The former Trump adviser who was reportedly monitored by the FBI to investigate possible contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia says neither the FBI nor the CIA are telling the truth about his role, which has resulted in an “ongoing barrage of false information” in the last three months.
Carter Page made the accusations in a Monday letter to the House Intelligence Committee in which he asked to address the committee directly.
“I have learned from your Committee staff on this Memorial Day holiday that I might not be immediately afforded the opportunity to address the false or misleading testimony by James Comey, John Brennan, et al. as per our previously scheduled appointment for next week,” Page wrote. “In the interest of finally providing the American people with some accurate information at long last, I hope that we can proceed with this straight dialogue soon.”
As an example of false information, Page cited the Russian “dossier” that was reportedly used to secure a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against him. The dossier was a 2016 intelligence product compiled by a former British intelligence officer, and was meant to be used by political opponents of Trump. However, it’s unclear how much information in the dossier is accurate, and how much was verified by U.S. intelligence agencies last summer as a basis for obtaining a FISA warrant that allowed Page to be monitored.
Page’s letter didn’t list a falsehood from Comey or Brennan, but seemed to imply that those press reports are evidence that authorities did use the unverified dossier to approve a warrant against him. In his Senate testimony last month, Comey said he wasn’t permitted to answer questions about whether and how the dossier was used.
Page then stressed that he needs to testify to clarify what happened.
“In light of the apparent disregard for truthful information at the foundation of the FBI’s related investigations last year, it has grown more important than ever that I be afforded the opportunity to explain the truth,” he wrote. “In particular, regarding all of the associated nonsensical lies stated specifically against me during the recent testimony by various senior Obama administration appointees. For this reason, I hope that my future testimony might be allowed.”
“Given the continuation of smoke and mirrors tactics seen in recent days, I would also urge the Committee to investigate the growing evidence of collusion between Clinton campaign associates, Comey and other former Obama Administration Officials,” Page added. “As you are probably aware, this began with the well-orchestrated pressure they sought to exert on the FBI to have me investigated last summer in the immediate wake of preliminary falsehoods fro the 2016 Dodgy Dossier.”
While Page is pushing for attention from the House committee, former national security adviser Mike Flynn is still in a standoff with the Senate Intelligence Committee over subpoenaed information that he has thus far declined to turn over. After Flynn’s lawyer refused information originally subpoenaed by the committee by asserting Flynn’s Fifth Amendment rights, the committee responded by subpoenaing information from two of his businesses, believing that Fifth Amendment rights don’t apply as broadly to business information.
Meanwhile, two other people at the heart of the Russia investigation, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, have already turned over documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to numerous reports.
A spokesman with the committee would not comment on the letter, saying normal practice requires they neither confirm or deny correspondence sent to the committee.
Read Page’s letter here:
