FBI officials worried Of being too tough on Hillary Clinton during email investigation, Texts Message Reveals

FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were concerned about being too tough on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the bureau’s investigation into her email practices because she might hold it against them as president, text messages released on Thursday indicated.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released new messages between bureau officials Page and Strzok, who were having an affair and exchanged more than 50,000 texts with each other during the election.

“One more thing: she might be our next president,” Page texted Strzok on Feb. 25, 2016, in the midst of the presidential campaign, in reference to Clinton.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released new messages between bureau officials Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, who were having an affair and exchanged more than 50,000 texts with each other.  (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“The last thing you need [is] going in there loaded for bear,” she continued. “You think she’s going to remember or care that it was more [DOJ] than [FBI]?”

Strzok replied that he “agreed” and he had relayed their discussion with someone named “Bill.”

Strzok not only worked on the Clinton case, but was assigned to the special counsel’s probe into Russia and the Trump campaign after a number of anti-Trump texts were discovered on his phone. Page also briefly worked on the special counsel investigation.

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said Thursday in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray that the exchange, among others, concerned him.

“The text messages that were provided raise serious concerns about the impartiality of senior leadership running both the Clinton and Trump investigations,” Grassley said.

FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were concerned about being too tough on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the bureau’s investigation into her email practices because she might hold it against them as president, newly released text messages indicate.

During the campaign, the FBI investigated Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Then-FBI Director James Comey decided against recommending prosecution, but faulted Clinton and her associates for being “extremely careless” with classified information.

Republicans, arguing some top officials at the FBI are politically biased against Trump, have seized on the texts, including one where Strzok and Page spoke of a “secret society” within the Department of Justice and the FBI and Strzok spoke of an “insurance policy” against a Trump win.

New texts released by Grassley on Thursday also indicated that FBI officials believed FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should be recused from the Clinton investigation because of his family’s ties to Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is close with the Clintons.

In an October 28, 2016 text exchange, Page told Strzok that then- FBI Chief of Staff James Rybicki thought McCabe should not have participated in the probe.

“Rybicki just called to check in,” she wrote. “He very clearly 100% believes that Andy should be recused because of the ‘perception.’”

“God,” Strzok replied.

Asked by Page why McCabe should be recused now, if not before, Strzok said: “I assume McAuliffe picked up.”

McCabe eventually recused himself from the Clinton probe one week before the election.

New texts released by Grassley on Thursday also indicate FBI officials believed FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should be recused from the Clinton investigation because of his family’s ties to Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is close with the Clintons.

“If McCabe eventually recused himself one week before the election, why did he not do so sooner?” Grassley asked Wray in the letter.

Grassley also told Wray he was concerned that Page and Strzok were transmitting government records on personal systems inappropriately. In a June 2017 message, Strzok wrote of typing a document on a “home computer.”

The senator said Page and Strzok also referenced other conversations “via iMessage, presumably on their personal Apple devices.” 

“It appears that Strzok and Page transmitted federal records pertaining to the Clinton investigation on private, non-government services,” Grassley said. “It is important to determine whether their own similar conduct was a factor in not focusing on and developing evidence of similar violations by Secretary Clinton and her aides.”

The new messages surfaced the same day the Justice Department’s inspector general said he recovered a number of missing text messages between Strzok and Page.

IPRESSTV has learned from U.S. government officials that the inspector general recovered the texts by taking possession of "at least four" phones belonging to Strzok and Page.

'The Office' star Jenna Fischer releases a lengthy apology after spreading false information about GOP tax bill

Jenna Fischer issued a lengthy apology to her fans on social media after receiving negative feedback from them when she tweeted incorrect information about the recently-passed GOP tax bill.

As previously reported, the former “The Office” star posted about how the tax bill will affect teachers ability to deduct the cost of classroom supplies. However, the bill did nothing of the sort. Her initial tweet has since been deleted, and the star posted a seven-paragraph apology and explanation for her actions.

“I made a mistake and I want to correct it. After reading your feedback and doing additional research I discovered that I tweeted something that was not accurate,” she wrote. “Last month, the House of Representatives voted for a tax bill that did kill a $250 deduction for teachers to buy classroom supplies, but in the final bill the deduction was restored. I feel genuinely bad about getting my facts wrong and I’m sorry. I did not mean to spread misinformation. I was well-intentioned, but I was behind on my research.”

As for her decision to delete the incorrect tweet, the 43-year-old actress admitted she was torn on the issue because her first tweet, while inaccurate, started a dialogue about the treatment of teachers in the U.S.

