US to release secret memos that 'undermine Donald Trump's Russia defence'

The president claimed the FBI had conspired against him
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David Gardner6 February 2018

Lawmakers voted today to release a top secret document that threatens to shoot down claims by Donald Trump that the FBI conspired against him in the Russia investigation.

The move has ignited a “battle of the memos” on Capitol Hill. It comes days after the president declassified a Republican-drafted note that claimed the FBI abused its power when it obtained a surveillance warrant on a one-time Trump campaign associate accused of Kremlin links.

Now members of the House intelligence committee have voted to release a 10-page memo written by Democrats, which dismisses many of claims made in the Republican note.

Mr Trump has five days to decide whether to declassify it.

He allowed the release of the Republican one — also top secret — on Friday, claiming it “totally vindicates” him in the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

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Having agreed to make that public he is under huge pressure to do the same with the Democrat one.

After today’s unanimous vote, Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee’s top Democrat, said he believed the new note would “help inform the public of the many distortions and inaccuracies in the majority memo”. But he said he was concerned about “political redactions” the White House could make before declassifying it.

Yesterday the president launched a Twitter tirade against Mr Schiff, writing: “Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington ... Must be stopped!”

The Democrat hit back: “Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or ... really anything else.”

Democrats believe the Republican note aims to discredit the Russia inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller. Mr Schiff suggested the Republican chairman of the intelligence committee, Devin Nunes, drafted the first memo in coordination with the White House.

The Nunes memo alleged misconduct by the FBI in the way it obtained a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

A court issued the warrant in October 2016. Mr Nunes took aim at the agency’s use of information from former British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier alleging ties between Mr Trump, his associates and Russia.

The Steele dossier claims Mr Page held a secret meeting with a senior ally of Vladimir Putin. However, the Nunes memo claims the FBI failed to tell a judge that Mr Steele’s research was funded in part by the Democrats. Mr Page denies wrongdoing.

Democrats say the Nunes memo contains key omissions — such as that the court did in fact know the Steele dossier was paid for by a “political entity”, and would have seen a range of evidence. If Mr Trump does not declassify the Democrat memo, the matter could be sent to the full House of Representatives, which could vote on whether to make it public.

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