Democrats said Thursday that the inspector general’s new report should restore confidence in the FBI and erase questions about how the bureau is handling a probe into Trump campaign dealings with Russia.
Despite dinging the FBI for a series of leaks, bad decisions and personal opinions suggesting political bias, the inspector general said that bias didn’t skew the initial investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email practices.
Democrats said that shows Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who is using bureau resources to help his investigation, should be allowed to finish the Trump campaign probe without fear of being accused of anti-Trump bias.
“Anyone who is hoping to use this report to undermine the Mueller probe or prove the existence of a deep state conspiracy against President Trump will be surely disappointed,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer told reporters.
Democrats said the inspector general’s report blames some of the botched decision-making at the FBI on then-Director James Comey’s desire to go public with information about the status of the Clinton probe.
They said Republicans, in demanding information about the FBI and Justice Department approach to the Trump investigation, risk repeating those mistakes.
“Some in Congress press the Justice Department once again,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. “We should not repeat that mistake.”...
Specifically, the members of Congress were challenging calls from Republican House members to subpoena Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein over documents the lawmakers want handed over pertaining to Mr. Mueller’s investigation.