Focus On Fusion GPS

Donald Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are testifying this week to various congressional committees investigating allegations of Russian influence in last year's presidential election. These are very high-risk, high-profile events in the left's efforts to nullify the election results.

One person who did not lose sleep last night is Glenn Simpson, co-founder of Fusion GPS, the left-wing opposition research company that produced the now infamous Trump/Russia dossier.

Simpson was subpoenaed by the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify Wednesday. But his attorney informed committee leaders that Simpson would be "asserting his Fifth Amendment rights," meaning he won't answer questions because he might incriminate himself.

This is exactly what Obama Administration officials and Clinton campaign operatives did repeatedly. And they got away with it. Here's why Simpson is so skittish:
 

• His firm is described as an opposition research company, but it looks like a disinformation operation.
   
• Fusion GPS contracted with former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who produced a 35-page dossier on Trump that appears to be a collection of conspiracy theories, popular on far-left websites.
   
• Credible people in Washington say there is significant evidence that Steele was fed information by Russian operatives.
   
• During the campaign, the dossier made its way to then-CIA Director John Brennan and other Obama intelligence chiefs. Those Obama political appointees used the dossier to justify phone intercepts of Carter Page, an informal Trump campaign advisor, and others associated with the Trump campaign. That led to the Comey/FBI investigation.
   
• Even though virtually everything in the dossier has been discredited, there are reports that the FBI, and perhaps even the special counsel, are using the dossier as a "checklist" in the questioning of witnesses.
   
• Further complicating matters are reports that Fusion also worked with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who met with Donald Trump Jr., and lobbied on several issues important to Russia. Now you can see why Fusion's founder is not interested in testifying before Congress.

  It is also telling that big media, which has been able to learn every jot and tittle of phone conservations that appear to discredit Trump or his appointees, has not chosen to lay out as I just did the highly suspicious circumstances surrounding Fusion GPS.

  I was never shocked that the Russians might be trying to undermine American democracy. It has been doing that for decades. What is beyond belief is that they would have preferred Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.

  My guess is that Russia's plan involved discrediting either candidate who happened to win, in the hopes of paralyzing America's constitutional republic. I imagine Vladimir Putin is sitting in his Kremlin office with a bottle of vodka, saluting his good fortune.

  Kushner: No Collusion

  Jared Kushner is meeting today and tomorrow with the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. This morning, his attorneys released a detailed statement outlining four interactions with Russians and denying any collusion.

  "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner wrote in the statement.

  Referring to the meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and Russia lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, Kushner wrote that he expected the meeting to be a waste of time, but went as a courtesy to Trump's son. He arrived late and the only thing being discussed was international adoptions. Realizing it was a waste of time, he emailed an assistant asking, "Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting."

  Referring to previous reports that he attempted to set up a "backdoor channel of communications" with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyac after the election, Kushner wrote, "The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day."

  My friends, note the stark contrast here. Hillary Clinton did everything she could to obstruct various investigations -- be it her mishandling of national security secrets or the Benghazi attacks.

  In contrast, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort and Carter Page have asked to testify in order to clear their names.

  Here's my prediction: Whatever happens in Kushner's closed-door meetings today and tomorrow, there will be a distorted leak within 24 hours by progressives on the committees to the detriment of the White House.

  Israel Under Siege

  In one of its final acts last year, the Obama Administration allowed a biased U.N. resolution against Israel to pass. The Obama Administration had previously vetoed a similar resolution, but on the eve of Chanukah and Christmas -- Barack Obama reversed course and refused to veto it.

  This wasn't a minor controversy. That resolution said Israel has no legal presence in Jerusalem's Old City and on the Temple Mount. Imams in the West Bank and elsewhere have been telling Palestinians, "The U.N. says all this belongs to us! Israel is the occupier!"

  This is exactly the incitement that Prime Minister Netanyahu has cited as the reason why there is no peace.

  Now let's review some recent events.

  On June 16th, Hadas Malka, a 23 year-old Israeli police officer, was stabbed to death at the Damascus Gate. On July 14th, two Israeli police officers protecting the Temple Mount were shot in the back by Palestinian attackers who smuggled guns onto the holy site.

  Fearing more attacks on the Temple Mount, Israel restricted Palestinian access and installed metal detectors at the holy site. Mosques and Palestinian officials began inciting violence. Rioting broke out near the Temple Mount, in the West Bank and in Jordan, which has a large Palestinian population.

  Three members of an Orthodox Jewish family were stabbed to death at a Sabbath dinner Friday night.

  There are reports that three Palestinians lost their lives in the rioting. A guard at the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, was attacked by a Jordanian worker. The guard opened fire, killing two Jordanians.

  As we reported last week, security at the Temple Mount is no different than security at the Vatican, at Mecca or mosques in virtually any other major city. Yes, Palestinians should be outraged. But they should direct their anger and demonstrations against the jihadists who violated their sacred place, not Israel which is trying to prevent more bloodshed.

  In this atmosphere, Israel should not be pressured to make any concessions for a Palestinian state. If such a state is created, turning over any portion of the Old City and the Temple Mount to these fanatics will not bring peace. It will not be seen as a gesture of goodwill, but as an act of surrender to the "resistance." It will embolden the extremists. It will guarantee war.