“Listen, I love a good dialogue. In fact, what I treasure most about our democracy is the dialogue we share with each other, through conversations, social media and the press. But part of having a dialogue involves listening and learning and admitting when you’re wrong,” she said. “Tweet deleted.”

The star issued the lengthy tweet, which can be read in its entirety below, with a caption to her followers requesting they re-tweet it to spread the correct information as fast as possible. So far, reaction from fans has been positive, which is a sharp contrast to when she posted the incorrect information.

“I feel like most PEOPLE wouldn’t do this, let alone a celebrity. Extremely impressed by @Jennafischer,” one user wrote.

View image on Twitter

Jenna Fischer

✔@jennafischer

I've deleted a tweet and would like to issue an apology. Please read and re-tweet to help me spread the word! Thanks!

10:40 PM - Dec 27, 2017

•  3,7423,742 Replies
 
•  13,46313,463 Retweets
 
•  75,82875,828 likes

House Republican Reluctantly adopts Senate budget, takes step toward tax reform

"House Republicans on Thursday narrowly adopted the Senate’s version of the 2018 budget resolution, overcoming a key hurdle for the party’s tax reform plan." House adopts Senate budget, takes step toward tax reform"

House Republicans on Thursday narrowly adopted the Senate’s version of the 2018 budget resolution, overcoming a key hurdle for the party’s tax reform plan.

The budget will allow Republicans to pass a tax overhaul that adds up to $1.5 trillion to the deficit through a process known as reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes to pass in the Senate.

Twenty Republicans voted against the budget in the 216-212 vote, more than the 18 who voted against the original House version earlier this month.

Most of the 20 defectors were centrists hailing from populous states that could stand to lose from eliminating the SALT deduction.

Those particular lawmakers included Reps. Dan Donovan (N.Y.), John Faso(N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), John Katko (N.Y.), Peter King (N.Y.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Tom MacArthur (N.J.), Chris Smith (N.J.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.).

"We must provide middle-class tax relief and lower the burdens on job-creating small businesses. I could not, however, vote in support of a budget resolution that singled out for elimination the ability of New York families to deduct state and local taxes," Faso said in a statement.

Some Republicans, like Katko, were seen on the House floor hovering near the House GOP whip team and waited until the last moment to cast their votes. Two more votes in opposition would have doomed final passage.

A handful of conservatives also voted against the budget: Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Ken Buck (Colo.), John Duncan (Tenn.), Matt Gaetz(Fla.), Lynn Jenkins (Kan.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Mark Sanford (S.C.).

While the budget allocates $1.1 trillion to defense and nondefense discretionary spending, routine disaster relief and war on terror funding, Republicans have viewed it as little more than a vehicle for tax reform.

The pressure to get moving on tax reform spurred many conservatives, including in those the House Freedom Caucus, to get on board with the Senate budget despite their push for spending cuts.

Some conservatives still joined with centrists wary of the fate of the SALT deductions out of concern for the budget’s impact on the deficit.

“Passing a budget that doesn’t address out-of-control spending and adds trillions of dollars to the national debt just to achieve some policy goal — which also could be accomplished with a responsible budget — is an endorsement of a warped worldview where the end justifies the means,” the libertarian-minded House Liberty Caucus said in a statement urging members to vote against the budget.

House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) agreed to drop the House’s version of the budget, which passed earlier in the month, in order to expedite tax reform.

That plan included billions more in defense spending, cuts to nondefense spending, and $203 billion in mandatory spending cuts over a decade.

“Passing a budget is never easy, and it has once again been a challenge this year,” Black said.

“Without question, there are plenty of things I wish were included in what the Senate passed — ideas that the House put forward earlier this month when we approved our budget. For example, I still feel strongly about addressing unsustainable mandatory spending. That hasn’t changed,” she added.

Adoption of the budget will now set in motion Republicans’ plans to release their long-awaited tax reform bill in the coming days.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) plans to unveil legislation next week and schedule a time for his panel to consider it the following week.

GOP leaders have laid out an ambitious goal of passing the tax code overhaul by Thanksgiving so that it can be enacted into law by year’s end. Republicans are eager to claim victory on one of their biggest campaign promises after failing to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law this year.

Democrats excoriated the budget for outlining plans that would cut programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in an effort to balance the budget over a decade.

