After the Department of Justice Inspector General (IG) Report investigating FBI misconduct in the acquisition of FISA warrants was released on Monday, both the U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Attorney John Durham’s offices responded immediately.
In an unprecedent manner and in some of the strongest responses yet, both AG Barr and Durham expressed disagreement with the IG Report’s conclusion and some of its findings as soon as it was released on December 9.
“I have the utmost respect for the mission of the Office of Inspector General and the comprehensive work that went into the report prepared by Mr. Horowitz and his staff. However, our investigation is not limited to developing information from within component parts of the Justice Department. Our investigation has included developing information from other oersins and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.” read the Durham statement.
“Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”
Meanwhile, AG Barr issued the following statement:
“The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken. It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory. Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump’s Administration,” read the statement.
“In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA Court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filling and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source. The Inspector General found the explanations given for these actions unsatisfactory. While most of the misconduct identified by the inspector General was committed in 2016 and 2017 by a small group of now-former FBI officials, the malfeasance and misfeasance detailed in the Inspector General’s report reflects a clear abuse of the FISA process.”
AG Barr then proceeded to highlight the fundamental importance of the FISA court.
“FISA is an essential tool for the protection of the safety of the American people. The Department of Justice and the FBI are committed to taking whatever steps are necessary to rectify the abuses that occurred and to ensure the integrity of the FISA process going forward.”
While Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that the investigation into the Russia probe had been flawed, that it was replete with errors, he nonetheless concluded that the launch of the investigation was justified and found no political bias in the entire process.
“I think our nation was turned on its head for three years based on a completely bogus narrative that was largely fanned and hyped by a completely irresponsible press,” said Barr to NBC.
The IG Report which had sought to get to the bottom of the Russia Collusion hoax by investigation the link the Trump Campaign and Russia, it’s conclusion has been challenged after it denied any political bias.
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