Is the FBI Setting Up the ‘One Bad Apple’ Defense?

 

Via Instapundit I just saw this news piece.

Former Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Tim Thibault was reportedly escorted out of the Bureau’s headquarters on Friday, amid whistleblower allegations that he showed political bias in his handling of politically sensitive investigations.

The Washington Times reported eyewitness accounts that “Mr. Thibault was seen exiting the bureau’s elevator last Friday escorted by two or three ‘headquarters-looking types.’”

Whistleblowers alleged that Thibault concealed the partisan nature of evidence from FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to secure their approval to open an investigation into former President Donald Trump. That investigation culminated in the FBI’s raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month.

It strains credulity that Wray and Garland, never mind Comey, et al., didn’t know what was going on.  Nevertheless, if true, this event suggests they think they’ve found a way to “credibly” attempt to pin it all on one “one bad apple”.  Or at least enough Kabuki to give a fig leaf to the Dem-Press’ attempt to defuse the 50%+ of the electorate that now believes the FBI is a partisan actor for the DC Democrats.  SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

What do you think?

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  1. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon.  It’s a shame.  He has so much to offer.

    • #31
  2. Boney Cole Member
    Boney Cole
    @BoneyCole

    EODmom (View Comment):

    Terry Mott (View Comment):

    No Caesar:

    It strains credulity that Wray and Garland, never mind Comey et al, didn’t know what was going on.

    Either they knew, or they are incredibly incompetent.

    They knew.

    Always remember, when Mueller was asked about the Steele report, he claimed not to know about it, before Congress!!!!!!  Comey testified that he “didn’t remember” over a hundred times about stuff he “investigated”.  They have no shame. 

    • #32
  3. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Boney Cole (View Comment):

    Always remember, when Mueller was asked about the Steele report, he claimed not to know about it, before Congress!!!!!! Comey testified that he “didn’t remember” over a hundred times about stuff he “investigated”. They have no shame.

    Who can bring charges against the DOJ itself?

     

    • #33
  4. Roderic Coolidge
    Roderic
    @rhfabian

    I don’t think this guy acted without the approval of FBI senior leadership.  

    • #34
  5. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

    Nailed it.  The mission was accomplished.  It was so overt that some blowback was inevitable.  Just the one guy is a low, acceptable casualty rate.  And being out of government service, it is now a little tougher to drag him in front of an oversight committee.

    The sick thing about the FBI is that they are increasingly committed to partisanship because they believe they cannot afford to be held accountable for past partisan malfeasance.  Unless there is mass decapitation (with pain, criminal charges, and loss of future income)  based on whistleblower revelations, this will persist out of perceived necessity and survival.

    • #35
  6. No Caesar Thatcher
    No Caesar
    @NoCaesar

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I’m sorry to say I’m leaning that way too.  I still find him to be a useful perspective, but now filtered a bit differently…

    • #36
  7. No Caesar Thatcher
    No Caesar
    @NoCaesar

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

    Nailed it. The mission was accomplished. It was so overt that some blowback was inevitable. Just the one guy is a low, acceptable casualty rate. And being out of government service, it is now a little tougher to drag him in front of an oversight committee.

    The sick thing about the FBI is that they are increasingly committed to partisanship because they believe they cannot afford to be held accountable for past partisan malfeasance. Unless there is mass decapitation (with pain, criminal charges, and loss of future income) based on whistleblower revelations, this will persist out of perceived necessity and survival.

    Yes.  They are well past the Rubicon.  They’ve burned their boats on the other shore.  However, I suspect that in their bubble they thought they were still approaching the near side of the river bank.  I doubt very much that they had the perspective to appreciate where they were on the continuum.  After all everyone in their social orbit is convinced that “right-wing insurrectionists” have penetrated the government in many different cells.  I mean that last part literally, it is a sincere belief.  I know for a fact that there is still a panic in the Democrat/DC complex that there really are “enemies of the republic” littered throughout the government.

    They believe it.  Believe me.  I’ve talked to people from there.  It’s very eye opening.   I just think to myself, if only…

    • #37
  8. WillowSpring Member
    WillowSpring
    @WillowSpring

    I agree with Dan Bongino today, saying that we need to stop thinking of “rotten” apples and think instead of “rotten orchards”

     

    • #38
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I guess I have less tolerance for that, I figure he pretty much beclowned himself some time ago.

    • #39
  10. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I guess I have less tolerance for that, I figure he pretty much beclowned himself some time ago.

    Let me break this self-reinforcing cycle and say that I find Andy McCarthy very much worth following.

    Yes, he was slow to comprehend just how partisan and corrupt the FBI leadership has become in the years since he last dealt with them personally, but that serves to make it harder for the Left to dismiss him as a fringe crackpot.

    • #40
  11. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Taras (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I guess I have less tolerance for that, I figure he pretty much beclowned himself some time ago.

    Let me break this self-reinforcing cycle and say that I find Andy McCarthy very much worth following.

