By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating the discovery of a bomb sent to Hillary and Bill Clinton’s suburban New York home early Wednesday morning.

A U.S. official told the Associated Press that the suspicious package was a “functional explosive device.” 

Police in New Castle, N.Y., said they are helping federal authorities in “the investigation of a suspicious package.”

The discovery comes two days after an explosive device was found in a mailbox at the home of George Soros, the billionaire investor and philanthropist who often is the subject of right-wing conspiracy theories.

Jason Wells (Linkedin photo)

By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

While working a detail, Secret Service agents act professionally. But internally, they have opinions of the people they protect.

Jason Wells, a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, knows a thing or two about the Obamas. He is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who worked a detail protecting the Obama family, and answers the question about the family in a story posted on the website, VT, a news and entertainment outlet:

“With that stated…. Senator Obama, Mrs. Obama and their two daughters were always extremely cordial and appreciative for everything that we provided them.”

“They were engaging with us, asking us about our families and making sure that we were provided for. On numerous occasions, Mr. Obama would ask me how my wife was doing (she was pregnant with our first child), and wished her the best.

Wells Linkedin page says this:

Provided physical protection to senior executive leadership of the United States of America including President Obama, Former Presidents Carter, Clinton, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and families, Vice President Biden and family, Former Vice President Cheney and family; as well as security for foreign dignitaries hosted in the United States (including Prime Minister Tony Blair). Provided physical protection to US leadership and dignitaries during international assignments, liaising with foreign security details to ensure that security protocols were in compliance with international regulations

President Trump at the White House, via the White House.

By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com

As the special counsel investigation continues to expand into uncomfortable territory, Donald Trump has met with veteran attorney Emmet T. Flood, who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, to join the president’s legal team.

Trump met with Flood in the Oval Office to discuss duties that would include “a day-to-day role helping the president navigate his dealings with the Justice Department,” The New York Times reports. 

While the sources said the meetings don’t necessarily reflect developments in the investigation, it does underscore Robert Mueller’s probe is far from over.

If hired, Flood would not replace Ty Cobb, who has been Trump’s lawyer throughout the investigation, the sources said.

On Sunday, Trump slammed New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for writing the story, saying he is happy with his current legal team.

“The Failing New York Times purposely wrote a false story stating that I am unhappy with my legal team on the Russia case and am going to add another lawyer to help out. Wrong,” Trump tweeted. “I am VERY happy with my lawyers, John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. They are doing a great job.”

According to the Times, Cobb has told friends he doesn’t expect to remain in his job much longer.

In addition to representing Clinton during the impeachment process, Flood represented Vice President Dick Cheney in his civil suit against CIA officer Valerie Plame.

By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

This story may not come as much of a shocker.

A book by Gary J. Byrne, a former Secret Service officer in the uniform division, claims President Bill Clinton often snuck away from his wife at the White House to cozy up with “well-known and lesser-known mistresses,” and that a Secret Service officer in the motorcade was nearly killed in a crash during one secret escape, writes Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner.

Byrne, in a book,  Secrets of the Secret Service: The History and Uncertain Future of the U.S. Secret Service, writes that Clinton demanded a tiny motorcade to secretly dash around Washington unnoticed, ordering that the cars try to obey laws like stopped lights.

Hillary Clinton.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI has revived a dormant investigation into the Clinton Foundation following politically charged accusations of corruption.

Agents at the FBI’s field office in Little Rock, where the foundation has offices in the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, is focused on whether donors received favors or special treatment when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state from 2009-13, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Hill, report.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is overseeing the investigation, which quietly became active again a few weeks ago after it stalled before the November 2016 presidential election.

What’s unclear is what prompted investigators to revisit the case.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI is investigating one of its own Twitter accounts.

Dormant for more than a year, the account, @FBIRecordsVault, suddenly became active at 4 a.m. on Oct. 30 with the release of numerous documents, including one that paints Donald Trump’s father as a “philanthropist.”

Fred C. Trump: Fred C. Trump (1905-1999) was a real estate developer and philanthropist. This release consists of… https://t.co/21KgtPpmzk

— FBI Records Vault (@FBIRecordsVault) October 30, 2016

Two days later, the account dumped documents related to Bill Clinton’s controversial pardon of Marc Rich.

The account has been inactive since that tweet.

Federal law and FBI policy bars employees from trying to influence elections.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A lot of questions have been raised about the meeting between Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

To find out more about the June meeting, the American Center for Law and Justice filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday for access to more information, CBN News reports. 

The meeting happened just days before FBI Director James Comey opted not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton.

“The arrogance and inappropriate actions of the Obama administration cannot go unchallenged and that is why we have gone to federal court today and filed this critical lawsuit,” Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ, said. “This administration has gone out of its way to hide information from the American public — information that is extremely troubling.”

“The stakes are high,” he continued. “The American people deserve a Justice Department with integrity. We must demand accountability for corruption. If we don’t, a constitutional crisis is imminent. The corruption must have consequences.”

Former president Bill Clinton

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The FBI has once again put itself at the center of the presidential debate.

On Tuesday afternoon, the bureau posted on its website internal documents related to an old investigation into former president Bill Clinton’s pardon of a fugitive Democratic donor, Marc Rich the Washington Post reports. 

A spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign questioned why the FBI would post inflammatory material just a week before the election.

“Will FBI be posting docs on Trump’s housing discrimination in ’70s?” asked the spokesman, Brian Fallon.

The FBI said it posted the information in light of a recent Freedom of Information Act request.

The post came about a week after FBI Director James Comey’s controversial decision to announce that it’s reviewing additional emails related to the investigation of Hillary Clinton, even though there’s no evidence yet of wrongdoing.

“Americans now look at the FBI and see a political entity, not a nonpartisan entity — and that has huge ramifications for the FBI and for all of us,” said Matt Miller, former chief spokesman for the Justice Department and a Clinton supporter. “It sows disbelief in our system of government and is hugely toxic.”