Trump Declassifies Much of Page FISA Warrant, Plus Texts and Other Docs
Order includes the full release of Russia investigation texts of James Comey and Andrew McCabe. This is a big deal.
Was Donald Trump colluding with Russia? Or were officials of the Obama Justice Department and FBI colluding to spy on and sabotage the President? Today, we are a step closer to finding out.
At the request of Congress and “for reasons of transparency,” President Trump has ordered the immediate declassification of a whole raft of documents. These include:
- Pages 10-12 and 17-34 of the June 2017 FISA warrant on Carter W. Page.
- All 12 FBI reports of interviews with Bruce Ohr in connection with the Russia investigation.
- All FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Carter Page FISA applications.
We’re also going to learn a lot more about the texting habits of fired FBI director James Comey. And of fired Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. President Trump has also ordered the Justice Department to publicly release all texts messages relating to the Russia investigation — without redaction. That means texts by and to Comey, McCabe, Bruce Ohr, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
Read the full statement from Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders here.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devon Nunes had urged Trump to make the move on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
If the president wants the American people to really understand just how broad and invasive this information has been to many Americans and unfair it has been, he has no choice but to declassify.
Congressional sources told Fox News that Nunes was ecstatic at today’s news. “Wow!” he reportedly said. “This is a direct order!” Releasing the texts was a “bonus.”
Transparency
Republicans have long insisted the FBI lied in the FISA warrants against Page. Getting those warrants against the one-time campaign adviser let the FBI surveil the Trump campaign.
McCabe’s and Comey’s texts could tell us just how high the attempted deception campaign against Trump went.
The FBI did not tell the FISA courts that the basis for the Page warrant — the so-called Steele dossier — was funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Nor did the FBI admit it had fired Christopher Steele. Nor why: for sharing information on the dossier with the media. The FBI kept from the court the facts about Bruce Ohr. The former assistant director at the DOJ was continuing to funnel information from Steele to the FBI. Nor was the court told that Ohr’s wife had been hired by Fusion GPS to work on the dossier.
Imagine what America will discover in the now-declassified parts of the dossier.
Remember the texts between former FBI counter-intelligence honcho Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer (also his lover) Lisa Page? They have served as the soundtrack for the ongoing unraveling of the Russia Collusion narrative. Getting the full, unredacted texts will be like… getting the complete studio recordings (with outtakes) of Sonny & Cher. If they had been aiming to destroy President Nixon.
McCabe’s and Comey’s texts could tell us just how high the attempted deception campaign against Trump went. One small example: It was in McCabe’s office where the “plan” to stop Trump was discussed.
As for Comey, his secret meeting with then-President-elect Trump on the allegations of the dossier was leaked to CNN. This gave CNN what it needed to run with the dossier story.
According to a new text released last week, Strzok wanted to use the CNN story as a “pretext to go interview some people.”
Shortly after, the FBI approached George Papadopoulos at his mother’s house for a chat that quickly turned rough.
This is consistent with other newly released texts indicating Lisa-n-Peter were part of a “media leak strategy.” Information was being leaked to the press about targets, including Carter Page. The press reports blowing up Carter Page’s alleged ties to Russia and Trump would then “justify” further investigation.
The Bombshell: Lisa Page Knew There Was No There There Too
What’s scary? They knew there was no there there.
Today’s declassification news comes in the wake of a John Solomon’s bombshell report. Lisa Page testified to Congress that even after nine months of investigation, the FBI had found no decent proof that Trump had colluded with Russia in the slightest.
“As far as May of 2017, we still couldn’t answer the question.” In fact, Page told Congress, “it still existed in the scope of possibility that there would literally be nothing” to connect Trump and Russia. Even after Mueller and FBI are done investigating.
Somehow, with no evidence of a crime, let alone evidence to make a case, a Special Counsel is appointed.
Somehow, with no evidence of a crime, let alone evidence to make a case, a Special Counsel is appointed. That’s sparked by James Comey leaking privileged information on his meetings with Trump. The Special Counsel just happens to be Comey’s friend and mentor Robert Mueller.
And who appointed Mueller? Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein. One of those who signed off on the June 2017 Carter Page FISA warrant that President Trump just declassified.
It may be closing in on autumn, but the Swamp just got a lot hotter.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, and co-author of the still relatively new and always timely book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration.
