"Screwed Up," "Significant Inaccuracies," "Serious Problems," And "A Lot Of Mistakes Made" Are Just Some Of The Reactions To The Report On FISA Abuse In 2016

THE FACTS

TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSPECTOR GENERAL RELEASED A DAMNING REPORT CONCERNING MISTAKES AND ABUSES MADE BY OFFICIALS IN THEIR APPLICATION TO SURVEIL AFFILIATES OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN

In a report released today, the DOJ IG found significant errors or omissions in the FISA applications made by investigators seeking to surveil affiliates of the 2016 Trump Campaign.

OIG Report: "We identified multiple instances in which factual assertions relied upon in the FISA application were inaccurate, incomplete, or unsupported by appropriate documentation ."

OIG Report: The errors made by hand-picked teams on one of the most sensitive FBI Investigations… " raised significant questions of the FBI's chain of command and supervision in the FISA process."

Attorney General Bill Barr: "The malfeasance and misfeasance detailed in the Inspector General's report reflects a clear abuse of the FISA process ."

Barr: In the rush to surveil Trump Campaign associates , "FBI officials mislead the FISA Court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source."

THE REACTION TO THE REPORT HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD AS PUNDITS AND POLITICIANS ALIKE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE SERIOUS MISTAKES MADE DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF INDIVIDUALS AFFILIATED WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN

TODAY, THE DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL RELEASED A DAMNING REPORT CONCERNING MISTAKES AND ABUSES MADE BY THE OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING AFFILIATES OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN 2016

The Department Of Justice Found Numerous Errors In The FISA Applications Used To Surveil The Trump Campaign, Raising "Significant Questions Of The FBI's Chain Of Command And Supervision In The FISA Process"

In August 2016, The FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Team Opened Individual Cases Against Four U.S. Persons Affiliated With The Trump Campaign. "Based upon this analysis, the Crossfire Hurricane team opened individual cases in August 2016 on four U.S. persons Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn- all of whom were affiliated with the Trump campaign at the time the cases were opened." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

In A Report Released Today, The Department Of Justice Office Of Inspector General Found At Least 17 Significant Errors Or Omissions In The FIA Applications Made By The Crossfire Hurricane Team Resulting From "Case Agents Providing Wrong Or Incomplete Information." "We identified at least 17 significant errors or omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications, and many additional errors in the Woods Procedures. These errors and omissions resulted from case agents providing wrong or incomplete information to OI and failing to flag important issues for discussion." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

The OIG Report: "Agents And Supervisors Did Not Give Appropriate Attention Or Treatment To The Facts That Cut Against Probable Cause, Or Reassess The Information Supporting Probably Cause As The Investigation Progressed." "Further, the failure to update OI on all significant case developments relevant to the FISA applications led us to conclude that the agents and supervisors did not give appropriate attention or treatment to the facts that cut against probable cause, or reassess the information supporting probable cause as the investigation progressed." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

There Were Multiple Instances When Factual Assertions Relied Upon The First FISA Application, Which Were Inaccurate Based Upon Information The FBI Had. "We identified multiple instances in which factual assertions relied upon in the first FISA application were inaccurate, incomplete, or unsupported by appropriate documentation, based upon information the FBI had in its possession at the time the application was filed." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

The Failures By The Investigation Team Prevented The Office Of Investigations To Fully Perform Its "Gatekeeper Function And Deprived The Decision Makers." "These failures prevented OI from fully performing its gatekeeper function and deprived the decision makers." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

Attorney General Bill Barr Released A Statement Saying The IG Report Makes It Clear The FBI Launched An Investigation Of A Presidential Campaign With The Thinnest Of Suspicions And Repeatedly Ignored Exculpatory Evidence In A Clear Abuse Of The FISA Process

Attorney General Bill Barr On The IG Report Said "The Inspector General's Report Now Makes Clear That The FBI Launched An Intrusive Investigation Of A U.S. Presidential Campaign On The Thinnest Of Suspicions…" "The Inspector General's report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken." ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19)

Barr: "The Malfeasance And Misfeasance Detailed In The Inspector General's Report Reflects A Clear Abuse Of The FISA Process." "While most of the misconduct identified by the Inspector General was committed in 2016 and 2017 by a small group of now-former FBI officials, the malfeasance and misfeasance detailed in the Inspector General's report reflects a clear abuse of the FISA process." ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19)

Barr: "The Evidence Produced By The Investigation Was Consistently Exculpatory" But "The Investigation And Surveillance Was Pushed Forward For The Duration Of The Campaign And Deep Into President Trump's Administration." "It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory. Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump's administration. " ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19)

"It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory. Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump's administration. " ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19) Barr: In The Rush To Surveil Trump Campaign Associates, "FBI Officials Mislead The FISA Court, Omitted Critical Exculpatory Facts From Their Filings, And Suppressed Or Ignored Information Negating The Reliability Of Their Principal Source." "In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source." ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19)

"In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source." ( Department of Justice , 12/09/19) Barr: The Errors Made By Hand-Picked Teams On One Of The Most Sensitive FBI Investigations… "Raised Significant Questions Of The FBI's Chain Of Command And Supervision In The FISA Process." "That so many basic and fundamental errors were made by three separate, hand- picked teams on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations that was briefed to the highest levels within the FBI, and that FBI officials expected would eventually be subjected to close scrutiny, raised significant questions regarding the FBI chain of command's management and supervision of the FISA process." ( Department Of Justice , Accessed 12/09/12)

