This Time Around

by Daniel Gardner, Special to the Gazette

On May 21, 2023, I wrote a column titled “Corruption is not a crime under THE LAW.” Special Counsel John H. Durham had submitted “Report on Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns” the week before. I had read the entire report and believed it settled all the hoopla over “Crossfire Hurricane” aka “Russia, Russia, Russia.” Durham’s report did not find any actionable facts that would hold anyone accountable for any of the shenanigans by any of the parties involved.

Fast forward to last week. On July 18, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released a report charging high level officials in the Obama administration, particularly in the Intelligence Community had committed treason. Her report included newly declassified documents, assessments, and internal memos that document “conspiracy to manipulate intelligence” to reverse results of the 2016 election and to destroy President Trump.

Boldly, DNI Gabbard named those involved in treason: Obama, Brennan, Clapper, and Comey. Gabbard has made herself a target for the Deep State and legacy media and delivered the documents to the Department of Justice. We will learn sooner rather than later whether Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel will take the football Gabbard has handed to them and run the distance for the win.

Moreover, Gabbard not only declassified 124 pages of documents but also posted them online for everyone to see. Brilliant! We can all read for ourselves online how senior members of the Obama administration, including Obama himself orchestrated a treasonous coup. Wow! That move alone has undercut big media’s management of the message and narrative.

DNI Gabbard is the first in her position to accuse former intelligence leaders publicly of a conspiracy. She’s also the first to declassify internal Intelligence Community assessments, memos, and emails while referring all the documentation to the DOJ for further investigation. It’s all out there now. Documents show then-President Barack Obama manipulated intelligence. DNI Gabbard declassified documents showing how classification itself was weaponized to create false public certainty of “facts.” And, that Trump “insurrection” narrative is laid bare with internal evidence that intelligence agencies planned it and orchestrated all of it.

Who in the world will believe all this corrupt collaboration? We’ve had hope before that the truth would come out. But surely nobody can charge a former president in a court of law, can they? Who could imagine anyone making up treasonous conspiracy theories against one or six or even a bunch of administration officials? What are the penalties for convictions of such crimes? Where is that auto-signature device?

Maybe this time is different. Maybe there are other documents and insiders that can disprove all the charges. Maybe it really is the Russians, Chinese, or Iranians who have hacked all the real documents, or just made-up preposterous memos. We can go back to the way it’s always been. Nobody will get hurt.

Americans and the world are likely to learn more about how Washington works. You can be sure it’s a lot uglier than watching sausage being made. How many connections does it take to scam the American people? Will AI take over after the dust settles? How much does it cost to rig an election? Who has that kind of money and influence this time around? Page A2 Thursday, July 24, 2025 MAGNOLIA GAZETTE