“There’s a lot of unjustifiable provisions in this budget. On top of massive tax cuts for the rich, it cuts vital national investments, threatening our economic progress and our national security,” said House Budget Ranking Member John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), citing over $4 trillion in mandatory spending cuts and almost $2 trillion in cuts from Medicare and Medicaid.

“The enormity of these cuts and the severity of the consequences for American families cannot be overstated,” he added.

The budget did not include provisions to enact or enforce the proposed cuts.

For years, Congress has failed to pass budget and spending bills through regular order. This budget’s adoption comes nearly four weeks into the fiscal year. The House approved spending 12 bills aligned with its earlier budget resolution, now pushed to the site. The Senate has only passed a fraction of its spending bills through committee and approved none on the floor.

The government is running on a three-month spending extension of 2017 spending, which will expire on December 8th.

Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for intense negotiations over a final spending package. Without a deal or another extension, the government will shut down. Even an additional stopgap measure will only be able to take the government into late January when strict budget caps will kick in and curtail spending across the board.

Trump Insists 'no amnesty' for 'Dreamers,' and He Also Said GOP leaders 'on board' with talks

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Republican congressional leaders were "very much on board" with negotiations to protect so-called "Dreamers"— hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought into the U.S. illegally — from deportation. 

However, the president also vowed "there will be no amnesty" and pushed back against claims by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that a deal had been reached at a White House dinner Wednesday night. 

"We're working on a plan subject to getting massive border controls. We're working on a plan for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). People want to see that happen," Trump told reporters in Florida while surveying damage from Hurricane Irma. He added: "'I think we're fairly close but we have to get massive border security."

After Trump landed in Florida, he declared repeatedly, "If we don't have a wall, we're doing nothing."

Schumer and Pelosi issued a joint statement following the dinner announcing a broad agreement on immigration. On the Senate floor Thursday morning, Schumer insisted that both sides were in agreement and there was no dispute.

"If you listen to the president's comments this morning ... it is clear that what Leader Pelosi and I put out last night was exactly accurate," said Schumer. "We have reached an understanding on this issue. We have to work out details, and we can work together on a border security package with the White House and get DACA on the floor quickly."

Indeed, in the face of ferocious pushback from conservative lawmakers and media outlets including Breitbart, run by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, the White House appeared focused more on shaping presentation of the agreement, than on denying it outright.

"By no means was any deal ever reached," White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters told reporters aboard Air Force One as the president traveled to Florida. "This is something that Congress needs to work on."

But Breitbart was already labeling Trump "Amnesty Don."

"The Trump administration will not be discussing amnesty," Walters said. The president wants "a responsible path forward in immigration reform. That could include legal citizenship over a period of time. But absolutely by no means will this White House discuss amnesty," she said, although most conservatives would consider "legal citizenship over a period of time" to meet the definition of amnesty.

The House's foremost immigration hard-liner, Rep. Steve  King, R-Iowa, addressed Trump over Twitter, writing that if the reports were true, "Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair. No promise is credible."

Reagan led with Amnesty, 1986. Bush43 led with Amnesty '06, Obama led with Amnesty '13. All failed so...Trump leads with DACA Amnesty 2017.

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) September 14, 2017

Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement that the details on border security needed to be negotiated, that both sides agreed "the wall would not be any part of this agreement" and that Trump said he would pursue the wall later.

And soon after, Trump appeared to confirm that approach. "The wall will come later, we're right now renovating large sections of wall, massive sections, making it brand new," he told reporters before his Florida trip.

He also said Republican congressional leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., favored his approach on the immigration program. "Ryan and McConnell agree with us on DACA," Trump said, adding that he had spoken to them by telephone.

Ryan, meanwhile, was adamant after speaking with Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that no agreement had been reached.

"The president wasn't negotiating a deal last night. The president was talking with Democratic leaders to get their perspectives," he told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, tried to make sense of the confusion.

"Slow down the trains, there's no agreement," said Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., who warned" ''You can make a deal all you want, it's got to get past the House and the Senate."

In a series of tweets Thursday, Trump expressed empathy for the nearly 800,000 young people — many brought to the United States as toddlers or children — who were protected from deportation and given work permits under DACA.

"Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!" he tweeted Thursday."

Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

...They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017

Trump announced last week that his administration was rescinding the program, but gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative fix.

The back-and-forth comes as the president has suddenly turned to Democrats to jump-start his legislative imperatives. Only days ago, Trump and the Democratic leaders agreed to back a three-month extension of the debt limit in order to speed hurricane assistance.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.