Posted on 08/31/2018 1:22:38 PM PDT by Red Badger
‘[N]o such hearings were held with respect to the acknowledged FISA applications. Accordingly, no responsive hearing transcripts exist.’
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that in response to a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the Justice Department (DOJ) admitted in a court filing last night that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) spy warrant applications targeting Carter Page, a former Trump campaign part-time advisor who was the subject of four controversial FISA warrants.
In the filing the Justice Department finally revealed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Page FISA spy warrants, first issued in 2016 and subsequently renewed three times:
[National Security Division] FOIA consulted [Office of Intelligence] … to identify and locate records responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request…. [Office of Intelligence] determined … that there were no records, electronic or paper, responsive to [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request with regard to Carter Page. [Office of Intelligence] further confirmed that the [Foreign Surveillance Court] considered the Page warrant applications based upon written submissions and did not hold any hearings.
The Department of Justice previously released to Judicial Watch the heavily redacted Page warrant applications. The initial Page FISA warrant was granted just weeks before the 2016 election.
The DOJ filing is in response to a Judicial Watch lawsuit for the FISA transcripts (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:18-cv-01050)).
In February, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released a memo criticizing the FISA targeting of Carter Page. The memo details how the “minimally corroborated” Clinton-DNC dossier was an essential part of the FBI and DOJ’s applications for surveillance warrants to spy on Page.
Judicial Watch recently filed a request with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court seeking the transcripts of all hearings related to the surveillance of Carter Page.
“It is disturbing that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance courts rubber-stamped the Carter Page spy warrants and held not one hearing on these extraordinary requests to spy on the Trump team,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Perhaps the court can now hold hearings on how justice was corrupted by material omissions that Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the DNC, a conflicted Bruce Ohr, a compromised Christopher Steele, and anti-Trumper Peter Strzok were all behind the ‘intelligence’ used to persuade the courts to approve the FISA warrants that targeted the Trump team.”
###
It is my understanding that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, oversees the FISA Court. That would be John Roberts.
He’s a closeted homosexual. Married with kids. No way he supports the rule of law and POTUS on this under threat of an outing by Democrats.
Trust the plan.
You have no way of knowing that...that is your wild speculation. Also, you used CAPS, please stop. I can read your comment just fine with both higher and lower case. Thank you.
Bend over here comes due process.
Is there ever due process in a FISC? Secret court issuing secret warrants for secret surveillance and investigations.
Can a legal mind tell me, does the separation of powers preclude calling judges before a congressional committee??
I was going to post the exact same thing ...
I’m not a lawyer and I don’t know the answer to that.
It’s an interesting question.
the FBI (Friends of Bill and Insurectionist ...
+++++
Not bad. But I would favor “Friends of Bill and Illary.
The FISA court will be abolished and a critical national Intel tool will be forced to be dismantled.
History books will say: The US govt.under Obama (and likely Bush and Clinton) could not handle the power.
Maybe it's time to use the RICO Act on the whole lot..!
Yep, it is outrageous given the extraordinary circumstances that there was no hearing. I wonder if Levin is tracking this and what he has to say.
Yep, it's pretty clear they are unable to do the right thing when no one is looking. Just another gift from Bush's Patriot Act.
After his Obamacare argument I trust him as far as I can throw him.
FISA court = swamp fog
FISA warrant = Swamp Juice.
Mueller and Comey = Marie Laveau
There is no possible way both Magoo & Rosenstein weren't made aware of this. DJT has just been given the ideal opportunity to fire them both.
give thanks Judicial Watch.
Time to clean it up or step down Roberts. COMPROMISED!
too bad a few dozen of them wouldn’t slip into the shredder too.
Hey at least now we know why Chuck Todd said not to miss work today. /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.