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FBI and White House clash over controversial Republican memo FBI and White House clash over controversial Republican memo
(about 2 hours later)
The FBI has publicly challenged a push by Republican lawmakers to release a controversial memo which purports to show anti-Trump bias at the agency. The FBI has questioned moves to release a secret memo said to accuse it of abusing surveillance powers to target Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
"We have grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy," the FBI said in a statement. "We have grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy," the agency said.
The White House has reportedly indicated it could be published later on Thursday. There are suggestions the Congressional memo may be published on Thursday.
Democrats say the memo is an attempt to discredit the FBI-led Russia inquiry. Democrats fear the document may be an attempt to discredit the inquiry into Trump campaign links to Russia.
The White House has to approve the top-secret memo's release. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff accused his Republican counterparts of altering the text of the document after it was voted on. He said it should be withdrawn and reviewed again prior to any possible public release.
"It will be released here pretty quick, I think, and the whole world can see it," White House chief of staff John Kelly told Fox News Radio. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is leading the investigation into alleged Russian meddling and possible obstruction of justice by members of the Trump administration.
Hours later, the FBI issued a rare statement saying it had had "limited opportunity" to review the document before the House Intelligence committee voted to release it on Monday. The White House has to approve the memo's release but its chief of staff, John Kelly. told Fox News Radio it would be "released here pretty quick" for the "whole world" to see.
"We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the Fisa [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] process," the FBI statement added. What do we know about the memo's contents?
On Wednesday night Democrats on the committee accused the Republicans of having secretly altered the memo before giving it to the White House. The four-page document was compiled by staffers for House Intelligence Committee (HIE) head Devin Nunes, a member of Mr Trump's Republican party.
Representative Adam Schiff said the document had "material changes", meaning it was not the same as the one voted on. He said it should be withdrawn and reviewed again prior to any possible public release. It apparently accuses the Department of Justice (D0J) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) of abusing a surveillance programme known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
What is the memo? The allegation is that the FBI ran surveillance on a member of Mr Trump's campaign.
The four-page document, compiled by staffers for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, says the Department of Justice abused the Fisa surveillance programme to unfairly target a member of Donald Trump's campaign. According to lawmakers who saw the memo, it says the FBI obtained a warrant to spy on the campaign aide on the basis of unproven accusations against Mr Trump known as the "Russian dossier".
According to lawmakers who have reviewed it, the document purports to show the agency obtained a warrant to spy on a Trump campaign aide after submitting as evidence the unproven "Russian dossier". That dossier was compiled by former UK intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from Hillary Clinton's campaign.
That dossier was compiled by former UK intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from the Hillary Clinton campaign. The HIE voted to release the memo on Monday and Mr Trump has until the weekend to decide whether to clear it for public release.
The committee voted to release the memo earlier this week and Mr Trump has until the weekend to decide whether to de-classify the information for public release. Following his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, Mr Trump was heard telling a Republican lawmaker he was "100%" for releasing the document.
Mr Trump was heard following his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night telling a Republican lawmaker he was "100%" for releasing the document. Mr Kelly said Mr Trump wanted "everything out so the American people can make up their own minds and if there's people to be held accountable, then so be it".
However, on Wednesday White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told CNN there was "always a chance" it would not be released. What does the FBI say?
Mr Kelly was less equivocal, saying Mr Trump wanted "everything out so the American people can make up their own minds and if there's people to be held accountable, then so be it". In a rare statement, the agency said it had had "limited opportunity" to review the document before the HIE voted to release it on Monday.
Why is it controversial? "We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the Fisa process," the FBI statement added.
Before the FBI statement on Wednesday, the Department of Justice had already said it would be "extraordinary reckless" to release the document. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has said it would be "extraordinary reckless" to release the memo.
Democrats, whose efforts to release a competing memo were blocked by the committee, say Mr Nunes cherry-picked highly classified information which, they say, might jeopardise national security. How are relations between Mr Trump and the FBI?
They argue the memo is an effort to embarrass the FBI and discredit the investigation, led by special counsel Robert Mueller, into alleged Russian meddling and possible obstruction of justice by members of the Trump administration. Trump officials say the memo proves his allegation that he has been treated unfairly by the FBI.
But Trump officials say the memo proves his allegation that he has been treated unfairly by the FBI. Devin Nunes, who served on the Trump team during his White House transition, said it was "no surprise" the FBI had objected to the memo's release.
FBI deputy quits 'ahead of agency review'
After firing FBI director James Comey, Mr Trump reportedly asked his temporary replacement, Andrew McCabe, how he had voted in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr McCabe resigned amid public accusations of Democratic bias from Mr Trump. He had been planning to retire in March.
What is the latest reaction?
Chairman Nunes, who served on the Trump team during his White House transition, said it was "no surprise" the FBI has objected to the memo's release.
"Having stonewalled Congress' demands for information for nearly a year, it's no surprise to see the FBI and DoJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies," he said."Having stonewalled Congress' demands for information for nearly a year, it's no surprise to see the FBI and DoJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies," he said.
A top Democrat on the House committee, Adam Schiff, said releasing the memo increased "the risk of a constitutional crisis by setting the stage for subsequent actions by the White House to fire Mueller or, as now seems more likely, Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein". After firing FBI director James Comey last year, Mr Trump reportedly asked his temporary replacement, Andrew McCabe, how he had voted in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr McCabe resigned last month as Mr Trump accused him of pro-Democratic bias. He had been planning to retire in March.
In December, Mr Trump reportedly challenged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mr Mueller, over his loyalties.
He wanted to know whether Mr Rosenstein was "on my team", CNN reports.
What do Mr Trump's opponents say?
Democrats on the HIE accused Republicans of having secretly altered the memo before giving it to the White House.
Mr Schiff said that releasing the memo increased "the risk of a constitutional crisis by setting the stage for subsequent actions by the White House to fire Mueller or, as now seems more likely, Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein".
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said the Republicans were clearly trying to "undermine the special counsel's investigation".Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said the Republicans were clearly trying to "undermine the special counsel's investigation".
"There's no excuse for playing politics with highly classified information," Mrs Feinstein added. "There's no excuse for playing politics with highly classified information," she added.