Judiciary Committee Releases Key Material Related to FISA Abuse Investigation

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), today released declassified confidential human source transcripts related to the Crossfire Hurricane operation.

In addition to the transcripts, the Committee released other material related to the Committee’s investigation into Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) actions leading up to and during the Crossfire Hurricane operation, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant process.

“I’m committed to being as transparent as possible about the circumstances surrounding FISA abuse. The goal is to make sure it never happens again,” said Chairman Graham.

As part of Chairman Graham’s efforts to increase transparency and accountability to the American people, these declassified documents and other material may be accessed at the following link: judiciary.senate.gov/fisa-investigation.

Today, the Committee released three categories of material.

1. Declassified DOJ materials related to the Crossfire Hurricane operation.
2. Timeline of correspondence sent or received by Chairman Graham and Committee activity regarding the FISA abuse investigation.
3. Corrective actions taken by DOJ and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as a result of the FISA abuse investigation.

Declassified Department of Justice Materials Related to the Crossfire Hurricane Operation:

In response to Graham’s letters on March 7, August 29, and December 19, 2019 urging Attorney General Barr to declassify as much material as possible relating to the abuse of the FISA process targeting the Trump campaign, DOJ has produced the following documents:

• Confidential human source transcripts related to the Crossfire Hurricane operation
• Transcript of George Papadopoulos and FBI Confidential Human Source (declassified March 13, 2020) (document)
• Transcript of George Papadopoulos and FBI Confidential Human Source (declassified April 1, 2020) (document)
• Transcript of George Papadopoulos and FBI Confidential Human Source (declassified April 24, 2020) (document)
• FISA Warrant Application for Carter Page and Three Subsequent Renewals
• FISA Warrant Application for Carter Page (document)
• FISA Warrant Application for Carter Page, Renewal One (document)
• FISA Warrant Application for Carter Page, Renewal Two (document)
• FISA Warrant Application for Carter Page, Renewal Three (document)
• A July 2018 letter from DOJ to the FISA court alerting the court to some of the significant errors and omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications (letter)

Timeline of Correspondence Sent or Received by Chairman Graham and Committee Activity Regarding the FISA Abuse Investigation:

March 7, 2019

• Graham to Attorney General Barr: Requested documents related to Carter Page FISA warrant application, Steele dossier (press release, letter)

May 10, 2019

• Graham to DOJ Inspector General (IG) Horowitz and Secretary of State Pompeo: On political motivation behind Carter Page FISA warrant application (press release, letter to IG Horowitz, letter to Secretary Pompeo)

August 29, 2019

• Graham to Attorney General Barr: Urged declassification of key documents in FISA abuse investigation (press release, letter)

October 2, 2019

• Graham to Prime Ministers of Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom: Requested continued cooperation with AG Barr during the Justice Department’s investigation into the origins and extent of foreign influence in the 2016 U.S. presidential election (press release, letter)

November 18, 2019

• Graham to IG Horowitz: Invitation to testify publicly on IG’s report on FISA abuse investigation (press release)

November 21, 2019

• Graham announced IG Horowitz’s report to be released on December 9, 2019 (press release)
• IG Horowitz response to Graham

December 11, 2019

• Senate Judiciary Committee held oversight hearing entitled “Examining the Inspector General’s Report on Alleged Abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act” (hearing)

December 17, 2019

• After the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court condemned the FISA warrant process and application with respect to Carter Page, Chairman Graham declared that FISA reform would be a top priority for the Judiciary Committee in 2020 (press release)

December 19, 2019

• Graham to Attorney General Barr and IG Horowitz: Requested the previously redacted names of the individuals – along with their previous and current positions at DOJ or FBI – who were involved in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation during the 2016 presidential election (letter)

January 15, 2020

• Graham to FBI Director Wray: After concerns were raised about certain personnel at DOJ and FBI involved in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation receiving promotions or being rewarded, Graham requested the current employment status of these individuals, including what types of promotions or rewards were given or whether legal action or other remedies were taken for terminated personnel (letter)

February 14, 2020

• Graham to Attorney General Barr: Requested transcribed interviews with DOJ, FBI officials regarding Crossfire Hurricane investigation during the 2016 presidential election (press release, letter)

March 3, 2020

• Committee began depositions of individuals involved in the Justice Department and FBI’s handling of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, including the applications and renewals of a FISA warrant on Carter Page (The Hill, Washington Examiner)

March 31, 2020

• Graham invited IG Horowitz to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding initial findings of FISA warrant application audit (press release)

April 27, 2020

• Graham to Attorney General Barr: Requested a number of documents related to information from Christopher Steele’s primary source who ultimately contradicted Steele’s reporting. (press release, letter)

Corrective Actions Taken by the Department of Justice and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as a Result of the FISA Abuse Investigation:

During the Committee’s December 11, 2019 hearing on IG Horowitz’s report on alleged FISA abuse, Chairman Graham publicly called on the FISA court to take “corrective action”. Less than a week after Graham’s comments, the FISA court started what would become a series of orders to DOJ and FBI to reform the FISA process and examine where the system failed.

December 17, 2019

• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ordered DOJ to conduct a review and FBI to propose changes to remedy faulty FISA warrant application process (FISC order)

January 13, 2020

• Attorney General Barr and FBI Director Wray announced DOJ is raising the standard for opening of a counterintelligence investigation of a presidential campaign (press conference)

March 5, 2020

• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court banned FBI officials involved in errors and omissions with Carter Page FISA warrant applications from appearing before the court (FISC opinion and order)

March 31, 2020

• IG Horowitz released initial findings of audit of the FBI’s procedures and actions during the FISA warrant application process (memo)

April 3, 2020

• In response to the Inspector General’s audit, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ordered FBI to reexamine the FISA warrant application process, including by reviewing the 29 FISA warrant applications that the Inspector General identified as flawed and identifying the targets of these warrants  (FISC order)