder if he regrets not jumping ship earlier. Now he could be compromised as the web of deceit grows more complicated. This entire administration needs to take a crash course on Nixon and Watergate, but I guess it is too late for that.

[maxrandb]

12. Even is this case they can't tell the truth

they made sure they put the WH spin in there...An FBI official had volunteered privately to the White House that the story was "B.S." (but used the full word).

Who is this "FBI Official" who offered the BS quote "privately"?

They're trying to spin this as "well, we didn't reach out to the FBI, they reached out to us and told us it's bullshit, but then they wouldn't go on the record with the press to tell them it was bullshit"

Keep polishing that turd media! Maybe by the time you're done, you can convince yourselves that you can pick it up by the clean end!

[FreepFryer]

14. The official was (allegedly) McCabe...

Who (allegedly) offered that opinion to Priebus after 'staying behind' for a few minutes w Priebus after a meeting at the White House. Priebus' followup phone call asking FBI to say it on record is one of the big obstruction hooks.

[FreepFryer]

15. Link to one of many stories on this...

http://www.dailycaller.com/2017/02/24/white-house-fbi-told-trump-chief-of-staff-that-russia-reports-were-bs/

[kentuck]

16. Comey fired him?

Nope.

[ProudLib72]

19. Was it a distraction?

I can see the FBI letting loose a little leak to keep the WH off their back. I can even see Comey directing it. Even so, I bet they never try to have any contact with the WH ever again.

[suffragette]

20. Say what we rehearsed or I activate

The podium drones!