The Department of Justice admitted in December that two of the FBI’s four surveillance warrants to electronically monitor ex-Trump campaign adviser Carter Page were invalid, according to a declassified Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order published on Thursday.
James Boasberg, presiding judge of the U.S. FISA Court, wrote on January 7 that the DOJ had assessed in its filings to the court last month that “if not earlier, there was insufficient predication to establish probable cause to believe that [Carter] Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power” in the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.
Therefore, Boasberg wrote, “[t]he Court understands the government to have concluded, in view of the material misstatements and omissions, that the Court’s authorizations in Docket Numbers 17-375 and 17-679 were not valid,” referring to two of the FISA warrants.
DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz found in December that while the FBI did not launch its Trump-Russia probe and monitor Page out of political bias against President Donald Trump, the agency made “many basic and fundamental errors” in the FISA application process.
Read the document below:
Obviously this means the impeachment proceedings be halted and the Articles rescinded.
This is real, but it’s hard to take it seriously when Trump & friends trample the rule of law constantly. Considering how Trump loves and constantly interacts with Russians, erring on the side of suspicion seems wise. But now Barr will investigate the investigators and get them fired, so all is lost.
Cue the screeching about witch hunts, etc, etc, etc. I’m nearing the end of my rope.
But, damn me if Adam Schiff didn’t finish on a high note last night! Am I alone in thinking his eyes were welling up in the last minute?
It happens on occasion. It’s a convoluted process to monitor someone while staying aware of civil rights.
And it should be a convoluted process. It’s part of what keeps us honest.
Hell, it probably means the president isn’t balding; the Obama presidency should be rescinded; and we have to re-open the Benghazi hearings.