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NEWS DECEMBER 7, 2020 ¦ 21

Prosecutors Recommend Prison Time for
Ex-FBI Lawyer Charged in Durham Probe

By C. Ryan Barber

U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)
Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer who punishment that includes a term of imprisonment to
pleaded guilty to falsifying an email that was reflect the seriousness of the offense.”
relied upon to renew surveillance of a Trump “The court’s sentence must also promote respect
campaign adviser amid the Russia investigation, for the law and deter others from committing similar
should be sentenced to prison for up to six months, crimes. The court’s sentence should send a message
prosecutors said Thursday. that people like the defendant—an attorney in a posi-
Clinesmith admitted in August that he had doc- tion of trust who others relied upon—will face seri-
tored an email in 2017 concerning past relations be- ous consequences if they commit crimes that result
tween the CIA and the former Trump adviser, Carter in material misstatements or omissions to a court,”
Page, as the FBI sought to renew court-authorized wrote assistant U.S. attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and
surveillance of him during the Russia investigation. Neeraj Patel.
The alteration was uncovered last year in a report “This court’s sentence can have a powerful deterrent
by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog, which effect because, unlike the majority of cases, this case has
identified “significant errors or other omissions,” in- received and will continue to receive substantial pub-
cluding evidence that Page’s association with the CIA licity and coverage by the news media,” the prosecu-
had not been accurately conveyed to the Justice De- tors wrote. “This court’s sentence should be designed,
partment as it sought to renew surveillance of the in part, to send a powerful message to the community
onetime Trump campaign adviser. that this type of conduct—falsifying information to
In a 20-page sentencing memo submitted late hide facts from a court—will not be tolerated.”
Thursday, prosecutors said “there is a need for just
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