FBI Discussions About Carter Page Wiretap Were Stalled, And Then The Steele Dossier Came Along

• FBI investigators began discussing in August 2016 whether to obtain a surveillance warrant against Carter Page, The New York Times reported.
• The discussions stalled until Sept. 19, 2016, when the FBI’s Russia team first received reporting from Christopher Steele, the author of the Trump dossier.
• The report suggests the dossier played a crucial role in the FBI’s efforts to surveil Page.

The FBI’s core team of Russia investigators reportedly began discussing a wiretap of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in August 2016, earlier than previously known, but were stalled amid bureaucratic handwringing until the infamous Steele dossier made its way to the bureau more than a month later.

That timeline of events, reported by The New York Times, indicates the dossier played an essential role in the FBI’s efforts to conduct surveillance of Page, as Republicans have said.

The report also shows investigators wanted to conduct electronic surveillance of Page even before he left the Trump team. Some Democrats and media pundits have defended the FBI’s wiretapping of Page because the initial warrant was not granted until Oct. 21, 2016, after he left the Trump campaign.

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