emptywheel

Horowitz's letter to Grassley and Johnson says they were FBI-issued phones: https://goo.gl/AKURpg 

Thanks, that's the letter I'd seen referenced but couldn't find. So weird to use USG device like this, but maybe related to wanting to conceal communications from a spouse.

Right. That was Handel's implication. BECAUSE they used Hillary investigation subject lines they believed they'd be classified. Oops.

I don't think it's possible to text from the high-side/classified enabled devices (just email), but this could apply to thinking they'd be withheld as LE sensitive or similar.

I think that's it, yeah. Tho does that say Hillary investigation stuff wasn't high side?

Honestly, I'm so confused not sure what conclusions to draw (also FBI practice with the phones could be different from agencies I'm familiar with). I do think (1) scandal element is pure nonsense and (2) these people showed astoundingly bad judgment.

Absolutely agree on 2. I'm sympathetic to those who say we can't decide whether there is a scandal until we understand "insurance" comment. And until we see Trump investigation era ones. We don't know yet. Nor does Horowitz or we'd have a report.

That's fair, though even under the worst assumptions, I struggle to see what undetected malfeasance by either of those two could have actually materially impacted the under-a-microscope Russia investigation.