THREAD regarding: FBI used the Steele dossier to get FISAs

[L. Coyote]

Link to tweet

3. (It's worth noting in that previous article that Steele apparently believed that there was a cabal in the FBI *preventing* the dossier from reaching the top, and it also suggests that he contacted @DavidCornDC about its contents. But I'll let reporters sort out those details.)

Link to tweet

6. The DOJ lawyers who help prepare the FISA applications take this VERY seriously. Like, even if you had a common-knowledge assertion, like "Country X is a state-sponsor of terrorism," they make you include a cite (preferably two) supporting it. They want every fact airtight.

7. The Steele dossier is "raw intelligence." It contains reporting from third party sources -- meaning it is basically hearsay. So the FBI can't just staple the dossier to a cover sheet that says "GIVE ME A FISA" and be done with it.

8. To use any or all of the dossier, the FBI would have to provide independent verification and corroboration of each fact that would be included in the application. This could mean first-hand witness statements, actual recordings from electronic surveillance, etc.

9. In other words, if the FBI *did* use the contents of the dossier to obtain a FISA, then by definition those contents are true, corroborated, and independently verifiable. Remember that the application is presented to an Article III judge -- a judicial check -- before granted.

10. This does not seem like the road Trump supporters want to be going down...and yet they are. It's so bizarre. And to underscore: To claim that this was a huge conspiracy is ALSO directly implicating members of the judiciary (who could be Republican appointees) without basis.

P.S. In tweet #2 *he* refers to Steele -- I was cutting down this sentence to fit and omitted him as the original referent

Link to tweet

[Cicada]

1. Trump can release fisa affidavits, has refused

Congress has asked Trump to release the affidavits (to see if Dossier was a source). Trump can redact classified info. He has refused to release them. Why not? Maybe because they show dossier was not used.

[RandomAccess]

2. Oh, wow -- the Carter Page FISA is new info

At least to me, or did I miss it somewhere along the line?

[mackdaddy]

3. I would think that ANY investigation would start with a credible allegation by some person.

Weather it was someone telling the police that drugs were being sold from a particular house, or hey there is something rotten in the relationship between Russian operatives and members of the Trump organization.

The first step would be to do an initial investigation to see if the allegations had any merit. If not the it would end right there. But if there were something that was found, then the investigation would get serious and expand from there. And yes this could expand into FISA warrants for domestic investigations. But they would not need these warrants to investigate or surveil foreign targets like Russian operatives overseas. Or to cross check the many financial transactions overseas that they are already tracking.

So really it is "so what" who paid for and why it was created for the Steele reports. These were just an initial heads up. If they found real criminal activity when they checked it out that is when the investigations were valid, no matter what triggered them.

[underpants]

4. Good info. Thanks

[triron]

5. Excellent. Thanks

[burrowowl]

6. K&R

[Pachamama]

7. Who is this Andrew C McCarthy who authored the tweet that Asha Rangappa replied to?

His bio claims to be a former Chief Asst. US Attorney and yet he doesn't even seem to know the vigorous process and hurdles and verifications required to obtain a FISA warrant....

If anything, what he did with his tweet claiming the Steele Dossier was what the FBI used to substantiate going after Trump and Co. is not only ignorant, but if it had any basis of fact, his claim only verifies the strength of the Dossier and what it claims because it would require then multiple sources that were verified.

The stupid is so strong amongst the Republicans.... And it also shows that the dogma and delusion that the Republican and Trump supporters suffer from is powerful and takes over the actions and erodes the brain and clear thinking....

[L. Coyote]

8. They are rewriting Orewllian fundamentals.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[L. Coyote]

9. Trump Latest Tweetstorm Targets FBI, Russia Dossier