Ex-FBI lawyer to plead guilty as part of Russia probe
"So we have some very interesting news."
President Donald Trump on Friday began his briefing at the White House on Friday with news that a former FBI lawyer will plead guilty to falsifying a document as part of a federal probe into the origins of the Russian investigation - into possible contacts between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Moscow.
"Kevin Clinesmith, a corrupt FBI attorney who falsified FISA warrants in James Comey's very corrupt FBI is expected to plead guilty. You probably heard that. It just came out. So that's just the beginning I would imagine because what happened should never happen again."
The New York Times reported earlier on Friday that Clinesmith will admit he changed an email from the CIA that was used in seeking renewed court permission in 2017 for a secret wiretap on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
But the Times said prosecutors were not expected to reveal any evidence that shows a broader conspiracy that would cast doubt on the decision to open a Russia investigation.
The Times also reported that Clinesmith wrote texts expressing opposition to President Trump.
According to a charging document filed in Federal court on Friday, Clinesmith altered an email from another unnamed government agency, believed to be the CIA, to say that an unnamed individual, believed to be Page, "was not a source," even though an email from the other government agency did not say that.
A lawyer for Clinesmith told Reuters in an email "Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email," adding, "It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate. But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility."
