Former EPA Official Says Deep State Is Taking Another Scalp as Agency Comes Under Fire

/0 Comments/in , /by

A member of the so-called deep state is trying to knock out one of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s top lieutenants, a former EPA official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Acting Inspector General Charles Sheehan is out to get EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson, Mandy Gunasekara, a former official with the agency’s air and radiation department, told the DCNF on Friday. Sheehan told Congress in October that Jackson is refusing to participate in ongoing probes.

“It is very telling. It’s just an attempt to embarrass Ryan. Make a big public spectacle. This is the way the deep state works,” Gunasekara said. She was referring to Sheehan’s probe of Jackson’s alleged efforts to pressure a former agency scientist ahead of her congressional testimony.

“To countenance open defiance even in one instance — much less two, both by a senior official setting precedent for himself and all agency staff — is ruinous,” Sheehan wrote in the Oct. 29 letter.

EPA officials said Jackson did the best he could to provide documentation to Sheehan. (Read more from “Former EPA Official Says Deep State Is Taking Another Scalp as Agency Comes Under Fire” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Impeachment Witness Cites NYT as Source for His Understanding of Trump’s Ukraine Motive

/0 Comments/in , /by

The following is an excerpt from Blaze Media’s Capitol Hill Brief email newsletter:

Along with the announcement that the first public impeachment probe hearings would start next week, on Wednesday, House Democrats released the deposition transcript of one of their star witnesses in the probe: Top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine Bill Taylor.

During his testimony, Taylor said that it was his “clear understanding” that the release of military aid to Ukraine was contingent upon the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, agreeing to investigate what happened in the 2016 election and the energy company that used to employ Hunter Biden as a board member. He also said that he believed President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was behind a suggestion to get Zelensky to publicly commit to the probes.

But while impeachment boosters may hail Taylor’s testimony as damaging to the president, they might need to take a second look at it. Indeed, it appears that many of Taylor’s opinions about the Ukraine matter were, as the Federalist’s Sean Davis put it, “formed largely from conversations with anti-Trump staffers within the diplomatic bureaucracy.” Taylor admitted that he’d had no direct contact with Trump or Giuliani during the time period relevant to the investigation. He wasn’t on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky and said that the first time he “had seen the details” of the call was when the transcript was publicly released in September. He even admitted at one point that his main source for his understanding of why the president wanted the investigations was the New York Times. When asked whether or not he did any due diligence to find out what the concerns about Burisma or the 2016 election were before he took his post earlier this year, he responded “no.” (For more from the author of “Impeachment Witness Cites NYT as Source for His Understanding of Trump’s Ukraine Motive” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Bernie Sanders’ Immigration Plan Is Even More Extreme Than You Could Imagine

/0 Comments/in , /by

Self-avowed socialist Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, D, has released his immigration plan for his 2020 presidential campaign. Surprise! It involves abolishing ICE, blanket amnesty, and a lot of taxpayer-funded giveaways for illegal immigrants.

“My father came to America as a refugee without a nickel in his pocket, to escape widespread anti-Semitism and find a better life,” Sanders said in a statement announcing the plan. “As the proud son of an immigrant, I know that my father’s story is the story of so many Americans today.”

In the proposal, Sanders says that he would “break up ICE and CBP and redistribute their functions to their proper authorities.” According to the proposal, the Department of Justice would go back to handling border enforcement and deportation issues, the Treasury would handle customs responsibility, and the State Department would cover immigration and nationalization.

The plan gives legal status to 1.8 million illegal immigrants eligible for President Obama’s DACA amnesty program while also providing “administrative relief” (read: amnesty) to their illegally present parents. It also promises to use executive action to make illegal aliens who have lived in the United States for just five years immune to deportation and calls on Congress to “to provide a legislative path to citizenship to bring 11 million people out of the shadows.”

When it comes to enforcement, Sanders vows to “end workplace raids and shift the focus of enforcement from workers to employers who mistreat their workforce” as well as to end the use of DNA testing — which has been used to identify fraudulent family units — in border enforcement.

And while the plan’s pledge to reverse actions the Trump administration has taken in response to the current border crisis was to be expected, it goes even further to say that America should get rid of the immigration laws passed by Congress in 1996.

But that’s not all, folks. It just wouldn’t be a Bernie Sanders proposal without talking about what “free” stuff United States taxpayers would be paying for. In this instance, Sanders promises that “free” health care and college will be available to people “regardless of immigration status” under his Medicare for All and College for All proposals. He also pledged to “provide year-round, free universal school meals; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks through our school meals programs to all students regardless of immigration status.” (For more from the author of “Bernie Sanders’ Immigration Plan Is Even More Extreme Than You Could Imagine” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Top Republican Demands Top Democrat Testify in Impeachment Inquiry

/0 Comments/in , /by

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, demanded in a letter late on Friday night that Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) testify in a closed-door deposition about any interactions that either he or his staff may have had with the whistleblower.

