The US Justice Department inspector general's investigation has found 17 "significant errors or omissions'' in how the FBI filed its requests for surveillance (FISA) warrants to wiretap Donald Trump campaign members, AP reported, citing an obtained summary of the IG's report. The full IG report is expected to be published later in the day.
"[These errors resulted in] applications that made it appear that the information supporting probable cause was stronger than was actually the case", the summary of the report said.
At the same time, Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation found no intentional misconduct on the part of the FBI and no bias in the bureau's actions. The Justice Department’s watchdog probe concluded that the so-called Russia investigation by the FBI was justified and was not organised out of political bias, as was earlier suggested by President Donald Trump.
US Attorney General William Barr has commented on the report, saying that it shows that the FBI started "an intrusive investigation" into the US president's campaign on the "thinnest of suspicions". Barr added that in his opinion, the grounds for the measures taken by the FBI in the Russia probe were "insufficient".
At the same time, the attorney general stated that evidence provided by the IG's investigation was "consistently exculpatory" and added that he has full confidence in current FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Previously, US President Donald Trump accused the FBI of illegally wiretapping his election campaign in 2016 out of political bias and based on the so-called Steele Dossier – a collection of allegedly compromising material on Trump ordered and funded by the Democratic National Committee and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Previously, US President Donald Trump accused the FBI of illegally wiretapping his election campaign in 2016 out of political bias and based on the so-called Steele Dossier – a collection of allegedly compromising material on Trump ordered and funded by the Democratic National Committee and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.