A group of influential Republican senators on Thursday called for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate how the Department of Justice and FBI conducted a probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
The demand came in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, from Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Cornyn of Texas – a committee member and number two in the Senate GOP leadership – and committee members Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
They requested that a special counsel assist the DOJ inspector general in digging into possible misuse of the foreign intelligence surveillance system to obtain warrants against a former Trump campaign aide, leaks of classified intelligence to the media, and “potential improprieties in the FBI’s relationship with Christopher Steele.”
Grassley and Graham already made a criminal referral to the DOJ two months ago concerning former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele – author of the so-called “Trump dossier” – recommending that officials investigate possible false statements by Steele to federal officials.
One Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic source said, “They keep forgetting that the Russia investigation started with…
