Well until you show me in the report (2) you can connect with some other evidence (2) that there was political motivations with the investigation into the Trump campaign, you will never get to 4.
They covered for the agency. But you’re getting close. The first report said there was bias, but it didn’t affect the process. The 2nd report says the process was violated.
PAUL: “I would say that when we look at bias, I guess the first question would be a short question just to reiterate and make sure it’s very clear, you did find evidence of biased individuals who were involved with the — involved with the investigation?”
HOROWITZ: “That’s correct.”
PAUL: “OK. I think that’s very clear. And is it difficult to determine what people’s motives are or whether they’re biased or not biased.”
HOROWITZ: “It’s very difficult.”
PAUL: “All right. And so just by saying you didn’t find it, it doesn’t mean it didn’t exist, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t have had 15 people very biased who influenced every one of their decisions, you just can’t prove it.”
HOROWITZ: “We — we couldn’t prove it, we lay out here what we can prove.”
PAUL: “OK. One specific instance I’d like to ask you about though. The OGC attorney is the one I think you’ve referred for criminal evaluation, correct?”
HOROWITZ: “I’ll just say we’ve referred to the attorney general and the FBI.”
PAUL: “OK. Right, for possible — and that’s the — possible criminal evaluation. He also had text messages that said viva la resistance. Did you interpreted those to be — or what was your opinion? Does that show that he might have had some bias against the Trump administration?”
HOROWITZ: “Well, he was one of the individuals last — in last year’s report precisely for those text messages that we were referred to the FBI, precisely for that concern.”
PAUL: “But you interpreted that as an evidence of bias. But I guess my question would be if you saw that he was biased, he’s obviously made errors that you think actually may have been intentional. Why in that instance would you not be free to say that there’s documentary evidence of not only bias but then malfeasance?”
HOROWITZ: “That’s precisely why we don’t say that, as to the errors and the failures in the FISA process.”
PAUL: “Right. But could you then specifically say the opposite, that actually in this instant there actually was evidence of political bias and evidence of record changing that looks like malfeasance?”
HOROWITZ: “There is evidence of both, I agree with you.”
PAUL: “OK.”
HOROWITZ: “But we will do — let — I want to make sure there’s a fair process.” [crosstalk]
PAUL: “That’s fine. And I — and I think the chairman is very correct that the media has misinterpreted what you’ve said and drawn conclusions that I don’t think are accurate as to what you’re saying and people should read the report. And the report is very damning as to the process, whether it’s bias or not there are problems.”
Good. Like many other things this shouldn’t be a partisan issue particularly since democrats have largely opposed FISA until it served their purposes in smearing Trump.