by Dave
Finally some progress in Durham’s investigation of FISA abuse during Crossfire Hurricane. The charging document is fascinating, as it contains a description of exactly what Clinesmith did:
www.scribd.com/document/472463918/DCD-Clinesmith#from_embed
…did willfully and knowingly make and use a false writing and document, knowing the same to contain a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and entry in a matter before the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the Government of the United States.
[i.e. he added a critical line to an email, saying – falsely – that Individual #1 “was not a source.”]
Clinesmith worked on:
* Hillary Clinton Emails investigation
* Crossfire Hurricane
Original article(s)
apnews.com/597c27d6642dcedae79838fa6cf5497a
When an FBI colleague who was involved in preparing the surveillance application followed up by instant message with Clinesmith on the question of whether Page had ever been a government source, Clinesmith responded that Page had “never been a source,” according to court documents.
When asked if he had that information in writing, the documents allege, Clinesmith altered an email he had received from the other agency by adding the words “and not a source” and then forwarded it to the FBI supervisory special agent.
The FBI relied on those misrepresentations in its final surveillance application and omitted that information about Page, prosecutors allege, even though any relationship between Page and the government would have been important to disclose to the FISA court to the extent it could help explain interactions Page had had with Russians.
Clinesmith told the inspector general that he had not actually understood Page to be a source, or “recruited asset,” for another government agency.
“Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email,” Shur said in a statement. “It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues, as he believed the information he relayed was accurate, but Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility.”