Washington – AP: Barr Appoints US Attorney To Examine Russia Probe Origins, Determine If Intelligence Collection Was Lawful

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    Attorney General William Barr appears at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 1, 2019, on the Mueller Report. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)Washington – Attorney General William Barr has appointed a U.S. attorney to examine the origins of the Russia investigation and determine if intelligence collection involving the Trump campaign was “lawful and appropriate,” a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.

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    Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to conduct the inquiry, the person said. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

    Durham’s appointment comes about a month after Barr told members of Congress he believed “spying did occur” on the Trump campaign in 2016. He later said he didn’t mean anything pejorative and was gathering a team to look into the origins of the special counsel’s investigation.

    Barr provided no details about what “spying” may have taken place but appeared to be alluding to a surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on a former Trump associate, Carter Page, and the FBI’s use of an informant while the bureau was investigating former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.

    Trump and his supporters have seized on both to accuse the Justice Department and the FBI of unlawfully spying on his campaign.

    The inquiry, which will focus on whether the government’s methods to collect intelligence relating to the Trump campaign were lawful and appropriate, is separate from an investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general. The agency’s watchdog is also examining the Russia probe’s origins and Barr has said he expects the watchdog report to be done in May or June.

    Congressional Republicans have also indicated they intend to examine how the investigation that shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years began and whether there are any legal concerns.

    The recently concluded investigation from special counsel Robert Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

    Durham is a career prosecutor who was nominated for his post as U.S. attorney in Connecticut by Trump. He has previously investigated law enforcement corruption, the destruction of CIA videotapes and the Boston FBI office’s relationship with mobsters.

    In nominating him, the White House said Durham and other nominees for U.S. attorney jobs share Trump’s vision for “making America safe again.”

    Durham was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2018. At the time, Connecticut’s two Democratic senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, called Durham a “fierce, fair prosecutor” who knows how to try tough cases.

    In addition to conducting the inquiry, Durham will continue to serve as the chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut.


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    18 Comments
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    puppydogs
    puppydogs
    4 years ago

    The Clinton Obama House of Cards is collapsing right in front of our very own eyes. Going to get to the bottom of the Russia Collison.

    hashomer
    hashomer
    4 years ago

    This investigation will turn up more dirt on trump and his corrupt cabal and end up destroying him. An amazing abuse of power to try to deflect from the 20+ investigations going on vs trump and his dismal presidency. Maybe Jew-hater Viktor Orban can run the investigation of Kushner.

    bsnow
    bsnow
    4 years ago

    That’s good.
    And lock up comney clapper brennen and evil obumer.

    Realistic
    Realistic
    4 years ago

    Third review opened by the Justice department, plus 2 by the senate and congress.

    So far, nothing to show

    But all he wants is to please Trump

    4 years ago

    And the Democrats will stonewall just like they stonewalled in all those other investigations, where the Republicans were too gentlemanly to force the matter.Even Obama’s own Inspector General investigation (report in 2016, still under the Obama Administration) listed the highly questionable and probably highly illegal Clinton activities, and “no one did nothing”.

    hashomer
    hashomer
    4 years ago

    The FBI and National Security Agency are on the record as to why they started their investigations of trump and his colluding campaign. Its no secret. Its why crazed Gen ‘in ‘like’ Flynn was FIRED. Or did the Russian trolls and alt-yidden forget that mamzer Flynn lied to Pence and was FIRED!

    Phineas
    Phineas
    4 years ago

    Bad move by Barr. Anyone defending himself will have the right to subpoena documents they otherwise wouldn’t have.

    qazxc
    qazxc
    4 years ago

    And when he’s done with this he’ll investigate Benghazi.