Dianne Feinstein Wants You to Know the Truth

Earlier this afternoon, Senator Dianne Feinstein released the full transcript [pdf] of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Fusion GPS head Glenn Simpson's testimony, released just now by Sen. Feinstein: https://t.co/tWkmMbEnvJ pic.twitter.com/U1ocWlX0Rs

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 9, 2018

This comes a week after Simpson and co-founder Peter Fritsch penned an op-ed for the New York Times urging Congress to make public their testimony about the infamous dossier on Donald Trump compiled while in their employ by former British spy Christopher Steele, against whom Republicans Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lindsey Graham issued a criminal referral, also last week.

Basically: Fusion GPS and the Democrats want the public to know the truth about who knew what about Trump's collusion with Russia when, and the Republicans want to conceal that information.

Feinstein statement: pic.twitter.com/c8DrfclM9Y

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 9, 2018

FUSION GPS statement on Feinstein's release of the Glenn Simpson interview transcript: "Fusion GPS commends Sen. Feinstein for her courage. The transcript of Glenn Simpson’s lengthy responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s questioning speaks for itself."

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 9, 2018

There is a lot in the testimony itself, as well as what the testimony reveals. Two things I want to highlight:

One.

Christopher Steele literally briefed the @nytimes on Russian involvement in the 2016 election two weeks before they ran this story. pic.twitter.com/7cqx0ZILE8

— Ruxypin (@SkeddyRuxypin) January 9, 2018

On October 31st, 2016, the @nytimes ran a manifestly false story to the effect that there was no Russian involvement seen in the Trump campaign by the FBI. This doused a developing attack narrative at a peak point in the election, and bolstered Donald Trump's denials.

Why? pic.twitter.com/0dawRvq3kj

— Ruxypin (@SkeddyRuxypin) January 9, 2018

Two.

2/When Steele met with FBI in Sept 2016, @FBI told him they had similar intelligence from “an internal Trump campaign source”, that is a “whistle-blower” inside Trump organization.

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 9, 2018

This is something about which the FBI should have informed U.S. voters. Concealing this information benefitted no one but Trump. https://t.co/4upezJA9gq

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) January 9, 2018

There has already been a lot of speculation about who the whistleblower inside the Trump organization could be.

I know y'all will probably doubt my instinct here, but I suspect the FBI's source inside the Trump campaign might be Mike Pence.

My speculative theory is that Pence, once he came aboard the Trump campaign, immediately saw evidence of their poorly concealed collusion with Russia and knew they would not get away with it. He also, however, knew that if he quit the campaign, his presidential ambitions were dead in the water. (Remember, he was about to lose the governorship in Indiana.) But he knew if he stayed with the campaign, he could go down with the rest of the rats.

So he decided to play both hands: Be Trump's running mate, and be Trump's betrayer. Trump would win unscathed, and take Pence one step closer to the presidency, or Trump would win (or lose) and find himself in the middle of an investigation, and Pence would feed the feds what they needed and take himself one step closer to the presidency.

If it were Pence, that would explain why there has been absolutely no indication that Bob Mueller is investigating Pence, and why Pence doesn't get but a passing mention in Michael Wolff's book.

Pence is not a patriot. He's just wildly ambitious — and undiluted conniving evil.

A guy who would do anything to be president. Including being Trump's veep. And possibly his foil.

Anyway. There is much to discuss. Have at it in comments!