the Nunes Memo January 18, 2018
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To: HPSCI Majority Members
From: HPSCI Majority Staff
Subject: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Abuses at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Purpose
This memorandum provides Members an update on significant facts relating to the Committee’s ongoing investigation into the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and their use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) during the 2016 presidential election cycle. Our findings, which are detailed below, 1) raise concerns with the legitimacy and legality of certain DOJ and FBI interactions with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), and 2) represent a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses related to the FISA process.
Investigation Update
On October 21, 2016, DOJ and FBI sought and received a FISA probable cause order (not under Title VII) authorizing electronic surveillance on Carter Page from the FISC. Page is a U.S. citizen who served as a volunteer advisor to the Trump presidential campaign. Consistent with requirements under FISA, the application had to be first certified by the Director or Deputy Director of the FBI. It then required the approval of the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General (DAG), or the Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division.
The FBI and DOJ obtained one initial FISA warrant targeting Carter Page and three FISA renewals from the FISC. As required by statute (50 U.S.C. §,1805(d)(l)), a FISA order on an American citizen must be renewed by the FISC every 90 days and each renewal requires a separate finding of probable cause. Then-Director James Comey signed three FISA applications in question on behalf of the FBI, and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe signed one. Then-DAG Sally Yates, then-Acting DAG Dana Boente, and DAG Rod Rosenstein each signed one or more FISA applications on behalf of DOJ.
Due to the sensitive nature of foreign intelligence activity, FISA submissions (including renewals) before the FISC are classified. As such, the public’s confidence in the integrity of the FISA process depends on the court’s ability to hold the government to the highest standard—particularly as it relates to surveillance of American citizens. However, the FISC’s rigor in protecting the rights of Americans, which is reinforced by 90-day renewals of surveillance orders, is necessarily dependent on the government’s production to the court of all material and relevant facts. This should include information potentially favorable to the target of the FISA application that is known by the government. In the case of Carter Page, the government had at least four independent opportunities before the FISC to accurately provide an accounting of the relevant facts. However, our findings indicate that, as described below, material and relevant information was omitted.
1) The “dossier” compiled by Christopher Steele (Steele dossier) on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign formed an essential part of the Carter Page FISA application. Steele was a longtime FBI source who was paid over $160,000 by the DNC and Clinton campaign, via the law firm Perkins Coie and research firm Fusion GPS, to obtain derogatory information on Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.
a) Neither the initial application in October 2016, nor any of the renewals, disclose or reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign, or any party/campaign in funding Steele’s efforts, even though the political origins of the Steele dossier were then known to senior DOJ and FBI officials.
b) The initial FISA application notes Steele was working for a named U.S. person, but does not name Fusion GPS and principal Glenn Simpson, who was paid by a U.S. law firm (Perkins Coie) representing the DNC (even though it was known by DOJ at the time that political actors were involved with the Steele dossier). The application does not mention Steele was ultimately working on behalf of—and paid by—the DNC and Clinton campaign, or that the FBI had separately authorized payment to Steele for the same information.
2) The Carter Page FISA application also cited extensively a September 23, 2016, Yahoo News article by Michael Isikoff, which focuses on Page’s July 2016 trip to Moscow. This article does not corroborate the Steele dossier because it is derived from information leaked by Steele himself to Yahoo News. The Page FISA application incorrectly assesses that Steele did not directly provide information to Yahoo News. Steele has admitted in British court filings that he met with Yahoo News—and several other outlets—in September 2016 at the direction of Fusion GPS. Perkins Coie was aware of Steele’s initial media contacts because they hosted at least one meeting in Washington D.C. in 2016 with Steele and Fusion GPS where this matter was discussed.
a) Steele was suspended and then terminated as an FBI source for what the FBI defines as the most serious of violations—an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his relationship with the FBI in an October 30, 2016, Mother Jones article by David Corn. Steele should have been terminated for his previous undisclosed contacts with Yahoo and other outlets in September—before the Page application was submitted to the FISC in October—but Steele improperly concealed from and lied to the FBI about those contacts.
b) Steele’s numerous encounters with the media violated the cardinal rule of source handling—maintaining confidentiality—and demonstrated that Steele had become a less than reliable source for the FBI.
