Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that he is looking into efforts by the FBI to investigate members of the Trump campaign before the 2016 election, saying he believes “spying” took place and he needs to be sure it was justified.
“I think spying did occur,” Barr said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “But the question is whether it was adequately predicated and I’m not suggesting it wasn’t adequately predicated, but I need to explore that.”
“I am going to be reviewing both the genesis and the conduct of intelligence activities directed at the Trump campaign during 2016,” Barr told lawmakers. “A lot of this has already been investigated and a substantial portion that’s being investigated is being investigated by the inspector general of the department.”
Later, when asked to clarify his remarks and characterization that he believes there was “spying” during the election, Barr said he wants to make sure there was no “unauthorized surveillance” during 2016.
Barr downplayed recent reports that he had formed a team to investigate the FBI’s actions in the original Russia counterintelligence probe, but said he had in mind bringing “some colleagues” together to review information turned up by the inspector general investigation, as well as Republican-led congressional probes to determine whether there is a need for further investigation at the Justice Department.
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Trump AG probing if "spying" on Trump campaign was "adequately predicated" https://t.co/cCWfhqBOud pic.twitter.com/u67jPpvAax
— The Hill (@thehill) April 10, 2019
The most karmic outcome of this completely reckless comment would be for Barr to be in office long enough one day to have to say "well, it wasn't 'spying,' it was an investigation, and yes, it was adequately predicated." Because that would be a lot more like the truth. https://t.co/mD5DHqdB8G
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 10, 2019
Trying to think of anyone who's worked for Trump who went from "highly respected" to "cratered his reputation" faster than Barr at this point. This is a new land speed record for @TheRickWilson's law of #ETTD
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 10, 2019
Okay, Trump defenders, do your thing. Start up the rationalizations about how it's just words, and the rule of law isn't really a problem, and tax cuts and judges, and all the usual twaddle invoked when the president talks like the leader of a 1950s Latin American junta. https://t.co/kQEVbQwQww
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 10, 2019
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: "So you are not suggesting, though, that spying occurred?"
AG Barr: "I think there was spying did occur, yes, I think spying did occur." https://t.co/BUkUiTLZFA pic.twitter.com/byn3U0DSSA
— The Hill (@thehill) April 10, 2019
William Barr appeared to back up Trump's assertion that the DOJ “spied” on his presidential campaign, injecting renewed skepticism about the origins of the Russia probe as he prepares to release a redacted version of Mueller’s report https://t.co/3Ov7exafY5 pic.twitter.com/DkfUXtCgFS
— POLITICO (@politico) April 10, 2019
To recap: Barr is opening an investigation into whether the FBI opened an investigation with no evidence based on no evidence that the FBI actually did anything wrong. Is…is that right?
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 10, 2019
On the Barr news:
– Reviewing the actions of the FBI is a good thing. They have too much power to operate without constant oversight.
– The AG calling their work “spying” right out of the gate & adopting Trump’s witch hunt lingo proves he’s not the one to conduct a fair review.— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 10, 2019
It's reasonable for Barr to point out that FBI surveillance of a political campaign should not be taken lightly. It's questionable for him to compare the use of judicially-approved FISA warrants to the warrantless spying abuses of the 1960s.
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) April 10, 2019
In one breath, Trump calls the Mueller probe:
-“an illegal investigation”
-“crooked”
-“an attempted coup”
-“illegal witch-hunt”
-“treason”— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) April 10, 2019
To clarify: Barr has no evidence of improprieties in the FBI investigation, including “spying,” but wants to examine the matter anyway because he has "concerns" and because, as he said, he believes spying did occur (even if he hasn’t seen evidence of it) https://t.co/yguyRtauD3
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) April 10, 2019
Attorney General Barr: We don’t publicly disparage people we don’t charge with wrongdoing.
Also Barr: I think the FBI spied on the Trump campaign.
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 10, 2019
"He is the attorney general of the United States of America, not the attorney general of Donald Trump." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Attorney General William Barr is "going off the rails," while referencing Barr's recent testimony on Capitol Hill. https://t.co/NxiT3e2Zma pic.twitter.com/71U7FLnLZl
— CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2019
Utterly jaw-dropping — to the point where I had to listen three times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. How Barr, whom I once worked with and respected, can look himself in the mirror or sleep at night is beyond me. https://t.co/70Aobi5OQT
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 10, 2019
Spying? Really, with no evidence. We’re watching Bill Barr’s reputation as a careful attorney go down the drain. His spying testimony before the Senate today could have been given by Sean Hannity. His embracing GOP conspiracy theories is embarrassing. He’s now untrustworthy!
— John Dean (@JohnWDean) April 11, 2019
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