Justice Department asks watchdog to probe Trump-era seizure of Democrats’ data

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department has asked for an internal investigation after revelations that former President Donald Trump’s administration seized phone data from House Democrats in 2018 as part of a leaks investigation. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to open an investigation on Friday. That’s according to a senior Justice Department official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The request came after Senate Democratic leaders demanded that Trump-era Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions testify about the extraordinary seizures.