Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, sent a letter on December 19, 2019, to United States Attorney General William Barr concerning the results of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General’s report reviewing four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications.
“I appreciate Attorney General Barr’s statement committing to hold investigators and prosecutors to the highest ethical and professional standards,” Burgess said. “I am still concerned that committing to improve the warrant process and evaluate potential disciplinary action may not fully address the systemic bias and disregard for Department of Justice policy.”
In December 2019, the DOJ Inspector General released a report reviewing actions by career FBI personnel investigating whether members of President Trump’s campaign coordinated with the Russian government, including obtaining FISA warrants to surveil President Trump’s campaign team member, Carter Page. Federal law requires a warrant application submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to demonstrate that probable cause exists to believe the target is an agent of a foreign power or is a foreign power.
Burgess also stated in his letter that he recognizes that most individuals that engaged in misconduct were employed during the Obama Administration and have since departed the FBI, but it is imperative that all Department of Justice personnel comply with the law and respect Department of Justice policies, including the heightened duty of candor required for applications before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
