Update 6:39 p.m.: The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to release the memo to the public.
Original story: A vote is expected by the House Intelligence Committee Monday afternoon on whether to release a memo prepared by Democrats in response to a Republican-authored memorandum released last week that charged misconduct by the FBI and Justice Department.
The memo, compiled by Republican staffers on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, charged that the FBI and DOJ did not provide complete information when requesting a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant to surveil Carter Page, a one-time member of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
The problem with the approval of the application, the memo alleges, is that FBI and DOJ officials did not explain to a FISC judge that they were seeking to expand a warrant to surveil Page based on information collected in a dossier compiled by investigator Christopher Steele. That dossier was financed in part by the Democratic National Committee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
>>House Intelligence Committee votes to release Democrats' rebuttal to Nunes memo
Democrats have said the memo prepared under the direction of the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, (Calif.), refutes the claims made by the GOP, showing how the allegations were taken out of context.
A vote on whether to release the memo could be taken by the House Intelligence Committee, led by Rep. Devin Nunes, (R-Calif.), at 5 p.m. ET., Monday.
If the memo is released, it would have to follow the same process as Nunes’ memo did – first, voted out of committee, then sent to the president for declassification, checked by intelligence officials to make sure no classified information is being compromised, then released to the public.
The president would have five days to decide if he wants to declassify the memo.
On Monday, Trump took a swipe at Schiff via Twitter. Trump called Schiff, “one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington.”
Schiff answered the president about an hour later saying, “Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or...really anything else.”
Both the Justice Department and the FBI have denied any wrongdoing concerning surveillance warrants.
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