Trump ‘demands’ investigation of FBI
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said he will “demand’’ that the Justice Department open an investigation into whether the FBI infiltrated his presidential campaign, an extraordinary order that came hours before his legal team said the special counsel indicated the investigation into the president could be concluded by September.
Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday: “I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for political purposes — and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!’’
Mr Trump’s demand puts further pressure on the Justice Department, which later on Sunday asked its watchdog to expand an existing probe of FBI actions, as the White House combats the threat posed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
The president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said Mr Mueller recently shared a timetable that suggested his probe could end by Sept 1 if Mr Trump were to sit for an interview in July, which is the legal team’s new working plan.
“We said to them — if we’re going to be interviewed in July, how much time until the report gets issued?’’’ Mr Giuliani said on Sunday, referring to the report Mr Mueller is expected to issue to Congress at the conclusion of his investigation.
“They said September, which is good for everyone because no one wants this to drag into the midterms.’’
Mr Giuliani said he did not want a repeat of what happened in 2016 when FBI Director James Comey announced in the campaign’s final days that he was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, a decision Democrats believe cost Ms Clinton the race.
“This would be the culmination of the investigation into the president,’’ Mr Giuliani said.
It is not certain that Mr Trump will sit for an interview with Mr Mueller, though the president has publicly said he would. Mr Giuliani said a decision would not be made until after Mr Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12.
Mr Giuliani said on Sunday the two sides “were getting closer’’ to agreeing on the parameters on a potential interview but would not put the odds of it happening at better than 50/50.
Mr Giuliani’s apparent attempt to publicly pressure Mr Mueller amid interview negotiations came just hours after Mr Trump’s demand for a new inquiry, which moved beyond his usual blustery accusations of institutional wrongdoing and into the realm of applying presidential pressure on the Justice Department, a move few of his predecessors have made.
Mr Trump made the order amid days of public venting about the special counsel investigation, which he has deemed a “witch hunt’’ that he says has yielded no evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia.
The Justice Department probe had begun in March at the request of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and congressional Republicans. Mr Sessions and the lawmakers had urged Inspector General Michael Horowitz to review whether FBI and Justice Department officials abused their surveillance powers by using information compiled by Christopher Steele, a former British spy, and paid for by Democrats to justify monitoring Carter Page, a former campaign adviser to Mr Trump.
Mr Horowitz said his office will look at those claims as well as communications between Mr Steele and DOJ and FBI officials.
Mr Trump’s demand of the Justice Department alarmed many observers, who felt it violated protocol and could effect federal law enforcement and its use of informants. Meanwhile, Mr Giuliani commented “as the president’s lawyer, I can’t be concerned on what effect it may have”.