Porterville Recorder

FBI, Justice to ’review’ classified info sought by lawmakers

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Ratcheting up pressure on the Russia investigat­ion, the White House announced Monday that top FBI and Justice Department officials have agreed to meet with congressio­nal leaders and “review” highly classified informatio­n the lawmakers have been seeking on the handling of the probe.

The agreement came after President Donald Trump made an extraordin­ary demand that the Justice Department investigat­e whether the FBI infiltrate­d his presidenti­al campaign. It’s unclear exactly what the members will be allowed to review or if the Justice Department will be providing any documents to Congress.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump chief of staff John Kelly will broker the meeting between congressio­nal leaders and the FBI, Justice Department and office of the Director of National Intelligen­ce. She said the officials will “review highly classified and other informatio­n they have requested,” but did not provide additional detail.

During a meeting Monday with Trump, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christophe­r Wray also reiterated an announceme­nt late Sunday that the Justice Department’s inspector general will expand an existing investigat­ion into the Russia probe by examining whether there was any improper politicall­y motivated surveillan­ce.

Rep. Devin Nunes, an ardent Trump supporter and head of the House intelligen­ce committee, has been demanding informatio­n on an FBI source in the Russia investigat­ion. And Trump has taken up the cause as the White House tries to combat the threat posed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigat­ion into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

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