© J. Scott Applewhite/AP PhotoThe Republicans’ memo, according to people who’ve seen it, claims the bureau inappropriately used a controversial dossier on alleged ties between Trump and Russians to get permission to spy on ex-Trump aide Carter Page.
The battle between the White House, FBI and Congress over a classified GOP memo alleging misconduct by bureau officials again pushes into the spotlight a hotly debated law governing how the government uses its most invasive surveillance powers.
The law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allows authorities to secretly obtain permission to covertly gather intelligence on suspected spies or terrorists on U.S. soil. Republicans say FBI officials acted improperly when they sought a court's approval under the law to spy on a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump, and they want to release a classified memo they wrote on the subject.
The national security community and privacy advocates have long battled over the law, with Republicans and Democrats alike often criticizing aspects of FISA. But the latest controversy has played out along purely political lines.
Republicans' memo, according to people who've seen it,
claims the bureau inappropriately used a controversial dossier on alleged ties between Trump and Russians to get permission to spy on the ex-Trump aide, Carter Page. The FBI said Wednesday the memo contains "material omissions of fact," and Democrats say it mischaracterizes classified intelligence to make its point.
Comment: Many countries already in the EU are considering leaving so one wonders if the Balkans would want to make the same mistake?
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