In a huge blow to Trump, the DOJ watchdog found no evidence to support the claim that the FBI spied on his 2016 campaign – By Sonam Sheth and Eliza Relman (Business Insider) / Nov 27 2019
- The Justice Department’s inspector general found no evidence to support President Donald Trump’s claim that the FBI inserted spies in his 2016 presidential campaign, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with a draft of the report.
- Trump has repeatedly and baselessly alleged that the FBI inserted covert operators in his campaign.
- He also alleged, without evidence, that former President Barack Obama had intelligence officials tap his phones, a claim the report is also expected to undercut.
- Sources told The Times and The Washington Post that while the report undermines Trump’s most extreme claims, it also faults the FBI for making bureaucratic mistakes when applying for a warrant to surveil Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide.
The Justice Department’s inspector general found no evidence to support President Donald Trump’s claim that the FBI spied on his 2016 presidential campaign while investigating whether the campaign was conspiring with the Russian government to interfere in the election, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with a draft of the report.
The Times article builds on reporting from The Washington Post, which broke the story last week.
Trump has repeatedly and baselessly alleged that the FBI inserted covert agents in his campaign. Trump and his allies dubbed this purported scandal “Spygate.”
He has also alleged, without evidence, that President Barack Obama ordered US intelligence officials to tap his phones, a claim the report is also expected to undercut.
After taking office, Trump ordered the DOJ to investigate his claims. The inspector general, Michael Horowitz, is set to release his full report on the matter on December 9.
Sources told The Post and The Times that while the report undermines the president’s most extreme claims, it also finds fault with how the FBI handled its surveillance of the former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Specifically, Horowitz found discrepancies and bureaucratic mistakes in how the FBI applied for a warrant seeking the wiretap. He also found evidence that an FBI lawyer may have altered an email connected to the Page wiretap but concluded that the employee’s conduct had no effect on the overall validity of the application or on the bureau’s overarching investigation.
Continue to article: https://www.businessinsider.com/justice-department-finds-fbi-didnt-spy-on-trump-2016-2019-11
