Trump Campaign Aide Wins DOJ Settlement After FBI Surveillance in Russia Probe

The Justice Department reached a settlement with Carter Page, a 2016 Trump campaign aide targeted for surveillance as part of a federal investigation into alleged collusion with Russia.

The Associated Press cited a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity in saying the settlement was for $1.25 million. The Justice Department’s filing to the Supreme Court Wednesday did not reveal a dollar amount.

The Justice Department and FBI investigated whether President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign conspired with Russians to affect the outcome of the election. The probe ended in 2019, when special counsel Robert Mueller issued a report finding no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia. Page has consistently denied any improper ties to Russia.

The Justice Department Office of Inspector General later issued a report critical of the Russia investigation and found problems with the surveillance applications in the case.

Page sued in 2020, asserting he was the victim of “unlawful spying” by the FBI. The federal complaint alleged the FBI’s 2016 and 2017 applications for warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court contained omissions and errors. The same year Page filed the lawsuit, his book, “Abuse and Power: How an Innocent American Was Framed in an Attempted Coup Against the President,” was published.

Lower courts determined that Page waited too long to file a lawsuit, so he appealed to the Supreme Court. The appeal was pending when the Justice Department informed the high court Wednesday that it had reached a settlement with Page on his claims.