The U.S. Director of National Intelligence publicly accused a former president and his intelligence officials of running a coup.
That president was Barack Obama and the Intelligence director was Tulsi Gabbard, who released reams of information on Friday linking the former radical Left organizer and Chicago Senator to an imaginary scheme and "media leak" to accuse Republicans and then-President-elect Donald Trump of colluding with the Russians to influence the 2016 election.
That conspiracy theory was not only damaging to the incoming Trump administration -- quite possibly handing the 2020 election to Joe Biden -- but people like Mike Shirley. Shirley, a GOP local consultant, was offered by Biden administration prosecutors a plea deal: if he would agree that foreign operatives were indeed behind the scenes and there was credit to "Russiagate" they would drop charges.
Shirley refused, and has now been in federal prison for over a year on a seven-plus-year sentence. And nearly a decade after the Russian collusion narrative began.
"What happened to me is not just wrong, it was evil," Shirley said. "My liberty was stripped because I wouldn't play my part in the Biden DOJ's grand scheme to prevent a second Trump presidency and a Republican takeover of Congress. The Left always screams of tyranny if Trump was elected, but I witnessed true tyranny first hand under Biden. The ultimatum given to me: prison or parrot their lies. They needed my help smearing their opponents, no matter how far fetched the source material was.
"I went to trial, their bogus claims fell apart, and they were forced to twist the law and jury instructions to create a conviction.
"Our nation's story is about individuals, alone or as a group, standing up to tyrannical impulses. I stood alone at that moment, but I am hardly the only one to face Biden's lawfare wrath. I pray for a just ending in this thus far unjust saga."
Background:
According to the DNI's press release, "Gabbard revealed overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how, after President Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, President Obama and his national security cabinet members in the waning days of the administration manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump.
According to the DNI's press release, "Gabbard revealed overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how, after President Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, President Obama and his national security cabinet members in the waning days of the administration manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump.
"In the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the Intelligence Community (IC) consistently assessed that Russia is “probably not trying … to influence the election by using cyber means.”
On December 7, 2016, after the election, talking points were prepared for DNI James Clapper stating, 'Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome.'
"On December 9, 2016, President Obama’s White House gathered top National Security Council Principals for a meeting that included James Clapper, John Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Loretta Lynch, Andrew McCabe and others, to discuss Russia.
"After the meeting, DNI Clapper’s Executive Assistant sent an email to IC leaders tasking them with creating a new IC assessment “per the President’s request” that details the 'tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.' It went on to say, 'ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS.'
"Obama officials leaked false statements to media outlets, including The Washington Post, claiming, 'Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.'
"On January 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months.
"After months of investigation into this matter, the facts reveal this new assessment was based on information that was known by those involved to be manufactured i.e. the Steele Dossier or deemed as not credible. This was politicized intelligence that was used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened US-Russia tensions, and more.
"'The issue I am raising is not a partisan issue. It is one that concerns every American. The information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government. Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,' said DNI Tulsi Gabbard. 'Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic. No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it. As such, I am providing all documents to the Department of Justice to deliver the accountability that President Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.'" [...]