FBI Reportedly Monitored Trump Campaign Adviser For Russia Contacts
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — The FBI obtained a secret court order last summer to monitor the communications of an adviser to Donald Trump during his campaign for president, the Washington Post reported on April 11.
Citing anonymous U.S. officials, the Post said the FBI obtained the warrant targeting foreign policy adviser Carter Page after convincing a court that Page may have been acting as an agent of a foreign power — Russia.
Such a warrant would provide the clearest evidence to date that the FBI had reason to believe during the 2016 presidential campaign that a Trump adviser was in touch with Russian agents, the Post said.
The FBI and congressional committees are investigating whether Russia tried to influence the election in Trump’s favor, mostly by hacking Democratic operatives’ e-mails and releasing embarrassing information, but also possibly by colluding with Trump associates.
Page, who has not been accused of any crimes, has repeatedly denied any collusion.
“This confirms all of my suspicions about unjustified, politically motivated government surveillance,” Page told the Post. He contended that the Obama administration was trying to suppress “dissidents who did not fully support their failed foreign policy” during the campaign, and “I have nothing to hide.”
