President Trump got FBI and Justice Department officials to open a probe of the agencies’ alleged spying on his 2016 campaign, the White House said Monday.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray agreed to the expanded investigation at a White House meeting called by Mr. Trump, who escalated a feud with the federal law enforcement agencies over questionable conduct pursuing a Russia probe during the 2016 presidential race.
“Based on the meeting with the president, the Department of Justice has asked the inspector general to 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 inspector general, which was already investigating the agency’s conduct of the probe into alleged Trump campaign collusion with Russia, will now look at the possible use of a mole in the Trump campaign.
Mr. Trump went after the Justice officials following reports that the FBI planted an informant inside the Trump campaign to look for collusion with Russia.
Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Wray also agreed to give Congress members access to documents about the Russia probe. Republican lawmakers have been demanding the documents for months.
“It was also agreed that White House Chief of Staff Kelly will immediately set up a meeting with the FBI, DOJ, and DNI together with Congressional Leaders to review highly classified and other information they have requested,” said Mrs. Sanders.
The meeting was not listed on the president’s public schedule but White House officials said it was a routine meeting.
Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday that he was going to force the FBI and Justice Department to investigate their own conduct during the 2016 presidential race.
“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!” he tweeted.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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