President Donald Trump on Friday touted news reports that a former FBI lawyer is suspected of altering a document related to surveillance of a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016.
The Associated Press has confirmed reports by CNN and The Washington Post that the finding is part of a Justice Department inspector general investigation into the FBI's probe of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz is expected to release a report on December 9, and witnesses in the last two weeks have been invited in to see draft sections of that document.
A person familiar with the case was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke to AP only on condition of anonymity. The CNN and Washington Post reports also cited unidentified individuals.
The release of the inspector general report is likely to revive debate about the politically-charged Russia investigation that has shadowed Trump's presidency since the beginning. Trump has long insisted that the investigation into his campaign was a "hoax" and "witch hunt."
There has been a continued cover-up to this day. We still don't have the truth, but hopefully, we'll get that soon." FBI Director Chris Wray has told Congress that he did not consider the FBI surveillance to be "spying" and that he has no evidence the FBI illegally monitored Trump's campaign during the 2016 election. Wray said he would not describe the FBI's surveillance as "spying" if it's following "investigative policies and procedures."
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