3) Before and after Steele was terminated as a source, he maintained contact with DOJ via then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, a senior DOJ official who worked closely with Deputy Attorneys General Yates and later Rosenstein. Shortly after the election, the FBI began interviewing Ohr, documenting his communications with Steele. For example, in September 2016, Steele admitted to Ohr his feelings against then-candidate Trump when Steele said he “was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president.” This clear evidence of Steele’s bias was recorded by Ohr at the time and subsequently in official FBI files—but not reflected in any of the Page FISA applications.
a) During this same time period, Ohr’s wife was employed by Fusion GPS to assist in the cultivation of opposition research on Trump. Ohr later provided the FBI with all of his wife’s opposition research, paid for by the DNC and Clinton campaign via Fusion GPS. The Ohrs’ relationship with Steele and Fusion GPS was inexplicably concealed from the FISC.
4) According to the head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, Assistant Director Bill Priestap, corroboration of the Steele dossier was in its “infancy” at the time of the initial Page FISA application. After Steele was terminated, a source validation report conducted by an independent unit within FBI assessed Steele’s reporting as only minimally corroborated. Yet, in early January 2017, Director Comey briefed President-elect Trump on a summary of the Steele dossier, even though it was—according to his June 2017 testimony—“salacious and unverified.” While the FISA application relied on Steele’s past record of credible reporting on other unrelated matters, it ignored or concealed his anti-Trump financial and ideological motivations. Furthermore, Deputy Director McCabe testified before the Committee in December 2017 that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.
5) The Page FISA application also mentions information regarding fellow Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, but there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos. The Papadopoulos information triggered the opening of an FBI counterintelligence investigation in late July 2016 by FBI agent Pete Strzok. Strzok was reassigned by the Special Counsel’s Office to FBI Human Resources for improper text messages with his mistress, FBI Attorney Lisa Page (no known relation to Carter Page), where they both demonstrated a clear bias against Trump and in favor of Clinton, whom Strzok had also investigated. The Strzok/Lisa Page texts also reflect extensive discussions about the investigation, orchestrating leaks to the media, and include a meeting with Deputy Director McCabe to discuss an “insurance” policy against President Trump’s election.
Biggus Dickus came back to the thread later...
Anon: All 4 FISA warrants have been determined to be illegal. Numerous criminal referrals.
BDA: Good point as I pointed out there are two reports. The one that was issued today points the way, the other justs starts at the conclusions and works its way back. Yes the FISA Warrants are illegal, and yes criminal referrals have been made and more or in the works. These have been folded into the Durham effort and will be forthcoming. Remember this version of the report has the Durham and Barr statements to the effect of what is coming.
Anon whines about no one being locked up and wants the entire ME glassed.
BDA: Nope the Horowitz Report contradicts nothing. My efforts have always aimed at understanding what went on upstream of the FBI works and how those actions influenced what we see today. Yes the Iranian missiles are in Syria and the Israelis are on point to take them out soon.
Anon responds to another whiny Anon: It wasn’t a criminal investigation are you brain dead? That’s Durham’s job Jesus can you even read?
BDA: Folks tend to forget that but in reality this report does a lot of good and the FISA Court is just a scam run by the FBI to go after whoever they want.
Anon: BD's right about one thing. That b**ch (HRC) is nucking insane and lost all connection with reality. She is not protected nor is she even remotely under any kind of cover. Exposed, vulnerable, and completely useless now to everyone.
BDA: Funny we had a phone intercept that was passed on to me last night that says she still plans to run and announce shortly. She is nuts.
Anon whines about BDA being a LARP and nothing is habbening.
BDA: Iran is the problem whether you like it or not. These guys are crazier than the Democrats and not half as intelligent and that is not saying much.
Anon: TRUST THE PLAN
BDA: Actually I would not trust anything. I don`t unless I can see it.
Anon asks where is BDA. Another Anon answers: Barreling iranians with mozzad and saudi "good people" while distributing artificial gold via underground bases of dead alien races.
