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, according his lawyer and court documents which were made public on Friday.
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.
In a report made public last year, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz listed more than 17 significant inaccuracies and omissions with the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe into Trump’s campaign. The malfeasance appeared to occur during the FBI’s application for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance warrant on Carter Page.
“As a result of the 17 significant inaccuracies and omissions we identified, relevant information was not shared with, and consequently not considered by, important Department decision makers and the court, and the FISA applications made it appear as though the evidence supporting probable cause was stronger than was actually the case. We also found basic, fundamental, and serious errors during the completion of the FBl’s factual accuracy reviews, known as the Woods Procedures, which are designed to ensure that FISA applications contain a full and accurate presentation of the facts,” stated Horowitz’s report. Continued Below
Senate Judiciary chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reacted Friday to the reports indicating Clinesmith will plead guilty, and slammed The New York Times for writing in their headline: “Prosecutors did not reveal any evidence of the kind of broad anti-Trump conspiracy among law enforcement officials that the president has long alleged.”
“To the liberal media including the @nytimes, you are missing the point. This [is] not a conspiracy theory. These are facts. #CrossfireHurricane,” Senator Graham tweeted.
“*The FBI and DOJ engaged in improper and illegal activity to obtain a warrant against an American citizen – Carter Page — who was an adviser to the Trump campaign. *The Inspector General and FISA Court rebuked the FBI/DOJ for their conduct in this matter,” Senator Graham wrote.
“*Today, an FBI lawyer will plead guilty to altering a document submitted to the FISA Court as part of the warrant process. The question of why people did this is obvious to anyone who looks at the facts – which excludes most of the media,” he continued.
“You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure this out. Just look at their words and actions,” the South Carolina Senator recommended.
“I very much appreciate Inspector General Horowitz, Attorney General Barr, U.S. Attorney Durham, and FBI Director Wray for trying to help right the ship by holding people accountable and restoring credibility to the DOJ and FBI,” Senator Graham added.
Senator Lindsey Graham’s official tweets:
To the liberal media including the @nytimes, you are missing the point.
This not a conspiracy theory.
These are facts. #CrossfireHurricane https://t.co/fojhFdCigR
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 14, 2020
* Today, an FBI lawyer will plead guilty to altering a document submitted to the FISA Court as part of the warrant process.
The question of why people did this is obvious to anyone who looks at the facts – which excludes most of the media.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 14, 2020
I very much appreciate Inspector General Horowitz, Attorney General Barr, U.S. Attorney Durham, and FBI Director Wray for trying to help right the ship by holding people accountable and restoring credibility to the DOJ and FBI.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 14, 2020
