Settlement Reached in Carter Page's Lawsuit Over FBI Surveillance Warrants
The Trump administration has settled with former Trump campaign aide Carter Page regarding his claims related to FBI surveillance warrants during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The settlement amount is $1.25 million, and it only covers Page's claims under the PATRIOT Act, not those under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Page, who served as a foreign-policy adviser to President Trump, was surveilled by the FBI through FISA warrants in 2016 and 2017. The FBI's handling of the warrant applications was criticized for errors and omissions, including reliance on the controversial Steele dossier. Page's lawsuit against the Justice Department, FBI, and several individuals, including former FBI officials, was dismissed by the courts due to the statute of limitations.
The settlement agreement between the Trump administration and Carter Page does not involve his claims against the individual defendants named in his lawsuit. The settlement specifically addresses Page's claims under the PATRIOT Act and does not extend to the FISA-related allegations against the former FBI officials. Page's lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleged that the surveillance warrants were obtained through false and misleading information. However, the courts ruled in favor of the government, citing the statute of limitations as a barrier to Page's claims against federal entities and FBI personnel.
The settlement amount of $1.25 million resolves Carter Page's claims against the U.S. government related to the FBI surveillance warrants. The agreement only covers Page's claims under the PATRIOT Act and does not address the allegations made under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Despite the settlement, Page's lawsuit against the Justice Department, FBI, and individual defendants, including former FBI officials, was dismissed by the courts due to the statute of limitations. The settlement marks the conclusion of the legal dispute between Page and the government over the surveillance warrants issued during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.