{{short description|2018 memo alleging FBI misconduct}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}} thumb|page=3|Nunes memo|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nunes_Memo.pdf?page=3thumb|The U.S. Justice Department warned that the public release of a classified memo alleging abuses in FBI surveillance tactics would be "extraordinarily reckless without giving the Department and the FBI the opportunity to review the memorandum".<ref name="Jarrett"/>
The '''Nunes memo''' (formally titled '''''Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Abuses at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation''''')<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/why-were-the-democrats-so-worried-about-the-nunes-memo |title=Why Were the Democrats So Worried About the Nunes Memo? |last=Sorkin |first=Amy Davidson |date=February 2, 2018 |magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=February 3, 2018 |language=en |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> is a four-page memorandum written for U.S. Representative Devin Nunes by his staff and released to the public by the Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee on February 2, 2018. The memo alleges that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) "may have relied on politically motivated or questionable sources" to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant in October 2016 and in three subsequent renewals on Trump adviser Carter Page in the early phases of the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.<ref name="WaPo">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-sought-release-of-classified-russia-memo-putting-him-at-odds-with-justice-department/2018/01/27/a00f2a4c-02bb-11e8-9d31-d72cf78dbeee_story.html |title=Trump sought release of classified Russia memo, putting him at odds with Justice Department |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |date=January 27, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 29, 2018 |last2=Helderman |first2=Rosalind S. |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |last3=Dawsey |first3=Josh |last4=Leonnig |first4=Carol D. |quote=... investigation into Russian meddling ... written by staff members for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and suggests that the FBI may have relied on politically motivated or questionable sources to justify its request for a secret surveillance warrant in the investigation's early phase.}}</ref>
Nunes was the chairman of the committee at the time and was a supporter of FISA surveillance extension.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 2, 2018 |title=Nunes Statement on Passage of FISA 702 Bill |url=https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=848 |date=January 11, 2018 |website=U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/01/devin-nunes-fbi-memo-controversy |title=Who is Devin Nunes and why is he sowing confusion in the Russia inquiry? |last=Yuhas |first=Alan |date=February 1, 2018 |website=the Guardian |language=en|access-date=February 2, 2018 |quote=he has strongly supported government surveillance powers since he was elected in 2002 to Congress}}</ref> Former Trump campaign CEO and chief strategist Steve Bannon has described Nunes as Trump's second-strongest ally in Congress.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/magazine/how-devin-nunes-turned-the-house-intelligence-committee-inside-out.html|title=How Devin Nunes Turned the House Intelligence Committee Inside Out|author1-link=Jason Zengerle|first=Jason|last=Zengerle|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=May 6, 2018}}</ref> In April 2017, Nunes stepped aside from chairing the House Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee conducted an inquiry into whether Nunes had violated applicable ethics rules with respect to his apparent secret coordination with White House officials.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://politi.co/2BfixmS|title=Nunes steps aside from Russia probe|first1=John|last1=Bresnahan|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|website=POLITICO|date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref> The Ethics Committee investigation ended in December 2017, after following consultation with experts, it determined that the information Rep. Devin Nunes shared was not classified.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://politi.co/2BTSAXh|title=Ethics Committee clears Rep. Devin Nunes|first=Elana|last=Schor|website=POLITICO|date=December 7, 2017 }}</ref>
Republican legislators who favored public release of the memo argued that the memo presents evidence that a group of politically biased FBI employees abused the FISA warrant process for the purpose of undermining the Donald Trump presidency.<ref name="realaim">{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |date=January 30, 2018 |title=The Real Aim of the Nunes Memo Is the Mueller Investigation |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/us/politics/secret-memo-mueller-russia-investigation.html}}</ref> These congressmen alleged that there was excessive and improper dependence on the Steele dossier, which was funded in part by the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee, when the Justice Department applied to the FISA court to conduct electronic surveillance on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.<ref name=EmmonsAaronson/><ref name=Chang /> Political allies of Donald Trump attempted to use the memo to pivot attention away from the Special Counsel investigation of the Trump presidential campaign's role in Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.<ref name=realaim /> Prior to release of the memo, news media reported that Trump told his associates that release of the memo would discredit the investigation.<ref name="Liptak">{{cite web |last1=Liptak |first1=Kevin |last2=Collins |first2=Kaitlan |date=February 1, 2018 |title=Trump sees Nunes memo as a way to discredit the Russia investigation |url=http://www.kitv.com/story/37403522/trump-sees-nunes-memo-as-a-way-to-discredit-the-russia-investigation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202012804/http://www.kitv.com/story/37403522/trump-sees-nunes-memo-as-a-way-to-discredit-the-russia-investigation |archive-date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 1, 2018 |publisher=KITV}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump moves toward releasing memo he hopes will undermine Russia probe |first1=Kevin |last1=Liptak |first2=Kaitlan |last2=Collins |first3=Sara |last3=Murray |first4=Dan |last4=Merica |work=CNN |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/nunes-memo-donald-trump/index.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump telling people Nunes memo will discredit Mueller probe: report |first1=Max |last1=Greenwood |work=The Hill |date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/371791-trump-telling-people-nunes-memo-will-discredit-mueller-probe-report/}}</ref>
A social media campaign, under the hashtag #ReleaseTheMemo, emerged in mid-January 2018 to publicly release the memo despite some of its classified contents. The Alliance for Securing Democracy's Hamilton 68 project reported that Russian-linked bots on Twitter helped spread the hashtag.<ref name="businessinsider">{{Cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/release-the-memo-campaign-russia-linked-twitter-accounts-2018-1 |title=Russia-linked Twitter accounts are working overtime to help Devin Nunes and WikiLeaks |work=Business Insider|access-date=January 25, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="newsweek">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/release-memo-russian-bots-campaign-democrats-789317 |title=Russian Bots Might Be Behind Controversial #ReleaseTheMemo Campaign, Democrats Say |author=Ryan Sit |date=January 24, 2018 |website=Newsweek|access-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Dilanian">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/right-wing-demand-releasethememo-endorsed-russian-bots-trolls-n839141 |title=Right-wing demand to #ReleaseTheMemo endorsed by Russian bots, trolls|access-date=January 26, 2018 |publisher=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Twitter stated it found no significant Russian activity connected to the hashtag.<ref name=Dwoskin/> Trump approved release of the Republican document over the objections of the FBI and the U.S. Intelligence Community.<ref name="Leonnig">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-expected-to-approve-release-of-memo-following-redactions-requested-by-intelligence-officials/2018/02/01/a55210e6-0757-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html |title=Trump to approve release of GOP memo Friday over objections from law enforcement, intelligence community |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh}}</ref> The FBI issued a rare statement expressing "grave concerns" about factual omissions and the accuracy of the memo.<ref name="Leonnig" /><ref name="Lucas">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/01/31/582148612/fbi-warns-of-grave-concerns-about-accuracy-of-gop-snooping-memo |title=FBI Warns Of 'Grave Concerns' About 'Accuracy' Of GOP Snooping Memo |publisher=NPR |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last1=Lucas |first1=Ryan |last2=Neuman |first2=Scott}}</ref>
Inspector General Horowitz's December 2019 report identified 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the FBI's FISA applications, though it found no evidence that political bias motivated the investigation's opening.<ref name="WaPo_IG_report">{{cite news |last=Zapotosky |first=Matt |title=IG report: Bias didn't taint FBI leaders running Trump-Russia probe, but inspector general finds other problems |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/inspector-general-report-trump-russia-investigation/2019/12/09/d5940d88-184c-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 9, 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' characterized the IG report as having "confirmed" the memo's "allegations of abuse," while ''Lawfare'' assessed that the memo "turns out to have been correct on important points" regarding FISA errors, though its claim that the investigation was politically motivated was not substantiated.<ref name="Lawfare_Wittes"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-3.php|title = The press versus the president|work=Columbia Journalism Review}}</ref>
Within Congress, anticipation of the release of the memo sparked controversy, mainly along political lines. House Republicans released the memo on February 2, 2018. Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee prepared a classified 10 page rebuttal of claims in the Nunes memo, which was initially blocked for release. After the Nunes memo was released to the public, the House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to release the Democrats' memo.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Raju |first1=Manu |last2=Herb |first2=Jeremy |title=House Intelligence Committee unanimously votes to release Democratic memo |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/05/politics/democratic-memo-release-house-intelligence/index.html |access-date=February 7, 2018 |work=CNN |date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> On February 9, Trump blocked release of the Democrats' memo, saying the committee should redact classified and sensitive material before releasing it to the public.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/us/politics/trump-blocks-release-of-memo-rebutting-republican-claims.html |title=Trump Blocks Release of Memo Rebutting Republican Claims |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |date=February 9, 2018 |work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2018 |last2=Fandos |first2=Nicholas |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/02/09/584699083/trump-will-not-immediately-release-democratic-memo-suggests-revisions |title=Trump Will Not Immediately Release Democratic Memo, Suggests Revisions |work=NPR.org|access-date=February 11, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> A redacted version of the Democratic memo was ultimately released on February 24.<ref>{{cite news |author=Jeremy Herb |title=Democratic intelligence memo released with redactions |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/24/politics/democratic-memo-house-intelligence-released/index.html |work=CNN.com |date=February 24, 2018 |access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref> {{clear left}}
==Contents== The memo states that a<!-- This was not the first FISA warrant for Page. He was subject to one in 2014. --> FISA warrant on Carter Page was sought and obtained on October 21, 2016, and that there were three subsequent 90-day renewals. The memo notes that FISA submissions are classified information.
