Caricature by DonkeyHotey flic.kr/p/Ct4G4K https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Yesterday, we got a hilariously bad piece from Fusion GPS’s number one reporter. I say that with the admission that Ken Dilanian might still be fighting for the title but I think Bertrand has him beat lately. It’s like the Cuomo brothers. Andrew is bad, but come on, we all know Fredo is the dumber one.

This is the second clearly telegraphed Fusion GPS propaganda piece Bertrand has pushed out in as many weeks.

NEW: Sources believe John Brennan is a focus of the Barr/Durham probe, and Trump has called privately for investigating Brennan—putting his personal "obsession" w/the former CIA director on a collision course with the Justice Department's inquiry. https://t.co/9B1WPXK68l — Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) October 22, 2019

RedState’s Sarah Lee first covered it yesterday, focusing on the ridiculous notion that Brennan is just an innocent bystander, being targeted by an obsessed President. I mean, it’s not like Brennan was at the genesis of the Russia probe, lied about his knowledge on national TV, and spent the last three years ranting hysterically about Trump being a traitor. I can’t imagine why John Durham might be looking into this guy.

Politico even suggested that the focus on Brennan was somehow an offshoot of the Trump administration’s “blurring” of the lines between politics and law enforcement.

There’s so much projection in this article, i.e. accusing the DOJ and Trump of doing things the Democrats already did in the later stages of the Obama administration and throughout the Mueller probe. Bertrand either has no self-awareness or she just doesn’t care. Probably the latter.

But I want to focus on two key details she completely whiffed on because they kind of matter. At one point, Bertrand makes this claim.

Brennan allies and skeptics of the Durham investigation note that the CIA played no role in the probe involving Americans, and was narrowly focused on determining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motivations and how the Kremlin was carrying out its election attack in 2016.

You know who that’s news to? John Brennan.

Brennan admitted in open testimony that he was looking into “US persons.” Further, we know Brennan was at the genesis of the entire Russia probe, including helping kickstart it within the Obama administration. He was doing all this while CIA Director, an agency that is expressly forbidden from targeting Americans. Further, there’s plenty of reason to suspect that the CIA had a hand in the now proven action of running assets against several Trump campaign associates.

You can read a deeper dive into Joseph Misfud’s probable CIA ties in this article. There’s a reason the media who’ve been toeing the line for Brennan are now in panic mode.

A Reuters reporter sent a nasty email about TWT to a source I used to understand Joseph Mifsud. I write about Mifsud now because John Durham is also trying to understand who he is. The liberal media hates the Russia-origins Durham probe. email and reply. pic.twitter.com/9NBw8aQbaX — Rowan Scarborough (@RoScarborough) October 21, 2019

Bertrand didn’t stop there though. She then made another unbelievably false claim in an attempt to try to paint Republicans as pushing conspiracy theories.

Asked for comment, White House deputy press Secretary Hogan Gidley said: “John Brennan lied before Congress when he got caught spying on American citizens and lied about having Russian collusion evidence that never existed. The only way I’ve ever heard anyone in the White House mention him is as a punchline.” It’s not clear what Gidley was referring to—Brennan has not been accused of lying to Congress.

Few reporters on the collusion beat are as shameless as @NatashaBertrand, whose reputation for copying-and-pasting inane Fusion GPS conspiracy theories is legendary. But even for her, this claim about John Brennan, who lied to Congress about spying on Congress, is special. pic.twitter.com/LJjCEntb4b — Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 22, 2019

A quick google search would have shown Bertrand how laughably wrong that claim is, but apparently she doesn’t even bother to fact-check whatever Glenn Simpson is shoveling her on any given day. Brennan was not only accused of lying to Congress about spying on Senate members; he ended up admitting it.

This kind of nonsense is treated as “journalism” within the mainstream. At first, I figured she just wanted “scoops” to elevate her career. Now, I wonder if Fusion GPS isn’t paying her directly. Anytime there’s any possible damaging information on the horizon for Brennan, the Russia Probe, etc. Bertrand is always there to spout the talking points of the other side. She does so uncritically, and as I’ve shown here, often falsely.

John Brennan is nervous. It’s obvious and no amount of Politico articles from friendly reporters is going to change the facts on the ground. We were told for years that if someone has nothing to hide, they should welcome an investigation. Well, here’s Brennan’s chance to be consistent.

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