Adam Schiff: 'Clear abuse of power’ for Trump to have Russia-related documents declassified

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called President Trump’s decision Monday to order the declassification of documents concerning the federal Russia investigation a “clear abuse of power.” “President Trump, in a clear abuse of power, has decided to intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative,” Schiff said in a statement. “With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods,” Schiff added. “This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares about nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced in a statement Monday evening that documents, including all text messages related to the Russia probe of former FBI Director James Comey, DOJ official Bruce Ohr, and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, were ordered released. Trump also set in motion the declassification of select documents pertaining to the Russia investigation, including some related to the FISA surveillance warrants to spy on onetime Trump campaign aide Carter Page, who had suspicious ties to Russia. As noted by Schiff, not all the documents related to the four FISA warrant applications were singled out for declassification. Schiff has been highly critical of Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a close ally of Trump. The GOP majority of that panel released a Russia investigation report that found no evidence of collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign earlier this year; Democrats said it was incomplete and vowed to continue investigative efforts.

Trump additionally ordered relevant FBI reports of interviews with Ohr. Still a DOJ official, though demoted, Ohr had a close relationship with Steele, who was commissioned by Fusion GPS to create and disseminate the dossier about Trump’s relationship with Russia. Fusion GPS was hired in part by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Bruce Ohr, who passed on information from Steele to the FBI, was not also forthcoming about his wife’s job with Fusion GPS and ties to the dossier. Text messages between former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who exchanged anti-Trump messages and were both at one point involved in the Russia investigation, were also ordered released.

Schiff wasn’t the only Democrat critical of Trump’s decision. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., accused Trump of “obstruction. “More obstruction from the President,” Connolly tweeted Monday evening in response to the news.

GOP allies of Trump, who have said the use of the dossier by the FBI shows bias atop the bureau, cheered Trump's move Monday. "Transparency wins. This is absolutely the right call," tweeted Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin. He also has expanded his investigation to look at possible obstruction of justice after Trump fired Comey in May 2017.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/adam-schiff-clear-abuse-of-power-for-trump-to-have-russia-related-documents-declassified

>>3064285

Yeah, I can smell him from here, kek

Trump directs FBI, DOJ to declassify Russia-related documents, James Comey texts, and more

President Trump on Monday ordered the Justice Department and FBI to immediately declassify key documents related to the FBI’s investigation on Russian actions during the 2016 presidential election – including text messages from former FBI Director James Comey and other top officials. The demand for declassification, announced by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a statement, comes roughly two weeks after a dozen Republican lawmakers called on the president to do it. The process to declassify will likely not be immediate, as the documents still have to be examined by the Justice Department, FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The documents ordered declassified are a handful of pages of the June 2017 application to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to continue surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page, which originally began in 2016. Trump also ordered all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all surveillance applications of Page be declassified and released. Trump also ordered that all FBI reports of interviews prepared in connection with all Page surveillance applications be released.

Trump also ordered the declassification of all FBI reports of interviews DOJ official Bruce Ohr prepared in connection with the Russia investigation. Ohr had a close relationship with former British spy Christopher Steele, the author of the dossier connection Trump to Russia. Steele was hired by Fusion GPS, the same opposition research firm that Bruce Ohr’s wife, Nellie Ohr, was contracted by. Trump also directed the Justice Department and FBI "to publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction," of Comey and Ohr, as well as former FBI Deputy Director Andre McCabe. The text messages of Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were also ordered to be released without redaction. Strzok and Page were both part of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, as well as the Russia investigation. Strzok and Page — who were having an extra marital affair — were also detailed to the special counsel's team, before being removed when Mueller found the two sent disparaging and biased text messages about Trump to one another. Strzok was eventually fired by the FBI and Page resigned.

Trump and Republicans have continually questioned the credibility of the Russia investigation, specifically how much the dossier — which was paid for by Democrats — was used by top federal law enforcement officials to justify launching it in 2016. Republicans have also insisted that the release of Russia-related documents will show overall bias atop the Justice Department and FBI. Special counsel Robert Mueller took over the investigation in may 2017. Democrats have decried the GOP efforts, characterizing them as a means to discredit Mueller’s investigation.

Trump has already declassified documents before at the urging of Republicans. In February, he declassified a memo written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee that revealed some details about the Page surveillance warrant. On Twitter, Trump has repeatedly attacked Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page and Ohr.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-directs-fbi-doj-to-declassify-russia-related-documents-james-comey-texts-and-more