The Justice Department
asked its watchdog to look into any alleged "impropriety or political
motivation" in the FBI's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016
election, the DOJ said Sunday night -- hours after President Trump ordered a
review looking into whether federal agents infiltrated or surveilled his
campaign for political purposes.
"I hereby demand,
and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into
whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for
Political Purposes -- and if any such demands or requests were made by people
within the Obama Administration!" the president tweeted.
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"The Department
has asked the Inspector General to expand the ongoing review of the (Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act) application process to include determining
whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI
conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of
involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential
election. As always, the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate
U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct," DOJ
spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores told Fox News.
She also released a
response from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein: "If anyone did
infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate
purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action."
Trump, late last week,
began accusing the Justice Department of trying to frame him by planting a spy
in his campaign -- an allegation his own lawyer said might not be true.
Promoting a theory
that is circulating, Trump quoted Fox Business anchor David Asman and tweeted
Friday: "Apparently the DOJ put a Spy in the Trump Campaign. This has
never been done before and by any means necessary, they are out to frame Donald
Trump for crimes he didn't commit."
...
On whether there was
an "informant" in the 2016 presidential campaign, Giuliani told CNN,
"I don't know for sure, nor does the president, if there really was
one," though he said they have long been told there was "some kind of
infiltration."
Earlier this month,
the National Review raised the question of a possible FBI spy in Trump's
campaign. The article cites work by California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, an
ardent Trump supporter and head of the House Intelligence Committee, who has
demanded information on an FBI source in the Russia investigation.
Virginia Sen. Mark
Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee as its vice
chairman, objected Friday to such demands, emphasizing "the critical
importance of protecting sources and methods."
"It would be at
best irresponsible, and at worst potentially illegal, for members of Congress
to use their positions to learn the identity of an FBI source for the purpose
of undermining the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our election,"
Warner wrote in a statement. "Anyone who is entrusted with our nation's
highest secrets should act with the gravity and seriousness of purpose that
knowledge deserves."
The New York Times
reported separately this past week that at least one government informant met
several times with Carter Page and George Papadopoulos, both former foreign
policy advisers for Trump's Republican campaign.
The Times reported
Friday that the informant talked to Page and Papadopoulos because they had
suspicious contacts linked to Russia. The newspaper attributed the information
to current and former FBI officials.
...
Fox News' Jake Gibson and The
Associated Press contributed to this report.
