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| Inspector general: FBI should have re-assessed whether to continue investigating former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page | Inspector general: FBI should have re-assessed whether to continue investigating former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified Wednesday that he was concerned the FBI did not reevaluate whether to continue investigating a former Trump campaign adviser as agents failed to uncover evidence of wrongdoing in late 2016, and the FBI’s missteps in that case might indicate a broader problem. | |
| Testifying at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, Horowitz criticized how the FBI handled its probe of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, asserting that agents used inaccurate information to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court orders to surveil Page, even as they discussed among themselves that the investigation was coming up empty. | |
| While Horowitz said he did not see evidence of those problems “infecting” the rest of the FBI’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election, he asserted he was so alarmed that he launched a broader review of the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. | |
| “The concern here is this is such a high profile, important case,” Horowitz testified. “If it happened here, is this indicative of a wider problem?” | “The concern here is this is such a high profile, important case,” Horowitz testified. “If it happened here, is this indicative of a wider problem?” |
| The hearing is the second time Horowitz has discussed his assessment of the FBI’s 2016 investigation of the Trump campaign. As with his last appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, his remarks offered fodder for Democrats and Republicans to validate their divergent views of the politically sensitive probe, which was ultimately taken over by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. | The hearing is the second time Horowitz has discussed his assessment of the FBI’s 2016 investigation of the Trump campaign. As with his last appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, his remarks offered fodder for Democrats and Republicans to validate their divergent views of the politically sensitive probe, which was ultimately taken over by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. |
| Horowitz said that the bureau was justified in opening the politically sensitive investigation, though he noted the threshold for doing so was low. He also said he found no evidence of political bias affecting the inquiry. | Horowitz said that the bureau was justified in opening the politically sensitive investigation, though he noted the threshold for doing so was low. He also said he found no evidence of political bias affecting the inquiry. |
| But Horowitz said, too, that as the investigation went along and the FBI applied to surreptitiously monitor Page, the bureau included “significant inaccuracies” and omitted important information in its bids to do so. He said he found evidence that agents discussed “not finding anything with regards” to Page, but pressed ahead anyway, instead of re-assessing whether the probe was worthwhile. | But Horowitz said, too, that as the investigation went along and the FBI applied to surreptitiously monitor Page, the bureau included “significant inaccuracies” and omitted important information in its bids to do so. He said he found evidence that agents discussed “not finding anything with regards” to Page, but pressed ahead anyway, instead of re-assessing whether the probe was worthwhile. |
| “We’ve got agents talking with one another about why is Page even a subject anymore,” Horowitz said. | “We’ve got agents talking with one another about why is Page even a subject anymore,” Horowitz said. |
| That assertion is important, as Republicans have suggested even if the FBI’s investigation was opened legitimately, it should have been shut down long before Mueller was appointed. | That assertion is important, as Republicans have suggested even if the FBI’s investigation was opened legitimately, it should have been shut down long before Mueller was appointed. |
| Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said in his opening statement he believes the inspector general report shows that the FBI’s Russia investigation should have been shut down “within the first few months of 2017.” Instead, he said, the Trump administration was “was tormented for over two years … all based on a false narrative.” The probe was opened in the summer of 2016; Mueller submitted his final report to the attorney general in March. | Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said in his opening statement he believes the inspector general report shows that the FBI’s Russia investigation should have been shut down “within the first few months of 2017.” Instead, he said, the Trump administration was “was tormented for over two years … all based on a false narrative.” The probe was opened in the summer of 2016; Mueller submitted his final report to the attorney general in March. |
| Under questioning from Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Horowitz noted he found no evidence that the missteps in the Page case sullied the FBI’s other work. | Under questioning from Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Horowitz noted he found no evidence that the missteps in the Page case sullied the FBI’s other work. |
| The FBI’s opening of the umbrella investigation involving the Trump campaign was based not on Page, but a different Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, whose boasts to an Australian government official about the Russians potentially having dirt on Hillary Clinton sparked the bureau’s interest. | The FBI’s opening of the umbrella investigation involving the Trump campaign was based not on Page, but a different Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, whose boasts to an Australian government official about the Russians potentially having dirt on Hillary Clinton sparked the bureau’s interest. |
| Inspector general says the FBI is not vindicated by his report on Trump campaign probe | Inspector general says the FBI is not vindicated by his report on Trump campaign probe |
| Horowitz said he was unable to get satisfactory explanations for some of the FBI’s misconduct, and certain witnesses only agreed to cooperate late in the investigation. | Horowitz said he was unable to get satisfactory explanations for some of the FBI’s misconduct, and certain witnesses only agreed to cooperate late in the investigation. |
| Conservatives have also noted that Horowitz’s report is not the last word. Attorney General William P. Barr tapped the top federal prosecutor in Connecticut, U.S. Attorney John Durham, to do a similar review of the Russia case. Barr and Durham have said they disagree with some of what Horowitz found, especially on the FBI’s basis to initiate the investigation. Horowitz said such disagreement “isn’t a problem” and noted no one seemed to be disagreeing with the facts he had found, but only the conclusions he had drawn from those facts. | |
| President Trump, meanwhile, has emphasized Horowitz’s damaging findings for the FBI and attacked the inspector general. | President Trump, meanwhile, has emphasized Horowitz’s damaging findings for the FBI and attacked the inspector general. |
| “As bad as the I.G. Report is for the FBI and others, and it is really bad, remember that I.G. Horowitz was appointed by Obama,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “There was tremendous bias and guilt exposed, so obvious, but Horowitz couldn’t get himself to say it. Big credibility loss. Obama knew everything!” | “As bad as the I.G. Report is for the FBI and others, and it is really bad, remember that I.G. Horowitz was appointed by Obama,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “There was tremendous bias and guilt exposed, so obvious, but Horowitz couldn’t get himself to say it. Big credibility loss. Obama knew everything!” |
| Trump lashes out at FBI director in wake of Justice Department inspector general’s report | Trump lashes out at FBI director in wake of Justice Department inspector general’s report |
| While Horowitz’s report undercut some of Trump’s most forceful attacks on the Russia investigation, his assertions on the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court could have wide-ranging implications. | While Horowitz’s report undercut some of Trump’s most forceful attacks on the Russia investigation, his assertions on the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court could have wide-ranging implications. |
| On Tuesday, the court issued a rare public order in response to Horowitz’s findings, calling out the FBI for its wrongdoing and ordering the agency to submit a plan by Jan. 10 “to ensure that the statement of facts in each FBI application accurately and completely reflects information possessed by the FBI that is material to any issue presented by the application.” | On Tuesday, the court issued a rare public order in response to Horowitz’s findings, calling out the FBI for its wrongdoing and ordering the agency to submit a plan by Jan. 10 “to ensure that the statement of facts in each FBI application accurately and completely reflects information possessed by the FBI that is material to any issue presented by the application.” |
| “The frequency with which representations made by FBI personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession, and with which they withheld information detrimental to their case, calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable,” presiding judge Rosemary M. Collyer wrote. | “The frequency with which representations made by FBI personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession, and with which they withheld information detrimental to their case, calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable,” presiding judge Rosemary M. Collyer wrote. |
| Some lawmakers have suggested that they might consider stripping the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of its legal basis if it and the bureau did not institute changes. Horowitz has announced he is doing a broader review of the FBI’s applications to the court, and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has vowed to implement corrective steps. | |
| Johnson called the court’s statement a “dramatic rebuke” of the FBI’s conduct. He said his previous belief that applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court were reviewed rigorously and at the highest levels of law enforcement had been “completely blown.” | |
| “I think the FISA court is in jeopardy, personally,” Johnson said. |