Two Senate committee chairmen say text messages between anti-Trump FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page may be evidence the bureau spied on Trump campaign officials after the election.
In a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General William P. Barr, Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican, and Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, say they have uncovered texts that may point to spying on campaign staff during the transition.
The letter highlights a series of texts between Mr. Strzok and his paramour, Ms. Page ahead of an upcoming FBI briefing with the Trump transition team. The pair appears to discuss using the meeting to develop relationships and gather information about transition officials.
At one point, the bureau officials appear to discuss bringing a confidential informant or “CI guy” into the meeting to assess the “demeanor” of unnamed individuals. It is unclear if the alleged informant attended the meeting.
Another text exchange floats the idea of bringing someone into the meeting to determine if Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page can develop “potential relationships” with transition team members.
“…In the course of our oversight work we have reviewed certain text messages that may show potential attempts by the FBI to conduct surveillance of President-elect Trump’s transition team,” write the senators.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
In their letter to Barr, the Senators pose a number of questions:
The nature of these communications, and the precise purpose of any attempts to “develop relationships” with Trump or Pence transition team staff are not immediately clear.
Were these efforts done to gain better communication between the respective parties, or were the briefings used as intelligence gathering operations?
Further, did any such surveillance activities continue beyond the inauguration, and in the event they did, were those activities subject to proper predication?
Any improper FBI surveillance activities that were conducted before or after the 2016 election must be brought to light and properly addressed.
They spied before during and after his election and we need to get to the state where we’re starting to indict some of these people instead of just pontificating about what they might have done!
In a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General William P. Barr, Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican, and Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, say they have uncovered texts that may point to spying on campaign staff during the transition.
The letter highlights a series of texts between Mr. Strzok and his paramour, Ms. Page ahead of an upcoming FBI briefing with the Trump transition team. The pair appears to discuss using the meeting to develop relationships and gather information about transition officials.
At one point, the bureau officials appear to discuss bringing a confidential informant or “CI guy” into the meeting to assess the “demeanor” of unnamed individuals. It is unclear if the alleged informant attended the meeting.
Another text exchange floats the idea of bringing someone into the meeting to determine if Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page can develop “potential relationships” with transition team members.
“…In the course of our oversight work we have reviewed certain text messages that may show potential attempts by the FBI to conduct surveillance of President-elect Trump’s transition team,” write the senators.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
In their letter to Barr, the Senators pose a number of questions:
The nature of these communications, and the precise purpose of any attempts to “develop relationships” with Trump or Pence transition team staff are not immediately clear.
Were these efforts done to gain better communication between the respective parties, or were the briefings used as intelligence gathering operations?
Further, did any such surveillance activities continue beyond the inauguration, and in the event they did, were those activities subject to proper predication?
Any improper FBI surveillance activities that were conducted before or after the 2016 election must be brought to light and properly addressed.
They spied before during and after his election and we need to get to the state where we’re starting to indict some of these people instead of just pontificating about what they might have done!
