The Department of Justice told the FISA Court in 2016 that politics were at least partially behind the probable cause used to obtain a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Monday.
Schiff spoke with CNN about the Russia investigation and how things came together behind the scenes.
"The FBI, Department of Justice did disclose that this was likely supported by a political act with political motivation," Schiff said. "So, I think it is very misleading to suggest the FISA court had no idea."
Schiff was alluding to Republicans' claims that suggest politics and nothing else — of which the FISA Court knew nothing — are behind the Department of Justice's investigation of whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. A controversial dossier that was used as supporting evidence to obtain a FISA warrant was paid for by Democrats.
Schiff is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and said he expects the panel to approve the release of a Democrat-written memo that details some of what has taken place regarding the Russia probe. Last Friday, a GOP memo written by committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was made public.
Schiff said Democrats have already provided the FBI a copy of their memo — which will most likely be sent to the White House for declassifying this week — for the bureau to vet and scrub anything that could compromise national security.
"We gave our memo to the FBI days ago so they could begin vetting it," he said. "So that way we can be assured what we have won't be compromised."
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