Carter Page, an ex-foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump, didn't deny outright FBI allegations he collaborated and conspired with the Russian government but instead said these claims are "misleading."
For the past year, Page has been a key target of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into links between Donald Trump associates and Russian officials. He's also being investigated for being part of Russia's interference on behalf of Trump during the 2016 Presidential election.
On Monday, the FBI released 412 pages of documents that are part of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant delineating the extent of Page's long-running entanglement with the Russians on behalf of Trump.
The formerly classified documents show that in the months before the presidential election in November 2016, the FBI believed that Page was "conspiring and collaborating with the Russian government" based on wiretaps of Page's communications that began in 2016.
"The FBI believes Page has been the subject of targeted recruitment by the Russian government ... to undermine and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election in violation of U.S. criminal law," said the documents. The FBI also believes "Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government."
The FBI concludes there is "probable cause that such activities involve or are about to involve violations of the criminal statutes of the United States."
The documents prove that Page "has established relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers." The FBI asserts the Russian government's efforts are being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with Trump's campaign -- a damning assessment bordering on treason
Trump lashed out at the FBI revelations. Predictably, slavish Republican allies of Trump denounced the FISA documents as evidence of abuse by the FBI and the Department of Justice.
One Republican senator, Marco Rubio (R-FL), however, came to the defense of the FBI and refuted Trump's claim his campaign was "illegally" spied on by the FBI. As usual, Trump provided no evidence to support his outrageous claim.
Rubio said that "anything and everything" he's seen while serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee indicates the FBI "did not spy on the campaign."
"You have an individual here who has openly bragged about his ties to Russia and Russians and he's never -- I don't think Carter Page has ever said he's a spy, but he has certainly talked about it," said Rubio.
The FBI had "reason to believe" Page was a person of interest given his openness about his contacts with Russians, said Rubio.
In his defense, page alleges he's "never been an agent of a foreign power by any stretch of the imagination."
"You talk about misleading the courts, it's just so misleading. It's literally a complete joke."
