{"id":206,"date":"2018-02-28T11:05:10","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T16:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=206"},"modified":"2018-03-01T12:09:47","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T17:09:47","slug":"trump-attacks-sessions-over-handling-of-surveillance-abuse-allegations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=206","title":{"rendered":"Trump Attacks Sessions Over Handling of Surveillance Abuse Allegations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By\u00a0EILEEN SULLIVAN<\/span><\/span>

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the White House this month.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Tom Brenner\/The New York Times<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 President Trump criticized his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions, on Wednesday and called him \u201cDISGRACEFUL\u201d after Mr. Sessions indicated that the Justice Department\u2019s watchdog would look into accusations of potential abuse of surveillance laws rather than the agency\u2019s own lawyers.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/span>Donald J. Trump<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

✔<\/b><\/span><\/span>@realDonaldTrump<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn\u2019t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!<\/p>\n

Republicans have accused<\/a>\u00a0Justice Department and F.B.I. officials of abusing their powers by surveilling a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, in the investigation into Russia\u2019s interference in the 2016 election and whether Moscow coordinated with Trump associates. Law enforcement officials were granted permission to spy on Mr. Page from the secretive court that issues warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.<\/p>\n

Mr. Sessions said on Tuesday that he referred those concerns to the department\u2019s inspector general, who is charged with investigating possible agency abuses. But he stopped short of announcing that a fresh inquiry had begun.<\/p>\n

Mr. Sessions has recused himself from the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe the Department of Justice must adhere to the high standards in the FISA court,\u201d Mr. Sessions said in response to a reporter\u2019s question about the allegations made by Republicans. \u201cI think that\u2019s just the appropriate thing; the inspector general will take that as one of the matters he\u2019ll deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Republican accusations were laid out in a memo by House Intelligence Committee staffers that was rebutted by the panel\u2019s Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Justice Department declined to comment.<\/p>\n