Former U.S. Attorney: 'It Doesn't Get Much More Serious Than' Changing a Document to Get a FISA
CNN contributor and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is shocked by the news
that an FBI agent allegedly altered a document used to attain a FISA
warrant to spy on former Trump adviser Carter Page back in 2016, and
through him on the entire Trump campaign.
"Well, that's kind
of an alarming bit of news," Bharara told Wolf Blitzer on Thursday.
"Obviously, based on what [CNN reporter] Evan is saying, there's a lot
we don't know, but given the description he has provided... If there was
an FBI agent who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, who can be
proven to have altered a document in connection to a legal proceeding
including the obtaining of a FISA warrant, that's really serious. It doesn't get much more serious than that."
"I'd
like to know the details, what the nature of the change was, if there
was a mistake in some way... [but] based on the reporting it doesn't
sound like it was. I want to keep an open mind about it," he went on to
say, "but that is not a good thing. [It's] a terrible thing."
"Law
enforcement agents and prosecutors who work with them are sworn to
uphold the Constitution, sure, but [they have to] actually exceed the
protections of the Constitution. They have to be of the utmost
integrity, of the utmost candor, especially when making a representation to the court, which is what a FISA application is, it's got to be on the up-and-up."
"I
know that there has been a lot of political fighting about whether or
not there was proper candor, there was back and forth within the House
Intelligence Committee when the positions were reversed between Devin
Nunes and Adam Schiff, and that looked like a lot of politics." "This,"
Bharara was forced to admit, however, "this particular thing [...] does
sound serious."
Yes, it does. And here's my prediction: it'll get even more serious, and heads will roll.
