WASHINGTON, D.C. – FBI Director Christopher Wray refused to answer direct questions whether anti-Trump FBI Agent Peter Strzok was behind the use of the Fusion GPS dossier to obtain FISA court permission to conduct electronic surveillance on various members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
If Strzok did use the now-discredited Fusion GPS to obtain FISA court permission for the NSA to conduct electronic surveillance on Trump campaign officials, much of the evidence Mueller may want to use to establish Russian collusion could conceivably be suspect under Supreme Court “fruit of the poisonous tree” illegal search and seizure Fourth Amendment rulings.
“If holding anti-Trump opinions was the reason Strzok was dismissed from Muller’s team, then 95 percent of Mueller’s team would have to be dismissed,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) pressed during questioning at the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
“It would be unprecedented if the FBI used Democratic Party opposition research to obtain FISA court authorization for the NSA to conduct electronic surveillance on principals within Donald Trump’s GOP presidential campaign,” Jordan insisted.
Wray objected that FBI information prepared to support FISA court requests would be marked classified, and as such could not be released to Congress.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee interrupted Jordan, pointing out to Wray that the committee would be happy to review in closed session the FISA court electronic surveillance recommendation Jordan requested.
Pressed by Rep. Ted Poe, (R-Texas), Wray refused to answer questions regarding how many U.S. civilians had been subjected to electronic surveillance under FISA court orders.
Again, Goodlatte interrupted to insist the FBI has refused consistently to answer this question – a question that the House Judiciary Committee could demand be answered in closed session, given the committee’s oversight responsibilities regarding the FBI.
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