Former FBI Lawyer to Plead Guilty in Durham’s Probe Into Origins of Russia Collusion Investigation

What’s the story?

• The Associated Press on Friday reported that former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith is set to plead guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney General John Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russia collusion investigation.
• Clinesmith’s false statement came to light as a result of a report by Dept. of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz that also looked into the origins of the Russia probe and surveillance abuse. The IG’s report cited it among the 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the FBI’s applications to surveil Trump campaign aide Carter Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 
• Specifically, the IG report accused Clinesmith of altering an email from another agency which said that Carter Page was a source for that agency to make it appear that the email was stating that page was “not a source” for that agency. 
• That falsification was relied upon by the FBI in its third and final FISA surveillance application targeting Page. In its initial application, the FBI omitted information provided by the other agency about its relationship with Page and his role as an “operational contact” with the agency.
• Clinesmith’s attorney, Justin Shur, told the AP that “Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email” and that it “was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues, as he believed the information he relayed was accurate, but Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility.”

— Eric Revell

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