川普总统的前过渡团队律师周六(16日)指控负责调查俄罗斯政府可能干预美国大选的特别检察官穆勒(Robert Mueller),非法获取数万封私人电子邮件,因此违反了《美国宪法》第四修正案。
Politico.com 新闻网报道,川普政府前过渡团队律师兰贺夫(Kory Langhofer)周六分别致函国会两院监督委员会,内容长达7页。其中,他投诉穆勒团队在调查“通俄门”时,通过非法形式获取数万封私人电邮,违反了《第四修正案》对私人信息的保护。
《第四修正案》属于美国权利法案的一部分,宗旨是禁止无理搜查、获取或扣押私人信息及财物。
兰贺夫表示,穆勒办公室今年夏天在调查通俄门时,从联邦总务署(General Services Administration,或GSA)获得了数万封私人电邮,尽管穆勒办公室知道这些电邮不属于GSA所有或管理。作为政府机构,GSA负责保存川普政府过渡团队的资料。GSA在近年的大选中,向总统过渡团队提供办公间,并协助保存政府交接过程中的电子邮件。
兰贺夫认为,穆勒办公室在调查期间“大量使用了这些材料”,尽管他们了解这样做可能违反了“保护私有信息不得侵犯”的法律。
兰贺夫在信中说,川普过渡团队在上周才得知,穆勒团队从GSA那里获得了几台笔记本电脑、几部手机和至少一个iPad,这些设备里储存有川普过渡团队的个人电邮及信息。之前,穆勒办公室保证说,他们不会在调查中触及私人信息。
“然而,穆勒办公室在获得了上万封电子邮件,其中包括众多含有个人信息的邮件后,在没有事先通报川普过渡团队的情况下,大量地使用这些信息。”兰贺夫说。兰贺夫也表示,GSA向穆勒办公室公布这些信息的做法也属“非法”,因为这种做法违反了1963年《总统交接法案》中的有关条款。
据熟悉穆勒调查过程的川普过渡团队的官员表示,穆勒方面从GSA获得的这些电邮中,有许多是涉及国家安全的敏感信息,包括川普的外交战略以及组建政府团队时,他对高层官员的人选考量等。这位不愿透露姓名的官员说,之前GSA高级官员表示,他们会将任何来自穆勒办公室的要求,提交给川普政府过渡团队来处理。
然而今年9月,当穆勒办公室提出要求时,GSA将一个载有上万封电邮的闪存盘,交给了穆勒办公室,却没有告知川普团队。
未发现异常 对白宫官员的询问已结束
川普的私人律师计划最早在下周与特别检察官穆勒及其团队成员会面,就“通俄门”调查的进展做更明确的了解。
目前,穆勒团队对白宫官员就此案的询问已经结束,并未发现异常。白宫方面按照穆勒的要求,也已经提交了所有要求获得的文件。
因此,川普团队律师希望穆勒就总统及副总统不涉及“通俄门”,尽早做出明确的结论。
通俄门调查团队反川普(特朗普)、亲希拉里的政治偏见近期不断被披露。最新民调显示,特别检察官穆勒所领导的调查正面临着一场“公众信任危机”。
据《国会山报》报导,最新公布的CAPS/Harris调查显示,54%的人认为通俄门特别检查官穆勒与前联邦调查局(FBI)局长科米关系密切,而且存在利益冲突,无法让他在领导通俄门调查中没有偏袒。只有34%的民众认可穆勒的工作。
报道称,穆勒以前也曾做过FBI局长,之后科米接任了穆勒的职务。两人的关系从2000年代早期就已经开始,被外界描述是“手足兄弟”。本来穆勒调查团的职责是为美国民众带来有关通俄门的更客观、不带有党派色彩的调查结果,但民调的结果表明,民众对这一点表示怀疑。该调查机构联合主任、曾担任过前总统克林顿民意测评师的佩恩(Mark Penn),在《国会山报》撰文说:“显然,这些数字说明,穆勒和FBI正在面临一场公众信任危机。”
佩恩还指出,最新民调更重要的发现是,很多原本不支持川普的选民,现在也认为穆勒领导的调查已经偏离了轨道。
民调还显示,61%的美国民众表示,应该调查去年恶意攻击川普的黑档案。65%的民众表示,需要调查希拉里做美国国务卿时期与俄罗斯签署的“铀一”协议。该协议的签署与克林顿基金会获得1.4亿美元的未公开捐款有关。63%的民众认为,FBI一直拒绝向国会提供有关希拉里和川普调查的信息。佩恩称,FBI新局长弗雷(Christopher Wray)前几天说,FBI状况良好,但实际上不是这样的。
下次民调“公众信任危机”恐将恶化
