A classified U.S. House committee memo may see the light of day soon with a vote expected Monday afternoon that could begin a process to allow for the classified document to become public.
The memorandum, compiled by Republican staffers on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is believed to list missteps by the FBI and Justice Department concerning surveillance of a member of the Trump campaign.
The New York Times is reporting that the memo claims Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein approved an application to extend federal surveillance of former Trump campaign associate Carter Page shortly after Rosenstein took office. The newspaper cites "three people familiar" with the memo.
The problem with the approval of the application, the memo alleges, is that FBI and DOJ officials did not explain to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court 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.
While the public has not seen the memo, House members have been allowed to read it. Democrats in the House have prepared a rebuttal memo but Democratic leadership has not released that to the public, either.
A vote on whether to release the memo could take place by the House Intelligence Committee, led by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), at 5 p.m. ET., Monday. The release of the memo would come based on a seldom-used House rule that allows a vote to consider declassification of sensitive material.
If the measure passes the House committee vote, President Donald Trump would have five days to block the release of the document. If after five days there is no White House action, the information would be released publicly.
According to DOJ officials, they have not seen the memo. Last week they warned Nunes it would be "reckless" to release the document.
About the Author
