>> well, senator, i saw the world before the fisa amendments act of 2008. i saw what it was like without this authority. and it was very difficult for the intelligence community and very difficult for the lawyers that the justice department. and we were focusing a lot of our resources at that time on folks who, you know, nine u.s. persons outside the u.s., folks without constitutional rights. and i saw in the very early days the implementation of this law. i followed it, of course, on the news since then. i understand the intelligence community considers it to be a critical if not one of the most critical tools it has in the work that it does. i have also seen the review that the privacy and civil liberties board did of this authority. and i take note of the fact that they have found no intentional misuses of this authority. so it strikes me that as best i can see from the outside, this is a critical authority. i support its reauthorization, and i look forward to working with the committee on that if i'm there in time. if not, then working with you on your

worked a lot on the fisa amendments act and other issues as well. i have met with the director as part of this process to just begin to establish a relationship with him and my view of what the role is of the national security division when it comes to the director is that really i'm to be the main link to the odni but to appreciate and be the voice of the equities of the intelligence community whether we're talking about legislative or policy issues or again political particular prosecutions. and what equities of the intelligence community may be effected by a particular prosecution. so i anticipate regular communications with that office, the director, the chief of staff and the general counsel. . >> do you anticipate any changes from what we currently have status quo between that office and odni? >> i don't know that i know enough to answer that question. >> okay. fair enough. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you very much. mr. demurs, thank you for coming by yesterday. i very much enjoyed the conversation and your history with some of the peopl

dossier was presumably used by jim comey once he dropped it on the president's desk as a basis for a fisa application that could then be used to surveil americans associated with trump which americans were illegally unmasked by the 7 intelligence agencies that were unmasked creating a third world kangaroo justice system. if that isn't looking at, then i'm from mars. if you did watch that hearing. did you even get a straight answer from the attorney general? dose even note parameters of his own recusal? how and when are we going to get answers? we know it takes years for congress to get responses. predictions are the release of hillary's state dimentd and been gats -- state department and benghazi emails won't be released until 2020. it's no way to run a government, but it's a way to hide the truth or cut with the builty a break. it's no wonder congress's approval rating is 17%. two congressmen believe they can investigate and get answers. they will subpoena witnesses, bring people in to do depositions, ask for documents, do public hearings. but it must be on a timely schedule. none of thi

they present it to the fisa court as an intelligence report. that should never happen in this country. zooms what we are asking is -- what we are asking is, let's finds fought what took place. 3 1/2 months ago we asked for a special counsel. we learned a lot of new information since then. let's get answers for the american people. lou: as we look at what mapped today in that committee room, it's discouraging because you didn't get an answer to the question you asked and actually you asked for 3 1/2 months ago. >> i like jeff sessions, i think he did a great job the senate. but we are not getting much different treatment from this justice department than we got with the holder and lynch justice department. i asked did the fbi fay christopher steele? if you look at kim stossels column over the weekend, i want to know if he was -- was our government paying the guy who wrote the dossier the clintons were financing? lou: your question and the attorney general's answer while trying to fling gps:fusion, the democratic party, the fbi. >> this happened

judge, what is the status of section 702 of the fisa law. >> section 702 of the fisa lou permits federal agents to go to a secret court in watched and get a warrant to listen to telephone calls and capture the contents of all electronic or digital communication on the basis of less than what the constitution requires. the constitution says no searches without warrants and no warrants without probable cause. the fisa statute does not require the government to come forward with that evidence. they can listen to anybody. but it's worse than that. the whole concepts of fisa, the concept of a federal agent going to a secret cord to conduct secret surveil yains a subject tremendous -- surveillance is a subterfuge. it's less expensive ghost to surveil everyone all the time and that's that's what they do. they pretend to follow the nice nice a. in reality they don't follow that statute. kennedy: the nsa said this writes we crossed the line during the obama administration. that's only the stuff they told us about. there has been reporting and interagent stay squabbles that led to sunlight on some