    Yes, he was slow to comprehend just how partisan and corrupt the FBI leadership has become in the years since he last dealt with them personally, but that serves to make it harder for the Left to dismiss him as a fringe crackpot.

    WAS slow?  He still IS slow.  He seems to revert after every event that proves him wrong.

    • #41
  12. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Taras (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I guess I have less tolerance for that, I figure he pretty much beclowned himself some time ago.

    Let me break this self-reinforcing cycle and say that I find Andy McCarthy very much worth following.

    Yes, he was slow to comprehend just how partisan and corrupt the FBI leadership has become in the years since he last dealt with them personally, but that serves to make it harder for the Left to dismiss him as a fringe crackpot.

    WAS slow? He still IS slow. He seems to revert after every event that proves him wrong.

    From today’s article in National Review titled “Justice Department Bulldozes Court on Trump Privilege Claims,” Andy McCarthy sums it up as:

    “Again, I don’t think the Justice Department intends to prosecute Trump on classified information and records-retention offenses. I think the government just wanted its documents back — to restore order, to conduct a damage assessment regarding any national-security compromises, and to assess whether any documents bear on the DOJ’s January 6 investigation.”

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.”  They are not doing any politically motivated stunts.  Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    • #42
  13. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Taras (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And what’s the over/under that Andy McCarthy will fall for this, again?

    McCarthy is gradually becoming a buffoon. It’s a shame. He has so much to offer.

    I guess I have less tolerance for that, I figure he pretty much beclowned himself some time ago.

    Let me break this self-reinforcing cycle and say that I find Andy McCarthy very much worth following.

    Yes, he was slow to comprehend just how partisan and corrupt the FBI leadership has become in the years since he last dealt with them personally, but that serves to make it harder for the Left to dismiss him as a fringe crackpot.

    WAS slow? He still IS slow. He seems to revert after every event that proves him wrong.

    From today’s article in National Review titled “Justice Department Bulldozes Court on Trump Privilege Claims,” Andy McCarthy sums it up as:

    “Again, I don’t think the Justice Department intends to prosecute Trump on classified information and records-retention offenses. I think the government just wanted its documents back — to restore order, to conduct a damage assessment regarding any national-security compromises, and to assess whether any documents bear on the DOJ’s January 6 investigation.”

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.” They are not doing any politically motivated stunts. Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    Because they did such a great job of that with the Clintons, and Obama, and now Biden…

    And, of course, “please clap.”  For the rock-ribbed patriots of the FBI/DOJ/etc.

    • #43
  14. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    From today’s article in National Review titled “Justice Department Bulldozes Court on Trump Privilege Claims,” Andy McCarthy sums it up as:

    “Again, I don’t think the Justice Department intends to prosecute Trump on classified information and records-retention offenses. I think the government just wanted its documents back — to restore order, to conduct a damage assessment regarding any national-security compromises, and to assess whether any documents bear on the DOJ’s January 6 investigation.”

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.” They are not doing any politically motivated stunts. Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    As a dog returns to its vomit . . .

    • #44
  15. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    From today’s article in National Review titled “Justice Department Bulldozes Court on Trump Privilege Claims,” Andy McCarthy sums it up as:

    “Again, I don’t think the Justice Department intends to prosecute Trump on classified information and records-retention offenses. I think the government just wanted its documents back — to restore order, to conduct a damage assessment regarding any national-security compromises, and to assess whether any documents bear on the DOJ’s January 6 investigation.”

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.” They are not doing any politically motivated stunts. Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    As a dog returns to its vomit . . .

    I like that one!………………still laughing…………….

    • #45
  16. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    From today’s article in National Review titled “Justice Department Bulldozes Court on Trump Privilege Claims,” Andy McCarthy sums it up as:

    “Again, I don’t think the Justice Department intends to prosecute Trump on classified information and records-retention offenses. I think the government just wanted its documents back — to restore order, to conduct a damage assessment regarding any national-security compromises, and to assess whether any documents bear on the DOJ’s January 6 investigation.”

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.” They are not doing any politically motivated stunts. Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    As a dog returns to its vomit . . .

    And the Sow returns to her Mire . . .

    • #46
  17. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Terry Mott (View Comment):

    Django (View Comment):

    It is possible that their polling tells them they shouldn’t have staged a so obviously political raid. They have to find cover somewhere. How close was this loser to retirement anyway? He may have volunteered to take the heat.

    I’d guess that they convinced themselves that they’d find a proverbial smoking gun during the raid that would justify the brazenly political aspect of it. Once they had all the documents, oops. Nothing here.

    Now they’re panicking. They’ve trashed the already-tattered reputation of the DOJ and have nothing to show for it. Time to find a scapegoat. Thibault was probably the guy who put together the case that they were basing their delusions on, so he gets sacrificed.

    If this shakes out how it seems to be, I fully expect an eventual speech from Garland taking full responsibility while not actually taking any responsibility, like Janet Reno did after Waco.

    Mistakes were made. 

