While Rep. Devin Nunes was speaking at CPAC Saturday afternoon, Rep. Adam Schiff was releasing his counter-memo to the Nunes memo alleging surveillance abuses by the FBI and DOJ during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Schiff memo is OUT https://t.co/03qvCSVlgW
— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) February 24, 2018
Some time ago, Republicans on our committee released a declassified memo that omitted and distorted key facts in order to mislead the public and impugn the integrity of the FBI.
We can now tell you what they left out: https://t.co/jeVCVTBUBZ
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 24, 2018
Big thanks to Dictionary.com for stepping up to define “impugn.”
Impugn means to challenge as false (another's statements, motives, etc.).
It also means to "cast doubt upon." #Schiff #Memo https://t.co/5MrjYz9pGV https://t.co/l7vv5SIP1j
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) February 24, 2018
Fox News’ Adam Schiff reports:
The rebuttal claims that officials at the FBI and Justice Department “did not abuse the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign.”
…
The Democratic rebuttal finds that the FBI had an “independent basis” for investigating [Carter] Page’s motivations, and that he had been targeted for recruitment by the Russians. It also claims that the DOJ “repeatedly informed the Court about Steele’s background, credibility, and potential bias.” It also claims that the Justice Department infomed the FISA court that Stelle was hired by “politically-motivated U.S. persons and entities and that his research appeared intended for use “to discredit” Trump’s campaign.
The rebuttal adds that in later FISA renewals, the DOJ provided “additional information obtained through multiple independent sources” that backed up Steele’s reporting in the anti-Trump dossier. It also challenges the Republican assertion that the FBI authorized payment to Steele, saying that it neglected that the payment was cancelled.
The memo, however, does not directly challenge the Republican assertion that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified to the House Committee that they would not have sought the Page surveillance warrant if it hadn’t been for the dossier.
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The most striking thing most people are noting is that the memo is still rather heavily redacted.
Dem FISA memo in brief:
Everything that would be really useful to know is still redacted;Everything that is left is partisan whining and talking points from Schiff https://t.co/7yabQPJhBF
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) February 24, 2018
The Resistance is celebrating, though, as for them, this one is the “real” memo that debunks the Nunes memo. Does it really, though? The memo indicates that an investigation was underway before the Christopher Steele dossier entered the picture, but it also doesn’t seem to refute the assertion that the bogus dossier — essentially, paid opposition research — was used to secure FISA warrants to spy on the Trump campaign.
The Schiff memo is out. https://t.co/YdZ5Z29d1j
Some highlights:
-The Steele dossier "did not inform the FBI's decision" to investigate Trump/Russia in July 2016. FBI didn't get it until Sept 2016.
-FBI interviewed Carter Page in March '16, same month Trump named him an advisor— Jory Rand (@ABC7Jory) February 24, 2018
The Schiff memo says the FBI had independent reason, separate from the Steele dossier, to believe Carter Page was “knowingly” helping Russian intelligence, and that, in FISA renewal applications, it gave the court information that “corroborated” the dossier’s claims: https://t.co/etLYC722Zh
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 24, 2018
So, on first read of the #SchiffMemo. My key observations so far:
1. It DOES NOT deny that the 'Dossier' was used for FISA applications (only that it was NOT the basis of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation as the FBI had already initiated it's investigation into Page).
— Bullshit Man (@bullshit_hero) February 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/analyticalps/status/967515943403388928
Schiff’s Memo Also States FBI, DOJ Used Dossier to Obtain Warrant https://t.co/Ibhe84pLKC
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) February 24, 2018
Mary Chastain writes at Legal Insurrection:
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA) released his memo that he claims counters the GOP memo on the FBI and DOJ using a dossier with unverified information to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump’s former campaign member Carter Page.
Except…it doesn’t. In fact, it also confirms that the agencies used the dossier to obtain that warrant.
The dossier was used. McCabe said without dossier the warrant would not have been granted. https://t.co/xwOj6lfUUW
— Sassy1 ????? (@Sunshine420too) February 24, 2018
FISA judge NEVER informed.
Schiff thinks he's helped, but in fact he's digging an even deeper hole https://t.co/FWWcyHq9mq— Sandy 〽️ (@RightGlockMom) February 24, 2018
The Rep. Schiff memo does not negate the fact that the Steele dossier was in the request for a FISA warrant and it does not change the fact that the FBI hid the fact that it was paid for by Democrats from the FISA judge. #UnrigTheSystem.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) February 24, 2018
You confirmed the @DevinNunes & @ChuckGrassley memos that the unverified dossier, opposition research paid for by the DNC & HRC camp, was used for the FISA warrant
Your memo in no way discounts McCabe's testimony, if not for the Dossier NO FISA warrant would have been granted https://t.co/035dlJCxzv
— Jennifer ☆☆☆ (@Jenny_MommaBear) February 24, 2018
The Schiff memo doesn't change or even challenge the underlying facts in the Nunes House Intelligence Committee memo, most notably that the dossier was essential for the warrant on team Trump. Bottom line, the memo is just a distraction completely #FullOfSchiff
— ❌Righteous⚡️Crusader❌ (@Craftmastah) February 24, 2018
Grassley Graham memo; The “BULK” of the Fisa Application was the Clinton/DNC bought and paid for dossier. McCabe, “No dossier, no application” The media lying all day as usual. Full analysis Monday on Hannity. Hope you’ watch! Gregg
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) February 25, 2018
#Editorial We honestly just need to see the FISA Application and a transcript of Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe's testimony where he allegedly said that without the Steele Dossier that you would have no surveillance order. #SchiffMemo #CarterPage
— The Columbia Bugle ?? (@ColumbiaBugle) February 24, 2018
Looking for the part that details the collusion that took place between Donald Trump and the Russian government.
I can't find it in the memo anywhere.
Can you direct me to the page and paragraph please?
Much appreciated. https://t.co/JGKuGZnyLA
— Jubal Lay Shin ❌?? (@PutAHelmetOn) February 24, 2018
You are a disgusting grandstanding phony SOB. Nobody gives a shit about your phony ass memo, Schiff.
You claimed for weeks that the Nunes Memo was dangerous to release and that was a flat-out lie.
Shove your memo where the sun don't shine. https://t.co/P6wqtDxNnO
— The Galtington Post (@reardongalt) February 24, 2018
Some time ago, you were trying to get nude photos from the Russian version of @HowardStern. Blow it out of your homesick ditty bag, #PencilNeck #FullofSchiff.#ClintonCollusion #ClintonCrimeFamily https://t.co/7tgSJLux1i
— Harriet Baldwin ?? (@HarrietBaldwin) February 24, 2018
Expect plenty more tomorrow morning on the Sunday shows. For now, here’s the White House statement on the Democratic memo:
White House statement on the Democratic memo: “As the President has long stated, neither he nor his campaign ever colluded with a foreign power during the 2016 election, and nothing in today’s memo counters that fact.” pic.twitter.com/CHCogMaDFW
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 24, 2018
Related:
RECKLESS: Adam Schiff’s suggestion about what the FISA memo may lead to is HIGHLY irresponsible
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