Labrador Reacts to Release of Intelligence Committee Memo

Press Release

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) released the following statement today after the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released its memo detailing government surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016 that was carried over after President Trump won the election:

"For over a year, the media has been focused on alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia without producing any hard evidence. What today's memo shows is real collusion between Democrat operatives and key officials at the FBI and DOJ to spy on the Trump campaign and interfere in the 2016 election. The politicization of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies should concern every American regardless of their party. Congress should continue to investigate this matter and release all the evidence supporting the memo's allegations. The document shows the dangers of allowing secret courts under our constitutional form of government."

The Intelligence Committee memo provides important context regarding the so-called "Steele dossier," a compilation of salacious and unverified allegations against President Trump and his associates. To quote the memo, the "Steele dossier" was compiled by British spy Christopher Steele "on behalf of the Democrat National Committee and the Clinton campaign." Steele "was paid $160,000 by the DNC and the Clinton campaign via the law firm Perkins Cole and research firm Fusion GPS." The dossier was circulated to the DOJ and the FBI.

The memo further reveals that the "Steele dossier" was used by the DOJ and FBI to authorize spying on the Trump campaign.

According to the memo, "on October 21, 2016, DOJ and FBI sought and received a FISA probable cause order (not under Title VII) authorizing electronic surveillance of Carter Page," an advisor to the Trump campaign.

The memo further reveals that "neither the initial application in October 2016, nor any of the renewals, disclose or reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign, or any party/campaign in funding Steele's efforts, even though the political origins of the Steele dossier were then known to senior DOJ and FBI officials."

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