Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed on Tuesday that the Justice Department will investigate alleged abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, weeks after House Republicans released a memo detailing the abuse.
“Will your department investigate and if the evidence is there, hold FBI and Justice Department officials in contempt?” Fox News’ Catherine Herridge asked toward the end of a DOJ press conference announcing a new opioid policy.
“We believe that the Department of Justice must adhere to the highest standards in the FISA court,” Sessions answered. “And yes, it will be investigated.”
The attorney general added that an investigation is the “appropriate thing” to do, and the DOJ’s inspector general “will take that as one of the matters he’ll deal with.”
This marks the second time this month Sessions has answered that particular question in the affirmative.
Asked by Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo nine days ago whether the DOJ would be investigating the FBI’s use of the Clinton campaign-funded anti-Trump dossier to obtain a warrant to surveil campaign adviser Carter Page before the 2016 election, Sessions answered: “That will be investigated and looked at. ”
During today’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reacted to the breaking news, saying she hadn’t yet spoken to the president about the attorney general’s decision, but said the move to “look into what we feel to be some wrongdoing” would be supported.
“I think that’s the role of the Department of Justice, and we’re glad that they’re fulfilling that job,” she said.
.@PressSec on DOJ opening an investigation into FISA abuses during the election: “I think that’s the role of the Department of Justice and we’re glad that they’re fulfilling that job.” pic.twitter.com/BOd87HtQze
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 27, 2018
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