Inquiry looks into possible surveillance abuse by FBI

Republicans allege illicit wiretaps in Russia case

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department’s inspector general announced Wednesday a review of possible surveillance abuses by the FBI and Justice officials related to the inquiry into Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election.

A month ago, Attorney General Jeff Sessions referred the matter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz after House Republicans raised concerns.

Republican lawmakers asserted that the FBI misused a secret surveillance court to get approval to wiretap former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

The accusations were the subject of dueling reports issued last month by Republican and Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee.

Republicans alleged that Justice and FBI officials overstepped their authority in targeting the former campaign adviser by improperly relying on an unsubstantiated dossier prepared by a former British spy and funded in part by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Democrats argued that the dossier was only part of the justification for the order, indicating that Page was deemed an “agent of the Russian government” before the FBI received the dossier.

Horowitz’s office also is in the midst of a review of the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server when she served as President Obama’s secretary of State.

Michael Horowitz