Carter Page Wiretap Lawsuit Settled for $1.25 Million by U.S. Government
Justice Department agrees to payment over FBI surveillance errors during Russia investigation, acknowledging significant procedural failures in FISA applications.
The U.S. government has agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser who was improperly surveilled during the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The settlement acknowledges significant errors and omissions in FBI applications to monitor Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), marking a rare admission of wrongdoing in a high-profile national security case.
Page's lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleged that FBI agents violated his constitutional rights by obtaining surveillance warrants based on flawed evidence and failing to disclose exculpatory information to the FISA court. An inspector general investigation conducted by Michael Horowitz found at least 17 significant errors in the FBI's applications to surveil Page, including the failure to inform the court about Page's previous relationship with the CIA as an operational contact.
The settlement comes as the Trump administration has renewed scrutiny of the FBI's handling of the Russia investigation, with President Trump frequently citing the Page case as evidence of a "deep state" conspiracy against his 2016 campaign. Page served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign for several months in 2016, during which time he traveled to Moscow and met with Russian officials, raising concerns among intelligence agencies about potential coordination between the campaign and Russian operatives.
The FBI obtained four separate FISA warrants to monitor Page between October 2016 and September 2017, each requiring renewal every 90 days based on fresh evidence of suspected foreign agent activity. However, the inspector general's review found that agents continued to seek renewals even after developing information that undermined their original justification for surveillance. The investigation also revealed that FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith altered an email to hide Page's CIA relationship, a falsification that contributed to the surveillance authorization.
While the settlement represents a significant financial acknowledgment of government wrongdoing, it does not constitute an admission of intentional misconduct by FBI officials involved in the case. The Justice Department has implemented new procedures for FISA applications following the inspector general's recommendations, including enhanced documentation requirements and additional oversight mechanisms. The Page settlement serves as a costly reminder of the potential consequences when intelligence agencies fail to maintain rigorous standards in their most sensitive surveillance operations.
