The DOJ inspector general's report paints a startling picture of a FISA process gone awry. BarbMcQuade writes
Michael Horowitz, inspector general for the Justice Department, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 11, 2019. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Lost among the headlines in recent days was an extremely important finding contained in the report by the inspector general of the Department of Justice regarding the way the FBI conducts foreign-intelligence investigations.
In addition, a dossier of information prepared by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele that served as a basis for the FISA applications turned out to have been partly inaccurate and improperly vetted. While the dossier was obtained after the case was opened and played no role in the decision to initiate the investigation, it played a “central and essential role” in the decision to seek a FISA order.
FISA surveillance is considered one of the most sensitive investigative techniques used by government officials. It captures the content of telephone calls and text and email messages and even in-person conversations. As a result, the FBI requires that applications be “scrupulously accurate.” FISA applications must undergo review under what is known as “Woods Procedures,” which require verification of every factual assertion in the application.
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