Embattled FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok who led the Hillary Clinton email investigation, concealed damaging evidence for weeks just before the 2016 election, FBI sources said.
“Looks like they were trying to run out the clock,” one FBI source said. “Couple more days and she (Hillary Clinton) might have been elected president.”
Just weeks earlier, Strzok texted about discussing an “insurance policy” in McCabe’s office to seemingly prevent President Donald Trump from ever getting elected.
Weeks after that August text, it appears McCabe and Strzok put that policy to work.
Here is what happened, per FBI sources and source Intel.
On or about Oct. 12, FBI agents from the New York field office reported to Strzok and McCabe that they found damaging emails — classified and possibly top secret — warehoused on the laptop of Anthony Weiner. Those emails were to and from Hillary and top aide Huma Abedin, also the wife of Weiner.
The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on the laptop case confirms the early October timeline divulged to True Pundit by FBI sources.
The latest development began in early October when New York-based FBI officials notified Andrew McCabe, the bureau’s second-in-command, that while investigating Mr. Weiner for possibly sending sexually charged messages to a teenage minor, they had recovered a laptop. Many of the 650,000 emails on the computer, they said, were from the accounts of Ms. Abedin, according to people familiar with the matter.
FBI agents in New York expected Strzok through McCabe and then-FBI Director James Comey would seek a warrant so that the evidence found by FBI agents in Manhattan could be reviewed to potentially re-opend the Clinton email probe.
But FBI agents in New York heard nothing for 15 days about any warrant which would have to be filed through the U.S. District Court in the southern district on New York because the FBI’s Manhattan office had physical control of the Weiner laptop in evidence, which was used in Weiner’s teen sexting case. The FBI had the laptop but Washington D.C. brass at FBI HQ had to file for a warrant to be able to legally use the emails of Hillary and Huma as evidence.
But again, nothing happened for 15 days after McCabe and Strzok were briefed by FBI agents in New York.
Well, almost nothing.
Hours after the FBI found classified Hillary Clinton emails on Weiner’s laptop, the wife of the FBI agent running the high-profile probe was promoted to a powerful position in the Securities and Exchange Commission, FBI sources said.
Strzok’s wife Melissa Hodgman was promoted to deputy director of SEC’s Enforcement Division literally hours after Strzok and McCabe were briefed about the Clinton emails found on Weiner’s computer.
Again, McCabe and Strzok were briefed about the emails on Oct. 12th. Hodgman was promoted at the SEC on Oct. 14th.
Then 13 days later, at a Comey-led staff meeting on Oct. 27, the issue was raised by FBI brass in New York asking why Comey or McCabe had not directed agents to file for a warrant to review ‘new’ Hillary email evidence, sources said.
[give_form id=”79809″]The presidential election, after all, was just 12 days away. The clock was more than ticking on this.
Comey, according to sources, said he was never told about the new Clinton evidence.
“To his credit, he (Comey) was pissed off and put things in motion” for the warrant, one FBI source said.
Another FBI source said Comey actually “panicked” after hearing about the new evidence.
“I thought McCabe was going to get fired after that move,” one FBI veteran said. “Mueller (as FBI director) would have has his ass. He would have been gone.”
What Comey did next adds context to the sentiment of these FBI sources.
The next day, Oct. 28, Comey worked the phone, according to sources and fired off a letter to lawmakers saying additional evidence had been found in the Hillary Clinton email investigation and the probe could be re-opened.
Comey did not tell lawmakers FBI officials concealed the email evidence for weeks.
Comey’s hastily prepped letter went out to:
Richard M. Burr
Chairman
Select Committee on Intelligence
Honorable Charles Grassley
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
Honorable Richard Shelby
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Honorable Ron Johnson
Chairman
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
This was no ordinary letter and it set off a national firestorm. The Clinton campaign snapped when it went public. They were up in the national polls with 11 days to go until the election.
The move was somewhat unprecedented but Comey was worried about the weeks of lag time when McCabe failed to inform him about the evidence.
“Knowing Comey, he was worried that if this ever went public, he would be jammed up in a massive cover up,” one FBI source said. “When you suppress key evidence for weeks, that is a cover up.”
Then on Oct. 30, 2016 — just nine days before the presidential election — Comey filed for the warrant in New York for the FBI review the Hillary and Huma emails.
It was ultimately announced publicly by Comey the FBI had reopened the Hillary email case, 18 days after FBI agents in New York told Strzok and McCabe about the evidence.
Days later, Comey said FBI agents combed through 650,000 emails of Weiner’s Dell laptop and concluded Hillary — again — had done nothing illegal.
Months later, we have learned time and time again McCabe and Strzok were in the tank for Hillary.
The large question here is: Did Comey panic and re-open the Hillary investigation because he was interested in justice, or simply because he wanted to cover himself if and when it was ever leaked that McCabe and Strzok withheld evidence in the high-profile case?
To protect himself for a time like now, when True Pundit broke the story.
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