U.S. Attorney John Durham: ‘We Do Not Agree’ with Inspector General Conclusion

U.S. Attorney John Durham said Monday that the Department of Justice did not agree with the Inspector General report into the investigation of President Donald Trump’s political campaign.

“Based on the evidence collected to date, and while our investigation is ongoing, last month we advised the Inspector General that we do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened,” Durham said in a statement sent to reporters after the release of Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report.

The Horowitz report found that there were “serious performance failures by the supervisory and non-supervisory agents” including 17 significant errors in the FISA applications to surveil Carter Page, but said there was no evidence of “intentional misconduct.”

Durham, who continues to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation, said that his investigation would be more robust, including details of actions of people outside the Justice Department.

“Our investigation has included developing information from other persons and entities, both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.,” he wrote.

Attorney General Bill Barr also stated his skepticism of the Horowitz report conclusion in a statement, noting that FBI officials launched the investigation was based on the “thinnest of suspicions” that were “insufficient to justify the steps taken.”