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It’s funny how they are bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low and now FBI (if it wasn’t after the whole Peter Strozk incident) is seen

It’s funny how they are bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low and now FBI (if it wasn’t after the whole Peter Strozk incident) is seen as a political operative for ruling elites in Washington.

JumpCrisscross 4y ago
> how they are bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low The FBI agent is pleading guilty. These wheels have long been turning. The only part relevant to the present situation is the editorial discretion and social amplification putting an…ABC 7 KATV? Yes, that article on the HN front page. It’s topical, it gets clicks, it gets upvotes.
- mercy_dude 4y ago
  What’s your point though? That the publicizing of these charges are happening at a politically convenient time?
  - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
    > publicizing of these charges are happening at a politically convenient time? It’s gaining attention because of the zeitgeist.
stevehawk 4y ago
What's funny is how one political party thinks the FBI is acting politically right now but argued otherwise 1 President ago. Turns out people just hate it when the law comes for them.
- willis936 4y ago
  In my view they really were acting politically one president ago. Just read the wikipedia on James Comey. It's pretty difficult to argue that he wasn't using his position for a political agenda with every action while the Director of the FBI.
  - 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
    For those not in the know- James Comey told Congress about Hillary Clinton's emails mere days before the election. I think that it would have looked political if they withheld until after the election too. The less political move is to treat the emails no different than anything else.
    - willis936 4y ago
      If anyone reads this comment: read the wikipedia as well. It is much less deceitful.
      - lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 4y ago
        To the point of > treat the emails no different than anything else It seems that did not happen[0] (emphasis mine): > On October 26, 2016, two weeks before the presidential election, Comey learned that FBI agents investigating an unrelated case involving former congressman Anthony Weiner had discovered emails on Weiner's computer between his wife, Huma Abedin, and Hillary Clinton. Claiming he believed it would take months to review Weiner's emails, Comey decided he had to inform Congress that the investigation was being reopened due to new information. Justice Department lawyers warned him that giving out public information about an investigation was inconsistent with department policy, but he considered the policy to be "guidance" rather than an ironclad rule. He decided that to not reveal the new information would be misleading to Congress and the public. On October 28, Comey sent a letter to members of Congress advising them that the FBI was reviewing more emails. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey#Release_of_information_about_the_investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey#Release_of_informa...
- aftbit 4y ago
  When has the FBI _not_ been acting politically? At least by the time of J Edgar Hoover, it was a strong arm to enforce the political goals of the administration. Robert Mueller and James Comey continued this tradition albeit with a bit less personal gusto.
upupandup 4y ago
> bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low and now FBI Citations please. Weird that you would say this like a fact, it really isn't the case. It is a smaller proportion of the population that is trying to cast doubt and trying to normalize this suspicion.
joering2 4y ago
I think you meant Strzok, NOT Strozk. Did you read his book? Actually great read. Dude, like anyone else had his own opinions, unless you believe FBI agent are cyborgs and have no right to be humans, have their own personal opinions, etc. and was sharing it with his private connections. He was on a power trip but there was no power that he could actually use to corrupt. Hence, even if he said he will stop Trump for winning, as you know - he did not do so, because he way just showing off. I'm not defending him as a decent FBI agent, seems he was not, but also his position like many other people (Clinton, Soros, etc) has been blown out of proportion by Maga/Alt-right.
ncmncm 4y ago
The FBI was a political dirty tricks agency from its first days. J E Hoover kept dossiers on all public officials to use coercing them. First priority was always getting coninued funding and absolute autonomy for the FBI and Hoover. But next in priority was whatever the hell Hoover wanted. He may have taken his dossiers to the grave; there is no way to know. But they certainly still keep them. The FBI forensic lab for its whole existence went out of their way to falsify testimony on samples they were sent, implicating or exonerating according to what whoever sent them wanted. Their "most-wanted list" was always a political PR instrument: they put on it whoever they were about to arrest, just so they would seem successful, effective, and deserving of increased funding. Now whoever runs it inherits all their institutional power.

