MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE: FBI AGENT TOLD CONGRESS THE BUREAU USED LEAKED STORIES TO OBTAIN SPY WARRANTS. “An FBI special agent told Congress earlier in August that the bureau has used leaked news stories as justifications to obtain surveillance warrants against American citizens, a source familiar with the testimony tells The Daily Caller News Foundation. During a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees on Friday, Special Agent Jonathan Moffa told congressional investigators that the FBI and Justice Department have leaked stories to the press and then used them to obtain warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).”

So you leak a story to the press, then use the resulting press reports as “evidence” before the FISA Court that there’s something you need to look into. Does the FISA Court have contempt powers?