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.
Man indicted for allegedly posting gruesome death threats against Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi on social media
Paralyzed subway victim confronts attacker, calls his actions ‘evil’ at sentencing
EMT Students Snap Into Action When They Realize Instructor Isn’t Acting During Training Exercise: ‘OK, This Is Real’
Prominent Democratic Mayor Announces Unexpected Resignation 6 Months After Re-Election
Southern Poverty Law Center pleads not guilty as CEO vows to fight fraud case
Trump surprises famously low-profile power player with tribute as she steps out for rare public appearance
Bipartisan lawmakers want to strip Big Tech’s legal immunity that can shield social media companies
Breaking: US Launches Strikes on Two Iranian Targets
Israeli Military Investigating After Soldier’s Picture with Mary Statue Draws Outrage from Catholic Officials
FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans take abortion pill fight to Supreme Court, citing coercion and safety risks
Starmer fears Reform UK, Green Party gains in British election blitz
Lawyer handling key Trump litigation to depart DOJ later this month
Future of Ron DeSantis’ controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ ICE holding facility revealed
Substitute teacher whose sobbing mugshot went viral reaches plea deal in sex case involving student
Six underage girls recovered in sweeping operation targeting notorious trafficking corridor
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.
