FISA Court Rebukes FBI Abuse, Sets January Deadline for Reforms

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) that granted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) surveillance warrants on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page said in an order on Tuesday that the FBI’s handling of the warrant applications was “antithetical” to its “heightened duty of candor.”

The order, issued in response to reports the FBI provided false information to the Justice Department and withheld information that went against their case, stated, “When FBI personnel mislead NSD in the ways described above, they equally mislead the FISC.”

The order described the process in which the FISC grants Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants, stating that it was “useful” to understand the requirements in getting a FISA warrant “in order to appreciate the seriousness of that misconduct and its implications.”

The FISC judge must determine whether the government’s application provides probable cause to believe the proposed surveillance target is a “foreign power” or an “agent of a foreign power,” the order said. It added that Congress intended that the judge act as an “external check on executive branch decisions to conduct surveillance” to protect U.S. persons’ rights.

Trump admin announces expansion of visa restriction policy in Western Hemisphere

Singer D4vd arrested and held without bail in case tied to teen found dead in Tesla: Police

EXCLUSIVE: NYC officials refuse ICE hold for illegal alien accused in arson that killed 4 and injured 7: DHS

Jerome Powell Now Considering Move to Spite Trump: Report

Franklin Graham defends Trump in letter shared on Truth Social after AI ‘Jesus’ image backlash

Iranian Economy on the Brink: US Blockade Leaves Country with Weeks of Oil Production Left

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons submits resignation letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin

Bernie Sanders, AOC-backed Democrat wins key House race; GOP fails to expand fragile majority

Coffee Shop Chain That Originated in San Francisco Defends Plan to Remove ‘Pride’ Flags from Stores’ Decor

Owner of Antique Store That Trans Mob Attacked and Shut Down Over ‘Intolerance’ Has Been Murdered, Leaving Behind Wife, Daughter, and Unborn Child

If You’ve Ever Thought Life Is Too Painful to Be Worth Living, This Piece Might Just Change Everything

Shouting match erupts between RFK Jr and Dem lawmaker over his comments about Black children

Hillary Clinton rips Trump on migrant child detentions, but Bill Clinton’s own record cuts deep

10 House Republicans Side with Democrats in Bid to Block Trump from Deporting Haitian Immigrants

Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving senator, hints at a ninth term

However, it said, “The FISC’s assessment of probable cause can serve those purposes effectively only if the applicant agency fully and accurately provides information in its possession that is material to whether probable cause exists. Accordingly, ‘the government … has a heightened duty of candor to the [FISC] in ex parte proceedings,’” where there is not an adverse party. The order said:

The FISC expects the government to comply with its heightened duty of candor in ex parte proceedings at all times. Candor is fundamental to this Court’s effective operation. The FBI’s handling of the Carter Page applications, as portrayed in the OIG report, was antithetical to the heightened duty of candor described above.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham (R-SC) said in a statement he was “very pleased to see the FISA court condemn the FISA warrant application and process against Carter Page.”

“As Inspector General Horowitz’s report describes in great detail, the FISA process falsified evidence and withheld exculpatory evidence to obtain a warrant against Mr. Page on numerous occasions,” he said, adding:

As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I’ll be working with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to reform FISA in a fashion to better protect civil liberties while maintaining our ability to monitor foreign surveillance directed against our economic and national security interests. FISA reform will be a top priority for the Judiciary Committee in 2020.

The FISC order also told the FBI to take action related to a former FBI lawyer doctoring an email in order to mislead an FBI agent who signed off on the last FISA application on Page. “The conduct of the OGC attorney gave rise to serious concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to the FISC in any matter in which the OGC attorney was involved,” the order said.