TRUMP SPINS DEALS OF JUSTICE
Watchdog to probe FBI spy
President Trump and top intelligence and law-enforcement officials reached an uneasy compromise on Monday, following another weekend of blistering attacks from the president aimed at the Justice Department.
Following the hourlong meeting, the White House confirmed that Justice’s internal watchdog will review the FBI’s use of an informant in the early days of its probe into Trump’s campaign and that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will review classified information about the informant sought by Republican lawmakers.
“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 after the meeting.
Vice President Mike Pence said Trump was “grateful” the DOJ would investigate.
Trump has repeatedly insisted in recent weeks that the FBI probe into his campaign and subsequent special counsel’s probe are part of a politically motivated “witch hunt,” but has not provided evidence to support the allegation.
However, GOP lawmakers — including House Intelligence Committee chief Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) — back Trump and have demanded documents from the FBI about the informant.
That informant has been identified by multiple news outlets as Stefan Halper, an emeritus professor at Cambridge University.
FBI officials had balked at the request to name the informant, claiming that identifying him could harm the investigation and endanger the source.
According to reports, Halper talked to three Trump campaign associates in the summer of 2016.
Democrats said that special counsel Robert Mueller and his probe should be protected and that information, such as about any informant, should not be shared with Congress.
DOJ “regulations protect this type of information from disclosure to Congress for legitimate investigative and privacy reasons,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (DCalif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a letter Monday to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Republicans, meanwhile, pressed the issue.
Led by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-LI), they scheduled a press conference Tuesday to demand a second special counsel, charging “misconduct at the highest levels of the Department of Justice.”
“It’s hard to expect the Justice Department to in-
vestigate itself,” Zeldin told The Post. “And the IG lacks powers to fully investigate and hold accountable everyone responsible for all the misconduct that has taken place.”
Zeldin said Attorney General Jeff Sessions was given “bad advice” by recusing himself from all matters related to Russia.
“I’m shocked by the scope of Jeff Sessions’ recusal,” Zeldin said. “I have no problem with him revisiting it. The Justice Department needs an Attorney General.”
Those at the Oval Office meeting included Rosenstein, FBI chief Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.