Former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page has dismissed a request from the Senate Intelligence Committee seeking information on his Russian contacts, leading the panel's co-chairs to hint Friday that they may subpoena the data.
In a scathing three-page response to the committee's request, dated April 28 and reported by CNN on Friday, Page suggested that senators would have easier access to any information because of alleged surveillance by the Obama White House.
"I suspect the physical reaction of the Clinton/Obama regime perpetrators will be more along the lines of severe vomiting when all the facts are eventually exposed regarding the steps taken by the U.S. government to influence the 2016 election," Page wrote.
"But please note that any records I may have saved as a private citizen with limited technology capabilities will be miniscule in comparison to the full database of information which has already been collected under the direction of the Obama administration during last year's completely unjustified FISA warrant that targeted me for exercising my First Amendment rights, both in 2016 as well as in years prior," he said.
However, Intelligence Committee co-chairs Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Mark Warner, D-Va., hinted that Page's letter might lead them to subpoena the information.
"Three days ago, Carter Page told Fox News that he was cooperating with the Committee’s investigation into Russian activities surrounding the 2016 election," the senators said in a statement. "Today, we have learned that may not be the case."
They noted that their letter, also dated April 28, asked Page to "provide requested materials to the committee by certain dates.
"Should Mr. Page choose to not provide the material requested by those dates, the committee will consider its next steps at that time."
FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that an investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with the Russian government during the election was continuing.
He declined to say whether President Donald Trump or anyone else was being investigated.
Page has also denied that he had discussed the U.S. lifting economic sanctions against Russia during a speaking trip to Moscow last year.
The Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own probe into Russian meddling during the election, sent similar letters requesting information to other former Trump advisers, The New York Times reports.
They are campaign manager Paul Manafort and adviser Roger Stone, as well as former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Intel committee officials declined to confirm or deny the Times report, but Manafort's spokesman would not comment on the matter to NBC News.
Representatives for Stone and Flynn did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In their statement Friday, Burr and Warner said that "Mr. Page has indicated in correspondence to the committee that he looks forward to working with us on this matter, and that our cooperation will help resolve what he claims are false allegations.
"For that to happen, Mr. Page must supply the requested documents to the committee.
"As our letter indicated, the requested documents must be provided in advance of any interviews the committee may conduct.
"The committee will continue to pursue its inquiry into issues surrounding Russia’s involvement in the 2016 Presidential election," the senators said. "It is our expectation that Mr. Page will live up to his publicly-expressed cooperation with our effort."
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