I want to tone things down a little bit here and First Express my gratitude for the thousands of men and women who work every day on the front line with the fbi. I come from a background as a prosecutor and our local Law Enforcement work with the fbi every day in our local office in minnesota, and then in the senate, ive had the privilege to work with many, many people in the fbi. And i think the Inspector General hes job is incredibly important. He keeps everyone honest. But i do think this it is important for those t agents an those in Law Enforcement that are watching today that people understand there are people up here that understand that you are simply doing your jobs. Which i think is basically some recommendations Foric Change Wh the Inspector General found in this report. So before iis start my question
i think that it is important to put this discussion in context in the 2016 election which is why we are here today. It is nowe undisputed by our Intelligence Agencies that russia invaded our democracy. Not with bombs or tanks, with a sophisticated mission to undermine the underpinnings of our very democracy, a democracy that Hundreds Ofem Thousands of men ands women have lost their lives on the battlefield defending both our democracy and democracies abroad. A democracy that four little girls innocence at the height of the Civil Rights Movement lost their livesri in a church in birmingham, alabama. Because people were trying to hold on to that democracy and make sure that it was extended to people in this country. So lets remember why were here today. Letsd remember the words of dan coats who served in the senate, well respected, he said that in fact russia has been emboldenedo this again. And i did appreciate senator glam oigs words that he made clear that it was not ukraine that invaded this election, it was russia. And it was the words of fiona hill and the Impeachment Hearings over in the house that are important to remember. She said anyone that is repeating this lie is basically peddling in russian propaganda. So lets remember that this is not about one election or one party, it is about our democracy. What can we do . We can be honest and we can stop making political hay out of this and we can actually take some actions that would protect our election in 2020. And that includes finishishing
t work started to pass not only the money thato i appreciate t help states secure our elections, but also get in place requirements to push those states that Dont Have Backup Paper ballots to get them and to make sure that we have audits and intercommunication between federal and state authorities. To do something about the propaganda by actually moving forward on the billing that snar mccain and i had and that senator graham and i now have, the honest ads act. Which it requires those social Media Companies and i have no idea why we do that, to play by the same Rules Of The Road for paid political ads which greatly help us but not completely but greatly help us with this propaganda problem. So you wrote this report, inspector, after interviewing more than 100 witnesses and reviewing over 1 million documents. Is that right . Thats correct. And under department
guidelines, an investigation has an i authorized purpose if it i open to detect, obtain information or protect against federalio crimes or threats to e National Security or to collect foreign intelligence. You found that the investigation at issue today was open to determine whether peoplen associated with the Trump Campaign were coordinating with the Russian Government. Right . Go that is the reason the fbi provided. And again to be clear, you did not find that tfbi acted improper will when opening this case . Thats right. The departments guidelines also require that decision to open an investigation is supported byve as you describe your report allegations, reports, facts or circumstances that indicate the possibility of criminal active are National Security threat. You found that the fbis investigation was predicated on
a report from a friendly Foreign Government that heard that the trumpd campaign had received se kind of suggestion that russia could help themgg by releasing information that was damaging to hillary clinton. Is thatam right . Thats correct. As a former prosecutor, i know that it is critical that the fbi isha able to take an action like here to investigat threats to our National Security. Do you think that interference in our elections by a Foreign Government constitutes a national c Security Threat . Yes, i do. Does anything in your report call into question the finding in the Special Counsels Report Thatpe the Russian Government interfered in the 2016 president ial election in a sweepingal and systemic financi . No, it doesnt and we cite the report here in a Footnote Laying out all the different reports that had been released on that issue. Does anything in your report