近期美国媒体曝光了穆勒调查团中的两名得力干将 — FBI特工斯佐克(Peter Strzok)和FBI律师佩吉(Lisa Page),互传反川普、亲希拉里的短信。佩吉是斯佐克的情人,两人在去年大选前互相发送的短信在2017年12月12日被媒体曝光。
从斯佐克和佩吉的短信中,可以明显看出,他们曾在选前与FBI副局长麦凯比(Andrew McCabe)一起讨论让川普败选的策略,并制定了一个“保险计划”(insurance policy),来应对川普万一胜选这一可能情况。
斯佐克还被爆参与了2016年的希拉里电邮门调查,并在调查中起着重要角色。《华盛顿邮报》称,斯佐克是FBI反间谍部门的副主管,在去年调查希拉里任国务卿期间使用私人服务器处理机密信息的问题中,斯佐克曾是调查团队的关键干将。
《华盛顿邮报》还披露,在通俄门的调查中,斯佐克也同样是团队的关键调查人员。
国会议员近期发出强烈谴责称,穆勒让反对川普、亲希拉里的人来负责调查通俄门,存在明显的政治偏见。
CAPS/Harris的这项调查是在这些丑闻被曝光之前(11月8日至11日)进行的。佩恩认为,穆勒团队的丑闻将会影响下个月的民调结果。他说,无法想像针对FBI和穆勒的民调结果“将会有多糟糕”。
黑档案被滥用 企图陷害川普
佩恩指出,虽然去年的黑档案对川普带有明显的偏见和错误内容,但FBI的一些带有恶意的调查员却以该文件为起点,启动通俄门调查。前FBI局长科米在向川普总统提交这份文件时,并没有告诉他这份文件是由民主党出资。“因为,不管怎样,他们就是要企图陷害川普。”这就是斯佐克在被曝光的短信中所提到的“保险计划”。
现在,每个新曝光的事实以及相关官员们无法向国会做出合理解释都说明,肯定还有更多的证据会相继出来。佩恩说,大多数美国民众也发现,尽管发现希拉里的助手明显撒谎,但整个调查对川普的助手要远比对希拉里的助手更加严厉。
国会强烈质疑穆勒团队公正性
国会议员近日再次强烈要求司法部任命第二个特别检察官,议员们质疑穆勒团队对通俄门调查的公正性。该团队越来越多的成员被曝光亲希拉里,对调查带有政治偏见。国会众议院议员乔丹(Jim Jordan)说:“如果你将穆勒团队中每一位反川普的调查员都踢出去,我认为,不会剩下任何人。”
佩恩指出,现在必须要有人站出来,有勇气去把所有这一切清理干净,把事实全部弄清楚,重启整个调查,从原先的希拉里案开始。司法部长塞申斯要么着手管理这件事情,要么辞职。司法部副部长罗森斯坦(Rod Rosenstein)和FBI现任局长弗雷在现实面前必须醒悟,并行动起来。
佩恩指出,民调的结果反映,目前的做法是根本站不住脚的。如果不加以纠正,目前的信心危机可能会发展为全面的宪政危机。
附录大事记:
TIMELINE OF EVENTS (5/3/2016 – 1/10/2017):
05/03/16 – Trump becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for the office of president
05/03/16
– Clinton IT specialist Paul Combetta admits to lying to the FBI about
erasing emails using BleachBit but is not charged for the crime
05/05/16
– Washington Post reports there is “scant evidence” of a crime
committed by Clinton through her use of a private email server
05/15/16 – Nellie Ohr, wife of DOJ executive Bruce Ohr, is hired by Fusion GPS, presumably to work on Russian “Dossier”
05/16/16
– Draft statement by FBI directory Comey exonerating Clinton is
circulated to FBI leadership, long before they are done with their
investigation.