that is allowed under 702 of the fisa legislation. we're getting ready to re-authorize fisa. this 702 provision should require a warrant to search that information, a warrant to take that content of that information and make it public. a file on bobby. the fourth amendment is sacred to this country, and i ask unanimous consent to introduce the fourth amendment into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. congress must ted seth the standard for prifecy, not the courts. we're called upon to fix this spying on americans and not allow it. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas, mr. hill, for five minutes. chair r gentleman from arkansas, mr. hill, for five minutes. mr. hill: i thank the speaker. this morning i rise to express my concern about the opioid epidemic that's plaguing our nation. hurting our families, reducing productivity, and really one of the most shocking things that we have been experiencing across this land. i want to recog

showing in front of a judge but they said it wasn't the basis for their getting a fisa warrant?we don't know that. everything points to the basis -- >> we have reporting coming out that they had other elements when they made their show -- >> you know what? >> more importantly, why do you believe what clinton did sizes up as any type of collusion? why? >> they paid for it. the press had this dossier. nobody would print it because -- and then it gets presented to a fisa warrant and that's the basis for putting a tap on carter page. really? and briefs president elect trump on it and shortly thereafter it'siit's leaked, and then the dossier is discussed and cnn reports it and buzzfeed prints the entire dossier, and those needs to be investigated, too. >> it sounds like just a political spitball contest. >> an opposition research document that gets presented to the fisa -- >> we don't know if that was presented as the basis -- >> why don't they tell us? >> you have heard reporting where they said the dossier was not the basis of the investigation. >> why the reluctance to tell us? di

that's generally the purpose of the fisa law and fisa courts. >> that's not a perfect summary. that's the substance to it. >> it's too short. we know we can't trust the nsa. james clapper testified in 2o 13 that the nsa was not spying on americans and all of a sudden this guy name issd snowden showp and i don't like him and think he should be prosecuted, but the american public was being spied on by the nsa. part of that gives the nsa authority to seize information like e-mails, text messages, communications by these bad guys, foreign agents or terrorists overseas to collect their information to make sure that america is safe. during that process as you know, incidental information, information on americans, who they are, and what the conversations may be is also seized. nsa said that's incidental information. that's my understanding that the justice department is opposed to the usa liberty act which would require that before government goes into that information on americans where they are not the target. the target is terrorists. they go into the information on americans. the

that's generally the purpose of the fisa law and fisa courts. do you agree with that? >> well, it's not a perfect summary, but there's substance to it. >> it's too short. we know we can't trust the nsa. james clapper testified in front of this committee in 2013 that the nsa was not spying on americans. then all of a sudden, this guy snow snowden showed up -- he ought to be prosecuted, in my opinion -- but we learned americans were being spied upon by the nsa. part of the foreign surveillance act gives them the authority to seize information like e-mails, texts, conversations between these terrorists overseas to collect information to make sure america is safe. during that process, as you know, incidentally -- call it incidental information -- information on americans, who they are and what those conversations may be is also seized. the nsa says that is incidental information. now, it's my understanding the justice department is opposed to the usa liberty act which would require that before government goes into that information on americans, whether or not the target, t

that's generally the purpose of the fisa law and fisa courts. would you agree with that? >> well, that's not a perfect summary but it's. >> short? >> substance to it. >> it's too short. we know we can't trust the nsa. james clapper testified before this committee in 2013 that the nsa was not spying on americans. then all of the sudden this guy named snowden showed up and we found out whether -- i don't like snowden at all. he ought to be prosecuted, i think. but, anyway. we learned that the american public was being spied on by the nsa. part of the foreign intelligence surveillance act gives the nsa authority to seize information like emails, text messages, communications by these bad guys foreign agents or terrorists overseas to collect their information, to make sure that america is safe. during that process, as you know, incidental -- they call it incidental information. information on americans, who they are, and what those conversations may be is also seized. nsa says that's incidental information. now, it's my understanding the justice department is oppose to the us

