Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith’s plea deal could motivate other figures in Russia’s investigation to come forward, Wall Street Journal editor William McGurn said Friday.
“I think the big thing no one talks about, if you have a deal … there’s usually a quid pro quo,” McGurn said on “Special Report.”
TRUMP SUGGESTS CLINESMITH GUILTY PLEA ‘JUST DE BEGINNING’ DURHAM WITHOUT FALLOUT
“It probably means Clinesmith blew up and all the other parties in it have to ask themselves, ‘What did Clinesmith tell them about me?’ And it can also be a signal to others [that] they may want to cut their own deals. “
On Friday, sources told Fox News that Clinesmith would plead guilty to altering a document claiming that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page was “no source” for another government agency. Page was a CIA informant, but that was denied by a FISA guarantor who relied on Clinesmith’s false claim.
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The warning on Page, who had contacts with Russia, is cited as an example of the FBI abusing its authority in an attempt to investigate the Trump campaign. Prosecutors claim that any relationship between Page and the government would have been important to disclose to the FISA court, to the extent that it could help explain Page’s interactions that Page had with Russians.
Clinesmith’s lawyer said his client regretted the change and did not intend to mislead the court or his colleagues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
