President Trump on Thursday night issued a memo giving Attorney General William Barr the authority to declassify any documents related to surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016.
Trump also ordered the intelligence community to cooperate with Barr. The memo read: “The heads of elements of the intelligence community… and the heads of each department or agency that includes an element of the intelligence community shall promptly provide such assistance and information as the Attorney General may request in connection with that review.”
“Today, at the request and recommendation of the Attorney General of the United States, President Donald J. Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 Presidential election,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
“The Attorney General has also been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information pertaining to this investigation, in accordance with the long-established standards for handling classified information. Today’s action will help ensure that all Americans learn the truth about the events that occurred, and the actions that were taken, during the last Presidential election and will restore confidence in our public institutions.”
In a Twitter message late Thursday, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani defended the president’s action.
Preliminary autopsy reveals possible cause of death for missing 4-year-old Alabama boy Johnathan Boley
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
California driver allegedly kills 2 more people while out on bail for previous fatal crash
Picking the right fight: Congressional tensions rise in wake of Minnesota ICE-involved shooting
Thomas Paine Set America Afire with ‘Common Sense’ 250 Years Ago: Pamphlet Made Case for Revolutionary War
USDA immediately suspends all federal funding to Minnesota amid fraud investigation
Border Patrol agent hugs protester in heartwarming moment caught on video during Minnesota operation
California projects $3 billion deficit as outside forecasts show bigger shortfall
‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Wants Trump Administration Jailed, Vows to Vote for Candidate Who Will ‘Prosecute’
Trump administration to investigate refugee status of Minnesota residents
Fox News Politics Newsletter: AOC accuses Vance of believing ‘American people should be assassinated’
Hundreds of opposition members still imprisoned as Venezuela plays nice with Trump
Video: Jasmine Crockett’s Brain Breaks as She Claims Dems Were Civil After Charlie Kirk’s Murder – Let’s Go to the Video Tape
Noem praises DHS officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day as attacks on federal agents spike nationwide
Trump wears ‘happy Trump’ pin alongside American flag during White House oil executive meeting
“The President @realDonaldTrump made a wise decision to let AG Barr on the documents,” Giuliani wrote. “I don’t know for sure but I seriously doubt there’s any national security concern but some of it could affect pending investigations. I’m sure AG and DOJ will make a very appropriate decision.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, blasted the move as an attempt to “weaponize law enforcement and classified information.”
Trump claims his campaign was the victim of “spying,” though the intelligence community has insisted it acted lawfully in following leads in the Russia investigation.
The president had told Fox News earlier in May that he would allow declassification “soon.” He elaborated, “I didn’t want to do it originally because I wanted to wait, because I know what they — you know I’ve seen the way they play. They play very dirty.”
Preliminary autopsy reveals possible cause of death for missing 4-year-old Alabama boy Johnathan Boley
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
California driver allegedly kills 2 more people while out on bail for previous fatal crash
Picking the right fight: Congressional tensions rise in wake of Minnesota ICE-involved shooting
Thomas Paine Set America Afire with ‘Common Sense’ 250 Years Ago: Pamphlet Made Case for Revolutionary War
USDA immediately suspends all federal funding to Minnesota amid fraud investigation
Border Patrol agent hugs protester in heartwarming moment caught on video during Minnesota operation
California projects $3 billion deficit as outside forecasts show bigger shortfall
‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Wants Trump Administration Jailed, Vows to Vote for Candidate Who Will ‘Prosecute’
Trump administration to investigate refugee status of Minnesota residents
Fox News Politics Newsletter: AOC accuses Vance of believing ‘American people should be assassinated’
Hundreds of opposition members still imprisoned as Venezuela plays nice with Trump
Video: Jasmine Crockett’s Brain Breaks as She Claims Dems Were Civil After Charlie Kirk’s Murder – Let’s Go to the Video Tape
Noem praises DHS officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day as attacks on federal agents spike nationwide
Trump wears ‘happy Trump’ pin alongside American flag during White House oil executive meeting
Last month, Barr ran into a buzz saw of criticism from Democratic lawmakers and media figures for testifying that “spying did occur” against the Trump campaign in 2016. But despite the backlash, Barr appeared to be referring to intelligence collection that already has been widely reported and confirmed.
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page are currently the subject of a Justice Department inspector general investigation looking at potential misconduct in the issuance of those warrants. That review also reportedly is scrutinizing the role of an FBI informant who had contacts with Trump advisers in the early stages of the Russia investigation.
The use of the term “spying” as it applies to the FBI’s surveillance in 2016 has been fiercely disputed. The New York Times, even as it reported last year on how the FBI sent an informant to speak to campaign advisers amid concerns about suspicious Russia contacts, stated that this was to “investigate” Russia ties and “not to spy.”
“I think spying did occur. The question is whether it was adequately predicated,” Barr testified last month, adding that he believed it is his “obligation” to review whether there was misconduct in the original investigation. “Congress is usually very concerned with intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies staying in their proper lane.”
Preliminary autopsy reveals possible cause of death for missing 4-year-old Alabama boy Johnathan Boley
Federal judge blocks Trump from cutting childcare funds to Democratic states over fraud concerns
California driver allegedly kills 2 more people while out on bail for previous fatal crash
Picking the right fight: Congressional tensions rise in wake of Minnesota ICE-involved shooting
Thomas Paine Set America Afire with ‘Common Sense’ 250 Years Ago: Pamphlet Made Case for Revolutionary War
USDA immediately suspends all federal funding to Minnesota amid fraud investigation
Border Patrol agent hugs protester in heartwarming moment caught on video during Minnesota operation
California projects $3 billion deficit as outside forecasts show bigger shortfall
‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Wants Trump Administration Jailed, Vows to Vote for Candidate Who Will ‘Prosecute’
Trump administration to investigate refugee status of Minnesota residents
Fox News Politics Newsletter: AOC accuses Vance of believing ‘American people should be assassinated’
Hundreds of opposition members still imprisoned as Venezuela plays nice with Trump
Video: Jasmine Crockett’s Brain Breaks as She Claims Dems Were Civil After Charlie Kirk’s Murder – Let’s Go to the Video Tape
Noem praises DHS officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day as attacks on federal agents spike nationwide
Trump wears ‘happy Trump’ pin alongside American flag during White House oil executive meeting
He added that “spying on a political campaign is a big deal.”
President Trump backed the attorney general’s testimony, saying the same day Barr testified last month that he thinks what Barr said “was absolutely true,” adding, “There was absolutely spying into my campaign.”
Democrats, though, charged that the testimony indicated Barr was a compromised witness.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told the Associated Press last month that she doesn’t “trust Barr,” but she trusts Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Barr of “peddling conspiracy theories.”
Story cited here.
