Matt Taibbi on the Russiagate Hoax and Government Misconduct

Origins of the Russiagate Narrative

• 💡 The "Russiagate" narrative, which alleged Russian interference to help Donald Trump win the 2016 election, is described as a potential "intelligence fraud of all time".
• 🎯 The origins are traced to two key dates: the FBI opening the "Crossfire Hurricane" probe in July 2016, officially based on a claim about George Papadopoulos, and Obama commissioning an intelligence assessment on December 8, 2016, stating Russia meddled to help Trump.
• ⚠️ Journalists like Matt Taibbi initially found the story suspicious, with Taibbi writing in late 2016 that the "Russia story stinks."

Media and Intelligence Community Complicity

• 📰 Major news outlets, particularly The New York Times, are criticized for reporting on the Russiagate claims based on unnamed intelligence officials, similar to their reporting on WMDs in Iraq.
• 🧠 The speaker notes that journalists who had access to more facts were surprised by the media's apparent disregard for red flags, especially after the WMD episode.
• 🗣️ It's suggested that the intelligence community, including figures like John Brennan, may have pushed the narrative, with Brennan famously stating about the evidence, "it rings true, doesn't it?"

Legal and Surveillance Abuses

• ⚖️ The investigation into Trump is seen as potentially aimed at impeachment, using questionable evidence like the Steele dossier and claims about George Papadopoulos.
• 🔍 The FBI's use of the FISA warrant on Carter Page is highlighted as illegal, as they allegedly failed to disclose that Page was working with the CIA, which would have negated the wiretap.
• 🌐 This surveillance is compared to Watergate but argued to be worse due to the involvement of multiple government entities (CIA, FBI, DNI, President, etc.) and the illegal use of FISA to gain surveillance authority over the entire Trump campaign.

Broader Implications and Civil Liberties

• 🏛️ Unlike Watergate, where Nixon had to rely on White House insiders because agencies wouldn't do his dirty work, the Obama administration's agencies allegedly acted as "lap dogs" using surveillance capabilities.
• 🚫 Civil libertarians are criticized for abandoning their objections to surveillance tools like FISA and national security letters once Donald Trump became the target.
• 📈 The speaker emphasizes the importance of litigating these issues to prevent future abuses and ensure oversight of federal government power, especially concerning surveillance capabilities developed during the War on Terror.

Future of the Investigation

• 🎤 The grand jury is expected to examine a significant amount of material not yet released to the public, including raw interviews and hacked Russian materials related to a Clinton plan to vilify Trump.
• ❓ The motivations behind the investigation and the full extent of the conspiracy remain unclear, with potential indictments being discussed for figures like James Comey, Jim Clapper, and John Brennan.
• 📢 There is a call for indictments and a desire for a new name for this "catastrophe" to highlight its scale, which is considered by some to be larger than Watergate.