Sessions pushes back at Trump criticism

Attorney General Jeff Sessions pushed back Wednesday on the latest round of criticism from President Trump, saying that he will continue to carry out his duties as the nation’s top law enforcement officer with “integrity and honor.”

“We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary,” Sessions said in a statement.

“As long as I am the Attorney General, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution,” he added.

{mosads}

Session’s comments came after Trump leveled his latest attack on his attorney general Wednesday morning, calling it “disgraceful” that Sessions asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate potential abuses by the FBI on surveillance warrants.

“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,” Trump tweeted. “Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!”

Trump has repeatedly criticized Sessions over his handling of the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election, voicing frustration with the attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from overseeing that probe.

But Trump’s latest attack came after Sessions said that the Justice Department’s inspector general would look into whether FBI officials abused a clandestine process that allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies to surveil suspected spies and terrorists. Some Republicans have alleged that senior officials improperly secured warrants to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Trump claimed last year that Obama administration officials wrongfully surveilled members of his presidential campaign and transition team, and has pressed Sessions to look into the matter. He has also called for the Justice Department to investigate alleged wrongdoings by the Obama administration, more broadly.

While the Justice Department’s inspector general Michael Horowitz rose to that position in 2012 under former President Barack Obama, he has served under numerous Republican and Democratic administrations. He is currently conducting the probe into the FBI’s handling of the 2016 investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.