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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
HomeShow'FBI was not biased' in Trump campaign probe

‘FBI was not biased’ in Trump campaign probe

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Daily US Times, Washington: A US watchdog has found ‘serious performance failure’ in the 2016 Trump campaign inquiry but not found any ‘political biases’.

The US Department of Justice inspector general’s report concluded that that the organization had “authorized purpose” to start the investigation.

But it surely additionally discovered wiretapping a Trump aide had “significant inaccuracies and omissions”.

The 476-page report supplies fodder for Trump critics and supporters alike.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz sought to evaluate the premise for the FBI’s surveillance of Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser who had lived and worked in Russia.

The inspector general recognized 17 “vital inaccuracies or omissions” when the FBI utilized to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) for surveillance warrants to monitor Mr Page’s communications.

Mr Horowitz wrote that the errors resulted in “applications that made it appear that the information supporting the probable cause was stronger than was actually the case”.

The watchdog additionally discovered that an FBI lawyer assigned to the Russia case doctored an electronic mail from the CIA to a colleague that was utilized in a utility from bureau to observe Mr Page.

The attorney “altered an email that the other US government agency had sent” with the effect that “the email inaccurately stated that Page was ‘not a source’ for the other agency”, the report mentioned.

The watchdog additionally discovered FBI personnel “fell far short of the requirement in FBI policy that they ensure that all factual statements in a Fisa application are ‘scrupulously accurate'”.

The report mentioned “so many basic and fundamental errors… raised significant questions regarding the FBI chain of command’s management and supervision of the Fisa process”.

The inspector general discovered no foundation for conservative claims that partisan hostility to Mr Trump had influenced the bureau’s probe.

He said, “We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decisions to open the four individual investigations”.

Mr Horowitz additionally didn’t discover that the FBI’s errors have been intentional.

The investigation was opened “in compliance with the department and FBI policies”, the report mentioned.

Mr Horowitz additionally discovered the FBI’s use of confidential informants was in compliance with company guidelines.

One FBI agent mentioned straight away message he “was so elated with the election” and likened the protection to “watching a Super Bowl comeback”.

One other agent despatched a message on the morning after the election saying: “Trump!

“His colleague replied: “Hahaha.” “LOL,” the agent responded.


Mr Trump has typically cited messages beforehand uncovered by Mr Horowitz that have been despatched on work telephones between two FBI workers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Web page.

The messages expressed “statements of hostility towards then-candidate Trump”, the watchdog notes.

However, the watchdog discovered no proof that Mr Strzok or Ms Web page’s investigative actions have been influenced by their very own political beliefs.

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