BDA: Close but not quite right. The Gold is still coming hot off the press though. But it is being sent to the Federal Reserve in New York.
Anon: Yesterday u said that something was missing to avert ww3 guck fest. U said it was god.
BDA: Things are too serious for that. This stuff is maddening. After the Graham Kerry revelations I just lost it for a few hours. These folks have no integrity.
Anon: And when this double secret probation report 2 comes out and nothing happens what will you say then? Look around you. Comey and McCabe are very free. You know what's in their future? Book deals and lots of them. This just shows that if you work for Trump, you will be targeted and your life will be ruined even when Trump is in power. Pathetic.
BDA: Nah the sh!t is deep and Trump knew that when he was elected President. This was always going to be a gucking war and the craziness in the Ukraine just reflects that but consider the whole Ukraine story is a set up by Trump folks to engage the Democrats on an issue Trump can win on. The Democrats were set up.
Anon: Please be well, BD. Your ominous post yesterday about being in harms way still concerns me. You have done so much to open our eyes, keeping our eyes locked on valid targets. Thank you for everything - wishing you safety and success if all you are doing.
BDA: Funny the stuff over here will probably blow everything up and the stuff in the States is secondary to this nightmare.
Anon: It's a total bust for Trump. He had to get his shine boy Barr out there for a propaganda push against it since there is nothing actionable in it
BDA: What is actionable is the Durham Indictments and yes their will be a report.
Anon: BD what effect will the IG report have on WW3?
BDA: None at all. Unless the Iranians perceive we are so gucked up they can get away with their silliness. Then yea we have problem. Also keep in mind that the Saudi`s have enough investment in the American economy to crash the whole thing it they pull out. We need just to get out of here and let them kill each other.
Anon: So this impeachment is proof that Trump is playing 4d chess?
BDA: Yes it is. The Ukraine problem was a set up by Trump people. I should know I was in the middle of it. The Democrats were always going to impeach Trump. We had phone intercepts from Pelosi`s office one week after she became speaker with the Lawfare group in Washington this was going to happen. The Democrats hired Lawfare Attorneys to guide the whole thing and they are right now writing up the articles of impeachment.
Anon: since this was done to the prez, any chance of the ndaa not being renewed since 9/11 was an inside job?
BDA: No
Anon: Will the plague be a distraction from world events?
BDA: No. That is just working its way through the population. If it wasn`t for the mess over here I would say that is by far the biggest problem facing us. Hopefully this will destroy the Democrats in California. They really are dangerous people.
Anon: have you seen the stargate/looking glass? was that orb trump was touching with saudi's part of a stargate?
BDA: Nope, but stuff like that is at Area 51 but no one has figured out how it works. Those folks well creatures have a way of traveling though space that we have not figured out yet.
Anon: True about Comey and Brennan, but look at what Comey said today; I think almost everyone can claim that they were duped by Brennan, that he's the only one who knew it was fake. Others knew of course, but may be able to show that they had doubts and that Brennan personally assured them on his credibility that it was real, even Obama can claim that. I'm betting that only Brenna will really be prosecuted in all this, others have already turned on him.
BDA: The problem is the whole thing was managed by Brennan, Strozk, and Comey. The breadcrumbs were put out and the lower levels were pointed to them. Brennan is already gucked and he is playing a role til the rest of this ***** is sorted out.
Anon: Ummm, this report states all 4 FISA warrants were illegal. This means Flynn, Page, and the rest punished based off of them are now not only free, but free to sue the government for millions. Second, it also means that someone committed numerous crimes, the buck will be passed around for 3-6 months and whoever is left holding it at the end will be arrested, but it will most likely be some lowly peon they'll hang it all on.
BDA: All four FISA Warrants were illegal. It will just take time before it sorts out.
Anon: Where the guck are the revelations regarding how the Obama DOJ/FBI had FISAs on more than just Trump? That's the single most devastating fact to the traitors' narrative, and it should have been within Horowitz's scope.
BDA: Yea they are. But Durham is going there. Remember these sick bass turds were listening in on Ivanka`s as she peed in the bathroom and talked to her friends about a baby shower. Comey is a sick bass *****.
anon: How will the boogaloo pop off in the USA then? And if it does, when?