The memo "raise[s] concern as to the legitimacy and legality" of the FISA application process relating to Page, and that probable cause was not made in the warrant application. It makes five main points:
First, the memo stated that the Steele dossier "formed an essential part of the Carter Page FISA application"; the DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz later found that the dossier "played a central and essential role" in the decision to seek the surveillance warrant.<ref name="WaPo_IG_spin">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |title=A guide to the misleading spin on the IG report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/11/guide-misleading-spin-ig-report/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 11, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref> The memo asserted that Christopher Steele was paid $160,000 by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.<ref name="6 takeaways" /> The payments were made through intermediaries: Perkins Coie, which represented the DNC and Clinton campaign, paid Fusion GPS $1.02 million in fees and expenses, $168,000 of which Fusion GPS paid to Steele's firm Orbis to produce the dossier.<ref name="Hosenball_11/1/2017">{{cite web |last=Hosenball |first=Mark |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-dossier/ex-british-spy-paid-168000-for-trump-dossier-u-s-firm-discloses-idUSKBN1D15XH |title=Ex-British spy paid $168,000 for Trump dossier, U.S. firm discloses |date=November 1, 2017 |website=Reuters |access-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref> In 2022, the Federal Election Commission fined the Clinton campaign $8,000 and the DNC $105,000 for misreporting these payments as "legal services" rather than opposition research.<ref name="AP_FEC_2022">{{cite news |title=DNC, Clinton campaign agree to Steele dossier funding fine |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-investigation-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-michael-sussmann-christopher-steele-304f0c34a7244c97ae48a81bb2e9b2eb |work=Associated Press |date=March 30, 2022 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
The memo also alleged that information about the payment was not disclosed in the initial October 2016 FISA application or subsequent renewals.<ref name="6 takeaways">{{cite news |last=Morrow |first=Adrian |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-politics/trump-memo-explainer/article37833630/ |title=6 takeaways from the newly released Trump-Russia memo |date=February 2, 2018 |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> However, the FBI's application for a FISA warrant did describe, in a footnote, the origins and political background of the funders of the dossier,<ref name="WaPo political influence">{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-dept-told-court-of-sources-political-bias-in-request-to-wiretap-ex-trump-campaign-aide-officials-say/2018/02/02/caecfa86-0852-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html |title=Justice Dept. told court of source's political influence in request to wiretap ex-Trump campaign aide, officials say |date=February 2, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref> a fact conceded by Nunes and other Republican leaders on February 5, after the memo's release.<ref name="footnotePolitico">{{cite news |last1=Cheney |first1=Kyle |title=Republicans concede key FBI 'footnote' in Carter Page warrant |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/05/fbi-footnote-carter-page-warrant-390795 |work=Politico |date=February 5, 2018}}</ref>
Second, the memo alleges that the FISA application relied "extensively" on a ''Yahoo! News'' report from September 2016 by Michael Isikoff, which referenced Page's July 2016 trip to Moscow and used information from Steele.<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/yahoo-news-michael-isikoff-describes-crucial-meeting-cited-nunes-memo-231005733.html |title=Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff describes crucial meeting cited in Nunes memo |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> It asserts that the article was "derived from information leaked by Steele himself to Yahoo News". Isikoff responded that the information he received from Steele was information the FBI already had.<ref name=yahoo/> The Inspector General later found that the FBI told the FISA court it "did not believe" Steele was the source for the Yahoo article, based on the FBI's assurance that Steele was "a professional" who would not leak; however, Steele had in fact briefed Yahoo News at Fusion GPS's direction.<ref name="OIG_FISA_2019">{{cite report |title=Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation |url=https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General |date=December 2019 |pages=145–146 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Lawfare_Kris_IG">{{cite web |last=Kris |first=David |title=Further Thoughts on the Crossfire Hurricane Report |url=https://www.lawfareblog.com/further-thoughts-crossfire-hurricane-report |website=Lawfare |date=December 13, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
Third, the memo accuses Steele of being biased against the candidacy of Donald Trump, stating he was "desperate" and "passionate" that Trump would lose. It goes on to say Bruce Ohr knew about this bias and that it was not reflected in the FISA applications.<ref name="6 takeaways"/><ref name="qz.com">{{cite web |last=de Haldevang |first=Max |url=https://qz.com/1196883/a-summary-of-the-gop-memos-claims-about-fbi-wrongdoing/ |title=Here's what the GOP memo claims about FBI wrongdoing |work=Quartz |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> Ohr was not assigned to counterintelligence matters and was not thought to have played a direct role in obtaining the warrants.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/why-the-nunes-memo-takes-aim-at-a-justice-department-official-specializing-in-gangs-and-drugs/2018/02/02/82e836e8-0847-11e8-94e8-e8b8600ade23_story.html |title=Why the Nunes memo takes aim at a Justice Dept. official specializing in gangs and drugs |first1=Matt |last1=Zapotosky |first2=Beth |last2=Reinhard |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The Inspector General later found that Ohr met with the Crossfire Hurricane team 13 times, passing information from Steele after the FBI had terminated Steele as a source, and referred Ohr's conduct to the Department's Office of Professional Responsibility.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5747565/ig-report-fbi-disturb-republicans-democrats/ |title=The IG's FBI Report Should Disturb Republicans and Democrats |first=David |last=French |date=December 10, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2025 |magazine=Time}}</ref>
Fourth, the memo quotes Bill Priestap saying that the corroboration efforts of the Steele dossier were in their "infancy" in October 2016 during the FISA application. The memo further alleges that Andrew McCabe testified that "no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) without the Steele dossier information".<ref name="Day AP">{{cite news |last1=Day |first1=Chad |title=What the GOP Memo Says (And Doesn't Say) |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-02-03/what-the-gop-memo-says-and-doesnt-say |access-date=February 4, 2018 |work=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press |date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> Representative Eric Swalwell alleged the memo "misquoted" McCabe's testimony, which was given in private.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/02/02/rep_swalwell_nunes_memo_misquotes_mccabes_statement_about_steele_dossierfisa_warrant.html |title=Rep. Swalwell: Nunes Memo Misquotes McCabe's Statement About Steele Dossier/FISA Warrant |work=RealClearPolitics |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> The IG later concluded that the Steele dossier played "a central and essential role" in the FBI's decision to seek the FISA order.<ref name="WaPo_IG_2019">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |title=A guide to the misleading spin on the IG report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/11/guide-misleading-spin-ig-report/ |work=The Washington Post |date=December 11, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
The memo also confirms that the trigger that started the FBI investigation into potential collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russians was not the Steele dossier, but rather the comments made by Trump adviser George Papadopoulos, who told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that the Russians possessed "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked emails.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-gop-memo-papadopoulos-20180202-story.html |title=Sentence on Papadopoulos in GOP memo may undercut efforts to discredit Russia probe |first1=Karen |last1=Tumulty |first2=Rosalind S. |last2=Helderman |website=Chicago Tribune |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 11, 2018}}</ref> That confirmation contradicts earlier claims by some that the investigation had been triggered by the Steele dossier.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cassidy |first1=John |title=The Nunes Memo Undermines the Right's Trump-Russia Conspiracy Theory |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-nunes-memo-undermines-the-rights-trump-russia-conspiracy-theory |magazine=The New Yorker |date=February 2, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sheth |first1=Sonam |title=We now know the tipping point that prompted the FBI to launch its Trump-Russia investigation |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-opened-russia-probe-after-papadopoulos-told-australian-diplomat-of-clinton-dirt-2017-12 |access-date=March 3, 2018 |work=Business Insider |date=December 30, 2017}}</ref> The memo notes that Papadopoulos is mentioned in the Page FISA application, and says "there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos". It also says the FBI's Russia investigation was opened nearly three months before the FISA surveillance application<ref name="6 takeaways"/> in late July 2016 by Peter Strzok, who is accused of having "a clear bias against Trump and in favor of Clinton".<ref name="6 takeaways"/><ref name="Day AP"/>
