Testimony of Trisha Anderson

The media outlet Epoch Times has received, exclusively, testimony from Page, Ohr, and other key players in what had been deemed as “Spygate”. The articles are long and detailed, often including direct testimony. Most people don’t have time to read to completion. I thought it might be nice to include a summary, here, on Trisha Anderson, as she is mostly unknown to us, but apparently, a key player. If you are interested in NEW and substantive, meat and potatoes, info on “Spygate”, it’s here.
Link to full article from Epoch Times
Each notation of “====” is my shorthand for lifted script from the article. Do not wish to plagiarize from Epoch Times, instead want to quote as specifically as possible. Anything in parenthesis () is my added script or summary.
==== Trisha Anderson was the No. 2 lawyer at the FBI’s Office of General Counsel. (She worked under Baker)
==== involved in virtually all of the significant events of the investigation.
==== one of only about 10 people who had known about the Trump–Russia investigation prior to its official opening.
==== read all of the FBI’s FD302 forms detailing information that the author of the Steele dossier, former British spy Christopher Steele, had provided to high-ranking Department of Justice (DOJ) official Bruce Ohr. (but only after the Permanent Select Comm focused on the 302’s – reasoning is unclear)
==== personally signed off on the original application for a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page without having read it. (Yates and Comey already signed it – unusual procedure)
==== part of a small group of FBI personnel who got to read then-FBI Director James Comey’s memos about conversations he had with President Donald Trump.
==== also was involved in the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton for sending classified information using a private server.
==== she received the original referral from the inspectors general for both the State Department and Intelligence Community on Clinton after hundreds of classified emails had been found on her server.
==== Anderson Reviewed the Ohr 302s (again, only after the 302’s became a focus of investigation by Perm Sel Comm)
==== During her testimony, Anderson highlighted the unusual nature of the Page FISA application process and the curious roles of McCabe and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who provided approvals of the Page FISA before normal FBI and DOJ approvals had been obtained
==== “We understood, because of who Carter Page was, that people would second-guess the appropriateness of submitting the FISA application, and so we were taking extra care with the application itself.”
Yet, at the same time, Anderson admitted that not only had she not read the original Page FISA application, but she was also unable to recall if she had read any of the Page FISA renewals.
==== Anderson Defines ‘Spy’…., referring back to the FBI’s use of Halper. (which she didn’t really consider a ‘spy’ in the Trump campaign, nor people like Halper).
==== involvement in matters relating to both the Clinton and Trump–Russia investigations exceeded what had been publicly known and appears to have been at a level comparable to that of her former boss, FBI General Counsel James Baker.
==== was briefed by FBI attorney Sally Moyer regarding the existence of potential evidence on the laptop of former Rep. Weiner
==== Oct. 27, 2016, (again on the Weiner laptop), “Mid-Year Exam,” briefed Comey for the first time of the existence of Clinton emails on Weiner’s laptop.
(Conflict in testimony between Comey, Baker, and Anderson as to whether Anderson raised the issue of ‘how’ to craft a statement to the public on the contents of the Weiner laptop, in late October 2016. Comey and Baker claim Anderson raised the issue it might help elect Donald Trump. Anderson claims she was worried about revealing anything publicly about a person who may not eventually be charged – Hillary – and whether it would sway the election. Anderson insists she never mentioned Donald Trump. Comey’s book/Baker’s testimony, conflict with Anderson.)
(Testimony on the Comey memos is interesting. FBI would not allow Anderson to testify about the memos, but did allow Page and Strvok to testify a month earlier.)
(Trisha Anderson was the first person notified by memo about Hillary’s email leak on June 29, 2015, and she was notified by the IG at State (under Kennedy) and the IG for IC. Trisha Anderson knew THEN, there were hundreds of classified emails on Hillary’s server. Formal referral from IC came on July 6, 2015, pursuant (possible violation of) to Intelligence Authorization Act.)
(Another name: Jeannette McMillan, counsel for the Intelligence Community IG’s office, was who Anderson talked with concerning the referral from IC.)
==== Anderson immediately “looped in” Sally Moyer, also known as FBI Attorney 1 in the DOJ inspector general’s June 2018 report. Ultimately, the IG referral was sent to Randy Coleman, then-head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. (investigation opened by FBI July 10, 2015)
==== (On Hillary’s use of private server) “So we all recognized from the outset that from a commonsense perspective from somebody who has worked—from the perspective of somebody who has worked in the government that it seemed like a pretty dumb thing to do.” (but they all agreed she should not be charged under gross negligence because of lack of intent)
(Interesting discussion on ‘conflict of interest’ at the DOJ and whether or not a Special Counsel should have been appointed for Hillary investigation. Anderson was questioned about an email chain she initiated. The ‘question’ about conflict of interest was researched by an intern, and Anderson could not remember details. Yet the IG report shows Anderson’s testimony conflicts with IG interview from ‘Lawyer #1, which was Sally Moyer. IMAGINE if a special counsel had been appointed for Hillary. Whoa.)
