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.
While Hateful Demonstrations Cripple ‘Elite’ College Campuses, the Opposite Happened at a Major Christian University
Supreme Court Set to Decide Case That Could Criminalize Homeless Encampments
Pelosi university speech interrupted by anti-Israel agitators: ‘Warmonger’
Arrested anti-Israel agitators claim ‘discrimination’ and ‘harassment’ in civil rights complaint
Thirsty for Equality
US Army reservist says he warned of mass shooting before gunman’s attack in Lewiston, Maine
Falcons Torched for Picking Michael Penix Jr. in 2024 Draft, Leave Kirk Cousins ‘Shocked’ and ‘Disappointed’
Republican Registration in Swing State Skyrockets, Showing Where Trump Stands Against Biden
Trump’s legal team prepares to dissect first witness during cross-examination and more top headlines
Rep. Schiff reportedly robbed in San Francisco, forced to attend ritzy campaign dinner with no suit to wear
Biden’s capital gains tax proposal could crush the economy, experts say
GOP lawmakers demand major donors pull funding from Columbia over ‘antisemitic incidents’
Florida man arrested for allegedly pointing lasers at passenger aircraft at international airport: police
Officials knew Manhattan Project chemicals disposed improperly at Missouri sites, documents reveal
Alabama lawmakers advance bill that could lead to prosecution of librarians
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.
Scroll down to leave a comment:
