Attorney General Jeff Sessions told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the internal watchdog at the Justice Department is looking at whether the FBI has handled Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications properly.
When asked about House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes’ controversial memo, which focuses on the FISA application for former Trump adviser Carter Page, Sessions said: “We believe the Department of Justice must adhere to the highest standards in the FISA court, and yes, it will be investigated, and I think that’s just the appropriate thing. The inspector general will take that as one of the matters he’ll deal with.”
The Office of the Inspector General at the Justice Department is broadly examining how investigations are treated at the department and the FBI, including, notably, the Hillary Clinton email server investigation.
When the Nunes memo was released earlier this month, Sessions similarly noted, “Congress has made inquiries concerning an issue of great importance for the country and concerns have been raised about the Department’s performance. … Accordingly, I will forward to appropriate DOJ components all information I receive from Congress regarding this. I am determined that we will fully and fairly ascertain the truth.”
