The FBI was justified in opening its investigation into ties between the campaign of now-US President Donald Trump and Russia, and did not act with political bias, the US Department of Justice’s internal watchdog declared on Monday, undercutting Trump’s repeated claims that he has been the target of a “witch hunt.”
The long-awaited report rejected theories and criticism spread by Trump and his supporters, although it also found “serious performance failures” up the bureau’s chain of command that Republicans are citing as evidence that Trump was targeted by an unfair investigation.
The affirmation of the investigation’s legitimacy, balanced by criticism of the way it was conducted, ensured that partisan battles would persist over one of the most politically sensitive investigations in FBI history.
Another review of the origins of the probe is under way and the prosecutor picked by US Attorney General William Barr to lead that effort hinted that he would take a harder view of the FBI’s actions.
Monday’s review by department Inspector General Michael Horowitz knocked down multiple lines of attack against the Russia investigation, finding that it was properly opened and that law enforcement leaders were not motivated by political bias.
Contrary to the claims of Trump and other critics, it said that opposition research compiled by a former British spy named Christopher Steele had no bearing on the decision to open the investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane.
It also rejected allegations that a former campaign aide at the center of the probe was set up by the FBI.
It found that the FBI had an “authorized purpose” when it opened its investigation in July 2016 into whether the Trump campaign was coordinating with Russia to tip the election in his favor.
FBI Director Chris Wray said in an interview that the report did not find political bias, but did find problems that are “unacceptable and unrepresentative of who we are as an institution.”
The FBI is implementing more than 40 actions aimed at fixing some of the bureau’s most fundamental operations, such as applying for surveillance warrants and interacting with confidential sources.
Those changes are in response to some of the report’s criticisms, which largely centered on how agents and prosecutors set about eavesdropping on a former Trump campaign aide who they said they feared was being targeted for Russian government recruitment.
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the report makes clear that the basis for the FBI’s investigation was “valid and without political bias.”
Trump, in remarks at the White House, claimed that it showed “an attempted overthrow and a lot of people were in on it.”
The president has repeatedly said that he is more eager for the report of John Durham, the prosecutor Barr selected to investigate how intelligence was gathered.
Barr and Durham issued statements rejecting the inspector general’s conclusion that there was sufficient evidence to open the FBI investigation.
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