This week, the F.B.I. is at the center of much drama, while we get real sick of memos. All of this and more in this week’s politics roundup.
F.B.I. deputy director steps down
On Monday, Andrew G. McCabe stepped down from his post as deputy director of the F.B.I. This abrupt move came after extensive criticism directed at McCabe, particularly from the White House. He reportedly felt pressure to leave from F.B.I. director Christopher A. Wray. Rather than accept a demotion from Wray, McCabe is said to have chosen resignation.
This follows much speculation regarding a coming report from inspector general Michael E. Horowitz. The Horowitz report almost certainly focuses in part on the F.B.I.’s activities during 2016. That’s when the bureau was looking into both allegations of Russian election interference and the Hillary Clinton email server.
Some allege that McCabe was too close to Clinton and should have recused himself from that particular investigation. His wife unsuccessfully ran for State Senate in Virginia, where she accepted funds from then-governor Terry McAuliffe. In turn, McAuliffe is a longtime friend of both Hillary and Bill Clinton.
Rep. Devin Nunes and staff wrote a memo and everyone’s upset
If we all say the word “memo” enough times, will we enact some sort of magical spell that will abolish the word once and for all? One can only hope. Certainly, it feels as if we’re nearing that threshold this week, thanks to Rep. Devin Nunes and his staff.
It all started, more or less, on Monday evening. That’s when the House Intelligence Committee approved the release of a memo written by Republican lawmakers. The memo, pushed in large part by Rep. Nunes (who is also chairman of the Intelligence Committee), alleges that the F.B.I. abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Specifically, it says that the bureau in appropriately used a dossier of opposition research to obtain warrants related to the Russia investigation.
Now, the president must decide whether or not to approve this motion, and he did earlier today by declassifying it. The memo has generated considerable upset. Democrats and other opponents of the document state that it paints an incomplete picture of the situation. They claim that the memo is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the Russia investigation headed by Robert S. Mueller.
Opposition memos and grave concerns
Another memo, from California’s Rep. Adam Schiff, exists and reportedly refutes some of the content of Nunes’ document. However, the Intelligence Committee voted against making that memo available. It also declined to release any of the intelligence that could bolster the claims of the Republican-backed memo.
The F.B.I. has said it has “grave concerns” about the contents and accuracy of the Nunes memo. This public rebuttal is unprecedented for the agency and brings to light simmering tensions between the bureau and the presidential administration.
Considering the tension between the Republican presidential administration and the F.B.I. (along with the Department of Justice and other intelligence agencies), this is all rather convenient. A memo like this could not only subvert Mueller’s investigation, but could clear the path for other changes. If this is true, then Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may be the next big target of this effort.
Kenyan presidential election plagued by claims of fraud
Last year, Kenyan leader Raila Odinga lost the presidential election to incumbent president, Uhuru Kenyatta. Afterwards, Odinga and his opposition supporters have claimed that the Kenyan election was marred by fraud. Recently, Odinga’s followers assembled in Nairobi to designate him as “the people’s president”.
While this unofficial “inauguration” took place without violence, it has since generated unrest. On Tuesday, Interior Ministry secretary Fred Matiang’i declared that the National Resistance Movement (which supports Odinga) is an “organized criminal group”. Three broadcast channels affiliated with the opposition were disconnected by officials from Kenya’s Communications Authority.
Mwenda Njoka, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, supported this move, stating that opposition members were dangerously close to forming a militia. “The government had to do what it did because the lives of Kenyans are more important than what you call freedom of the press,” he said.
And, finally, your palate cleanser
With the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics starting next week, it’s hard to escape coverage of the games. You may even already be sick of talk about figure skating and skiing, two of the most popular competitions in the games.
But, what about curling? This sport has been around since at least the 16th century — the first written record of a curling-like game using stones slid around on ice dates from the 1540s in Scotland. The Netherlands can also claim a strong historical link to this game.
Like many other winter sports, however, curling really took hold in Canada. After all, when you’re in the depths of an exceedingly cold and dark winter, you’ve got to do something to stay active. In fact, the Royal Montreal Curling Club, formed in 1807, is the oldest active sports club in North America.
However, curling only became an Olympic sport in 1998. Since then, it’s become something of a fan favorite, though it’s clearly not at flashy as figure skating or perhaps as dramatic as ice hockey.
Next: Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Jan. 26
Still, there’s something deeply satisfying in watching a team fling around a 44-pound lump of specially-shaped granite, then intensely brush the ice to form a path.
This year, the Olympics have added a mixed doubles event, which will allow a brother-sister team from Wisconsin to compete. The New York Times has gotten in on the sport with an in-depth feature on the Tampa Curling Club.
Yes, that’s Tampa, Florida.