AG Barr Testifies ‘Spying Did Occur’ on Trump Campaign in 2016
General William Barr testified before the Senate committee on FBI spying
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Attorney General William Barr testified before the Senate committee today that he believed the FBI did spy on the Trump campaign in 2016, according to reports.
Barr was called on by Trump to investigate the FBI’s counterintelligence probe.
Barr stated earlier that he was preparing to investigate anti-Trump bias in the FBI’s 2016 probe into the Trump campaign and reiterated that to the Senate appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday that he believes “spying did occur," and will investigate whether that surveillance was "predicated."
“I have an obligation to make sure government power is not abused,” Barr added.
Barr used the word "predicted" which likely means he will look into whether the evidence used to launch the FBI’s 2016 investigation was appropriate.
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For years Republicans, inclduing Trump, have alleged that the 'evidence' was insufficient to warrant an investigation.
The attorney general’s statement came soon after Trump called the FBI’s investigation “illegal,” “crooked,” and an “attempted coup.”
Trump also requested that Barr looks into the origins of the probe.
Barr said he would review “all the aspects” of the FBI investigation, including whether the agency worked on keeping Trump out of the White House.
Dem Sen Shaheen to Barr: 'You're not suggesting that spying occurred?' Barr: 'I think spying did occur. The question is whether it was adequately predicated. I'm not suggesting it was not adequately predicated, but I need to explore that.'
— Byron York (@ByronYork) April 10, 2019
BREAKING: AG Barr announces that his investigation of Spygate will cover all Congressional and IG investigations, and will conduct comprehensive review on the spying on a presidential campaign by the Obama admin, and directly compared it to domestic spying during the Vietnam War
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 10, 2019
Why should I be defending a fraudulent Russian Witch Hunt. It’s about time the perpetrators of this fraud on me and the American People start defending their dishonest and treasonous acts. How and why did this terrible event begin? Never Forget!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 6, 2019
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The Attorney generals also told representatives that the Justice Department is currently concluding the investigation into whether the FBI misused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to obtain a warrant to wiretap Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
The warrant was obtained based on the evidence presented in the so-called ‘Steele Dossier,’ a piece of unverified and Democrat-funded opposition research that former FBI Director James Comey admitted he knew was unverified at the time it was presented to the FISA court.
A report on the FBI’s alleged FISA abuse is expected in “May or June,” Barr told the House hearing.
President Trump has repeatedly branded the Mueller probe a "witch hunt" and, following the release of Barr's four-page summary of the Mueller report, demanded an investigation into the conduct of FBI officials.
Following the end of Mueller's 22-month investigation which cleared of Presdient of the alleged Russia collusion, advisors to Trump are from using the findings of the report against the Democrats.
