Hello everyone, this is @ChrisMegerian in the @latimes Washington bureau. I've been writing about the controversy over the Republicans' classified memo, and I wanted to share a few thoughts.
First, here's our most recent article. latimes.com/politics/la-na…
Second, you can read the memo here. assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4365…
Second, you can read the memo here. assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4365…
So, what does the memo say?
It says that the FBI sought a surveillance warrant against Carter Page one month before the 2016 election.
Page was a Trump foreign policy advisor, but he had recently left the campaign amid controversy over his Russian contacts.
It says that the FBI sought a surveillance warrant against Carter Page one month before the 2016 election.
Page was a Trump foreign policy advisor, but he had recently left the campaign amid controversy over his Russian contacts.
The warrant was granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which meets in secret.
The warrant was renewed three times, including after Trump took office.
The warrant was renewed three times, including after Trump took office.
The key argument from Republicans, who drafted the memo, is that FBI agents used research funded by Democrats as part of their application for a warrant.
This research became the notorious "dossier" that we've all heard so much about.
This research became the notorious "dossier" that we've all heard so much about.
According to the memo, the court was not told that the research was funded by Democrats when it was included in the warrant application.
The next question is, does that matter? It's not uncommon for the FBI to receive information from partisan sources. It's also unclear whether the court would have rejected the warrant if they knew about who funded the research.
One more point on this issue — it's not clear what else was used to support the application for a warrant.
The memo is a Republican summary of secret documents that haven't been revealed. There may have been other key information involved.
The memo is a Republican summary of secret documents that haven't been revealed. There may have been other key information involved.
So what happens now?
Although the surveillance predates the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel, President Trump could use the memo in an attempt to undermine the investigation.
Although the surveillance predates the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel, President Trump could use the memo in an attempt to undermine the investigation.
That's all for now. We'll be reporting more on all of these issues today.
Here's a link to a Q&A with more information. latimes.com/politics/la-na…
Here's a link to a Q&A with more information. latimes.com/politics/la-na…
And find updates on the Republican memo here: lat.ms/2nAtQNx
Have questions about the Nunes memo? Send them to @ChrisMegerian lat.ms/2DZ4tju
