Let’s dispense with the tired claim that the Obama administration did not really spy on Trump and his campaign. Every one of the four FISA warrant applications, after describing Russia’s cyberespionage attack on the 2016 election, makes the following assertion (after two redacted lines):Followed by this:
the FBI believes that the Russian Government’s efforts to influence the 2016 election were being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with Candidate #1’s campaign.“Candidate #1” is Trump.
For Mueller, the Russia counterintelligence probe was cover to conduct a criminal investigation of Trump in the absence of grounds to believe a crime had occurred.There's a quote about this kind of faux 'law enforcement,' by Stalin's NKVD chief Lavrentiy Beria: "Show me the man and I'll find you the crime." Note: Soviets are crappy role models.
In spite of which, to date the FBI surveillance of Carter Page has produced exactly ZERO indictments or charges of any sort. About which lack Johnson wisecracks:
Given the year-long surveillance on him without any resulting charge, Page might not only not be a Russian agent, he might be the cleanest man in Washington.While I don't admire Page's choice of foreign associates, he has dodged legal troubles in a way Manafort, Flynn, Cohen, and Papadopoulos must certainly envy. Something to remember, the Page wiretaps were Comey/McCabe activities, predating the Mueller investigation.
