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Nunes memo: Donald Trump to clear the way for controversial memo to be released Nunes memo: Donald Trump to clear the way for controversial memo to be released
(35 minutes later)
President Donald Trump will not block the publishing of a Republican-authored memo despite objections from his own FBI,  White House officials have said. President Donald Trump will not block the publishing of a Republican-authored memo despite objections from his own Justice Department,  the White House has said, escalating the Capitol Hill drama over a document that reportedly alleges misconduct by FBI officials investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. 
The memo, compiled by House intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes, has caused a stir on Capitol Hill for the past couple of weeks. An administration official told reporters that the president is expected to tell Congress “probably tomorrow” that he is okay with releasing the memo.
An administration official told reporters that tthe president is expected to tell Congress “probably tomorrow” that he is okay with releasing the memo. The official said the decision was made after examining the memo over the last few days and making sure “it doesn’t give away too much in terms of classification.” “The president is ok with it,” the official said. “I doubt there will be any redactions. It’s in Congress’ hands after that.” The official said the decision was made after examining the memo over the last few days and making sure “it doesn’t give away too much in terms of classification.” 
More follows... “The president is ok with it,” the official said. “I doubt there will be any redactions. It’s in Congress’ hands after that.” It would then be up to the House Intelligence Committee to make the document public. 
Several national security officials are said to have warned the White House that releasing the four-page document could jeopardize sensitive government information, including how intelligence is collected. 
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted on Monday to release the so-called “Nunes memo”, giving Mr Trump five days to accept or object to the committee’s request. The President has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia. 
The Daily Beast reported that Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee, and his committee staff spent months compiling the memo, which relies upon classified information. It reportedly alleges that senior FBI and Justice Department officials used questionable and politically motivated sources to justify surveillance of Mr Trump’s campaign.
According to multiple news accounts, the memo says that the FBI’s 2016 application for a warrant to wiretap Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, was based on information in the infamous Trump dossier detailing Mr Trump’s alleged connections to Russia. 
Some funding for the dossier is said to have come from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee. 
To obtain a surveillance warrant for a US citizen like Mr Page, the government would have needed to show probable cause that Mr Page, a former Moscow-based investment banker, was an agent of the Russian government. 
The memo has spurred further partisan discord among members of Congress, even though the Russia investigation is supposed to be nonpartisan.
While Republicans argue that the memo shows wrongdoing by FBI officials, Democrats say the document mischaracterizes intelligence and attempts to create a narrative to show the FBI’s Russia investigation has been biased from the beginning. 
Democrats also assert that it is an attempt to divert attention away from special counsel Robert Mueller’s own probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. 
The ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff, said last week that Democrats would push to release their own memo if the committee releases the Nunes memo.