call into question chairman burrs statement that, quote, russia is waging an information wear Fair Campaign against the u. S. That didnt start and didnt end with the 2016ai election . No, it doesnt. Does anything in your report call into question the saesment by Director Wray that russias stwfr interference is on going and that its interference about in the 2018ha midterms were a, quo, Dress Rehearsal for the 2020 elections . No, it doesnt. Does i anything in your repo call into question the finding in the Special Counsels report that quote the russia government perceived that it would benefit from a Trump Presidency . We dont take issue with apat of the special right now sells report. Did you find political bias affected the decision to open the investigation into george
papadopoulous . Thorno, we dont. Do you find any evidence that political bias or other improper considerations affected the investigation into Paul Manafort . No. Did you find any evidence that bias affected the decision to open the investigation into Michael Flynn . We did not. Did you find any very that political bias affected the decision to open the investigation into carter page . No, no documentary or other evidence. So we are clear, did your report uncover 1systemic Political Bias . As to what we looked at in the openings, we did not find l documential evident to support bias. I was a former prosecutor
previously. And the whole foundation of the Justice Department and Law Enforcement on the federal level and at the state and local level is apolitical, nonpolitical, Decision Making made by prosecutors and the agents working together to protect communities. Very good. I want to follow up on your discussion on the issue you briefly discussed whistleblowers. It is so important and i know that senator grassley the cares a lot about this issue are. Can you Speyou Jchspeak general often whistleblower information has led to wrongdoing . Ill speakto to my experienc in the seven years as ig. From the get ggo, fast and furious. Critical this Tkricritical The D there. And ill addor going back 30 yes tooi my career as a prosecutor new myork, doing Police Corruption cases, we had an incredibly brave and kurncourag Police Officer who saw corruption and reported kus it. And allowed us to make a very substantial Police Corruption case that would have continued but for that courageous officer. Thank you very much. That is really helpful. Last, after your report was released on monday, Attorney General Barr stated his opinion that the fbi launch an intrusive investigation of a u. S. President ial campaign on the th thinnest of suspicions. When the fbi died to open its investigations, a u. S. Intelligence committee was already aware of russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election, is that correct . Im actually not sure what
theno Intelligence Committee kn at the time. It was in that context that the fbi received information im just going to ill move forward. I understand your answer. That thend fbi received foor fr a Foreign Government which we know from reports came from an australian diplomat. They reported that Trump Campaign official suggested that the trumpic campaign had receiv some kind of suggestion from russia that would assist the campaign by releasing information that would be damaging to Hillary Clintons campaign. Is that correct . Y cl thats correct. Your report also quoted then chief of the National Security division david lofman who said it would be a Deer Application of duty of the highest order not to commit the appropriate resources to run these facts to the ground and find out what is going on. Thats correct. And in light of all of that occurring at that time, and always easy in hindsight, but at
that time do you agree with Attorney General Barr that the investigation was predicated on the thinnest of suspicions . Iin wont get into a comparin of his view. He is free to have his opinion. We have our finding and as i said, i stand by our conclusion. And your conclusion that it was sufficient presented indication to open the investigation based on the low threshold required by department and fbi policy. Thank you very much. Weve talked a lot about page. Just briefly when papadopoulous. I dont want anybody to believe that anybody namedul in the initial investigation has been convicted of being an a little of the russians. Has anybody associated with the Trump Campaign been charged with a crime colluding with russians . Not that i knowg of as i si here. Id think wed know by though. Mr. Papadopoulous was being surveilled by the fbi 1245r, is correct . The confidential human yourself . Yes, they did see operations
with hill. They considered but did not proceed to seek a fisa application. So he was being wiretapped and he didnt know it. He was being an undercover operation and being having a wire with a he was talking towi somebody that has a wire. Right. I just want to be careful because a wire you think of a court order. T no, trust me, im not this was done because they can do it. They dont have to get anybodys per mission. They need supervisory approval. That is it. On page 331 i just want to know what papadopoulous said when he didnt he know that he was being wire taped. No, we dont want to work with the russians, that would be treason. Summarizing here. Thank you for being here and to all 6 your team, youve done important work, so thank you to all of you heyou. There are a number of things troubling, but im pick up some loose ends. Bruce ohr, who is he and what is his role at the department and then lets ask some questions abouten the Bizarre Pathway By which he became involved in this investigation. So at the time of these events, he was an associate deputy and head of the Organized Crime drug t Enforcement Task force working out of the Deputy AttorneyGenerals Office. The Organized Crime and drug Enforcement Task force and that is connected to election interference how . On it is not. What the hell is he doing here . That is the concern thathe w layout here. He had no role in any of the election interference matters. We have a bunch of people in the media who wanted to read this as a test and wanted a