Loretta Lynch: Many questions about Loretta Lynch. Highly suggest anyone read the Epoch Times paragraphs on Loretta Lynch and Conflict of Interest near the end of the article. I’ll do my best to summarize here.
(Remember the classified index at the end of the OIG report? Remember the rumors of Loretta Lynch promising “to not allow the Clinton investigation to go too far”? Remember an alleged email about Loretta Lynch, but the media claimed it was a hoax, fake email, and was summarily dismissed? Well, Comey testified he thought the email was genuine but could not prove it AND the email is included in the classified appendix of the OIG Report to Congress – below is a summary of detail.)
In March of 2016, the issue of ‘conflict of interest’, about Loretta Lynch and all of DOJ, came up again, because the FBI received a RUSSIAN document in early 2016, according to Strzok’s testimony. The Russian doc referenced an email from Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC Chair, to Leonard Benardo, an official with the George Soros-funded group Open Society Foundations.
==== In the email, Wasserman Schultz reportedly claimed that former Attorney General Lynch had assured Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria that she wouldn’t allow the FBI investigation of Clinton to “go too far.” Comey later testified that he believed the document to be genuine but was unable to corroborate the information it contained.
From Sally Moyer, Attorney#1, we get an email, “All these ‘secret meetings’ that Trish and Jim are having regarding, MYE and [redacted] include George Toscas….” and “….  But why is George included and not our own people, especially when, if the reporting is true, there is a real conflict of interest?” (Meaning, if the Russian doc is legit, we have a conflict of interest for Lynch and possibly the whole of DOJ. Anderson confirmed the existence of the doc in the classified appendix as referring to the Lynch ‘matter’.)
==== Anderson described two meetings…, at the DOJ. The first…, occurred prior to the drafting of Comey’s exoneration letter of Clinton, included DOJ officials George Toscas and Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis. Attending from the FBI were McCabe; the assistant director for the cyber division, Jim Trainor; Comey’s chief of staff, James Rybicki; and Anderson. …..second meeting included Toscas, Yates, Assistant Attorney General John Carlin, and DOJ official Matt Axelrod, along with Anderson, McCabe, and Rybicki. Anderson testified that Trainor, who left the FBI in late October 2016, was gone (thus occurred after Oct/16).
(Anderson told Congress the Lynch info remains unverified – kind of like the dossier on President Trump.)
==== (The small group) Anderson said that she, Strzok, Lisa Page, McCabe, Comey, and Baker were all aware of the investigation prior to the 2016 election. Add to that list Bill Priestap, Jonathan Moffa, Moyer, Pientka, Ohr, and Rybicki and you have a list of 12 individuals, which fits fairly well with Anderson’s testimony.
==== Anderson disclosed that, technically, Page reported directly to her, but “the supervision was less clear. She reported directly to Andy McCabe as a result of the detail arrangement that we had entered into.” And …. she actually served in a detail capacity to support him when he was Executive Assistant Director overseeing the National Security Branch. (The title of Special Counsel was created for Lisa Page, apparently to get around Anderson, to get to McCabe, Strzok, and Baker.)
(Anderson was questioned by Congressman Baker if she knew of any animosity towards Lisa Page by Giacalone or Steinbach, who would have been leapfrogged in chain of command by Lisa Page. Anderson said neither came to her, specifically, but she was aware of their concerns.)
Trisha Anderson, Giacalone, Steinbach, Moyer, are mentioned, along with others, in “Q” post #2692, 2697, 2698. Q advises us, in post 2697, to track and follow Klinesmith, Gohar, Sally Moyer, Herring. Since Herring is the name of the AG in Virginia, I checked. Mark Herring is the Virginia AG and James Herring is the DOJ employee. Thus far, I cannot find a connection.
However………
In line with Aubergine’s fabulous reporting on Covington and Burling, LLP, it is interesting to note Trishia Anderson left DOJ and returned to work with Eric Holder…….. at Covington and Burling, LLP.
Guess what her specialty is now? I kid you not……. CFIUS clearances.
Background for Trisha Anderson: She clerked for Sutton, Court of Appeals in the 6th, and then clerked for Kagan at SCOTUS. There’s a weird 7 year absence not explained from the time she went from Sutton to Kagan. She graduated Harvard/Yale.