>> it's outrageous. 9 fisa warrants are suppose to be carefully scrutinize.they are taking documents paid for by the dnc and hillary clinton's campaign. and they are getting fisa warrants to spy on american citizens. >> if you had the republican party paying a private organization to bribe russians to say untrue things about democrats, you would have 100 democrats in the house of representatives calling for impeachment. all we are calling for is an honest investigation. they should not be the ones investigating the president of the united states. >> rod rosenstein and mueller do not want to step down. they are the on things standing between the american people getting the truth. they are object trucking things right -- they are obstructing things right now. they don't want anybody investigating because they are the ones that closed and sealed and protected the russian investigation originally. lou: congratulations on getting this moving. let's hope the attorney general does what president trump says is the right thing. >> you nailed it. this is just the begin

for putting on this whole program so that we can have a better and more informed discussion about fisa section 702, which i think is soarly needed. as david says, i think i still qualify as new. i still feel new. and i've spent the first two months trying to get up to speed on a lot of things including section 702 and the reauthorization efforts. i've also seen the enormous strides that the bureau has made in transforming our work in the new reality -- i still think of it as new -- post-9/11. following the attacks, the bureau and elsewhere systematically worked to teardown walls that had prohibited or dangerously inhibited critical intelligence sharing across our programs. i know that because i was there. i was there in the days before 9/11. i was in fbi headquarters on the days of the attacks themselves. and i was there for the four years afterwards. and the fact we have not suffered another 9/11 scale attack is not just luck. it is the product of an enormous amount of very, very hard work and diligence by thousands of professionals. most importantly it's a product of teamwork and inf

good at the mitchell fisa law and i wish that government. which came out the opposite where. you can know where the colorful is. that they have been. because. i think they're fair. and you can. you give lives now if you generate. a good one and then i'm not a business where i sit the list of the knesset then you say but if you build a case how much. regime does many a sub i swear i wish my book. but . it. was a lot of. time . to grow from. the moon i. disagree. with this so we're going to start. to plus moved on to a good. thing. that you. ok. about. so. this is how. this is if you're. on. the. night. on the tube. there. was a you. know most of us in. washington i was. just buckled up and got a new phone oh that yes we're going to have this king is that none of them seem to get him and he got run out of the way and they are the most little sort of longer. they're going to deal with this i'm going to tell. you if you still want to intimidate them to move on to the comics you know how to do. this holiday. second but dear mr ahmed i think. you can. believe. that. yes it's a litt

release of fisa information? sen. poe: release of the information of who the person is or the classified information. that's classified information. is your department. prosecuting anybody for that? sen. poe: i cannot confirm -- and went mr. sessions: no one is under indictment. we will continue to press those cases. sen. poe: good. i want to talk about the foreign intelligence surveillance act. secret courts issuing secret wa get information from terrorists overseas, that is fisa law and fisa court. mr. sessions: that is not a perfect summarymr. sessions: but that is substance to it. we can trustknow the nsa. that thepper testified u.s. was not testifying -- was not spying on americans. and then snowden comes along. part of the foreign intelligence surveillance act gives the nsa authority to seize information, like emails, text messages, guys,ications of these foreign agents or terrorists, overseas, to collect their information, to make sure america is safe. during the process, as you know, andrmation on americans, t

potentially used the dossier to obtain a fisa warrant. how is that not a concern?hat should be a concern to everyone. >> gillian: i've surveyed folks at the other networks and said do you think that news outlets -- is this a common practice that you know? do outlets not just television outlets but printoutlets pay for independent research, things like polls? things like source material and contacts and that kind of thing? and a lot of folks have said, yes, this is a common practice. >> jessica: moving on to another topic president trump speak on the phone with russian president vladimir putin. >> lisa: the president said they had a great call, discussing north korea, fighting terrorism and the syrian civil war. the call cames after the president and putin ment meton the sidelines in a conference in vietnam. mr. trump said during that trip that it's very important to get along with nations like russia. listen. >> i feel that having russia in a friendly posture as opposed to always fighting with them is an asset to the world and an asset to our country, not a liabili

