Democratic countermemo claims FBI revealed Steele funding in FISA application: report

A Democratic memo written to counter a Republican document released Friday claims that the government presented additional evidence that would undercut the GOP conclusion, according to The New York Times. 

Democrats have claimed key information was omitted in the Republican document, which was based on classified documents that have not been released.

Republicans say in their now-public memo that the FBI did not reveal that information underlying a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) request came from a politically motivated source.

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The Democratic countermemo reportedly claims that the FBI did reveal the source of the information was politically motivated, according to two Times sources. 

Officials may not have told the FISA court that the information was partially funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, the Times reported.

According to the GOP memo, the FISA application to spy on former Trump aide Carter Page was based in part on a dossier tying President Trump to Russia compiled by former British spy Michael Steele, whose opposition research was partially funded by Democrats.

The House Intelligence Committee memo says the Steele dossier “formed an essential part” of the FBI and Justice Department-approved surveillance. Democrats claim that additional evidence led to the warrants and the Steele dossier provided only a small part of the FBI’s argument.

Democrats on the Intelligence Committee have urged the release of their memo, which they say provides key context to the information in the Republican-written memo.

Republicans on the committee voted against the release of the Democrats’ countermemo, but the White House on Friday signaled Trump is open to the possibility if it means “applicable standards.”