President Trump and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday reached an agreement to allow the inspector general to investigate conservative claims of FBI wrongdoing in the Russia probe, defusing at least for now a burgeoning crisis between the White House and senior law enforcement officials.
After summoning top DOJ, FBI and intelligence officials to the White House, Trump agreed the DOJ’s inspector general should “expand its current investigation to include any irregularities with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s or the Department of Justice’s tactics concerning the Trump Campaign,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
The Justice Department already referred the matter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Sunday after Trump demanded that the department probe the FBI’s use of a confidential source in its investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in 2016.
But the White House also said chief of staff John Kelly plans to “immediately set up a meeting” between top law enforcement officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to “review” the “highly classified” materials that sparked the standoff.
It is unclear what, exactly, the members of Congress will be allowed to examine.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a vocal Trump supporter, has subpoenaed the Justice Department for information related to the source. The law enforcement agency granted Nunes a meeting earlier this month — but has so far rebuffed his demand for documents.
The announcement came after Trump met with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to discuss his ultimatum, which raised alarm bells in Washington.
……
- Discussion
-
Justice Dept agrees to investigate Trump’s claims that FBI wrongly surveilled him https://t.co/aGY0EKskyt pic.twitter.com/4NqUsNP3tx
— The Hill (@thehill) May 22, 2018
Rod Rosenstein averted a Constitutional crisis today. But it’s coming.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 22, 2018
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.