The memo also shows that the FISA warrant on Page was renewed three times. In each instance, the FBI had to show the signing judge that the warrant had merit.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Palma |first1=Bethania |title=Nunes Memo Drops and Flops |url=https://www.snopes.com/2018/02/02/nunes-memo-drops-flops/ |website=Snopes |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Shipler>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/the-nunes-memo-shows-real-problems-with-the-fbi-but-not-the-ones-the-gop-thinks/ |title=The Nunes Memo Shows Real Problems With the FBI, but Not the Ones the GOP Thinks |magazine=The Nation |date=February 5, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |last=Shipler |first=David |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114104020/https://www.thenation.com/article/the-nunes-memo-shows-real-problems-with-the-fbi-but-not-the-ones-the-gop-thinks/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/nunes-memo-impact/552368/ |title=How the Nunes Memo Harms Intelligence Oversight |date=February 6, 2018 |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Megerian>{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-congress-russia-memo-20180205-story.html |title=You thought the memo drama was over? It's just heating up |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 5, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |last=Megerian |first=Chris}}</ref> News accounts in 2017 indicated that because of the nature of his ties to Russia, Page had been under FBI scrutiny and had already been the subject of a FISA warrant in 2014, at least two years before the Trump campaign.<ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Ariella |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Former Trump adviser Carter Page under FISA warrant since 2014: Report |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/former-trump-adviser-carter-page-under-fisa-warrant-since-2014-report/article/2630576 |work=The Washington Examiner |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Evan |last2=Brown |first2=Pamela |last3=Prokupecz |first3=Shimon |date=August 4, 2017 |title=One year into the FBI's Russia investigation, Mueller is on the Trump money trail |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/politics/mueller-investigation-russia-trump-one-year-financial-ties/index.html?CNNPolitics=Tw |work=CNN.com |location=Atlanta, GA}}</ref>
Finally, the memo asserts that former FBI Director James Comey testified to Congress that the Steele dossier was "salacious and unverified". However, Comey's prepared remarks show that he was referring specifically to "some personally sensitive aspects" of the dossier, not the entire dossier.<ref>{{cite news |title=READ: James Comey's prepared testimony |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/07/politics/james-comey-memos-testimony/index.html |access-date=February 28, 2018 |work=CNN |date=June 8, 2017}}</ref>
==Background==
The memo was produced by a small group of House Republicans and staff, led by Devin Nunes, as part of an investigation into how the FBI used the Steele dossier.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/20/house-republicans-quietly-investigate-doj-fbi-310121 |title=House Republicans quietly investigate perceived corruption at DOJ, FBI |work=Politico |date=December 20, 2017}}</ref> Democratic committee members were not informed about the investigation into the FBI or the preparation of the memo. Democrats alleged this violated committee Rule 9(a), which requires investigations be conducted "only if approved by the chair in consultation with the ranking minority member";<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wittes |first1=Benjamin |last2=Hennessey |first2=Susan |title=It Was Worse than You Think: The House Intelligence Meeting on the Nunes Memo |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/it-was-worse-you-think-house-intelligence-meeting-nunes-memo |website=Lawfare |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> Nunes's spokesman stated the process was "absolutely procedurally sound and in accordance with House and committee rules".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Herb |first1=Jeremy |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |title=Schiff accuses Nunes of altering memo before sending to White House |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/house-intelligence-transcript/ |publisher=CNN |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>
Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said "The chairman never bothered to go read these underlying materials. After months and months of making this argument that the FBI and DOJ are involved in some sort of conspiracy, he didn't even bother to read the materials himself."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sit |first=Ryan |title=Nunes 'Cherry-picked' Details for the Secret Memo Without Reading the Source Material |url=https://www.newsweek.com/devin-nunes-adam-schiff-secret-memo-release-memo-794957 |magazine=Newsweek |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> Nunes admitted he did not read the applications for surveillance warrants, explaining that under a DOJ agreement limiting review to one member, he delegated it to Rep. Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, who shared his notes with the committee.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zarracina |first=Javier |title=Nunes: I did not read material summarized in the memo |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/372119-nunes-admits-he-did-not-view-the-surveillance-warrant-applications-that-form/ |newspaper=The Hill |date=February 3, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>
Nunes had previously recused himself from the committee's investigation into Russia's interference in U.S. elections<ref name="newsweek.com">{{cite web |author=Ryan Sit |url=http://www.newsweek.com/devin-nunes-adam-schiff-secret-memo-release-memo-794957 |title=Nunes "cherry-picked" details for the secret memo without even reading the source material: Top Democrat |date=January 30, 2018 |newspaper=Newsweek |access-date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> due to a House ethics investigation into Nunes' coordination with the Trump administration. The House Ethics Committee stated that "Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct" (the Ethics Committee stated the investigation ended after classification experts in the intelligence community determined the information Nunes disclosed was not classified;<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://ethics.house.gov/press-releases/statement-chairwoman-and-ranking-member-committee-ethics-regarding-representative-6/ |title=Statement of the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative Devin Nunes |publisher=House Committee on Ethics |date=December 7, 2017 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> three anonymous sources told ''The Atlantic'' the panel was unable to review the relevant classified information)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-intelligence-chairman-devin-nunes-recuses-himself-from-russia-probe/2017/04/06/8122b5bc-1ad2-11e7-855e-4824bbb5d748_story.html |title=House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes recuses himself from Russia probe |first=Karoun |last=Demirjian |date=April 6, 2017 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweek.com/speedreads/751784/report-ethics-investigation-into-nunes-ended-because-panel-couldnt-gain-access-classified-info |title=Report: Ethics investigation into Nunes ended because panel couldn't gain access to classified info |date=January 29, 2018 |work=The Week}}</ref> However, after offering to step aside from the investigation into Russian interference, Nunes began what Fusion GPS characterized as a "parallel" investigation.<ref name="CNN-parallel">{{cite news |last1=Herb |first1=Jeremy |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |last3=Perez |first3=Evan |title=Fusion GPS: House panel subpoenas 'clear abuse of power' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/16/politics/fusion-gps-house-intelligence-committee-response/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=October 17, 2017 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> Democrats alleged its purpose was to undermine the Russia investigation; Republicans said the goal was to investigate what they characterized as "FISA abuse" by the FBI and DOJ.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Jordan |last2=Mitchell |first2=Ellen |title=GOP reps demand release of 'shocking' surveillance memo |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/369721-gop-reps-demand-release-of-shocking-surveillance-memo/ |newspaper=The Hill |date=January 19, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>
Since January 18, 2018, a growing number of Republicans began calling for the release of the memo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Sam |title=What Is the Nunes Memo? Controversial Intelligence Document About Trump Campaign Surveillance Spawns #Releasethemem |url=http://www.newsweek.com/nunes-memo-donald-trump-intelligence-release-793571 |issue=January 29, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Hill119">{{Cite news |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/369721-gop-reps-demand-release-of-shocking-surveillance-memo/ |title=GOP reps demand release of 'shocking' surveillance memo |work=The Hill |date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>
Adam Schiff released a statement and a letter to Nunes on January 31, 2018, stating that Nunes had "made material changes to the memo he sent to White House – changes not approved by the Committee" and that the White House was "reviewing a document the Committee has not approved for release".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/schiff-accuses-nunes-of-altering-memo-before-sharing-it-with-trump-for-release/2018/01/31/251423c8-06fe-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html |title=Schiff accuses Nunes of altering memo before sharing it with Trump for release |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=January 31, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=February 1, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In response Peter King, who also sits on the Intelligence Committee, stated, "My understanding is this was agreed on beforehand among Republicans. There's one small part in the memo which in no way affects the substance in the memo." He said it involved removing only "three or four words" and came at the request of the FBI.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenwood |first1=Max |title=Pete King: Nunes changed 'one small part' of memo, did not affect its substance |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/371775-peter-king-nunes-changed-one-small-part-of-memo-but-did-not-affect-its/ |access-date=February 2, 2018 |work=The Hill |date=January 2, 2018}}</ref>
===Social media influence===
A social media campaign under the hashtag "#ReleaseTheMemo" emerged on January 19, 2018,<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 2, 2018 |title=Trending Topics del viernes 19 de enero en Worldwide |url=http://www.trendinalia.com/twitter-trending-topics/globales/globales-180119.html |website=www.trendinalia.com |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812035210/http://www.trendinalia.com/twitter-trending-topics/globales/globales-180119.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> to publicly release the memo despite some of its classified contents.
