The Justice Department has informed current and former FBI officials sued by Russia probe target Carter Page that it is unlikely to represent them in the civil case, signaling they will need to get private lawyers, according to new court filings.
At least two defendants - fired FBI Director James Comey and current FBI intelligence analyst Brian Auten - have already hired private counsel and notified the presiding judge in the case of their representation.
A person directly involved in the case, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said the DOJ's decision not to represent the defendants wasn't an acknowledgement it believed the case had merit or that it was legally abandoning its current and former employees, but rather a reflection of the reality that many of the defendants pose conflicts of interest.
Former FBI lawyer and current defendant Kevin Clinesmith was indicted and convicted by DOJ for falsifying evidence in the Russia case that harmed Carter Page, making it difficult for DOJ to defend his conduct.
Other defendants - such as fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former bureau lawyer Lisa Page and former counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok - have lawsuits pending against the U.S. government for issues like wrongful termination or invasion of privacy, putting them in conflict with DOJ. DOJ's own filing acknowledged its first responsibility in the lawsuit is "To attend to the interests of the United States." Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, was targeted for a full year of FBI surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Subsequent investigation revealed that applications the FBI submitted to obtain the Page surveillance warrants contained glaring factual errors, including falsified evidence, as well as unverified information marked as verified and omissions of evidence of innocence that the FBI should have disclosed to the judges.
Carter Page sued the government and numerous current and former FBI officials for $75 million in damages last November, alleging he was the victim of "Unlawful spying" based on erroneous or uncorroborated evidence from the Steele dossier and other sources that were found to be unreliable or infected with Russian disinformation.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction, and unfortunately the media has a strong bias. They spin stories to make conservatives look bad and will go to great lengths to avoid reporting on the good that comes from conservative policies. There are a few shining lights in the media landscape-brave conservative outlets that report the truth and offer a different perspective. We must support conservative outlets like this one and ensure that our voices are heard.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
DOJ 'unlikely' to represent FBI officials sued by Carter Page for misconduct in Russia case
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