Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page said Tuesday he believes the U.S. government interfered more in the 2016 election than the Russians.
He said the U.S. government gained a surveillance warrant on him through an unverified dossier, which he said interfered more than anything the Russians did.
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee argued in their memo last week that the FBI withheld how the dossier was funded when trying to get a warrant on Mr. Page.
The former adviser said there was no basis to the warrant and he was chosen because of his connection to Russia and his brief time on the campaign.
“Because if they want to start this Russia collusion theory, what better way of doing that than having a photo of someone actually in Moscow in 2016. I had to give a speech,” Mr. Page explained on CNN.
He acknowledged that former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime business partner Rick Gates also had such connections, but said that the timing of his Russia visit made him the perfect target.
“No one in Russia has ever tried to work me,” Mr. Page said about whether the Russians ever tried to get information from him during his visits.
He said he does not want to be in the public spotlight once his name is cleared and plans on returning to a private life when the Russia case is behind him.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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