So about that server that @FranklinFoer revealed in 2016... @aknight613 sheds more light.

It is frankly impossible to believe that this was not a nefarious communications channel.

Here's what we now know (Thread) https://www.justsecurity.org/72262/the-trump-alfa-bank-server-mystery-resurfaces/

*Trump camp was colluding w/ Russia
*No non-nefarious explanation for the server has borne out
*Experts say it looks like a covert comms channel
*It was taken down abruptly and deleted when exposed
*Activity spiked during campaign
*Alpha Bank engaging in bogus rearguard lawfare

To elaborate:

We now definitively know the Trump campaign was actively colluding w/ Russia. Senate Intel report shows depth of correspondence between Manafort-GRU and Stone-WikiLeaks.

Report also says Manafort and Kilimnik may have been involved in GRU's Hack and Leak op

We also know that there was a concerted effort to pass information covertly. With Manafort through Gates regularly feeding polling data to Kilimnik through WhatsApp. https://twitter.com/maxbergmann/status/1295901949691387904?s=20

We also know the Russians stole a ton more data, such as "DNC analytics" that w/d have been of real value to the Trump Campaign.

We also know the use of the server skyrocketed in August. Just as Stone somehow knew Podesta's time in the barrel was coming. What's interesting about this timing is that it doesn't appear WL got Podesta's emails until late Sept.

We also know the Russians had a really hard time transferring huge amounts of data to WikiLeaks in June. This appeared rather keystone copish in the Senate report. Having a server would presumably help if transferring large amounts data back and forth b/w Trump camp and Moscow

We also know from the IG Report that the FBI botched the Russia investigation and potentially into the server. FBI were working out of DC and not a field office, which meant it lacked resources and technical capabilities. https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/security/reports/2020/04/24/177522/fbi-botched-russia-investigation-2016/

We also know none of the non-nefarious explanations make sense or have any proof, despite being presumably easily provable (if it was spam - where's the spam?). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/was-there-a-connection-between-a-russian-bank-and-the-trump-campaign

We also know that Alpha Bank and its big law US reps are engaging in aggressive lawfare, including hiring Barr's old firm. They are alleging some nonsensical conspiracy vs. them.

Amy Knight tantalizingly reports in her Just Security piece that a source told her that the FBI could still be investigating.

Frankly, I'm doubtful the FBI will ever fully get to the bottom of this. The server after all was taken down and deleted. The FBI meanwhile was doing very little during the election... they weren't on Manafort's phone for instance. And Manafort ultimately didn't flip.

But on the other hand it kind of doesn't matter now. We know there wasn't just smoke, there was fire. And if we somehow learned the Russians passed stolen emails to the Trump campaign to wade through prior to WL or Trump campaign passed on social media targeting data...

it would just further confirm what we already know: the Trump campaign colluded (and yes conspired) with Russia.