FBI and White House clash over controversial Republican memo

 

The FBI has publicly challenged a push by Republican lawmakers to release a controversial memo which purports to show anti-Trump bias at the agency.

"We have grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy," the FBI said in a statement.

The White House has reportedly indicated it could be published later on Thursday.

Democrats say the memo is an attempt to discredit the FBI-led Russia inquiry.

The White House has to approve the top-secret memo's release.

"It will be released here pretty quick, I think, and the whole world can see it," White House chief of staff John Kelly told Fox News Radio.


Hours later, the FBI issued a rare statement saying it had had "limited opportunity" to review the document before the House Intelligence committee voted to release it on Monday.

"We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the Fisa [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] process," the FBI statement added.

On Wednesday night Democrats on the committee accused the Republicans of having secretly altered the memo before giving it to the White House.

Representative Adam Schiff said the document had "material changes", meaning it was not the same as the one voted on. He said it should be withdrawn and reviewed again prior to any possible public release.

What is the memo?
The four-page document, compiled by staffers for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, says the Department of Justice abused the Fisa surveillance programme to unfairly target a member of Donald Trump's campaign.

According to lawmakers who have reviewed it, the document purports to show the agency obtained a warrant to spy on a Trump campaign aide after submitting as evidence the unproven "Russian dossier".

That dossier was compiled by former UK intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from the Hillary Clinton campaign.

BBC

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