Rep. Eric Swalwell said Tuesday that the judge who granted the FISA warrant on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page likely knew some of the information to substantiate the warrant was politically funded but granted the warrant anyway.
“The judge knew, I think, enough to know that there were questions about the bias of the individual, but granted it anyway. That tells me that there was an arsenal of evidence that Carter Page should’ve been surveilled,” Mr. Swalwell, California Democrat, said on Fox News.
Mr. Swalwell said he couldn’t say if the judge knew what political group was behind the dossier.
“We don’t know what question the judge asked in chambers, in camera as they call it, we don’t have that transcript. It’s something that should be reviewed after the case,” he said, referring to the warrant process under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Mr. Swalwell is a member of the House Intelligence Committee that has looked into the collusion allegations between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
The surveillance warrant on Mr. Page has become another facet of the investigation as Republicans claim it shows bias in the special counsel’s case against the president. Democrats, however, say Republicans are jeopardizing classified information to degrade the investigation.
SEE ALSO: Carter Page: U.S. government interfered more than Russia in 2016 presidential campaign
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.