-- substantiating a fisa warrant on a private citizen based on nothing more than kremlin gossip.t's why i have taken aa very strong vocal stand as long as with you and some other individuals. you are right. a it shouldn't be about party. that's why democrats and republicans alike should come together at the thanksgiving table in a moment of unity, brian, and say that was bad what fusion gps did. >> brian: i thought i was told by experts not to bring upas politics. back to politics, because we are on television. ethan, do you believe that this election needs an asterisk like donna brazileu just came up with chris matthews and said. >> i don't know that we needma to go that far. i want to add to something that dana was just saying there. we know how bad the russian hacking is. fusion gps, that's not hacking. that is political pay. that is money going under the table toto somebody who may be is dirty. we don't know all the details of that. but the hacking is legitimate. the hacking is concentrated and concerted attacks. >> which is why i wanted the dnc to let the fbi investigate. th

the anti-trump dossier, who paid for it, the clinton campaign, the fbi, the fisa wire tap warrants.i think we need to look too it. david: i know the investigations cost money, but if it's fair to look at the trump campaign, don't we now have enough evidence to look into the clinton campaign? >> yeah, but even so, i'm kind of against having an investigation. look, hillary clinton lost. she's never coming back. that's quite a lot of punishment ap i think it would be a bad precedent for u.s. presidents to start prosecuting the losers in elections. you know, that's what they do in third world dictatorships. david: i can understand, but bill, at the same time, we as a country believe or at least the politicians do, it's important to find out what russia did to try to influence the election. it's clear, one thing they did was working with the dnc's fusion gps group, they put together this trump dossier, got a lot of russians involved with that and they were trying to dump on donald trump, on the campaign of donald trump. that was part of what russia did. >> well, for one thing, the uraniu

she claims she was inappropriately touched by a former fisa president four years ago. fans appreciate the fact she came forward. >> paving the way for everyone to come out and feel confident. >> anyone who comes forward with a situation that happened to them has the right to be heard, also not only heard, the right to, you know, justice. >> solo did not play in last night's game, which team usa won, 3-0 closing out their 2017 season. >>> california has changes on how they handle allegations against lawmakers. the team will recommend discipline to make the findings public. previously, they looked at matters internally. it comes in the wake of accusations against tony mendoza. he denied the claims. >>> happening today, pg&e crews will relocate utility poles on caltrain's corridor. it's part of the project that wraps up in 2022. they will replace and remove poles in san francisco and san bruno. >>> coming up on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. >> count is closed. what happens when a company tries to put money into it? a mess, that's what. i'm chris chmura. nbc b

. >> did the fbi present the dossier to the fisa court? >> i'm not able to answer that. >> do you know if the fbi did the established process protocol in evaluating claims made in the dossier? >> i'm not able to answer that. >> on january 6th, then fbi directors james comey, briefed president-elect trump up in new york about the dossier. shortly thereafter, that -- the fact that meeting took place and the subject of the meeting was the dossier was leaked to cnn. do you know who leaked that information? >> i do not. >> are you investigating who leaked that information? >> that would be a matter within the invest gaer to powers. >> you a number of investigations going on regarding leaks. is that one of them you're investigating? >> i'm not able to reveal the existence of investigations or not. >> i appreciate your service in the senate, i appreciate your service at the justice department. consider you a friend. and frankly i appreciate yesterday's letter saying you were considering appointing a special counsel. that you sent us. but my conce

be doing the fisa vote was. just giving him grief for talking to white journalists . he was in his best interest and you have the right out of me eight. months in time to bring him or her mouth in. case i would like ok i'm sure you know where they are. you helping him bring more people here in this. case so this is a makes my neighborhood was not just good they got a hole to answer and we don't have that you know yeah why don't they ever has or doesn't now they may think there's a video saying this don't bring more of their rights i needs our joint does i have no say disgust the black neighbors are right those are the things they've been asked this question they think ok ok he look up the ok can you pass an address this is you anybody is i or is it him i was at one have met like sounds like a gun and apply it takes a little separation is our salvation. the best sound bite we can get them to stop killing the devil. by god. this woman is part of the nation of islam yes. a radical muslim organization that promotes the superiority of the black race. shows seem wrong when

the door the fisa fellow was. just giving him grief for talking to a white journalist. living with his best interest. you have the right but i mean eight. months or one in time to bring in more of a mountain. historically of like ok i'm sure there would have been you helping him bring more white people. in this. case so this is a mix like neighborhood is not just right now the whole center and we don't have you know how well known neighborhoods like this are now they make and there's a video saying this don't bring more of their rights and he's are going to have those i have no say this person who took to the black neighborhood right after this first they answer this question they think ok ok he's like ok can you pass an address this is you anybody else i am aware that one have not let down like a gun in a free space is that the separation is our salvation. the best on the way we can get them to stop killing devils. like. this woman is part of the nation that this is. a radical muslim organization that promotes the superiority of the black race. and. i would say. we don