According to the ''Hamilton 68'' project run by the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) which tracks Russian propaganda efforts on Twitter, the hashtag was promoted by Russian Twitter bot accounts, with a 230,000 percent spike in the promotion of the hashtag by these accounts.<ref name=newsweek/><ref name=businessinsider/><ref name=Dilanian/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-03 |title=Release the Memo: What’s the Conspiracy Behind the Right-Wing Meme? – Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/release-the-memo-whats-the-conspiracy-behind-the-right-wing-meme-120321/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703090528/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/release-the-memo-whats-the-conspiracy-behind-the-right-wing-meme-120321/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-07-03 |access-date=2025-04-30 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-21 |title=Hamilton 68: Tracking Putin's Propaganda Push... To America |url=http://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121005757/http://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-01-21 |access-date=2025-04-30 }}</ref> Clint Watts, one of the founding researchers of ASD, said the social media campaign started trending after Julian Assange advocated for the memo's release, which was then repeated by Russian influence networks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elder |first1=Miriam |last2=Warzel |first2=Charlie |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/miriamelder/stop-blaming-russian-bots-for-everything |title=Stop Blaming Russian Bots For Everything |work=BuzzFeed News |access-date=April 24, 2018 |date=February 28, 2018 |quote='When Julian Assange says something, Russian influence networks always repeat it,' Watts said. 'So he weighed in on the Nunes memo; that's what made it trend.'}}</ref> Twitter stated that a "preliminary analysis of available geographical data for tweets with the hashtag #ReleaseTheMemo ... has not identified any significant activity connected to Russia with respect to tweets posting original content to this hashtag."<ref name=Dwoskin>{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Timberg |first2=Craig |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/31/lawmakers-press-social-media-companies-again-on-the-forces-behind-the-releasethememo-campaign/ |title=Lawmakers press social media companies — again — on the forces behind the #ReleaseTheMemo campaign |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Gadde>{{cite web |url=https://democrats-intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/twitter_response_jan_26.pdf |title=Letter to Adam Schiff and Dianne Feinstein |publisher=Twitter |date=January 26, 2018 |access-date=February 3, 2018 |first=Vijaya |last=Gadde}}</ref>
===Historical background=== {{Wikisource|HPSCI Meeting Transcript (January 29, 2018)}} Carter Page originally came to the attention of the FBI counterintelligence unit in 2013, prior to his becoming a Trump campaign adviser, when the unit learned that Russian spies were trying to use Page as a source of information and to recruit him as an agent; this resulted in Page being interviewed by the FBI in June 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/us/politics/carter-page-trump-russia.html |title=Russian Spies Tried to Recruit Carter Page Before He Advised Trump |first=Adam |last=Goldman |date=April 4, 2017 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref name=Nakashima>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html |title=FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page |first1=Ellen |last1=Nakashima |first2=Devlin |last2=Barrett |first3=Adam |last3=Entous |date=April 11, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=Tom |title=Who is Carter Page, the Trump ex-adviser at the center of the memo furore? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/02/who-is-carter-page-trump-ex-adviser-memo-furore-russia-fbi |work=The Guardian |date=February 3, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> Page claimed that the information he provided to the Russians was innocuous.<ref name=Nakashima /> News reports in August 2017, citing anonymous officials, indicated Page had been under FISA surveillance since 2014 related to his contacts with Russian intelligence officers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/politics/mueller-investigation-russia-trump-one-year-financial-ties/index.html|title=One year into the FBI's Russia investigation, Mueller is on the Trump money trail|author1=Evan Perez |author2=Pamela Brown |author3=Shimon Prokupecz|date=August 3, 2017|publisher=CNN|access-date=April 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Ariella |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Former Trump adviser Carter Page under FISA warrant since 2014: Report |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2216241/former-trump-adviser-carter-page-under-fisa-warrant-since-2014-report/ |work=Washington Examiner |location=Washington, DC}}</ref> In March 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump listed the little-known Page as one of his foreign policy advisers.
Fusion GPS, the firm that later produced the Steele dossier, began research into Trump in October 2015 with funding from Paul Singer's conservative news outlet ''The Washington Free Beacon'' as part of the Never Trump movement. The outlet stopped funding this research in May 2016 when Trump became the presumptive nominee.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Jenna |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/04/the-night-donald-trump-became-the-presumptive-nominee/ |title=The night Donald Trump became the presumptive nominee |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 4, 2016 |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506064215/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/04/the-night-donald-trump-became-the-presumptive-nominee/}}</ref> Attorney Marc Elias then hired Fusion GPS on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign; Fusion GPS subsequently retained Christopher Steele, who produced the dossier.<ref name=WashPo25oct17>{{cite news |last1=Entous |first1=Adam |last2=Barrett |first2=Devlin |last3=Helderman |first3=Rosalind S. |title=Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html |access-date=October 25, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 25, 2017 |page=A1 |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026011816/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html }}</ref> The Free Beacon stated that "none of the work product that the Free Beacon received appears in the Steele dossier."<ref>{{cite web |last=Robertson |first=Lori |title=Q&A on the Nunes Memo |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2018/02/qa-nunes-memo/ |website=FactCheck.org |date=February 7, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>
In a May 2016 meeting in London, Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos told the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Alexander Downer, that the Russians possessed "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked emails.<ref name="auto"/> Two months later, Australian officials passed this information to American officials. This began the inquiry into Trump's relationship to Russia.<ref name=nyt-20171230>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html |title=How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt |work=The New York Times |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |date=December 30, 2017 |access-date=December 30, 2017}}</ref>
In July 2016, Page traveled to Moscow for five days, delivering a public speech in which he criticized US policy as too antagonistic toward the Kremlin.<ref name="Prokop_2/2/2018">{{cite web |last=Prokop |first=Andrew |title=Carter Page, the star of the Nunes memo, explained |website=Vox |date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/2/16956014/nunes-memo-carter-page | access-date=April 13, 2018}}</ref> Page had received permission from the Trump campaign to make the trip.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/07/campaign-granted-page-permission-moscow-trip/98874648/ |title=Trump campaign gave Page permission for Moscow trip |work=USA TODAY|access-date=May 29, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> On July 8, Page emailed Trump campaign officials about his presentation at the New Economic School in Moscow and described meeting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. He said Dvorkovich "expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together toward devising better solutions in response to the vast range of current international problems".<ref>{{cite news |title=Russian officials and allies repeatedly signaled support for Trump to his campaign team |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/11/07/russian-officials-and-allies-repeatedly-signaled-support-for-trump-to-his-campaign-team/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 7, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2018 |last=Bump |first=Philip}}</ref> Page was later forced, under oath, to reveal he had met Dvorkovich during the visit.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/carter-page-russia-testimony_us_5a01159be4b066c2c039cb79 |title=In New Testimony, Carter Page Forced To Reveal Meetings With Russian Officials |work=Huffington Post |date=November 11, 2017}}</ref>
The dossier alleged Page met Rosneft chairman Igor Sechin, and discussed the possible lifting of sanctions against Russia. In his congressional testimony, Page denied meeting with the Russians named in the dossier. He said he met Sechin's associate Andrey Baranov, but said "nothing that this gentleman said to me ever implied or asked for anything related to sanctions. Again, there may have been some general reference{{nbsp}}... but no kind of negotiations in any format".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Lori |title=Q&A on the Nunes Memo |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2018/02/qa-nunes-memo/ |work=FactCheck.org |date=July 25, 2018<!-- originally published on February 7, 2018 -->}}</ref>
In September, after reports surfaced about Page's July trip to Russia, the Trump campaign said Page was not part of the campaign and never had been.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/297599-trump-campaign-backs-away-from-adviser-suspected-of-ties-to-kremlin/ |title=Trump camp backs away from adviser suspected of Kremlin ties |first=Harper |last=Neidig |date=September 24, 2016 |access-date=April 13, 2018}}</ref> Page then said he was taking a leave of absence.
