So the spying “received the necessary FBI approvals,” Horowitz said. But at the same time, the report suggested the necessary approvals were far less than what was needed under the circumstances.
And that was just the in-person spies. The Page wiretap was a disaster that could have long-lasting repercussions for the FBI. Yes, the bureau went to the FISA court and received its approval to spy on Page. But a “central and essential” element of the wiretap application was the Steele dossier, which the report made clear had zero credibility. In addition, the FBI had received information — ironically, from its sketchy CHS snooping — that “was inconsistent with, or undercut, the assertions contained in the FISA applications” that the FBI used to argue that probable cause existed to wiretap Page. That meant in some cases “inaccurate information” was included in the wiretap applications.
“Inaccurate” is a nice way to put it. Another word for the some of the information from the Steele dossier that the FBI passed on to the court is “misleading.” And the report made it clear that the FBI knew the material was faulty.
“That was misleading to the court,” Horowitz told the Senate Wednesday.
And there was still more.
