Former FBI lawyer pleads guilty to lying in Russia probe

WASHINGTON—Kevin Clinesmith on Wednesday became the first government official to face charges in the U.S. Department of Justice’s review of the investigation into contacts between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign staff. The former FBI lawyer admitted to doctoring an email from 2017 to make it easier for the FBI to surveil Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Whether Clinesmith faces prison time depends on U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who will hold a sentencing hearing on Dec. 10.

Why did the email matter to the Russia investigation? The FBI applied to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for four warrants in 2017 asking to spy on Page. Clinesmith, an FBI lawyer at the time, hid the fact that Page worked for the CIA, which could have explained his connections with Russia and made obtaining the warrant more difficult. A report in December 2019 from the Justice Department indicated the warrant applications had mistakes and omissions.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew on issues with the FBI investigation into potential Russian collusion with Trump.