David Kris ‘has frequently defended the FBI’s existing electronic surveillance practices’…
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Two House Republicans have sent a letter to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court asking why it selected former Obama Justice Department lawyer David Kris to oversee FISA reforms.
“If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court’s goal is to hold the FBI accountable for its serious misconduct, Mr. Kris does not appear to be an objective — or likely effective — amicus curiae for several reasons. At minimum the selection of Mr. Kris creates a perception that he is too personally invested on the side of the FBI to ensure it effectuates meaningful reform,” Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Mark Meadows, R-N.C., wrote in a letter to James Boasberg, the presiding judge over the FISA court.
Kris has spoken out in support of the Russia hoax, writing for the Lawfare blog that the FBI’s investigation into alleged collusion between President Trump and Russia “inevitable.”
He has also criticized the House Intelligence Committee’s 2018 memo on alleged FISA abuse.
Now Kris claims that reforms to the FISA process have been “insufficient,” and that the FBI “must restore” a “culture of accuracy and completeness.”
But Kris’s past comments prove that he is too biased and “personally invested” to oversee an honest reform process, said Jordan and Meadows.
Kris “has frequently defended the FBI’s existing electronic surveillance practices,” “seemingly prejudged the FBI’s conduct with respect to Carter Page,” and “seemed to minimize the FBI’s actions” when Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report revealed chronic misconduct in the FBI.
Jordan and Meadow asked Boasberg to identify who else was considered for the position, and why Kris was chosen above the other options.
The letter proves Congress is taking its oversight role seriously, one Republican official familiar with the letter told National Review.
“For too long, the FBI has remained largely un-checked when it comes to the FISA process. Congress must ensure that FISC stands ready to protect civil liberties without even the slightest indicia of political bias,” the official said.