“On November 6th, you announced the beginning of public hearings associated with the Democratic Party’s partisan impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump,” Nunes wrote to Schiff. “Based on the precedent and lack of jurisdiction, the House Intelligence Committee should not take the lead in conducting such hearings; however, by now the American people know your desire to see the duly-elected president removed from office outweighs your sense of responsibility to running a functioning intelligence oversight committee.”

“Prior to the start of your public show trial next week, at least one additional closed-door deposition must take place,” Nunes stated. “Specifically, I request that you sit for a closed-door deposition before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight Committees.”

“As the American public is now aware, in August 2019, you and/or your staff met with or talked to the whistleblower who raised an issue with President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Zelensky,” Nunes continued. “Although you publicly claim nothing inappropriate was discussed, the three committees deserve to hear directly from you the substance and circumstances surrounding any discussions conducted with the whistleblower, and any commitment to let the committee’s interview the whistleblower directly, you are the only individual who can provide clarity as to these conversations.”

“As you know, the House Intelligence Committee has precedent for such an arrangement. During the committees investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, sitting members of Congress agreed to participate in closed-door depositions,” Nunes continued. “Given your championing of such an agreement two years ago, you should have no problem with you appearing before the three committees to discuss your interactions with the whistleblower.” (Read more from “Top Republican Demands Top Democrat Testify in Impeachment Inquiry” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

BREAKS SILENCE: ABC News Insider Who Exposed Buried Epstein Story Speaks Out

/0 Comments/in , /by

On Friday, the ABC News insider who obtained the tape of ABC anchor Amy Robach’s distress over the spiking of her Jeffrey Epstein story by ABC News came forward after CBS reportedly fired the staffer who had access to the tape. The insider, who remains anonymous, wrote paragraphs addressed to “my fellow man,” “my fellow ABC News employees,” “those wrongfully accused,” “Amy Robach,” and “ABC News.”

At the request of the insider, the open letter was published by Project Veritas, which had obtained the footage of Robach from the insider. The insider asserted that there were no motives other than to make the information public; that neither the insider nor those wrongfully accused had done anything wrong; that Robach was the only person due an apology, not from the insider, but from those who spiked her story; and that ABC News “has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy.” . . .

On Thursday, journalist Yashar Ali reported that CBS News had fired the staffer who allegedly leaked the footage of Robach expressing her frustrations about her Jeffrey Epstein story not getting published. The firing reportedly came after ABC informed CBS they had determined who had leaked the footage. (Read more from “BREAKS SILENCE: ABC News Insider Who Exposed Buried Epstein Story Speaks Out” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

TRIGGER WARNING: Presidential Net Worth Comparison — Before and After Leaving Office

/0 Comments/in , , /by


Joe Miller offers a critique:

Respectfully, it’s likely to be the opposite. The way it’s headed, expect Trump to be bankrupt and/or in jail just a short time after leaving office. That is, unless there’s a clandestine effort to take the Oligarchs down. Let’s hope it’s the latter, or this country is toast.

To which I responded:

I agree completely. This is just meant to trigger the kooks.

(For more from the author of “TRIGGER WARNING: Presidential Net Worth Comparison — Before and After Leaving Office” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Report: House Democrats Consider Drafting Three Articles of Impeachment Against Trump

/0 Comments/in , /by

House Democrats have reportedly weighed drafting three articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, sparked by a so-called “whistleblower’s” mischaracterization of the president’s phone call with the leader of Ukraine.

According to ABC News, Democrats are evaluating articles charging President Trump with abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and contempt of Congress.

Impeachment investigators believe the president could be charged with abuse of power for floating to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into allegations of corruption against former Vice President and 2020 White House contender Joe Biden, along with his beleaguered son, Hunter Biden. Further, lawmakers believe the president may have obstructed justice and be in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas for documents and witness testimony.

“They have also weighed an obstruction of justice charge centered on the president’s efforts to obstruct former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation,” ABC News reports. . .

Investigators are wrapping up the private interviews as they prepare to start public hearings next week. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced Wednesday that three State Department witnesses will appear in two hearings next Wednesday and Friday: top Ukraine diplomat William Taylor, career department official George Kent, and Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. (Read more from “Report: House Democrats Consider Drafting Three Articles of Impeachment Against Trump” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Governor Confirms: Virginia ‘Working on’ Gun Confiscation Now That Democrats Are in Control

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) of blackface fame boasted this week that his party is ready to implement an array of gun control measures in the commonwealth now that Democrats control all three branches of government, and his administration is already “working on” a plan for confiscating so-called “assault weapons” from law-abiding gun owners. . .

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Northam wants to bring back eight “common-sense” gun control measures that Republicans shot down during a special session in July, prioritizing “universal background checks, banning the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, restoring the law that limits purchases to one gun a month, and a red flag law that would empower a court to temporarily remove a gun from a person deemed to be a risk to himself or others.”

