The Justice Department inspector general finalized its review of Republicans’ allegations that the FBI abused FISA rules when it surveilled former President Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the 2016 election.
In a letter to top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Friday, Inspector General Michael Horowitz told lawmakers he was in the final stages of finishing his report on the matter. He confirmed he’d sent a draft copy of “factual findings” to the Justice Department for a classification determination, after which he would begin the process of drafting a public version of the report.
“The team has reviewed over one million records and conducted over 100 interviews, including several witnesses who only recently agreed to be interviewed,” Horowitz wrote. “We have now begun the process of finalizing our report by providing a draft of our factual findings to the Department and the FBI for classification determination and marking.”
The IG didn’t say when to expect a final public report and provided not details on his findings. Horowitz announced in May 2018 that his office would review whether FBI agents followed the law and DOJ policies in order to secure a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to surveil Page.
Congressional Republicans, who requested the review, have long said that the FBI did not follow proper protocol because it used the Steele Dossier as part of its warrant application without disclosing the documents ties to Democratic groups.
Read the letter from Horowitz below:
