ACLJ Files Lawsuit Against FBI Over Freedom of Information About Other Alleged Spies in White House
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a federal lawsuit against the FBI after the bureau failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests so the law firm could determine if others were involved with fired FBI Director James Comey in efforts to spy on the Trump administration.
"We are filing a lawsuit in federal court against the FBI concerning Comey's circle of corruption, including one individual who we believe may still at the FBI," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ, in a press release. "These people who were at the National Security Council, with access to the most classified information in the world, were spying on a sitting President. The ACLJ is filing suit to expose this troubling action and to see that those involved are held accountable for putting the security of our nation at risk for their personal agendas."
Last month, the ACLJ sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FBI and other offices of the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting documents that would shed light on possible corruption. The FOIA requests were ignored and on Wednesday the ACLJ filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit comes in the wake of a stunning Inspector General's report which detailed the leaks, violations of FBI policy, and surreptitious subversion of the President. It's clear to the ACLJ that Comey leaked classified memos containing privileged conversations with the President to the media through a friend in order to force "official action" – the appointment of a special counsel.
The ACLJ is demanding the following information from the FBI through the lawsuit:
- All records, including emails, memorandums, briefs, electronic messages, etc., pertaining to veteran FBI official Anthony Ferrante, an adviser on cybersecurity for the National Security Council. We're requesting information concerning Ferrante's time within the White House and beyond. Specifically, we are requesting records and emails between or about Comey and Ferrante and others.
- Demanding records related to Comey's closest advisors including: FBI General Counsel James Baker; Deputy Director/Acting Director Andrew McCabe; Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok, McCabe's Deputy Counsel, Lisa Page; and Comey's Chief of Staff, James Rybicki, David Bowdich (Director's Office - DO), Michael Steinbach (Director's Office - DO), Trisha Anderson (OGC), E.W. Bill Priestap (Counterintelligence Division - CD), and Jonathan Moffa (Counterintelligence Division - CD).
- Requesting "All of James Comey's emails from April 1, 2016, to May 31, 2017."
"There's a troubling pattern by Comey of planting spies in the White House to sabotage a sitting US President," Sekulow added. "Our investigation has determined Comey reportedly conducted his own 'covert operation' against President Trump by inserting FBI agents – spies – inside the White House. Their job was to secretly collect information and report back to Comey's office on the President and his Administration. It's time to hold Comey and his spies accountable."
The ACLJ lawsuit also alleges that the FBI operates under a pattern or practice of unlawfully ignoring FOIA requests until the requestor takes legal action.