New reporting: Rosenstein prevented Mueller from pursuing a counterintelligence investigation into Trump's Russia ties & limited him to the criminal investigation at hand, telling him "this is a criminal investigation. Do your job, and then shut it down.” https://t.co/EHhZ99V4Kj

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) August 30, 2020

The fix was always in with Rosenstein. He only appointed a special counsel after he got caught issuing a fraudulent memo to take credit for firing Comey. He panicked. But, as long as the boss was willing to not fire him “by tweet,” he was willing to “land this plane.” Nose first. https://t.co/EREaPfCdpw

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 30, 2020

EXCLUSIVE: From my new book .. DOJ in '17 secretly curtailed FBI counterintel investigation of Trump financial/personal ties to Russia. DOJ concealed this from FBI at time, leaving FBI w/ impression Mueller would do it. But Mueller ultimately didn't. https://t.co/mEBFCdqIP1

— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) August 30, 2020

Good time to point out Rod Rosenstein is now in private practice representing an Israeli tech firm that the Senate Intelligence Committee identified as a foreign interference actor for the Trump Campaign.

— Robert J. DeNault (@robertjdenault) August 30, 2020

This was obvious long ago. Having it confirmed nails the lid on a since-closed coffin. Bob Mueller’s decision to accept so fatally compromised a role without complaint was inexcusable. https://t.co/tzJzNBniYs

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 30, 2020

“The Intelligence Committee report shows clear coordination between Russians and the Trump campaign” The Republican-led Intel report also concluded Trump committed perjury. It is time for him to go. https://t.co/mJOQqWjsUQ

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 20, 2020

The Senate just dropped a massive Russia bombshell (and most people missed it)https://t.co/UXRgKAljAN pic.twitter.com/uUDlcPsjlW

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 19, 2020

As I told ⁦@JRubinBlogger⁩ for her brilliant column, “there can be no remaining doubt. Trump & his campaign colluded with Russia to help them win the 2016 election.”

Jen was kind enough to note that my book proves the case: https://t.co/8QUhtkiv1i https://t.co/mQVDRqVrCC

— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) August 19, 2020

"The Republican and Democratic chairmen of the Senate Intelligence Committee made criminal referrals of Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Erik Prince and Sam Clovis to federal prosecutors in 2019” https://t.co/MRsgRiBaaP

— Eric Rauchway (@rauchway) August 18, 2020

The level of coordination between the Trump campaign and Wikileaks on that memorable day of October 7, 2016, remains striking—and insufficiently unexplained. https://t.co/abbihVXaMg

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) August 18, 2020

Analysis: The Senate’s big Russia report: What we learned, and what it means https://t.co/xZTTveJUIV

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 18, 2020

Eight takeaways from the 1000-page Senate Intelligence Committee report, w/ @julianbarnes https://t.co/keYFxO87XP

— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) August 18, 2020

The Trump campaign was offered Russian government assistance.

The Trump campaign sought Russian government assistance.

The Trump campaign received Russian government assistance.

Trump campaign personnel coordinated efforts with Russian intelligence operatives and Wikileaks.

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) August 18, 2020

Republican Senators knew all of this when they voted not to remove Trump from office for extorting a foreign power to interfere in our election. They have ratified Putin’s interference in our election. The fascist party hopes he’ll do it again. https://t.co/3fCHwlOYkv

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 18, 2020

The SSCI report seems to confirm two things we knew:

1. Trump solicited, welcomed, and benefited from Russian interference.
2. There wasn't sufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime.

The fact we've let 2. become the excuse to ignore 1. was and is a national failure.

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) August 18, 2020

Trump commuted Stone's sentence last month https://t.co/ZjF6O6YoHI

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) August 18, 2020

Trump commuted Stone's sentence last month https://t.co/ZjF6O6YoHI

— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) August 18, 2020

The report showed evidence of contacts between Trump campaign advisers and people tied to the Kremlin — including a longstanding associate of the Manafort, Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the report identifies as a “Russian intelligence officer.” https://t.co/dF364LcWBf

— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) August 18, 2020

Wow. Senate Intel report bluntly states that Manafort associate Konstantin Kilimnik is a Russian intelligence officer. That’s further than Mueller went.https://t.co/35Qg3Ga2Fl

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) August 18, 2020

In a section on Russian "kompromat," the bipartsan Senate intel committee report notes that Trump "may have" begun an affair with a Russian woman during a trip to Moscow in 1996. pic.twitter.com/izDBoUEHKb

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 18, 2020

A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report has concluded that Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort worked closely with a Russian intelligence officer who may have been involved in the hack and release of Democratic emails during the electionhttps://t.co/YHSWYKAMre

— POLITICO (@politico) August 18, 2020

Trump will claim that he had no idea what was going on in his own campaign, that he never directed any of this, and that Paul Manafort is a terrific guy and that he's very strongly looking at a pardon https://t.co/KCrTI1gTDR

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 18, 2020

A damning finding in the GOP-led Senate Intel Cmte report on 2016 election:

“…Manafort's presence on the Campaign & proximity to Trump created opportunities for Russian intelligence services to exert influence over & acquire confidential information on the Trump Campaign”

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 18, 2020

“….except for all of the clear acts of collusion that we documented.” https://t.co/BRq3gb0ka8

— Daniel Gilmore (@gilmored85) August 18, 2020

Manafort appears to have asked Kilimnik — a "Russian intelligence officer," per the report — for recommendations for Trump administration jobs.

