Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page filed a $ 75 million lawsuit against the FBI, the Justice Department and former FBI Director James Comey, claiming he was a victim of “illegal espionage” during the office’s investigation into Russia.
Why is this important: The lawsuit largely echoes a report by the DOJ Inspector General that found errors in requests to acquire wiretaps on Page through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, according to AP.
Why is this important: The lawsuit largely echoes a report by the DOJ Inspector General that found errors in requests to acquire wiretaps on Page through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, according to AP.
The context: Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who investigated the origins of the 2016 Russia inquiries, told a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2019 that he found no evidence of political bias in the FBI control of Trump administration officials, including Page.
- Horowitz also determined that the FBI was justified in opening its investigation after receiving advice on Trump’s campaign adviser George Papadopoulos.
- However, the Inspector General also found at least 17 errors in the FISA Page request, including the omission of information that could have refuted claims that he was a Russian agent.
The big picture: The lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses the FBI of relying excessively on information complied with Christopher Steele, a former British spy, and that the office failed to tell the Foreign Intelligence Review Court that the main source de Steele contradicted the information Steele attributed to him.
- The lawsuit also claims that the FBI misled the court about its relationship with the CIA.
- Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI attorney, pleaded guilty in August to altering an email, claiming Page had not been a source for the CIA when he was. The email was used in an app to repeat a wiretap on the page.