06/10/16 – FBI agent Peter Strzok changes
wording of Clinton charges from criminal designation “grossly negligent”
to “extremely careless”
06/15/16 – Ex-MI-6 agent Christopher
Steele is hired by Fusion GPS as part of an opposition research campaign
against Donald Trump – funded in part by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and
the DNC
06/20/16 – Fusion GPS contractor Christopher
Steele releases first of 17 memos that comprise the Russian “Dossier” –
alleging that Trump used prostitutes during a 2013 visit to Moscow and
that the Kremlin was blackmailing him with evidence.
06/27/16
– A.G. Loretta Lynch secretly meets with Bill Clinton on an airport
tarmac; they later deny discussing the investigation
07/02/16 – Clinton interviewed by FBI agent Peter Strzok‘s team for 3.5 hours; she is not placed under oath nor recorded (WaPo)
07/05/16 – FISA Court denies FBI request for surveillance of Trump campaign
07/05/16 – Fusion GPS contractor Christopher Steele shares Russian “Dossier” with the FBI
07/05/16 – FBI director Comey recommends no charges against Hillary Clinton for use of her email server
07/06/16 – A.G. Loretta Lynch accepts Comey’s recommendation not to charge Clinton for mishandling classified information
07/10/16 – DNC staffer Seth Rich murdered in as yet unsolved case
07/22/16 – Wikileaks releases archive of emails stolen from Democrat National Committee (DNC)
07/25/16 – FBI announces it will investigate the DNC hack revealed by Wikileaks
07/28/16 – Strzok sends text message referring to something “Opened on Trump?”
07/30/16 – FBI opens counterintelligence investigation into possible Russian “collusion” with Trump campaign led by Peter Strzok
08/06/16 – Lisa
Page texts Strzok; “Maybe you’re meant to stay where you are because
you’re meant to protect the country from that menace,” to which Strzok
replies “I can protect our country at many levels.”
08/15/16 – FBI investigator Strzok emails mistress referencing an “insurance policy” against Trump becoming president
08/16/16
– FBI writes Congress defending decision not to prosecute Clinton,
stating it was ‘extreme carelessness’ and not ‘gross negligence’
08/25/16
– CIA director James Brennan informs Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
about possible Russian “collusion” with Trump campaign
09/05/16 – Hillary Clinton accuses Russia of interfering with U.S. election
09/09/16 – Donald Trump Jr. meets with Russian attorney after being lured by the promise of opposition research
09/15/16 – FISA Court approves FBI request for surveillance of Trump campaign based upon Russian “Dossier”
09/21/16 – New York Times, Washington Post, and Yahoo News verbally briefed on Russian “Dossier” according to court filings
09/23/16 – Yahoo News publishes report based upon Russian “Dossier” and possible collusion with Trump campaign
09/28/16 – Comey claims his decision to exonerate Clinton was not made until after her interview with FBI agents
10/07/16 – Obama administration officially accuses Russia of meddling in 2016 presidential election
10/15/16 – FBI meets with Fusion GPS contractor Steele and offers to pay him for more Russian “Dossier” material
10/28/16 – Comey reopens investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server due to information found on Anthony Weiner’s computer
10/30/16
– Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid writes to James Comey asking him to
release “explosive” information on Russian “collusion”
10/31/16 – Fusion GPS contractor Steele feeds information to David Corn of Mother Jones that ties Trump to Russian “collusion”
10/31/16 – Clinton
campaign issues statement, citing Slate, about server in Trump Tower
that secretly communicated with Russia (Fusion GPS was behind this)
11/06/16 – Comey exonerates Clinton again after Weiner documents are reviewed “around the clock”
11/08/16 – Donald Trump is elected President of the United States
11/15/16 – DOJ executive Bruce Ohr meets in secret with Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson regarding Russian “Dossier”
11/15/16 – FBI agrees to continue fund Steele and his “Dossier”
11/18/16 – Sen. John McCain told of the Russian “Dossier”; a copy is sent to McCain and key aides
12/09/16 – McCain provides a copy of Russian “Dossier” to FBI director James Comey
12/09/16 – President Obama orders intelligence community to investigate Russian influence on U.S. election
01/06/17 – Comey briefs President-Elect Trump on existence of “salacious and unverified” Russian “Dossier”
01/10/17
– U.S. intelligence chiefs Comey, Clapper, Brennan, Rogers brief Obama
on Russian “Dossier” and attempts to “influence” Trump
01/10/17 – BuzzFeed releases full Fusion GPS “Dossier”