Judge James Boasberg

FISA Court Shamefully Protects the Swamp

Posted on by NLPC Staff

This letter to the editor by NLPC Counsel Paul Kamenar appears in the Wall Street Journal today:

Your editorial “A Pass for Kevin Clinesmith” (Jan. 30)—condemning the slap on the wrist of former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who was sentenced only to probation by Obama-appointed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Judge James Boasberg for altering a CIA email to get a surveillance warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as an example of “two-tiered justice”—It omits a more compelling example than how Gen. Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos were more harshly treated.

In our filing with Judge Boasberg, we pointed out how attorney Alex van der Zwaan, the first person sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, also pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement. Like Mr. Clinesmith, he asked for probation as a first offender and because his wife, too, was pregnant … Read More ➡

One America News Network: NLPC’s Kamenar Criticizes Clinesmith Probation

Posted on by NLPC Staff

Paul Kamenar, Counsel to the National Legal and Policy Center, is interviewed by John Hines on One America News Network on the sentencing of Kevin Clinesmith. A former FBI lawyer, Clinesmith forged an email that was presented to a FISA court, resulting in the investigation of Carter Page. Clinesmith received probation instead of prison, which Kamenar characterized as a “miscarriage of justice.”… Read More ➡

‘Miscarriage of Justice’ as Clinesmith Gets Slap on the Wrist

Posted on by NLPC Staff
Judge James Boasberg

Federal Judge James E. Boasberg, who also presides over the secret Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Court (FISC), sentenced former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith to probation instead of prison as he had requested at his sentencing hearing this morning.

NLPC filed a sentencing memorandum with the court earlier in the week calling upon the judge to incarcerate Clinesmith The government requested three-to-six month prison sentence. Instead, the judge sentenced him to community service and imposed no fine.

“This was a total miscarriage of justice,” fumed NLPC Counsel Paul Kamenar who attended the hearing.  “Equal justice demanded at least the same sentence for Clinesmith as was given to Alex van der Zaan, and more, since he held a position of trust,” said Kamenar, who drafted the sentencing memorandum.  NLPC also recommended that any probation include requiring Clinesmith to make a video expressing his remorse to be shown to all Department … Read More ➡

Prison Urged for FBI’s Clinesmith Who Forged Evidence Against Carter Page

Posted on by NLPC Staff
Kevin Clinesmith on Facebook

National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has filed a sentencing memorandum with the federal court in Washington, D.C., calling upon Judge James E. Boasberg, who also presides over the secret Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Court (FISC), to sentence former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith to prison instead of probation at his public virtual sentencing hearing Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.

NLPC also called upon the judge to require Clinesmith to make a video about his crime and express remorse to be used by the Justice Department for their ethics training program for all DOJ and FBI attorneys.

In an August 14, 2020, plea agreement with Special Counsel John H. Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr to investigate the origins of the 2016 Russia collusion probe known as “Crossfire Hurricane,” Clinesmith admitted that he doctored a June 15, 2017, CIA email by adding that Carter Page, … Read More ➡