    • #47
  18. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    No Caesar (View Comment):

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

    Nailed it. The mission was accomplished. It was so overt that some blowback was inevitable. Just the one guy is a low, acceptable casualty rate. And being out of government service, it is now a little tougher to drag him in front of an oversight committee.

    The sick thing about the FBI is that they are increasingly committed to partisanship because they believe they cannot afford to be held accountable for past partisan malfeasance. Unless there is mass decapitation (with pain, criminal charges, and loss of future income) based on whistleblower revelations, this will persist out of perceived necessity and survival.

    Yes. They are well past the Rubicon. They’ve burned their boats on the other shore. However, I suspect that in their bubble they thought they were still approaching the near side of the river bank. I doubt very much that they had the perspective to appreciate where they were on the continuum. After all everyone in their social orbit is convinced that “right-wing insurrectionists” have penetrated the government in many different cells. I mean that last part literally, it is a sincere belief. I know for a fact that there is still a panic in the Democrat/DC complex that there really are “enemies of the republic” littered throughout the government.

    They believe it. Believe me. I’ve talked to people from there. It’s very eye opening. I just think to myself, if only…

    If these folks are looking for “enemies of the republic” I suggest that they first look into the mirror. 

    • #48
  19. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Django (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    So McCarthy is back to “the Justice Department just wants to restore order and safeguard our national security concerns.” They are not doing any politically motivated stunts. Nothing to see here, now move along please.

    As a dog returns to its vomit . . .

    And the Sow returns to her Mire . . .

    And the burnt fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the fire . . .

    • #49
  20. No Caesar Thatcher
    No Caesar
    @NoCaesar

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    No Caesar (View Comment):

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

    Nailed it. The mission was accomplished. It was so overt that some blowback was inevitable. Just the one guy is a low, acceptable casualty rate. And being out of government service, it is now a little tougher to drag him in front of an oversight committee.

    The sick thing about the FBI is that they are increasingly committed to partisanship because they believe they cannot afford to be held accountable for past partisan malfeasance. Unless there is mass decapitation (with pain, criminal charges, and loss of future income) based on whistleblower revelations, this will persist out of perceived necessity and survival.

    Yes. They are well past the Rubicon. They’ve burned their boats on the other shore. However, I suspect that in their bubble they thought they were still approaching the near side of the river bank. I doubt very much that they had the perspective to appreciate where they were on the continuum. After all everyone in their social orbit is convinced that “right-wing insurrectionists” have penetrated the government in many different cells. I mean that last part literally, it is a sincere belief. I know for a fact that there is still a panic in the Democrat/DC complex that there really are “enemies of the republic” littered throughout the government.

    They believe it. Believe me. I’ve talked to people from there. It’s very eye opening. I just think to myself, if only…

    If these folks are looking for “enemies of the republic” I suggest that they first look into the mirror.

    Yes, agreed.  But the point is a substantial number have convinced themselves they are saving the Republic.  It’s true, many are cynical Leftists exploiting things, but an awful lot of the DC complex just think they’re regular people manning the barricades.  I’m not justifying them, my point is that to combat them we must understand how they think.  Victory comes from knowing yourself and your enemy better than they know themselves.

    • #50
  21. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    No Caesar (View Comment):

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    No Caesar (View Comment):

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    SA Thibault takes one for the team and gets his retirement.

    Nailed it. The mission was accomplished. It was so overt that some blowback was inevitable. Just the one guy is a low, acceptable casualty rate. And being out of government service, it is now a little tougher to drag him in front of an oversight committee.

    The sick thing about the FBI is that they are increasingly committed to partisanship because they believe they cannot afford to be held accountable for past partisan malfeasance. Unless there is mass decapitation (with pain, criminal charges, and loss of future income) based on whistleblower revelations, this will persist out of perceived necessity and survival.

    Yes. They are well past the Rubicon. They’ve burned their boats on the other shore. However, I suspect that in their bubble they thought they were still approaching the near side of the river bank. I doubt very much that they had the perspective to appreciate where they were on the continuum. After all everyone in their social orbit is convinced that “right-wing insurrectionists” have penetrated the government in many different cells. I mean that last part literally, it is a sincere belief. I know for a fact that there is still a panic in the Democrat/DC complex that there really are “enemies of the republic” littered throughout the government.

    They believe it. Believe me. I’ve talked to people from there. It’s very eye opening. I just think to myself, if only…

    If these folks are looking for “enemies of the republic” I suggest that they first look into the mirror.

    Yes, agreed. But the point is a substantial number have convinced themselves they are saving the Republic. It’s true, many are cynical Leftists exploiting things, but an awful lot of the DC complex just think they’re regular people manning the barricades. I’m not justifying them, my point is that to combat them we must understand how they think. Victory comes from knowing yourself and your enemy better than they know themselves.

    We need to know enough to understand why they need to be defeated, and maybe get some ideas on how.  But not to try and convince to change their tiny little minds, cuz it’s likely impossible.

    • #51
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