How is it that any one administration can appoint SO many people who face possible criminal investigation for possibly working as an agent for a foreign country?

In this nation, if one is a lobbyist – someone who approaches the government, be it for testimony or just negotiations on the behalf of some third party – one must register as one, and disclose for whom he or she works. If Exxon pays me $500K a year to lobby big oil rights, fine. I need to disclose that I advocate for Exxon. I can’t pretend that I am just a person who believes the economy works better with big oil doing great … I am not “disinterested,” so I tell people by registering.

(I am not a lobbyist, but just setting an example).

It is especially important when someone represents the interests of another government. Because it is not illegal for an American to lobby the interests of a foreign country, but one must disclose it. The reason it is  especially important for agents of foreign countries is that many people “advocating” for another country are not doing everything above board, some are outright spies. The line between advocacy, agent, spy, starts to get fuzzy, and the registration is critical.

Starting with Manafort, Trump has consistently appointed people who have acted in other countries’ interests, and those other countries are never “Sweden,” or “Germany,” or “Canada,” those countries are always sort of sketchy countries like Russia, Ukraine … it always seems to end-up back in Eastern Europe, does it not?

Have some of this about Grenell, the proposed DNI:

“Now that promotion is drawing fresh scrutiny to Grenell’s past, including his foreign affairs commentary and consulting work after he served as U.S. spokesman at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. His work for the Hungarian-funded nonprofit is the type of activity that, in other cases, has drawn the attention of Justice Department investigators tasked with enforcing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), according to two lawyers who specialize in that law,” The Post explained. “There is no indication that the Justice Department is looking into Grenell’s activities.”

Yes, that is consistent, “Hungary” is not that different than Ukraine. Putin has an interest. Here, it’s even worse:

“Grenell’s public relations firm was paid to do work for a U.S. nonprofit funded almost entirely by the Hungarian government led by far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”

Birds of a feather.

Grand finale:

“Grenell’s firm, Capitol Media Partners, worked for a range of clients, according to Grenell’s public financial disclosures, including law firms, advocacy organizations on anti-tax and gun rights issues, energy companies and celebrities including Kate del Castillo, an actress perhaps best known as the ex-girlfriend of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the drug of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the drug kingpin. Grenell also represented people based in countries such as Iran, Kazakhstan, Somalia and China, according to an archived version of his personal website.”

Oh great.

This is the guy who is going to handle – if he makes it to the “Acting” part – the most sensitive intelligence that our country possesses.

My prediction is that no, he will not, actually, handle the most sensitive stuff our country possesses. My prediction is that the career professionals in the CIA, FBI, NSA, etc. understand that they are now in a somewhat hostile relationship with Trump. My prediction is that they know there is a ton of seriously concerning stuff in Trump & Co.’s relationships with Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Eastern Europe. Because Trump has such sketchy stuff, because Grenell has such sketchy stuff, not “all” intelligence will get to Trump’s “acting director” because the intel community fears it will get to those nations.

It is just our new reality.

It is not that the “deep state” (career government officials, those people who make the United States “work”) went to war with Trump, it is that Trump and Bannon declared the “deep state” to be their enemy from the very beginning.

Trump and Bannon knew they wanted an authoritarian presidency here in the United States, and it couldn’t happen with career people who could call out what Trump was doing. Trump is down to some of his last moves against that “deep state” he wars against, and he’s done it by putting his agent in the top position as a shield, and sounding board, a conspirator.

Turns out that “conspirator” has sketchy relationships with sketchy foreign governments. What. Are. The. Odds. Just like Manafort, Flynn, even Sessions, and others, this guy has relationships with Eastern Europe, and right-wing fascism.

End game, happening now. Which is why there are people in DC pushing back, looking at his relationships. We need to pay attention.

****

Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom