Sen. Graham Promises To Call Every Person Who Signed Carter Page FISA Warrants To Testify

Lindsey Graham spoke with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo more about his plans to call in all who signed the Carter Page FISA warrants.

Lindsey Graham also spoke with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo about his plans for calling those who signed the FISA warrants in to testify.

The Washington Examiner has more details:

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham announced that he wants all the signers of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications and renewals targeting Carter Page to testify in January. 

           

The October 2016 FISA application and January 2017 FISA renewal to surveil the Trump campaign associate were both approved by officials at the highest levels — then-FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. The April 2017 FISA renewal was approved by Comey and acting Attorney General Dana Boente, the only signatory still remaining in active government service. Boente began working as the Trump administration’s top lawyer at the FBI starting in January 2018. The June 2017 FISA renewal was approved by FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who also appointed special counsel Robert Mueller in May 2017. 

           

Graham said he also plans to call in FBI Director Christopher Wray, who took over in August 2017 — after the FISA approvals but whose bureau has come under harsh criticism not just from the inspector general but also from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court itself. 

           

“I’m going to call in Christopher Wray, and I’m going to ask him — what have you done internally to make sure this never happens again?” Graham said. 

           

The South Carolina Republican made the announcement during a Senate press conference on Wednesday while Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified in front of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee about his investigation into Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse by the Department of Justice and the FBI. The DOJ watchdog appeared before Graham’s committee last week. 

           

“The first thing I want to do is discover the scope of the problem. So next January, I want to call everybody who signed a warrant application and ask them — why did we not know this? And try to explain to the public — how does this work? Do the people at the top of the chain just sign it and not look at any of the details? How did it get so off script?” Graham said to reporters, later adding, “I want to start with the people who signed the warrant and have them explain to me why they signed it.” 

Lindsey Graham has put getting to the bottom of what went on with the FISA abuses back in 2016 on the top of his list for 2020.

Townhall has more to say on this:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is working on the legislative calendar for 2020 and just put FISA reform at the top of his priority list. 

FISA reform will be a top priority for the Judiciary Committee in 2020.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 17, 2019

As Inspector General Horowitz’s report describes in great detail, the FISA process falsified evidence and withheld exculpatory evidence to obtain a warrant against Mr. Page on numerous occasions.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 17, 2019

On Tuesday afternoon, the FISA court issued a rare and scathing rebuke of the FBI for doctoring evidence, submitting misleading warrant applications and called into question all of the FBI's efforts to surveil American citizens. Graham is welcoming the statement.