Tag: Trump war on the FBI

The Times Asks Court to Unseal Documents on Surveillance of Carter Page

The following article by Charlie Savage and Adam Goldman was posted on the Washington Post website February 5, 2018:

A memo written by Republican congressional aides disclosed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved surveillance targeting Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, in October 2016. Credit Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

WASHINGTON — The New York Times is asking the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to unseal secret documents related to the wiretapping of Carter Page, the onetime Trump campaign adviser at the center of a disputed memo written by Republican staffers on the House Intelligence Committee.

The motion is unusual. No such wiretapping application materials apparently have become public since Congress first enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978. That law regulates electronic spying on domestic soil — the interception of phone calls and emails — undertaken in the name of monitoring suspected spies and terrorists, as opposed to wiretapping for investigating ordinary criminal suspects. Continue reading “The Times Asks Court to Unseal Documents on Surveillance of Carter Page”

Trump’s Unparalleled War on a Pillar of Society: Law Enforcement

The following article by Sharon LaFraniere, Katie Benner and Peter Baker was posted on the New York Times website February 3, 2018:

Under attack by Pres. Trump, deputy F.B.I. director, Andrew G. McCabe, was pushed out last week. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency

WASHINGTON — In the days before the 2016 election, Donald J. Trump expressed “great respect” for the “courage” of the F.B.I. and Justice Department for reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Sixteen months later, he has changed his mind.

The agencies have been “disgraceful” and “should be ashamed,” President Trump declared Friday. Under attack by the president, the deputy F.B.I. director, Andrew G. McCabe, was pushed out in recent days. Mr. Trump has hinted that he may fire the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein. And his aides fear that Christopher A. Wray, his F.B.I. director, may resign over the dispute with the bureau, although associates doubt it. Continue reading “Trump’s Unparalleled War on a Pillar of Society: Law Enforcement”

Wray tells FBI agents ‘talk is cheap’ after memo release

The following article by Brandon Carter was posted on the Hill website February 2, 2018:

FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a message to agency employees following the release of a previously classified memo alleging abuse of government surveillance powers by the Justice Department, calling on employees to “keep calm and tackle hard.”

“The American people read the papers, and they hear lots of talk on cable TV and social media,” Wray wrote in the message, which was obtained by BBC. “But they see and experience the actual work you do — keeping communities safe and our nation secure, often dealing with sensitive matters and making decisions under difficult circumstances. And that work will always matter more.” Continue reading “Wray tells FBI agents ‘talk is cheap’ after memo release”

A Trump spokesman’s revealing comments about Andrew McCabe, hours before McCabe quit the FBI

The following article by Callum Borchers was posted on the Washington Post website January 29, 2018:

Andrew McCabe, who has faced repeated criticism from President Trump, is stepping down as deputy director of the FBI and will formally retire in March. (Elyse Samuels, Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

Hours before news broke that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe would step down immediately and officially retire in March, a spokesman for President Trump faced the following question from CNN’s Chris Cuomo: “Does [the president] regret pushing on [FBI Director Christopher] Wray to get rid of Andrew McCabe?”

“Well, uh, let’s just step back for a second and say the president has spoken at length — and so have members of Congress — about political influence at the highest ranks of the FBI,” deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah replied. “Remember, the president promoted Andrew McCabe and made him the acting director when James Comey was removed.” Continue reading “A Trump spokesman’s revealing comments about Andrew McCabe, hours before McCabe quit the FBI”