JumpCrisscross 4y ago

> how they are bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low The FBI agent is pleading guilty. These wheels have long been turning. The only part relevant to the present situation is the editorial discretion and social amplification putting an…ABC 7 KATV? Yes, that article on the HN front page. It’s topical, it gets clicks, it gets upvotes.

mercy_dude 4y ago
What’s your point though? That the publicizing of these charges are happening at a politically convenient time?
- JumpCrisscross 4y ago
  > publicizing of these charges are happening at a politically convenient time? It’s gaining attention because of the zeitgeist.

stevehawk 4y ago

What's funny is how one political party thinks the FBI is acting politically right now but argued otherwise 1 President ago. Turns out people just hate it when the law comes for them.

willis936 4y ago
In my view they really were acting politically one president ago. Just read the wikipedia on James Comey. It's pretty difficult to argue that he wasn't using his position for a political agenda with every action while the Director of the FBI.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
  For those not in the know- James Comey told Congress about Hillary Clinton's emails mere days before the election. I think that it would have looked political if they withheld until after the election too. The less political move is to treat the emails no different than anything else.
  - willis936 4y ago
    If anyone reads this comment: read the wikipedia as well. It is much less deceitful.
    - lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 4y ago
      To the point of > treat the emails no different than anything else It seems that did not happen[0] (emphasis mine): > On October 26, 2016, two weeks before the presidential election, Comey learned that FBI agents investigating an unrelated case involving former congressman Anthony Weiner had discovered emails on Weiner's computer between his wife, Huma Abedin, and Hillary Clinton. Claiming he believed it would take months to review Weiner's emails, Comey decided he had to inform Congress that the investigation was being reopened due to new information. Justice Department lawyers warned him that giving out public information about an investigation was inconsistent with department policy, but he considered the policy to be "guidance" rather than an ironclad rule. He decided that to not reveal the new information would be misleading to Congress and the public. On October 28, Comey sent a letter to members of Congress advising them that the FBI was reviewing more emails. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey#Release_of_information_about_the_investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey#Release_of_informa...
aftbit 4y ago
When has the FBI _not_ been acting politically? At least by the time of J Edgar Hoover, it was a strong arm to enforce the political goals of the administration. Robert Mueller and James Comey continued this tradition albeit with a bit less personal gusto.

upupandup 4y ago

> bringing these charges when the trust in FBI is an all time low and now FBI Citations please. Weird that you would say this like a fact, it really isn't the case. It is a smaller proportion of the population that is trying to cast doubt and trying to normalize this suspicion.

joering2 4y ago

I think you meant Strzok, NOT Strozk. Did you read his book? Actually great read. Dude, like anyone else had his own opinions, unless you believe FBI agent are cyborgs and have no right to be humans, have their own personal opinions, etc. and was sharing it with his private connections. He was on a power trip but there was no power that he could actually use to corrupt. Hence, even if he said he will stop Trump for winning, as you know - he did not do so, because he way just showing off. I'm not defending him as a decent FBI agent, seems he was not, but also his position like many other people (Clinton, Soros, etc) has been blown out of proportion by Maga/Alt-right.

ncmncm 4y ago

The FBI was a political dirty tricks agency from its first days. J E Hoover kept dossiers on all public officials to use coercing them. First priority was always getting coninued funding and absolute autonomy for the FBI and Hoover. But next in priority was whatever the hell Hoover wanted. He may have taken his dossiers to the grave; there is no way to know. But they certainly still keep them. The FBI forensic lab for its whole existence went out of their way to falsify testimony on samples they were sent, implicating or exonerating according to what whoever sent them wanted. Their "most-wanted list" was always a political PR instrument: they put on it whoever they were about to arrest, just so they would seem successful, effective, and deserving of increased funding. Now whoever runs it inherits all their institutional power.