Attorney General William Barr reportedly disagrees with a finding by the forthcoming Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) report that the FBI had sufficient reason to monitor the Trump campaign in 2016.
The FBI conducted surveillance on Trump campaign associates, including foreign policy aide Carter Page, on the basis of suspicions that the campaign might have been colluding with Russia to interfere with the 2016 election.
No evidence of collusion was ever found, though the surveillance continued well after the election, and the fact that the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign over Russia was leaked to Democrats and to the mainstream media.
The IG report is expected to criticize the FBI for the way in which it approached the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court to obtain a warrant for that surveillance. The FBI partly relied upon the so-called “dossier” prepared by former British spy Christopher Steele for Fusion GPS, an opposition research company being paid by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Republicans have claimed that the FBI failed to corroborate the unproven allegations in the dossier, and hid its political origins from the FISA court.
Humiliation: Harry and Meghan’s Movie Defeated by Cat Video Compilation … Despite Opening in Almost 2x as Many Theaters
This Airline Will Now Start Charging Passengers for Space in Overhead Compartments
Trump admin scores court win to end deportation protections for Ethiopian migrants
Prosecutor corners Lindsay Clancy’s Catholic mother-in-law with ‘mortal sin’ question
Two planes blow tires while landing at major US airport hours apart, FAA investigating
Anti-socialism push can flip battlegrounds, Republican leader bets as party fights to hold House
Judge rules Trump can begin paint tests on 19th-century building after preservation groups sued
Democratic Congressman Under Ethics Committee Investigation for Alleged ‘Inappropriate Sexual Contact’
Blue state mayor arrested for fraud sparks uproar for not speaking English in viral clip: ‘How is this real’
Socialists accused of ‘motor mouth’ rhetoric as longtime Dem strategist unloads on far-left candidate
Sammy ‘The Bull’ Gravano recounts turning on John Gotti
Tragedy Deepens as Hayden Panettiere Dad’s Friends Reveal He Was Only Just Beginning to Recover from Losing Son
Cop Fired After Allegedly Using Flock Cameras to Stalk Former Boyfriend – She Abused System 166 Times
Andy Burnham insists ‘zero consequence’ from falling for Susie Wiles impersonator as ministers’ phone numbers appear online
Appeals court upholds limits on warrantless ICE arrests at churches
But there have been conflicting leaks about what the report, which is set to be released next Monday, will say about misconduct at the FBI. Several individuals have already seen drafts of the report, as they are mentioned in it.
The Washington Post reported Monday evening that IG Michael Horowitz, an Obama administration appointee, had concluded that there was, in fact, sufficient evidence to justify what Barr earlier called “spying” on the campaign.
Barr reportedly disagreed, though a spokesperson for the DOJ dismissed reports of a dispute between Barr and Horowitz: “Rather than speculating, people should read the report for themselves next week,” she said.
Horowitz was criticized for his 2018 report on how the FBI handled the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s illicit email server, in which he found that officials mishandled the investigation but that political bias was not the reason.
Story cited here.
