‘The FBI is either corrupt or incompetent’
The chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court released a statement Tuesday slamming the FBI for the “significant errors and omissions” in the bureau’s surveillance warrant applications on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that there were “at least 17” such errors.
Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer said the FBI’s mistakes “call into question” other work done by the bureau. She demanded that the FBI inform her court what steps bureau leadership will take to prevent similar instances in the future.
In response, the FBI released a statement that is being described as “disgusting and inadequate.”
The statement read:
As Director [Christopher] Wray has stated, the Inspector General’s report describes conduct by certain FBI employees that is unacceptable and unrepresentative of the FBI as an institution. The Director has ordered more than 40 corrective steps to address the Report’s recommendations, including some improvements beyond those recommended by the IG.
FISA is an indispensable tool in national security investigations, and in recognition of our duty of candor to the Court and our responsibilities to the American people, the FBI is committed to working with the FISA Court and DOJ to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the FISA process.
However, the statement did not describe in detail any of the “corrective steps,” nor did the statement outline who, if anyone, has been held accountable for the “significant errors and omissions” that Horowitz discovered.
In fact, although the statement acknowledged that actions by FBI agents were “unacceptable and unrepresentative of the FBI,” there has been no indication the bureau has taken any disciplinary steps, further eroding public trust in the government’s most important law enforcement institution.
The glaring omissions and lack of transparency prompted further criticism for the PR-perfected statement.
“This is disgusting and inadequate,” one person responded.
“Certain employees need to face real consequences if the FBI plans on regaining the trust of the public,” another person said.
“Any FBI agent who lies under oath to a court is a criminal and should be treated as one – there are many steps to following the FISA process correctly now – and they’ve been ignored. Adding 40 more won’t make a difference,” another person responded.
“Not good enough. The FBI is either corrupt or incompetent. Neither is reassuring,” another respond read.
“We want to see those who violated the law and rules of court sanctioned just like every person who does,” another person said.
