Report: FISA paper for warrant altered

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department inspector general has found evidence that an FBI employee may have altered a document connected to court-approved surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser, according to people familiar with the matter.

The person under scrutiny has not been identified but is not a high-ranking official — the individual worked beneath former Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok, according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss material that has not yet been made public.

The allegation is contained in a draft of Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report analyzing the FBI’s Russia investigation, which witnesses have in recent weeks been allowed to review, people familiar with the matter said. The report is scheduled to be released publicly Dec. 9.

Horowitz has been exploring various aspects of the Russia probe, but was focused in particular on applications the FBI filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Separately, Attorney General William Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to explore the origins of the FBI probe and U.S. intelligence agency activities aimed at the Trump campaign, and Durham is expected to pursue the allegation surrounding the altered document to see if it constitutes a crime, people familiar with the matter said.

Durham’s work is expected to continue well after publication of the inspector general’s report.

Specifics of the allegation, which was first reported by CNN, are unclear, including which document was allegedly altered, the significance of the change and what impact, if any, it may have had on the overall probe into possible conspiracy between Russia and Trump associates.

A spokeswoman for the inspector general declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for the FBI. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump and Republicans have been clamoring for the release of the report, particularly as House Democrats have held high-profile impeachment hearings this month.

Sen. Lindsey Graham,

Separately, Attorney General William Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to explore the origins of the FBI probe and U.S. intelligence agency activities aimed at the Trump campaign, and Durham is expected to pursue the allegation surrounding the altered document to see if it constitutes a crime, people familiar with the matter said.

R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to hold a hearing with testimony from Horowitz on Dec. 11.

The inspector general has been investigating how the FBI pursued allegations of collusion and conspiracy between Trump associates and Russian agents during the 2016 election.

Conservatives have alleged that a medley of wrongdoing occurred during the Russia investigation, which was eventually taken over by former special counsel Robert Mueller, and they are likely to seize on any criticism that Horowitz directs at those involved in the probe.

Mueller issued a lengthy report this year concluding there was insufficient evidence to support charges of conspiracy between any Trump associates and Russian agents. Mueller also decided not to decide whether the president had obstructed justice in the course of the inquiry, though Barr reviewed Mueller’s findings and concluded the president had not broken the law.

Democrats, meanwhile, are hopeful Horowitz will disprove various conspiracy theories that have been offered about the case and refute Trump’s assertion that Mueller’s probe was a “witch hunt” tainted by political bias against the president.