The release of additional texts between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page has some outlets reporting that the messages implicate President Obama for interfering in the bureau’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email.
Facebook readers are flagging articles by Breitbart, Gateway Pundit, and others for possibly sharing misinformation; these articles cite an interim report and additional documents from the Senate’s Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, led by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
The report outlines text messages between Strzok and Page on topics ranging from Anthony Weiner to what the report suggests are discussions on the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email.
One of the most cited parts of the report describes how the two agents “wrote about drafting talking points for then-Director Comey because President Obama ‘wants to know everything we’re doing.’”
Several outlets echoed the interpretation of the text included in the report which claims that the “text raises additional questions about the type and extent of President Obama’s personal involvement in the Clinton email scandal and the FBI investigation of it.”
However, the message was sent three days before president Barack Obama met with Putin during the G20 summit in September to discuss (among other things) cyber security.
And CNN reports that “people familiar with the matter strongly dispute the assertion that the text message referenced the Clinton email probe.” Instead, they believe the text was in reference to Obama’s meeting with Putin, not Clinton’s emails.
A footnote in the report explains why it linked the text to the email probe:
The media reports cannot be flagged as “fake news” or “false” because they are based on a report from the Senate. But because there is no solid evidence, accusations surrounding the unknown context of certain text messages should be taken with a dose of skepticism.
Facebook users also flagged reports that claim Trump tweeted “NEW FBI TEXTS ARE BOMBSHELLS!” Indeed he did.
NEW FBI TEXTS ARE BOMBSHELLS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2018
The 25-page report and corresponding documents can be read on the committee’s website.
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