Overheard at the office just now (not related to this post:)

"Why do Christians support a businessman who is not Christian? I'll tell you. Because Christianity in this country is a business, and just like Trump they don't pay taxes."

Daaamn, I thought I was salty.

So is there a penalty for knowingly receiving classified information and not reporting it?

Why hasn't the irony of pursuing Hillary for mishandling classified materials killed these people who are mishandling (abusing) classified materials?

In general, there isn't a penalty for knowingly receiving classified information. Penalties only really come into play for receiving classified information if it is "information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation" and you give it to someone else unauthorized or fail to give it to an officer or employee of the US entitled to receive it. See 18 U.S.C. § 793(e).

This might be different for members of the U.S. military, who may have an obligation under military regulations that I am unaware of.

And the people who are abusing confidential investigation materials are violating the public trust, but it isn't a violation of any classification regulations. Investigation materials, unless they also have to do with national security/defense, are not classified.

The FBI employees who are leaking are violating the Hatch Act. Giuliani may not be violating anything, but the FBI leakers sure the fuck are.

In addition to the Hatch Act, the FBI employees who are leaking are violating a whole host of statutes: the Privacy Act of 1974, 18 U.S. Code § 1905, and if a grand jury has been at all involved, criminal contempt of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(e).

Dir. Comey should have told members of Congress that it is inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation and left it at that. He should have told FBI agents that leakers would be prosecuted or cashiered, maybe both. I don't know if he did this out of hatred of Hillary Clinton or just from incompetence: either way, after the election is over, he should be given the chance to resign, and if he won't, he should be fired.

I don't love leaks. I was plumber, in the Nixonian sense: had to find leaks and seal them.

Fuck off, dipshit. You smell of elderberries.

There is a difference between the FBI leaking information to a political campaign vs a hacker leaking information to the public.

You do get that?

And the dirty Tricks have already started as well.

Attention: You cannot vote by text!

Rachel Maddow alerts viewers to an insidious new disinformation campaign telling people they can avoid lines at polling places by voting by text or online. There is no state that allows voting by phone or e-mail or text or hashtag or Facebook post.

Can I still vote by telepathy?

Only if you're voting for Jill Stein.

Then I had better start drinking my Cuprum metallicum solution right now.

Don't forget to add some colloidal silver to potentiate it.

The kids are alright.

The who?

Exactly.

What?

What's on second.