present the dossier to the fisa court? mr. sessions: i'm not able to answer that. mr. jordan: do you know the f.b.i. did the established process, protocol, evaluating claims made in the dossier? mr. sessions: i'm not able to answer that. mr. jordan: on january 6, then f.b.i. director james comey, briefed president-elect trump up in new york about the dossier. shortly thereafter, that -- the fact that meeting took place and the subject of the meeting was the dossier was leaked to cnn. do you know who leaked that information mr. sessions: i do not. mr. jordan: are you investigating who leaked that information? mr. sessions: that would be a matter within the investigateor -- investigatory powers of the general counsel. mr. jordan: is that likely one of the he leaks are you investigating? mr. sessions: eam not able to reveal the existence of investigations or not. mr. jordan: mr. attorney general, i appreciate your service in the senate. i appreciate your service at the justice department. consider you a friend. and frankly i appreciate yesterday's letter saying you were c

of fisa obtained information? >> release of the information of who the american is and/or the conversation by the american that is classified information. is your department investigating anybody for that? >> i cannot confirm or deny an existence -- >> are you prosecuting anybody for that>>? >> nobody is under indictment although we have at least four indictments this year of leaks of classified information. we will continue to press those cases. >> good. the foreign intelligence surveillance act. secret courts, issuing secret onrants to get information terrorists overseas. that's generally the purpose of the fisa law and court. do you agree with that? >> that is not a perfect summary. it has substance to it. >> it's too short. can't trust the nsa. james clapper testified in 2013 that the nsa was spying on americans. all of a sudden this guy's note in showed up -- this guy edward snowden showed up. he ought to be prosecuted i think. we learned that the american public was being spied on by the nsa. part of the for

equivalent of a "national enquirer" story into an intelligent story, take it to the pfizer court -- fisaourt. >> looks like is not enough basis to appoint a special counsel. >> are you going to appoint one? he has reminded you a couple times of his tweets that's what he wants. >> i will fulfill my duty as attorney general. >> bret: there you have it. let's bring the panel. from the washington bureau, charles hurt. shannon pettypiece, and byron york. byron, overall, on balance, the attorney general on capitol hill today. >> on valence, the first clip, it was a five and a half hour attempt by democrats to catch jeff sessions an ally about russia. we heard a lot of questions about the george papadopoulos affair, the man who pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi, was the informal trump advisor on foreign policy. we heard a lot about that. we heard more about carter page, whom sessions had had a very, very cursory encounter with. didn't even remember. then we heard more about sessions 'of meeting with the russian ambassador during the campaign. the bottom line was i didn't really move the ball v

that we don't have with this level fisa and not. all the saudi crown prince his actions have been warring politicians around the world and just earlier this week the new york times reported u.s. officials increasingly concerned with his decisions saying they could damage u.s. interests report also suggested those steps have made investors nervous and criticism from germany has prompted saudi arabia to recall its ambassador to burn in jenin farmers a signal gabriel suggested on thursday that for the lebanese prime minister saad hariri had been held against his will in riyadh there were also calls for lebanon's neighbors including saudi arabia so let it decide its own fate made the statement just before hariri travel to paris we've not seen much criticism of saudi from your thoughts prompted the german foreign minister to say this to launch ahead with this criticism just like people respond to that rush it is absolutely essential respond to comments. so just that. in order. for the mystic. to international investors well actually. we

of the suspect and one of the suspected masterminds of the two thousand and eight move by attacks fisa so you have been under house arrest since january but authorities have now freed him due to a lack of evidence has vowed to continue to fight in control of kashmir but denies involvement in the doesn't meet attacks that killed one hundred sixty six people supporters in the war turned out to celebrate his release. retailers wait all year for this day and shoppers as well this black friday how the really there's weeks before christmas really are crucial for companies they are sometimes when they bring in the bulk of their full year profits even and in the united states it is black friday to officially kicks off the holiday shopping spree and here's a bit of history for you the philadelphia police the phrase black friday back in that i nine hundred sixty s. when the friday off the thanksgiving sales created traffic jams and through so many unruly shoppers that police say it darkened that workday well things aren't all that different now. they'd barely had time to digest the thanksgiving

