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2 Weeks After Trump Blocked It, Democrats Release Rebuttal of G.O.P. Memo 2 Weeks After Trump Blocked It, Democrats Release Rebuttal of G.O.P. Memo
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — House Democrats released a heavily redacted memorandum on Saturday that was drafted to counter Republican claims that top F.B.I. and Justice Department officials had abused their powers in spying on a former Trump campaign aide. WASHINGTON — The House Intelligence Committee released a heavily redacted Democratic memorandum on Saturday that counters Republican claims that top F.B.I. and Justice Department officials had abused their powers in spying on a former Trump campaign aide.
President Trump blocked the memo’s outright release two weeks ago, with the White House counsel warning that the document “contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages.” Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee had since been haggling with the F.B.I. over redactions. (Read the Democratic memo.)
President Trump blocked the memo’s outright release two weeks ago, with the White House counsel warning that the document “contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages.” Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee had since been haggling with the F.B.I. and the Justice Department over redactions. On Saturday, the department returned the redacted document to the committee for release.
Democrats have insisted that Mr. Trump’s deference to national security concerns in the case was hypocritical and politically motivated. Just a week before blocking their memo’s release, the president had ignored similar objections from the Justice Department and the F.B.I. to declassify the contents of a rival Republican memo, which was based on the same underlying documents. Mr. Trump asserted, incorrectly, that the Republican document vindicated him in the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference.Democrats have insisted that Mr. Trump’s deference to national security concerns in the case was hypocritical and politically motivated. Just a week before blocking their memo’s release, the president had ignored similar objections from the Justice Department and the F.B.I. to declassify the contents of a rival Republican memo, which was based on the same underlying documents. Mr. Trump asserted, incorrectly, that the Republican document vindicated him in the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference.
The release of the Democratic rebuttal was expected to be the final volley, at least for now, in a bitter partisan fight over surveillance that has driven deep fissures through the once-bipartisan Intelligence Committee and at times pitted Mr. Trump against his own Justice Department and F.B.I.The release of the Democratic rebuttal was expected to be the final volley, at least for now, in a bitter partisan fight over surveillance that has driven deep fissures through the once-bipartisan Intelligence Committee and at times pitted Mr. Trump against his own Justice Department and F.B.I.
The dispute and the dueling memos center on applications by the F.B.I. in October 2016 to secure a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser suspected of being a Russian agent. Representative Adam B. Schiff, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said on Saturday that the Democratic memo should “put to rest” Republican assertions of wrongdoing in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act process.
“Our extensive review of the initial FISA application and three subsequent renewals failed to uncover any evidence of illegal, unethical or unprofessional behavior by law enforcement and instead revealed that both the F.B.I. and D.O.J. made extensive showings to justify all four requests,” he said in a statement.
The dispute and the dueling memos center on applications by the F.B.I. in October 2016 to secure a secret warrant to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser suspected of being a Russian agent, and the subsequent renewals.
Republicans, in their three-and-a-half-page memo, claim that top law enforcement officials seriously misled the court by failing to disclose that they were relying in part on research financed by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.Republicans, in their three-and-a-half-page memo, claim that top law enforcement officials seriously misled the court by failing to disclose that they were relying in part on research financed by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
People familiar with the Democratic document said that it contends that the F.B.I. was more forthcoming to the surveillance court. It says that while the F.B.I. did not name the Democrats or Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, the agency did disclose to the court that it made use of information that was gathered through politically motivated means. The Democratic document contends that the F.B.I. was more forthcoming to the surveillance court. It says that the agency did disclose to the court that it made use of information that was gathered through politically motivated means.
Democrats say their memo corrects key mischaracterizations and crucial omissions in the Republican document. While the Republican document focused on a single thread, Democrats said they tried to explain the whole tapestry of evidence against Mr. Page.Democrats say their memo corrects key mischaracterizations and crucial omissions in the Republican document. While the Republican document focused on a single thread, Democrats said they tried to explain the whole tapestry of evidence against Mr. Page.
The warrant application itself remains under seal, and only a handful of lawmakers from either party have seen it. The New York Times has filed a motion asking the surveillance court to take the unusual step of unsealing it.The warrant application itself remains under seal, and only a handful of lawmakers from either party have seen it. The New York Times has filed a motion asking the surveillance court to take the unusual step of unsealing it.