A month later, in October 2016, and after Page left the campaign, the FBI sought a FISA warrant to investigate his connections to Russia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Prokop |first1=Andrew |title=Carter Page, the star of the Nunes memo, explained |date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/2/16956014/nunes-memo-carter-page |publisher=Vox |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> The warrant was granted by a FISA court judge and has since been renewed thrice, with each 90-day extension requiring new evidence "pertinent to intelligence-related collection" in order to back up the original application and to show that the warrant continues to be productive.<ref name=LaFraniere>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/us/politics/release-the-memo-vote-house-intelligence-republicans.html |title=House Republicans Vote to Release Secret Memo on Russia Inquiry |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |date=February 1, 2018 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref name=Lucas /><ref name=EmmonsAaronson>{{cite web |last1=Emmons |first1=Alex |last2=Aaronson |first2=Trevor |title=Nunes memo accidentally confirms the legitimacy of the FBI's investigation |date=February 2, 2018 |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/02/02/nunes-memo-fisa-trump-russia/ |publisher=The Intercept |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
Shortly after the release of the memo, ''Time'' magazine reported that in 2013, Carter Page bragged about being an "informal adviser to the Kremlin" in a letter to the editor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://time.com/5132126/carter-page-russia-2013-letter/ |title=Carter Page Touted Kremlin Contacts in 2013 Letter |publisher=Time |date=February 4, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref> Page was asked about this on February 6, 2018, on ABC's ''Good Morning America'', where he described it as participation in "an informal group" that met in locations including the New York Stock Exchange.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/06/politics/carter-page-trump-good-morning-america/index.html |title=Page struggles to explain how he could advise both Kremlin and Trump team |first=Maegan |last=Vazquez |date=February 6, 2018 |publisher=CNN |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> Page also claimed that he, despite being named foreign policy adviser, had never actually met Trump, contradicting his earlier statements in which he said he had been in a "number of meetings" with Trump and had "learned a tremendous amount from him".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Louis |last2=Griffiths |first2=Brent D. |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/05/carter-page-nunes-memo-393054 |title=Carter Page: I've never communicated with Trump |work=Politico |date=February 5, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref>
===Purpose=== The memo argued that the FBI improperly obtained a FISA warrant on Carter Page by relying heavily on the Steele dossier without adequately disclosing to the FISA court that the dossier was funded by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.<ref name=EmmonsAaronson/><ref name=realaim /> Republicans characterized this as evidence that politically biased FBI employees sought to undermine the Trump presidency.<ref name="Kiely_2/27/2018">{{cite web |last=Kiely |first=Eugene |title=Trump's Spin on Democratic Memo |website=FactCheck.org |date=February 27, 2018 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2018/02/trumps-spin-democratic-memo/ | access-date=March 3, 2018}}</ref>
==Responses== ===U.S. intelligence community=== {{quote box | quote = As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy. | author = The FBI's statement on the Nunes memo | source = CNBC<ref>{{cite web |last1=Javers |first1=Eamon |last2=Breuninger |first2=Kevin |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/31/fbi-says-it-has-grave-concerns-about-accuracy-of-house-fisa-memo.html |title=FBI says it has 'grave concerns' about accuracy of hotly debated FISA memo |date=January 31, 2018 |publisher=CNBC |access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref> | align = left | width = 30% | quoted = 1 }}
Shortly after becoming a trending topic, the memo drew polarizing reactions from government officials and the media, and generally along party lines for lawmakers.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-memo/justice-department-warned-white-house-about-releasing-memo-washington-post-idUSKBN1FK0AJ |title=Justice Dept warned White House about releasing memo – Washington Post |work=Reuters |date=January 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-19/gop-conservatives-brought-russia-probe-demand-to-shutdown-talks |title=Conservatives Brought Russia Probe Demand to Shutdown Talks |date=January 19, 2018 |work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=January 31, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The Justice Department (DOJ) released a letter to Congress calling a release of the memo without review "reckless" because it could expose intelligence sources and methods.<ref name="Trump sought release">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-sought-release-of-classified-russia-memo-putting-him-at-odds-with-justice-department/2018/01/27/a00f2a4c-02bb-11e8-9d31-d72cf78dbeee_story.html |title=Trump sought release of classified Russia memo, putting him at odds with Justice Department |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |date=January 27, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=January 29, 2018 |last2=Helderman |first2=Rosalind S. |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |last3=Dawsey |first3=Josh |last4=Leonnig |first4=Carol D.}}</ref> FBI Director Christopher Wray was allowed to read the memo and did so on January 28. On January 29, the majority of the House Intelligence Committee disregarded the DOJ's warnings and voted to approve the memo's release.<ref name="WaPo2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/republicans-vote-to-release-memo-alleging-fbi-missteps-while-surveilling-trump-campaign-operative/2018/01/29/750fb150-0535-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html |title=Republicans vote to release memo alleging FBI missteps while surveilling Trump campaign operative |last1=Demirjian |first1=Karoun |date=January 29, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=January 29, 2018 |last2=Barrett |first2=Devlin |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In response, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee drafted a ten-page rebuttal memo on January 24. Both memos were released to the full House.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nerb |first1=Jeremy |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |title=Democrats' rebuttal memo criticizes Nunes as part of response |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/30/politics/democrats-rebuttal-nunes-memo-criticism/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> The Republicans voted against making public the competing memo Democrats had crafted, and rejected a proposal to give the Justice Department and FBI more time to vet the document. The President then had up to five days to review it before it could be officially released.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Kyle Cheney |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/29/trey-gowdy-devin-nunes-fbi-classified-memo-374688 |title=House panel votes to release secret memo |work=Politico |date=January 29, 2018}}</ref>
Republicans sought a committee vote that would request the release through the President, which would keep the memo confined to committee members until the President responded.<ref name="cnn1" /> The memo could be made public by a vote in the House of Representatives if the President did not act or denied the request, but no vote was scheduled for the full House.<ref name="vice">{{cite web |last=Liautaud |first=Alexa |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/these-two-deep-state-conspiracy-theories-are-driving-republicans-nuts-today/ |title=These two deep-state conspiracy theories are driving Republicans nuts today |publisher=Vice News |date=January 25, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2018}}</ref>
