I have become increasingly skeptical of much of what is going on in our government.  AT writers and readers inspire me to question everything.

Some recent events have caused me to pause and ask some questions about why now.  When multiple "bad" items are reported in tandem, I am often left to ask: is this really the thing, or is it perhaps a distraction?

In the same timeframe during which the Durham report was released, we also saw a report released on the FBI FISA abuses.  We are supposed to be happy that only 278,000 unauthorized (illegal) warrantless searches occurred in 2020 and accept that the FBI has resolved this situation.

Interesting...a system created to keep tabs on foreign threats is being used to illegally spy on American citizens at an alarming rate.  And the most absurd item in the story is that we are to believe that the FBI has new processes in place that resolve this.  I would not be surprised if we learn later that they redefined the definition of searches to cut down on the number of illegal searches (think redefining gain-of-function research to say we aren't funding it).

One separate comment about the FBI response: the Durham report specifically calls out the FBI for not needing new procedures for the abuses investigated, but the FBI needs better enforcement of existing procedures.  If there is ill intent, and I would say the evidence is that there were at least 278,000 instances of ill intent that we know of, then no procedural change made will make a difference.  Ill intent equals bad behavior almost every time if there are no consequences.

Why did this report and the Durham report drop at about the same time?  Could there be something we are being distracted from?

I ask AT readers to go back to 2022.  It was discovered that Perkins Coie had an FBI portal in their office and that they were running "searches" on this portal.  In my opinion, it was odd that a law firm, especially one with clear left-leaning ties, including to the discredited Steele Dossier, was given an FBI portal.

Now we know that Democrat operatives had direct access to an FBI portal, and we know that someone was running warrantless searches on Americans.  According to the information supplied, the 278,000 illegal, warrantless searches occurred between 2016 and 2020 and would seem to overlap with the Perkins Coie law firm having access to the FBI portal during the 2020 presidential election cycle.

Hmmmm.  Have we been provided with information on who ran those searches?  How many of the warrantless searches were run outside FBI offices on portals like the one at Perkins Coie?  Did Perkins Coie run any illegal searches through their portal?

Is the Durham Report a distraction from this potential fact pattern?

I think we have to be skeptical of the timing on the Durham report and the warrantless searches disclosure.  Was the Durham report used as a distraction from the real issues of the warrantless searches — i.e., that some of those searches were performed by "outside contractors," including a Democrat law firm that used its connections to score the ultimate political research tool?  Who else had a portal and was running searches?

Was some of the weaponization of our government performed by "outside contractors" that were supporting the favored candidate for president?  I hope that oversight in the House consider this as they continue the weaponization of government hearings.

We keep hearing about the Big Lie.  Americans need to consider the importance of a Great Distraction.  When two items are released in tandem, is there something we are being distracted from? 

Maker S. Mark (a pseudonym) is a patriot who can understand and explain advanced math and science and is worried about the state of the nation and how to solve the problems we face.  United we stand; divided we fall.

Image: Tom Ahearn via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0 (cropped).