Manafort claimed Kushner and Giuliani were helping him get people hired. pic.twitter.com/VyF5fDR206

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) August 18, 2020

So. Perjury? https://t.co/jxqWUChuvq

— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) August 18, 2020

Bipartisan Senate report concludes Trump team's Russia contacts posed major risk https://t.co/9Xtq2SrSSX

— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) August 18, 2020

This is why Mueller’s decision not to subpoena Trump and try to force him to sit for questions mattered.

No follow up questions to Trump’s “I don’t recall” written answer to whether he spoke with Roger Stone about WikiLeaks, which was undoubtedly penned by his lawyers. https://t.co/ZMRzia1CSv

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 18, 2020

So, Senate Republicans ran with the Ukraine interference story in January knowing they endorsed this SSCI report saying the same story was part of a Russian intelligence disinfo op? https://t.co/inTgtEaVIq

— Alex Finley (@alexzfinley) August 18, 2020

He not only lies to you, he lies to law enforcement. The President is the biggest liar to ever hold the office. https://t.co/YfrmhWmTtF

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 18, 2020

The bipartisan Senate report makes Trump’s pardon of Roger Stone look all the more treacherous, and the Mueller Report all the less complete. https://t.co/OoogkXqyXI

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 18, 2020

Clearly this is the reassurance that a nation at the breaking point needed to wake up to this morning: Trump is going to override the criminal justice system to take care of Roger Stone. That should satisfy the throngs chanting no justice, no peace. https://t.co/oo5aMcKul9

— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) June 4, 2020

President Donald Trump promises his longtime political adviser Roger Stone will not serve time in prison https://t.co/TJxbIUJkWP

— POLITICO (@politico) June 4, 2020

Trump strongly hints at pardon of political adviser Roger Stone, saying he should "sleep well at night" https://t.co/wHyqx93xiW

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 4, 2020

Amazingly, Trump tweeted "LAW & ORDER!" literally minutes after corruptly dangling a pardon for Roger Stone. This makes an utter mockery of rule of law. In so doing, Trump neatly confirmed that James Mattis' blistering criticism is 100% right. New piece:https://t.co/ne5I8td1ZN

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) June 4, 2020

Judge defends authority to review Michael Flynn's case despite the Department of Justice's request to dismiss it https://t.co/VGS9yPjlQB pic.twitter.com/S5XnxK8CDy

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 2, 2020

Kislyak “played Flynn like a fiddle…For a former head of an intelligence agency Mr. Flynn showed a stunning lack of counterintelligence savvy or sophistication in dealing with an adversary.” https://t.co/w026S4aA6p

— John Sipher (@john_sipher) June 2, 2020

Not a single passage in these transcripts where Flynn says it was wrong for Russia to interfere. Wrong to hack into DNC. Wrong to sow hatred, division on Facebook, etc.

Russia had just attacked the US. Russia was the enemy. And new NSA is fixed on how much we have in common. pic.twitter.com/fSmwFUJk6w

— Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) May 29, 2020

Re: Flynn-Kislyak convo

Having now read the transcript & taking it in context of what was happening, it is obvious to me & anyone who has engaged w the Russians that the conversation was NOT in the US interest.

Flynn’s actions were despicable. Under stable why he lied to FBI. https://t.co/fwXBGUd9TA

— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) May 29, 2020

With all the news about the Flynn transcripts, remember that at this point the only real issue is this: given what the FBI already knew about Russian efforts to help Trump win, did the calls give them any reason to talk to Flynn? The answer was – and is – clearly yes.

— Randall Eliason (@RDEliason) May 29, 2020

The just-released Flynn-Kislyak transcripts show Trump's incoming national sec. adviser speaking repeatedly to the Russian ambassador, buddying up to him, & NOT ONCE saying anything about Putin's attack on the 2016 election. A stunning betrayal of the USA.https://t.co/ArXBuRqGGd

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 29, 2020

The Flynn transcript shows the incoming Trump administration colluding with Russia against the U.S. government https://t.co/13xIhul7rp

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) May 29, 2020

These transcripts CONFIRM pretty much everything Mueller accused Flynn of doing, and they DEBUNK much of what Trump has said about Flynn. The transcripts corroborate Flynn's guilty plea and further prove that he lied to the FBI about his Russian calls. https://t.co/amOEtAPrDR

— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) May 29, 2020

Here’s what the Flynn transcripts show:

Gen. Flynn secretly discussed the U.S. response to Russia’s brazen election interference, and lied about it to the FBI and Vice President.