Nunes and the House Intelligence Committee denied access to the memo by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the FBI, which expressed a desire to investigate any alleged wrongdoing.<ref name="cnn1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/24/politics/richard-burr-devin-nunes-fisa-memo/index.html |title=Senate panel denied access to Nunes FISA memo |author1=Jeremy Herb |author2=Manu Raju |publisher=CNN|access-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref> The Department of Justice sent a letter to Nunes and called the release of the memo "extraordinarily reckless".<ref name="Jarrett">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/24/politics/nunes-memo-fbi/index.html |title=Justice Dept.: 'Reckless' to release Nunes memo without review |last=Jarrett |first=Laura |publisher=CNN |date=January 24, 2018}}</ref> Nunes' panel refused to allow the FBI and the Justice Department to view the memo despite their requests.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/370984-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-house-intel-memo/ |title=The classified Intel memo: What you need to know |first=Olivia |last=Beavers |date=January 26, 2018 |work=The Hill |access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref>
Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement saying it was "[r]ife with factual inaccuracies" and was "meant only to give Republican House members a distorted view of the FBI".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-call-for-release-of-memo-on-surveillance-abuses/ |title=Republicans call for release of memo on alleged surveillance abuses |publisher=CBS News |date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> Schiff also said the memo omits key information on evidence other than Steele's dossier, used in the application for the FISA warrant.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/us/politics/fisa-surveillance-applications-how-they-work.html |title=How to Get a Wiretap to Spy on Americans, and Why That Matters Now |first=Charlie |last=Savage |date=February 1, 2018 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref>
On July 21, 2018, the Justice Department released a heavily redacted version of the October 2016 FISA warrant application for Carter Page, which stated in part "The FBI believes that Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government" and "the FBI believes that the Russian government's efforts are being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with Candidate #1's campaign."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/21/us/politics/carter-page-fisa.html |title=Justice Dept. Releases Secret Carter Page Surveillance Documents at Center of Partisan Clash|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 21, 2018|access-date=July 21, 2018|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie}}</ref>
On December 9, 2019, Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz released a report that did not find evidence of political bias during the investigation of Trump and Russia. However, in a Senate hearing, Horowitz stated he could not rule out political bias as a possible motivation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-watchdog-tell-senate-he-has-deep-concerns-about-fbi-n1099636|title = Watchdog tells Senate of deep concerns over FBI errors in Russia probe|website = NBC News| date=December 11, 2019 }}</ref>
Nor did the report find any evidence that the FBI attempted to place people inside the Trump campaign or report on the Trump campaign; but it did find numerous errors and omissions.<ref name=reutersdec9>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/no-political-bias-but-fbi-made-mistakes-in-probe-of-trump-2016-campaign-watchdog-idUSKBN1YD11L|title=Mistakes, but no political bias in FBI probe of Trump campaign: watchdog|first1=Sarah N.|last1=Lynch|first2=Andy|last2=Sullivan|first3=Mark|last3=Hosenball|publisher=Reuters|date=December 9, 2019|access-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name=horowitz1>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/read-full-text-doj-ig-michael-horowitz-s-report-origins-n1098431|title = Read the full text: Justice Department watchdog report into origins of Russia probe|website = NBC News| date=December 9, 2019 }}</ref><ref name=horowitz2>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/inspector-general-report-trump-russia-investigation/2019/12/09/d5940d88-184c-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html| title = IG report: Bias didn't taint FBI leaders running Trump-Russia probe, but inspector general finds other problems - The Washington Post| newspaper = The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name=horowitz3>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/09/fbi-russia-probe-report-released-by-justice-department-watchdog.html|title = Justice Department watchdog finds Trump-Russia probe was not tainted by political bias|website = CNBC|date = December 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name=horowitz4>{{Cite web| title=Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation | url=https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209180239/https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf | archive-date=2019-12-09}}</ref> According to the ''Columbia Journalism Review'', the Inspector General's report "confirmed" the "allegations of abuse by Nunes".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-3.php|title = The press versus the president}}</ref>
===Trump administration=== On January 24, 2018, Trump expressed support for releasing the Nunes memo. He reportedly told close advisers that he believed the memo would reveal the FBI's bias against him, and provide grounds for him to fire Rod Rosenstein.<ref name="Trump sought release" /> White House Counsel Don McGahn wrote that "the memorandum reflects the judgments of its congressional authors" and that the reason for its release was "significant public interest in the memorandum".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=Analysis: The full Nunes memo, annotated |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/02/02/the-full-nunes-memo-annotated/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> After its release, Trump claimed in a tweet that the memo "totally vindicates" him.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cochrane |first1=Emily |title=Trump Says Republican Memo 'Totally Vindicates' Him |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/us/politics/trump-memo-vindicates.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 3, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
===Republicans=== Before the memo was released, House Speaker Paul Ryan warned his fellow Republicans against overplaying the contents of the memo and tying it to the Mueller investigation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Katie Bo |last2=Wong |first2=Scott |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/371397-ryan-urges-lawmakers-dont-overplay-memo/ |title=Ryan urges lawmakers: Don't overplay memo |date=January 30, 2018 |work=The Hill |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> After the memo was released, Ryan said, "The matter of concern outlined in this memo is a specific, legitimate one. Our FISA system is critical to keeping America safe from real and evolving threats. It is a unique system with broad discretion and a real impact on Americans' civil liberties."<ref>{{cite news |last=Weaver |first=Al |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/paul-ryan-nunes-memo-lays-out-a-specific-legitimate-worry-about-surveillance/article/2647957 |title=Paul Ryan: Nunes memo lays out a 'specific, legitimate' worry about surveillance |work=Washington Examiner |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref> Ryan also supported the release of the Democrats' counter-memo.<ref>{{cite web |last=Manchester |first=Julia |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/371974-paul-ryan-supports-release-of-democrats-memo-spox/ |title=Ryan supports release of Democrats' countermemo |date=February 2, 2018 |work=The Hill |access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
Representative Trey Gowdy said the FISA application cited other material besides the dossier, but in his opinion the warrant would not have been authorized without the dossier.
