Trump orders probe of alleged campaign surveillance

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Under pressure from President Donald Trump, the Justice Department and FBI have agreed to investigate "any irregularities" in the FBI's tactics involving the Trump campaign, the White House said Monday.

The Justice Department has asked its Office of the Inspector General to look into the matter, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Chief of Staff John Kelly will also establish a meeting between the Justice Department, FBI and the Director of National Intelligence along with "Congressional Leaders" to review "highly classified and other information they have requested," she said.

The exact documents that will be reviewed are unclear.

Trump on Thursday suggested the FBI may have planted an undercover informant in his 2016 campaign, saying "If so, this is bigger than Watergate!"

He then said Sunday he would formally demand the Justice Department probe the matter and determine whether "if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration".

Representative Devin Nunes, a key Trump ally, has sought information on the alleged FBI informant, suggesting Sunday there may have been more than one person feeding information to the FBI.

Democrats, however, have maintained the independence of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation should remain unimpeded.

"The Justice Department is not an arm of the White House. The Justice Department is independent and serves the American people," Senator Dianne Feinstein said on Twitter Sunday. "Its job is to follow the facts and the law. Law enforcement investigations must be initiated and carried out free from political interference."

Monday's announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to strike a defiant tone over Mueller's investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign's potential collusion with Moscow's alleged effort to sway the 2016 election.

The U.S. intelligence community and a separate Senate investigation concluded that the multi-faceted campaign was aimed at bolstering Trump and undercutting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Republicans on Nunes' House Intelligence Committee said they found no evidence to support the conclusion that Russia sought to help Trump -- who ran as a Republican.

Trump, who has steadfastly denied suggestions of collusion and has repeatedly called Mueller's probe into the matter a “witch hunt”, rejoiced in the House Republican determination on Twitter last month.