The FBI just cost me $5 and a pizza. [View all]

[IdaBriggs]

Here is the story...and it is long!

So, I am one of the many people who already knew Hillary has been lying through her teeth about her email and private server situation before the "official formal confirmation" via the State Departments Inspector General report came out last week, but honestly, not until mid-March of this year.

Honestly, I had been tuning out "email stuff" along with anything related to "Benghazi" because I thought it was Republican whining. Granted, they hadn't been whining about her performance prior to Benghazi, but I *assumed* they just were starting things up again because maybe they were bored or something. Frankly, 2013 was still too early for me to believe they were gearing up against Hillary as a potential presidential candidate -- way too early, right? In hindsight, I realize they were doing what they were supposed to as "loyal opposition in a two party system" but it is still annoying sometimes, right?

So when I read a thread entitled so here's what we know from the newest dump of HRC emails. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511509720) on March 16, 2016 I was really surprised. I did not know about Sid Blumenthal, or him being banned from the White House, or his business contacts in Libya, or him getting paid by the Clinton Foundation!

Then I read Clinton Foundations biggest beneficiaries are the Clintons (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511513340) on March 17, and my suspicions grew.

I started following threads here at DU on the topic, and began putting the pieces together. It was extremely upsetting. I have a thirty year IT background, and the more I read, the worse it looked.

IT Trivia: a "personal email account" is a different thing than a "private server in a basement"; pretending they are the same and "all the other Secretaries did it" is a Big Red Not Telling The Truth Flag.

Finally, on April 4, 2016 I wrote Hillary's Email Scandal for Non-Techy People (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511643968) which hit the Greatest Page with 101 recs. I really need to update that thread. Sigh.

The more I read, the worse it got. The FBI was keeping a pretty tight lid on things, but leaks were getting out via reputable sources, and everything kept getting confirmed.

-- Her IT guy was given immunity.
-- The hacker was extradited.
-- The law was excruciatingly clear.

By April 22, 2016 I was actually having to chew on some crow when I discovered actual reporting from two FOX News reporters. The world had officially gone mad! I shared the leaks here on a thread titled Hillary People - Trash this Thread; Others - Consider it FYI (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511810912) with appropriate caveats, and it received 131 recs.

I still had policy issues with Hillary (I won't link to those posts, but they are in my journal). Meanwhile, DUer PaulThompson of the famous "911 Timeline" began working on a similar project for the "Hillary Clinton Email Scandal" and reading it turned me officially wrathful.

I wrote She's SUCH A LIAR. And she thinks people are STUPID. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511880685) on May 2, 2016 and it hit 226 recs. It should also be updated. Sigh.

My "speaking truth to DU" came with a price: a new level of "alert stalking" was created especially for me and shared in the Hillary Group. Please alert this post to the administrators. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/1107122402) was written the same day, and received 15 recs. Other posts of mine began to be alerted with regularity; most failed, but today my transparency page shows. I am okay with that -- none are abusive or inappropriate, although my scorn for the "corporate whore" nonsense was particularly biting.

But let me also hasten to add a very good thing in this story: my appreciation for this community, which I shared in a very special post on May 8, 2016 My 10,000 Post & Almost 12 years on DU! (http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511924563). This is a good place!

I've really distracted from the point of this story, haven't I? How those lazy bastard FBI folk cost me $5 and a pizza? Well, it goes back to Hillary. You see, the more I read, the more convinced I became that there is no way in Hell this woman is going to be our nominee because I think the FBI is going to recommend she be indicted. All the dates I was reading kept sayin "May" so I put my money where my mouth was, and made a few "fifty cent" bets that she would either be indicted or out "due to personal problems" before Memorial Day, with the proceedings going to DU. Oh, and the same bet with a dear friend for some awesome local pizza.

And I was wrong!!!

Those folks are still doinking around -- they've interviewed the aides, done a plea deal with the hacker, granted immunity to the IT guy, and even have the official report from the State Inspector General - why are they taking so long?



So, as an honorable person, I have now donated my $5 to DU and will be making my "pizza payoff plans". It's the right thing to do, and DU is totally worth it.

I still think the indictment is on its way. I think it would have been good for everyone to have their desks cleared before the holiday, but I can be sympathetic about a nice long weekend break with the family before the shit storm hits. Plus, I think the "gently breaking that Hillary has been lying" strategy with the State Inspector Generals report is a good one; the media has been propping her as the Annoited One since last year, and the shift is going to be painful for many people.

So yes, I still believe in the "Indictment Fairy" as some choose to call it. As I said earlier today,

"I *expect* her to be indicted; I will be *shocked* if she isn't. <snip> If the FBI does indict on RICO, I will actually be relieved because it will calm me down about "separate rules for the rich" and make me feel safer about being protected from criminal enterprises in the government."

I am still supporting Bernie Sanders, and trusting the owners of this site will figure out a way to maintain the community they have built while remaining true to their mission of supporting Democrats. I will not be happy if I end up banned and I am personally clueless as to how they will be able to play the "don't say anything bad about Hillary" game when there is going to be nothing except bad news about her until this situation is over. I am sure they have already discussed the headaches they anticipate, and I am somewhat cheered by the fact that is not my headache to deal with -- DU is not a democracy; it is a message board.

And despite my disappointment in the FBI not just finishing it up already, I am okay with DU getting my $5.

But if the FBI and DOJ drop the hammer this week, those guys are seriously going to owe me some pizza because the good stuff is NOT cheap!