BDA: I think the stuff over here will bleed back to the States. The ***** coming out now is terrible. The Horowitz Report is damning take the time to go through it and look at what Barr did with Steele. It points the direction.
Anon: Epstein Didn't Kill Himself
BDA: No he did not. And the person that killed him also killed Seth Rich and he is buried now in a barrel in Saudi Arabia.
Anon: is there anything that could have this NOT go according to plan? any way for this to backfire on POTUS et al?
BDA: If we blow the world up over here that will be a real problem. Although it will get the alien technology out there quickly. Had a chance to ride on one of the aircraft that was developed from the tech, and it something. Anti-gravity drive does not begin to explain it.
Anon whining about LARP and how he trusted Meganon
BDA: Can understand your feelings. Have to say the Gold we shipped out to Brazil did a lot of good though. Got a lot of bad guys. It was in the news.
Anon: Post proof of being in middle east. You wont.
BDA: Not sure my friends here would see that as appropriate. Would not want a missile up our a$$. There will be plenty to see soon enough. You should have been around for what happened in Syria that was fun. That mutt is a gucking national hero.
Anon: Lindsey is currently dancing for POTUS right now on Hannity.
BDA: Yep Trump has made him aware of what is expected. Hope he bent him over a desk and made it clear. Really want that piece of sh!t Page to be exposed.
Anon: Scuttlebutt on Durham timing?
BDA: God I have been wrong on dates regarding this mess I will just defer. But it will happen.
Anon: https://patents.google.com/patent/US10144532B2/en (Craft using an inertial mass reduction device)
Here ya go, BDanon. Some of us round these parts have our ears to the ground with respect to these matters.
BDA: Yep, this is some crazy stuff. And one of my tasks is to start to get this stuff out behind the door. Before it all comes out. The craft here that will be used in a war is not to be believed.
Anon: FBI anon was true.
Meganon was true, even going to lengths to apologise to Q for thinking Q was a LARP.
Q continues on with 3 more proofs toward legitimacy today.
BDA: Yep the Q group is real, but unsound but since their finances have been solved who knows. I enjoy their efforts but beware.
Anon: So neither is dead then (Epstein and SR)
BDA: Both Rich and Epstein is dead. And the fellow that killed him is also. He had a nice home in Israel and spent a lot of time in Japan.
Anon: Best info sites that give real world happenings?
BDA: I like Intel Crab. They have sources out there that are pretty much on the ground level.
Anon: You were completely and utterly right about Carter Page, BD. Today, Zerohedge had a story about things getting really tense among Israel, Iran and Syria. It sounds bad, and you were right again. I've been on the fence with you, but I'm about ready to jump off. Thanks for what you're doing here.
BDA: Glad to help. Complicated world. Things over here are on the edge. And Page is a deep state thug. Just a stupid one.
Anon: Chief Justice Roberts is supposed to run the thing, but I recall you said that he has been compromised.
BDA: yea in many ways Roberts is sad.
Anon: Are the Saudis threatening to pull out of our economy if we don't support them in their jihad against Iran? Does the Saudi Aramco public offering play into this?
BDA: The Saudi`s are just scared. And this all goes back to the Sunni/Shia split. Interestingly a lot of folks in Iran could care less about politics.
Anon: How public will the events be when these sick pedophiles/murderers are caught and trialed? Will this be a moment of "Biblical proportions"?
Also when will the tension in the middle east be picked up on MSM and normie level social circles? Or will it simmer for a while?
BDA: yea too big not to cover. I still get upset this ***** is not already out there. But the group I am in seems to view it a bit different. They are big on nudging people in the right way. Foundation trilogy to understand.
Anon: Russian Intelligence Agents, who have since been murdered
Why? And by whom? And wouldn't this cause trouble with Russia?
BDA: Nope when Putin found out he threw them out of helicopters and sent pictures to Brennan.
Anon: Are Patriots in Northern CA safe? I don't wanna move.
BDA: Stay out of San Francisco. But yes.
