Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Monday that President Trump’s call for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether or not the FBI conducted surveillance on his campaign was a “disturbing assault” on DOJ’s independence.
Clapper, an appointee of President Obama’s, argued Trump was effectively trying to make Justice an arm of the White House.
“I think that’s actually a very disturbing assault on the independence of the Department of Justice,” Clapper told CNN’s “New Day.”
{mosads}“And I think when the president — this president or any president — tries to use the Department of Justice as a kind of private investigatory body, that’s not good for the country.”
The Justice Department on Sunday night said it asked the inspector general to probe whether or not the FBI conducted surveillance on the Trump campaign for “inappropriate purposes,” a move that followed Trump’s tweet calling for Justice to look into the matter.
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not 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!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Clapper criticized Trump for what he described as “politicizing” the FBI’s activities.
“This is not about spying on his campaign,” Clapper told CNN. “It’s about what the Russians are doing. Were they attempted to infiltrate the campaign?”