Questionable actions by governmental officials

This is a continuation of the Exoneratist’s previous discussion, Feb. 3, 2018. Further information is contained herein regarding the Memo from the House Permanent Select Committee (Committee) that was released to the American public February 2, 2018.

I digress in order to reiterate background from the previous post:

The previous post explained that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made four applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, (FISA) Court. These applications requested a warrant to spy on Carter Page, a member of the Trump campaign for the Presidency of the U.S.

The previous post also explained that the four applications raised grave concerns regarding the omission of pertinent information. The applications relied upon the Christopher Steele Dossier. But the application did not mention Steele’s anti-trump financial and ideological motivations to aid another political party.

Now, the purpose of this present article is to bring into this controversy the actions of the then Director of the FBI, James Comey and Associate Deputy Attorney General, Bruce Ohr.

James Comey, Director of the FBI, signed three of the four applications to obtain warrants and renewal of warrants targeting Carter Page. Each warrant and renewal required a separate finding of probable cause. And yet, the applications did not mention that the FBI had separately authorized payment to Steele for the same information in his Dossier. As Director of the FBI, Comey surely knew this material fact and yet it was not disclosed in three applications that he signed.

And as the political origins of the Steele Dossier were known to senior DOJ and FBI officials, Comey, as the most senior official, surely knew the political origins and had a duty to disclose them. James Comey testified in June, 2017, that the Steele Dossier was “salacious and unverified.” And yet that document was the basis for the applications Comey signed that became warrants authorizing electronic surveillance of an American citizen, Carter Page.

Bruce Ohr, Deputy Attorney General, a senior DOJ official had contact with Steele before and after Steele was terminated by the FBI. Shortly after the election the FBI interviewed Ohr. Ohr stated in his interview that in September, 2016 Steele admitted to Ohr his feelings against the then candidate Trump, and that Steele said he “was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being President.” This clear evidence of Steele’s bias was not reflected in any of the applications.

Bruce Ohr’s wife was employed by Fusion GPS and did opposition research on Trump. Ohr later provided the FBI with his wife’s research. But this material fact that the DNC and Clinton campaign paid for this research was concealed from the FISA Court’s applications for warrants.

The Exoneratist finds the actions of these US government officials, James Comey and Bruce Ohr, to be irresponsible and possibly illegal. Certainly the 4th Amendment rights of Carter Page have been compromised. Page has the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and surveillance, and no warrant should be issued against him without probable cause, supported by all material and relevant facts that exist surrounding the entire matter.