An FBI lawyer who fabricated evidence in a federal spy warrant against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page is expected to plead guilty to federal charges brought by U.S. Attorney John Durham.
Kevin Clinesmith, who is expected to admit to deliberately fabricating evidence in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant application, used to spy on a former campaign affiliate of President Donald Trump, was a top attorney in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) and a key agency attorney under fired former FBI Director James Comey, reported The Federalist.
Clinesmith was referred for potential prosecution by the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office, which conducted its own review of the Russia investigation. Specifically, the inspector general accused Clinesmith, though not by name, of altering an email about former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page to say that he was “not a source” for another government agency. Page has said he was a source for the CIA. The DOJ relied on that assertion as it submitted a third and final renewal application in 2017 to eavesdrop on Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Fox News reported.
Clinesmith is being charged in federal court in Washington and is expected to plead guilty to one count of making a false statement, his attorney Justin Shur told The Associated Press.
The Friday development comes after Attorney General William Barr’s interview with Sean Hannity Thursday, who said that there would be a “development” in the investigation, noting that it would not be “earth-shattering,” but would be “an indication that things are moving along at the proper pace as dictated by the facts in this investigation.”
“There are two different things going on,” Barr said. “I said the American people need to know what actually happened, we need to get the story of what happened in 2016 and ’17 out. That will be done.” Continued Below
Barr also said that “if people crossed the line, if people involved in that activity violated criminal law, they will be charged.”
Barr touted Durham as an “independent” and “highly experienced” man, and said his investigation is “pursuing apace,” despite delays he blamed in part on the coronavirus pandemic.
Durham was appointed by Attorney General Bill Barr last May to determine if the FBI’s “spying” on the Trump campaign in 2016 was adequately predicated. The inquiry will focus on whether the government’s methods to collect intelligence relating to the Trump campaign were lawful and appropriate. In October, Durham’s investigation shifted to a criminal probe. Video Below
Attorney General William Barr’s interview with Sean Hannity:
Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted in 2018, text message between former FBI agents Peter Strzok and Kevin Clinesmith:
The FBI didn’t want Trump to be President. Peter Stzrok’s text says “we’ll stop it.” The day after the election, FBI Attorney #2 said he was “stressed about what I could have done differently.” 2 weeks later he said “Viva le resistance.
This is as wrong as it gets. #IGReport pic.twitter.com/teeOkNbcUq
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 14, 2018
altered an official record (CIA email) that was used to continue surveillance in 2017 on former Trump campaign aide @carterwpage. CBS News has learned that after FBI records were declassified by @DNI_Ratcliffe last month showing Clinesmith was part of a team using a 2016…
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) August 14, 2020
direction of, or with the approval of his FBI leadership. Typically, plea deals have an expectation the individual cooperates.
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) August 14, 2020
Read the charges here:
Kevin Clinesmith criminal information signed by John Durham PDF: https://t.co/sc8g5mk7zn
— Ivan Pentchoukov (@IvanPentchoukov) August 14, 2020
