DOJ inspector general scheduled to testify about Russia report
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 11 to discuss the findings of his report into the opening of the Russia investigation, Chairman Lindsey Graham announced Monday.
“Mr. Horowitz will be appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 11, where he will deliver a detailed report of what he found regarding his investigation, along with recommendations as to how to make our judicial and investigative systems better,” said Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close ally of President Donald Trump, in a statement.
The scheduled hearing is the strongest indication yet that the report’s release is imminent. Graham and other supporters of the President have led a steady drumbeat of anticipation over the Horowitz report in recent weeks, suggesting it will provide evidence of improper conduct by the FBI in the early stages of the investigation that undermines the credibility of the probe.
What the report says is still unknown. But some witnesses who have been interviewed by the inspector general say they expect that it will likely reveal some missteps, though none that should be interpreted as undermining a legitimate investigation.
The report, expected to be released with minimal redactions, is likely to land at the height of the unfolding House impeachment inquiry. It could be a boon for Republicans, who’ve accused law enforcement of abusing its power as it investigated Trump.
Investigators from the watchdog office reviewed more than 1 million records and conducted more than 100 interviews, and in recent weeks the Justice Department and FBI have pored over a draft of the report to determine the classification levels of the material, Horowitz has told lawmakers.
CNN reported last week that witnesses who interviewed with Horowitz’s office for the report had begun to schedule meetings to review the draft of the document, a process usually seen as a final step before the release of the report.
