WASHINGTON – A U.S. Attorney appointed by Donald Trump revealed in court filings this week that the Justice Department under the Obama administration likely committed perjury when obtaining a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to surveil Carter Page, a former Trump campaign advisor. The stunning disclosure, made by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri,Matthew M. Graves, came during a hearing related to a lawsuit filed by Page seeking damages for the unlawful surveillance.
The filings allege that key facts undermining the credibility of the primary source for the FISA warrant – British intelligence operative Christopher Steele – was deliberately withheld from the FISA court. This information, according to Graves’ team, included evidence suggesting Steele’s sources were compromised and that Steele himself may have misrepresented information to the FBI. The revelations reignite long-held Republican accusations of political bias within the FBI and Justice Department during the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath,and could have important implications for ongoing debates about government surveillance powers.
Graves’ court submission details how the Justice Department, under then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and then-FBI Director James Comey, repeatedly sought renewals of the FISA warrant despite accumulating evidence casting doubt on Steele’s claims. The filings specifically point to internal FBI memos and emails demonstrating concerns about Steele’s sources and the potential for political motivation. Page’s lawsuit argues the surveillance was a key component of a broader effort to damage the Trump campaign and delegitimize his presidency.”The government’s repeated reliance on Steele’s reporting, despite knowing about these serious concerns, raises serious questions about the integrity of the FISA process,” stated a court document filed by Page’s legal team. “This was not simply a mistake; it was a deliberate effort to mislead the court.”
The Justice Department, under the Biden administration, has not disputed the factual basis of Graves’ filings but has argued that the statute of limitations has expired for many of Page’s claims. However, the revelations have fueled calls from Republican lawmakers for a renewed investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe and potential criminal charges against those involved in allegedly misleading the FISA court. the case remains ongoing, with a potential trial date set for later this year.
