The FBI last year convinced a judge to grant a warrant to secretly monitor former Trump campaign aide Carter Page by using a memo alleging deep ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, CNN reports.
The secret court that oversees the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) granted the FBI the warrant. The dossier, published in January, made explosive allegations that the Russian government had been "cultivating, supporting and assisting" Trump for years. It also contained allegations that Page had been offered the brokerage of a 19 percent stake in Russia's state oil company in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions on Russia.
"Sechin's associate said that the Rosneft president was so keen to lift personal and corporate western sanctions imposed on the company, that he offered Page and his associates the brokerage of up to a 19 per cent (privatised) stake in Rosneft," the dossier said. "In return, Page had expressed interest and confirmed that were Trump elected US president, then sanctions on Russia would be lifted."
Page has disputed any wrongdoing.
To include the dossier in the FISA application the FBI would have had to corroborate the information in the memos, CNN reports. The FBI obtained its warrant to monitor Page in the summer of 2016.