===Democrats=== thumb|Democrats' rebuttal memo Democratic leaders in Congress—House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer—called upon House Speaker Paul Ryan to remove Nunes from the House Intelligence Committee, accusing him of abusing his position as committee chairman and of working in coordination with the White House that the committee is supposed to be investigating.<ref name="NBC 02012018">{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Dartunorro |title=Schumer, Pelosi call for Nunes to be removed as House intelligence chair |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schumer-pelosi-call-nunes-be-removed-house-intelligence-chair-n843706 |access-date=February 4, 2018 |work=NBC News |date=February 1, 2018}}</ref> Pelosi referred to the document as a "bogus" memo which was part of a Republican cover-up campaign; she also said Nunes had disgraced the House committee. Schumer said that the memo aimed to spread "conspiracy theories" and attacked federal law enforcement in order to protect Trump from investigation.<ref name="NBC 02012018" /> Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer also called for Nunes to be removed, saying Nunes' behavior had undermined the American people's trust in his chairmanship of the committee.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Manchester |first1=Julia |title=Hoyer calls on Ryan to remove Nunes after release of memo |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/372052-hoyer-calls-on-ryan-to-remove-nunes-after-release-of-memo/ |access-date=February 4, 2018 |work=The Hill |date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>
Jerry Nadler of New York, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued a six-page analysis rebutting the memo's legal basis and accusing Republican House members of being part of "an organized effort to obstruct" Mueller's investigation. Nadler, who reviewed the classified material used to obtain the FISA warrant, called the memo "deliberately misleading and deeply wrong on the law". He argued the FISA Court had probable cause to believe Page was acting as "an agent of a foreign power".<ref name="Memoli">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/democratic-rebuttal-calls-nunes-memo-deliberately-misleading-n844426 |title=Democratic rebuttal calls Nunes memo 'deliberately misleading' |publisher=CBS News |date=February 3, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018 |last=Memoli |first=Mike}}</ref><ref name="Stracqualursi">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/03/politics/nadler-democratic-rebuttal-nunes-memo/index.html |title=Judiciary Democrat's rebuttal to Nunes memo accuses House GOP of obstructing Russia probe |publisher=CNN |date=February 4, 2018 |access-date=February 4, 2018 |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica}}</ref>
Adam Schiff has stated that the "Nunes memo is designed to ... ["put the government on trial"] by furthering a conspiracy theory that a cabal of senior officials within the FBI and the Justice Department were so tainted by bias against President Donald Trump that they irredeemably poisoned the investigation."<ref name="Schiff_2/1/2018">{{cite web |last=Schiff |first=Adam |title=The Nunes memo crosses a dangerous line |website=Chicago Tribune |date=February 1, 2018 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-devin-nunes-memo-fbi-20180201-story.html | access-date=February 28, 2018}}</ref>
==== Rebuttal memo ==== {{Wikisource|Correcting the Record – The Russia Investigations}}
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee drafted a classified ten-page rebuttal memo on January 24.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-democrats-plan-memo-to-counter-gops-as-calls-to-declassify-files-grow/2018/01/24/3161b48c-0146-11e8-bb03-722769454f82_story.html |title=House Democrats plan memo to counter GOP's, as calls to declassify files grow |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=January 24, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=January 25, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-01-25/russian-bots-are-right-releasethememo |title=Russian Bots Are Right: #Releasethememo |author=Eli Lake |date=January 25, 2018 |website=Bloomberg.com|access-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref> However, when the committee voted along partisan lines to release the Nunes memo, it also voted not to release the Democratic memo.<ref name="WaPo2" /> On February 5 the committee voted unanimously to release the Democrat's minority memo, subject to Trump's approval.<ref name=":0" /> On February 9, Trump declined to release the rebuttal memo, with the White House suggesting sensitive sections be removed before the memo is made public.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> McGahn stated this was because of its "numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-russia-probe-blocks-release-of-democratic-memo/ |title=Trump blocks release of Democratic Russia memo |last=Guardia |first=Arnau Busquets |date=February 10, 2018 |work=Politico |access-date=February 10, 2018}}</ref> After redactions in consultation with the FBI, the Democratic memo, titled ''Correcting the Record -- The Russia Investigation'', was released on February 24.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-24/public-release-of-democratic-rebuttal-memo-could-be-imminent |title=Democrats' Memo Released Countering GOP Account of Russia Probe |last=House |first=Billy |date=February 24, 2018 |work=Bloomberg News |access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Prokop_2/24/2018">{{cite web |last=Prokop |first=Andrew |title=Read: Democrats' response to the Nunes memo was just released |website=Vox |date=February 24, 2018 |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/2/24/17048764/schiff-memo-nunes-read | access-date=February 24, 2018 |quote=Here's the full text of the Schiff memo .. Democrats on the committee led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) accused the memo of being misleading, and put together their own memo in response.}}</ref> This rebuttal memo has also been referred to as the Schiff memo after Adam Schiff.<ref name="Prokop_2/24/2018"/>
===Subsequent government evaluations=== Subsequent government investigations produced mixed assessments of both memos. In December 2019, Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the FISA applications.<ref name="WaPo_IG_report"/> ''Lawfare'' noted that the IG report "validated aspects of the Nunes memo and contradicted Schiff," while the ''Washington Post'' fact-check observed that the Democratic memo had asserted the FBI did not "omit material information," but the IG report found 17 significant errors or omissions.<ref name="Lawfare_Wittes">{{cite web |last1=Spivak |first1=Russell |last2=Wittes |first2=Benjamin |title=About That Presidential Medal of Freedom: Revisiting the Nunes Memo |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/about-presidential-medal-freedom-revisiting-nunes-memo |website=Lawfare |date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2025}}</ref><ref name="WaPo_spin_guide">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |title=A guide to the misleading spin on the IG report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/11/guide-misleading-spin-ig-report/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 11, 2019 |access-date=December 18, 2025}}</ref> However, the IG did not find evidence that political bias motivated the investigation's opening or the decision to seek FISA warrants.<ref name="WaPo_IG_report"/>
''Lawfare'' characterized the overall assessments as "complicated": the Nunes memo "turns out to have been correct on important points" and the IG "sustained many of the specific facts Nunes asserted," but its "animating principle", that the FISA warrant was part of a politically motivated effort by the FBI to spy on Trump, was not substantiated. Conversely, ''Lawfare'' noted that the Schiff memo "turned out to be wrong on a lot of points," but on the central question of whether the warrants were politically motivated, Schiff was "arguing (using a lot of bad facts) for what still turns out to be the truth" that it was not so motivated.<ref name="Lawfare_Wittes"/>
Special Counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation in March 2019 and was not fired; Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein served until May 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mueller submits long-awaited report on Russia investigation to Attorney General Barr |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/22/politics/special-counsel-robert-mueller-report/index.html |work=CNN |date=March 22, 2019}}</ref>
===Criticism=== Revelations about the Nunes memo and its surrounding controversy, including speculation about the potential firing of Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, gave rise to comparisons to the Saturday night massacre, alluding to the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox by President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.<ref name=Eisen>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/31/trumps-saturday-night-massacre-is-happening-right-before-our-eyes-216560/ |title=Trump's Saturday Night Massacre Is Happening Right Before Our Eyes |publisher=Politico |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last1=Eisen |first1=Norman |last2=Fredickson |first2=Caroline |last3=Bookbinder |first3=Noah}}</ref><ref name=Shalev>{{cite web |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/when-trump-fires-mueller-watergate-could-seem-like-child-s-play-1.5785790 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202143050/https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/when-trump-fires-mueller-watergate-could-seem-like-child-s-play-1.5785790 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 2, 2018 |title=When Trump Fires Mueller, Watergate Could Seem Like Child's Play |publisher=Haaretz |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last=Shalev |first=Chemi}}</ref><ref name=DavidSmith>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/02/trump-nunes-memo-republicans-nixon |title=Trump's release of Nunes memo is Nixonian – but today's GOP won't resist |work=The Guardian |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last=Smith |first=David}}</ref><ref name=Dartunorro>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/democrats-condemn-release-nunes-memo-n844146 |title=Democrats, some GOP lawmakers criticize release of Nunes memo |publisher=NBC News |date=February 2, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |last=Clark |first=Dartunorro}}</ref>
Glenn Greenwald called the Republican-led campaign to release the memo "a bizarre spectacle" since the Republicans were "holding a document that only they can release, while pretending to be advocating for its release".<ref name=vice/>
In response to the release of Nunes's document, former FBI director James Comey wrote:<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Papenfuss |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/james-comey-memo-response_us_5a74e663e4b0905433b42efc |title=An Angry James Comey On The GOP Memo: 'That's It?' |work=HuffPost |date=February 2, 2018}}</ref><blockquote>That's it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what?</blockquote>In an interview on ''Meet the Press'', former CIA director John O. Brennan said that Nunes had presented only "one side, in a very selective, cherry-picked memo". He said that for Nunes and the Republicans to deny the Democratic minority the ability to release their own memo "is just appalling, and it clearly underscores just how partisan Mr. Nunes has been". Brennan accused Nunes of an abuse of power in the use of his position on the House Intelligence Committee. "I don't say that lightly," he added.<ref>Shane Harris, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nunesabused-his-power-on-intelligence-committee-former-cia-director-says/2018/02/04/59ff42c0-09c4-11e8-baf5-e629fc1cd21e_story.html Nunes 'abused' his power on intelligence committee, former CIA director says], ''Washington Post'' (February 4, 2018).</ref>
