William Barr would have better received the proceeds of the investigation on Russia

Last month, during a testimony at Capitol Hill, Mr Barr said that "espionage had actually occurred" on President Donald Trump 's campaign, adding, "I think that' s the only thing I 've seen. spying on a political campaign is a big problem ". Asked, again at Capitol Hill, earlier this month, Barr refused to back down. "I'm not going to abjure the use of the word" spying, "he told Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D)." I think, you know, my first job was at the CIA. . And I do not think the word "espionage" has a pejorative connotation at all. "

And now, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week, Barr goes even further. "The power of the government was used to spy on American citizens," Barr told the Journal. "I can not imagine a world where we would not look and do not make it happen properly."

Barr's claims – or his insinuations – go directly against what we know to be the facts about the origins and conduct of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation.

First, there is the claim "espionage". What we do know is that the FBI has asked for a warrant to allow him to monitor the journalist against Carter Page, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign. This request was submitted to a foreign intelligence monitoring court, which found that the FBI had reason to believe that Page was an agent of a foreign power. In addition to the first FISA mandate, Page's monitoring was then re-approved three times. (Note: The judges who serve on IFCS are all appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts, Roberts was appointed to court by Republican President George W. Bush.)

"Many people have different colloquialisms.I believe the FBI is engaged in an investigation activity and part of the survey activity includes a surveillance activity of different shapes and sizes. For me, the key question is to make sure the book complies with our legal authorities. "

Asked earlier this week about Wray's comments, Trump himself said, "I did not understand his answer, because I thought the Attorney General was answering it perfectly. I did not understand this answer, I thought it was a ridiculous answer. "

So, there is that.

Then there is Barr's statement that the Steele case may have been used "to conduct counterintelligence activities against a US political campaign". The origin of the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election is that it started in the summer of that year – after WikiLeaks started to publish stolen emails to the president of the National Democratic Committee campaign and Hillary Clinton, John Podesta. This decision prompted Australian officials to contact the US intelligence services to alert them that one of their diplomats had had a conversation with Trump's adviser, George Papadopoulos, earlier in the year, during which Papadopoulos had declared that he knew that the Russians knew the Russians. Clinton. And from there, the investigation began.

The Steele file – an opposition research paper developed by a former British spy and funded by the DNC and Clinton – was not the genesis of the investigation. Steele file parts have been independently confirmed by US law enforcement officials, but not the most salacious parts.

We know all this because of the testimony – under oath – of former FBI director James Comey and the Mueller report.

The FBI, in its wagering arrest warrant application against Page, said it was partially based on the Steele record and that the FISA court had still allowed The surveillance. Page had ceased his association with the campaign, for which he was an unremunerated external adviser, when FISA was solicited and approved.

If Barr has the proof that everything that Comey, Mueller and Wray said is wrong, then it's an absolutely HUGE story. And according to the game he's talking about, he seems to suggest that he does it or think he'll do it before the end of the investigation. Of course, if Barr is, well, just the talk, the damage he causes is real and enduring – he provides coverage and fodder to those (including the US President) who believe that Trump is the target of a vast "deep state". "conspiracy.