DOJ should probe its own Russia-collusion hoax leaks, not Hill staff who exposed them.

Throughout the 2016 campaign and the Trump presidency, leaks poured out of the FBI ​and Department of Justice ⁢(DOJ) straight to‌ The Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, and other left-wing⁣ organizations. Anonymous officials at these federal‌ agencies ran an information operation to falsely accuse President Donald Trump​ of colluding with Russia to steal the 2016 election.

These leaks included revealing ​ that former FBI head‌ James Comey briefed President Obama and ‍President-elect Trump with false allegations, the criminal disclosure of a ⁢phone call between Michael Flynn and his Russian counterpart‍ to falsely portray him as ‍a​ traitor, and⁢ numerous other leaks to create a false narrative.

However, instead of investigating these leaks, including the criminal ones, the DOJ turned its investigative powers on the staff of Congress members who were looking into the Russia-collusion scam.

This week, the nonpartisan whistleblower ‍organization Empower ⁣Oversight ‌ revealed that the DOJ targeted ⁢and surveilled Jason Foster, a Senate ‌staffer leading the investigation into the ⁢Russia-collusion⁢ hoax, along with other congressional staffers. The DOJ claimed that subpoenas of Foster and other​ staffers’ personal information were “in connection with recent investigations of alleged unauthorized ⁣disclosures of information to the media.”

However, it is highly likely that the DOJ and FBI’s own staff were the actual leakers. Empower explained that if the DOJ ‌did ‍not also subpoena the personal phone and email records of every Executive Branch official ⁤who had access to ​the same information, then “the entire exercise looks more like⁤ a pretext to gather intelligence on those conducting oversight of the⁤ Department rather ⁣than a ‌legitimate classified ‌leak inquiry.”

Foster, who is the‍ founder of Empower, discovered that in September 2017, ​the DOJ subpoenaed records ⁢from a Google Voice telephone number connected to his⁣ family’s phones. At‍ the time, Foster was Chief Investigative Counsel to U.S. Senate‌ Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck ​Grassley,‌ and⁢ he was investigating the FBI’s role ‍in promoting ‍the debunked Russia-collusion hoax.

Google provided Foster with a ⁤copy of the subpoena, which also included requests for records⁢ from⁤ other redacted Google accounts. Empower Oversight ‌has information indicating that these other accounts belonged to other staffers, both Republicans ⁢and Democrats, from U.S. House and Senate committees who were also involved in oversight investigations of the⁢ Justice Department⁣ at the time.

Empower recounted in its ⁢FOIA⁣ request that the subpoena compelled Google to release customer or subscriber information, as well as subscribers’⁣ names, addresses, telephone ⁢connection ⁤records, text message logs, and other details for the period from December 1, 2016, to May 1,‍ 2017.

Both ⁤congressional Republicans and Democrats have called for investigations into‌ the DOJ’s subpoenaing of personal information on them, their staff, and even their families. Empower noted‌ that​ the number the DOJ subpoenaed for Foster was actually used by his‌ wife,⁣ who had never communicated with the media using ‌that phone number⁢ or any other. ‍The DOJ even sent a ‍subpoena to Apple for the “communications data”⁣ of a child.

Empower⁣ stated in its FOIA request that there seems to have been a widespread effort to⁤ obtain the personal communications records of innocent⁣ congressional staffers and​ their families without a legitimate reason. The organization is ‌now‍ requesting all documents and communications related to the​ subpoena of Foster’s and other ⁤congressional staffers’‍ information, as well as all ‍grand jury subpoenas in the ​case.

Empower is also seeking ⁤all⁢ communications exchanged between members of the‌ press and senior officials within the DOJ regarding various individuals⁣ and investigations. Foster mentioned ‍that top officials ‍like Rod Rosenstein, Robert Hur, Edward O’Callaghan, Sarah Isgur, and Jessie Liu would have been involved in approving or overseeing the subpoena on⁣ congressional staffers.

Lastly, Empower requested all communications exchanged between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for‌ the⁣ District of Columbia, the National​ Security ⁣Division, the Deputy Attorney General’s⁤ Office, and/or the FBI and Verizon ​regarding obtaining communications data associated with devices serviced ‌by Verizon for U.S. House Representatives or U.S. Senate.

Foster explained that Empower ‍singled‍ out⁢ Verizon because all ‍government-provided work ‌phones⁣ on Capitol Hill use that provider.

The Justice‍ Department claims to be reviewing its use⁤ of subpoenas and other ​legal authorities to obtain communication records of Members⁣ of Congress, affiliated persons, and ​the ‍news media in ⁣connection with investigations⁣ of alleged unauthorized disclosures of information to the media.

Empower’s FOIA request questions whether the DOJ was equally diligent in seeking the communication records of its own⁢ employees who had‍ access to⁢ leaked information.