After Mueller report, investigate FISA abuse

The special counsel’s investigative work is complete, and the report has been filed with the Department of Justice. The attorney general’s letter to Congress summarizing the report has already provided enough to confirm what should have been obvious to everyone from the beginning: there was no collusion with Russia nor any conspiracy to collude among anyone in the Trump campaign. In fact, according to the summary, the Trump campaign effectively turned away overtures “despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.” Now we wait as the report should be fully released with the appropriate redactions.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller spent 22 months, millions of dollars, and countless hours of manpower on a rigorous investigation. If, after such a thorough inquiry, Mueller’s finding came up with no evidence of coordination, this raises serious questions about the nature of the “intelligence” used to open an investigation and whether partisans within the Department of Justice abused their power colluding with the Clinton campaign to spy on a political opponent.

{mosads}Despite the assessment that there was no collusion, why are members of Congress perpetuating lies directly contradicting Mueller’s conclusions? For two years, now-Chairman of the Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has said he has seen evidence that “undoubtedly” proves collusion. If Chairman Schiff has evidence to dispute Mueller’s finding, is he keeping it to himself? Did he share it with the special counsel? If he does not have any evidence, has he spent the last two years lying to the American people?

Similarly, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), even AFTER what we know to be the principal findings of the special counsel’s inquiry, has decided to ignore them by going on cable television slandering the president as an agent of Putin. This is a baseless and disgusting accusation with no merit given the attorney general’s summary. To continue spreading such a disparaging statement contradictory to the results of the probe is irresponsible for a member of Congress.

John Brennan, former CIA director under President Obama maintained throughout this entire ordeal his assertion of collusion, using many television appearances and his credentials as America’s “top spy” to allege nefarious intent by Trump and even go so far as to accuse him of treason. To his credit, he offered an apology of sorts, however weak it was. Brennan said he may have “received bad information.”  Mueller’s principle findings, as well as the reactions from Brennan and others should be seen as red flags. What was the “bad information”, who gave it to him or someone at CIA, and how was it used?” Or perhaps it was the salacious and unverified Steel dossier?

Commissioned by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign, this document created by a former British intelligence official found its way to the FBI, who used it to obtain the FISA warrant to effectively spy on the Trump campaign. In the course of these events, disgraced former FBI Director James Comey admitted the contents of this scandalous document were not corroborated. The information was then used as a source for a news article about unproven gossip regarding then-candidate Donald Trump. The FBI and Department of Justice then presented that article as independent substantiating evidence to extend the FISA surveillance warrant. That’s right, the same single, unverified source was used as evidence to corroborate itself.

In the wake of the president’s vindication, it is time to consider the costs of years of endless investigation based on gossip and scurrilous accusations. It was a clear enough conclusion for the special counsel, so why did the individuals involved in the moment not come to the same conclusion?

While we wait for the release of Mueller’s report, the situation has provided enough clarity to require immediate action.  Firstly, I join many of my colleagues in calling for the resignation of Adam Schiff as chairman of the Intelligence Committee. It is indisputable his credibility has been irreparably damaged, especially as he willfully ignores the special counsel’s conclusions.

Secondly, the real scandal is the abuse of FISA surveillance by the Obama Justice Department. It is time for an investigation into this abuse. It is why I co-sponsored a resolution last year asking the attorney general to appoint a special counsel on the matter.

It is a terrifying prospect that a small faction of senior officials within the executive branch may have conspired against a presidential candidate from the opposing party. The American people should not have to worry about government officials using their power and legal authority to tip the scales of an election. They deserve to know if it happened and what the punishment will be.

Gibbs represents Ohio’s 7th District and is a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.