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The Justice Department’s inspector general reportedly uncovered zero evidence to support President Donald Trump‘s claim that the FBI spied on his 2016 presidential campaign while examining whether the campaign was colluding with the Russian government to interfere in the election, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The Times article strengthens reporting from the Washington Post, which initially broke the story last week.
Trump has frequently and baselessly asserted that the FBI injected covert agents into his campaign. Trump and his allies dubbed this preposterous scandal “Spygate.”
He also alleged, sans evidence, that former President Barack Obama directed US intelligence officials to tap his phones, a claim the IG’s report, which will be released in December, is also anticipated to undercut.
After taking office, Trump ordered the DOJ to investigate his claims. The inspector general, Michael Horowitz, will publish his full report on the matter on December 9.
While the report weakens the president’s most extreme claims, it also exposes fault with how the FBI handled its monitoring of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, according to the Post.
