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Trump Says F.B.I. and Justice Dept. Have ‘Politicized’ Investigative Process Trump Says F.B.I. and Justice Dept. Have ‘Politicized’ Investigative Process
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Friday that the top officials and investigators at the F.B.I. and the Justice Department had “politicized the sacred investigative process,” hours before the White House is expected to clear the way for Congress to release a controversial memo. WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Friday that the top officials and investigators at the F.B.I. and Justice Department had “politicized the sacred investigative process,” hours before the White House is expected to clear the way for Congress to release a controversial memo that is said to describe a bias among senior officials in the agencies.
The early-morning Twitter post reinforced reports that Mr. Trump, in allowing the memo to be released, is seeking to clean house in the upper ranks of the law enforcement agencies, even at the risk of losing his own F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray. Earlier this week, Mr. Wray made an unusual public plea not to release the document, which could reveal classified sources and methods. The early-morning Twitter post reinforced reports that Mr. Trump, in allowing the memo to be released, is seeking to clean house in the upper ranks of the F.B.I. and the Justice Department, even at the risk of losing his own F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray. Earlier this week, Mr. Wray made an unusual public plea not to release the document, which could reveal classified sources and methods.
Mr. Trump had an opportunity to block the memo, which is said to accuse federal law enforcement officials of abuse in their efforts to surveil a former Trump campaign adviser, because of national security concerns, but a senior administration official said that the president was expected to tell Congress on Friday that the memo could be released without redactions. The document was written by aides to Representative Devin Nunes of California, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Blaming senior government officials for favoring Democratics over Republicans is among the main themes in the memo, according to people who have seen it. The memo is said to accuse federal law enforcement officials of abusing their authorities when they sought permission to surveil former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page.
Democrats who have seen the memo say it is a Republican attempt to push a narrative that would undercut the Russia investigation. Mr. Trump had an opportunity to block the memo, which his own top national security officials have requested because of national security concerns. But a senior administration official said that the president was expected to tell Congress on Friday that the memo could be released without redactions. The document was written by aides to Representative Devin Nunes of California, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who has been an avid supporter of Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has consistently criticized the F.B.I. and the Justice Department while asking senior officials for loyalty. Democrats who have seen the memo say it is a Republican attempt to push a narrative that would undercut the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election meddling and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.
In response to Mr. Trump’s Twitter post on Friday, Representative Adam B. Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said it is unthinkable that the top elected official in the United States would release classified information to attack the F.B.I.
Mr. Trump has consistently criticized the F.B.I. and the Justice Department while asking senior officials for loyalty. The president has also denounced the Russian investigation and called it a hoax and a witch hunt.
Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters on Thursday that the memo was not an attempt to undercut the Russia investigation. Instead, he described it as Congress carrying out its oversight role.
“This memo is not an indictment of the F.B.I., of the Department of Justice. It does not impugn the Mueller investigation or the deputy attorney general,” he said, referring to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating the Russian election meddling and whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice.
Republicans who have seen the three-and-a-half page memo say it described a political bias that influenced a key decision in the early stages of the Russia investigation.
Mr. Page was on the radar of intelligence agencies for years when Mr. Trump named him to be one of his foreign policy advisers in 2016. He had visited Moscow in July 2016 and was preparing to return there that December when investigators obtained the warrant. White House officials have described Mr. Page as a gadfly who had been “put on notice” by the campaign and whom Mr. Trump did not know.