FISA court investigating FBI warrant applications

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court (FISA) that approved FBI surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page is now investigating other applications it’s received from one of the agency’s attorneys accused of making an inappropriate change to the Page application. 

The review, which was announced in an order released Friday, hints at a comprehensive effort by the secretive court to reevaluate surveillance after the Justice Department inspector general’s report found errors in the Page application process.

In the order, written on Dec. 5 and declassified Friday, the court requested that the executive branch identify “all other matters currently or previously before this Court” that involved FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith. The court also requested explanations of how the Justice Department and FBI are ensuring that Clinesmith’s submissions were accurate. 

The order goes on to ask for information as to whether Clinesmith faces possible disciplinary action from the bar regarding the change he made in the application for surveillance on Page. 

It was not immediately clear if the court would publicize the administration’s responses once they are received. 

The order comes after the Justice Department told the court earlier this year that its Page applications contained misstatements or omissions that mostly surrounded an altered email saying Page was a government source.

Clinesmith has since resigned from the FBI and is under criminal investigation over the change he made, though he has not yet been charged with a crime.