from WND:

Part of Trump-Russia collusion probe launched under Obama

The FBI had a confidential informant inside the White House as President Trump began his term in January 2017, indicate newly published emails between former bureau lead investigator Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page.

The emails obtained by Judicial Watch show Strzok, Page and top bureau officials in the days prior to and following Trump’s inauguration discussing a White House counterintelligence briefing that could “play into” the FBI’s “investigative strategy.”

Signficantly, an email the day after the inauguration, Jan. 21, 2017, from Strzok to Bill Priestap, the former assistant director for the Counterintelligence Division, refers to what appears to be a confidential informant, reports investigative journalist Sara Carter.

“I heard from [redacted] about the WH CI briefing routed from [redacted],” wrote Strzok.

“CI” is an apparent abbreviation for “confidential informant.”

“I am angry that Jen did not at least cc: me, as my branch has pending investigative matters there, this brief may play into our investigative strategy, and I would like the ability to have visibility and provide thoughts/counsel to you in advance of the briefing,” he wrote. “This is one of the reasons why I raised the issue of lanes/responsibilities that I did when you asked her to handle WH detailee interaction.”

“WH detailee” is another apparent reference to the informant.

Carter noted that in April 2019, she was the first to publish evidence of an alleged confidential informant for the FBI in the White House.

At the time, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson wrote Attorney General William Barr a letter revealing texts from Strzok to Page. The messages showed the pair had discussed attempts to recruit sources within the White House allegedly to spy on the Trump administration.

Carter said the texts and her sources stated Strzok had one significant contact within the White House at the time, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Joshua Pitcock.

In February, Judicial Watch made public emails between Strzok and Page showing their direct involvement in the opening of Crossfire Hurricane, the Obama FBI’s investigation of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The origin of the probe into the now-debunked claim is the subject of a criminal investigation by U.S Attorney John Durham.

Already, investigations by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and congressional committees have revealed that senior leadership, including former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, were coordinating an FBI effort to target the incoming administration.

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