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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBreaking: Russia Inquiry Review Is Said to Criticize F.B.I. but Rebuff Claims of Biased Acts
A watchdog report will portray the pursuit of a wiretap of an ex-Trump adviser as sloppy, but it also debunks some accusations by Trump allies of F.B.I. wrongdoing.
By Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage
Nov. 22, 2019, 3:56 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON A highly anticipated report by the Justice Departments inspector general is expected to sharply criticize lower-level F.B.I. officials as well as bureau leaders involved in the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation, but to absolve the top ranks of abusing their powers out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft.
Investigators for the inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, uncovered errors and omissions in documents related to the wiretapping of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page including that a low-level lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, altered an email that officials used to prepare to seek court approval to renew the wiretap, the people said.
Mr. Horowitz referred his findings about Mr. Clinesmith to prosecutors for a potential criminal charge. Mr. Clinesmith left the Russia investigation in February 2018 after the inspector general identified him as one of a handful of F.B.I. officials who expressed animus toward Mr. Trump in text messages and resigned about two months ago, after the inspector generals team interviewed him.
Though Mr. Trumps allies have seized on the messages from Mr. Clinesmith and his colleagues as proof of anti-Trump bias, Mr. Clinesmith has not been a prominent figure in the partisan firefight over the investigation. His lawyer declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Mr. Horowitz.
More broadly, Mr. Horowitzs report, to be made public on Dec. 9, portrays the overall effort to seek the wiretap order and its renewals as sloppy and unprofessional, according to the people familiar with it. He will also sharply criticize as careless one of the F.B.I. case agents in New York handling the matter, they said.
At the same time, however, the report debunks a series of conspiracy theories and insinuations about the F.B.I. that Mr. Trump and his allies have put forward over the past two years, the people said, though they cautioned that the report is not complete. The New York Times has not reviewed the draft, which could contain other significant findings.
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Matthew Gertz ✔ @MattGertz
If the New York Times is right about what's in the IG report, it's totally devastating to the entire Fox News counternarrative.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/russia-investigation-inspector-general-report.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes
4:09 PM - Nov 22, 2019
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)aren't as far gone, as I had been anticipating.
C_U_L8R
(45,000 posts)Rightwingers proven to be full of shit. Once again.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,177 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)stillcool
(32,626 posts)but if Barr has been chumming the waters for murky bits, he'll find some to paste together. Make the whole way different than the some of the parts. In these days of nothing matters, bullsh*t is at a premium.
rzemanfl
(29,556 posts)under Barr.
asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)from last night..leaving it to WP to do the heavy lifting -
After CNN first reported on the investigation, the Washington Post reported that the inspector general concluded the alteration did not change the validity of the surveillance application.
I do feel sorry for the atty. - I understand he shouldn't have altered any document..just my maternal instinct..he is so young..remains to be seen what will come of the criminal action..
To think the pos orange one is getting away with so much corruption, and terrorizing all of us...