Trump Bashes 'Current' FBI Director Christopher Wray for IG Report Response
President Donald Trump tweeted his rage with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, a day after Wray said the recently released Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016 shows the FBI was justified in launching the probe.
The report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants that approved surveillance, Fox News reported. The report said that it did not find top FBI officials had acted from their political bias against Trump.
“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me. With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!” Trump tweeted.
I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me. With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2019
Trump also sent a tweet with quotes attributed to Fox News host Brit Hume, who offered his take on the report Monday.
“‘You have to look at the 17 instances of misconduct cited in the Report, they are very bad. The FISA Court was clearly taken for a ride on this, a failure of the FBI up and [d]own the chain of command. It’s about as strong a medicine as I’ve seen in a report of this kind in a very long time. The FBI has had some dark day in its past, but nothing like this.
“‘This was VERY SERIOUS MISCONDUCT ON THE PART OF THE FBI.’ @brithume@BretBaier Are you listening Comey, McCabe, lovers Lisa & Peter, the beautiful Ohr family, Brennan, Clapper & many more?” Trump tweeted, listing a litany of FBI and intelligence officials who have opposed Trump.
….in a very long time. The FBI has had some dark day in its past, but nothing like this. This was VERY SERIOUS MISCONDUCT ON THE PART OF THE FBI.” @brithume @BretBaier Are you listening Comey, McCabe, lovers Lisa & Peter, the beautiful Ohr family, Brennan, Clapper & many more?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2019
In a Monday interview, Wray told ABC News the report had good and bad parts for his agency.
Wray admitted there were “actions described in this report that I considered unacceptable and unrepresentative of who we are as an institution.”
Wray also said it was “important that the inspector general found that, in this particular instance, the investigation was opened with appropriate predication and authorization.”
When asked if he thought the FBI unfairly targeted Trump’s campaign in 2016, Wray answered, “I do not.”
Wray also cringed at words like “deep state” to describe the FBI.
“I think that’s the kind of label that’s a disservice to the men and women who work at the FBI who I think tackle their jobs with professionalism, with rigor, with objectivity, with courage,” Wray said. “So that’s not a term I would ever use to describe our workforce and I think it’s an affront to them.”
Former FBI Director James Comey said the report vindicated the FBI, while others said the opposite.
So it was all lies. No treason. No spying on the campaign. No tapping Trumps wires. It was just good people trying to protect America. https://t.co/9nurCaIBq2
— James Comey (@Comey) December 9, 2019
And guess what? A lot of them are still working at the FBI and Wray is defending them. https://t.co/R0YJmc22DU
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) December 9, 2019
Wray responded to the report with a letter to Horowitz in which he said the FBI would fix issues Horowitz cited.
“I have ordered more than 40 corrective steps to address the Report’s recommendations. Because our credibility and brand are central to fulfilling our mission, we are also making improvements beyond those recommended by the OIG. And where certain individuals have been referred by the OIG for review of their conduct, the FBI will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary action if warranted at the completion of the required procedures for disciplinary review,” he wrote.
Attorney General William Barr on Monday released a statement that was critical of the FBI but expressed support for Wray.
“The Inspector General’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken. It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory,” Barr said.
“Nevertheless, the investigation and surveillance was pushed forward for the duration of the campaign and deep into President Trump’s administration. In the rush to obtain and maintain FISA surveillance of Trump campaign associates, FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source.
“No one is more dismayed about the handling of these FISA applications than Director Wray. I have full confidence in Director Wray and his team at the FBI, as well as the thousands of dedicated line agents who work tirelessly to protect our country. I thank the Director for the comprehensive set of proposed reforms he is announcing today, and I look forward to working with him to implement these and any other appropriate measures,” Barr said in his statement.
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