The Justice Department inspector general’s report on the FBI’s surveillance of Trump campaign officials in 2016 will be released on Dec. 9, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham said Thursday.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz will then testify about the report before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 11.
“I look forward to reviewing the report and hearing Mr. Horowitz’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he will deliver a detailed account of what he found regarding his investigation along with recommendations as to how to make our judicial and investigative systems better,” Mr. Graham said in a statement.
The lengthy report’s contents are not known, but it will address alleged abuses by the FBI when it obtained a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant to spy on Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
President Trump and his allies have hailed the report’s release, saying it will expose a Deep State effort to undermine his candidacy. It could also be a shot in the arm for Republicans who could rally around the report’s findings as the Democrats’ impeachment injury unfolds.
Speaking with reporters Thursday, Mr. Graham said that Mr. Horowitz picked the date of his testimony.
Launched in March 2018, the report will likely address the FBI’s reliance on claims by former British spy Christopher Steele, whose salacious and unverified dossier was used to obtain the warrant to spy on Mr. Page.
Mr. Horowitz’s team has interviewed more than 100 witnesses and reviewed more than 1 million documents, he said in a letter to lawmakers last month.
“I think he’s had a lot of time, he’s been thorough, and I trust his judgment,” Mr. Graham told reporters. “A lot of people are out for revenge, I’m not. I don’t know what he found, but I stand ready to listen to his recommendations to take corrective actions.”
Mr. Graham said he has not seen any conclusions from the report and is unsure what he’ll ask the inspector general.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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