The Department of Justice said Sunday its inspector general will investigate whether the FBI engaged in politically motivated surveillance of President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 following a public demand by Trump to do so, the Washington Examiner reported Sunday.
"The Department has asked the Inspector General to expand the ongoing review of the FISA application process to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election,” Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement.
"As always," Flores said, "the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct."
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein made the request for the DOJ IG to intervene.
“If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,” Rosenstein said in a statement.
Trump earlier Sunday demanded “that the Department of Justice look into whether the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!"
He also said Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into election interference and obstruction of justice needed to end.
"At what point does this soon to be $20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!" Trump tweeted.
"Republicans and real Americans should start getting tough on this Scam," he added, referring to Clinton.