JUMPING AHEAD A BIT

William Barr Says Mueller Investigation Could ‘Change Rules on Spying’

AG repeats controversial claim—“Government power was used to spy on American citizens”—as his own probe into the matter begins.

Attorney General William Barr warned that his just-started review of the origins of the Justice Department’s Russia investigation could lead to sweeping changes in U.S. intelligence-gathering, The Wall Street Journal reports “Government power was used to spy on American citizens,” Barr told the Journal during a visit to El Salvador, repeating his controversial claim to lawmakers that “spying did occur.” “I can’t imagine any world where we wouldn’t take a look and make sure that was done properly.” He added: “Just like we need to ensure that foreign actors don’t influence the outcome of our elections, we need to ensure that the government doesn’t use its powers to put a thumb on the scale.” The Journal reports that former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray both believe that Russia investigation was appropriate and that there was no evidence that illegal activity had taken place. Wray, especially, has shied away from Barr’s use of the term “spying” for legal intelligence-gathering.