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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 9 deceMber 2019
Watchdog expected to find Russia probe valid, despite flaws

ERIC TUCKER tacts with Trump associ-
Associated Press ates.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Some of the findings were
Justice Department’s inter- described to The Associ-
nal watchdog will release ated Press on condition of
a highly anticipated report anonymity by people who
Monday that is expected were not authorized to dis-
to reject President Donald cuss a draft of the report
Trump’s claims that the before its release. The AP
Russia investigation was il- has not viewed a copy of
legitimate and tainted by the document.
political bias from FBI lead- It is unclear how Barr, a
ers. But it is also expected strong defender of Trump,
to document errors during will respond to Horowitz’s
the investigation that may findings. He has told Con-
animate Trump supporters. gress that he believed
The report, as described “spying” on the Trump
by people familiar with its campaign did occur and
findings, is expected to has raised public questions
conclude there was an ad- about whether the coun-
equate basis for opening terintelligence investiga-
one of the most politically tion was done correctly.
sensitive investigations in In this June 19, 2018, file photo, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz The FBI opened its inves-
testifies before a joint House Committee on the Judiciary and House Committee on Oversight and
FBI history and one that Government Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. tigation in July 2016 after
Trump has denounced Associated Press receiving information from
as a witch hunt. It began an Australian diplomat
in secret during Trump’s Joe Biden a probe the investigation continues, urday that he was wait- that a Trump campaign
2016 presidential run and president also claims is po- overseen by Trump’s attor- ing for the chance to see adviser, George Papado-
was ultimately taken over litically biased. ney general, William Barr Horowitz’s report and that poulos, had been told be-
by special counsel Robert Still, the release of In- and led by a U.S. attorney, he looked forward ``very fore it was publicly known
Mueller. spector General Michael John Durham. That investi- much to seeing what hap- that Russia had dirt on the
The report comes as Trump Horowitz’s review is unlikely gation is criminal in nature, pens with the Durham re- Clinton campaign in the
faces an impeachment to quell the partisan bat- and Republicans may look port, maybe even more form of thousands of stolen
inquiry in Congress cen- tles that have surrounded to it to uncover wrongdo- importantly, because it’s emails.
tered on his efforts to press the Russia investigation for ing that the inspector gen- a horrible thing that took By that point, the Demo-
Ukraine to investigate a years. It’s also not the last eral wasn’t examining. place and it should never cratic National Commit-
political rival, Democrat word: A separate internal Trump told reporters Sat- happen to another presi- tee had been hacked, an
dent.’’ act that a private security
Horowitz’s report is expect- firm and ultimately U.S. in-
ed to identify errors and telligence agencies attrib-
misjudgments by some uted to Russia. Prosecutors
law enforcement officials, allege that Papadopou-
including by an FBI lawyer los learned about the sto-
suspected of altering a len emails from a Maltese
document related to the professor named Joseph
surveillance of a former Mifsud. Papadopoulous
Trump campaign aide. pleaded guilty to lying to
Those findings probably will the FBI about that interac-
fuel arguments by Trump tion.
and his supporters that the The investigation was tak-
investigation was flawed en over in May 2017 by
from the start. Mueller, who charged six
But the report will not en- Trump associates with vari-
dorse some of the presi- ous crimes as well as 25
dent’s theories on the in- Russians accused of inter-
vestigation, including that fering in the election either
it was a baseless “witch through hacking or a so-
hunt” or that he was tar- cial media disinformation
geted by an Obama ad- campaign. Mueller did not
ministration Justice Depart- find sufficient evidence to
ment desperate to see charge a criminal conspir-
Republican Trump lose to acy between the Trump
Democrat Hillary Clinton in campaign and Russia.
2016. He examined multiple
It also is not expected to episodes in which Trump
undo Mueller’s findings or sought to seize control of
call into question his con- the investigation, including
clusion that Russia inter- by firing James Comey as
fered in that election in FBI director, but declined
order to benefit the Trump to decide on whether
campaign and that Rus- Trump had illegally ob-
sians had repeated con- structed justice.q