Years ago one of my kids’ teachers joined the FBI.
I remember how the students, their parents and her fellow teachers talked about this. There was reverence, deep respect. For her as well as the agency. After all, the FBI was the crème de la crème of law enforcement. You had to be a quality person of the highest character to be selected by the FBI.
I wonder how these folks would react these days to similar news. Now that we have learned about the sleaziness at the top of the FBI.
(I also remember how, in my family’s Roman Catholic community, we revered those who chose the priesthood. The following is unfair to the thousands of wonderful, devoted priests of the church. But what thought races through most minds today at the news that Johnny is off to the seminary? And don’t shoot me, please. I am merely the messenger, the observer.)
Yes, there are thousands of honest FBI people. Of course there are. Yes, they are innocent of the sins committed by their leaders in Washington. Still, they will be tarred by the same brush that now blacks those leaders. Just as innocent priests are blamed. For the deceit cardinals and bishops practiced in places far away. Not to mention the despicable crimes of their fellow priests.
The honest FBI folks and decent priests don’t deserve this. This knee-jerk disrespect leveled at them because of the crimes others committed. Well beyond this, followers of the faith did not deserve the nightmare the priests and hierarchy created. And citizens of this country do not deserve the trashing of their FBI by the likes of Jim Comey and crew.
The Flynn case is complicated, yes. And Flynn is no angel. He swam in the murky intelligence pond. It is filled with creatures who do nasty things to each other. They do nasty things to outside people who question or mess with them. He knew the rules. He took his chances.
He made enemies of the wrong people in that community. Just as Donald Trump did. They set out to punish him. Just as they plotted to punish Trump. In Trump’s case, the motive was political. They wanted Hillary to win. They could not stomach what Trump promised – or threatened.
In Flynn’s case, the motives were only partly political. If they could bring him down they could embarrass and tarnish the new president. What a trophy to mount on the wall.
Equally important, they could ruin a guy they didn’t like. They could destroy a man who could threaten their careers. Now that he was the president’s National Security Advisor.
They set about their work with a vengeance. They made plans and carried them out. They entrapped him. Simple as that. They broke any number of rules and laws. They hated General Flynn. Inspired by that hatred, they brought him down.
Inspired by the same hatred, they tried to do the same to the president. They tried to entrap him. Tried to entrap people in his team. Both in the campaign team and White House team.
This is no theory. This is reality. Jim Comey has admitted much of it. He went to a meeting with the president in hopes of entrapping him. He brought a laptop in his car so that he could immediately download his recollections of the meeting, the president’s words, etc. His deputy offered to wear a wire so as to catch the president saying something the cabal could use against him.
Comey, his deputy and his head of counter-intelligence met to set the trap for Flynn.
Let us step back and focus on this. These are the top guys of the FBI. This country’s top law enforcement people. And they are plotting to bring down a National Security Advisor to the President of the United States. As part of their larger plot to destroy that president.
The stench of their behavior takes one’s breath away. Constitutional lawyer Jonathan Turley calls it chilling. Nikki Haley, our former Ambassador to the UN, says “I can’t believe this happened in the United States of America.” She adds “It’s wrong. It’s corrupt and someone needs to pay.”
Haley reminded us that Comey has made millions out of this, while Flynn has lost literally everything.
Jason Chaffetz (Former House Oversight Chair) says, of the Flynn episode, “It seems to be a brazen ambush…” He reminds us “…this is not some field office gone awry. This is Main, Top Justice…”
Jay Sekulow, the president’s impeachment attorney, says it best. “What happened to General Flynn, what happened to the president is outrageous. It violated the Constitution and I think the American people paid the price for that for three years.”
Many folks are left asking the simplest questions. Here is one: How did the FBI’s top ranks get filled with so many dirty cops? The answer may be an unpalatable one. The answer may be that sleaze is comfortable with sleaze. Dishonest people hire and promote dishonest people. The fish rots from the head down.
That is the sort of accusation critics make against the Roman Catholic church. Pedophiles on high have promoted and protected pedophiles. Again, please don’t shoot me, a humble messenger.
Jonathan Turley used the term “Chilling”. That fits. It resonates.
It is chilling that so many Americans shrug this off. It is just politics, they tell us. Republicans trying to protect Trump.
It is chilling that the railroading of Flynn could happen to any of us tomorrow. And it does happen to many, in cases that don’t get publicized.
It is chilling that this is precisely what communist and other tyrannical regimes have practiced. If anyone should protect us from such despicable crimes it should be our FBI leaders.
It is chilling that hatred of Donald Trump should befoul such leaders to do what they did.
Two final quotes. The first is from the notes that Flynn’s inquisitors made before they framed him. “What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired.”
The last is from President Trump. “What happened to General Flynn, a war hero, should never be allowed to happen to a citizen of the United States again.”
Indeed.
From Tom…as in Morgan.
Find Tom at tomasinmorgan.com. You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com.