Within recently released transcripts of documents by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham there is a deposition by FBI Supervisory Special Agent 1, Joseph Pientka.
SSA Pientka has always been a little bit of an enigma because his name, exclusively, has been redacted from every official government document within the full investigation of DOJ and FBI misconduct. Even in tangential court documents (Flynn), related to Joseph Pientka and Peter Strzok’s investigative collaboration, Pientka is ALWAYS redacted from everything. The system in DC essentially ‘ghosted’ him in all things. Now, the nature of that motive is surfacing.
If the recent Senate transcripts are an indication of SSA Pientka’s side of the stories, it would appear the testimony and truthfulness of Pientka’s statements would be adverse to the interests of EVERYONE who framed the Trump-Russia narrative.
Within his testimony; and if we accept it is likely consistent with internal investigative statements to the IG and others; it appears Pientka realized the activity of the FBI was intentionally taken to hide the truth of how intelligence was weaponized against the Trump administration.
Joseph Pientka wanted to investigate Chris Steele in November of 2016 because he knew something was sketchy. Following the use of Chris Steele to get the FISA warrant on Carter Page -and by extension the Trump administration- Pientka wanted to explore the motives of Steele and the contacts he was using to push his narrative. That’s where FBI Director of Counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, steps in and stops Pientka.
“I recognized the significance of his reporting, the use in a FISA application. I had questions about our intel validation was ongoing in the Counterintelligence Division, and all of that contributed to my professional disagreement.”
[…] “My request was to the FBI director of intelligence for them to do what is considered an enhanced validation review, something outside and independent of the Counterintelligence Division.”
Pientka said that he was told that the enhanced review was “turned off” at Priestap’s direction, which led him to request a transfer off of the Crossfire Hurricane team.
“I had a professional disagreement with stopping the enhanced validation review,” Pientka said.
“This was a concern that you were so passionate about that it made you terminate your association with the case, the team, and go back to the Washington Field Office?” a Senate staffer asked Pientka.
“It was,” he replied. [Daily Caller, Chuck Ross]
Pientka wanted to explore the motives of Steele and the contacts he was using to push his narrative. FBI Director of Counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, steps-in and stops Pientka.
Bill Priestap did not want SSA Pientka to do a deep dive on Steele’s objectives, and as a result Pientka asked to leave the Trump-Russia investigation. Quite simply Pientka didn’t want anything to do with it… or what the FBI “Crossfire Hurricane” team was doing…
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