Rabbitt, Brian {OAG) From: Rabbitt, Brian (OAG) Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 11:29 AM To: Shea, Timothy (OAG}; Favitta, Jeff {OAG} Cc: Kupec, Kerri {OPA) Subject: FW: NBC t ranscript From: Kupec, Ke rri (OPA} (b)(6) Sent: Tuesday, December10, 2019 3:36 PM To: Rabbitt, Brian (OAG} <
[email protected]>; Levi, William (OAG) <
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[email protected]> Subject: NBC transcript Everything AG says is an exact verbate. Pete's questions are just rough logged, except for those in bold. 11;16;03;08 Pete: Mr. Attorney General, why doyou say FBI opened investigation on the thinnest of suspicions? 11;16;11;07 Barr: Well I'm glad to get into the issue of predication, but let me start out by saying that I think you have to put this in context. I think the heart of the IG's report really focused on how the investigation was conducted once it got going. And that is especially the very serious abuses of FISA that Document ID: 0.7.363.69480 20200330-0000003 occurre d, much of which in my view has not been accurately reported by the press over the last day 11;16;38;17 But in one area I do disagree with the IG and that is whether there was sufficient predication to open a full-blown counterintelligence investigation, specifically using the t echniques that they did to collect intelligence about the Trump campaign. 11;16;59;17 Pete: Well as a policy matter, why not open an investigation on a thin pretext? I guess on the one hand, you could say it's a presidential campaign, it'svery sensitive, you need better evidence.