NEW: Barr touched off a firestorm after saying that he believes “spying did occur” in the federal investigation into the Trump campaign. By the end of the hearing, though, the attorney general backed off his explosive claim.
Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday touched off a firestorm during a hearing on Capitol Hill, saying that he believes “spying did occur” in the federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia while defending his review of the probe. By the end of the hearing, though, the attorney general backed off his explosive claim.
But later when pressed, Barr clarified his language, saying that he does not necessarily believe any “improper surveillance occurred” “I think spying did occur,” he said. “The question was whether it was adequately predicated. And I’m not suggesting it wasn’t predicated. I need to explore that.”Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, tweeted that Barr’s comments “directly contradict what DOJ previously told us.”Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, celebrated them.
In his testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, Barr said he was in the process of reviewing the origins of the Russia probe — something President Trump and his supporters have demanded. The story, by Yahoo News chief investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff, was later cited in an FBI application for a surveillance warrant against Page.
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