and that would be improper and illegal, to spy on that particular candidate through a fisa warrant.buse of power that needs to be investigated. >> after everything we have just gone over showing the slippage of the justice department. if the question is whether they are capable under a new administration but with a lot of the same careers involved in justice. whether they are capable of a neutral investigation whether hillary clinton broke the law or whether the dnc or the fbi was influenced by russia. >> he recused himself from anything related to hillary. he has to hand over to somebody who is neutral and independent and unimpede by political influences. special counsel is the only way. once he appoints the special counsel, sessions should resign. david: sessions was asked by jim jordan whether or not looks like there was enough stuff happening by russia and the dnc and hillary campaign to appoint a second counsel to which sessions said it looks like is not good enough for a counsel. and i said, it was good enough for mueller. gregg: your point is an excellent one. it was a very l

and in fact may have used it for fisa warrants before federal judges. that's quite a statement. >> that's true. they allowed the congress and their staff to look at some of these documents. why are they telling judicial watch they can't confirm or deny that they exist. lou: there may be agreat faith on the part of fusion gps that congress will keep their secrets than they are with you and judicial watch. they are probably afraid you will share with the public. we have a ridiculous situation where we have closed door hearings and people telling us about national security, congressmen and senators. it's a smoke because it's clear the thing that's broken here is the integrity of our committees in congress. the integrity of our intelligence agencies. and i'm saying it out loud because there is every evidence of corruption across all of those agencies. >> it may even be legal however unpleasant for the clinton gang to collude with the rugs to take down donald trump. but if the fbi under the tutelage of barack obama's administration and his appointees were al

[laughter] and he comes to shake hands of everybody in fisa next to hamper crow i cannot even say what in church. [laughter] but it sounds like long page -- but it is like long the moist question to the president. and by the way ta-nehisi coates he did not say my name right. i saw the article you look the other day and that was terribly unfair. and he went off on me. it really felt like that. i said i am not show up. think you're not going to do what you're going to do then i get another phone call. [laughter] ended is a strange number can you come tomorrow? i said i am going down again i am not sure it shot this time. [laughter] she says yes. yes for yes. [laughter] just think when they met kennedy. that is you. you have got it. i get all the trade:negative train. i am listening to an on-line my iphone. i get down there and it is raining that day. with a the traffic and i am way late. i get out of the cab with no umbrella. is appropriately dressed and they are calling me in the cab are you coming? this is the president show some respect. i get there the room is all white except for hi

we can't see what they are saying in advance even if you have a wiretap or fisa, you can't stop thaturring. >> bill: that's a true story. you cannot stop it. buck. >> well, bill, this is the debate that will continue to go on when it comes to the encryption for private companies and the phones that they sell. and quite honestly it does create a vulnerability. the notion that you would give an all-access key just to the government for its purposes to get into your product means that is now out there and could also fall into the hands of bad actors. i can understand the concerns here. it is interesting that in this case i know they aren't confirming or denying what the make of the phone is. it has been report evidence that it's an iphone and apple has come out and said we reached out and said that you guys should be aware if it is an iphone, not corroborated by the f.b.i. make sure to get access within 48 hours using a thumbprint. if they miss that window and if they missed the window because they didn't want help offered from apple that won't look good back to the question about burea

you have to remember the mueller investigation has the fbi fisa warrants that were out before any of us knew that this was in operation, not just manaforts but papa dopolous. that has to be declassified and turned over into evidence as to whatever is going to happen. i'm sure we are going find that bridge. >> nick, i also think it's possible, the bridge doesn't happen before the election, but after the election, there's something that looks like that. we know there's a lot of contact happening in the transition that looks more up close and personal. the famous phone calls from flynn to kislyak. >> yeah, but i think we see the bridge before that, the actually glue that hold us all together are the stolen documents from the dnc. we know as early as april that the trump campaign knew there were these stolen documents out there. we always know in that e-mail from june 3rd sent to gold stone -- the piece you left out there was a piece about there being highly sensitive information that i was going send to your father's secretary, but instead i'm going bring it myself. to me, that has to m