Three former CIA analysts (Jeff Asher, Nada Bakos and Cindy Otis) wrote that the "politically motivated, recklessly drafted" Nunes memo "does not support its main thesis" alleging abuse by the FBI and Department of Justice regarding their investigation of Carter Page as it "doesn't offer any evidence of the potential abuse and, in fact, the memo undermines itself".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Asher |first1=Jeff |last2=Bakos |first2=Nada |last3=Otis |first3=Cindy |title=Former CIA analysts: We can't trust Devin Nunes |date=February 7, 2018 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/07/opinions/nunes-memo-opinion-asher-bakos-otis/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=February 8, 2018}}</ref>
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has accused the authors of the memo of "using selective declassification as a tactic—they use declassified information to tell their side, and then the rebuttal is classified". Jane Mayer stated that this leaves Christopher Steele's defenders no possibility "to respond without breaching national-security secrets".<ref name="Mayer_3/12/2018">{{cite magazine |last=Mayer |first=Jane |title=Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier |magazine=The New Yorker |date=March 12, 2018 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/12/christopher-steele-the-man-behind-the-trump-dossier | access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>
Vox argued that by highlighting Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's approval of a FISA renewal application, the memo was "trying to imply Rosenstein has an anti-Trump bias".<ref name=Chang>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/2/1/16955472/nunes-memo-release-diagram |title=The Nunes memo, explained with diagrams |publisher=Vox |date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=February 1, 2018 |last=Chang |first=Alvin}}</ref>
Paul Rosenzweig, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security and former Whitewater investigator, has analyzed the Nunes memo and explained several reasons for why he believes "it makes no sense", is "not a serious effort at oversight", and "fails to make its case": the timing of the FISA warrant shows that any findings would first have come to light after the election and thus could not have affected it; Carter Page was no longer a member of the Trump campaign at the time of the application; it ignores that Page was under FISA surveillance as early as 2013 because of his proven Russian connections; the attempt to tie the October FISA application to Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is flawed because Rosenstein was a U.S. attorney for the district of Maryland at the time and had nothing to do with that application; the memo "uses language that is intended to create a misimpression" by implying that the Steele dossier was central to the FISA application, when it was only a part of it; and that the memo "tries to bury" its "admission deep in the document", in the final paragraph, that the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections was not triggered by the Steele dossier but by information from Trump advisor Papadopoulos.<ref name="Rosenzweig_2/2/2018">{{cite web | last=Rosenzweig | first=Paul | title=Even If You Take the Nunes Memo Seriously, It Makes No Sense | website=Politico | date=February 2, 2018 | url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2018/02/02/the-nunes-memo-makes-no-sense-216928 | access-date=May 9, 2018 | archive-date=January 5, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105061737/https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2018/02/02/the-nunes-memo-makes-no-sense-216928 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Release of Carter Page FISA warrant applications== thumb|Carter Page FISA warrant applications
On July 21, 2018, the Justice Department released heavily redacted versions of four FISA warrant applications for Carter Page.<ref name="Savage_7/23/2018">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/us/politics/how-a-trump-decision-revealed-a-gop-memos-shaky-foundation.html|title=How a Trump Decision Revealed a G.O.P. Memo's Shaky Foundation|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 23, 2018|access-date=July 25, 2018|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie}}</ref>
The Nunes memo:
* The memo claimed the applications did not "disclose or reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign, or any party/campaign in funding Steele's efforts". The applications did not name these entities; a footnote stated that the person who hired Steele was "likely looking for information to discredit" the Trump campaign.<ref name="NPR_FISA_doc">{{cite news |title=What You Need To Know About The Much-Discussed Carter Page FISA Document |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/07/23/631343524/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-much-discussed-carter-page-fisa-document |publisher=NPR |date=July 23, 2018 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> Democrats argued this constituted adequate disclosure; Republicans maintained it was insufficient.<ref name="WaPo_Daily202">{{cite news |last=Costa |first=Robert |title=The Daily 202: Carter Page FISA warrants underscore the difficulty of disproving presidential falsehoods |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/07/23/daily-202-carter-page-fisa-warrants-underscore-the-difficulty-of-disproving-presidential-falsehoods/5b5541e71b326b1e646954c3/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 23, 2018 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> In December 2019, Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the FISA applications, concluding they made "the information supporting probable cause...appear stronger than was actually the case".<ref name="NPR_IG_Dec2019">{{cite news |title=IG Report On Russia Probe: No Evidence Of Bias, But Issues With Surveillance |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/12/09/785525132/justice-department-watchdog-report-on-russia-investigation-due-monday |publisher=NPR |date=December 9, 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> * Faulted the application for not identifying Hillary Clinton or the DNC by name. However, the application showed the standard practice of omitting the names of American individuals and organizations. For example, Trump and Clinton were identified only as "Candidate #1" and "Candidate #2," respectively.<ref name="Savage_7/23/2018" /> While Hillary Clinton was identified as Candidate #2 in the application, it was not in reference to the dossier. * Asserted the DOJ referenced a ''Yahoo News'' article as corroboration of Steele's information, even though it later became known that Steele had been a source for the article, an assertion rebutted by Democrats. However, the application actually cited the ''Yahoo News'' article only to show that Carter Page had denied allegations against him, under a section entitled "Page's Denial of Cooperation With the Russian Government."<ref name="Savage_7/23/2018" />
The October 2016 warrant was the first FISA application targeting Page in the Russia investigation. Page had been the subject of a previous FISA warrant in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Evan |last2=Brown |first2=Pamela |last3= Prokupecz |first3=Shimon |date=August 4, 2017 |title=One year into the FBI's Russia investigation, Mueller is on the Trump money trail |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/politics/mueller-investigation-russia-trump-one-year-financial-ties/index.html |work=CNN |location=Atlanta, GA}}</ref>
The day after the applications were released, Trump asserted that they confirmed the Justice Department and FBI had misled the FISA court and as a result his campaign had been illegally spied on to benefit the Clinton campaign. Trump also quoted notable writer Andrew McCarthy, who had called into question the integrity of the FISA court itself.<ref name="lawandcrime.com">{{cite web |date=July 22, 2018 |title=Judges Who Approved Carter Page FISA Warrants Were All Nominated by GOP Presidents |url=https://lawandcrime.com/politics/judges-who-approved-carter-page-fisa-warrants-were-all-nominated-by-gop-presidents/ |access-date=August 14, 2018 |website=lawandcrime.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/us/politics/trump-fisa-carter-page.html|title=Without Evidence, Trump Claims Vindication From Release of Carter Page Documents|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 22, 2018|access-date=July 26, 2018|last1=Rogers|first1=Katie|last2=Cochrane|first2=Emily}}</ref> Republican Senator Marco Rubio disagreed, stating: "I don't believe that them looking into Carter Page means they were spying on the campaign."<ref name="Savage_7/23/2018" /> Following the December 2019 Inspector General report, Rubio revised his assessment, stating in May 2020 that FBI agents "omitted exculpatory information, they lied to the court, they left things out, they in fact doctored and altered material to present to the court."<ref>{{cite web |title=Marco Rubio says FISA law must be fixed to prevent 'abuses' like FBI's Russia probe |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/marco-rubio-fisa-law-abused-fbi-trump-russia |work=Fox News |date=May 27, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2025}}</ref>
==See also== * Dismissal of James Comey * Inspector General report on the Crossfire Hurricane investigation * Links between Trump associates and Russian officials * Trump Tower wiretapping allegations
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Nunes memo}} {{Wikisource|1=Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Abuses at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation|2=Nunes memo}} {{Wikiquote}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180921061353/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/memo_and_white_house_letter.pdf House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Memo] (Nunes memo) *[https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/icotr/51117/2016_Cert_FISC_Memo_Opin_Order_Apr_2017.pdf United States Foreign Intelligence Court Opinion April 2017] *[https://democrats-intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350 House Intelligence Committee Minority Response to the memo], from Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180921061431/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/democrat_memo_charge_and_response.pdf HPSCI Majority Response to Charges in the Democrats' Memo] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20180205000704/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/TODAY/z_Creative/inline-headers/FINAL%20DRAFT%20--%20Dear%20Colleague%20on%20Nunes%20Memo.pdf Jerry Nadler's rebuttal letter to House Democrats] *[https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-hpsci-memo FBI statement on Nunes memo] *[https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=854 Nunes statement on FBI and DOJ objection to memo's release]
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