When asked directly about whether he is supportive of confiscating “assault weapons from gun owners” Northam replied, “That’s something I’m working [on] with our secretary of public safety. I’ll work with the gun violence activists, and we’ll work [on] that. I don’t have a definitely plan today.”

On Tuesday, Virginia voters handed Democrats total control of the commonwealth’s General Assembly — flipping both the Senate and the House of Delegates from red to blue majorities. The Democratic Party now controls not only Virginia’s legislature, but holds the governorship, lieutenant governorship, attorney general, and both U.S. Senate seats. (Read more from “Governor Confirms: Virginia ‘Working on’ Gun Confiscation Now That Democrats Are in Control” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Senate Republicans Begin to Dig into Biden’s Sketchy Ukraine Dealings

/0 Comments/in , /by

Republican Senators Chuck Grassley, Iowa, and Ron Johnson, Wisc., want some answers on how much, if any, influence Hunter Biden’s job at a Ukrainian energy company had on decisions made by the State Department under President Barack Obama.

In a letter dated Wednesday, the two senators asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a wide range of records to “better understand what actions, if any, the Obama administration took to ensure that policy decisions relating to Ukraine and Burisma were not improperly influenced by the employment and financial interests of family members.”

“In April 2014, Vice President Biden reportedly became the ‘public face of the administration’s handling of Ukraine,’” the lawmakers write. “Around the same time, the Vice President’s son, Hunter Biden, and his business associate, Devon Archer, both began serving on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company.”

Hunter Biden’s former employment at Burisma is at the center of the current impeachment debate raging in Washington, D.C. At a 2018 Council on Foreign Relations event, Biden said that he — while still vice president — pressured then-Ukranain President Petro Poroshenko to fire then-Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin while Shokin was leading an investigation into the company by threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees. House Democrats’ impeachment probe has examined whether or not president Trump pressured Ukrainian authorities to look into the Burisma investigation with military aid.

In their Wednesday letter, Grassley and Johnson refer to a recent story from reporter John Solomon saying that, during the 2016 election cycle, a U.S. representative for Burisma — Karen Tramontano — tried to set up a meeting with Undersecretary of State Catherine A. Novelli to discuss ending the corruption allegations against the company.

“Although it is not clear if Under Secretary Novelli met with Karen Tramontano on March 1, 2016, as planned, later that month Tramontano and other members of Burisma’s legal team reportedly met with Ukrainian prosecutors,” the letter notes, referring to another report from Solomon from September. “According to what appears to be contemporaneous notes by one of those Ukrainian prosecutors, during that meeting, Burisma’s legal team apologized about what they alleged to be ‘false information’ promoted by the U.S. Government about the prosecutors’ handling of the investigation of Burisma.”

The two also note other documents that “show other meetings that Burisma board members Hunter Biden and Devon Archer scheduled with high-ranking State Department officials” in 2015. The letter also points out that “just one day after Tramontano was scheduled to meet with Under Secretary Novelli about Burisma, Devon Archer was scheduled to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry.”

The lawmakers then ask the department to provide “all State Department records relating to Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, [their business partner] Christopher Heinz, and Karen Tramontano” as well as “all State Department records relating to Burisma Holdings” and those related to some of Biden’s other business ventures. They also ask whether or not the State Department has asked the Office of the Legal Adviser or the Office of the Inspector General to “review potential concerns and conflicts of interest related to Hunter Biden’s work for Burisma while Vice President Biden reportedly acted as the United States’ top official in Ukraine? If not, why not?”

Johnson is the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Grassley chairs the Senate Finance Committee. The senators asked that the department provide the information in two weeks, giving a deadline of November 20. (For more from the author of “Senate Republicans Begin to Dig into Biden’s Sketchy Ukraine Dealings” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Obama’s Ukraine Ambassador Allegedly Lied Under Oath in Impeachment Inquiry, Congressman Suggests

/0 Comments/in , /by

Marie Yovanovitch, who was appointed to be the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine by former President Barack Obama, allegedly made false statements under oath during her October 11 closed-door testimony in House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.

“Before the contents of the whistleblower complaint were known publicly, a Democratic congressional staffer contact the former American ambassador to Ukraine to discuss what the staffer described as ‘quite delicate and time sensitive questions,’” Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusively reported.

“This show has obtained exclusively an email for that Democratic staffer for the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent by private email to the former American ambassador Marie Yovanovitch,” Carlson continued. “Yovanovitch, you know, is a key player in the Democrats’ impeachment probe and was recalled from her post in Ukraine by President Trump in May 2019 following allegations of serious partisanship and political bias.”

The email Carlson obtained states:

I’m writing to see if you would have time to meet up for a chat — in particular, I’m hoping to discuss some Ukraine-related oversight questions we are exploring. I’d appreciate the change to ground-truth a few pieces of information with you, some of which are quite delicate/time-sensitive and, thus, we want to make sure we get them right.

(Read more from “Obama’s Ukraine Ambassador Allegedly Lied Under Oath in Impeachment Inquiry, Congressman Suggests” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE