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GOP Senators demand CIA Director Gina Haspel turn over docs on 2016 Russia probe

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GOP Sens Johnson and Grassley

Two powerful GOP Senators sent a letter Wednesday to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel asking her to respond in full to their “July 28 letter that requested intelligence records relating to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation” that targeted President Donald Trump on the false assumptions that his 2016 campaign conspired with Russia.

Some of the documents being requested by the Senators from the CIA deal directly with information related to former ex British spy Christopher Steele’s debunked dossier used to obtain the FISA warrant to spy on short term campaign volunteer Carter Page, as well as any and “all records related to assistance requests about the persons or conduct at issue in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, whether before or after the opening of the investigation.”

Gina Haspel DCIA
CIA Director Gina Haspel testifies on Global Threats and National Security. (CSPAN)

Sen. Ron Johnson,, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, have not received a response from Haspel regarding a series of questions about the intelligence agencies knowledge of the FBI’s debunked investigation into President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.

In 2016, Haspel was the station chief for the CIA in London. It was in London where most of the overseas connections to the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign occurred. However, this does not mean that Haspel was in any way involved in those investigations but she may of had knowledge that they were occurring, sources told me.

“The information that has already been made public reveals what might be the most outrageous abuse of power in U.S. history against a presidential candidate and sitting president,” Sen. Johnson and Sen. Grassley.

“The American people have a right to know the full extent of official action taken by federal officials during the 2016 campaign, the presidential transition, and into the Trump administration,” stated Johnson and Grassley. “The information that has already been made public reveals what might be the most outrageous abuse of power in U.S. history against a presidential candidate and sitting president. Unfortunately, many of the puzzle pieces remain hidden, and some of that information rests within your agency.”

This week, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified information that CIA Director John Brennan had knowledge and hand written notes that Russian intelligence had allegedly gathered information that Hillary Clinton was planning to ‘stir up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security service.’

RELATED: Brennan briefed Obama on HRC’s alleged plan to ‘stir up’ trouble for Trump, DNI reveals

Brennan’s highly classified notes were declassified Tuesday Ratcliffe, who first made the information public last week. Moreover, it was discovered that Brennan had briefed then President Obama in the summer of 2016 on the information that he had obtained on Clinton.

Johnson and Grassley also want the CIA to turn over any and “all records related to then-Director John Brennan’s January 2016 travel to Ukraine,” as stipulated in the letter.

Outstanding Requests Of Senators Grassley and Johnson for Haspel:

  1. All records from January 2016 through present related to Christopher Steele.
  2. All intelligence reporting provided or made available to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricaneinvestigation.
  3. All records related to assistance requests about the persons or conduct at issue in theFBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, whether before or after the opening of the investigation, to the following foreign governments:
    1. Australia;
    2. Israel; and
    3. the United Kingdom.
  4. All records related to the CIA’s contacts with Michael Sussman.
  5. All records related to the CIA’s contacts with Marc Elias.
  6. All records related to then-Director John Brennan’s and then-FBI Director JamesComey’s 2016 communications about the persons or conduct at issue in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, whether before or after the opening of the investigation.
  7. All records related to then-Director John Brennan’s and then-Senator Harry Reid’s 2016 communications about the persons or conduct at issue in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, whether before or after the opening of the investigation.
  8. All records related to 2016 briefings by then-Director John Brennan to the “Gang of 8” about the persons or conduct at issue in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, whether before or after the opening of the investigation.
  9. All records related to the following individuals:
    1. Stefan Halper;
    2. Joseph Mifsud;
    3. Carter Page; and
    4. George Papadopoulos.
  10. All records related to then-Director John Brennan’s January 2016 travel to Ukraine.
  11. HPSCI’s investigative referral to the CIA based on its review of Russian interference inthe 2016 election. This includes:
    1. access to the complete TS/SCI versions; and
    2. declassified versions.
  12. All records about information provided to or received from the CIA about persons affiliated with the Trump campaign.
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BREAKING: Disney drops suit challenging special district status in settlement with Florida, DeSantis

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A settlement was reached Wednesday in the two-year lawsuit over who controls the special governing district that encompasses the Walt Disney World Resort, which includes Disney dropping its lawsuitsagainst a newly created tourism board.

“We are glad that Disney has dropped its lawsuits against the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and conceded that their last-minute development agreements are null, void, and unenforceable,” Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ communications director, said in a statement. “No corporation should be its own government. Moving forward, we stand ready to work with Disney and the District to help promote economic growth, family-friendly tourism, and accountable government in Central Florida.”

Fox News explains the dispute began “after Disney’s criticism of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act – derided by critics as the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill – prompted the DeSantis administration to revoke the special Disney-controlled tax district that gave the entertainment autonomy over its theme parks in the region.”

“No corporation should be its own government,” Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said in an emailed statement. “Moving forward, we stand ready to work with Disney and the District to help promote economic growth, family-friendly tourism, and accountable government in Central Florida.”

Misleadingly deemed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibited the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity to young students in the state. National Review reports:

After receiving pressure from employees, Disney’s then-CEO, Bob Chapek, said that the company’s leaders had been opposed to the bill “from the outset,” and Disney declared that the legislation “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”

In February 2023, DeSantis signed House Bill 9B, which established the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to replace Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. Reedy Creek was a 56-year-old special taxing district that allowed Disney control its own development, regulations, building codes, and other municipal services.

Lawmakers voted to give the governor the power to appoint the district’s board members.

However, before a DeSantis-appointed board took over last March, the Disney-controlled board handed control of the district’s development over to Disney…

As part of the settlement, Disney acknowledges that the development agreement approved by the outgoing Reedy Creek board has “no legal effect or enforceability.”

As for the media reports that DeSantis had been humiliated and out-maneuvered by Disney, Griffin said that “as usual, the media were wrong.”

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