Supreme Court Declines to Revive Carter Page Lawsuit Against James Comey

Supreme Court Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from Carter Page, a former adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The decision prevents the revival of a lawsuit Page had filed against former FBI Director James Comey and seven other former officials.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the decision. The ruling effectively ends Page's efforts to hold individual FBI leaders personally liable for surveillance errors conducted during the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Background of Surveillance and Lawsuit

Mr. Page was the target of secret surveillance, including wiretaps of his phone calls and emails, as part of the FBI's probe into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the election outcome. While Page was never charged with a crime, a Justice Department inspector general report later revealed that the court applications used to permit the surveillance contained errors and omissions.

According to reports, these inaccuracies made Mr. Page appear more suspicious than he actually was. A Justice Department watchdog investigation subsequently confirmed that the warrant applications were faulty.

Page filed suit against James Comey and seven other FBI officials as individuals, alleging "unlawful spying" based on these botched court applications. Separate claims brought by Page against the federal government were recently settled by the Trump administration.

Legal Basis for Dismissal

The lawsuit against individual officials had previously been rejected by lower courts. Those courts ruled that a three-year statute of limitations had expired, thereby barring Page's claims against the former FBI officials.

Page sought to have the Supreme Court overturn this dismissal and revive the case. By declining to hear the appeal, the high court leaves the lower courts' rulings in place, meaning Page has no further legal recourse to pursue these specific claims against Comey and his former colleagues.

Financial Settlement

While the lawsuit against individual officials has been shut down, Page reached a separate resolution with the United States government. Reports indicate that Page settled his claims against the U.S. for $1.25 million.