US president Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the intelligence community to co-operate with US attorney general William Barr's review of the events that prompted an investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russia.
"Today, at the request and recommendation of the attorney general of the United States, president Donald J Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully co-operate with the attorney general's investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 presidential election," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said after Mr Trump issued the directive.
The order also allows Mr Barr to declassify any information he sees fit during his review.
The directive comes as the White House spars with congressional Democrats over the work of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a two-year investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 US election and if there were any ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
A redacted version of Mr Mueller’s report was released publicly in April. The investigation found no evidence that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia and did not draw a conclusion on whether Mr Trump obstructed justice, but outlined some incidents that Democrats have said may be obstruction.
Republican House member Mark Meadows tweeted on Thursday that “Americans are going to learn the truth about what occurred at their Justice Department.”
Adam Schiff, a Democrat member and chairman of the house intelligence committee, criticised Mr Trump's directive.
“While Trump stonewalls the public from learning the truth about his obstruction of justice, Trump and Barr conspire to weaponise law enforcement and classified information against their political enemies,” Mr Schiff said on Twitter.
“The coverup has entered a new and dangerous phase. This is un-American,” he added.
Undermine
Mr Trump, a Republican, harbours suspicions that the Democratic Obama administration ordered to have him investigated during the 2016 campaign in a bid to undermine his candidacy, and he wants payback against those he believes were responsible.
"Comey, Brennan, Clapper, we're draining the swamp, folks," Mr Trump told a rally on Monday in Pennsylvania, referring to former FBI director James Comey, former CIA director John Brennan, and James Clapper, a former director of national intelligence, all of whom have been critical of Mr Trump.
Of specific interest to Mr Trump are the warrants that emanated from a secretive court that authorises surveillance on foreign powers and their agents. Trump supporters believe the warrants will identify those responsible for the Russia investigation that is still roiling Washington.
Last month, Mr Barr said at a Senate hearing that “spying” on Mr Trump’s campaign was carried out by US intelligence agencies, though he later referred to his concerns as focused on “unauthorised surveillance.”
Mr Barr has assigned a top federal prosecutor in Connecticut to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation in what is the third known inquiry into the opening of the FBI investigation.–Reuters