Bill Priestap

DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz’s review states that following Friendly Foreign Government (FFG) information, a decision was made by then Counterintelligence Division Assistant Director E.W. “Bill” Priestap to open Crossfire Hurricane, reflecting a consensus after multiple days of discussions among senior FBI officials. The OIG examination text says Priestap approved the case opening, was Strzok’s supervisor, and was “the official who ultimately made the decision to open the investigation.” Horowitz concluded that Priestap’s exercise of discretion in opening the investigation complied with Department and FBI policies, and that the OIG “did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced his decision.” That is an official finding about his opening decision. It is not a finding that the later Carter Page FISA applications were clean. It is not a jury verdict. An Electronic Communication opening a case is not a court.

Official act: opening decision attributed to Priestap by OIG. Separate OIG findings on FISA errors concern other FBI personnel (including later criminal conduct by Kevin Clinesmith). Do not collapse FISA wreckage into a personal-crime finding against Priestap, and do not upgrade the bias-negative sentence into “OIG cleared the entire FBI.”

OIG finding on the opening decision stood as published. No criminal judgment against Priestap for opening the case located for this file.

The OIG review records that Priestap considered whether the FBI should conduct defensive briefings for the Trump campaign but ultimately decided that providing such briefings created the risk that “if someone on the campaign was engaged with the Russians, he/she would very likely change his/her tactics and/or otherwise seek to cover-up his/her activities, thereby preventing us from finding the truth.” The OIG wrote that it did not identify any Department or FBI policy that applied to the defensive-briefing choice and “determined that the decision was a judgment call that Department and FBI policy leaves to the discretion of FBI officials.”

Documented OIG quotation of his rationale + OIG characterization as a judgment call. Commentary that skipping a briefing equals “spying on a campaign” is opinion — Claims/Commentary, not an OIG crime finding.

OIG did not treat the choice as a policy violation. No criminal judgment on this discrete act located for this file.

Handwritten notes dated January 24, 2017, attributed in the public Flynn record to Assistant Director of Counterintelligence E.W. Priestap, were produced in the Flynn litigation and unsealed. A court-filed transcription (ECF 306-6 caption: “Notes of Assistant Director of Counterintelligence E.W. Priestap Dated 01/24/2017”) includes the line asking whether the goal was “Truth/Admission or to get him to lie so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” Other transcribed lines include reconsidering whether to show Flynn material if he did not admit; regularly showing subjects evidence to get admissions; giving Logan Act facts to DOJ; and “If we’re seen as playing games, WH will be furious” / “Protect our institution by not playing games.” Bates references in Flynn filings include DOJSCO-700023464. Contemporaneous reporting (Fox, CNN, Just the News, Federalist, Breitbart) quoted the notes; attribution to Priestap was widely reported and matches the ECF caption. The document exists. Meaning is contested. The notes are not a court finding that Priestap ordered a perjury trap.

Official act documented: notes on the public docket under his AD title. Not a criminal conviction. Not a judicial finding that every Flynn outcome was predetermined by this page.

Flynn case later dismissed on government motion (2020); separate from inventing a Priestap conviction out of the notes.

The Durham report states: “Priestap agreed to provide information to the Office concerning matters related to the FBI’s Alfa Bank investigation, but otherwise declined to be interviewed by the Office on matters related to his role in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.” The same report cites an OSC Report of Interview of E.W. Priestap on June 2, 2021, including Priestap’s description of people going around him to the “7th Floor,” with Strzok as a concern when he wanted one direction and Strzok and Lisa Page went another. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson quoted the limited-interview sentence in a May 24, 2023, release. Declining a voluntary interview is not a crime. Durham did not indict Priestap on the public charging decisions located for this file.

Documented: Durham report language on limited cooperation + June 2, 2021 interview write-up citation. Not a conviction. Not proof he “obstructed Durham” as a charged crime on this page.

No Priestap indictment located from Durham’s public charging record for this rebuild.

As FBI Counterintelligence Assistant Director, Priestap submitted written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee dated December 12, 2018, on China’s non-traditional collectors and talent-recruitment programs. The five-page PDF is hosted by the Senate Judiciary Committee. That is an official statement in his AD capacity — separate from Crossfire Hurricane findings.

Primary: Senate Judiciary PDF titled as Priestap testimony for the Dec 12, 2018 hearing record. Quote case-specific lines from the PDF when citing; do not invent hearing Q&A not in the written statement.

Official on-record AD testimony. Not a Crossfire Hurricane clearance or a personal-crime finding.

N/A — congressional statement.

The FBI announced that Director James B. Comey named E.W. Priestap Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division. The Bureau’s release traces his career from 1998 Chicago (organized crime/drugs), post-9/11 counterterrorism, Office of Congressional Affairs / Senate HSGAC detail on IRTPA 2004, Directorate of Intelligence roles, New York Field Office ASAC for intelligence/CI, 2012 CI section chief at HQ, 2013 SAC Counterintelligence New York, then Deputy Assistant Director, Intelligence Operations Branch. The release states he is an attorney and holds master’s degrees in business administration and education administration. Strider Technologies’ bio dates the AD Counterintelligence tour December 2015 through December 2018 and says he retired from the FBI in early 2019 — firm bio, not a personnel file.

FBI press release title/URL: “E.W. Priestap Named Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division.” Official portrait date Jan 28, 2015 (Commons / FBI).

Identity and office lock. Not a Crossfire Hurricane finding by itself.

N/A — appointment/selection.