FBI Attorney 2 “was assigned to the Midyear investigation, the Russia investigation, and the Special Counsel investigation. We found messages in which FBI Attorney 2 discussed political issues, including three instant message exchanges that raised concerns of potential bias,” the IG report says. The Midyear investigation is the Clinton email investigation.
Kevin Clinesmith is a former FBI lawyer expected to be accused of altering an email that was used to justify a court’s wiretap approval into Carter Page, a former advisor for Donald Trump. He’s also the author of anti-Trump and anti-Mike Pence texts that resulted in his leaving the Russia investigation. You can read those texts throughout this article. One of the more memorable ones declared, “Viva le resistance.”
In 2018, then-Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), now the White House chief of staff, publicly named Clinesmith as the lawyer referred to only as “FBI Attorney 2” in a separate inspector general report documenting the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server. Advertisement.
A former FBI lawyer has agreed to plead guilty to altering an email that helped justify surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser as part of the 2016 investigation into Russian interference in the election , according to his lawyer and a person familiar with the matter. Support our journalism.
Kevin Clinesmith was accused of doctoring a document to help justify surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser as part of the 2016 investigation into Russian interference in the election. Skip to main content. Search Input. Search.
Horowitz’s report concluded that the bureau had an “authorized purpose” to initiate the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.
The expected plea was first reported by the New York Times. The Justice Department revealed in May 2019 that Barr had tapped Durham to review the Russia probe, which Trump has derided as a “witch hunt” designed to undermine his campaign and presidency.
Court documents filed in the Clinesmith case do not allege a broader political or anti-Trump conspiracy within the FBI or Justice Department, and a person familiar with the matter said Clinesmith does not intend to describe any such efforts when he enters his plea.
According to the criminal information filed Friday detailing the allegations that led to Clinesmith’s planned plea, Clinesmith wrote to the FBI agent that the CIA liaison “confirmed explicitly” that Page was never a source of theirs.