Senator Kennedy Grills Privacy Board Nominees: “Do You Think the Steele Dossier Is True?” — None Can Answer Directly

On 1/15/2022, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana questioned Biden nominees for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, asking each a seemingly simple question: do you think the Steele dossier is true? None of the nominees could give a direct answer. Kennedy expressed frustration that the very agency charged with protecting Americans’ civil liberties had sat “like a bump on a log” while the FBI used the discredited dossier to surveil a U.S. citizen for years.

”Do You Think the Steele Dossier Is True?”

Kennedy posed the question first to nominee Williams. “Do you think the Steele dossier is true?” he asked.

“Well, Senator, I have no basis to believe it’s true. Either way, I don’t have an opinion,” Williams replied.

“I don’t understand,” Kennedy pressed. “Do you believe it’s true or not true?”

“So I haven’t read the Steele dossier, but from the news reports, it sounds like there may be falsehoods in it. But again, I don’t have personal knowledge of it,” Williams said.

Kennedy then turned to nominee Franklin. “Do you have an opinion on whether it’s true or not true?”

“I also have not had access to read the dossier, but I can say that I share your concern,” Franklin responded.

Kennedy kept pushing. “Do you believe it’s true or not true?”

Franklin pivoted to the Inspector General’s findings: “I believe that the Inspector General of the Justice Department found significant problems in three reports, including 17 significant errors or omissions in the FISA applications regarding Carter Page.”

“So you don’t believe the Steele dossier is true,” Kennedy said. “Why is it so hard for you all to tell me what you think here? That’s pretty basic."

"Like a Bump on a Log”

Kennedy’s frustration boiled over into a broader indictment of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board itself. He noted that the FBI, under Director James Comey, had used the Steele dossier as a basis for FISA surveillance of Carter Page — a Trump campaign associate — for years, despite the dossier’s claims being unverified.

“Some members of our federal government put the full force and weight of the power of the office behind the dossier,” Kennedy said. “And it didn’t matter who they were about. I can’t believe you can’t agree with me that it’s not true.”

Kennedy then asked where the board had been during the entire episode. “Where were you guys at the board? You’re supposed to protect civil liberties. You’re supposed to protect privacy. Doesn’t matter whose privacy and civil liberties are being infringed,” Kennedy said.

He noted that James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, had been “prepared to make a public statement that we’re not sure if the dossier is accurate, and Director Comey called him and said, no, don’t say that.”

“FBI Director Comey sold this thing for five years,” Kennedy said. “Where was your agency? Did anybody at your agency stand up and say, wait a minute, before we make all these allegations on the basis of the Steele dossier, shouldn’t we check whether they’re true?"

"Hide Their Heads in a Bag”

Kennedy delivered his verdict on the board’s failure. “When you both get there, I wish you would talk to your colleagues over there. They ought to hide their heads in a bag,” Kennedy said. “They’re in charge of protecting American civil liberties and privacy, and it doesn’t matter who you are. And they sat there sucking on their teeth like a bump on a log and never said a word.”

Three Inspector General Reports

The nominees repeatedly referenced three Inspector General reports that had documented serious problems with the FBI’s handling of the Steele dossier and the Carter Page FISA applications. The IG found 17 significant errors or omissions in the applications — a finding Franklin called “highly concerning” and “very convincing.”

But Kennedy was not interested in their assessment of the IG reports. He wanted a simple answer about whether the dossier was true. None of the nominees would give one.

“I really, really regret that,” Kennedy said. “I mean, this to me is — it’s not political. These allegations that turned out not to be true, it doesn’t matter who they were about.”

Key Takeaways

Senator Kennedy asked each Privacy Board nominee whether the Steele dossier was true; none could give a direct yes or no answer.
Kennedy accused the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board of sitting “like a bump on a log” while the FBI used the discredited dossier to surveil an American citizen for years.
Kennedy revealed that DNI Clapper had been prepared to publicly question the dossier’s accuracy but FBI Director Comey told him not to.
The nominees cited three Inspector General reports finding 17 significant errors in the Carter Page FISA applications but would not directly state the dossier was false.
Kennedy told the nominees their predecessors on the board should “hide their heads in a bag” for failing to protect civil liberties.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

Do you think the Steele dossier is true? I have no basis to believe it’s true. Either way, I don’t have an opinion.
Why is it so hard for you all to tell me what you think here? That’s pretty basic.
FBI Director Comey sold this thing for five years. James Clapper was prepared to make a public statement that we’re not sure if the dossier is accurate, and Director Comey called him and said, no, don’t say that.
Where were you guys at the board? You’re supposed to protect civil liberties. Doesn’t matter whose privacy and civil liberties are being infringed.
They ought to hide their heads in a bag. They sat there sucking on their teeth like a bump on a log and never said a word.
These allegations turned out not to be true. It doesn’t matter who they were about.

Full transcript: 1189 words transcribed via Whisper AI.