No wonder Trump and his allies are trying to re-write history,

Because the facts are so damning. pic.twitter.com/eNZMFlDSSa

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 29, 2020

And here’s what Flynn said to the FBI. It’s clear beyond any reasonable doubt that he lied, even apart from the fact that he admitted twice in court that he lied. https://t.co/SOJGReP5aR pic.twitter.com/XSuag5x0dQ

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) May 29, 2020

Also, the 302 shows the agents gave Flynn multiple opportunities to come clean, asking specific questions like whether he discussed reciprocity with Kislyak. Flynn could have said, oh, wait, now I remember. Flynn was determined to lie, and as you say, the nagging question is—why? https://t.co/LU8gNRF6pt

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) May 29, 2020

JUST IN: DOJ responds to Flynn's petition to D.C. Circuit to force Judge Sullivan to grant its motion to dismiss, arguing prosecutorial power sits solely in the executive branch and the district court has no power to embark on extensive inquiry/scrutiny/oversight. @CourthouseNews pic.twitter.com/cWZ3r9O9qg

— Megan Mineiro (@MMineiro_CNS) June 1, 2020

NEW: Judge Sullivan tells the D.C. Circuit he is not required to act as a "mere rubber stamp" in DOJ's bid to dismiss Michael Flynn's case.
w/ @CarolLeonnighttps://t.co/X1xi6Lf6it

— Ann Marimow (@amarimow) June 1, 2020

When you coddle Russia they attack again.

We now know Flynn minimized the last attack on the US as “this current issue of cyber stuff” TO RUSSIA in the newly revealed transcripts.

It was collusion.

It was treasonous.

And it helped lead to this:
https://t.co/gYsYDFilxb

— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) May 31, 2020

I know a fair number of GOP and apolitical natsec folks who worked with Flynn over the past decade, and they all offer the same narrative: a decent officer… and then something in him just snapped. https://t.co/4hJzzjhTVk

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) May 30, 2020

So I’ve read the transcripts. Tried to clear my head of my biases. And of the memory of my own interactions w, Flynn, which were positive. And @EliLake’s piece. And listened to the @lawfare podcast. And Eli, I gotta say…it’s not close. The FBI’s suspicions were warranted.

— Marc Ambinder (@marcambinder) May 30, 2020

I also think that getting fired by Obama – a completely legit shitcanning – just broke Flynn in some way, and from that point on, anyone that was against Obama was okay with him, whether it was Russians or Trump or both. But "traitor" is too big a word here, imo. https://t.co/ShUB8XVfRd

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 30, 2020

Flynn has said he does not remember talking in late 2016 with the Russian ambassador about sanctions. But the transcripts showed that the sanctions were the central discussion point between the men. https://t.co/ZlQz1QV7fd

— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) May 30, 2020

First principles. Whether or not Michael Flynn lied to the FBI (he did) & whether or not Bill Barr was right to kill the case (he was not), it's undeniable Flynn tried to make nice to Russia after it attacked a US election to help Trump. That's betrayal.https://t.co/rPz8ZYwOCS

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 30, 2020

Which just highlights how Trump has continually lied about this case. It wasn’t any American citizen that was being tapped—it was the Russians. https://t.co/tSoI3VC2MS

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) May 30, 2020

It is just impossible to read this and not believe that Flynn was acting at the direction of then president-elect Trump. https://t.co/87hmU3i7BB

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) May 29, 2020

Honestly I think if you read these transcripts, it’s fairly obvious that Trump and Flynn had a whole ongoing series of private conversations about Russia that Flynn never disclosed in his “cooperation” with Mueller. A major, successful duping of Mueller’s team. https://t.co/43erlS2lZc

— Jesse Lee (@JesseCharlesLee) May 30, 2020

Flynn defenders: It never happened
*it happened*
It was a routine convo
*not routine*
But he didn't lie
*he lied*
But he didn't lie about sanctions
*he lied about sanctions*
We WON! Full exoneration!

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 29, 2020

For what it's worth – don't @ me, bro – I don't think Flynn was or is a traitor. I think he's an unhinged ideologue with a mania for war with Iran. He was so committed to that one thing that he really believed the Russians were his pals – even as Kislyak was rolling him.

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 30, 2020

Russia had just committed cyber warfare on us and Flynn is begging their ambassador for mercy in this call. This is the weakest and most subservient thing I've ever seen from a U.S. Administration. https://t.co/WuXaIbsYVG

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) May 29, 2020

Flynn asks a hostile foreign country to work against the current administration of the United States of America. https://t.co/xNpeIqXR4C

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) May 29, 2020

The only thing that could be worse on these transcripts is if Flynn said "Yeah, yeah, yep" to Kislyak saying: "We'd like you to lie your ass off to everyone in DC, including in the White House, about this conversation. Can you work with us on that?"

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 30, 2020

So, aside from the fact that the former head of DIA was a security risk (not only by his sympathies for the Russians, but by lying and thus putting himself in the position of being compromised), there's the mystery of why this administration just burned their own guy. /1

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 30, 2020