Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that he believes the Trump campaign was spied on he planned to look into the intelligence community and if surveillance on the Trump campaign was done appropriately.
President Trump and other Republicans have voiced their concerns about a surveillance warrant that was used to wiretap former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, saying the FBI improperly obtained the warrant.
Barr also said he was concerned about why the Trump campaign was not notified about the FBI’s counterintelligence probe.
During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen asked Barr directly if he believed spying on the campaign occurred, and he said, “Yes I think spying did occur. The question is whether it was adequately predicated.”
“I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal — it’s a big deal,” he added.
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 Office of the Inspector General of the department.”
In later remarks, Barr attempted to clarify his statement, saying he was concerned that “improper surveillance” may have occurred in 2016 and he was “looking into it.”
“I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred. I’m saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it. That’s all,” he said.
“I just want to satisfy myself that there was no abuse of law enforcement or intelligence powers,” Barr told Graham.
Attorney General Barr on Mueller Report: “I am going to be reviewing both the genesis and the conduct of intelligence activities directed at the Trump campaign during 2016…I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal.” pic.twitter.com/uz4tIqGIaa
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 10, 2019