predetermined answer. The chairman said predicate of investigation, appropriate, but some minorve mistakes and error were made. Youve outlined in this 478 or 434, depending on whether we all the roman numeral, 17 significant areas. Bruce ohr who has a senior role, office of agaof Deputy Attorney general, has primary oversight over all Law Enforcement agencies. So if are youaw in the fbi and u might make a mistake, the people youd be in trouble with normally on in the Deputy AttorneyGenerals Office. And here is a guy in the Deputy AttorneyGenerals Office who ultimately gets involved and inserts himself into this investigation and i think that it is pretty important to recognize weve got a massive cultural systemic failure. If a guy from odag who should be doing oversight if he werent off on another assignment about Organized Crime and drug trafficking, if he were going to get involved in this, he should
be checking the work of the people who are doing the work andho there are a whole bunch o provisions that were violated throughout this. But bruce ohr, he ultimately decides to get Stwextra Informan Out of Drchristopher Steele Aft steele or his employ fusion gps had been cut off by the fbi. Why did the fbi decide to no loaning listen to Chrisser To Steele . He was lowed in november of 20167 after the fbi learned of his disclosure to mother Joness Magazine that he ahead been working with the fbi previously. And we know from the evidence senator cruz went through, there were a bunch of sub sources that steele was summarizing and the fbi was believing that he might be a credible guy and they ultimately realized this is a bunch of bs and his sub sources are saying i said some of this in jest and some of it is what i heard in a bar, none is firsthand knowledge. And so the fbi decides
reasonably that mr. Steeles information isnt credible so they cut him off. Actually, that isnt what caused them to cut him off. They learned that he talked to the press in mother jones magazine. They actually had the other information and didnt telly anybody about it. So youre disagreeing only to say that the problems with mr. Steele areem twice as bad. That isnt why they cut him off. That is thet y concern, that so bruce ohr, who doesnt have any responsibilities in this area, decides that he will insert himself into the investigation and Go Get Additionalio information from o about christopher i steele and e people funding steele. You can remind us, who is bruce ohr married to . Bruce ohr spouse nellie ohr had been at the time he started interacting in november of ov2016 with steele busted th been a former independent contract for fugtsusion gps. So bruceus ohr decides to
insert himself into the investigation after the agents said mr. Steele isnt reputable so were not cao to talk to steele anywhere more. So bruce ohr says i should and he meets with these people who are thets employers of Christopr Steele or own his dossier who is also bruce ohrs wifes source of compensation. Had been. As of i think to september 2016, she was no longer an independent contractor. And again thisep is relevant to the significance of some of the inappropriate actions here, the fbi was not a reluctant participant in this relationship that was the conduit from bruce ohr through Ohr To Steele and we layoutte here. So they are notla saying we don want to deal with him, theyre saying essentially if you have something, we would love to hear you. I want to say that i wish
mike lee werent sitting here two people away from me right now because as a National Security hawk, i have argued with mike lee in the 4 1 2 our 5 years that ive been in the in the that stuff i just like ther couldnt possibly happen at the fbi and at the department of justice. So as somebody who is embarrassed on behalf of theso i about b your report because i believe that it isca critically important that we have the fisa statute, i think that the court is important. The Approval Rating is off the charts. A couple years ago when i saw them, like 97. 9 . Last number i saw was roughly 98 . So 98 Approval Rating of applications that come before the fisk. Why would it be that high . And im just saying that the good answer is, in an ex parte
proceeding, when you might be suspected 6 something that would open a Surveillance Warrant against you, the assumption would be if you cant be there to defend yourself, streets because the department and he lawyers are so screw juppe on yo