Much-investigated Carter Page is volunteering to help the FBI conduct its planned nation-wide anti-political bias training, saying he is an expert on the bureau’s “reign of terror” against him.
Perhaps no other Trump campaign associate has been more investigated by the FBI than Mr. Page, a New York energy investor who lived in Moscow and had many Russian business contacts.
That profile made him an ample target for the FBI and Democrats, especially after Christopher Steele’s dossier accused him of a series of Russian collusion charges, all of which he denies.
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced last week the bureau will hold anti-bias training within 120 days as a response to a voluminous Justice Department inspector general report.
IG Michael Horowitz said he could not document that anti-Trump bias influenced the final decision to exonerate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election on charges of mishandling classified material in her private emails. But he did document plenty of expressed bias by FBI personnel against President Trump.
Mr. Page tweeted on Monday:
“Thanks @FBI Director Wray for plans to offer training for the Bureau’s good staff. Having spent much time with many of them over the years, I’d be happy to speak at that class to explain lessons from the fake leaks and reign of terror led by former staff of your essential agency.”
Mr. Page sat down with FBI agents in March 2017 to answer questions. At that time, he was subject of FBI wiretaps approved by a judge based on information in the Steele dossier which was financed by Mrs. Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The surveillance lasted nearly a year, from October 2016 to September 2017.
Mr. Steele, a former British MI6 officer posted in Moscow, accused Mr. Page of meeting with Kremlin chieftains in July 2016 and discussing bribes for sanctions relief. Mr. Page says he never met the Russian agents.
Mr. Steele also said that Mr. Page and then-campaign chief Paul Manafort orchestrated Russia election inference. There is no evidence to date that the two men ever met or held conversations.
Mr. Page also tweeted on Monday that he took a slide presentation to his FBI session to combat the media and dossier charges against him.
One slide said, “Next steps: Extreme vetting, full cavity search preferred in the interest of ending this nonsense once and for all.”
The FBI sought two more surveillance warrants after the March interview.
In response to the Horowitz report, the FBI wrote to the IG:
“The FBI is taking immediate remedial actions to reinforce the importance of maintaining a work environment free from the appearance of political bias. This includes a review of whether the intermixing of work-related discussions with political commentary implicates any of the FBI’s Offense Codes and Penalty Guidelines. It will further include political bias training, Hatch Act training, and, as applicable, will also include a review of how the FBI staffs, structures, and supervises sensitive investigations. “
The 1939 Hatch act limits political activities by federal employees.
Said Mr. Page, “I’ve taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for hundreds of hours so I’d be well qualified.”
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.
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