President Donald Trump and his Republican allies on Friday escalated a campaign against U.S. law enforcement agencies over their probe into Russia by making public a classified memo that the FBI had sought to keep under wraps. The document, drawn up by congressional Republicans, alleges bias against Trump at the FBI and Justice Department in the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and ties between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
Ignoring FBI urgings, Trump approved the release of the memo, deepening an extraordinary showdown between the president and senior law enforcement officials over a probe that has dogged him for his first year in office and that is now headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. As soon as Trump declassified the four-page memo, telling reporters its contents told a disgraceful story of bias against him, Republicans on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee released it to the public.
The document alleges the FBI concealed the Democratic ties of a source the agency used to justify surveillance on a Trump campaign worker. It says a string of senior Justice Department officials signed off on this. The memo has become a flashpoint in a battle between Republicans and Democrats over Mueller's criminal probe, which is also believed to be looking into any attempts to impede the investigation.
Democrats say Trump's allies hope to use the memo to protect the president and possibly to give him a reason to fire Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who hired Mueller and so would be the person to dismiss him, or even Mueller himself. Asked by reporters on Friday if he had confidence in Rosenstein, Trump replied, "You figure that one out."
"A lot of people should be ashamed," Trump said of the findings in the document. Trump has repeatedly complained about Mueller's investigation, denying any collusion or obstruction of justice. Moscow has denied any election meddling. In a Twitter message on Friday, Trump accused top U.S. law enforcement officers - some of whom he appointed himself - of politicizing investigations.
It was his latest attack on top justice officials. Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May last year. Comey later told a congressional hearing that he believed his removal was an effort by Trump to undermine the Russia probe.
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