Parsing the ins and outs of Nunes memo
Here’s what the memo says, why it matters, and what’s known about and the final take-away.
THE DOSSIER
The claim: Republicans assert that officials relied primarily on an unverified dossier prepared by former British spy Christopher Steele to obtain a surveillance warrant on Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Why i t would matter: Republicans on t he House Intelligence panel say the investigation into possible collusion between Trump associates and Russia is tainted because it was instigated amid anti-Trump bias in the Justice Department and the FBI during the Obama administration.
The take- away: The FISA warrant concerning Page remains classified, but warrant applications are lengthy documents that often run 60 to 80 pages and require multiple levels of review. Democrats on the House Intelligence panel say the investigation would have persisted even without the Steele dossier.
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
The claim: The FBI and Justice Department didn’t provide all the facts to the FISA court when applying for the warrant, including who paid for the dossier referenced in the application. Trump’s political opponents, including Hillary Clinton, paid more than US$ 160,000 to the opposition-research firm Fusion GPS, which produced the dossier.
Why it would matter: House Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes ( a Republican) has argued that the FBI improperly used political opposition research as the basis to obtain surveillance on a presidential candidate’s team. Some Republicans have suggested that if the Trump investigation was started for political purposes, it calls into question the validity of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s continuing probe.
The take- away: Fusion GPS co- founder Glenn Simpson told Congress that Steele showed it to the FBI because he thought potential crimes were being committed.
POLITICAL BIAS?
The claim: The memo contends FBI and Justice Depar t ment officials were biased against Trump early on in the Russia investigation, well before Mueller’s appointment in May 2017. Republican lawmakers and Trump have questioned the role played by Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who stepped down from that job earlier this week, because his wife received Democratic funding in an unsuccessful campaign for the Virginia state Senate in 2015.
Why it would matter: Questions of bias inside the FBI are already being investigated by the Justice Department’s inspector general, who is examining its handling of the probe into Clin-
ton’s email practices and the actions of some agents on the Trump probe. His findings may be damaging to the agency.
The take- away: The FBI is traditionally a Republicanfriendly institution, and former director James Comey’s handling of t he Clinton probe is widely believed to have helped Trump win the White House. When it comes to Mueller, Republican leaders on both sides of Capitol Hill have said repeatedly they have confidence in the special counsel and want the investigation to continue.
WARRANTS TO TAP CARTER PAGE
The claim: The Republican memo focuses almost entirely on the FISA warrants for Page, describing him as a “volunteer adviser” in the Trump campaign and suggesting his civil liberties were violated.
Why it would matter: The dossier compiled by Steele portrayed Page as an intermediary in the Trump campaign’s “well-developed conspiracy of co- operation between them and the Russian leadership.” White House officials and former Trump campaign aides have dismissed him as someone who walked in the door at Trump Tower and volunteered to help.
The take- away: Page made a trip to Russia during the 2016 campaign, but Trump campaign advisers have said they shrugged off his offers to brief the candidate.
ROLE OF DEPUTY A-G ROSENSTEIN
The claim: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein approved at least one of the FBI’s applications to extend surveillance of Page even though the original request was based on tainted information.
Why it would matter: Rosenstein, a veteran federal prosecutor, has overseen the Russia investigation since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in March 2017 over Trump’s objections. Rosenstein named Mueller as special counsel that May.
The take- away: The memo doesn’t allege any wrongdoing by Rosenstein. Democrats say they doubt Trump would dare to fire Mueller but have speculated the president might seize on the Republican memo to oust Rosenstein in the hope that his successor would rein in the probe. “The White House knows it would face a firestorm if it fired Bob Mueller,” Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, told reporters. “If Rod Rosenstein is fired and someone else takes his place, that is a yes man for the president, then they can limit Bob Mueller’s investigation in ways we will never see.”