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.
Halima Salman convicted of receiving ISIS military training in Syria, faces 10 years in prison
Harley-Davidson’s Decade-Long Electric Motorcycle Initiative Has Turned Disastrous
Rock Legend Donnie Iris Dies Less Than Three Weeks After Retiring from Performing
Federal officials identify 400 noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state: ‘Tip of the iceberg’
Cassidy Hutchinson avoids indictment after DOJ effort to charge her over Jan 6 testimony fails: sources
NYC Mocked as Mamdani Builds New ‘Sidewalk Sheds’ That Drain Water Toward Buildings, So Expensive City Refuses to Give Price Tag
Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke
Report Claims Hegseth Has Asked GOP Candidate for Governor to Appoint Him to Senate Seat
Rep Tom Tiffany claims Kamala Harris’ visit signals weakness in David Crowley’s Wisconsin campaign
Russian diesel tankers close in on US ports as Trump, Putin deal triggers legal showdown
Watch: Outrageous Pro-El-Sayed Ad Blames Jewish State for Raising Price of Bananas, Eggs in Michigan
Haitian illegal immigrant charged in Walmart killing entered US via Biden parole program: DHS
Flavio Bolsonaro to be issued visa by State Department after fleeing Brazil
Right-Wing Presidential Candidate Flavio Bolsonaro Secretly Flees Brazil for US After Disputed Election: Report
Luxury real estate brothers sentenced to 30 years in prison for yearslong sex-trafficking scheme
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.
