The Justice Department has reached a settlement with Carter Page, concluding a legal battle over the surveillance tactics used against the former Trump campaign adviser during the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Page, who served as a foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign, was never charged with any crime despite being targeted for covert monitoring. The settlement was disclosed Wednesday in a Supreme Court filing by Solicitor General John Sauer, who argued the case should now be considered moot given the agreement.
The DOJ's own inspector general had previously found that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants used to monitor Page lacked probable cause and were unlawfully obtained. Court filings revealed the initial warrant application contained seven significant inaccuracies and omissions that were never corrected and subsequently repeated across all three renewal applications.
In a statement Thursday, a Justice Department spokesman said the settlement reflects the agency's commitment to addressing what it called the weaponization of government. "No American should ever face covert and unlawful surveillance based on their political view," the spokesman said. "The investigation into Carter Page relied on inherently flawed and uncorroborated information, proving it was a political sham from the get-go."
Page's original lawsuit had been dismissed after a federal judge ruled the statute of limitations on his claims had expired, a decision upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Page was appealing to the Supreme Court when the settlement was reached.
The settlement names senior FBI officials as defendants, including former Director James Comey and former acting Director Andrew McCabe. An attorney for Comey declined to comment on the agreement. McCabe's legal representative did not respond to requests for comment.
This settlement follows the DOJ's decision last month to reach an agreement with Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, over claims he was also politically targeted in the Russia probe. Flynn initially pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition, but later withdrew his plea. Trump pardoned him in 2020.
The Russia investigation, which President Trump has repeatedly called a hoax, did conclude that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election to benefit him. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, however, found no evidence that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The Page settlement marks another significant reversal for the Russia investigation, but it's worth remembering that settling civil disputes over surveillance tactics is not the same as proving the underlying investigation was baseless from day one."
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