The Reaction To The Report Has Been Widespread As Pundits And Politicians Alike Have Highlighted The Serious Mistakes Made During The Investigation Of Individuals Affiliated With The Trump Campaign

Politico : "Watchdog Report Rips FBI Handling Of Russia Probe" ( Politico , 12/09/19)

NBC News' Pete Williams: IG Found FISA Application Process Was "Screwed Up At Every Level." NBC NEWS PETE WILLIAMS: "On the page, what it says is the FBI basically repeatedly screwed up at every level. Failing to pay enough attention to potential problems with steele, failing to tell the Justice Department, and it says at one point that the FBI decided to seek this FISA warrant even at the risk of being criticized for doing it later, because the report says FBI officials they had said they had to get to the bottom of a potentially serious threat to national security. But the Inspector General report says the FISA application was in many ways inaccurate, incomplete, or unsupported. It says for example, that the FBI failed to look at some of problems in steeles past work, that that was never sufficiently addressed. As for why these things happen, the Inspector General says it reaches no conclusions about that, it says it received no satisfactory explanation about how all these mistakes happen, and the Inspector General report, Lester, and I just make the final point here before I turn it back to you, says that the Inspector General is so concerned about these problems, that if the FBI is in his view, so mishandled this FISA application for an investigation into a candidate for president, then how is it doing it for garden-variety people who are subject to these warrants? And for that reason, we learn today that the Inspector General is now opening a new investigation, on how the FBI gets these FISA warrants on American citizens, Lester." (NBC News " Special Report ," 12/09/19)

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MSNBC's Julia Ainsley: The IG Report Found "A Lot Of Mistakes Made" By The FBI In The Investigation And That The Steele Dossier Played A Very "Outsized Impact" On The FISA Application Process. MSNBC'S JULIA AINSLEY: "He did however say, that this was not they did not follow the chain of command that throughout the FBI chain of command, there were a lot of mistakes made that initially this investigation was opened because of a tip from a foreign government that being the Australians and not the now-infamous or uncorroborated steel dossier, but he did say that the steel dossier played a very outsized impact on the Carter Page FISA warrant. That was what the FBI used to start monitoring one of Trump's campaign aides Carter Page he said that he called that FISA warrant-I have it here- inaccurate, incomplete, and unsupported, and he says he doesn't know why the FBI kept renewing the Carter Page FISA application, because they weren't even getting that much material it wasn't that useful to the overall investigation. And some news for you here, Nicole, the Inspector General is opening another investigation into how the FBI uses FISA warrants, how they apply and whether or not there should be more protocol put in place to protect American citizens as the FBI seeks to surveil them through these court orders." (MSNBC's " Impeachment: White House In Crisis ," 12/09/19)

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CBS News' Catherine Herridge: IG Found "Significant Inaccuracies And Omissions" In FISA Application. CBS' CATHERINE HERRIDGE: "After reviewing more than a million records and conducting more than 100 witness interviews, Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz was harshly critical of the FBI finding quote, significant inaccuracies and omissions in the fourth surveillance born applications for Trump campaign aide Carter Page, and while Horowitz said investigators did not find quote documentary or testimonial evidence of intentional misconduct, his teams did not receive quote satisfactory explanations." (CBS News, " Special Report ," 12/09/19)

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CNN's Evan Perez On IG Report: Many Instances Of "Substantial Inaccuracies" In FISA Applications. CNN's JAKE TAPPER: "But the report of course also outlines some very significant errors made by FBI officials." CNN's EVAN PEREZ: "That's right there were 17 total instances in which there were substantial inaccuracies or emissions that were left out of these FISA applications, these are surveillance warrants that were targeting Carter Page who as we mentioned was an advisor for the campaign. According to Horowitz, there were 17 such instances in which things were left out or just was just plainly inaccurate. And these were four different warrants, Jake, that were that were got approval from a court and in each case the FBI simply failed to update the information for for the judges that were reviewing these warrants." (CNN's " Breaking News ," 12/09/19)

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The Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel: "The FBI Played The FISA Court" And "The IG Destroys Steele Dossier As A Work Of Fantasy." "Two biggest IG takeaways so far: --The FBI played the FISA court. The information about what it presented and what it excluded in Page application is damning. --IG destroys Steele dossier as a work of fantasy." ( Twitter Feed , 12/09/19)

NBC's Ken Dilanian: The Report Found "Serious Problems With The Carter Page FISA Application, Which Should Concern Everyone." "The DoJ inspector general has found that the FBI's Russia investigation was justified and untainted by political bias, debunking Trump's "deep state conspiracy" nonsense. He also found serious problems with the Carter Page FISA application, which should concern everyone." ( Twitter Feed , 12/09/12)

Rep. Mark Meadows: "Some Former FBI And DOJ Officials Are About To Have Some Serious Explaining To Do." "I just got out of a nearly 2 hour briefing on the IG report. It is deeply disturbing. Some former FBI and DOJ officials are about to have some serious explaining to do. More details to come shortly." ( Twitter Feed , 12/09/19)

Rep. Jim Jordan: "The Inspector General's Report Confirms What Many Of Us Feared: James Comey's FBI Ignored Guidelines And rules In Spying On President Trump's Campaign In 2016." "We thought they spied on two Americans, we now know it was FOUR. The Inspector General's report confirms what many of us feared: James Comey's FBI ignored guidelines and rules in spying on President Trump's campaign in 2016. (1/ 4)" ( Twitter Feed , 12/09/19)

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