Here are four key facts from the Democratic memo that destroy the Republican argument that the FBI’s investigation of the Russia scandal is a conspiracy to get Trump.
The four facts from the memo as provided to PoliticusUSA by Rep. Adam Schiff:
1). The FBI supplied information to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that Russia might be colluding with Trump campaign associates. DOJ provided the Court with a comprehensive explanation of Russia’s election interference including evidence that Russia courted another Trump foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, and that Russian agents previewed their dissemination of information damaging to Hillary Clinton. Russian assistance would, as we would learn in the Papadopoulos plea, take the form of the anonymous disclosure of thousands of Hillary Clinton and DNC emails.
2). The FBI had ample reason to believe that Carter Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power based on his history, including the fact that he had previously been a target of Russian recruitment, his travel to Russia, and other information. The renewals of the FISA were also appropriate and based on new information obtained by law enforcement.
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3). The FBI did disclose that those who employed Christopher Steele were likely motivated to discredit Trump’s presidential campaign. The Bureau used proper masking procedures so as not to reveal the identities of U.S. persons not subject to the FISA, but made clear that the likely purpose was opposition research.
4). Contrary to the Majority’s assertions, the FBI and DOJ did not use a Yahoo News article to corroborate Steele; it was referenced alongside another article and a letter Page wrote to then FBI Director James Comey to inform the court of Page’s public denials.
The Democratic memo blows the Nunes memo to bits
Trump’s argument of “no collusion” was knocked down as the FBI has supplied the FISA court with evidence that members of the Trump campaign might be colluding with Russia. The FBI did not lie to the FISA court. The court knew that those who employed Christopher Steele were partisan. The FBI did not use news articles only to corroborate Steele. They had other sources of information, and lastly, the FBI had reason to believe that Carter Page was working for the Russians before the Steele dossier.
The cherry-picking information in the Nunes memo has been exposed as the work of partisan hackery that is, as the desperate president just saw his excuse to fire Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller go up in flames.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
