The Republican lawmakers seem to be planning to use the old legal strategy of TODDI to defend Donald Trump against allegations of conspiring with Russia to win the 2016 election. Specifically, their plan is to argue that Hillary Clinton hired Fusion GPS to obtain information on Trump’s business affairs in Russia. Fusion GPS, in turn, hired the former U.K. spy, Christopher Steele, who then prepared and delivered a dossier to the FBI. Thus, it wasn’t Trump; it was that other dude: Hillary.
Senator Dianne Feinstein damaged the Republican TODDI defense. After it was clear that the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley reneged on his promise to release the testimony of GPS Fusion owner, Glenn R. Simpson, Feinstein released it on her own. The testimony showed Republicans asking questions designed to support their TODDI narrative. Simpson’s answers refuted the Republican portrayal of him as a Democratic hitman who would concoct a story for money. In his testimony, both GPS Fusion and Steele appear to have professionally and legally gathered information, and honorably reported possible threats to the United States to the FBI. The GOP and Trump campaign both look selfish and unpatriotic in comparison.
Along with TODDI, the President’s defenders are claiming that those investigating Trump are so corrupt that any evidence of wrongdoing uncovered must be disqualified. His minion, Representative Devin Nunes, orchestrated a memo alleging that the information used by the FBI to obtain a secret wiretapping (FISA) warrant was from a biased source—the Steel dossier. And, as a result, the FBI managers who requested the warrant must be so dishonest, they cannot investigate Trump. In fact, the information used to obtain the warrant did not come solely from the Steel dossier. Moreover, the court was told that the warrant was biased, as are most sources used to obtain warrants.
Nonetheless, Republicans continue to stake their survival on the TODDI and corrupt investigators defenses. After all, it may be the only defense they have.
Senator Dianne Feinstein damaged the Republican TODDI defense. After it was clear that the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley reneged on his promise to release the testimony of GPS Fusion owner, Glenn R. Simpson, Feinstein released it on her own. The testimony showed Republicans asking questions designed to support their TODDI narrative. Simpson’s answers refuted the Republican portrayal of him as a Democratic hitman who would concoct a story for money. In his testimony, both GPS Fusion and Steele appear to have professionally and legally gathered information, and honorably reported possible threats to the United States to the FBI. The GOP and Trump campaign both look selfish and unpatriotic in comparison.
Along with TODDI, the President’s defenders are claiming that those investigating Trump are so corrupt that any evidence of wrongdoing uncovered must be disqualified. His minion, Representative Devin Nunes, orchestrated a memo alleging that the information used by the FBI to obtain a secret wiretapping (FISA) warrant was from a biased source—the Steel dossier. And, as a result, the FBI managers who requested the warrant must be so dishonest, they cannot investigate Trump. In fact, the information used to obtain the warrant did not come solely from the Steel dossier. Moreover, the court was told that the warrant was biased, as are most sources used to obtain warrants.
Nonetheless, Republicans continue to stake their survival on the TODDI and corrupt investigators defenses. After all, it may be the only defense they have.