It’s being reported now that a former DOJ lawyer was one of the main authors of the Republican memo, who now serves as a staffer for the Intel Committee:
JUST IN: Daily Beast's @woodruffbets reports that the memo was written by Kash Patel, a former DOJ lawyer.
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 2, 2018
"In some corners it's know as the Kash memo." pic.twitter.com/4ptqlt1CNw
Also for what it’s worth, here’s a little reaction from a few conservative sources on Twitter regarding the memo:
So how does this memo endanger national security exactly?
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 2, 2018
Ok I get it now. When Dems said the memo will "endanger national security," they meant to say it will "endanger our political narrative."
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 2, 2018
Honest mistake, guys. They just said the wrong thing by accident. Lay off.
Yikes, this memo sure is a massive indictment on the media, who Fusion GPS fed false information to prompt FISA warrant. Incredible.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 2, 2018
Here’s potentially the most important paragraph in the memo. It appears to confirm the NYT’s scoop — which was that the counterintelligence investigation began BEFORE the FISA applications against Page. Papadopoulos was already under investigation. Wow: pic.twitter.com/VadOFVYAUH
— David French (@DavidAFrench) February 2, 2018
In reflecting more on this, I think Nunes may have just blown up the core Trump defense to the “Russia investigation” — that it was all fruit of the poisonous Steel tree. Not true. It was already underway. https://t.co/gUvGgSUyY1
— David French (@DavidAFrench) February 2, 2018
I see many “this is a nothingburger,” but it most certainly is not. It’s also not an indictment of the process as entirely political, as it confirms the NYT’s reporting that Popadop and the Aussies also contributed to surveillance of Trump camp officials.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) February 2, 2018
the reapproval of the FISA warrant is only mentioned as having happened. we don't know why it was reapproved. We don't know if the info gathered by the warrant might have merited its reapproval.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 2, 2018
Quick initial thought: There's disturbing evidence of law enforcement bias & sloppiness. But hard to see how this derails Mueller investigation, particularly as it confirms that FBI investigation began w/Papadapolous before FISA application targeting Page. #MemoDay
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) February 2, 2018
If the Nunes memo is lying or mischaracterizes what’s in the FBI/DOJ requests to the FISA court, let’s get them declassified and see. Either “we got this information from Steele, who was working for the DNC & Hillary” is in there or it isn’t.https://t.co/F3zJLhyMBW pic.twitter.com/FXebqMYoKQ
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 2, 2018