By Ray McGovern
What? DNC Emails Not Hacked By Russia? Comedian Lee Camp explained it all three years ago. If you need some comic relief right away, feel free to avoid the turgid prose below and scroll right down to the highlighted links below.
The vast majority of Americans can be forgiven for still believing that Russia hacked the DNC emails and gave them to WikiLeaks. This is largely because they have no way of knowing that Shawn Henry, head of the cyber company CrowdStrike which the DNC hired to do the forensics on the DNC computers, has admitted that there was/is no concrete evidence that those DNC emails were hacked — by Russia or by anyone else.
Henry admitted this in sworn testimony to the House Intelligence Committee on December 5, 2017. Do the math: was that was 32 months ago? But his testimony was kept secret until House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D, California) was forced to release it on May 7, 2020. Do the math: was that three months ago? And you still haven’t heard?
Here’s how Mr. Henry answered a leading question from then-ranking member Schiff on December 5, 2017:
Mr. Schiff: Do you know the date on which the Russians exfiltrated the data from the DNC? … when would that have been?
Mr. Henry: Counsel just reminded me that, as it relates to the DNC, we have indicators that data was exfiltrated from the DNC, but we have no indicators that it was exfiltrated (sic). … There are times when we can see data exfiltrated, and we can say conclusively. But in this case, it appears it was set up to be exfiltrated, but we just don’t have the evidence that says it actually left.”
You would think that the media — including the legacy corporate media — would have jumped on the release of that bombshell testimony. And you would be wrong in thinking that. You would think that surely the alternative media would report it — wrong again. This makes it more understandable that so few Americans take the trouble to look into how they have been misled on this neuralgic issue. It’s over: Fagettaboutit!
Almost no one in the media — legacy or alternative — wants to risk being seen as supporting President Trump, and few are willing to have their belief system punctured — not to mention their residual trust in organs like the formerly reputable New York Times. We VIPS, too, have no interest in being seen as supporting Trump. But the “mainstream media” have shown they cannot be trusted. As for us VIPS, we cannot seem to shake our ingrained proclivity to seek and tell the truth, without fear of favor — even though friends and family cannot understand why we would write “anything that might help Trump.” (See: https://raymcgovern.com/2020/08/05/losing-friends-confusing-others/ .)
That we got this key issue right, as we did on the issue of the (non-existent) WMD in Iraq is of little consequence. We take zero delight in having been right about either Iraq or Russia-gate; we don’t do victory laps. Just look at what is still at stake! And, still, so few award. Are you not disturbed at how the corporate media is able to suppress key facts like Shawn Henry’s testimony 32 months ago … and, sadly, virtually all of the “alternative media” as well?
Need a Good Laugh?
For those who prefer video over turgid prose, we resurrect two episodes featuring comedian Lee Camp, who uses humor and some precious video clips to illustrate the points VIPS was making three years ago. Full Disclosure: Lee did not consult with any of us VIPS in preparing his segment. Rather, he took the time to understand what VIPS wrote in our key Memorandum for the President of July 24, 2017. ( See: https://consortiumnews.com/2017/07/24/intel-vets-challenge-russia-hack-evidence/ .) That a comedian could grasp the main points, when others with more ostensibly “serious” credentials did not seem willing/able to grasp them, speaks volumes.
Camp took a month to prepare the following segment. Perhaps his presentation will go down easier with those reluctant to read VIPS memos:
Intelligence Analysts Say Russia Didn’t Hack U.S. Election
August 26, 2017 (16 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGp3tFrtyCo
Two weeks later, Lee interviewed me to elaborate on “Russia hacking” and related issues:
Former CIA Analyst on the Agency’s History of Lying to the Public
September 7, 2017 (21:40 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASeiY-jnxIQ&t=1307s
In sum, Lee Camp had assimilated — and acted out — the gist of it three years ago. Refer these links to your friends — particularly his spoof of August 26, 2017. Lots more can be found on Consortium News ( https://consortiumnews.com/vips-memos/ ) and on raymcgovern.com, both of which have easily usable search capabilities.
Here are links to two others you might include:
Finally: Some good advice on “accommodating”: Huckleberry Finn’s black friend, Big Jim, answers Huck’s question about accommodating to the conventional wisdom — in this case on slavery: ”Just because … everybody believes it’s right, that don’t make it right.”
Just because virtually everyone believes the hacks who hacked the Russian-hack story, that don’t make it true.