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Brennan’s Role During the 2016 Elections, In His Own Words

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The role played by the CIA during the 2016 investigation into the Trump campaign is increasingly receiving attention as ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) says he is “laser-focused” on uncovering what the CIA provided to the FBI as part of the ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ probe.

“In 2016, we know from great work that Trey Gowdy did at the time … that the CIA gave information over to the FBI in 2016,” Nunes told Fox News in an interview. “We now are laser-focused on that. We need to know: Exactly what did the CIA give to the FBI in 2016? That’s what our investigation is now focusing on.”Continue Reading

Declassification Raises Further Questions About Timing of Obama Data Sharing Order

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In a newly unredacted footnote from the Department of Justice (DOJ) inspector general’s report on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses, the urgency behind the FBI obtaining a FISA warrant on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page becomes clear.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz in his report detailed a last-minute flurry of activity that transpired ahead of the issuance of the Page FISA, including a possible intervention from then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, to push a seemingly reluctant DOJ official, Stuart Evans, for approval.Continue Reading

Inspector General Audit Finds Widespread Problems With FBI’s FISA Applications

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IG interrupts ongoing audit to inform FBI it does “not have confidence” in the agency’s compliance with Woods Procedures

Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz has told FBI Director Christopher Wray that, as a result of a recent audit, he does “not have confidence that the FBI has executed its Woods Procedures in compliance with FBI policy.”

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FISA Court Reprimands FBI, But Makes a Notable Error Itself

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The presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, James Boasberg, issued a 19-page opinion and order on March 5, examining possible remedies for the material errors and omissions made by the FBI in its surveillance application on former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

According to Boasberg, the “frequency and seriousness of these errors” in the Page case, combined with the sensitive nature and high-level review of the case by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI “have called into question the reliability of the information proffered in other FBI applications.”Continue Reading

Barr’s DOJ Signals Willingness to Act on Politically Charged Cases

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AG reportedly assigns US attorney to review Ukraine information on Biden; DOJ disputes Stone sentencing recommendation

On Feb. 9, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he intends to call witnesses regarding the many problematic issues surrounding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses that were highlighted in the Department of Justice Inspector General’s report.Continue Reading

Sen. Paul Uses Senate Floor Speech to Pose Question Blocked by Chief Justice Roberts

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Feb. 4 posed a question in the Senate that Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read out loud last week in the chamber during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

In his question, Paul named a former National Security Council official widely alleged to have been the whistleblower regarding a phone call between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, which ultimately led to the president’s impeachment in the House.Continue Reading

DOJ Determines 2 FISA Spy Warrants on Trump Campaign Adviser Were “Not Valid”

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In a declassified Jan. 7, 2020, order released by Presiding FISA Court Judge James Boasberg, it was revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that two of the four FISA applications on former Trump 2016 presidential campaign adviser Carter Page were “not valid.”

The court wrote that it had received notice of “material misstatements and omissions” in the FISA applications made on Page, apparently with respect to the final two FISA renewals. The court also noted that the DOJ had made the assessment that with regard to these two applications, “there was insufficient predication to establish probable cause to believe that [Carter] Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power.”Continue Reading