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The FBI released on Saturday redacted documents on the electronic monitoring of Trump's former campaign aide, Carter Page, who was at the center of a controversy. The FBI asked for the secret warrant.
Documents released on Saturday seem to override some Republicans' claims that the FBI failed to properly disclose the sources of information used to obtain the foreign intelligence oversight mandate. information in addition to the "record" Steele in the application, which was granted by a judge.
The warrant, which is heavily redacted in several areas, was released on Saturday following the Freedom of Information Act litigation initiated by the New York Times and other media organizations, and it was released with the release of the law. approval of a judge.
The warrant contains numerous allegations of and its interactions with Russian interests. Page spent a few months advising President Donald Trump's campaign.
The warrant confirms a claim made by congressional Democrats that the FBI informed judges of where Christopher Steele, the Former British spy who drafted the untested "file" on Trump and Steele's associates.
And he supports the statement that the FBI used information from other sources that were completely uninvolved with Steele
A FISA warrant authorizes the FBI to monitor an individual whose department Justice has reason to believe that he is an agent of a foreign power under the Foreign Intelligence Oversight Act.
The FBI suspected that Page was a Russian agent, which he vehemently denies, even though he admits to having a relationship with the Kremlin. NBC News reported that four separate federal judges signed Page supervision and subsequent renewals.
On Sunday, Page denied being an agent of a foreign power and characterized the claims in FISA's mandate of "so ridiculous" and ""
"It's literally a complete joke and it just keeps going, it's really sad, "he said Sunday on the state of the CNN Union
" I've never been an agent of a foreign power, any effort of imagination, "he added. Mr. Page admitted to attending the meetings as an informal adviser to the Russian government in the run-up to the G20 summit in St. Petersburg in 2013.
"Maybe when the G20 comes back, they were preparing to do it in St. Petersburg, I could have attended a few meetings at which many people, including members of the Obama administration, sat, and in Geneva, Paris, et cetera , but I've never been so close to what is described here. "
Page has been charged with no crime.The process of FISA's mandate is the only one of its kind. One of the government's most secretive processes.The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was adopted by Congress in 1978.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Saturday in a statement that the documents published by FISA show that the FBI and the Ministry of Justice acted from my The request and three renewals underline the FBI's legitimate concern regarding Page activities while investigating Russia's interference, DOJ's transparency with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on a specific source. and the fact that the DOJ followed the proper procedures.
Page is a central figure in the memo in the Nunes, which alleges that the FBI hid key information from judges who approved and renewed the bureau's request to place Page under covert surveillance.
published in February was written by Republican staff members on the House Intelligence Committee and is named after the chairman of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. The memo has been criticized as a supporter.
A memo released by Democrats later claimed that this file information compiled by Steele, whose work was funded by a firm related to Hillary Clinton's campaign, was a small part of the story. case Ministry officials have asked the foreign intelligence monitoring court to listen to the page and requests for renewal.
The New York Times reported in May that at least one government informant had met Carter Page several times, and George Papadopoulos, former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor
It was revealed last October that Papadopoulos had concluded a cooperation agreement with Mueller, pleading guilty to lying to federal agents about his contacts with Kremlin-related Russians.
The controversy of FISA's mandate for monitoring on Page comes amid an investigation by the special advocate Robert Mueller, who investigates the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and s & # 39; There was collusion with people related to the Trump campaign, among other issues.
Trump repeatedly denied any collusion took place, and Saturday tweeted "No Collusion, No Obstruction", and the president again called the Mueller investigation a "witch hunt." "
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