Inspector General Michael Horowitz has yet to release his long-awaited report on the alleged government surveillance and FISA court abuses that occurred during the investigation into President Trump’s 2016 campaign. But recent leaks suggest the report won’t be the bombshell Republicans are looking for.
From what we do know of Horowitz’s report, the most damning allegation is that FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith altered a FISA document related to the FBI’s wiretapping of Carter Page, a Trump campaign associate. Clinesmith’s actions were highly illegal, which is why Horowitz has referred his findings to prosecutors for a potential criminal charge. But they did not undermine the overall credibility of the intelligence community’s investigation, Horowitz has reportedly concluded.
Indeed, many of Horowitz’s conclusions confirm that though there was wrongdoing on the part of lower-level FBI officials, the legitimacy of the investigation still stands, according to sources familiar with the report.
If these leaks are true, then Horowitz’s report won’t be the bombshell that Trump’s allies had hoped for. But as long as it confirms two things — that the intelligence community was willing to cut corners and use unreliable information against Trump, and that few upper-level officials bothered to hold bad actors such as Clinesmith accountable — Republicans will be able to use it to Trump’s advantage.
Trump is currently fighting an impeachment investigation that once again depends on allegations and testimony from the intelligence community. If Republicans are able to point to specific examples of systemic abuse in these agencies, they could use Horowitz’s report to undermine the legitimacy of the Democrats’ efforts. Much of the Republicans’ defense already depends on this premise, but concrete evidence could make it stronger.
With that said, Horowitz’s report might not change anything, even if Republicans do seek to use it. The Democrats won’t be interested in the report’s contents, consumed as they are with impeachment. And in the Senate, the case for impeachment is already lost.
Horowitz is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 11. He might offer a bombshell, or he might not. Either way, his findings on unaccountability and unreliable sourcing will likely help Republicans more than Democrats. And right now, that’s exactly what the GOP needs.
