The president tweeted disapproval after Sessions announced inquiry into accusations FBI and DoJ transgressed Fisa standards
Donald Trump has once again lashed out at his attorney general, tweeting that he found a strategy by Jeff Sessions to use his department's internal watchdog to review alleged surveillance abuses by intelligence squads “DISGRACEFUL! ”
Sessions announced on Tuesday that the Department of Justice's inspector general, its internal watchdog, would investigate allegations that the FBI and the Department of Justice abused Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act( Fisa) procedures to spy on a Trump campaign adviser.
” We believe the Department of Justice must adhere to the highest standards in the Fisa court, and, yes, it will be investigated … The inspector general will take that as one of the matters he'll deal with, ” Sessions told reporters during a press briefing.
On Wednesday morning, Trump assaulted Conferences with a convoluted tweet.
” Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, had not yet been prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn't the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL! ” Trump wrote.
Q& A
What is the Nunes memo?
The memo was written by aides to Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee and a member of the Trump transition team.
The committee is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election but the investigation has devolved into a fight about the separate FBI investigation , now led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
On Friday, Nunes published the memoranda after Donald Trump declassified it.
The memo revolves around a wiretap on Carter Page, an adviser to the Trump campaign, alleging the FBI omitted key information when it applied for the wiretap. The findings” raise concerns with the legitimacy and legality of certain DoJ and FBI interactions” with the court that approves surveillance petitions, the memoranda says. It also claims” a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses “.
The memo blames researchers who applied for the wiretap, saying they used material provided by an ex-British agent, Christopher Steele, without sufficiently disclosing their source. The memoranda says Steele was ” desperate that Trump not get elected “.
The memo also says texts between an FBI agent and FBI attorney” demonstrated a clear bias against Trump” and says there is” no evidence of any co-operation or conspiracy between Page” and another Trump aide under investigation, George Papadopoulos.
The memo castings deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein in a negative light. Rosenstein could fire Mueller. The chairwoman, said to dislike Rosenstein, could fire and replace him.
The FBI argued against the memo's release. Democrat wrote a rebuttal and sided with the bureau. The chairperson reportedly told associates he believes the memoranda will help discredit the special counsel.
Alan Yuhas
